Coventry Music Archives's blog

Rob Halligan (New Single - All Proceeds to Bangladesh!) Support!

Got an e mail from contemporary Cov singer songwriter Rob Halligan regarding his new single  (below). All proceeds

Rob Halligan at the Writers Cafe in Stockton Oct 2007

 go to Bangladesh and Rob is planning to go over there to help. Recently Rob played for our Writers Cafe up in Stockton on Tees as part of the Traidcraft tour. This young talented singer is doing some much for other people in the world, using his talent to help make a better world. Get on line and order his single and help make Rob's efforts for other's an astounding success. Pass this post around and encourage others to do like wise. It deserves our support.

 

Rob has a Vox site HERE

And this is his e mail -

 

Hi All
It's available NOW!!!!
Yep, clap your hands and shout "Woohoo!" and get to the website and order 'Dedicate' the new single from Rob Halligan.
 
And there's a few reasons to buy it.
1. It's a happy clappy song that you'll be happy listening to and clap along with!
2. It's the first Rob CD for a while and the first to come in a cardboard sleeve!
3. Most important, every penny that this CD makes will go towards Bangladesh:2008. Later this year we will be heading out to Bangladesh to see an important work going on with some of the poorest kids on the planet. We'll be visiting an orphanage and school run by Coventry based charity, Global Care. We'll take with us a load of supplies for them and work with the team there for a week. We'll also check out one of tradecrafts fair trade producers.
It's all going to be videoed so you'll be able to watch it as the project develops at http://robhalligan.co.uk/bangladesh
 
So BUY THE SINGLE! It's only £2.50 and you can get it from http://robhalligan.co.uk/bangladesh/?page_id=11
 
AND - register on the site and you'll be in for the chance of winning some great prizes.
Thanks for your support
 
Cheers
 
Rob
www.robhalligan.co.uk

 

INDIAN SUMMER

INDIAN SUMMER

One of Coventry top bands whose 1971 album is still cult among worldwide progressive fans.

INDIAN SUMMER-GLIMPSE.

Below is the classic line up that were featured on their album.
HERE THEIR TRACKS ON MY SPACE HERE

MALCOLM HARKER bass, vibes, vocals  
PAUL HOOPER drums, percussion, vocals   
BOB JACKSON keyboards, lead vocals  
COLIN WILLIAMS guitar, vocals

 

Former members of Indian Summer include -

• Al Hatton - Bass

• Roy Butterfield -

lead guitar

• Steve Cottrel - Guitar.

Indian Summer were formed in the summer of 1969 by keyboardist Bob Jackson, guitarist/vocalist Colin Williams, drummer Paul Hooper and bassist Malcolm Harker. Based in Coventry they toured the local universities and colleges in their native

Indian summer Cover photo

Indian Summer at Umbrella

Midlands before being spotted by manager Jim Simpson who also looked after Black Sabbath and Bakerloo amongst others. In fact, they often filled in for Sabbath when they were too poor to be able to afford to get to the gigs they were booked to play! Ex-Vertigo Records manager Olav Wyper had been employed by RCA to head its progressive Neon Records label and, after a recommendation from Simpson, he signed the band after witnessing them go down a storm at Henry's Blues House in Birmingham. Teaming

Indian Summer advert

them with producer Rodger Bain, who'd produced Black Sabbath's self titled debut album, he put them into London's legendary Trident Studios to record their debut album. Indian Summer was released in early 1971 (NE3) though a proposed single "Walking On Water" failed to see the light of day.

 

Immediately after the album's release, Harker left to take over his father's engineering firm (he currently lives in America). His replacement was Wez Price, ex-The Sorrows, who undertook the promotional duties required of the band, including dates in Switzerland. However, on returning from a gig in early 1972 with no money (and a bag of chips between them!) the band felt that something was wrong and decided to call it a day.

Colin Williams retired totally from the music industry to take up employment in the motor industry. Paul Hooper played in various Midlands based bands before teaming up with Bob Jackson in The Dodgers for 1978's Love On The Rebound album, and is currently a member of The Fortunes. After extracting himself from his contract with Jim Simpson, Bob Jackson teamed up with ex-John Entwhistle vocalist Alan Ross for two LPs and numerous tours. He then joined Moon on their Too

Is1

Close For Comfort LP of 1976 before passing an audition for Badfinger who he stayed with for nearly three years. He then formed the Dodgers with Paul Hooper before joining ex-Uriah Heep vocalist David Byron for the On The Rocks LP. Since then he's played with the likes of The Motors, The Searchers, Jeff Beck, Jack Bruce and Pete Brown and still plays in local bands as well as teaching music.

Mark Brennan - Special thanks to Bob Jackson

Taken from the Repertoire reissue of Indian Summer, 1993, REP 4357-WP

Bob Jackson also played with Pete Brown and Piblokto in 1974. Their roadies later roadied for A Band Called George.

FROM THE COVENTRY EVENING TELEGRAPH 1971

A RAY OF SUNSHINE

"The Coventry group Indian Summer are right to follow

Digger Dave with Roy Butterfield

their maxim; 'To give something fresh, warm and exciting when no one expects it.' It is what their name means. And how well they achieve it. Their new album Indian Summer RCA Neon - is a real ray of sunshine. It does the group less than justice to compare them with anyone, for individuality is certainly their keynote. But to say they succeed where Procul Harum fail and to point out the similarity in voice of the lead singer with that of Roy Phillips of the Peddlers is a compliment anyway.

They lost their first chance of recording contract in the face of Black Sabbath. Might I be so bold as to forecast even better things for the Coventry boys. - GEOFF ELLIOT

• INDIAN SUMMER supported the only Midland gig of Johnny Winter at the
  

  Bob Jackson z
  Kinetic Circus in Birmingham in 1971
• Played Warwick University Arts Festival Fri March 5th 1971 as part of the Blues Workshop with EDGAR BROUGHTON  / HIGH TIDE / SORROWS.
• Played the Lanchester Polytechnic (now Cov Uni) Sat 9th with Goliath and Stone the Crows
• They played the Pete Waterman's Walsgrave Gig in 1970 (which is where I met the band and booked them for the Cov Arts Umbrella).

(just a few of their many gigs)

Some reviews of their 1971 album on the  internet -

"Indian Summer were a British progressive quartet with tremendous potential. Formed in Coventry in 1969, they were managed by Jim Simpson of Black Sabbath and Bakerloo fame. Indian Summer were up against Black Sabbath for the opportunity of signing to a record deal. Black Sabbath won the contract but Indian Summer were signed the next year (1971) to RCA's Neon Label (as were Dando Shaft). The album is now a collector's

Indian-Summer-01

item and Indian Summer still have a cult following among progressive music fans all over the world. Harker left to take over his father's engineering firm."

"This album is loaded with lots of driving rhythm and psychy musical passages with emphasis on keyboards and guitars. Vocals (Bob Jackson) are quite good and have a certain wildness about them, which you'll either love or hate. Although fairly heavy musically speaking, Indian Summer do resonate with certain Canterbury leanings actually and at times remind me of a heavier version of Caravan. Songs are well written and do carry a certain dark atmosphere to them which I do enjoy. The fine folks at Repertoire have done a wonderful job of enhancing the recording and speaker separation which is actually quite good. Most importantly, Indian Summer have a very original and professional sound quality to their music and they are clearly one of the better bands who had far too short an existence. This is

Indsum1

one of those albums which once you get into, yu will cherish fondly forever..full of lots of razzle dazzle.'

Indian+Summer+-+Indian+Summer+-+Front

 

 

Indian+Summer+-+Indian+Summer+-+Back

 

 

 

Indsum4

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

In Summer

 

 

ROGER WILLIAMSON - A Coventry Songwriter's 70's tracks

Roger Williamson was an energetic and popular singer-songwriter in the early 70's in Coventry. His reputation

Pete Waterman Walsgrave 3

wasn't just limited to Coventry however as this ad for the Troubadour in Melody Maker testifies. Roger was well known on the Midland folk circuit and I saw him often playing at the Cov Arts Umbrella or playing for friends in the coffee bar. READ HIS BIO HERE

Roger williamson2

 

Roger also had a band back then called EAST LIGHT Whom I saw at Pete Waterman's Walsgrave gigs. I used to do the door for Pete so have the ticket for that gig.

Roger Williamson CD

Roger now lives in Minnesota where he runs the Magus Bookshop and also writes stories.

Magus Books

 

Magus Books (The shelves!

 

Cover Art - A Strange Guitar by Roger Williamson
Roger has sent some of his seventies tracks to HOBO for a CD entitled Once Upon a Time in the Seventies

Tracks on here are -
1.Shadows 2.End of the Night 3.Maybe 4. Big G 5.Shadows and the Urban Exile 6.Spellbound - Copyright Roger Williamson

Roger Williamson - Acoustic guitar and vocals
Delta McCloud - Lead guit. / backing vocals
Peter Lockettracks Lead guitar
Danny Wilding Flute

 

 

OBSESSIVE by Real Life - Innovative New All- Star Album

This album feature Two-Toners Neol Davies and Horace Panter -

6a00d414273d37685e00e3989f912f0002-320pi

Read more about the album and it's creator Kevin Harrison here on
Click here
Kevin Harrison - Obsessive - All-star innovative New Album

 

Sent From Coventry - the 1980 album

SENT FOR COVENTRY - THE ALBUM
Martin Bowes, editor of the Coventry Alternative Sounds Magazine c 1979 / 1980 - in the midst of the Two Tone Period - was instrumental in getting together an incredible album full of the vibrant Cov bands of the time -many who made singles and supported many of the top bands of the day. Two of the bands featured on the album had had members of the Specials in their ranks - Machine's drummer was Silverton - drummer with the Specials until replaced by John 'Brad' Bradbury and Terry Hall had been lead singer with Squad. Kevin Harrison of Urge had played in the original formation of Selecter - The Transposed Man and had worked on the original draft of 

279197S

On My Radio - listen to it here.
(Featured on Kevin Harrison's musical history site  - HERE

 

You can listen to excerpts and download the album here

The following bands were on  the
album -

The Wild Boys - we're only monsters
The Clique - Mothers Never Know
The End - Panic in the Night
The Mix - With You
Machine - Character Change
Urge - Nuclear Terrorist
Protege - Protection
Solid Action - Message from a Loner
Wild Boys - Lorraine
Squad - Flasher
Homicide - Armageddon
Riot Act - Sirens
Vietnamese Babies - Donna Blitzen

Cherry Red Records / Kathedral Records.

Here are the pages of the special issue of Alternative Sounds that came with the album - in a collection - click to view the pages -

 

Sent FroM Cov Alternative Sounds

Visit TWO TONE CENTRAL MUSEUM http://www.2tonecentral.co.uk/

 

 

Roger Williamson - East Light - bio

After posting some info on Coventry singer songwriter / author and Magus bookseller Roger Williamson and his folk outfit East Light c 1970 I got an e mail from him - now living in minisota where he runs the Magus bookshop.

Roger has sent me a bio and will be sending us some audio soon -

Roger williamson2

ROGER WILLIAMSON - BIO

My first adventures into playing music were inspired by listing to rock and roll transmitted on Radio Luxemburg late at night.  I would pick up this station on a home made crystal set when I was supposed to be asleep.   A couple of years later, probably around 1963, I would go and listen to bands on Wednesday nights at the Orchid Ballroom on Primrose Hill Street.  This was about the time of the Beatles release “With the Beatles” album.  I remember there was a large copy of the cover projected on the back of the stage. 

There was also the Sombrero coffee bar next to Pool Meadow bus station which had the most amazing juke box.  This juke box was fabulous and I’ll never forget hearing Bo Diddly singing Pretty Thing.  This would have been around 1962.   I discovered a whole other world different from my upbringing.

In 1964 I played bass in a band called the Elements which included Paul Saunders on lead guitar and John Underwood on guitar.  After the Elements I played Bass for the Red White and Blues and then in 1966/67 left them to play bass for the Darkness.  The Darkness was originally going to be Alex Sun and the Darkness but Alex the singer dropped out. 

There were great venues we played at, Chesford Grange on Saturdays, Plough on the London Road the Avonside Country Club and The Navigation Inn.  Chesford Grange was great on Saturday nights.  It had two stages, as one band took a break the second band came on.  This was all going on while ballroom dancing took place upstairs, all very bazaar.  After finishing at Chesford Grange around 11pm we would often move to the Avonside Country Club and play there until the early hours.

Began singing on the Coventry folk scene in 1967.  In 1969 I formed East Light with Paul Saunders  and we moved to London.  We played as East Light for a few months before Paul emigrated to Canada.  I continued to play in and around London folk clubs for the next few years until I joined a reformed Dando Shaft in the early 70’s with Martin Jenkins, Ted Kay and Bill Bones.  Martin Jenkins and I busked in the London underground to rehearse each others songs and earn a few bob.  This lasted for about six months until Martin Jenkins and Ted Kay moved back to Coventry.  I went back to the folk scene performing on my own until forming the Roger Williamson Band in 1974.

I moved to the USA in 1985.  I wrote The Sun at Night which was released in 1989 it was reprinted in 1997 followed by Labyrinth: Tales of a Rite of Passage about a year later, Lucifer’s a Basic Handbook of Lucierian Sorcery in 1994 reprinted in 2002, Black Book of the Jackal in 2000 as a limited signed and handbound edition, this was released in soft cover in 2006, Calling up the Spirits was released a couple of years later, Howling at the Sky in 2002 and Lucifer Diaries in 2004.  Lucifer Diaries was released as a limited edition signed and numbered hardcover and as a softcover.  I released a limited edition compact disc “On the Arrival of the Machine and its Mode of Operation” in 2003 for which my son Luke provided the music.   Tarot of the Morning Star deck of 22 cards due to be released October 2007

Opened Magus Books in September of 1992.

 

 

EARTHQUAKES (Cov Band)

The Earthquakes
c 1974

The Earthquakes hailed from Derby originally but settled in Coventry. They were managed by the Sunshine Music Agency in Gulson Rd. Coventry. Sunshine are blogged about on the this site - see the index.

Co-director of Sunshine and the main songwriter - Bob Young of A Band Called George - offered them a song -

Sunshine music Agency

Dancing to the Music earmarked to be released on the Bell Label, alongside A Band Called George's own single NCB Man - again written by Bob Young. However - I'm not quite sure why - perhaps they split up but it was reported in Hobo that the single was subsequently offered to Mad Cat Molly.

 

From the unpublished version of Hobo issue 3

"MAD CAT MOLLY are another band set to make a single for possible release on the Bell label. Again it is a Bob Young composition (no relation to Neil Young Jamie!!) called Dancing to the Music originally going to be done by the Earthquakes who hail from Derby. The line up is Steve Lore on lead; Mick Murphy on Rhythm; Paul Wright on bass and Chris Potter on drums. They have quite a few booking lined up around the country thanks to Sunshine Music Agency."

 

Analog - (Cov Band)

 

 

Analog at Hobo Workshop74

ANALOG

They were a regular band at the HOBO WORKSHOP. C. 1974 –75.(for more info on the Hobo Workshop - see the Hobo Index and follow the links)

 

In his letter to HOBO in 1974, lead guitarist John Rushton described the band as a “new and truly original rock band”. As I remember, there were a strong jazz-rock and early King Crimson and Yes influences in the music.

 

The group is pictured here in the CET (Coventry Evening Telegraph) playing at the Hobo Workshop in an article about the workshop. (

 

(In the pic also  - Bob Rhodes (Youth Worker) Hobo Workshop staff - Liz Scott, Trev Teasdel, Phil Knapper (Stu Knapper's older brother).

 

Analog

The line-up consists of  – Mick Hartley - bass / Steve Edgson - 2nd guitar, clarinet, recorder / Paul 'Babbling' Brook - he plays a double kit + vocals and John Rushton - Multi-track maniac on lead guitar and backing vocals.    

Paul Brooke

 

In HOBO it was reported that the band had been rehearsing an original set for a year without playing any gigs.

 

 

Hobo Workshop CET

< In the letter used for the HOBO article, John Rushton says; -

 

 

 

 

 

“We’re working on a 40 minute suite at the moment, as yet untitled, based on an original idea by Paul Brook. This will comprise the first half of the set, along with a super high-energy instrumental entitled ‘Custer’s Last Stand’ – say no more! The suite contains more words than ‘Close to the Edge’ and has seven main parts.” John A. Rushton – Earlsdon (See full letter here)

 

 

Equipment is as follows; - Mick

Hobo Wokshop

Hartley – 120W amp 7 cab. Paul Brook – double bass drum kit. Steve Edgeson – Park combination amp and cab. John Rushton – Park 100watt amp + R.P.A. cab + horn unit. The P.A. was hired.

 

 

Piece from Hobo Magazine 1974 prior them giging at the Hobo Workshop later in the year -

 

"ANALOG

A new original rock band freaturing Mick Hartley bass (Sound City 120 watt

Paul Brooke

amp + cab), Steve Edgeson 2nd guitar / clarinet and recorder (Park Combination amp + cab), Paul (Babbling) Brook drums and vocals and concept (Pearl double bass drum kit) John Rushton (multi-track-manica) lead guitar and backing vocals (park watt amp + RPA cab and horn unit. They are currently working on a 40 min suite written by Paul Brook. This will comprise the first set followed by high energy instrumentals. The suite contains more words than Yes's Close to the Edge." 

..........................................

 

 

 

According to ’s later music mag. ALTERNATIVE SOUNDS (late 70’s), Mick Hartley and Steve Edgeson from Analog

Reluctant Stereotypes

 

Paul_sampson_pink_lead_203x152

were also in the Reluctant Stereotypes (My Space) along with Paul Samson (My Space) who was with another band popular at the Hobo Workshop - Trigon (more on them forthcoming). Paul Samson went on to produce the Primatives and Catatonia David McAlmont, Diesel Park West, Toni Iommi & Glen Hughes Ultramarine & Kevin Ayres, Band of Holy Joy and a whole lot more................ . Although singer Paul  King went on to write most of the material for King, in the Reluctant Stereotypes, most of the material was written by Paul Samson. Pete Chambers has supplied an article on the linage from these bands - the essence of which is at the foot of this post.

 

UPDATE - Sadly Paul Brook passed away recently and there is now a tribute to Paul on this site HERE

The following is abridged from Pete Chambers article on the Reluctant Stereotypes entitled MAKING PLANS FOR TODAY published in the Coventry Telegraph.

"The Reluctant Stereotypes were the nearly men of ’s flourishing ska scene, a scene that was headed by of course the mighty Specials. Like many bands at the time, The Reluctant Stereotypes used the ska reggae rhythms as a backbone to hang their own mix of words and music onto. The Stereotypes were riding the next wave of the ‘Coventry Sound’. Theirs was much more of an ‘indie’ affair, more in common with the than the dance hall.

 

Guitarist Paul Sampson had been with the jazz/rock band Bung (and Trigon). Meanwhile clarinettist extraodinaire

King

Steve Edgson had been with the experimental nouveau progressive unit Analog (who were regulars at ’s Hobo Workshop). Guitarist Steve Haddon had formed a band called Ens and was looking for good personnel. Steve joined first and Paul then came in to replace the great guitarist Peter Bosworth who would leave to concentrate on production, (he later died from a heart attack). The line-up was completed by 2 other ex Analog members Mick Hartley on bass and Paul Brook on drums. With Peter Bosworth gone a change of direction was called for, a new name was instituted and The Reluctant Stereotypes were born. Now before we carry on it’s worth pointing out that the Stereotypes had 2 distinct periods, really only connected by a couple of members and the name."

The Reluctant Stereotypes recruited ex drama student Paul King - who later led the chart topping Coventry band King in the mid 80's. The lineage continued through the Raw Screens , Two Giraffs and King. More on this undedr the Reluctant Stereotypes (to come)

 

 

 

THE HERMIT Mountain Ash Band...

 

 

12 I'll Sing For My Supper from http://coventrymusichistory.vox.com/

I'll Sing For My Supper - Mountain Ash Band

 

THE HERMIT

Mountain Ash Band

 

Research and original concept, music for songs  – Colin Cripps

Lyrics – Ray King       Narration -  Sean Mansley

Featuring Lynda Hardcastle / Alan Rose / Martin Carter / Geoff Bowen / Graham Jones / Kevin slingsby
 

 

The Mountain Ash Band

 

 

Job Senior was a hermit. There are many ways of being a hermit. It was only for a short time towards his later years that Job lived on Ilkley Moor away from other people. For most of his life Job was a hermit in a crowd. The facts of his life, as far as they are known, are narrated on this album. The songs are not an attempt at story telling; more a series of glimpses of his world as we imagine it would have been seen by Job at the crisis points of his life.  Yorkshire Tales - The Hermit

For the introduction by Colin Cripps click HERE

 

Recorded on 13^th / by Look Records, September Sound Studios, Golcar, ,

The tracks need to be listened to in order as there is a narration followed by a song.. For more background on the group click HERE

 

BIRTH  (Narration)

 

01 The Birth

Mountain Ash Band

Narrator – Sean Mansley

Guitar – Colin Cripps

 

BIRTH (Song)

Vocals – Lynda Hardcastle, Alan Rose, Martin Carter. / Guitar – Colin Cripps

Fiddle – Geoff Bowen / Bass Guitar – Graham Jones / Drums – Kevin Slingsby

 

On crimson wings the sun comes up

Across the eastern sky

Who sees the early dawning hour

 

02 The Birth

Mountain Ash Band

When some may live and some may die.

Bent on the earth beneath the sky

A new born cry is heard.

The silent sky is split in two

The first eruption of a word.

Your life is started

Your life’s begun.

 

Be quick, the years wait for no one.

A million things are left undone.

The Hermit

Before the winking of an eye,

Before the setting of the sun

A chance is barely waiting,

A chance is barely anything.

Please know your hour will come, ( too soon, too soon, too soon)

Your time will come.

 

Mother’s in the kitchen and father’s on the land.

They’ll tell life is only what you’re holding in your hand.

They know the price of hardship, yes they know the coins of sweat.

They know the price that pain affords. They know, they know they know it all and yet

 

Your baby hands are open

And clutching for a star

But still they stop and warn you

You will never reach that far.

 

Be quick time’s waiting,

Be quick it slips away.

A lifetime will not leisure

In the measure of today.

 

 

 

JOURNEYS (Narration)

 

Journeys - Narration

Mountain Ash Band 1975

Tune – Goddesses

Narrator – Sean Mansley

Descant Recorder – Lynda Hardcastle

Fiddle – Geoff Bowen

 

JOURNEYS (Song)

Vocals -  Alan Rose, Lynda Hardcastle, Martin Carter, Graham Jones.

Guitars – Colin Cripps, Martin Carter. / Fiddle – Geoff Bowen

Bass Guitar – Graham Jones / Drums - Kevin Slingsby

 

The long and rolling road

That carries all the way to

 

Journeys (Song)

Mountain Ash Band 1975

 

Is calling me…Is calling me…

 

Where the road kisses the skyline

On that rolling green horizon

Is where I’ll be.. Is where I’ll be.

 

I don’t care if they say I’m ugly

‘Cause I’ll shed my tears alone.

My thoughts they do not haunt me,

I willfind another home.

 

For I have youth to face tomorrow.                                                                       The Hermit Inn and Restaurant

The_Hermit

I am stronger than today.

I am stronger than the strangers

Who are sending me this way.

 

I am bigger that he whispers

That they send to torment me.

I will reach the furthest star.                                             Hermit Inn (site 2)

I will reach, I will be free.

 

The long and rolling road

That carries all the way to  

It carries me ..It carries me.

 

The man is young, the sun is old,

It paves the streets of with gold.

Oh let it be that way…

 

…………..

 

Tunes;  Rosebud – Pigeon on the gate – Dust in the Lane.

 

The grey and ugly streets

That slowly stretch away from  

Are made of dust…made of dust.

 

I am hungry, I am thirsty.

Have my soul but give a crust.

My clothes are dirty.

 

My shoes are full of water

And my mind is full of hate.

I knocked the door of providence

They said I’d come too late.

I thought to stay forever

With the corpses at the gate.

 

Now the streets of are empty

As the faces stop and stare, and stop and stare.

I’ve no money for the alehouse

So I’ll find no comfort there, no comfort there.

 

Give me anything for pain.

I am truly so alone, Yes I’m alone.

I will face all the slander.

I am going home again, I’m going home again, I’m going home.

 

…………….

 

STONE ON STONE (Narration)

 

05 Stone On Stone

Mountain Ash Band

Tune – Leapfrog

Narrator – Sean Mansley

Tenor Recorder – Lynda Hardcastle

Fiddle  - Geoff Bowen

 

STONE ON STONE ( Song)

 

Vocals _ Martin Carter / Guitar _ Colin Cripps  /Fiddle – Geoff Bowen

Bass Guitar – Graham Jones

 

I’ve ostled and I’ve bustled,

I’ve trod the straight and narrow.

 

06 Stone On Stone

Mountain Ash Band

I’ve seen the road in yesterday

That stretches through tomorrow.

I’ve reaped and sowed,

I’ve bent and bowed.

I’ve scraped me way alone

But nothing pleases me as much as placing stone on stone.

 

Begone the song that others sing

In many voices loud.

I’ll sing me song and build along

Where no one else has ploughed.

Their voices strangle

In their throats

As years outstrip the bone

But my song is spelled in solid words, spelled out in

Stone on stone, stone on stone.

 

Stone on stone the walls go up

Beneath the massive hand

But sickles sweep the years away

While still the old stone stands

So here beneath the harvest moon

I build the big stones strong

And I think the things I’m building will outlive the sickle’s song.

Stone on Stone, stone on stone.

 

……………………….

 

A LONG WINTER (Narration)

 

07 A Long Winter

Mountain Ash Band

Tune – Cliffs of Duneen

Narrator – Sean Mansley

Whistle – Alan Rose

 

A LONG WINTER (Song)

 

Vocals – Alan Rose, Lynda Hardcastle, Martin Carter /Guitar – Colin Cripps

Fiddle – Geoff Bowen / Bass Guitar – Graham Jones /Drums – Kevin Slingsby

 

Mary old dear draw closer

The night wind is blowing and shaking our stack.

 

08 A Long Winter

Mountain Ash Band

I know that you’re older; I know your age

But none that I know can turn the hands back.

 

We had our share of hardship Mary.

Soon you’ll leave me too.

Though you’re old your heart is warmer by the fire.

We’ll see this long, long winter through.

 

Together mary, inside our house

We two are living close as one.

The years have robbed us, stripped our eyes

And to the night have taken and gone.

 

Count years away my Mary

For the wind is growing colder.

We may see a better time

Before we get much older.

 

Mary, Mary you can’t answer.

 

Are you gone away forever?

Are you gone?....

Are you gone?....

Are you gone?....

 

…………………..

 

WHO KNOWS (Narration)

 

09 Who Knows

Mountain Ash Band

Tune – Greenland Man’s Tune

Narrator - Sean Mansley

Fiddle – Geoff Bowen

 

WHO KNOWS (Song)

Vocals – Alan Rose, Lynda Hardcastle, Martin Carter, Graham Jones.

Guitar – Colin Cripps / Fiddle -  Geoff Bowen / Bass Guitar -  Graham Jones

Drums – Kevin Slingsby

 

Who knows, who knows

What time has done to me?

 

10 Who Knows

Mountain Ash Band

Who shows, who shows

The things that I can’t see>

 

I wander home,

My house is broken down,

My money is lost

My life is scattered to the ground.

 

Who comes today

To rob me of my time?

I’d go insane

But still I hope the sun will shine.

Again. Who knows…

 

There’s little left to trust.

The tables never turned.

Who knows, who knows

Why all I touch just turns to dust?

 

I tried, I tried

But life’s an enemy.

I’ve trod the road.

They all lead back to me.

 

………………

 

I’LL SING FOR ME SUPPER (Narration)

 

11 I'll Sing For My Supper

Mountain Ash Band

Tune -  Drive the Cold Winter Away

Narrator – Sean Mansley

Whistle – Alan Rose

Descant Recorder – Geoff Bowen

Treble recorder - Graham Jones

Tenor recorder – Lynda Hardcastle.

 

I’LL SING FOR ME SUPPER (Song)

 

Vocals _ Lynda Hardcastle, Alan Rose, Martin Carter, Graham Jones /

Guitar  - Colin Cripps / Fiddle – Geoff Bowen / Bass Guitar – Graham Jones

Drums – Kevin Slingsby

 

I’ll sing for me supper

 

12 I'll Sing For My Supper

Mountain Ash Band

I’ll sing for me beer.

I’ll sing for you who heartily cheer.

You never will admit me

Not one into your door

But I’ll carry on singing

And then I’ll sing some more.

 

Now take my advice all you young men and true

Though you frown and you scwl for the want of a sou

Don’t wed and old widow with money galore

Nor love a young and a pretty maid who’ll always keep you poor.

 

Instrumental tune: Shooting

 

…………………….

 

THE OUTCAST (Narration)

 

13 The Outcast

Mountain Ash Band

Tune – Scollay’s Reel

Narrator - Sean Mansley

Treble recorder – Lynda Hardcastle

 

THE OUTCAST (Song)

Vocals -  Alan Rose, Lynda Hardcastle, Martin Carter, Graham Jones

Guitars – Coin Cripps, Martin Carter / Fiddle – Geoff Bowen / Drums -  Kevin Slingsby

 

If time has done me bad, then in this moment I’m not bitter

Or full with songs of hatred to the brim

Please think nothing of my anger in the days when I was younger still

I’m lonely now and breath my last.

 

Love me now – Oh love the Outcast.

 

The world was mine in bigger ways: my stones stand on the skyline.

The wind avoids the shadow of my walls.

I did my share of working and had my fill of learning.

I know that I am dying but I hear a baby crying

Far away across the moorland

Of my dreaming and my slowly closing eyes…

 

REBIRTH

Vocals – Martin Carter, Alan Rose, Lynda Hardcastle / Guitar – Colin Cripps,

14 Rebirth

Mountain Ash Band

Fiddle _ Geoff Bowen / Drums – Kevin Slingsby

 

On silver wings the sun goes down

Beneath the western sky

And sees this softly closing hour

When some may live and some may die.

Bent on the earth beneath the sky

A new born cry is heard.

The silent star is split in two

The first eruption of a word.

Your life is started.

Your life’s begun.

END................................

English Birds is an instrumental tht never made it to the final album, kindly sent to us by Colin Cripps.

English Birds

Colin Cripps

Colin also provided a couple of other tracks that were played live after the Hermit project as part of another project. The other two tracks here are a couple of nos from their next project 'wind over the borderland'.

The Patient's Song and Leading Lady Thanks to Colin Cripps for these and his Mountain Ash Band introduction which is on another post here

15 Leading Lady, November

Mountain Ash Band

 

 

 

16 The Patient's Song

Mountain Ash Band

Introduction to The Hermit - Mountain Ash Band

02 The Birth from http://coventrymusichistory.vox.com/

Birth - The Mountain Ash Band

In another post we have the 1975 album by the Mountain Ash Band, a concept album based on Job

Colin Cripps

Senior - a Hermit on The Ilkley Moors. Colin Cripps, who reasearched and played on the album has sent me cd versions of the song and this introduction. This limited edition of The Hermit became a cult album, hard to get hold of and despite Colin's misgivings about the album expressed here, it's still an excellent album and moving story in my opinion.

 

To LISTEN  to THE HERMIT click HERE
For more background on the group click HERE

Popular Music (Cambridge Assignments in Music S.)

Colin Cripps

Colin Cripps is author of Popular Music in 20th C (which takes you from Blues to Two Tone with musical exercises and background for use with music departments in schools and colleges)

Introduction to The Hermit  by Colin Cripps - May 2007

 

Willenhall Estate News

From 1971 to 1974 I had had a life 'on the edge' in . Politically, I was running a community newspaper - The Willenhall Estate News - and organising rent strikes because of the state of the city's housing stock. I felt passionately about the situation In Northern and was under Special Branch Surveillance as a result. I was part of the squatter's movement in the city and was living in Ivy Walk (now tarquin Way!) with every drug dealer, racist and prostitute as a neighbour. I was doing a lot of grass and a few trips and i had a relationship that was gradually and painfully coming apart. Above all I was a guitar player/songwriter without a band or a voice. I was burnt out and desperate to make a change that would get my life back into shape. 

 

In 1974 the opportunity presented itself to make a new start up in Yorkshire

The Hermit

in a kind of small scale 'commune' in Addingham on the side of Ilkley Moor. The setting was idyllic but unfortunately not enough to save my marriage and I ended up living in a box-room in the house of Geoff Bowen, the fiddle player in the Mountain Ash band - which, at the time, was a caileidh band I was playing in as well as having a line-up that was a regular feature on the local folk-club scene with ex-wife Lynda as part of the set-up. 

 

I was attracted to the local folk story of the Hermit I suppose because it had resonances for my own situation at the time: I certainly could not claim that a centrally-heated box-room was anything like living under a dry stone wall on the moors but I guess i felt, like Job Senior, that an important part of me had died, that I was alone and and that I needed a rebirth. When Ray King, a friend from Willenhall, visited I told him the folk tale and he tuned in immediately and came up with a great set of lyrics. They had no verse and chorus structure because Ray was a poet not a songwriter, but there was enough to work with.

 

 

The Mountain Ash Band

The track 'A Long Winter' was one that came from the kind of magical happening that comes once a life time. I was staying with some friends in a place called White Wells, halfway up the side of Ilkley Moor. I had been struggling with what to do with the lyrics to 'Long Winter' for a couple of weeks. I remember having an unsettled night and waking up early one morning before anyone else was up. I went outside with my acoustic and, where normally there was Ilkley, now there was just a floor of mist filling the whole valley. It came just up to my feet and i felt like i could walk all the way to Blubberhouses Moor on it. It was transcendent! I sat down with the guitar and the song came out whole, first go, complete, perfect, without any conscious thought or control. You have to treasure times like those.

 

Recording the album was a problematic affair. Martin Carter and Graham Jones were professionals on the folk circuit at the time and were good enough to make space to rehearse the piece but I was looking for a Richard Thompson feel that I never quite achieved: in retrospect that was because i couldn't play the guitar like him, especially not on a Zenta Telecaster copy! We recorded the whole thing in a converted church studio in with a guy who did the sound for ITV variety programmes on the desk. We could afford so little studio time and worked solidly over endless hours for two days: one day to record everything and the next to do any overdubs and mix-down. By the time it came to record the vocals we were already exhausted and by mixing time I had no ears left for nuance and no time to re-record anything.

 

 

Lynda Hardcastle

We performed the piece in its entirety at as a multi-media

Ray King - Lyrics

event ( we had slides! ) and managed not only to sell the place out but also to lose money. Nonetheless the whole thing seems to have been universally loved, both album and event, and lives on despite itself. I am proud of the songs and proud that we managed to record it despite the personal dynamics. It's a piece of music i keep coming back to thinking that I wish i could re-record it to sound the way it did in my head but the Mountain Ash band is scattered to the four winds and could probably not even co-exist inside a room together nowadays. Sean Mansley, the narrator, is sadly long since deceased and I have no idea what has happened to Ray King, poet extraordinaire; he was a reprobate of the best kind and I am so glad he passed through my life!

 

I am eternally flattered that people still want to listen to The Hermit and forever sad that I cannot bear to put it on my CD player...

 

Colin

(The lyrics and audio are in another post on here.)