==============================================
JOHN FORD LIVE SHOWS - 26 DEC 2008, 1 JAN 2009
==============================================
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO CHRISTMAS SHOW
FRI DEC 26 2008 7:30 PM
-----------------------------------
Lulu's Village Pub, 1509 Main St., Pt. Jefferson, NY 11777 631- 509-5635
www.myspace.com/lulusvillagepub
Admission: $7 @ Door
John will be performing favourite originals from his own Christmas albums,
along with his own favourites from other bands, as always, with his own
unique style and flavour.
NEW YEAR'S DAY STAR STUDDED BASH
THUR JAN 1 2009 7:30 PM
--------------------------------
The Cutting Room, 19 W 24th ST., NYC NY 10010 212-691-1900 ~
www.thecuttingroomnyc.com
Tickets: $15 @ www.smarttix.com r by phone@ 212-868-4444
John Ford is part of an all star bill along with
Moogy Klingman (Utopia),Ian Lloyd, (The Nazz) and Patti Rothberg.
============================================
CRY NO MORE - ANOTHER FAREWELL - 27 DEC 2008
============================================
Don't say goodbye .... again ... to our perennial Christmas decorations,
Chas and Roy, strutting their stuff at the Turks Head, St Margarets,
Twickenham TW11 1LF on 27 Dec 2008.
Doors, 8.30, ends 12.00 midnight.
http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/47/4750/Turks_Head/St_Margarets
gives phone number as 0871 917 0007
For a map go to http://tinyurl.com/96ddpu
Tickets can be reserved by phone. You can pay when you pick up your tickets
on the night.
====================================
DAVE COUSINS - SOLO GIG - 9 Feb 2009
====================================
Just announced - a rare opportunity to see Dave's solo show.
Mon 9 February 2009 venue TBA, Isle of Wight
=====================================
ACOUSTIC STRAWBS - JAN/FEB 2009 DATES
=====================================
Kicking off with their regular fixture at Kings Heath, the Acoustics
include a quick Italian jaunt in their early 2009 itinerary.
Saturday 10 January 2009 - Red Lion Folk Club, Kings Heath
Friday 16 January 2009 - The Wesley Centre, Maltby
Saturday 24 January 2009 - Square Chapel Centre For The Arts, Halifax
Tuesday 27 January 2009 - The Hoy at Anchor Folk Club, Leigh-On-Sea
Thursday 29 January 2009 - The Rondo Theatre, Bath
Saturday 31 January 2009 - The Arc Theatre, Trowbridge
Thursday 5 February 2009 - Swindon Arts Centre, Swindon
Friday 6 February 2009 - Pontardawe Arts Centre, Neath
Sunday 8 February 2009 - Arts Centre, Isle of Wight
Saturday 7 February 2009 - Little Civic, Wolverhampton
Thursday 12 February 2009 - Dal Verme Theatre, Milano, Italy
Sunday 15 February 2009 - Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead
Friday 20 February 2009 - Ovington Social Club, Ovington
Saturday 21 February 2009 - The Running Horse, Nottingham
==========================
ELECTRIC BAND DATES - 2009
==========================
There are dates currently being booked for the electric line-up in Canada
in March 2009 and in the UK later in the year. Whilst some venues are
advertising dates, the tour as a whole is not yet finalised and I do not
have full details, - hope to have these early in the New Year.
There is no news as yet as to John Hawken's replacement.
=========================================
SECRET PATHS IN GALAXIE FOLK/ROOTS CHARTS
=========================================
Roch Parisien, Producer, Galaxie Folk/Roots writes with the Galaxie
Folk/Roots Channel's Top Spins of 2008 (Based on high rotation airplay
frequency between December 2007 and November 2008 and producer preference):
International:
1. Eliza Gilkyson --- Beautiful World --- (Red House)
2. Mary Gauthier --- Between Daylight and Dark --- ((Lost Highway/Universal)
3. Emmylou Harris --- All I Intended to Be --- (Nonesuch/Warner)
4. Robert Plant/Alison Krauss --- Raising Sand --- (Rounder/Universal)
5. Jacob Golden --- Revenge Songs --- (Echo/Chrysalis)
6. Mark Olson --- The Salvation Blues --- (Hacktone)
7. Chumbawamba --- The Boy Bands Have Won --- (PM Press/Trade Root)
8. Punch Brothers --- Punch --- (Nonesush/Warner)
9. Jackson Browne --- Solo Acoustic Vol. 2 --- (Inside)
10. Mark Erelli --- Delivered --- (Signature Sounds)
11. James Taylor --- One Man Band --- (hearmusic/Universal)
12. Steve Earle --- Washington Square Serenade --- (New West)
13. Dave Cousins --- Secret Paths --- (Witchwood)
14. Fleet Foxes --- Fleet Foxes --- (Sub Pop)
15. Levon Helm --- Dirt Farmer --- (Vanguard/Fusion III)
16. Battlefield Band --- Dookin' --- (Temple)
17. Michael Jerling --- Crooked Path --- (Fool's Hill/Waterbug)
18. Justin Townes Earle --- The Good Life --- (Bloodshot/Koch)
19. Dan Tyminski --- Wheels --- (Rounder)
20. Chuck Brodsky --- Two Sets --- (Waterbug)
====================
THESE FOOLISH THINGS
====================
And finally .... there's a Strawberry Fools mini-website with some pictures
from our performance at the Christmas Party and the extensive and strenuous
rehearsals which preceded that event. Video and audio clips to follow.
Check it out at www.strawberryfools.co.uk.
=================================================
HIGH SOCIETY WEBSITE UPDATE / CD RELEASE JAN 2009
=================================================
High Society's website www.highsocietyband.co.uk has been updated in time
for the release of the High Society album on 12th January on Angel Air
Records.
The album features no less than 21 tracks, and more details can be found at:
http://www.angelair.co.uk/sjpcd290.htm
The CD will be widely available, and pre-orders are now being taken by
major sellers (e.g. Amazon and Play.com). You can also visit their MySpace:
www.myspace.com/highsocietyukband
===================================================
THE MONKS - SUSPENDED ANIMATION CD RELEASE JAN 2009
===================================================
The Monks' CD Suspended Animation (featuring Richard Hudson, John Ford and
Terry Cassidy, who formed the band in 1979, along with Brian Willoughby,
Chris Parren and Clive Pearce) is due to be released on 12th January 2009
on Angel Air Records. The CD features 18 tracks in all, including 6 bonus
tracks from the Monks' unreleased third album, "Cybernetic Sister". More
details can be found at:
http://www.angelair.co.uk/sjpcd279.htm
Suspended Animation will be widely available, and pre-orders are now being
taken by major sellers (e.g. Amazon and Play.com).
A supplement to the October Strawbswebnews with a few more snippets of info
hot off the press.
Have a happy Hallowe'en.
DICK
Contents
--------
* Acoustic Strawbs - Norway/Denmark
* Additional Roy Hill gig
* Craig & Willoughby Album postponed
* Apple Publishing CD - Fire
* Fire and John Ford reviews, news and interviews
* Strawbs Quiz site update
* New Sue Holton website
------------------------
=================================
ACOUSTIC STRAWBS - NORWAY/DENMARK
=================================
The Acoustics kick off tonight in - Siste Indre, Hammar, Norway
Remaining gigs on the tour:
Saturday 1 November - Musikkflekken, Sandvika, Norway
Sunday 2 November - The Garage, Bergen, Norway
Wednesday 5 November - Café Pilegarden, Bronshoj, Denmark
Thursday 6 November - Sonderborgus, Sonderborg, Denmark
Friday 7 November - Vise Vers Klub, Haslev, Denmark
Saturday 8 November - Strandlyst, Svendborg, Denmark
Sunday 9 November - Bruunske, Frederica, Denmark
Please send reviews (in English if possible), photos etc. to
dgreener@ndirect.co.uk - we definitely want to hear from you
=======================
ADDITIONAL ROY HILL GIG
=======================
Roy's snuck an additional one in without telling me:
22 November - The Fleece, Boxford, Suffolk
==================================
CRAIG & WILLOUGHBY ALBUM POSTPONED
==================================
Brian and Cathryn have decided to release their new album Surrender early
in 2009 to coincide with some touring they'll be doing round about then.
Watch this space for further details.
==========================
APPLE PUBLISHING CD - FIRE
==========================
A new Apple Publishing CD was released on 27th October:
http://www.cherryred.co.uk/rpm/artists/variousartiststreacletoffee.htm
The album features FOUR Fire songs, including the song responsible for
the album title of course, "Treacle Toffee World". Apparently the CD is
accompanied by a very informative booklet, the mastering is excellent,
and it's a great all round package.
Another one for the Christmas list then...
==============================================
FIRE AND JOHN FORD REVIEW, NEWS AND INTERVIEWS
==============================================
Both the Magic Shoemaker Live CD and John's Big Hit In India have been
given excellent reviews.
There are links to various interviews with Dave Lambert about the album.
Upcoming and online Dave Lambert interviews:
Gary Jackson
------------
Covering both Strawbs and Fire.
To be aired as follows:
* Dark Side Of The Moon, www.forestfm.co.uk(Dorset) 11-midnight Tuesday,
11th Nov
* Soft Rock Show (Gary with Geoff Dorsett) www.expressfm.com(Portsmouth)
8-10pm Monday 10th Nov
* www.lionheartfm.com (Alnwick) Monday 10th Nov 7-9pm
* www.castledown.info (Tidworth) Sunday 16th Nov 4-6pm
Also, the following stations will air the generic show at times to
suit them:
* www.forestfm.co.uk,
* http://www.rugbyhospitalradio.org
Steve Sikes-Nova
----------------
An hour long interview, which is being broadcast on a recurring basis at
3.00-4.00pm Eastern US time (8.00-9.00pm GMT) on Tuesdays and 8.30-9.30 pm
on Thursdays (1.30-2.30AM on Friday morning GMT).
http://www.live365.com/stations/virginiaprograsser/schedule
=================
STRAWBS QUIZ SITE
=================
As well as their fiendish 40th Anniversary Strawbs Quiz, Cliff and Simone
have a "pub" page and a "tv room" page with some great Strawbs video clips.
Don't all go there at once though - they tell me that after the last
Strawbswebnews when I mentioned it, their whole system was swamped ! Tread
carefully .....
http://www.ipsoartes.com/strawbs/drink.htm
======================
NEW SUE HOLTON WEBSITE
======================
For a good while now, Sue's been providing us with quality photographs of
Straws and Strawbs-related events, both on Strawbsweb and on her own site
at www.sueholton.co.uk. Well her site has just had a big revamp - worth
checking out.
Some of the older galleries have gone, but not to worry, Sue has provided
me with a backup of the old website and the old galleries will be making
their way onto Strawbsweb over the next few weeks.
[ENDS]
DICK GREENER
London, UK
e-mail: dgreener@ndirect.co.uk
STRAWBSWEB - www.strawbsweb.co.uk
"You'll scarcely believe all the pleasures inside"
Here's your Strawbswebnews for October - apologies for missing out on the
e-mail last month - just too busy with work and other stuff.
After a glut of album/DVD releases in the last few months, it's mainly live
stuff as we head towards the end of the year.
DICK
Contents
--------
* TONIGHT !!!! - Dave Cousins & The Blue Angel Orchestra with Melvin Duffy,
22 Oct 2008 - Half Moon, Putney
* Stop Press - Friday 24 Oct - Brian Willoughby with the Three
Must-Get-Beers, Red Lion, Shepperton
* Further BAO/Cousins & Cutler treats
Thu 27 November - Blue Angel Orchestra - Brook Theatre. Chatham
Sun 21 December - Cousins & Cutler - Courtyard show, Deal
* Norway/Denmark - Acoustic Strawbs - Oct/Nov 2008
* Remaining Brian Willoughby & Cathryn Craig Autumn Dates
* Roy Hill - 7 Nov, Turks Head, Twickenham
* Strawbs Christmas Party - 6 Dec 2008 - update
Good Old Boys
The Strwaberry Fools
Wychwood
* Release News
* Strawbmeister Quiz
---------------------------------------------------------
=========================================================
TONIGHT !!!
DAVE COUSINS & THE BLUE ANGEL ORCHESTRA WITH MELVIN DUFFY
22 OCT 2008 - HALF MOON, PUTNEY
=========================================================
One not to be missed. The show at the Half Moon Putney on 22 Oct has a
slightly different line-up for the BAO - Miller Anderson has other
commitments and is replaced by Melvin Duffy, the steel/Hawaiian guitarist
who was featured on Dave's stunning solo album Secret Paths earlier this
year.
The support act will be Dave and Melvin, a unique opportunity to catch the
duo who made Secret Paths such a memorable album. Melvin has played with
Robbie Williams as part of his band for three years (including Knebworth).
He's also part of Robbie MacIntosh's band on a regular basis.
==============================================================
STOP PRESS - NEWS JUST IN
FRIDAY 24 OCT - BRIAN WILLOUGHBY WITH THE THREE MUST-GET-BEERS
RED LION, SHEPPERTON
==============================================================
News just in - a gig with Brian playing some tasy lead guitar.
===================================
FURTHER BAO/COUSINS & CUTLER TREATS
===================================
Thu 27 November - Blue Angel Orchestra - Brook Theatre. Chatham
---------------------------------------------------------------
The Chatham show on 27 Nov features the normal BAO line up. Support will be
Cousins & Cutler, only their second gig together as a duo in this country.
Sun 21 December - Cousins & Cutler - Courtyard show, Deal
---------------------------------------------------------
And, news just in of a pre-Christmas seaside treat on 21 Dec - a Cousins &
Cutler gig in Deal just before Christmas. An evening show with buffet
supper included in the ticket price, approx £12.
================================================
NORWAY/DENMARK - ACOUSTIC STRAWBS - OCT/NOV 2008
================================================
Friday 31 October - Siste Indre, Hammar, Norway
Saturday 1 November - Musikkflekken, Sandvika, Norway
Sunday 2 November - The Garage, Bergen, Norway
Wednesday 5 November - Café Pilegarden, Bronshoj, Denmark
Thursday 6 November - Sonderborgus, Sonderborg, Denmark
Friday 7 November - Vise Vers Klub, Haslev, Denmark
Saturday 8 November - Strandlyst, Svendborg, Denmark
Sunday 9 November - Bruunske, Frederica, Denmark
=======================================================
REMAINING BRIAN WILLOUGHBY & CATHRYN CRAIG AUTUMN DATES
=======================================================
Details, map links etc. on gigs page -
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/@f/f_gigs.htm
October
Wed 29th Orange Tree FC, Baldock
Thu 30th Queens Head, Rothbury
Fri 31st House Concert, Westhoughton
November
Sat 1st Arts Centre, Washington
Thu 6th Coombe Social Club, Coventry
Fri 7th The Woodman Folk Club, Ashwood Marina, Kingswinford
Sat 8th Village Hall, Hoxne
December
Fri 5th The Milkmaid Folk Arts Centre, The Constitutional Club, Bury St
Edmunds
========================================
ROY HILL - 7 NOV, TURKS HEAD, TWICKENHAM
========================================
The rescheduled date for the Roy solo gig. See Roy brave the high trapeze
without a net. Marvel at his lyrical wizardry. Be amazed by his guitar
solos ("Eric Clapton taught me that") .....
It'll be very good though ....
(And don't forget the 2008 CRY NO MORE Christmas show - 27 Dec, the Turks
Head, Twickenham also.
====================================
STRAWBS CHRISTMAS PARTY - 6 DEC 2008
====================================
GOOD OLD BOYS
-------------
We've already announced that Hud's band the Good Old Boys are headlining
this year's Christmas Party. Including Nick Simper from the original Deep
Purple line-up, Pete Parks (Warhorse, Fandango) and Alan Barratt (Jo Jo
Gunne) and Simon Bishop (High Society).
I'm delighted to announce two new confirmed additions to the guest list:
THE STRAWBERRY FOOLS
--------------------
A new "supergroup" drawn entirely from your Witchwood chums:
David Claridge - guitar, vocals
Les Cotton - bass
Dick Greener - guitar, vocals
Peter Rand - keyboards
Ralph Tonge - guitar, vocals
All five are frequent contributors all to the Fan Downloads page of
StrawbsWeb - there's been a lot of action there recently, check it out at:
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/@f/f_fdlds.htm
They are also stalwarts of the two Bilston Strawberry Mousse strumalong
events (amongst others of course, but we can't fit ALL of the Mousses on
stage!).
The Fools will be bringing you Strawbs songs from the Strawbs repertoire
which don't often see the light of day in live shows, be they acoustic or
electric. A picture of the group will shortly be available on Strawbsweb.
Be very very frightened .... I know we are !
WYCHWOOD
--------
aka Kevin West and Lindsay Hemphill, who have already contributed a
fabulous cover of the Sandy Denny/Strawbs classic "Who Knows Where The Time
Goes", which we can expect to hear live. Wychwood have been building up a
following in the Banbury area, where they are based.
There'll be more news to follow on the Christmas Party.
============
RELEASE NEWS
============
John Ford's new CD Big Hit In India is reportedly on its way.
No news as yet regarding Brian and Cathryn's new CD Surrender.
==================
STRAWBMEISTER QUIZ
==================
And finally ....
To while away the huors when you should be working (!), try this great quiz
put together by Cliff and Simone - some really fantastic graphics and some
pretty tricky questions.
http://www.ipsoartes.com/strawbs/
[ends]
DICK GREENER
London, UK
e-mail: dgreener@ndirect.co.uk
STRAWBSWEB - www.strawbsweb.co.uk
"You'll scarcely believe all the pleasures inside"
Hi all
Lots of ways to spend your money on Strawbs/Strawbs-related stuff being
announced this month, with CDs coming up from Fire, Craig & Willoughby and
Roy Hill. Plenty happening on the live front too.
DICK
Contents
--------
* Acoustic Strawbs, Sept/Oct - new date added
* Acoustic Strawbs - Norway/Denmark tour
* Dave Cousins/Blue Angel Orchestra live dates
* Release Dates
- Broken Hearted Bride
- Duochrome
- Universal re-issues
- Lay Down With The Strawbs
* Fire live CD
* New Cathryn Craig/Brian Willoughby album due Sept
* Roy Hill CDs
* Roy Hill live
* John Ford & friends live
* Good Old Boys confirmed for Strawbs Christmas party
* Bully Wee - early warning
* New booking agent for Strawbs
===========================================
ACOUSTIC STRAWBS, SEPT/OCT - NEW DATE ADDED
===========================================
An additional date has been added:
Thursday 2 October - Quay Theatre, Sudbury
Full date list now as follows:
Wed 10 Sept - The Lowry, Salford Quays
Mon 15 Sept - Minster WMC, Isle of Sheppey
Wed 24 Sept - The Musician, Leicester
Sat 27 Sept - Cramphorn Theatre, Chelmsford
Sun 28 Sept - Madame Guitar Fest, Tricesimo, Italy
Thu 2 Oct - Quay Theatre, Sudbury
Fri 3 Oct - Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon
Maps, details on Strawbsweb at:
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/@f/f_080789.htm
======================================
ACOUSTIC STRAWBS - NORWAY/DENMARK TOUR
======================================
Some dates for Norway and Denmark announced (though not all yet confirmed).
Further news when we have it.
NORWAY
Friday 31 October, TBA, Hammar, Norway
Saturday, 1 November, TBA, Oslo, Norway
Sunday, 2 November, TBA, Norway
Tuesday, 4 November, TBA, Norway
DENMARK
Thursday, 6 November, Sonderborgus, Sonderborg
Friday, 7 November, Vise Vers Klub, Haslev
Saturday, 8 November, Fyn, Svendborg
Sunday, 9 November, Bruunske, Frederica
============================================
DAVE COUSINS/BLUE ANGEL ORCHESTRA LIVE DATES
============================================
Two dates for the diary:
Wed 22 Oct - Half Moon Putney
Blue Angel Orchestra (without Miller Anderson, but with Melvyn Duffy instead)
Support: Dave Cousins with Ian Cutler and Melvyn Duffy
Thu 27 Nov - The Brook Chatham
Blue Angel Orchestra
Support: Dave and Ian
=========================================================
RELEASE DATES - BHB, UNIVERSAL, LAY DOWN WITH THE STRAWBS
=========================================================
The Broken Hearted Bride
------------------------
Release date for the UK is 8th September
The release date for the US has been put back to 7 October.
Duochrome
---------
It has now been agreed that Pinnacle will release Duochrome on 6 October
2008. The BHB/Duochrome package at £20 will continue to be available from
witchwoodrecords.co.uk until then, after which both albums will sell at
full price.
Universal
---------
There is some confusion about this - various people (including me) have had
notices from Amazon saying the release date has been put back - but others
have had their copies from Amazon already.
I'll try and get to the bottom of this.
Lay Down With The Strawbs
-------------------------
You can order this now, direct from Secret Films in both CD and DVD format:
CD - http://www.secretrecordslimited.com/ViewProduct.asp?productID=240
DVD - http://www.secretrecordslimited.com/ViewProduct.asp?productID=245
============
FIRE LIVE CD
============
Dave Lambert has signed a label deal for release of a new live Fire CD,
recorded during the band's reunion concerts in late 2007.
The album will be distributed worldwide by Angel Air, a highly-respected
label specialising in rare and classic album releases and re-releases. Dave
was happy to select Angel Air following positive recommendation from
several reliable sources.
Angel Air's website address is www.angelair.co.uk. Advance orders will be
taken prior to the CD going on general sale - release date will be 6th
October 2008.
=================================================
NEW CATHRYN CRAIG/BRIAN WILLOUGHBY ALBUM DUE SEPT
=================================================
Cathryn Craig and Brian Willoughby have a new album coming soon:
"Surrender. They are both very happy with the record, produced by Phil
Rynhart, assisted by Brian and Cathryn.
Guest artists include Mary Hopkin and Doogie White on vocals, Dennis Bryon
on drums and vocals, Eleanor McEvoy on violin, Alistair Gavin keyboards and
Phil Rynhart on bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals, artwork and anything he
could lay his hands on!
The tracks are
* These Dreams (developed from This Night, These Dreams and You on
"Fingers Crossed")
* Two Hearts, One Love (new "band" version of Cathryn's popular song)
* Surrender (inspired by the survivors of the 2004 Tsunami)
* The Rejected Lover (a stunning duet featuring Mary Hopkin and Cathryn,
taken from Cathryn's great-grandfather's version in Cecil Sharp's book
"English Folksongs from The Southern Appalachians)
* Accanoe (a tribute to Pocahontas, who came from Cathryn's home territory)
* Rumours of Rain (an acoustic version of our mammoth Folk For Peace epic)
* Genevieve (Cathryn's aunt, a pioneering female pilot in Virginia)
* Genevieve in Flight (guitar instrumental)
* Alice's Song (a beautiful re-make of our signature song, with Eleanor
McEvoy)
* Glenarm (guitar instrumental, inspired by Brian's birthplace in Northern
Ireland)
* The Green Glens of Antrim (traditional folk song, featuring Brian's Dad,
Walter, on the accordion)
The album, on Cabritunes, will be available in September from
www.brianwilloughby.com
============
ROY HILL CDS
============
Roy is embarking on a programme of re-releasing his material on CD.
Currently available from Roy's enthralling Myspace site:
http://www.myspace.com/royhillwordsandmusic which also features Roy's
fascinating "my life in showbiz – a brief guide" and lots of pictures old
and new.
* Hello Sailor - 12 songs recorded 1976-77, a mixture of acoustic demos and
tracks recorded with The Strolling Players.
* Fun With Dave - 12 tracks recorded 1983-84 with producer David Richards.
Most are demos, some had loftier ambitions. David Richards went on to work
with lesser acts such as Queen, Bowie and Michael Jackson. I went on to
sell massage machines.
I've heard both these and they are excellent, Hello Sailor particularly
giving another side of some of the songs which would eventually come out on
Roy's solo album (he refers to it as"infamous" but I love it and am looking
forward to seeing that emerge).
* Live At The Mulberry Tree - Cry No More's debut outing originally
released on cassette in 1986, otherwise exactly what the title suggests,
with knobs on.
* Cry No More - From the pubs of Twickenham to ... American producers,
American Musicians, released in 1988 on vinyl and cassette. Chapter 15 of a
study in career pinball.
order by e-mail from deepdene@fsmail.net.
=============
ROY HILL LIVE
=============
Some rare opportunities coming up to see Roy take the stage alone. Not to
be missed.
7th September - Brentford Festival
11th September - The Barn, Milton Arms, Portsmouth
17th October - The Turks Head, Twickenham
========
HUD GIGS
========
Plenty more opportunities over the next few weeks to catch Hud live with
the various bands he's involved with - what a busy boy!
Saturday 22nd August
GINNY BROWN BAND
The Red Lion
92-94 Linkfield Road, Isleworth TW7 6JQ
Tel: 020 8560 1457
Nearest train stations Isleworth (0.2 miles), Syon Lane (0.6 miles),
St Margarets (1.5 miles)
Sunday 24th Aug
GINNY BROWN BAND
The Royal British Legion
79 New Heston Road
Hounslow TW5 0LG
Tel: 020 85704713
Mon 25th Aug 2008 (Bank Holiday Monday)
GINNY BROWN BAND(3pm - 5pm)
Parliament Hill Bandstand
For more details please contact:
Paul Maskell
c/o Staff Yard
Highgate Road
London NW5 1QR
Phone: 020-7332 3773
Website: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/openspaces
&
THE GOOD OLD BOYS (Evening)
92-94 Linkfield Road, Isleworth, TW7 6JQ
Tel: 020 8560 1457
Nearest train stations Isleworth (0.2 miles), Syon Lane (0.6 miles),
St Margarets (1.5 miles)
Friday 29th August
THE GOOD OLD BOYS
The Gordon Arms
Gordon Road, High Wycombe, HP13 6EP
Tel: 01494 522977
Friday 5th September
THE GOOD OLD BOYS
The Woodman
Joel Street, Eastcote, HA5 2PR
Tel: 020 842 94717
Saturday 13 Sep 2008
THE GOOD OLD BOYS
Barnhall Community and Social Club
Alderney Gardens, Brock Hill, Wickford, Essex, SS1 7NL
Tel: 01268 765063
========================
JOHN FORD & FRIENDS LIVE
========================
John Ford & Friends will be appearing ~ Sat 13th Sept. 9:30pm ~ for a
'British Re-Invasion Night' at the newly opened LuLu's Village Pub
[formerly the Port Jefferson Village Pub] 1509 Main St., Port Jefferson, NY
11777 minutes from Port Jeff Ferry.
Sharing the bill - direct from UK from his September 2008 Tour - John
Young, recently named 'Best Prog Vocalist of the Year' by the Progressive
Rock Hall of Fame Awards.
LuLu's Village Pub is a fantastic new club! Great stage, smashing sound
system and cool decor!
See the pics and more: www.myspace.com/lulusvillagepub.
Also see John Young's MySpace - www.myspace.com/johnyoungband and John
Ford's at www.myspace.com/johnfordofthestrawbs and his website at
http://www.johnfordmusic.net
===================================================
GOOD OLD BOYS CONFIRMED FOR STRAWBS CHRISTMAS PARTY
===================================================
News just in that Hud's band the Good Old Boys are confirmed to appear at
the Strawbs Christmas Party on 6 December.
Tickets are likely to be £12 and as before include a buffet.
There are other attractions yet to be announced (but we're keeping these
close to our chest for now).
=========================
BULLY WEE - EARLY WARNING
=========================
The excellent folk band Bully Wee which features Ian Cutler on fiddle is
touring again early next year. Very very entertaining and well worth a look.
2009
16th Jan - Claygate The Ram Folk Club
18th Jan - Horsham Folk Club
20th Jan - Dartford Folk Club
22nd Jan - Brook Theatre Chatham
24th Jan - Red Lion Birmingham
25th Jan - Hitchin Folk Club
26th Jan - Nettlebed Folk Club (date not yet confirmed) with Phil Beer
=============================
NEW BOOKING AGENT FOR STRAWBS
=============================
And finally, there are new booking details effective from Mon 18 August for
those who want to book the Strawbs (electric and acoustic) in the UK:
Don McKay
Rhino Agency
60 Babbacombe Road
BROMLEY
BR1 3LW
020 8460 4956
[ends]
DICK GREENER
London, UK
e-mail: dgreener@ndirect.co.uk
STRAWBSWEB - www.strawbsweb.co.uk
"You'll scarcely believe all the pleasures inside"
Hi folks - just about into July.
Cheers
DICK
Contents
--------
* Duochrome
* Dave Cousins/Ian Cutler/Melvyn Duffy gig
* Brian Willoughby live
* Hud gigs
* Roy Hill gigs
* Cry No More bow out (again)
=========
DUOCHROME
=========
Just finished pulling the tracks together for the solo CD to go out to
thoes who have pre-ordered the Broken Hearted Bride/Dave Cousins solo CD
package from Witchwood Records. It'll be called Duochrome, and will
feature a mixture of tracks by the Cousins/Cutler duo and Daev on his own.
More news to come.
========================================
DAVE COUSINS/IAN CUTLER/MELVYN DUFFY GIG
========================================
News just in. Dave Cousins will be playing with both Ian Cutler and
Melvyn Duffy (the steel/Hawaiian guitarist who played so beautifully on the
Secret Paths album) at the Half Moon in Putney on 22 October.
More news when I have it.
=====================
BRIAN WILLOUGHBY LIVE
=====================
Sorry for the short notice, but Brian will be playing guitar with his
mates, The Three Must Get Beers, for thefollowing:
Thursday, 31st July, The Fox, Church Street, Twickenham
Friday 1st August, Barley Mow, Shepperton
Saturday 2nd August, Red Lion, Isleworth
========
HUD GIGS
========
A whole load of summer gigs for Hudin various line-ups starting this weekend.
Sunday 3rd Aug
GINNY BROWN BAND
West Byfleet Social Club
41 Station Approach
West Byfleet, Surrey. KT14 6NE
Tel: 01932 346240
Wednesday 6th Aug
THE GOOD OLD BOYS
The Eel Pie Club, The Cabbage Patch
67 London Road, Twickenham, TW1 36Z
Tel: 0208 892 3874
Thursday 7th Aug
THE BEAKY BAND (as in Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch)
The Red Lion
Aldworth Road
Upper Basildon
Reading
Berkshire
RG8 8NG
Tel: 01491 671 234
Friday 8th Aug
THE ALI MAC BAND
Filthy's, The Red Lion
166 Heath Road
Twickenham TW1 4BN
Tel: 0208 891 3377
Saturday 9th Aug
THE ALI MAC BAND
Basingstoke
details to follow
Saturday 22nd August
GINNY BROWN BAND
The Red Lion
92-94 Linkfield Road, Isleworth TW7 6JQ
Tel: 020 8560 1457
Nearest train stations Isleworth (0.2 miles), Syon Lane (0.6 miles),
St Margarets (1.5 miles)
Sunday 24th Aug
GINNY BROWN BAND
The Royal British Legion
79 New Heston Road
Hounslow TW5 0LG
Tel: 020 85704713
Mon 25th Aug 2008 (Bank Holiday Monday)
GINNY BROWN BAND(3pm - 5pm)
Parliament Hill Bandstand
For more details please contact:
Paul Maskell
c/o Staff Yard
Highgate Road
London NW5 1QR
Phone: 020-7332 3773
Website: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/openspaces
&
THE GOOD OLD BOYS (Evening)
92-94 Linkfield Road, Isleworth, TW7 6JQ
Tel: 020 8560 1457
Nearest train stations Isleworth (0.2 miles), Syon Lane (0.6 miles),
St Margarets (1.5 miles)
Friday 29th August
THE GOOD OLD BOYS
The Gordon Arms
Gordon Road, High Wycombe, HP13 6EP
Tel: 01494 522977
Friday 5th September
THE GOOD OLD BOYS
The Woodman
Joel Street, Eastcote, HA5 2PR
Tel: 020 842 94717
Saturday 13 Sep 2008
THE GOOD OLD BOYS
Barnhall Community and Social Club
Alderney Gardens, Brock Hill, Wickford, Essex, SS1 7NL
Tel: 01268 765063
=============
ROY HILL GIGS
=============
7th September - Brentford Festival
11th September - The Barn, Milton Arms, Portsmouth
17th October - The Turks Head, Twickenham
More possible.
===========================
CRY NO MORE BOW OUT (AGAIN)
===========================
Advance notice that Cry No More are playing their Farewell concert (again)
on the 27th of December at the Turks Head. Roy warns that you shouldn't
bring your granny along to that one.
================================================================
STOP PRESS 2 - ALL GOOD THINGS MUST END - JOHN HAWKEN LEAVES THE STRAWBS
================================================================
I'm sorry to announce that John Hawken has decided that it is time to give
up the rigours of life on the road with the Strawbs. It's not news that
any Strawbs fan will welcome, but in view of his recent ill health, a
decision which I'm sure we can all understand and accept.
For the last few years we've had the pleasure of seeing the full power and
majesty of the Hero And Heroi/albtrack/ghosts line up back on stage in all its
glory. But now it's time to move on.
Strawbs will continue as the core four piece line-up, Cousins, Lambert,
Cronk and Coombes, and will review future electric shows over the next few
weeks.
John Hawken commented:
"I regard the last 4 years as an unexpected bonus, filled with wonderful
music and a lot of laughter.
This is not something I give up lightly, but each year I've found touring
more exhausting than the year before and my recent health problem finally
decided the issue. It's time to go.
I wish the remaining band members every success and happiness in their
musical ventures - I hope we meet up again somewhere down the road."
============================================
STOP PRESS - DAVE AND GERALDINE IN CAR CRASH
============================================
Arriving in England from the States after the US tour, on the way back from Heathrow, at 10.00 am on the M20, Dave and Geraldine were involved in a serious car crash - fortunately, though obviously shaken, they are unharmed.
A lorry pulled off a slip road onto the M20 and hit the side of their car, which was turned 45 degrees and was pushed ahead of the lorry for 100 yards or more, ending up partly in the slow lane, partly on the hard shoulder. The side of the car was badly damaged, and the car is a write-off, but they were protected by the impact bars. Dave says that Geraldine's driving saved the day, but that it could easily have been far worse if the lorry had rolled over sideways or carried on over the top of their car.
Dave and Geraldine are about to head off on a well-deserved holiday in the sun - I'm sure all the fans wish them well and that this break will give them time to recover from what must have been a very frightening experience.
Hi folks
Now that (sadly) both Strawbs' UK and US tours are over for another year, I'm squeezing a last minute second Strawbswebnews into June to bring you up to date on a few bits of late news.
Good news on the releases front - the missing three A&M releases ARE coming out, as is an audio version of the electric band show in Bilston in 2006 which was filmed for DVD.
Various upcoming gigs for Acoustic Strawbs and various associated artists/bands.
Cheers
DICK
Contents
* Acoustic Strawbs, Gillingham Festival - 13 July
* Acoustic Strawbs dates - August-October
* Broken Hearted Bride - last chance to order
* Lay Down With The Strawbs
* Strawbs, Dragonfly & Nomadness
* John Ford news
* Brian & Cathryn gigs - US tour/UK gigs June/July
* Good Old Boys gigs
===============================================
ACOUSTIC STRAWBS, GILLINGHAM FESTIVAL - 13 JULY
===============================================
The gig is at the Marquee starting at 7.30pm.
Nick Harper is the support.
Tickets are £12 £6
Buy tickets online or call the box office on 01747 853514
Festival website is: http://www.gillinghamfestival.org.uk/
=======================================
ACOUSTIC STRAWBS DATES - AUGUST-OCTOBER
=======================================
Early warning of a few acoustic dates for the next few months.
Saturday 2 August Karlshoy Musik Festival Karlsoy, Norway
Wednesday 9 September - The Lowry Studio, Salford Quays
Monday 15 September - Minster WM Club Isle of Sheppey
Wednesday 24 September - The Musician Leicester
Saturday 27 September - Cramphorn Theatre Chelmsford
Sunday 28 September - Madame Guitar Fest Tricesimo (Udine)
Friday 3 October - Unicorn Theatre Abingdon
===============================================
BROKEN HEARTED BRIDE - LAST CHANCE TO PRE-ORDER
===============================================
The pre-ordering for Broken Hearted Bride will close on 30 June. Your last chance to pre-order this new album, coming out in September, get your name in the booklet and get a free Dave Cousins solo CD - all for £20 plus p&p.
www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk - go to the online shop.
=========================
LAY DOWN WITH THE STRAWBS
=========================
A few of you have been contacted by Amazon about this - it is in fact the audio release of the Bilston 2006 electric show which was filmed for DVD. It is not a Witchwood Media release, however it may be the case that the Witchwood Records online shop will stock them.
At present I don't have any price, availability details other than Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/664msq
I believe the release date is intended to be 14 July.
==============================
STRAWBS, DRAGONFLY & NOMADNESS
==============================
Release date is 5 August. Details on Strawbsweb on main page - previews of bonus tracks coming shortly.
==============
JOHN FORD NEWS
==============
JOHN FORD RADIO INTERVIEW
-------------------------
Thursday, 26 June 2008 @5 PM WCUC - 26 Jun 2008, 20:00
91.7 FM WCUC Clarion, PA - broadcasts to 5 surrounding counties in NW PA, Clarion, PA and NW PA w/ 40 mile range, Pennsylvania
John will be on with Peg Watts-Cartwright, Radio Host for "Hippie Chick Radio" speaking about his upcoming gig at "POWER OF PROG Festival" and Inaugural Progressive Rock Hall of Fame Awards Presenter for 2008 Inductee Award to KANSAS, along with news about his new album and other topics. Single, Big Hit In India. Peg will be playing tunes from John Ford's repertoire of music and band projects.
JOHN FORD RADIO INTERVIEW - 22 JUNE - NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND
-------------------------------------------------------------
'The John Ford Interview' will start airing 10PM Sunday, 22 June, 2008 on THE STRANGE DAVE SHOW available On Demand Podcast @ www.strangedaveshow.com
Syndicated on Internet and terrestrial radio stations worldwide.
John talks about jamming live on stage with Jimi Hendrix and talks about having to put up with the egos of lead singers while on tour including Marty Balin of Jefferson Starship and dealing with anti semitism from bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd. (1 hour Interview).
JOHN FORD TO HEADLINE DAY 2 OF POWER OF PROG FESTIVAL ON 28 JUNE 2008
AND PRESENTER AT 2008 PROGRESSIVE ROCK HALL OF FAME AWARDS (DAY 3)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Event:
Power of Prog Festival 3 Day Festival & 2008 Progressive Rock Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony
Date: Fri-Sun Jun 27-28-29 2008
John Ford Set @ 9:00-10:30PM June 28 Day 2 &
Presenter for 2008 Progressive Rock Hall of Fame Awards @ 5:30-6:30PM June 29 Day 3
Where:
Kirkland Art Center - KAC
9 1/2 East Park Row across from Village Green,
Clinton (near Utica upstate New York)
New York 13323
www.kirklandartcenter.org
Tickets: General Admission - All Ages
Single Day Pass $25 Advance or $30 Day of Show
Special 3 Day Pass $60 for Advance Sales Only! $75 Starting Friday 27 June
Complete details at:
John Ford: www.johnfordmusic.net
John Ford Myspace - www.myspace.com/johnfordofthestrawbs
Advance Ticket Purchase Info and Performance/Events Schedule www.myspace.com/powerofprog
POWER OF PROG FESTIVAL Website - www.myspace.com/powerofprog
BUY TICKETS http://shop.melodicrevolution.com/category.sc?categoryId=76
Progressive Rock Hall of Fame Myspace - www.myspace.com/progressiverockhalloffame
Progressive Rock Hall of Fame website - www.progressiverockhalloffame.com
=================================================
BRIAN & CATHRYN GIGS - US TOUR/ UK GIGS JUNE/JULY
=================================================
US
--
Cathryn & Brian are planning a US tour this September.
If anyone is interested in having a house concert/private party or would like to see them play at a particular venue, please contact Amanda Baughn (hunneydoo@aol.com) 732-744-6141
UK
--
Some UK gigs in June/July:
Fri 27th June - The Wesley Centre, Maltby
Sat 28th June - Nine Kings Bistro at the Teesdale Restaurant, Barnard Castle
Tues 8th July - Black Horse, Amberley
Fri 11th July - Reeth Memorial Hall
For further details see www.brianwilloughby.com.
==================
GOOD OLD BOYS GIGS
==================
Friday 27th June
The Hour Glass,
144 Chapel Lane,
High Wycombe
HP12 4BY
Tel: 01494 525094
Friday 04 Jul
Hayes Working Mans Club & Institute Ltd.
Pump Lane
Hayes, UB3 3NB
Tel: 0208 5731721
Wednesday 09 Jul 2008
Dusty's, Homer Green Sports Association
Watchet Lane
Homer Green, nr High Wycombe, Bucks, HP15 6UF
Please tel: 01494 714985, or 711485 for details.
Wednesday 06 Aug 2008
Eel Pie Club, The Cabbage Patch
67 London Road
Twickenham, TW1 36Z
Please call 0208 892 3874 for details
Friday 29 Aug
The Gordon Arms
Gordon Road
High Wycombe, HP13 6EP
Tel: 01494 522977
Friday 05 Sep 2008
The Woodman
Joel Street
Eastcote, HA5 2PR
Tel: 020 842 94717
Hi everyone
As we head towards the close of the UK tour (lots of reviews and pictures
at http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/live/0805/0805.asp) and the start of the US tour,
a few updates on various things.
Cheers
DICK
Contents
--------
Lofty
Hud gigs
The Broken Hearted Bride
US Tour Dates
Brian & Cathryn gigs - June/July
Roy Hill emerges
--------------------------------
=====
LOFTY
=====
Omitted from April's newsletter (my apologies), the sad news of the death
of Lofty, a friend of the band from the old A&M days. He passed away on
4th April, a victim of stomach cancer.
Lofty (private parts - a Strawbs insider joke!) toured with them alongside
Frank ("the general") as part of their stage and sound crew for many years.
The funeral was at 1.30 at Hanworth Crematorium on Wednesday 16th April.
========
HUD GIGS
========
Hud and the Good Old Boys are playing a series of dates in June with Patti
Boulaye:
GOOD OLD BOYS WITH WITH PATTI BOULAYE
-------------------------------------
Friday 6th June (with Patti Boulaye)
Old Luxter's Barn
Hambleden,
Henley-on-Thames,
Oxfordshire, RG9 6JW
Please telephone 0118 984 5990 for details.
Sunday 8th June (with Patti Boulaye)
The Mill Hill Jazz Club,
Mill Hill Sports Club,
Grahame Park Way,
Mill Hill,
London NW7 2AL
Tel: 01923 85 95 11
(www.millhilljazzclub.co.uk)
Saturday 14 June
Lakeside Country Club, with PATTI BOULAYE
Frimley Green
Camberley, Surrey, GU1 6PT
Tel: 01252 836464
The 14 June show at Lakeside, Frimley Green is being filmed for a DVD release.
GOOD OLD BOYS
-------------
Saturday 21 Jun 2008,
The Horns
1 Hempstead Road
Watford, WD17 3RL
Tel: 01923 225020
Friday 27th June
The Hour Glass,
144 Chapel Lane,
High Wycombe
HP12 4BY
Tel: 01494 525094
Friday 04 Jul
Hayes Working Mans Club & Institute Ltd.
Pump Lane
Hayes, UB3 3NB
Tel: 0208 5731721
Wednesday 09 Jul 2008
Dusty's, Homer Green Sports Association
Watchet Lane
Homer Green, nr High Wycombe, Bucks, HP15 6UF
Please tel: 01494 714985, or 711485 for details.
Wednesday 06 Aug 2008
Eel Pie Club, The Cabbage Patch
67 London Road
Twickenham, TW1 36Z
Please call 0208 892 3874 for details
Friday 29 Aug
The Gordon Arms
Gordon Road
High Wycombe, HP13 6EP
Tel: 01494 522977
Friday 05 Sep 2008
The Woodman
Joel Street
Eastcote, HA5 2PR
Tel: 020 842 94717
====================
BROKEN HEARTED BRIDE
====================
Offer still open to end June for you to buy BHB in advance online from
www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk.
You get your name in the packaging and a free live CD from Dave Cousins'
March 2008 solo tour in North America. We hope to include some tracks by
Dave on his own as well as some where he is backed by Ian Cutler.
Price: £20 plus p&p.
Offer only available if you buy online. CDs will be released in September.
If you order other items these will be despatched now.
NB. Some purchasers have had difficulty with the Witchwood Records shop -
this is currently believed to be caused by a major upgrade to the AOL
browser. If you have difficulty ordering please contact Witchwood Records.
New interview by Dan Wooding with Dave Cousins discusses the Broken
Hearted Bride - see:
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2008/s08050169.htm
=============
US TOUR DATES
=============
Just a quick recap of the US tour dates.
Tuesday 10 June 2008 - BB Kings, Manhattan
Wednesday 11 June 2008 - Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA
Thursday 12 June 2008 - Ramshead Tavern, Annapolis, MD
Friday 13 June 2008 - The Kent Stage, Kent, OH
Saturday 14 June 2008 - The Thirsty Ear, Columbus, OH
Sunday 15 June 2008 - The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI
Tuesday 17 June 2008 - The Abbey, Chicago, IL
Wednesday 18 June 2008 - Shank Hall, Milwaukee, WI
Friday 20 June 2008 - The Redhouse, Syracuse, NY
Saturday 21 June 2008 - Towne Crier, Pawling, NY
Full details including maps, start times, box office numbers etc. at:
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/@f/f_0806mp.htm
================================
BRIAN & CATHRYN GIGS - JUNE/JULY
================================
June
Fri 27th The Wesley Centre, Maltby
Sat 28th Nine Kings Bistro at the Teesdale Restaurant, Barnard Castle
July
Tues 8th Black Horse, Amberley
Fri 11th Reeth Memorial Hall
For further details see www.brianwilloughby.com.
================
ROY HILL EMERGES
================
Roy Hill at Brentford Festival
------------------------------
The Brentford Free Festival will be held on the 7th of September, at Boston
Manor Park, TW8 9J8. Put it in your diaries now. The line up features
none other than our own Roy Hill.
Myspace and new CDs
-------------------
Roy has been very busy on his Myspace site - lots of intersting material
about him, and some new CDs on sale.
See: http://www.myspace.com/royhillwordsandmusic
Hi folks
As another Strawbs tour kicks off tonight, first here in the UK, then in
the US, there's news about the newly recorded new Strawbs album, The Broken
Hearted Bride and a forthcoming new album from John Ford. Some sad news
too about Mike Gebhardt. And various other snippets.
Cheers all
DICK
====
Contents
--------
* Mike Gebhardt - 1957-2008
* UK electric tour starts tonight - 21 May
* US electric tour to follow
* The Broken Hearted Bride - early bird offer - ends 1 July
* Strawbs Christmas party date
* John Ford news
* Wychwood
* Tony Hooper interview
* Fan cover versions
=========================
MIKE GEBHARDT - 1957-2008
=========================
Mike, a true friend of the band, passed away on 13 May. There's a page on
Strawbsweb where you can read about him, with comments from Dave Cousins
and John Ford and many others who knew him:
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/features/mikeg.asp
========================================
UK ELECTRIC TOUR STARTS TONIGHT - 21 MAY
========================================
Strawbs' latest electric tour kicks off tonight in Sheffield. Expect to
hear a couple of new songs from the new album.
Please send your reviews and pictures to:
dgreener@ndirect.co.uk.
I'll be at Morecambe, Milton Keynes, Bilston, Norwich, Putney and Hailsham
all being well. Come and say hello - always nice to put faces to e-mail
addresses.
Wednesday 21 May 2008 - The BoardWalk, Sheffield
Thursday 22 May 2008 - Glenfarg Hotel, Glenfarg
Friday 23 May 2008 - The Ferry, Glasgow
Saturday 24 May 2008 - The Platform, Morecambe
Sunday 25 May 2008 - The Inn At Lathones, St Andrews
Tuesday 27 May 2008 - The Stables, Wavendon, Milton Keynes
Wednesday 28 May 2008 - Wyeside, Builth Wells
Thursday 29 May 2008 - Robin 2 Club, Bilston
Friday 30 May 2008 - The Playhouse, Sleaford
Saturday 31 May 2008 - Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich
Sunday 1 June 2008 - Memorial Hall, Freshwater IOW
Wednesday 4 June 2008 - Half Moon, Putney
Thursday 5 June 2008 - The Brook, Southampton
Friday 6 June 2008 - Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
Saturday 7 June 2008 - The Hailsham Pavilion, Hailsham
Full details including maps, start times, box office numbers etc. at:
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/@f/f_0805mp.htm
==========================
US ELECTRIC TOUR TO FOLLOW
==========================
Dates as follows:
Tuesday 10 June 2008 - BB Kings, Manhattan
Wednesday 11 June 2008 - Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA
Thursday 12 June 2008 - Ramshead Tavern, Annapolis, MD
Friday 13 June 2008 - The Kent Stage, Kent, OH
Saturday 14 June 2008 - The Thirsty Ear, Columbus, OH
Sunday 15 June 2008 - The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI
Tuesday 17 June 2008 - The Abbey, Chicago, IL
Wednesday 18 June 2008 - Shank Hall, Milwaukee, WI
Friday 20 June 2008 - The Redhouse, Syracuse, NY
Saturday 21 June 2008 - Towne Crier, Pawling, NY -
Full details including maps, start times, box office numbers etc. at:
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/@f/f_0806mp.htm
========================================================
THE BROKEN HEARTED BRIDE - EARLY BIRD OFFER - END 1 JULY
========================================================
Strawbs' new album will be called 'THE BROKEN-HEARTED BRIDE'is now
finished. Expected to released in September. Some of the newly recorded
songs will be featured on the Electric band tours in the UK and the US.
Track listing:
The Call To Action (Cousins)
Christmas Cheer (Cousins, Cronk)
Too Many Angels (Cousins, Cronk)
The Broken-hearted Bride (Cousins)
Shadowland (Lambert)
Through Aphrodite's Eyes (Cousins, Cronk)
Deep In The Darkest Night (Cousins)
Everybody Knows (Cronk)
You Know As Well As I (Lambert)
We'll Meet Again Sometime (Cousins)
Action Replay (Cousins)
The album is absolutely stunning - I heard it down at the studio the other
week and now have an unmastered copy to preview. I'll be loading up a few
snippets from this onto Strawbsweb as a taster.
Full track by track preview to follow shortly on Strawbsweb - check out
http://www.strawbsweb.co./albtrack/bhb/bhb.asp
PLEASE ORDER EARLY !!!
----------------------
Those who will buy their copy in advance will help the Strawbs and
Witchwood Media to cover the upfront cost of recording the album.
You get:
* your name in the album package !
* a free live Dave Cousins solo CD
The first 1000 customers (using Witchwood Records Online shop ONLY) to buy
the album will get their name included on the packaging of the album (as
with the Boxed Set).
They will also get a new live CD - Dave Cousins - First Solo Tour, recorded
during the US/Canada tour in March, and which captures perfectly the
honesty of Dave's solo performances on that tour, which were widely
praised. Again a preview and snippets to follow. Whilst this CD is
being produced specially for use in this offer, please note that Witchwood
reserves the right to sell off any stock remaining after the offer is over.
The cost: £20 (plus postage and packing, charged as though for 1 CD only).
This limited period offer is available ONLY up till 1 July. After that we
need to press the sleeve ...
Visit Witchwood Records Online Shop to get this special offer -
www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk - and follow the link to the shop.
==============================
STRAWBS CHRISTMAS PARTY DATE
==============================
Seems odd to be thinking Yuletide thuoghts in May, but here's advance
notice of the Christmas party daet - Saturday 6 December, once again at the
NPL in Teddington.
==============
JOHN FORD NEWS
==============
John has completed 14 tracks an all original new album, to be entitled Big
Hit In India with the title song 'Big Hit In India' and a second, 'Paper
Trail' now available for download at either his MySpace or website.
The album Likely to be released via download and as a physical CD. Cover
art coming soon to Strawbsweb. Also a 'Big Hit In India' music video is in
the works :)
The Resurrection project (the previously announced retrospective, with a
couple of new tracks) is on hold for now - looks like John got carried away
and recorded 14 instead of 2 !
All John Ford songs - old and new - are to be made available for single
downloads.
Jon Buryk has uploaded his YouTube video of John Ford doing 'Werewolves of
London' at Cafe CoCo - Halloween Show 2006, on a double bill with Acoustic
Strawbs. Thanks to Amanda for setting that show up :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssYCen58HVs
Check out John's sites:
www.myspace.com/johnfordofthestrawbs
http://www.johnfordmusic.net/
========
WYCHWOOD
========
Acoustic duo Wychwood - longtime Strawbs fan Kevin West on guitars,
percussion and Lyndsay Hemphill on vocals are playing a live show on at the
Jolly Weavers pub, South Bar Street, Banbury on 7th June. Free admission
and the duo will be playing a 90 min set including 'Who Knows' along with
self penned numbers.
Their cover version of "Who Knows Where The Time Goes", which showcases
Lindsay's clear, attractive vocals, can be heard on Strawbsweb's fan
downloads pages - see http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/@f/f_fdlds.htm, latest
additions.
=====================
TONY HOOPER INTERVIEW
=====================
Lindsay won't forgive me if I don't include in a Strawbswebnews the
cracking interview she did with Tony Hooper a little while back. It some
how got missed out whilst I was busy earlier in the year.
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/features/thint07.asp
==================
FAN COVER VERSIONS
==================
There's been quite a lot of activity on the fan cover front recently -
check out the recent additions to the Fan downloads page - or even try your
hand at one yourself.
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/@f/f_fdlds.htm
==============================================
ACOUSTIC STRAWBS ITALIAN MINI-TOUR, APRIL 2008
==============================================
Dates now released for three Acoustic Strawbs gigs in Italy:
Thursday 17 April, Borderline Club, Pisa
Friday 18 April, Cinema Teatro Nuovo, Trescori Balneario
Saturday 19 April, Circolo "Il Giardino", Lugagnano di Sona
And there are plans for Acoustic Strawbs to revisit Norway and Denmark
later in the year
====================================================
CATHRYN CRAIG & BRIAN WILLOUGHBY - SPRING 2008 DATES
====================================================
Details of Brian & Cathryn's spring tour dates went up on their site
yesterday (23rd) - how's that for service!
Updates and maps and booking details on their website at
www.brianwilloughby.com.
March
Saturday 1st Village Hall, Pirton
Wednesday 5th Hole-in-One, Lytham
Thursday 6th Nag's Head, Wrexham
Saturday 8th Red Shed, Wakefield
April
Tuesday 1st Old Black Lion, Northampton,
Friday 4th The Ram Club, Claygate,
Saturday 5th Old Ship Aground, Minehead,
Friday 11th National Forest Folk Club, Moira, nr Ashby-de-la-Zouche
Monday 14th Regent Hotel, Doncaster,
Tuesday 15th Newton Aycliffe Sports Club,
Friday 18th High Barn, Gt.Bardfield,
Saturday 19th Astor Theatre, Deal,
Sunday 20th Cabbage Patch, Twickenham.
Tuesday 22nd Croxdale Folk Club
Thursday 24th Falkirk Folk Club, Polish Club,
Friday 25th King's Head Hotel, Richmond,
Saturday 26th The Old School, Ovingham,
May
Sunday 11th Westward Inn, Ivybridge,
Wednesday 14th Nailsea Festival 01275 790915
Hi all
More January news from Strawbsweb.
Not ONE but TWO new albums to tell you about this time and some Stop Press
news about the March North American tour.
Still some news to come about some new features on the website, but that
may not be till February now owing to other pressures.
DICK
====
Contents
--------
* Cousins US tour - Cutler joins for first 8 dates - corrected
* Dave Cousins: Secret Paths
* Best Of Strawbs (Zounds)
============================================================
COUSINS US TOUR - CUTLER JOINS FOR FIRST 8 DATES - CORRECTED
============================================================
News just in that fiddle player Ian Cutler will be joining Dave Cousins for
the first part of Dave's "solo" tour. I understand he'll be with Dave for
the first 8 shows only, having to return to the UK for other commitments
after that.
We've already been delighted by Ian's fantastic fiddle playing over here in
the UK, both as part of the Blue Angel Orchestra, and at the one-off
Cousins, Cronk & Cutler gig back in November. We'll no doubt get the
chance to preview what those US shows will be like at the one-off Cousins &
Cutler folk club gig in Gillingham on 25 Feb.
Watch this space.
===========================
DAVE COUSINS: SECRET PATHS
===========================
At the beginning of the year, Dave went into the studio with steel guitar
player Melvin Duffy to record a CD which will be sold on the forthcoming US
tour. But don't worry - it will be available through record shops and
also from www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk as well. In fact those who buy from
www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk will get a bonus MP3 track fere of charge - "The
Broken Hearted Bride", which Dave recorded on dulcimer for the Secret Paths
album, but which will actually be used for the forthcoming Strawbs album
instead.
Secret Paths focuses on the songs that Dave will be singing on the solo
shows. Songs include "Ringing Down The Years", written by Dave on the news
of former band member Sandy Denny's tragic death; "Canada" has the
endorsement of Gordon Lightfoot; "I'll Show You Where To Sleep" using a
tuning shown to Dave by Joni Mitchell; while the new "Plainsong' is as
atmospheric as any songs he has ever written. The secret weapon of Secret
Paths is steel guitarist Melvin Duffy - Melvin has spent three years on the
road with Robbie Williams and has recorded with Joe Cocker and Zucchero
among many others.
The album is produced by Chris Tsangarides whose studio is littered with
gold discs for albums by Yngwie Malmsteen, Judas Priest, and Thin Lizzy,
and who stars in the new film Anvil – The Movie.
Track listing for Secret Paths is:
Song Of A Sad Little Girl
Plainsong
The Shepherd's Song
I Turned My Face Into The Wind
Ringing Down The Years
Josephine (For Better Or For Worse)
Canada
How I Need You Now
I'll Show You Where To Sleep
Beat The Retreat
Falling In Love Again
Release date is 3rd March 2008. Preview review to follow shortly on
Strawbsweb.
Two tracks from Secret Paths - "Song Of A Sad Little Girl" and "I'll Show
You Where To Sleep" - are on Dave's MySpace site along with selections from
Boy In The Sailor Suit and Cousins & Conrad's album High Seas.
http://www.myspace.com/davecousinsuk
========================
BEST OF STRAWBS (Zounds)
========================
German label Zounds have licensed a selection of tracks for a new
compilation album, mainly from Witchwood Media, but "Part Of The Union" is
also on there too. It's an interesting and really enjoyable selection
with detailed sleeve notes (in German) and some well-chosen photographs to
illustrate the booklet.
Track listing as follows:
Part Of The Union (Ford/Hudson) - Bursting At The Seams
I Only Want My Love To Grow In You (Cousins/Cronk) - Deep Cuts
Grace Darling (Cousins) - Greatest Hits Live
Burning For Me (Cousins/Mealing) - Burning For You
Evergreen (Cousins) - Acoustic Strawbs: Baroque & Roll
Lay Down (Cousins) - Blue Angel
The River/Down By The Sea (Cousins) - Greatest Hits Live
The King (Cousins) - Blue Angel
Forever Ocean Blue (Cousins) - Wakeman & Cousins: Hummingbird
Cold Steel (Lambert) - Deja Fou
If (Cousins) - Deja Fou
Heartbreak Hill (Cousins/Cronk) - Heartbreak Hill
Deep In The Darkest Night (Cousins) - Cousins & Conrad: High Seas
Hero And Heroine (live) (Cousins) - Complete Strawbs
Where Is This Dream Of Your Youth (live) (Cousins) - Recollections
You can get this from a variety of sources via the web - currently in stock
at:
www.amazon.de (at prices from 12.90 Euros on the day I looked)
www.elimbo.de
www.musicline.de has some clips loaded up so you can listen before you buy.
We are looking into the possibility of getting some stock into
www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk to sell. I'll let you know if that happens.
Hi all - compliments of the year for a happy and enjoyable 2008.
We're starting the year well - Acoustic Strawbs kick off their Jan/Feb UK
tour in Blackpool - looking forward to hearing how it goes as I can't get
to the early date - if you're at Chesham, Kings Heath, Maidenhead, Banbury,
come and say hi.
PLEASE DO SEND IN REVIEWS AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SHOWS - Always great to
hear what you think.
Send them to dgreener@ndirect.co.uk or post them on Witchwood Discussion
Group and I'll pick them up from there.
More news later in the month about some exciting new features on StrawbsWeb.
DICK
====
Contents
--------
* Acoustic Strawbs Jan/Feb 2008
* Ian Cutler/Bully Wee - January 2008 tour
* Blue Angel Orchestra - Half Moon Putney - Sun 17 Feb 2008
* Dave Cousins solo tour March 08
- Tour album
- Further Nova Scotia date added
* New Strawbs album in 2008, electric tour May/June 2008
=============================
ACOUSTIC STRAWBS JAN/FEB 2008
=============================
The Acoustic Strawbs are about to go off on another Jan/Feb acoustic tour -
a few new venues this time round.
Fri 11 Jan 2008 - Kite Club, Blackpool
Sat 12 Jan 2008 - Acoustic Tearoom, Kirkby Stephen
Thu 17 Jan 2008 - The Rondo Theatre, Bath
Fri 18 Jan 2008 - Cox's Yard, Stratford-upon-Avon
Sat 19 Jan 2008 - The David Hall, South Petherton
Thu 24 Jan 2008 - Ovington Social Club, Ovington
Fri 25 Jan 2008 - The Famous Bein Inn, Glenfarg
Sat 26 Jan 2008 - The Famous Bein Inn, Glenfarg
Mon 28 Jan 2008 - Tudor Folk, Chesham
Fri 1 Feb 2008 - Millfield Arts Centre, Edmonton
Sat 2 Feb 2008 - Huntingdon Hall, Worcester
Sun 3 Feb 2008 - The Guildhall Theatre, Derby
Tuesday 5 Feb 2008 - Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
Fri 8 Feb 2008 - The Playhouse, Sleaford
Sat 9 Feb 2008 - Red Lion Folk Club, Kings Heath
-- SOLD OUT -- Tuesday 12 Feb 2008 -The Forge, Basingstoke
Fri 15 Feb 2008 - Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead
Sat 16 Feb 2008 - The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury
Thu 28 Feb 2008 - The Brook Theatre, Chatham
NB. Please note:
1. Basingstoke on 12 Feb is already sold out.
2. The Glenfarg gig is back on at the Bein Inn. Whilst the Inn was being
refurbished it was thought that the gig would have to be held at the
Glenfarg Hotel, but it is definitely back at the Bein Inn. Apologies for
any inconvenience, particularly for those booking accommodation.
========================================
IAN CUTLER/BULLY WEE - JANUARY 2008 TOUR
========================================
One of Ian's "other bands" - the fabulous 70s folk band Bully Wee are
staging a short tour in late January. Highly recommended - I'm hoping to
get to the Hitchin show.
15th Jan 08
Ringwood Folk Club - Elm Tree Inn, Hightown, Ringwood, Hampshire
Tel. 01425673713
17th Jan 08
The Brook Theatre, Chatham Old Town Hall
Tel. 01634338338
18th Jan 08
Cambridge Folk Club - The Golden Hind, 355 Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 1SP
Tel: 01223 420816
20th Jan 08
Hitchin Folk Club - The Sun Hotel, Sun Street, Hitchin, Herts, SG5 1AF,
Tel. 01462812391
21st Jan 08
Nettlebed Folk Club - The Village Club, High Street, Nettlebed, Nr.
Henley, Oxon
22nd Jan 08
Dartford Folk Club - Dartford Working Men's Club, Essex Road. Dartford,
Kent DA1 2AU
23rd Jan 08
The Willows Folk Club - Arundel Football Club, Mill Road, Arundel, W. Sussex
chris@willowsfolkclub.org
==========================================================
BLUE ANGEL ORCHESTRA - HALF MOON PUTNEY - SUN 17 FEB 2008
==========================================================
Always a great show, Dave Cousins & the BAO play a gig at the legendary
Half Moon Putney on Sunday 17 Feb. I think those of us lucky enough to
have enjoyed seeing the BAO play at the Clarendon pub in deal just before
Christmas will agree that Putney shuold be a great venue for them - they
can be as loud and as lively as they want!
Gig is at 8.00pm - ticket price £6.00
The support band is called State of Undress - let's have no untoward
comments, please ...;-)
Directions on:
http://www.halfmoon.co.uk/information/directions.htm
NB - as a Sunday, parking is free (though not particularly easy to find)
near the venue.
================================
DAVE COUSINS SOLO TOUR MARCH 08
- TOUR ALBUM
- FURTHER NOVA SCOTIA DATE ADDED
================================
Dave Cousins went into the studio in Deal on 2 January and recorded some of
the songs he's going to be singing on the solo tour. The recordings will
be available on the tour and through other outlets for those outside of the
US. Further details when available.
A further Nova Scotia date has been added to DC's tour - full list of dates
set out below.
I'm hoping to come over for the first few dates of the tour - hope to catch
up with friends when I do and meet some new faces.
Wednesday 5 March 2008
The Strand, Lakewood, NJ
Thursday 6 March 2008
The Cutting Room, New York, NY
Friday 7 March 2008
The Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA
Saturday 8 March 2008
Towne Crier, Pawling, NY
Sunday 9 March 2008
NJ Proghouse, Metuchen, NJ
Monday 10 March 2008
Kroghs, Sparta, NJ
Tuesday 11 March 2008
The Turning Point, Piermont, NY
Wednesday 12 March 2008
Bopshop at The German House, Rochester, NY
Thursday 13 March 2008
Hugh's Room, Toronto ON
Friday 14 March 2008
The Winchester, Cleveland, OH
Saturday 15 March 2008
The Kent Stage, Kent, OH
Sunday 16 March 2008
The Abbey, Chicago, IL
Tuesday 18 March 2008
Shank Hall, Milwaukee, WI
Friday 21 March 2008
Mersey House, Liverpool, NS
Saturday 22 March 2008
Fire Hall, Mount Uniacke, NS
More details and maps on Strawbsweb.
======================================================
NEW STRAWBS ALBUM IN 2008, ELECTRIC TOUR MAY/JUNE 2008
======================================================
Recording time is booked for a new Strawbs album in April, with an electric
tour to follow, kicking off the Strawbs' 40th anniversary celebrations.
Dates confirmed are:
Fri 23 May - Renfrew Ferry, Glasgow
Sat 24 May - Platform, Morecambe
Tue 27 May - The Stables, Wavendon
Wed 28 May - Yside, Builth Wells
Thu 29 May - Robin 2, Bilston
Sat 31 May - Maddermarket, Norwich
Sun 1 June - Memorial Hall, Freshwater IOW
Wed 4 June - Half Moon, Putney
Thu 5 June - The Brook, Southampton
Sat 7 June - The Pavilion, Hailsham
Dear all
Lots of fun recently in the UK with the Blue Angel Orchestra followed on
swiftly by the debut performance of the There Cs (Cousins Cronk & Cutler),
and some more acoustic dates in Nov, the two Fire gigs (Nov 30/Dec 1) and
the Christmas party yet to come.
Appearing at the Christmas Party - Dec 8
Brian and Cathryn gigs postponed
Acoustic Strawbs November - additional date
Virtual/Ryko deal
DC solo gigs in US, Mar 2008
Steve Sikes-Nova - interviews
CNM DVD
DICK
----
========================================
APPEARING AT THE CHRISTMAS PARTY - DEC 8
========================================
Pleased to announce that the Strawbs tribute band Benedictus will be
playing at the Christmas Party on 8 Dec.
NPL phone number for booking tickets has changed to 020 8977 6395
================================
Brian and Cathryn gigs postponed
================================
Following gigs are postponed till Spring:
Thursday 8 Nov Falkirk Folk Club,
Saturday 10 Nov Ovingham Old School/Scout Hut
Thursday 15 Nov Denholm Folk Club
Saturday 17 Nov Globe Hall Concert, Ireby.
===========================================
Acoustic Strawbs November - additional date
===========================================
23 Nov Library Theatre Birmingham 8pm
Phone number for Birmingham gig 0121 303 2323
=================
Virtual/Ryko deal
=================
Witchwood Media is delighted to announce that we have concluded a new deal
for US distribution through Virtual Music which will enable Witchwood
product to be released via Ryko.
First albums to be released are Deep Cuts, Burning For You and The Boy In
The Sailor Suit. Others will follow, including hopefully a re-issue of the
boxed set.
============================
DC Solo gigs in US, Mar 2008
============================
More details of this upcoming treat, including a date in NYC at the Cutting
Room and in Toronto at Hugh's Room.
I'm hoping to travel over for the first few dates of the tour 5-8 Mar or
possibly 5-9 Mar inclusive - hope to see some of you there. I've heard
from Dave some of the songs he'll be including on this tour - there's a new
one and some really quite old ones and unexpected ones, as well as material
from his new solo album. Very exciting indeed.
It is hoped that there will be a UK warm-up show before Dave leaves for the
States. Details to be confirmed.
NB still subject to possible changes and additions.
Wednesday 5 March DC Strand Theatre Lakewood NJ
Thursday 6 March DC Cutting Room New York NY
Friday 7 March DC Tin Angel Philadelphia PA
Saturday 8 March DC Towne Crier Pawling NY
Sunday 9 March DC NJ Prog House Metuchen NJ
Monday 10 March DC Kroghs Sparta NJ
Tuesday 11 March DC Turning Point Piermont NY
Wednesday 12 March DC German House Rochester NY
Thursday 13 March DC Hugh's Room Toronto NY
Friday 14 March DC The Winchester Cleveland OH
Saturday 15 March DC Kent Stage Kent, OH
Sunday 16 March DC The Abbey Chicago IL
Tuesday 18 March DC Shank Hall Milwaukee
Friday 21 March DC Mersey House Liverpool NS
=============================
Steve Sikes-Nova - interviews
=============================
Steve (aka Virginiaprograsser) has conducted some of the most enjoyable
interviews/sessions with the lads which have been aired on his internet
radio shows "Newgrass Prog & More" on Live365.com.
(http://www.live365.com/stations/virginiaprograsser/)
Steve and I have agreed that Strawbsweb will host the Strawbs Interview
archives as downloadable files.
Watch this space ……..
=======
CNM DVD
=======
Emerging blinking into the cold winter light (we hope) will be a Cry No
More DVD - Roy is reputedly getting it ready to be on sale for the CNM show
on 28 December. Watch for more details soon ....
A bumper October update this time, as there's lots of interesting stuff
going on towards the end of the year and some early warning of events into
2008 - including some Dave Cousins solo appearances in the US.
DICK
====
Contents
--------
* Strawbs: NY'75 - released 29 Oct 2007
* More albums/tracks available for downloading
* Dave Cousins & The Blue Angel Orchestra, Astor Theatre, Deal - Sat 3 Nov
and Clarendon, Deal - Sun 16 Dec
* Cousins, Cronk & Cutler, Folk Cellar, Medway - Tue 6 Nov
* November Acoustic Strawbs dates
* Fire shows - Windlesham Hall, Fri 30 Nov/Sat 1 Dec
* Strawbs Christmas party - Sat 8 Dec - Heroes and Heroines
* Cry No More Christmas show, Fri 28 Dec
* Acoustic Strawbs - Jan/Feb 2008 dates
* Dave Cousins solo gigs in US in Spring 2008
* In Battaglia ("The Battle")
* Downloads and Wallpapers on StrawbsWeb
=====================================
STRAWBS: NY'75 - RELEASED 29 OCT 2007
=====================================
The latest Strawbs release is a concert recorded at the legendary Calderone
Music Hall in Hempstead NY, in late 1975. The show features the twin
keyboard line-up of Robert Kirby and John Mealing alongside Cousins,
Lambert, Cronk and Coombes and is a candidate for one of the best Strawbs
live shows ever captured. It's a good quality off-radio recording.
It's released on October 29th and those who buy the CD direct from
www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk will get two bonus tracks as downloadable MP3s -
Lemon Pie and The Life Auction, which were recorded for a radio show on the
same tour.
Step back into 1975 ..... more details of the album on StrawbsWeb.
============================================
MORE ALBUMS/TRACKS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOADING
============================================
Dave Cousins: The Boy In The Sailor Suit and Cousins/Conrad: High Seas -
now both available for download from the Pinnacle/Witchwood Media download
site at:
http://www.7digital.com/stores/listing.aspx?shop=369
=======================================
DAVE COUSINS & THE BLUE ANGEL ORCHESTRA
ASTOR THEATRE, DEAL - SAT 3 NOV
CLARENDON, DEAL - SUN 16 DEC
=======================================
Astor
-----
The first BAO show in 2006 (was it only a year ago ?) was the closing night
of the Deal Folk Festival, and once again the BAO will tread the boards as
part of this year's festival.
As the well as the BAO, which will be doing some of the songs from Dave's
album The Boy In The Sailor Suit for the first time, you can expect to see
Granville Clarke (Danny Clarke from the 70s folk band Foggy, for whom
Cousins & Hooper produced an album Simple Gifts, who is now a painter)
bring visual art to the stage of the Astor backed by Chris Ball on piano.
Faraway Tree, a Deal-based quartet, will play, there's also another guest
appearance by Howard Werth of Audience, and transvestite torch singer Pussy
D'Amour makes a welcome return.
The Astor show will be a great occasion, look forward to seeing you there.
Tickets:
In Advance: £16.00 | On The Door: £20.00
Box Office: Soundhouse, Deal: 01304 381134
All Seated Cabaret Style
Doors: 8.00pm | Show: 8.30pm
website: www.astortheatre.co.uk
Clarendon
---------
And if not, try the second gig - the Clarendon is a large busy music pub on
the front at Deal, close to the pier.
Showtime is mid-afternoon rather than being an evening show, so treat
yourself to a wintry seaside Sunday outing in Deal for the day, a slap-up
fish and chip lunch, then a pre-Christmas knees up with the BAO in
convivial company.
And - even better - the show is free of charge (it's all being paid for by
the vast amount of drink you will no doubt consume !)
Showtime: 3.30
http://www.shepherd-neame.co.uk/pubs/pubs.php/clarendonhotel_deal
================================================================
COUSINS, CRONK & CUTLER, MEDWAY FOLK CELLAR, CHATHAM - TUE 6 NOV
================================================================
Running on very shortly after the 3 Nov BAO gig (hardly worth going home!),
an opportunity to see effectively the "Acoustic" BAO, as Dave, Chas and Ian
play a one-off show at the Medway Folk Cellar. It'll be really
interesting to see DC play an acoustic show with fiddle backing.
Plus Doug Hudson
Showtime: 8pm.
Medway Folk Centre
The Central Theatre
High Street
Chatham
01634 338338
Tickets: £8, folk mailing list members £7
(show/ticket info from http://www.sefan.org.uk/WhatsOn.html)
===============================
NOVEMBER ACOUSTIC STRAWBS DATES
===============================
The remaining dates for the Acoustic Strawbs in November are:
Thu 1 Nov 2007, The Assembly House, Norwich
Fri 9 Nov 2007, QEH Theatre, Bristol
Mon 19 Nov 2007, Forest Folk, North Boarhunt
Sun 25 Nov 2007, The Boardwalk, Sheffield
Thu 29 Nov 2007, Arts Centre, Bridgwater
NB The date previously announced for Fri 2 Nov, Circle Arts, Worksop, has
been cancelled.
==================================================
FIRE SHOWS - WINDLESHAM HALL, FRI 30 NOV/SAT 1 DEC
==================================================
NB: BBC6 interview broadcasting on Sun 21 Oct !!! See below.
Venue: The Windlesham Club and Theatre, Kennel Lane, Windlesham, Surrey
GU20 6AA
Tickets: £12.50
Bar opens from 5.30pm; show starts 8.00pm
Box Office: 07828 324 225
Website: http://www.windleshamclub.org.uk
Excitement is mounting over the forthcoming reunion shows for Fire at
Windlesham Hall, 40 years on from Summer of Love when Dave's first band
Friday's Chyld was formed before evolving into Fire. The original line-up
of Fire (Lambert, Bob Voice and Dick Dufall) are re-uniting for two shows
on 30 Nov and 1 Dec 2007, where they'll play the whole of the album The
Magic Shoemaker and other key Fire numbers such as "Father's Name Is Dad".
Lindsay Sorrell has done an interview with Dave which is on Strawbsweb:
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/features/dl_fire.asp
which is to be reprinted in Italian mag Wondrous Stories.
There's a lot of press interest in the reformation of this iconic 60s band,
who produced one of the most collectable albums ever in The Magic
Shoemaker. Dave Lambert has just been interviewed by Record Collector for
a piece (involving territory which no interviewer has previously dared to
tread!) which will come out in the December issue, out 25th October).
Dave and Dick Dufall this week recorded a half hour interview in London,
with four Fire tracks being played, conducted by Stuart Maconie of BBC6.
The interview will go out on Sunday 21st October on Stuart's show "THE
FREAK ZONE" which runs from 17.00 - 20.00 UK time. Visit
www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/freakzone to listen live, or click the link
there shown to listen during the following week.
Loads of radio/internet interviews over the last few months:
www.rock247online.co.uk. (Dave and Chas, and Dave on his own)
Ross Hemsworth of Glastonbury Radio
Gary Jackson of My Generation Internet Radio - to listen visit
www.mysixtiesradio.com
Gene Godfrey of Classic FM (http://www.angelfire.com/music2/classicfm/)
(Dave and Chas)
Steve Sikes-Nova of "Newgrass, Prog And More!" (Dave and Chas)
Trilogy Rock Radio in Catalunia
You can check out some Fire music clips and interviews which are still
available for listening at:
www.myspace.com/davelambert07
www.myspace.com/lambertcronk and
www.myspace.com/2007fire
and clicking on appropriate links.
Dave has also appeared in an article in local paper The Wokingham Times,
together with a photo of Fire taken in the 1960s and one taken at his home
the previous day, following a late night at The Royal Albert Hall playing
with his cricketing mates for the Annual Awards Ceremony.
=========================================================
STRAWBS CHRISTMAS PARTY - SAT 8 DEC - HEROES AND HEROINES
=========================================================
The fancy dress theme for the Christmas party will be "Heroes and Heroines"
(not Heroes And Villains which is of course a Beach Boys song and nothing
to do with Strawbs !!!)
National Physical Laboratory Sports Club, Teddington
Cricket Pavilion
National Physical Laboratory
Teddington
Middlesex
TW11 0LW
Doors: 5.30pm
Showtime: 8.00pm
Box Office: 020 8943 6314
Website: www.nplsc.co.uk
Tickets: £10.00
Snacks available until 7.30pm
Buffet supper in the interval
======================================
CRY NO MORE CHRISTMAS SHOW, FRI 28 DEC
======================================
This year Chas and Roy's annual farewell gig as the splendid Cry No More
will be between Christmas and New Year, on 28th Dec at the Turks Head.
Not to be missed, if only for Tony Grimmer's dancing !!!
The Turks Head
Winchester Road
St. Margarets
Twickenham
TW1 1LF
Tel: 0208 892 1972 (tickets may not be on sale just yet)
Venue Doors open: 8.30 (pub next door open prior to that if you get there
early)
Showtime: 9.30
Ticket price: £10
=====================================
ACOUSTIC STRAWBS - JAN/FEB 2008 DATES
=====================================
Early warning of next year's Acoustic dates in the UK.
Fri 11 Jan 2008 - Kite Club, Blackpool
Sat 12 Jan 2008 - Rattan and Rush, Kirkby Stephen
Thu 17 Jan 2008 - TBA
Fri 18 Jan 2008 - Cox's Yard, Stratford-upon-Avon
Sat 19 Jan 2008 - David Hall Arts, South Petherton
Thu 24 Jan 2008 - TBA
Fri 25 Jan 2008 - Bein Inn, Glenfarg
Sat 26 Jan 2008 - Bein Inn, Glenfarg
Mon 28 Jan 2008 - Whitehill Centre, Chesham
Fri 1 Feb 2008 - Millfield Arts Centre, Edmonton
Sat 2 Feb 2008 - Huntingdon Hall, Worcester
Sun 3 Feb 2008 - Assembly Rooms, Derby
Tue 5 Feb 2008 - Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
Fri 8 Feb 2008 - The Playhouse, Sleaford
Sat 9 Feb 2008 - Red Lion, Kings Heath
Tue 12 Feb 2008 - The Anvil, Basingstoke
Fri 15 Feb 2008 - Nordern Farm Arts, Maidenhead
Sat 16 Feb 2008 - The Mill, Banbury
Thu 28 Feb 2008 - The Brook, Chatham
===========================================
DAVE COUSINS SOLO GIGS IN US IN SPRING 2008
===========================================
And now some big news - Dave Cousins will be doing some solo shows in the
US to promote "The Boy In The Sailor Suit". First two weeks in March '08.
Dates confirmed so far:
7 Mar - Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA
8 Mar - Towne Crier, Pawling, NY
date TBA - German House Theatre, Rochester (Bop Shop), NY
NBB - these dates are highly susceptible to change as the tour gets firmed
up, so please do not rely on them yet for travel booking purposes.
===========================
IN BATTAGLIA ("THE BATTLE")
===========================
Italian band Ianva is releasing an EP which includes an Italian cover of
"The Battle", called "In Battaglia" on 15 Oct 2007. Ianva's version is
completely different in its arrangement - the press release comments:
IN BATTAGLIA (THE BATTLE by The Strawbs) : The simple and harmonious notes
of "The Battle", (an evergreen written and performed by The Strawbs)
combined with the narrative structure particular to the original version,
(showing almost kinship in terms of progress to the stations of the cross)
provided us with great material for an "Italian" transcription and a
re-arrangement of a masterpiece that, (as far as we know) has been never
covered before. They also provided us the chance to do a sort of prequel to
"Disobbedisco!" and fix the exact moment when Maggiore Renzi breaks into
Giovanni Laurago's life - during the most feverish phases of the bloody
battle of Mount St. Gabriele, in May 1917. Oddly enough, the stages of the
battle described in the original Strawbs' song vividly call to mind the
events Ianva chose to relate. This allowed us to preserve the dramatic
escalation of the original version and its bitter final annotation. This no
mere cover, but rather a respectful re-telling of events that loses nothing
in the translation.
Ianva are:
Mercy - vocals, marranzano (Jew's harp), concept, lyrics, music,
arrangements, backing vocals
Stefania T. D'Alterio - vocals, lyrics, music
Fabio Carfagna - electric & acoustic guitars, music, backing vocals
Francesco La Rosa - drums, percussions, programming, music
Fabio Gremo - acoustic & classic guitars, music, arrangements, backing vocals
Davide La Rosa - accordion, percussions, backing vocals
Giuseppe Spanò - piano, backing vocals
Azoth - electric bass
Fabio Fabbri /M° Fulvio Di Clemente - trumpet, trombone
To buy a copy:
http://www.illevriero.it/acquisti/index.asp
UK: http://www.musicnonstop.co.uk/product-view.php?productid=20220
IANVA MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/ianva
IANVA @ Last.fm: http://www.last.fm/music/Ianva
======================================
DOWNLOADS AND WALLPAPERS ON STRAWBSWEB
======================================
As well as the covers of Strawbs songs by various Strawbs fans, which are
well worth a visit,(we've just added Ralph Tonge's take on the first
segment of "Autumn"), we've now added a wallpapers section - get the
Strawbs on your desktop now!
http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/@f/f_wall.htm
a second Strawbswebnews for June 2007 mailed out with various news items:
* The Boy In The Sailor Suit
* Cousins and Cutler
* A night at the Blue Angel 2/Christmas party
* Myspace yourspace
* Canadian dates
* Strawbs live dates for remainder of 2007
Strawbswebnews for June 2007 mailed out with various news items:
* Changing e-mails
* Acoustic Strawbs - festival date in Holland
* The Boy In The Sailor Suit - online MP3 samples
* Buy from Witchwood Records online shop - get unreleased Dave Cousins songs
* Other current releases
* Not long now till next Electric Strawbs gigs
* Fire - live dates 2007
Strawbswebnews Stop Press for May 2007 mailed out with various news items:
* Rick Wakeman/Acoustic Strawbs Show On Planet Rock Radio
* Cropredy - Change Of Date For Strawbs - now 10th August
* The Boy In The Sailor Suit
Strawbswebnews bulletin for April 2007 mailed out with various news items:
* Rick Wakeman & Acoustic Strawbs - on air 5th May
* New Dave Cousins solo album - The Boy in the Sailor Suit
* Lambert Cronk - Touch The Earth, released 16 April
* Burning For You - re-issue released 16 April
* Benedictus - Strawbs tribute band gig - Taunton, 28th April
* Not too late to see Brian and Cathryn - remaining dates (some changes)
* Dead Like Harry dates
* Another Wychwood
* Strawbs Christmas Party - early warning
During my student days of 1968-71, I played with the highly respected Folk Artist Maureen Kennedy-Martin. I would ride my BSA A10 from Isleworth to Primrose Hill, jump into Maureen's little red Mini and go off to famous clubs like the Black Horse in Telham, the Talisman in Hitchin, or the Three Horseshoes in Hampstead. Often, we had a third member - Strawberry Hill Boy Ron Chesterman. Ron would strap his double bass to Mo's roofrack and off we'd go for an always-enjoyable, mostly beer-fuelled evening.
Ron and I formed a great friendship and I was a frequent visitor to his home in Wimbledon, where his wonderful Australian wife Marion would cook us dinner then send us off to the local for a top-up. Musically, Ron was most proud of his status in the jazz world,--he was offered the bass "chair" in Chris Barber's band, but he probably remains best-known for his work with the early Strawbs and the infamous Draught Porridge, with Noel Murphy and Davey Johnstone.
As an historian, Ron achieved success as the County Archivist for Cheshire, fulfilling a life-long ambition. He will be sadly missed by his loving family Marion, Zara, Elizabeth and Richard.
So sorry to hear the news of Ron's passing. He was a unique man and a great musician. We shared a love of history, a subject of which he had vast knowledge, and he could turn a mundane drive through London into a colourful, historical, guided tour. I haven't seen Ron for about three years now but the last time I saw him the humour and glint in his eye was there even though he had been unwell for sometime. A truly sad time for Strawbs members and followers. Please pass on my deepest sympathy to Ron's family and friends. He was a lovely man.
I am very sorry to have to announce that Ron Chesterman died at 11.15 on Friday 16 March 2007.
Originally a local government archivist, Ron came down to London to study for a degree. He joined the Strawberry Hill Boys in late 66/very early 1967, after Tony Hooper saw him playing in a pub in Chalk Farm (the Enterprise in Chalk Farm Road, just down the road from Tony's two flats on Haverstock Hill and Steeles Lane which inspired the song "Pieces of 79 and 15"). He travelled over to Copenhagen with Cousins, Hooper and Sandy Denny to make those early recordings - he still has a snapshot taken on the ferry. His excellent double bass playing is also featured on those tracks which make up Preserves Uncanned as well as the first two Strawbs albums released on A&M, Strawbs and Dragonfly. He left the band in early 1970, just after Rick Wakeman became a member, as Cousins and Hooper moved towards an electric line-up, recruiting John Ford and Richard Hudson on bass and percussion respectively.
After the Strawbs Ron worked with Noel Murphy and Shaggis (aka Davey Johnstone, later Elton John's electric guitar genius) as Draught Porridge and later on with various others. His favourite music was really jazz, and he played in many jazz line-ups too.
In later years he returned to his home town of Chester, where he was the county archivist, also spending some time away from England in the Caribbean. I met him back in 2000 when he came to the Strawbs show in Shrewsbury. I drove him back to Chester the next day and spent an extremely enjoyable day listening to his reminiscences of the old days. A feature from that interview, as a tribute to Ron, will be posted shortly on StrawbsWeb.
I know Strawbs fans will wish to send their deepest sympathy to Ron's wife and family.
Part 2 of Strawbswebnews bulletin for March 2007 mailed out with various news items:
* Cropredy Clarification
* Acoustic Strawbs in Spain
* Benedictus - Strawbs tribute band - show and party - 28 April
* Fire - update
Strawbswebnews bulletin for March 2007 mailed out with various news items:
* Ken Laws - 1951-2007
* FMPM 2007 - Strawbs play Montreal Festival, 15 Sept 2007
* Touch The Earth - Lambert Cronk
* Burning For You re-issue
* Canada/US dates - update
* Cropredy update
* Other August Electric gigs
Strawbswebnews bulletin for February 2007 mailed out with various news items:
* Strawbs @ Cropredy
* Universal CD releases
* Acoustic/Electric touring - Feb 2007
* Acoustic Strawbs in Spain
* Just once in a very blue moon - Willoughby on Nanci Griffith UK shows
* Brian Willoughby and Cathryn Craig Spring tour
* Fire down below
* Summer days all float downstream - US and Canada electric summer tour
* Going Dutch - Acoustic Strawbs in Holland
* Conny Conrad/Dark Ocean release, guest star: Dave Cousins
* Cry No More CDs available at www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk/live in 2007?
* Loads of downloads
* Ken Laws illness
* Benedictus - Strawbs tribute band
Our boys and "the hairy monster"
The Acoustic Strawbs were interviewed by and played a session for former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis for BBC Three Counties local radio in the UK. It's going out on DLT's show on Sun 12 Feb - the show starts at 9.00am and the first session will be on at 9.30 am. You can listen live over the internet:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/local_radio/index.shtml
Radio listeners in the catchment area (Beds, Bucks, Herts) can get the station on 98, 103.8, 95.5, 104.5 and 94.7 FM.
Some news via Denise Binks, their web-person:
Some 2006 dates are now posted on their website - www.BrianWilloughby.com. Also on Strawbsweb.
Brian is featured in the February issue of GUITAR PLAYER magazine, which is on the news stands now. GUITAR PLAYER is one of the most successful specialist magazines in the world, and we are thrilled for this long overdue recognition. (Next time, a cover page, please!) Get your copy quickly, as they tend to sell out early.
Mary Hopkin's farewell show was recorded in May 1972 and the concert has been released on CD. "Live at The Royal Festival Hall 1972" features Mary with Danny Thompson on double bass, Brian on guitar and The Pop Arts String Quartet, conducted by Tony Visconti. For more details see www.morganhopkin.co.uk.
And finally a note from Brian…
Cathryn and I are looking forward to 2006, after a harrowing 2005, with close family bereavement for both of us. We have new songs, a new team behind us and hopefully we'll see you as we tour around the country. All the best, Brian.
Update: As well as the Acoustic Strawbs, there's an electric jam with Lambert, Cronk and Rod Coombes - a unique show.
Celebrated guitarist Juan Martin will also play - voted one of the Top 3 guitarists in the world by Guitar Magazine in the US!
Appeal: Dave Cousins wants Tony, the bar manager, to create a setting for a Victorian Christmas. They (at the clubhouse) are putting the decorations up on Saturday, i.e. during the day of the party. If anyone living locally could drop some suitable offerings in by say, eleven a.m. on Saturday, I am sure Tony would be very grateful.
Details: Bar open early. Doors (access to the hall) 7.30 pm, showtime 8.00pm. There will be buffet food in the interval and a short DVD preview of one song from the last show which was filmed at the NPL.
Thanks to the efforts of our local promotion guy over in the US, Cousins & Conrad is being played on a range of AAA and Rock radio stations in the US. The main selected track has proved to be "The Moon And Stars". If you live in the area of the following local stations, why not phone them up and ask them to play a track.
Check out these stations - why not ring them up and request a track to be played. "The Moon And Stars" is the track which seems to be attracting most interest. If you think your local radio station would be interested, e-mail
WERU/EAST ORLAND, ME - website
WBZC/PEMBERTON, NJ (Deep In The Darkest Night) website
WYOU/NORFOLK, VA- website
WQNR/MONTGOMERY, AL (Call To Action)- website
MOREHEAD STATE PUBLIC RADIO- website
WOLV/MARQUETTE, MI - website
KUMD/DULUTH, MN - website
KKFI/KANSAS CITY, MO - website
KPFT/HOUSTON, TX - website
KFAN/FREDERICKSBURG, TX (On The Horizon)- website
KBUT/CRESTED BUTTE, CO - website
KZMU/MOAB, UT - website
KUNM/ALBUQUERQUE, NM - website
WXJK/FARMVILLE, VA - website
WQZK/KEYSER, WV - website
WTBK/MANCHESTER, KY- website
WKTG/MADISONVILLE, KY - website
Oscar Peterson Jr died a couple of weeks ago of cancer. He was apparently a keen prog rock fan and, to help him through his last weeks friends gave him albums to listen to including Ghosts. At his funeral they played a recording of Oscar singing "You And I (When We Were Young)" with his children.
[removed - see update above]
Greetings from WKSU-FM in Kent, Ohio. The Strawbs came in on Thursday 27 October to play exclusive live songs for us along with an interview. The guys couldn't have been nicer. In fact, we were all blown away by not only their performance but general attitude and vibe. No egos, no rock and roll mentality, just three normal guys (along with their great road manger Neil). It's always great when you meet such a classic band, only to discover how genuine they really are.
WKSU hosts a 24-hour folk music internet radio station-- www.folkalley.com. Soon, in a month or so, you will be able to hear and download the four songs the Strawbs performed live in our studios and hear the exclusive interview.
But all in all, their performance here was great. I can't wait to get the songs mixed and posted soon for all to hear. Special thanks to Pat Garrett too for his help. More to come
Chris Boros--Director of Operations/Production---FolkAlley.Com
High Society (Hud, Terry Cooke, Simon Bishop and Dickey Betts) mini-tour announced - two dates in easy reach of London (Isleworth and Hillingdon) then off to Carlisle and the Rattan and Rush Christmas party (10 Dec) the last of which is sold out. Full details.
To keep Hud busy whilst he's not doing that, he's got a few dates lined up in November for his other bands: Full details.
Distribution for Witchwood in Canada is now handled by Universal Special Imports, 2450 Victoria Park, Suite 1, Toronto, Ontario M2J 5H3 Phone: (416) 718-4000. Catalogue in PDF format
On Thursday, 20 October, there will be a lengthy live performance interview of the currently touring Strawbs on 91.3 WVKR-FM, Poughkeepsie as part of Marc Breslav's biweekly show "Radio Eclectica."
The interview is expected to run from about 5:30 pm to just past 7 pm New York time, conveniently between the sound check and performance at the nearby Towne Crier. While there have been occasional problems recently, WVKR webcasts via
www.live365.com
Search on "WVKR" once there.
John Hawken will join the Acoustic Strawbs onstage when they play Satalla's on Wed 19 Oct.
Darren Crisp, ADASTRA
Email: darren@adastra-music.co.uk Mobile: 07789 077376
The Stables, Westwood House, Main St, N Dalton, Driffield, E Yorkshire YO25 9XA
Phone: + 44 1377 217662 Fax: + 44 1377 217754
John Ford's new Christmas CD "Whatever Happened To Christmas" is just released and ready to ship - it's up at the John Ford site and should likely be available soon on Witchwood Records.
This album features an array of Christmas Classics a la John Ford with some of John's own songs that will give new meaning to the magic of the Holiday Season. A fantastic CD to add to your Holiday Music Collection that truly captures the festive spirit of Christmas!
Take a look at www.johnfordmusic.net - sound clips being put up soon. Track listing below:
News just in that the electric band (US line-up - Cousins, Lambert, Cronk, Coombes, Hawken) will be playing a few dates in the Spring of 2006, culminating in a show to be filmed for DVD release.
Dates are:
Friday 3 March, The Brook, Southampton
Saturday 4 March, The Astor, Deal
Sunday 5 March, Robin 2 (filming), Dudley
Likely to be special guests - details to be confirmed.
Dave Cousins is busy putting the finishing touches to this superb album. It will be released in the UK on 7 Dec. Unfortunately it will NOT be available for sale on the upcoming US tour.
Running order is now:
1. Oh How She Changed
2. Grace Darling
3. Shine On Silver Sun
4. The Antique Suite
i The Reaper
ii We Must Cross The River
iii Antiques & Curios
iv Hey, It's Been A Long time
5. Benedictus
6. Midnight Sun
7. Cold Steel
8. If
9. Autumn
i Hero's Theme
ii Deep Summer's Sleep
iii The Winter Long
On 6 Nov Witchwood will release this unique album - the first non-Strawbs-related to be announced (but not the last - watch this space).
'A Yorkshire Christmas', a documentary in song, stories and dialect, is a unique historic record of Christmas at the turn of the 20th century. The inimitable Watersons sing various Christmas songs, interwoven with inimitable dialect stories and readings from Kit Calvert MBE from Hawes, the saviour of Wensleydale cheese, and other contributors - Mabel Race from Liverton Mines, who was in her nineties when the programme was made, and Norman Benson from Whitby.
'A Yorkshire Christmas' is a priceless reminder of a long-gone era.
The songs for 'A Yorkshire Christmas' are the last recordings made together as a group by the Watersons - Norma, Lal and Mike Waterson, and Martin Carthy. They were recorded in December 1980 at Crathorne Hall in North Yorkshire for a Radio Tees programme produced by David Cousins, who had then traded in the Strawbs for a career in broadcasting.
The Watersons are England's premier singing family and their recordings played a hugely influential role in the British folk music revival. The group released five studio albums – 'Frost and fire', 'A Yorkshire garland', 'For pence and spicy ale', 'Sound, sound your instruments of joy', and the last 'Green fields', recorded in April 1980.
The Good Old Boys are Hud on drums, Nick Simper (ex-Deep Purple, bass), Alan Barratt (ex Jo-Jo Gunne), Peter Parks (guitar, ex-Warhorse) and Simon Bishop (guitar, Hud's sparring partner in High Society), and together they make up a band which clearly just loves playing.
Catch their show at:
The Union Inn
Leicester Road
Market Harborough
LEICESTER LE16 7AY
Tel: 01858 433277
"a perfect blend for the 50s 60s Rock 'n' Roll / R&B enthusiast"
Strawbs hold their Christmas Party fairly early - but what a Christmas event it will be. The plan is to recreate some of the atmosphere of Strawbs' White Bear parties of yore. The band will perform in fancy dress, audience is very welcome to join in.
There are likely to be special guests - start time 8.00pm (bar open early before that); ticket price £10.
Cricket Pavilion
National Physical Laboratory
Teddington
Middlesex
TW11 0LW
Box Office: 020 8943 6314
Directions: www.nplsc.co.uk
Early warning that these two timeless troubadours have once again got their
act together for their regular Christmas show. Not to be missed.
Tickets £7.50, doors usually about 8/8.30 pm.
Contact details:
Turks Head
Winchester Road
St. Margarets
Twickenham
Tickets can be reserved on 0208 408 3192. You can pay when you pick up your tickets on the night.
A long-awaited release from Mary Hopkin.
In May, 1972, Mary played what was to be her last concert for years. Saying goodbye to the music business which had catapulted her into world-wide fame barely three years before, she sings some of her best songs including "Earth Song and Ocean Song", "Those Were the Days" and some of the folk classics that inspired her early career. Accompanied by Danny Thompson (Pentangle) and Brian Willoughby (later of The Strawbs), as well as her then husband Tony Visconti and the Pop Arts String Quartet, this is an intimate concert which captures Mary at her best.
Click here to order.
Mary's site is at www.maryhopkin.net
Anna Dickson tells me that the Strawbs will be featured on a segment of "A Toss the Feathers Christmas 2004" which will stream online at wcbe.org at 3:00 pm (EST) on Christmas Day. The show airs nationally as well. Dave Cousins read the Thomas Campion poem "Winter Nights". A live recording of "Benedictus" and more will make up the rest of the segment. US fans can check with their local public radio stations to see it it will air in their areas.
Other artists include Richard Thompson, Ian Anderson, Maddy Prior, Waterson:Carthy, Jim Moray.
"Toss the Feathers"
WCBE 90.5 FM
Columbus, Ohio
There's a review and some pics of the Cry No More gig on 18 Dec on the Cry No More site, www.crynomore.co.uk. Check it out.
ANOTHER Cry No More Christmas Gig on 27 Dec at the Red Lion, Linkfield Road, Isleworth, TW7 6QJ
Free show. Doors at 8pm or so, band on at 8.30pm or later. See you there.
Denise Powell e-mailed to let me know that when the Acoustic Strawbs are on at Arc, Stockton-on-Tees on 10th Feb, there is also a beer festival, organised by Cleveland Camra (Campaign for real ale) on in the same venue, different part of the building.
The website is www.clevelandcamra.btinternet.co.uk .
The contact email for beer festival details is beer.festival@ntlworld.com
Another good reason for me to travel back to my home town to see the Acoustic Strawbs there.
High Society's next live performance for the paying public will be at:
The Prince Albert
Pield Heath Road
Hillingdon UB8 3NQ
on Saturday 5th February at 8pm
Further details to follow.
DAVE LAMBERT AND FRIENDS - OLD ISLEWORTHIANS' ASSOCIATION - 4 DEC
Dave Lambert is playing for free (for fun) at the regular (approx. annual) reunion evening for people who attended or otherwise had some association with Isleworth Grammar School, Isleworth, Middlesex around the time Dave did (around 1960 - 67). Some of the attendees are older, others a lot younger. Dave will be playing his favourite rhythm and blues style sets with support from Bob Taylor and a host of musicians that Bob will have mustered.
There is a reasonably priced bar - no food - and it runs from 8 until about midnight. It's a good sociable evening and a chance to meet old friends (you don't have to have gone to Isleworth Grammar to qualify).
The clubhouse is situated by the level crossing in Wood Lane, Isleworth.
More information can be had by emailing Wendy.
CRY NO MORE CHRISTMAS SHOW - SAT 18 DEC
The Cry No More Christmas show takes place on Saturday 18th December at the refurbished Turks Head, Twickenham. Admission is £7.50.
RAIN RELEASED AND ON THE RADIO
Release date for "Rumours of Rain" now confirmed as 29th November.
Radio appearances to promote the release as follows:
5th November 16.00, George Jones Radio BBC Ulster (Listen On line, show archived for 1 day)
8th November 12.00, Q102.2 West Omagh, County Tyrone
8th November 14.30, Mid 106 FM Cookstown, County Tyrone
8th November 18.30, Folk on Drivetime, Stephen Foster (Radio Suffolk)
9th November 16.00, BBC Radio Foyle
SUNY STONY BROOK CONCERT
Friday, November 18 at 8:00 PM.
The John Ford Acoustic Band will be performing at the University Cafe, Graduate Student Lounge, SUNY Stony Brook, Student Union Building, Stony Brook, NY. Contact Tel: 631-632-6027, Website: www.universitycafe.org.
Supporting acts are Brit-Folk Artist Geoffrey Armes (www.geoffreyarmes.com) and LI Music Fest finalists ALIEN CANOPY (www.aliencanopy.com)
NEW CD RELEASE
New John Ford CD Release "Backtracking" including two live bonus tracks - completed and ready for upcoming release!
RADIO APPEARANCE
You can hear Brian and Cathryn on BBC Radio Suffolk's "Folk on Drivetime" at 6-30pm on Monday 8th November.
REPLAY ON THE RADIO
Brian and Cathryn have appeared on the Frank Hennessy show on Radio Wales on Saturday 23rd October. You can listen to a replay (use the forward buttons to move 1.5 hours into the programme) until 30th October here.
ON THE RADIO
Brian and Cathryn will be appearing on the Frank Hennessy show on BBC Wales at 22:00 BST on Saturday 23rd October. You can listen live on the internet or replay the programme at a more convenient time.
WITCHWOOD MEDIA ARCHIVE CDS
Further to the reference in the recent StrawbswebNews about a CD release in the proposed Witchwood Media Archive series featuring an ex-Strawb (unspecified).
Just heard from Dave Cousins that Rick has agreed in principle to the release of some Cousins & Wakeman material from the late 80s (one track already appeared on the Classic Rock Society free CD (still currently on sale at Witchwood Records).
The bulk of the CD is a recording of a one-off live show at the Plaza in Exeter in 1988; one track "Martin Luther King's Dream" is from a performance at more or less the same time at a folk festival at Dranouter in Belgium.
Track details and release date to follow when known.
At this rate we might even be able to hope for some live dates from Dave & Rick.
RAIN ON THE WAY
Brian and Cathryn's "Rumours of Rain" is due for release on the Hypertension label at the end of October or early in November. Brian and Cathryn have delivered the finished masters to the label.
It's going to be an extended CD single featuring: 7 minute version and 3 min radio edit of the song plus a Quick Time video feature about the making of the record.
Rios, 15025 River Road, Rio Nido, CA 95446, 9pm showtime.
Phone: 707-869-8447
Directions: From south of Santa Rosa: Take 101N to River Road exit. Take that exit, turn left towards River Road/Guerneville; Stay on River Road about 15 miles. Rios will be on your left about 2 miles past Korbel.
Details of the DVD launch party to be held in Hugh's Room in Toronto (where the DVD was filmed) now been confirmed
The DVD will be shown (84 mins) and there will be a 45 minutes live set from the current line-up of Acoustic Strawbs (Dave, Dave and Chas). Tickets $35 CAN.
Hugh's Room, Toronto
2261 Dundas St W, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6R1X6
Box Office: (416) 531 6604
Website: www.hughsroom.com
The finishing touches have now been made to the Acoustic Strawbs Live in Toronto DVD, release date 15 November. It includes the following songs, most of which haven't been recorded hitherto by Acoustic Strawbs:
Ghosts
Maclean Street/Who Knows Where The Time Goes
Flying
The Hangman And The Papist
Autumn
Remembering/You And I (When We Were Young)
Out In The Cold/Round And Round
Hero And Heroine
Simple Visions
We'll Meet Again Sometime
There's also a short documentary, with Dave Cousins leading you round a tour of Strawbs-related spots in West London, where the band spent its formative years, and sleeve notes by leading Canadian musicologist, Rob Bowman.
Kevin West has booked High Society to appear on Sat 4 Dec 2004 at the Village Hall, Wardington, nr Banbury, OX17 1SH. Wardington is approx 4 miles from Banbury, from M40 junction 11 follow A361 towards Daventry.
Doors open 8.00pm - 12.00pm. There's a support act, probably The Ploughboys, and a finger buffet is included in the ticket price. There is also a licenced bar.
Ticket around £12.00 each - to be confirmed: from Kevin West 01295 758905 or kevin@west-cae.freeserve.co.uk.
Click on the picture for full size version.
WITCHWOOD MEDIA ARCHIVE CDS
Great news is that the UK Electric band and the US Electric band were both recorded during the course of their tours this summer, at Camden, London and NearFest respectively.
A new series of limited edition CDs - Witchwood Media Archive - is being launched by Witchwood Records and these, along with a surprise historic recording from the vaults featuring an long gone member of the band (more details when this is confirmed), are likely to be the first releases in the series.
NATURAL SOUND RECORDED
Acoustic Strawbs' concert at Natural Sound, Kitchener, Ontario back in June was also recorded and is likely to be released as a limited edition live CD by Natural Sound under licence from Witchwood Media. It captures one of Brian Willoughby's last performances with the band. No release date or title as yet.
COUSINS AND CONRAD - PROGRESSIVE ALBUM
Dave Cousins will be recording an album with German progressive artist Conny Conrad later this year. Conrad invited DC to contribute vocals to a couple of tracks on an album of his which is nearing release - more info when I have it. The results were excellent, leading to the suggestion that the pair collaborate on a whole album together. So Conny will be heading down to join with Dave as he takes a brief break from touring after the current Oct/Nov 2004 US tour to write some material for the album.
UK TOUR
Brian and Cathryn's Autumn UK tour kicks off on October 1, 2004 - full date list on the Gigs page.
BRIAN
Brian has recorded first ever solo guitar CD, due out on John Tobler's Road Goes On Forever label in a week or so (we saw the covers etc. at the London Witchwood gathering last week). Entitled Fingers Crossed it showcases Brian's great playing. The title track was the tune that Dave Cousins sent to Mary Hopkin to secure Brian his first gig as Mary's accompanist. And the rest is history ....
CATHRYN
Meanwhile in Nashville, Cathryn has been busy too. She sang on Nanci Griffith's "Hearts And Minds" CD, which hopefully will be out for Nanci's October UK tour. This week in Murfreesboro Tennessee, Cathryn appears alongside Nanci, Maura O'Connell, Elizabeth Cook and LeAnn Etheridge in "songwriters in the round", an event sponsored by Senator John Kerry's campaign.
RUMOURS OF RAIN
But most of their attention has focussed on "Rumours of Rain", Brian and Cathryn's song, a plea for peace, which is recorded in conjunction with a host of major artists. This summer, Cathryn mixed the more than 100 tracks and it is now mastered and ready for release in October. A website has beeen set up www.rumoursofrain.com - see that for the amazing roster of people, including Rod Clements of Lindisfarne, who has added a Rumours of Rain page to his site. I've heard an early mix of it and it sounds great.
Another successful and highly enjoyable meet-up in the White Horse pub in NYC. Thanks to all who came, including John Ford pictured here with his webmaster Jim Policke and longtime Strawbs fan Al Mercuro.
Brian Willoughby has announced that he is leaving the Strawbs after the Knaresborough Festival in August 2004. He will be concentrating on his work with Cathryn Craig, both here and in Cathryn's native USA.
Brian's partnership with Cathryn has grown in strength after eleven tours and three well-received albums. Coming soon is their release of the DVD single "Rumours of Rain", a plea for international peace, featuring a stellar supporting cast that reads like a 'who's who' of folk artists, including Ralph McTell, Nanci Griffith, Tom Paxton, Martin Carthy, Bob Fox, Tommy Sands, Clive Gregson, Emily Slade, Steve Tilston, Harvey Andrews, Derek Brimstone and Benny Gallagher as well as (first time on record together) members of Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Pentangle, Lindisfarne and Strawbs! Brian is also working on a solo instumental album, for release in October on John Tobler's RGF label.
Brian commented: "I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Strawbs, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to balance that with the work Cathryn and I are doing and we really want to give that the attention it deserves. We're very proud indeed of what we've achieved with "Rumours Of Rain" and can't wait to get it released."
Replacing Brian in the Acoustic Strawbs is a familiar face, one Chas Cronk, currently rehearsing with the electric band for the US/Canada tour. It'll be fascinating to see how the Acoustic line-up develops in the coming months.
Dave Cousins said: "It only seems like yesterday that Brian and I first started playing together on that first Cousins & Willoughby tour round the country in 1979; what a lot has happened since then. Dave Lambert and I are very sorry indeed to see Brian go after all these years, but we fully respect his wishes to spend time developing his work with Cathryn and we wish them every success for the future. It goes without saying that we're extremely happy to have Chas back in the fold - it'll give us the impetus to ring the changes for the acoustic shows later in the year."
Saturday, May 29 - John Ford in USO's "Salute to the Troops" Concert Central Park, NY 10 AM - 3 PM.
As one of the high points of the Fleet Week 2004 Festivities, the USO is planning a "Salute to the Troops Concert" in Central Park to pay tribute to the brave men and women in uniform. Free and open to the public, entertainment will include the John Ford band; the USO Troupe of Metropolitan New York; singer/songwriter Todd Shea; hit songwriter Charlie Craig; country singer and recording artist Aaron Tippin. Other participating celebrities and special guests will be announced before the event. The concert will be simulcast or taped to be shown to Armed Forces members stateside and around the world.
Saturday, June 5 - The Muse at the Gray Goose, Londonderry, New Hampshire 8:00 PM. John will be making his first appearance at Londonderry's acclaimed listening room. Call 603-437-6085 for reservations!
Owing to demand a third date has been added to the Electric band's Toronto dates at Hugh's Room - Sun 4 Jul 2004.
RADIO SHOW
John will play live on "Classic FM" with Gene Godfrey - airs Friday May 14th. 6-10PM Eastern Time from Z88.9 Pemberton, NJ.
LIVE WEBCAST AVAILABLE! Check your timezone for your area! See www.z889.com -or- the show homepage! www.angelfire.com/music2/classicfm (the live webcast link is right at the bottom of Gene's page - you'll need software for RealPlayer files.
JOHN FORD SOLO - SPECIAL DINNER SHOW!!!
Thursday, June 17, 2004 at 7PM
The Entirely NEW Ruby's, 28 Oakland St., Port Jefferson, NY, 631-642-1942
Reservations Required.
NBB. FOR UPDATED VERSION SEE LINKS FROM FRONT PAGE
Sunday | 2 May | AC | Festival | Wath upon Dearne |
Friday | 4 June | AC | National Forest Folk Club | Moira, nr Ashby de la Zouch |
Sunday | 6 June | AC | Sun Hotel | Hitchin |
Thursday | 10 June | AC | Robin 2 | Bilston |
Friday | 11 June | AC | Rockingham Arms | Wentworth |
Sunday | 13 June | AC | Corn Exchange | Maidstone |
Thursday | 17 June | AC | Corn Exchange | Newbury |
Saturday | 19 June | AC | Marine Theatre | Lyme Regis |
Thursday | 24 June | USB | Milestones | Rochester NY |
Friday | 25 June | USB | The Winchester | Cleveland OH |
Saturday | 26 June | USB | Towne Crier | NY |
Sunday | 27 June | USB | Stephen Talkhouse | NJ |
Thursday | 1 July | USB | Empire Theatre | Belleville ON |
Friday | 2 July | USB | Hugh's Room | Toronto ON |
Saturday | 3 July | USB | Hugh's Room | Toronto ON |
Sunday | 4 July | USB | Hugh's Room | Toronto ON |
Tuesday | 6 July | USB | Krogh's | Sparta, NJ |
Wednesday | 7 July | USB | The Strand | Lakewood NJ |
Thursday | 8 July | USB | Birchmere Tavern | Alexandria VA |
Friday | 9 July | USB | Joe's Pub and Theatre | New York NY |
Saturday | 10 July | USB | Sellersville Theatre | Sellersville PA |
Sunday | 11 July | USB | NEARfest - SOLD OUT | Bethlehem PA |
Friday | 17 July | UKB | The Roadmender, Northampton (WAS Cripps Hall Theatre) | Northampton |
Tuesday | 20 July | UKB | Danesfield School | Minehead |
Wednesday | 21 July | UKB | Huntingdon Hall | Worcester |
Thursday | 22 July | UKB | The Underworld | Camden Town |
Friday | 23 July | UKB | WAS Cripps Hall Theatre | Northampton |
Saturday | 24 July | AC | Folk Festival | Trowbridge |
Sunday | 25 July | UKB | Folk Festival | Trowbridge |
Monday | 26 July | UKB | End of Tour Party Gig | National Physical Laboratory Clubhouse Teddington > |
ITALIAN GIGS CANCELLED
Wednesday | 4 August | AC | Natural Sound | Kitchener, ON |
Thursday | 5 August | AC | to be confirmed | |
Fri-Sun | 6 -8 August | AC | Folk Festival | Edmonton, Canada |
Friday | 13 August | AC | Festival | Knaresborough, UK |
Friday | 3 September | AC | Cambrian Arts | Tregaron |
Saturday | 4 September | AC | Festival | Dunstable |
Thursday | 9 September | AC | David Hall Arts Centre | South Petherton |
Saturday | 11 September | AC | Maritime Festival | Deal |
Sunday | 12 September | AC | Quay Arts Centre | Sudbury |
Thursday | 16 September | AC | Forum | Tunbridge Wells |
Friday | 17 September | AC | Riga Music Bar | Southend-on-Sea |
Thursday | 23 September | AC | Ashcroft Arts Centre | Fareham |
Saturday | 25 September | AC | Central Studios | Basingstoke |
Friday | 1 October | AC | Neighbourhood Theater | Charlotte NC |
Thursday | 7 October | AC | The Strand | Lakewood NJ |
Friday | 8 October | AC | Bodles Opera House | Chester NY |
Saturday | 9 October | AC | Towne Crier | Pawling NY |
Sunday | 10 October | AC | Tin Angel | Philadelphia PA |
Monday | 11 October | AC | ||
Friday | 13 October | AC | The Ark | Ann Arbor MI |
Friday | 15 October | AC | Outpost in the Burbs | Montclair NJ |
Saturday | 16 October | AC | Stephen Talkhouse | Amagansett NY |
Thursday | 21 October | AC | TBA | Colorado |
Friday | 22 October | AC | TBA | Colorado |
Saturday | 23 October | AC | TBA | Colorado |
Sunday | 24 October | AC | TBA | Colorado |
Wednesday | 27 October | AC | TBA | California |
Thursday | 28 October | AC | TBA | California |
Friday | 29 October | AC | TBA | California |
Saturday | 30 October | AC | TBA | California |
Sad news in of the recent death of Johnny Joyce, who played in the Velvet Opera alongside Hud and John and Paul Brett. Dave Cousins commented that he was a "dear friend of me, Brian and all of us".
The funeral is at Mortlake Crematorium on Thursday 19th Feb at 10.30am.
First announcement of some tour dates for the electric line-up playing in Canada and North America in late June/early July, inmcluding a headslining slot at the prestigious Nearfest progressive rock festival. Further dates are in negotiation and will be announced in due course.
LINE-UP DETAILS NOT YET AVAILABLE.
24 JUN Rochester NY - Milestones www.milestonesmusicroom.com
1 JUL - Canada
2 JUL - Canada
3 JUL - Canada
4 JUL - Canada
8 JUL - Alexandria VA - Birchmere www.birchmere.com
9 JUL - New York NY - Joe's Pub and Public Theater http://www.joespub.com/
11 JUL - Bethlehem PA - NEARFEST at Zoellner Performing Arts (Leheigh University) www.nearfest.com
An electric line-up will be playing in the UK as well - appearances already announced for the Trowbridge Pump Folk Festival - 24/25 July, which will feature both electric and acoustic line-ups. More details as they are available. See the Festival site for details.
Further Acoustic dates are being booked in for the Autumn - some dates further afield are likely on this occasion including the West Coast (NB, Pat Garrett who books the band in the US lives in Arizona and is keen to see them at last!) Further details as these are confirmed.
01 OCT - Charlotte NC - Neighborhood Theater
15 OCT - Montclair NJ - Outpost in the Burbs
BOTTOM LINE CLOSES, JAN 22Having failed to strike a deal with landlords NYU, the Bottom Line closed down on January 22nd, just three weeks prior to its thirtieth birthday - the venue opened on February 12, 1974. For news story see Rolling Stone article.
John Ford is to be inducted into the Long Island Music Hall Of Fame, a new organisation, which is launching at a Press Conference on 16 Jan. John has been invited to attend with other Long Island music greats or their reps to introduce the LIMHF to the public. A benefit special show will be later that evening at 8PM at the Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts, Main St. Patchogue, NY featuring Dee Snider and other members of Twisted Sister, along with performance by blues artists Kerry Kearny, Sam Taylor, Lex Grey and Lisa Smith.
For a preview and track details of Dave Lambert's new solo CD "Work In Progress" see the New Releases Page.
There are several sets of seats (stageside and general admission) for John Ford's concert with Dave Mason of Traffic going on Ebay at present:
Bidding for TWO (2) $60.00 VIP TABLE SEATING (by stage)tickets for DAVE MASON (Traffic, Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton) and JOHN FORD (The Strawbs, The Monks, Velvet Opera). These two legendary, gold and platinum record greats willl be appearing Thursday Jan 8, 2004 8:30PM at the Downtown, 190 Main St., Farmingdale, LI, NY (doors open at 6:30PM). Casual Dining. Long Island Premiere Music Venue conveniently located across from LIRR Station or LIE Exit 49 South.
Search for "Strawbs" on Ebay.
DAVE COUSINS - PROGRESSIVE SOUNDSCAPES INTERVIEWJohn Garaguso of Progressive Soundscapes tells me that their Dave Cousins interview is now up and posted to their interview archives and can be either downloaded and saved or immediately streamed for listening. Click on their logo (left) to check it out.
KEYBOARD WIZARD ONLINE John Hawken has launched a new website www.johnhawken.com. Check it out - it's smart, he's had quite a bit of stuff uploaded in the last few days.
Dave Cousins told me that with any luck Dave Lambert's new solo CD, released on Witchwood, should be available during the course of the Jan/Feb tour.
Click on the picture to see larger size.
Check out http://www.wcpn.org/an/levenson/1212strawbs.html which has a Christmas greeting written and read by Dave as well as the downloadable broadcast of the WCPN show as well as a bonus recording of "Hanging In The Gallery" which wasn't aired as part of the show.
Doug Dickson, who is producer and host of Toss The Feathers, a public radio program on WCBE, writes to let me know that the Acoustic Strawbs appear on "A Toss The Feathers Christmas 2003", distributed nationally by Public Radio International in the USA. Check your local public radio station. The Strawbs segment features a live-in-studio performance of "Benedictus", a reading of the Thomas Campion poem "Winter Nights" by Dave Cousins, and "The King" from Blue Angel.
I'm told that the show will be streamed on the web on Christmas Day at 9.00 EST (though there's no sign of it on their Christmas Day schedule) - a show called Ante Meridiem is posted instead. However Toss The Feathers goes out at 3.00pm ESTon Sat 27th December and you can listen to that too on the web
Unfortunately I failed to include information on the site or in the mailout about a Dave Cousins interview being aired by http://www.progressivesoundscapes.com on Sunday 21 Dec at 2 PM EST. The interview was followed by a 3 hour retrospective special into the music of The Strawbs, celebrating their headlining appointment at Nearfest next June. Dave's interview will be archived into their interview links page so those fans who may have missed the premiere can download it another time at their convenience.
Apologies to John Garaguso at progressivesoundscapes for not getting news out on this beforehand. I'll post further details when this is available.
Somewhere Between Sunrise & Sunset on 88.3FM, WBWC in Cleveland, Ohio, Tuesday nights starting at 10:05PM - 1:00AM (EST), will feature on Tues 16 Dec an interview conducted with Dave Cousins the night before about their recent tour stop in Cleveland.
To listen to the live webcast, go to http://www.geocities.com/sunrisesunsetwbwc/listen/listen.html.
Acoustic Strawbs hold a post-Christmas party on Wed 14 Jan 2004 as they gear up for their next tour in the UK in Jan/Feb, which starts the next day. Cricket Pavilion (next door to the Clubhouse - clearly marked on the map) Directions: help page on the NPL site Tickets only £5, available from: Tony Grimmer on 020 8943 6314/07745 7880011
Deep Cuts, Burning For You and Old School Songs are all being re-issued by Japanese label Vivid and are probably already available (certainly 1 copy of Deep Cuts has already made it onto e-Bay). I'm trying to find out how to obtain these CDs. They're listed on the Vivid Sound website at: Each will feature bonus tracks as follows:
John Hawken joined Cousins Lambert and Willoughby on stage for a rousing encore - "We'll Meet Again Sometime" at the NJ Proghouse gig on 30 November at the Franklin Schoolhouse, the first time the two Daves have played with John since he left in 1975. For photos and comments - see Reviews Just announced at News www.rgmbooking.com (to be confirmed) - 6-piece electric line-up bookedfor Nearfest festival in US.
SUN 11 JULY 2004 Bethlehem PA NEARFEST at Zoellner Performing Arts (Lehigh University) A bootleg CD of Strawbs in Tokyo of dubious quality is being sold on the internet at an advertised cost of £10.20 plus postage and packing plus VAT total cost of £13.49. Please support the Strawbs and do not buy this item instead of the officially released DVD. Rick Sarlo passed this on - it was posted on the NJ proghouse web site 22 July. Acoustic Strawbs are booked to play at the NJ Proghouse on 30 November 2003. Just announced at www.rgmbooking.com Strawbs back by popular demand for some moire shows in the US in November and December 2003. 15 SA Pawling NY Towne Crier 05 FR Saratoga Springs NY Cafe Lena TBC Obviously likely that further dates will be slotted in between these - DON'T E-MAIL - I don't know any more than this yet - further news as I get it. Five more dates addedto the June and August/September tour schedule in the UK, including a free event at the War Memorial Park in Coventry. The newly added dates are: SUN 8/6/03 WAR MEMORIAL PARK, COVENTRY FREE EVENT
FRI 13/6/03 ROCKINGHAM ARMS, WENTWORTH 01709 585977 4/6 Canso, Nova Scotia, Stan Rogers Folk Festival http://www.stanfest.com/ 29 JUNE - RED LION, ISLEWORTH High Society are back at The Red Lion, Brinkfield Road, Isleworth on Sunday 29th June. If it works as before, entrance is FREE - you only pay for drinks and for food if you want any. Doors open 7.00pm, show starts around 8.00 - you can phone ahead and reserve a table (if you're eating) on 0208 560 1457 Click here for a map. 5 JULY - THE BULL, BARNET Also, they're playing at The Bull, 68 High Street, Barnet. EN5 5SJ Box Office: 020 8449 0048
on Saturday 5th July, billed as "An Evening With High Society" - tickets are £10 (£8 concs) and the price includes "a free glass of wine to get you into the spirit of the evening" Doors 7pm - Performance 8pm - For venue details see their website at www.thebull.org.uk (but their listings only go up to May at the moment). Click here for a map. Delighted to announce that, between the first and second show at the Tin Angel, Dave Lambert's slide was returned to him with apologies by the person who took it. No doubt it took some guts to do that, so well done from all of us. A true Strawbs fan after all. Dave Lambert is delighted to have it back, no harm done. From: Dave Lambert Click on the thumbnail to see the full size image. Contents Live in Tokyo: Dave Cousins, Dave Lambert, John Hawken, Chas Cronk, Rod Coombes Grave New World: Dave Cousins, Tony Hooper, Blue Weaver, John Ford, Richard Hudson. Bonus tracks: "Til the sun comes shining through" (from a 1970 Granada TV show - this is Rick Wakeman's television debut with the Strawbs, with Dave, Tony and Lindsay Cooper before Hud and John Ford joined the band. News interview from 1974 with Dave Cousins talking about the single Grace Darling. The band then set sail on an RNLI lifeboat to visit the Longstone Lighthouse, home of Grace Darling. "The Young Pretender" from the Wakeman and Cousins album filmed in Rick's studio in Wembley in May 2002 with Dave, Rick and Ric Sanders. For more details including full track listings see the Tokyo DVD page
Another webcast, this time on a pay radio channel - to activate your XMRadio channel online ($9.99), go to http://www.xmradio.com/activation/activation.html or you can do it by phone at $14.99. Awaiting timing details. Adrian the Rock mailed Witchwood with details of his new improved website at a new address, http://www.roscalen.com. (His old webspace is still there with each page on it automatically redirecting your browser to the corresponding page on the new site. There are now "index pages" for bands such as the Strawbs whose entries on his Bands page had grown overly large - check out http://www.roscalen.com/strawbs Adrian has photos from: Chiswick Festival 29 Aug 98 - http://www.roscalen.com/strawbs/Chiswick980829/
Banbury 28/05/99 - http://www.roscalen.com/strawbs/Banbury990528/
Exeter 20/04/01 - http://www.roscalen.com/strawbs/Exeter010420/
Derby 08/02/02 - http://www.roscalen.com/strawbs/Derby020208/
The recent photo page of Brian and Cathryn at Solihull has *not* moved:
http://www.roscalen.com/WilloughbyCraig/Solihull030307/ Witchwood Media has an agreement with a distributor - Morada Music, which covers the present Witchwood catalogue. Dave and Witchwood Media are looking to licence in more titles from the back catalogue from various sources, so that they can be included in that distributorship. Dave's in discussion with Universal (for the first 2 and Nomadness) and Witchwood is also looking to re-issue other old Strawbs albums. Hopefully in all cases with bonus tracks - Dave is busily going through old tapes looking for forgotten gems. Dave Lambert is apparently in the process of recording some solo material for release on Witchwood also. For those of you who can't get to see the Acoustic Strawbs on their current visit to Canada and the US, you can still get to see them via a webcast being organised by Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour in Lexington KT on 19 May at 6.45PM US time. Seats for the show are $5 and the public can call for reservations on (829) 252 8888. As at present advised, despite the outbreak of SARS in Toronto, the Acoustic Strawbs expect to be playing in both Toronto and London Ontario. They are very keen indeed that folks should not be disappointed and are revising their travel and accomodation plans, possibly staying outside of Toronto to minimise any risks. It is possible that the interaction with the audience after the show might be much more limited than would normally be the case - if that means fans don't get to meet them this time round, they will be back later in the year when normal meet and greet can be resumed. The key fear was that some quarantine regulation might be imposed by the US, stopping them returning to the US for the first part of the US leg, which currently doesn't seem too likely. Click here for reviews of the Canada/US tour.
News just in that the two planned DVDs are likely to be issued as a single DVD. No release date as yet. Various extras are planned for the package - : Sue Holton tells me: Brian and Cathryn's latest, very moving song Rumours of Rain, which is about living under the threat of bombing, and a wish for peace. We saw them play this at Hitchin last night where they shared the billing with Noel Murphy. The evening was rounded off by the three of them, completley unrehearsed playing Where Have All the Flowers Gone, to such emotional response that even Noel ( all 6ft 5 inches of him ) was in tears, and most of the audience left with a lump in their throat. Stunning stuff. Brian was saying that they have recorded Rumours of Rain under the guise of "Folk for Peace" consisting of themselves and many of their friends from the folk music scene including Ralph McTell, Ric Sanders, Rick Kemp, Derek Brimstone, Steve Tilston and numerous other people from Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention and the like ( sorry to all the others I've forgotten ) It is still in the recording / production stage at the moment, so I don't know when it will be available, but it is a beautiful song and I wish them every success. ACOUSTIC STRAWBS POST-CHRISTMAS PARTY - WED 14 JAN -
NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY, TEDDINGTON
Tickets are only £5 !! The show will start at 8.00pm with a preview of the Toronto Live DVD, (which will be out later in the year), and then the live show at 8.30pm - 2 sets of 45 minutes each. There will be a late bar, with various real ales at low prices. Bar opens 5.30pm, with a happy hour running to 7.30pm.
National Physical Laboratory
Teddington
Middlesex
TW11 0LW STRAWBS JAPANESE RE-ISSUES - SOME WITH BONUS TRACKS
http://www3.loops.jp/~vividsound/shop/nichepop/index.html
They also appears to be re-issuing Two Weeks Last Summer, but no bonus track on this one (as far as I know).
- a Dave Lambert that was recorded during the Deep Cuts sessions. Very good indeed.
- the missing tracks from The Bridge not included in Blue Angel.
- no further info on this one.
3 Dec 2003
HAWKEN PLAYS WITH ACOUSTIC STRAWBS
25 Aug 2003
ELECTRIC STRAWBS SET TO RETURN
29 July 2003
BOOTLEG ALERT
23 July 2003
NJ PROGHOUSE FIRE - LATEST NEWS
Well I imagine that a good many of you have heard the news today. For those of you who have not heard I am posting now to let you all know of a devistating 24 hours.
The home of the njproghouse, The Metlar Bodine House Museum, sustained horrible damage in a fire late last night. The fire was fierce and fast BUT it did not reduce the museum to ashes. Many thanks go out to the many fire departments and fighters who saved the museum from an awful and complete demise.
The early news stated that the museum had been destroyed and reduced to nothing. Well it was bad but it seems that 2/3 of the museum will survive. We wont know for sure but after spending 10 hours there today and seeing and hearing from the experts it looks very hopeful. That said it does not look like there will be anything happening at the museum for months and perhaps more than a year. (My assumptions and intuition here)
Worry not as the shows will go on. We will be locating suitable locations for our already scheduled shows and for the post fire / pre return to Metlar Bodine future as well. I will let you all know as these venues are secured. I expect to have that info for you by this time next week.
Once we are back in business at the Museum you can rest
assured that we will return the bulk of the show back to THE NJPROGHOUSE.
Please know that I am so very grateful for all your kind words of support .
Peace- Jim
11 June 2003
US DATES - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2003
NOVEMBER 2003
16 SU Pawling NY Towne Crier
21 FR Baltimore MD The Cellar Stage
22 SA Philadelphia PA Tin Angel ( Two shows )
23 SU Philadelphia PA Tin Angel ( One show )
28 FR Amagansett NY Stephen Talkhouse
29 SA New York NY Bottom Line ( Two shows)
30 SU Piscataway NJ Proghouse "An Evening with the Strawbs" at The Metler Bodine House MuseumDECEMBER 2003
17 May 2003
UK TOURS SUMMER AND AUTUMN 2003 - MORE DATES ADDED
SUN 3/8/03 THE TESTBOURNE CENTRE, WHITCHURCH, HANTS. 01256 895758
SUN 7/9/03 UNION TAVERN, LONDON 020 7281 0848
FRI 12/9/03 TRINITY ARTS, GAINSBOROUGH 01427 810298JULY 2003 CANADIAN GIGS ANNOUNCED
7 Charlottetown, PEI, Myron's Cabaret http://www.myrons.com/
9/10 Quebec City, Festival d'Ete http://www.infofestival.com/
11 Wakefield, Quebec, The Black Sheep (across the river from Ottawa) http://www.theblacksheepinn.com/
12 Toronto Canada Hugh's Room www.hughsroom.com HIGH SOCIETY - MORE GIGS
The Red Lion
92-94 Linkfield Road
Isleworth
TW7 6QJ
11 May 2003
BOTTLENECK BACK WITH DAVE LAMBERT
6 May 2003
DAVE LAMBERT'S BOTTLENECK
To: Dick Greener
Mon, 5 May 2003
Hi Dick, everything going brilliantly here. Last night at the Tin Angel, Philadelphia after the second show, my bottleneck was taken from the stage. It is of great sentimental value, Mungo Jerry bought it for me for my 21st. I've used it, and only it, on all recordings since then. Could you put out an urgent appeal for it's return? We're at the same venue next Saturday 10, and if the person would return it, maybe to Neil (Strawbs Tour Manager), I'll gladly exchange it for the one I'm using as a replacement. I sort of understand these things, the fans are so intense they want to take a piece of you home. The problem with the slide is, it's very personal.
Regards Dave L.
I hope the person who has it reads this and, being a true Strawbs fan, does the decent thing and returns it.
1 May 2003
TOKYO '75/GNW MOVIE RELEASE DATE - 10 JUNE
This DVD will be released on June 10, price £16.99. Customers ordering direct through Witchwood Records (www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk) before June 10 will be charged only £15.99 plus the normal delivery charges (see the site for ordering details.)
27 Mar 2003
WEBCAST 5 MAY
ADRIAN THE ROCK's REVAMPED WEBSITE
27 Mar 2003
WITCHWOOD MEDIA - FUTURE RELEASE PLANS
25 Mar 2003
ACOUSTIC STRAWBS WEBCAST - 19 MAY
Or you can watch live on the net if your internet connection's up to it. The webcast is free and all you need to do is go to:
www.woodsongs.com, click on the webcast and follow instructions. It's recommended that you visit the site early to make sure you have the proper player programme installed - this is also provided free.
22 Mar 2003
STOP PRESS - CANADA/SARS TOURS UPDATE - 22 APR 03 - THE SHOW WILL GO ON
20 Mar 2003
TOKYO/GRAVE NEW WORLD DVDS COMBINED
NEW BRIAN/CATHRYN SONG RECORDED
20 Mar 2003
Dave Lambert is planning to do a few solo shows, mainly when Brian and Cathryn Craig are on the road so as not to conflict with any Strawbs commitments.
Contracts have just been signed for the first show at The Forum, Fonthill Centre, The Common, Tunbridge Wells Kent. TN4 8YU on 1 July 03.
Dave will be playing a cross-section of material from his entire career, including his time with Strawbs and Fire etc. in an acoustic setting.
Both these CDs are available now, priced at £13.99 plus p&p.
For a preview of Blue Angel click here.
Acoustic Strawbs are playing a warm up gig for the Can/US tour at the White Bear in Hounslow on Tues 15 April - the only gig until the re-arranged dates in June.
Guests are:
* Marian Segal of the group Jade
* Travis T Merle, an alternative country music singer, who the guys met at the Edinburgh Festival in 2001.
Tickets from the White Bear, Kingsley Road, Hounslow - tel: 020 8569 5305. Starts at 8pm. Nearest tube is Hounslow East (Piccadilly line).
Click on the picture to see the poster and click here for a map.
poster image removed
High Society (Hud, Terry, Nigel Portman Smith and Simon Bishop) are playing again at the Red Lion in Isleworth - this time a Mothers' Day special concert on Sunday 30 March. The Red Lion is at: The Red Lion, 92-94 Linkfield Road, Isleworth, TW7 6QJ. Tel 0208 560 1457. As before the gig is free to stand and watch - or you can book a table (a very limited number) and enjoy a meal for a tenner. Contact the venue for details.
Click here for a map.
Also advance warning of a future gig on 5 July in Barnet, north London. Details to follow.
The Dave Cousins and Brian Willoughby album The Bridge has long been unavailable, and highly sought after by Strawbs collectors. Blue Angel , expected April 2003, will see most of the Bridge tracks re-issued in extensively remixed and enhanced form, along with some interesting surprises.
The main attraction is, at last, a band version of Cousins' epic "Blue Angel". In addition there is a new version of "Lay Down" guest-starring Mary Hopkin, a band version of "There Will Come The Day" with both Mary AND Cathryn Craig, as well as Chas Cronk, Terry Cassidy and Hud on backing vocals, a duo version of "Sealed With A Traitor's Kiss" with Dave on piano, Brian on guitar and a remixed version of "The King" with Maddy Prior.
Dave Lambert and Rod Coombes add their talents to "Heat Of The Street" (now retitled "Rhythm Of The Night") - and "Oh So Sleepy" (first recorded for the Deep Cuts album) - these are therefore the first Strawbs studio tracks (a) to feature both Willoughby and Lambert on guitars and (b) to reunite the Hero and Heroine band apart from John Hawken.
Missing in action from the Bridge, however, is the excellent "You Never Needed Water" (a shame)and the Cousins/Hooper anthem to Alex Campbell "Song For Alex". Ah well, you can't have everything.
For full track listing and details see the Blue Angel album page. The dog by the way is Dave and Geraldine's dog, who died last year.
Distinct possibility that Two Weeks will be released on CD in the near future. May only be a limited edition. Further news to come.
Lonnie died on Sunday 3 November, whilst on tour - a real old stager. He had had heart trouble, and he apparently felt unwell after performing in Nottingham. He died in Peterborough at a friend's house. He was a major influence on many musicians, many of whom might not have got started but for his pioneering development of skiffle.
Photo from http://www.scorpio42.freeserve.co.uk/
Dave Cousins writes:
I am deeply saddened by the death of Lonnie Donegan. As you are aware he was my greatest influence. Tony Hooper and I went to see him in Chiswick Empire. We modelled our singing on his. We became the Gin Bottle Four, for about a week, and came second in a skiffle contest singing St James Infirmary Blues. Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie - these led me onto Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf. Eventually we found Jack Elliott and learned to pick guitars. Without Lonnie none of this would have been possible.
The songs he sung were my inspiration - I will never forget the day when he invited me into his home and showed me the tapes that he had collected that formed the basis of his catalogue. He actually came to the White Bear and played with us - if ony I had had a tape machine!!! He recorded one of my songs - not well known, but true - How I was made up.
After seeing him in Middlesbrough in his cabaret period, I bumped into him at the Nashville Rooms in Hammersmith. After being a pain-in -the arse member of the audience, requesting the old songs, he invited me on stage. Nothing has ever surpassed that thrill - his high trill and me harmonising.
Recently, Rick invited me to join him onstage for a song at a charity event in Surrey. I was absolutely flattered that Lonnie remembered me, and allowed me to play his King of Skiffle Martin guitar backstage. It is the best guitar I have ever played. That night his onstage perfomance was as exhilerating as ever, if not as good as I have ever seen him. I had arranged to send him some songs, but it is never to be.
Lonnie Donegan was as important to British rock music as the Beatles and the Stones, who would never have been otherwise without him. I am proud to have known him, to know that he knew me, and that he understood what his music meant to me. God bless him!
And John Ford adds:
I was just reading the sad news about Lonnie Donegan's death. No one was or still is a greater fan of Lonnie Donegan than I am. I just ran into my studio and played his last album with Van Morrison. I thought he was singing as good as ever.
When Dave and Brian told me about the times they had played with him, Hud as well, I thought how much I would have loved to have told him how much of an influence he had on my acoustic playing when I was a kid. In fact Part of the Union is very Donegan in the chorus. I remember grilling Brian and Hud on more than one occasion on what he was like to work with.
I just regret that I never saw him perform live. I can never get tired of hearing "Lost John" or "Bring a Little Water Sylvie" which sounded like there were about a dozen acoustics in the band topped with his amazing voice.
And Brian Willoughby has the last word:
I was six when I first became aware of "skiffle". My elder cousins Billy and Ross played tea-chest bass and guitar and their version of Lonnie Donnegan's "It Takes A Worried Man" inspired my love of music. It was the first song I learnt on the guitar, eight years later. I have always hailed Lonnie as a major influence and it was a great thrill to meet him, when I toured Australia with Mary Hopkin, in 1972. We met again in The Half Moon in Putney, when his band included two close friends of mine, the drummer Chris Hunt and the now sadly deceased bass player, Ian Sorbie.
Hud, Chris Parren, Rod Demick and I formed the band "Turkey Leg Johnson" in the 80s and we played the London Rock Club circuit. One of our regular haunts was The Jolly Gardeners, in Mortlake, not far from Lonnie Donnegan's Brentford Dock home. Lonnie came to see us and one of the highlights of my career was having him "sit in" with us, playing songs like "Cumberland Gap" and my all-time favourite, "Worried Man".
Lonnie took my number that night, asking if I would be interested in joining his band! He called me the next day and left a message. I kept the message from my answer-machine and still have it in my collection. Unfortunately, I was unable to take him up on his offer, but it remains the greatest compliment I have received.
I am sad at the news of his death, but he had fought ill-health all his life. His influence on me and fellow musicians is immeasurable.
I have just heard that Dave Cousins has had a serious fall whilst staying in France. He has fractured his pelvis and broken his leg. He will be in traction for 10 days and then on flat on his back for a minimum of 3 weeks.
It is almost certain that the first three gigs of the Jan/Feb UK tour (10, 11, 12 Jan) will be cancelled. There was to have been a warm-up gig at the Swan in Isleworth also, and that will also go. Obviously that decision will not be taken lightly, but I know without asking that all the fans, despite their disappointment at not seeing the boys as expected, would not wish Dave to take any risks which might endanger his full recovery.
I will be speaking to Geraldine in due course and when I do I'll post news, but I've already passed on the best wishes of all Witchwood members, StrawbsWebNews recipients and Strawbs fans everywhere.
Yet another compilation, due for release 9 Sept 2002, this time in Universal's widely-respected Introduction to ... series. Price details to follow.
A fairly intelligent selection of tracks, trying to cover each of the A&M albums and no more - the crossover tracks with Collection are asterisked. Cousins tracks only (apart from Hud and John's contribution to the title track), mark you, missing out "Part Of The Union", which might be seen as a bit odd for this sort of compilation. It'll be a nice start though with "New World", for me the archetypal "defining" Strawbs track, and it features a number of the epic longer Strawbs numbers - "Where Is This Dream" (presumably the Wakeman rock version) and "Ghosts" - which perhaps give a better flavour than the shorter songs of Strawbs' classic period. Nice also to see "So Shall Our Love Die", till now one of the unreleased tracks from Nomadness - only three to go chaps and then we'll have the set, one way or another ......
But, did we need another sampler, coinciding exactly with the release date of Wakeman & Cousins: Hummingbird ? Probably not ....
New World (Cousins)
I Turned My Face Into The Wind (Cousins)*
Oh, How She Changed (Cousins)*
Witchwood (Cousins)*
Where Is This Dream Of Our Youth? (Cousins)
Grace Darling (Cousins)*
Queen Of Dreams (Cousins)
Round And Round (Cousins)
So Shall Our Love Die? (Cousins)
Lay Down (single version) (Cousins)
Down By The Sea (Cousins)
Ghosts (Cousins)
Hero And Heroine (Cousins)
"Turn! Turn! Turn!: The '60s Folk-Rock Revolution," written by Richie Unterberger, has just been published by Backbeat Books. This 300-page book ($19.95) is the first volume of the first comprehensive history of one of the greatest movements in rock music, drawing on first-hand interviews with more than 100 musicians, producers, managers, and journalists (see full list at the end of this message). An epic history of the entire style as it evolved throughout the 1960s, this first volume follows folk-rock's growth chronologically from the streets of Greenwich Village at the dawn of the decade and the electrification of folk music by the Byrds, Bob Dylan, and others through mid-1966, when the Byrds were taking folk-rock into psychedelia and Bob Dylan dramatically vanished from the public eye following his motorcycle accident. The innovations of the giants and the contributions of lesser-known heroes are thoroughly detailed, as well as the labels, producers, session musicians, managers, and fans that helped made the music happen. The sequel to "Turn! Turn! Turn!," "Eight Miles High," will cover folk-rock from mid-1966 through 1970, and will be published by Backbeat in 2003.
The merging of folk, rock, and the changing social climate led to a musical and cultural revolution that was the most exciting in twentieth century popular music. This is its definitive story, weaving together lively description, critical analysis, and stories from the people who made it happen, including photos and a critical discography.
Richie Unterberger is the author of the acclaimed "Unknown Legends of Rock'n'Roll" (Backbeat Books, 1998) and "Urban Spacemen & Wayfaring Strangers: Overlooked Innovators & Eccentric Visionaries of '60s Rock" (Backbeat Books, 2000), both of which contained in-depth profiles of the most interesting overlooked cult rock artists of all time, in all cases including first-hand interview material with the artists themselves and/or their close associates.
The list of people interviewed for "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and "Eight Miles High" is astonishingly long and detailed and includes our very own Dave Cousins .....
For additional information regarding "Turn! Turn! Turn!: The '60s Folk-Rock Revolution" email Richie at richie@richieunterberger.com. You can also visit his website at www.richieunterberger.com, to view complete transcripts of his interviews with folk-rock and cult rock musicians from the past few years; sample excerpts of chapters from his books; links to other websites of interest to folk-rock, cult rock and '60s rock enthusiasts; and updates on his current and future projects. NB. Not easy to find - check out the Site Map and, as yet the Cousins interview transcript isn't up there.
News just in of a whirlwind mini-tour in Italy coming up starting 7 August. The dates are as follows:
Sorry for the short notice - I only got this information late last week. I don't have any further details, I'm afraid. If any Italian fans can supply them, please let me know.
News just in of the first public gig of the reformed High Society (Hud, Terence Cooke, Simon Bishop and Nigel Portman-Smith) on Sunday 8 Sep 2002 at The Red Lion in Isleworth, West London. For details see the flyer and Red Lion details below. Highly recommended - very different to Strawbs!
GUS DUDGEON KILLED IN CAR CRASHDave Cousins adds:
"How sad! I remember sitting on the floor in Tony Hooper's living room, one storey up
from Gus's apartment, and playing songs to him for our first single. The song that attracted him most was 'Oh How She Changed' and the quality of the production was a major factor in the Strawbs being signed to A&M. We owed him a great deal and I will miss him very much."
Veteran producer Gus Dudgeon and his wife were killed in a car accident on the M4 in Berkshire last night (July 22). His car came off the motorway and went down an embankment.
He began his career in the traditional way - as a tea boy in Olympic Studios - and went on to become an in house engineer for Decca, where he worked on the first of many number 1 hits he has been associated with - the Zombies' "She's Not There".
He produced the Strawbs first album for A&M in 1968/1969, before going on to fame and fortune as the producer of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and also Elton John's producer, a role he took up for Elton's second album "Elton John" and continued for much of the 70s glory days when Elton seemed to be a permanent fixture at the top of the charts. Later on in the 70s and 80s he produced hit singles and albums for Lindisfarne, Chris Rea, Joan Armatrading, Elkie Brooks, XTC and was also responsible for young hopeful Roy Hill's first (and only) solo album. Gus was a guest at 1998's Chiswick Strawbs 30th anniversary concert and mention of his name on stage drew a cheer before the performance of "Oh How She Changed", their first single which he had produced in 1968.
Sir Elton John issued a statement saying he was devastated to hear of Dudgeon's death and would miss him terribly.
News just in from Witchwood Records that this is now delayed to late August 2002.
Another rumour running on the Witchwood Records site is that Cousins, Wakeman and veteran skiffle star Lonnie Donegan may record together! Not as far fetched as it sounds - they recently played on the same charity bill, and Cousins has always cited Donegan as one of his major influences.....
Does your Witchwood lose its flavour on the bedpost overnight ?
Witchwood Discussion Group celebrated its 2nd anniversary on 10 July
Another appearance just announced at Delaney's, Saturday 20 July
Some more dates at East Point Inn in East Rockaway, NY, again a mix of solo performances and shows accompanied by his band - two distinctly different sounds.
New Hummingbird page added for the forthcoming album, now features preview by Tony Attwood of Witchwood Records and probable track listing. Some recognisable Strawbs songs there: "So Shall Our Love Die", "October To May", "Stone Cold Is The Woman's Heart", "Forever Ocean Blue" and it looks like Dave's got his banjo out for the traditional "Higher Germanie", which he used to do as a solo spot in the set back in 1972 rock festivals.
"Alice's Song" by The Acoustic Strawbs, released on June 10, on Witchwood Records, distributed to all record shops by IDL/Universal, price £3.99. We can all start ordering the record later this week, so let them wagons roll!
Sun, surf, sky,... and John Ford. John will be making a series of appearances again this season at the beautiful East Point Inn in East Rockaway, NY. The shows will be a mix of solo performances and shows accompanied by his band - two distinctly different sounds. You'll be able to get copies of his excellent new album.
Cry No More ride again with a 'Midsummer' show at the Turks Head on Fri 21 June.
As usual, - doors 8.30 - midnight - tickets £7.50 - reservations phone 020 8408 3192 - or just turn up on the night.
Chas Cronk has recorded a CD of relaxation music - "Mystic Mountain Music" - it was launched this week at the 'Festival of Mind, Body & Spirit' in London and will appeal to that type of audience.
You can get the CD direct from Chas £10 plus p&p (U.K. £1.50; Europe £2; U.S.A. £2.50)
Contact Chas by e-mail at cronk@blueyonder.co.uk
TIE SALAD DRUMMER DIESBennett Wolf e-mailed me earlier in the year to note that jazz drummer Ronnie Verrell who played on the first Strawbs (Tie Salad) album had died at the age of 76. He also played for Tom Jones and - not manypeople know this - was the actual drummer used on the Muppet TV show for Animal's drum parts.
PHOTO SITELes Cotton has just updated his page of photos at -
http://home.clara.net/norden/strawbs/
Some not published before, some just made neater, and a pic of DL's guitar pedals for completists and guitar anoraks.....
CABBAGE PATCH, TWICKENHAM WEBSITEThe Cabbage Patch, in Twickenham which hosted the very first Acoustic Strawbs gig, also a regular stop-off for Cathryn and Brian, now has it's own website, and very nice too.
Check out www.twickenhamfolkclub.moonfruit.com
Following gigs are cancelled.
TWO NEW GIGS ADDED TO JUNE SCHEDULE - NOTE THESE GIGS WERE CANCELLEDOne you can go to, one you can't!
No tickets are available in advance for the Princetown gig. Doors open about 7.00. Support band. The gig has been organised by long time Strawbs fan and associate Steve Parker. For some info on the pub, see this page.
In case it needs saying, you CAN'T come to the Dartmoor gig unless you're already there ....
Recording of the new Rick Wakeman / Dave Cousins album "Hummingbird" is now complete. Mixing is under way, and release is scheduled for July 2002.. Rick Wakeman talks about Hummingbird, the new album created with Dave Cousins - questions put by Steve Young and reprinted by permission of the Witchwood Records site:
Tell me about Dave Cousins and yourself
RICK: Dave and I have remained friends now for 34 years and have often talked about doing something specific together but both always felt that the right time would present itself to us naturally, and that has proven to be correct with Hummingbird.
How does Hummingbird relate to your earlier work?
RICK: A lot of the music is acoustically orientated and Dave and I have certainly "gone back" in order to collect some styles from the past and have brought them into the 21st century to use in considerably different ways. Certainly I have not been part of another album like this one. It has a multitude of variations in style but somehow all knits together as one collective musical journey It is the combining of two musical minds and the inner musical dreams of Dave and myself.
It is not an attempt to recreate the past nor for that matter is it a band album. A band album is when all the musicians who are involved are part of the music from it's conception right through to it's birth and therefore have an influence throughout the making of the album. This album is music composed by Dave and myself, arranged and produced by Dave and myself and which incorporates some very fine musicians that we both admire, enjoy working with and that we knew could bring exactly the musical colouring we had in mind, to selected tracks. Both Chas Cronk and Tony Fernandez play excellently on a couple of tracks and Ric Sanders brought his unique style to three tracks as only he is able.
But this isn't a Strawbs album. To my mind Strawbs already have an excellent profile which continues to gain new friends all over the world on a daily basis. If this album helps to attract new listeners to Strawbs music and that of mine, Dave's and Yes as well for that matter , then that is a bonus for us all. We are not trying to create an early Strawbs sound and if that is what had been suggested at the outset, then this album would not have been made. It's quite simple really. Dave and I are very close friends who also happen to have a great mutual musical respect for each other. The time felt right for us to do an album together and after just one afternoon around Dave's house running through some ideas, we knew instantly that we could produce something both a bit different and a bit special ...........and not a Strawbs album.
Strawbs has seen many metamorphisms in its long and distinguished life and I'm sure will see many more. Fans will always hold certain periods of Strawbs music more closely to their hearts than others and this is one of the joys of a band that has survived successfully for many years.
Do you have any further plans for working with Dave?
RICK: I am likely to be touring pretty solidly with Yes for at least the next year and a half plus I have commitments with my own band, television and visual and audio recordings. But the chances of Dave and I doing the odd "one-off" here and there are i think, pretty good. We both enjoy playing and I think it will be interesting to see how this collaborative album is received. As far as I'm concerned, this is a rather special album for more than just it's very strong musical reasons.
If there were to be the odd one off concert here and there, and I hope this will be the case in-between both our busy schedules, then as far as my thinking is, it would not be as suggested above. Too obvious and predictable. I have a view on how any such shows could be and I'm sure Dave has too. If we can reach a meeting of minds in the same way that we have done with this new album, then I think any such shows could be a pleasurable musical experience for all concerned.
It's becoming an interesting year for me. The first studio album with my band the English Rock Ensemble since the late seventies, an album with Dave and a return to Yes. Perhaps 2002 is meant to be the year of my spiritual homecoming."
Bjørn Nilsen conducted the following e-mail interview with Rick Wakeman about the project that he and Dave Cousins have been working on:
Bjørn: Hi Rick.
RICK: HI BJØRN
Loved your music for many years and have a few of yours and Yes albums.
THANKS VERY MUCH
But Strawbs is the music that is close to my heart,
NICE BAND
and I wonder if you will do something with them again?
DAVE COUSINS AND I ARE GREAT FRIENDS AND ARE IN FACT CURRENTLY IN THE STUDIO PRODUCING AN ALBUM OF MOSTLY ACOUSTIC SOUNDING MUSIC AND SONGS . IT SHOULD BE RELEASED SOMETIME IN JULY .
But yours and Cousins' style are very different so that might not be easy to do.
IF YOU LISTEN TO ANTIQUES AND CURIOS AND FROM THE WITCHWOOD THEN YOU'LL NOTE THAT OUR STYLES DO MATCH IN THESE AREAS , WHICH IS THE STYLE WE ARE WORKING ON WITH THIS ALBUM .
But that would relly give StrawbS a good push in the light of new fame if you did. Have a nicetime with Yes.
THANKS
==
Dave Cousins commented to me:
I HAVE BEEN RECORDING IN THE STUDIO WITH RICK FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS. RICK HE AND I ARE REALLY ENJOYING WHAT WE ARE DOING. IT SOUNDS WONDERFUL AND IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT TO ACOUSTIC STRAWBS.
THERE'S A LOT OF NEW SONGS, WE'VE BEEN WRITING A LOT IN THE STUDIO. PLAYING WITH RICK IS GREAT, BUT WE DON'T STOP TALKING!
Chas Cronk and Tony Fernandez will be coming in to work on a few tracks and Ric Sanders of Fairport will also make an appearance.
Dave says:
I'VE NEVER HEARD PLAYING LIKE IT. ONE TRACK FEATURES PIANO AND BANJO, BUT IT'S NOTHING LIKE YOU'VE EVER HEARD …
More to follow when I have it.
Dave Cousins has been elected a Fellow of the RSA - The Royal Society of Arts.
CHISWICK DVD DUE MAY 2002There are in fact TWO bonus tracks - "Blue Angel" and "Stormy Down".
The Preview showing at Pinewood is now on 12 June, not 11 June as previously stated.
At long last the Chiswick DVD will be released on 20 May, available from http://www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk. Click on the picture above for a larger more detailed version of this extremely attractive cover design by Rod Green.
The DVD includes a bonus track - "Blue Angel" - which was not included on the CD and two bonus features: "One Summer's Day", Dave Cousins talking about the 30th anniversary concert, and "Tokyo '75", a preview of the next releases from Witchwood, a show recorded for TV during Strawbs' 18975 visit to Japan.
Price: All orders taken before 20 May £17.99, £19.99 thereafter. Post & packing details on the Witchwood Records site.
To encourage people to order the DVD in advance Witchwood Records are offering two things on the web site:
(a) A discount on all orders placed before the release date
(b) An automatic entry for everyone who places an order before the release date into a prize draw - the prize being 2 tickets to the full screen premiere of the showing of the DVD at Pinewood Studios on 11 June at 6.30pm. This is likely to be the only full screen showing of the DVD.
An additional Acoustic Strawbs show has been announced for 5 June at The White Bear, Hounslow to launch the DVD.
Venue: The White Bear
Kingsley Road
Hounslow
Phone: 020 8569 5305
Fax : 020 8737 8654
Doors open at 7.30
Special guest:
Fred Wedlock (The Oldest Swinger in Town)
Tickets are available from the White Bear at £7 and they will hold them for you for collection on the day of the show at no charge.
Tickets also available from Witchwood Records - price £7.00 plus £1.50 admin charge.
The DVD will be available that night.
For full details of tour dates for the rest of 2002, click here.
A brand new CD compilation is due for release 6 May 2002 on Universal's budget label Spectrum (Catalogue Number: 5447062), costing only £6.99. Track listing is:
Part Of The Union (Ford/Hudson)
I'll Carry On Beside You (Cousins)
The Man Who Called Himself Jesus (Cousins)
Oh How She Changed (Cousins/Hooper)
I Turned My Face Into The Wind (Cousins)
Song Of A Sad Little Girl (Cousins)
Witchwood (Cousins)
Benedictus (Cousins)
Heavy Disguise (Ford)
Keep The Devil Outside (Ford)
Shine On Silver Sun (Cousins)
Grace Darling (Cousins)
Lemon Pie (Cousins)
Martin Luther King's Dream (Cousins)
Tokyo Rosie (Cousins)
Will Ye Go (McPeake)
I Only Want My Love To Grow In You (Cousins)
Lay Down (Cousins)
A third and thoroughly enjoyable CD from John now available from John via his website www.johnfordmusic.net. John captures perfectly the mood of post-September 11 United States, the country he has now made his home. Full review to follow.
Anyone who caught Cathryn and Brian on their lengthy jaunt around the country in Feb-April this year will know most of the material on this excellent CD. A full review coming shortly. Meanwhile it can be bought off their joint website at www.brianwilloughby.com
Now confirmed that Rick has rejoined Yes again for their August tour. Dave Cousins is still hoping to get to record some stuff with him nonetheless.
The Acoustic Strawbs will be touring further in the summer, taking in a number of the festivals as well, and then further gigs are planned in the late Autumn. I've had a few e-mails from folk club organisers advising me of dates, but I haven't yet had full details from their agent Chris Jaeger (newly appointed for this current tour, who I have to take my hat off to - he's doing a far better job than the previous agent). As soon as this tour is over, I'll get onto him/the boys and try and get details (though the tour schedules will probably not yet be complete) so at least those of who you wish to travel from overseas can begin to plan your activities. As you can probably tell from the reviews so far, the shows are outstanding and well worth the trip.
They are also likely to be repeating their trip to the Edinburgh Festival, this time for a week, but at a different time slot (11.50 - 1.00am was pretty much past my bedtime even for Edinburgh!). I also understand that a further trip to Italy is on the cards, and other overseas visits have not been ruled out but there are no firm plans as yet. (North American fans - PLEASE DON'T MAIL ME - as SOON as I know I'll tell you, I promise!)
As soon as I have details of further commitments, I'll post them on the site and send a newsletter update to Strawbswebnews/Witchwood.
Ceilidh/dance band Pitchfork (which features Tony Hooper on guitar) now have a website at http://www.pitchforkband.co.uk. If you want to hear what they sound like, go to http://www.pitchfork.fsnet.co.uk/html/free_audio_clips.html for some free MP3 downloads.
Baroque and Roll T-shirts now available from Witchwood Records website at http://www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk .
All white, with "Baroque and Roll" logo, silk screen printed on chest. Limit number only available in XL and XXL sizes.Order:
By phone with credit card - 01536 399 005 (+44 1536 399 005) 9am to 5pm UK time.
By fax with credit card - 01536 399 012 (+44 1536 399 012)
By post with cheque in UK £, US $ or Canadian $ - Witchwood Records, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Rd., Corby, Northants NN17 4HH, United Kingdom.
News from Brian that he and Cathryn have recorded their first duo album, at KD's studio (where Baroque & Roll was recorded). Should be ready for release early in February in time for the duo's next tour.
Cathryn Craig has a new CD out, featuring interpretations of traditional Appalachian folk songs. Cathryn writes:
The Pigg River in Franklin County Virginia is located deep in the heart of what some call Appalachia. When my father left his boyhood home there in 1934 aged 16 years, he took with him the rich musical heritage of the area. My earliest and happiest childhood memories are all in some way weaved around the backdrop of Daddy playing and singing these songs and telling stories.
Somewhere around 1975 I began to record him on tape, but it wasn't until 1996 when I read "The American Songbag" by Carl Sandburg (forward by Garrison Keillor) an anthology of American song history, that I became fully aware that my Daddy was a walking, talking, singing history book... and not a bad story teller!
I'm lucky to have been able to document this slice of the American folk pie not only through my father's memories, and his brother's (my Uncle Wit) recollections, but also with the help of Carl Sandburg's "The American Songbag (forward by Garrison Keillor)" and the Cecil Sharp book "English Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians"
This project began as a gift for my father to thank him for his years of support, love and encouragement , but it became a journey of discovery and joy for me. So now I have yet another blessing in my life to thank Daddy for."
Check it out at www.cathryncraig.com.
A new feature on Witchwood Records website http://www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk/: Dave Cousins discusses the writing of the classic Strawbs track "A Glimpse Of Heaven". The comments by Dave are taken from conversations between him and Tony Attwood who runs the site. By arrangement with Witchwood, they'll also be posted on the Strawsweb site in due course. More to come.
You can check out sample cuts from John's next CD on his website at http://www.johnfordmusic.net. . There's one on it now, and they'll be added at the rate of one a week, so that if all proceeds on schedule, John will have the album finished about the time when they're all up. No final decision as to its name [but hopefully, like the last two, it'll have "High" in the title ;-) - DG].
Check out Michael Cimino's website for lots of photos of the Strawbs at their concert in NY's Bottom Line Club on 6 Dec 1984 http://www.cottageviews.com/strawbs.htm. Michael has also done interviews with Dave Cousins, Dave Lambert and John Ford, which he'll be posting on his site in due course.
Dave Cousins is spending part of this week at Pinewood Studios putting together the DVD video version of the 1998 Chiswick released on CD by Witchwood Records as "The Complete Strawbs". No confirmed release date yet, but it should certainly be available for the acoustic tour early next year.
Bear Relief comprises 261 Teddy Bear Artists, Teddy Bear Shops and Enthusiasts from around the world (including Lynne Madeley, whose husband Peter is a stalwart of the Strawbs Witchwood Discussion Group). They have donated a Teddy Bear or other creature for an Internet Auction, with the sole purpose of trying to raise money for the children whose lives have been devastated by the loss, injury or trauma of family in the recent tragic events in the United States. All money from the sale of the Bears and creatures will go to the National Disaster Relief Fund of the American Red Cross. The Auction is already taking place on the eBay "Auction for America" pages: www.ebay.com and started on November 6th, 2001, for 7 days only. This will be a one-of-a kind event.
You can check out pictures of the bears at: http://www.balfourbears.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/intro2.htm
Meanwhile, the 1990 Central TV/"Bedrock" concerts by the Strawbs (previously released on video as "Greatest Hits Live") and Rick Wakeman are being made available on DVD as part of the Classic Rock Legends series, along with other live shows from that era, including Steeleye Span, Wishbone Ash, Caravan, Hawkwind and Asia.
Their website http://www.classic-rocklegends.com was displaying a cover shot, but it seems to have been taken off.
Their address is:
11 Central Chambers, Cooks Alley,
Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire,
England CV37 6QN
www.cdnow.com were advertising a Region 1 (US only) version at $17.49, with an expected release date on 20 November.
There are reviews of the latest Strawbs releases at: http://www.folking.com/, written by Pete Fyfe, they'll also be posted on StrawbsWeb soon. Thanks Pete.
Dave Cousins has set up a website for Witchwood Records (www.witchwoodrecords.co.uk). You can buy the following Witchwood Records items from there:
Orders can be taken:
In the pipeline at Witchwood Records:
NB. Please DON'T e-mail to ask when etc. - as soon as news is available it'll be on both the Witchwood Records site and StrawbsWeb and will be included in a newsletter.
I recently heard MP3s of some of the tracks planned for John Ford's third CD "Natural High", and I can confirm that they're very good indeed . Check out the John Ford website at http://www.johnfordmusic.net - you can listen to samples (in MP3 format) of the songs and order his first two solo CDs off the net.
Strawbs and Dragonfly currently both available from the Korean office of Si-Wan Records (the Canada office has now shut down). Click on http://www.siwan.co.kr/ .
Hud and Terry Cassidy (John Ford can't make it this time round) head off today to what is likely to be a rather subdued and sidelined Conservative Party conference where they'll perform "Just Say No" and a few High Society numbers for the euro-sceptics. Word is that Rick Wakeman is also attending, so there might be a bit of a reunion.
Stocks of the repressed Baroque & Roll are with Witchwood Records who will now be able to fulfil any outstanding orders.
Confirmation that both these are currently available from Si-Wan in Korea at $20 plus $6 postage. Cheaper than Ebay in most cases.
I spoke to Dave Cousins about the delays in despatch of Baroque & Roll. There has indeed been a glitch: the production company took off the reprise of 'Remembering' at the end of 'You and I'. This was only spotted at Edinburgh. The CD has been remastered and it is being repressed now.
On Saturday 29 September the Classic Rock Society is holding its tenth anniversary concert, staring Rick Wakeman's English Rock Ensemble, who have recently toured South America. Opening the show between 8.00 - 8.20pm are Rick Wakeman and Dave Cousins - the first time they have played on stage together for 15 years.
Doors open at 7pm.. Tickets are available fro Martin Hudson, but hurry up as they are going fast.
Address: Martin Hudson, 47 Brecks Lane, Rotherham, S.Yorks, England S65 3JQ
E-mail: Mhudsonrok@aol.com
CRS website: http://www.birwood.demon.co.uk/crs.htm
Here are the final confirmed dates for the Jan/Feb acoustic tour (start times and booking details to follow):
Tuesday 15 January | Swindon Arts Centre |
Wednesday 16 January | Hampton Hill Theatre |
Thursday 17 January | Darlington Arts Centre |
Friday 18 January | Brampton Folk Club, Cumbria |
Saturday 19 January | The Met, Bury |
Sunday 20 January | Guildhall, Lichfield |
Monday 21 January | New Roscoe, Leeds |
Tuesday 22 January | Pillar Rooms, Cheltenham |
Wednesday 23 January | Clair Hall, Haywards Heath |
Thursday 24 January | The Tower, Winchester |
Friday 25 January | The Mill, Banbury |
Saturday 26 January | OFF |
Sunday 27 January | Theatre Brycheiniog |
Monday 28 January | Music Hall, Shrewsbury |
Tuesday 29 January | Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells |
Wednesday 30 January | Guildhall, Grantham |
Thursday 31 January | The Swan, Leek |
Friday 1 February | St Mary in the Castle, Hastings |
Saturday 2 February | Cheese and Grain, Frome |
Sunday 3 February | The Wharf, Tavistock |
Monday 4 February | The Stables, Wavendon |
Tuesday 5 February | Astor Theatre, Deal |
Wednesday 6 February | Huntingdon Hall, Worcester |
Thursday 7 February | Ring of Bells, Nailsea |
Friday 8 February | Flower Pot, Derby |
Saturday 9 February | Red Lion, Birmingham |
Acoustic Strawbs (Dave Cousins, Dave Lambert and Brian Willoughby) will tour the UK in January/February 2002. A full schedule is being put together and will be available shortly. The full band is likely to tour again in the Autumn. As soon as I have details, I'll post them.
A few more NY gigs for John and his band.
Sat 8 Sep - East Point Inn, 2 Main St. East Rockaway, New York 11518, phone (516) 887-3532
Fri 21 Sep - Delaney's, 828 South Oyster Bay Rd., Hicksville New York, 11801, phone (516) 822 3500
Fri 19 Oct - Delaneys
Fri 16 Nov - Delaneys.
31 Dec - Delaneys: The Delaneys New Year's Eve Gala featuring the John Ford Band (make your reservations early).
Lunchtime gig in Aberdeen cancelled owing to travelling difficulties.
Don't forget too that Brian and Cathryn set off on a country-wide tour from 26 Sept through to mid November. Click here for details.
Three of their dates are Songwriter Clinic events -
Brian told me:
"This weekend is especially geared for the solo/duo singer/songwriter/performer/musician. Whether you want to prepare for a floor spot at your local folk club, put more polish on that song for the family wedding or even if you would like to pursue your performing on to a more professional level, let us share our years of experience to help you reach your goals.
Each person should arrive with a finished (or nearly finished) song, a lyric sheet for that song and an acoustic guitar or some other (reasonable) method of musical accompaniment to share that song with the group. Brian and Cathryn will focus on
- basic song structure ("You Put A Chorus WHERE?")
- lyrics and melodies ("Didn't Paul McCartney Write That Already?")
- arrangement ("Where Does A Bass Solo Belong?")
- accompaniment ("I'll Sing/You Play")
- performance ("Getting Used To Being Scared")
You'll be amazed at how much improvement a little professional advice can add to your creative adventure. It promises to be a fun and helpful weekend with lots of road stories thrown in culminating with a group concert on Saturday night."
Brian and Cathryn have added an extra date in the early part of their tour, at the lovely Georgian Theatre in Richmond. Click here for full details.
More fantastic news! Hot on the heels of the Strawberry Sampler, there'll be a new CD of material from Messrs Cousins Willoughby and Lambert coming out in the next few weeks.
The CD will be available ("God willing" says Cousins) at the White Bear gig and at their concerts in Edinburgh. Entitled "Baroque And Roll", it features a range of the numbers they've been performing as an acoustic trio over the last few months. I was speaking to Dave Cousins about it on Friday and he's obviously delighted with the result.
As well as some of the obvious highlights of their acoustic set - "The River/Down By The Sea", "Tears And Pavan", "On My Way" and "Flower And The Young Man" are all expected to be included - there are a few surprises.
"There Will Come The Day", written as an instrumental piece for a film on human rights for the Council of Europe - visitors to the Parliament in Strasbourg are played the film.
Also, at last, Dave's rarely performed but beautiful song about the Aberfan disaster "Not All The Flowers Grow" has been recorded at last. (That's the song that Dave Lambert came up to ask Dave Cousins about when he heard it performed at the White Bear, so when that gets performed on 16 August, that'll be a particularly historic moment in Strawbs history - as Dave says that gig will be a "special occasion for us as the three of us grew up locally, Dave L and I in Hounslow, within 200 yards of each other, and Brian in Isleworth. In fact Brian and Dave knew one another as budding guitar players when they were 14".)
Another new track on album is Dave's song about Sarajevo entitled "Celebration".
Long-time associate Robert Kirby has been pressed into service to add a string quintet to a few of the songs (including a re-working of "Evergreen" with some new words, according to Dave). Brian Willoughby's "Alice's Song" has also been recorded as well as Dave Lambert's solo number from the 2000 tour "Live Inside Your Hell Tonight".
The CD will be also be availble by mail order, probably from the same address as the Sampler. No price as yet, further details to follow.
Derek Brimstone confirmed as support for this gig.
White Bear tickets are available from Witchwood Records - price £6.00 - cheques payable to "Witchwood Records"
Add 50p for postage and packing for any number of tickets. Ticket will not be posted after 10 August.
Witchwood Records,
PO Box 274,
Teddington,
Middlesex,
TW11 8FX
They will also be available from the White Bear itself from 9 July
198 Kingsley Road
Hounslow
Landlord - Jim Reed
020 8569 5305
Nearest tube: Hounslow East. Also near: Hounslow Bus Garage
For a map click here.Mike Gebhardt has the following news:
John Ford will be appearing on July 28, 2001, 2:30 P.M. at The Music Arcade, 1077 Old Country Rd. Westbury NY 11590. Tel in the US = (516) 338 0788.
John will be doing a short set with a bass player (Vin). Copies of all his solo CD's will be available, as well as available for sale in the store when the whole thing is over. He'll probably be there until about 4 P.M. or so.
Store's website address is: www.cdmusicarcade.com. Flock in your thousands to support JF - if you haven't got his solo CDs yet, they're well worth it.
CDs | UK |
US |
Canada |
The Complete Strawbs (Chiswick '98) WC CD 2001 | £14.00 | $19.00 | $28.00 |
Strawberry Sampler (long lost out-takes from the first A&M album) WC CD 2002 | £12.00 | $16.50 | $24.00 |
Post and packing | UK/Europe | US | Canada |
First CD | £1.00 | $2.50 | $2.00 |
Each additional CD | 50p | $1.25 | $1.00 |
All cheques payable to "Witchwood Records":
Witchwood Records,
PO Box 274,
Teddington,
Middlesex,
TW11 8FX
Please allow 14 days for delivery in UK, 21 days elsewhere
Friday July 6 - The John Ford Band will be appearing at Burke & Malloy's in Port Jefferson on Long Island (sorry for short notice, I haven't any other details).
Saturday July 28 - personal appearance at The Music Arcade CD store in Wesbury NY (Long Island)
See below.
News that a rare old item featuring the Strawberry Hill Boys, backing veteran folkie Steve Benbow, has made it onto CD. Steve was a fixture on the London folk scene back in the 60s and the SHBs often played at his clubs in Croydon and Norbury in South London. He also wrote a folk column for UK music paper, the now sadly defunct Melody Maker. (Earliest connection I've found was back in '64 at a big concert called "Folk At The Fairfield", which featured many familiar faces from that era - Steve Benbow, Alex Campbell, John Pearse, The Folkvendors, Fitzroy Coleman, the Cumberland Three, the Malcolm Price Trio, the STRAWBERRY HILL BOYS, Royd Rivers and Cliff Aungier, Linda Drew, Martin Winsor.)
It's being advertised on CD NOW and you'll find details here (or search for "Benbow"). The album was originally made in 1966 on Monitor Press, but it's been re-issued on vinyl subsequently. There are clips from most of the songs available in Real Audio and Windows Media. It's a pretty standard Irish theme pub singalong, but check out the clip of "Little Beggar Man", for a bit of vintage Cousins banjo. Though Dave's only credited for banjo, and Tony Hooper not at all, Tony told me that both he and Dave played on the album and did some vocal backing. The clip of "I'm A Rambler" certainly seems to have a bit of Cousins' vocals towards the end and there's a strong presence on "O'Reilly's Daughter".
Thanks to Omaha Steve for the info.
The two Daves and Brian will be playing an acoustic set at the charity concert on Friday 6 July in support of the South Bucks Day Hospice. Dave Lambert will also be playing an electric blues set. The venue is The Swan Theatre, High Wycombe, doors 7.30pm. Box Office no. 01494 512000. Kiki Dee's also on the bill. For further details of who's playing click here.
A bumper list of dates coming up for Brian and Cathryn. Click here for the date list.
News just in of a gig at the White Bear in Hounslow, the pub where Dave Cousins and Tony Hooper ran a folk club and Arts Lab back in the 60s, where they met Hud and John in the Velvet Opera, David Bowie mimed etc. etc. The gig will be on 16 August, no details yet of tickets/prices - watch this space.
Please note that the gig at Rattan & Rush in Kirkby Stephen on 17 Aug is SOLD OUT - sorry!!!
Two further gigs announced, on the way to Edinburgh:
Aug 17 - Rattan & Rush, Kirkby Stephen
Aug 18 - Bein Inn, Glenfarg, Perth
Reports had come in of a CD of the Strawberry Sampler, spotted on www.cdeurope.com. The item was then advertised in this month's Record Collector by Key Mail Order.
This, as many of you will know from the lengthier explanation elsewhere on the site, is the 99 copy privately pressed album, which was put together in 1969 as a publishers' demo to help Cousins and Hooper promote their songs to other artists for cover versions. The main interest for fans of early Strawbs is that it contains all the tracks removed from the earliest version of the Strawbs first A&M album when it was rejected by A&M execs (who expected something more acid-folk). There are only 3 versions known still to exist (Dave Cousins has one, Tony Hooper has one and I have one).
Checking first with Dave C, the news is that this is actually legitimate - not a bootleg as had first been feared. It's being brought out by Strawbs' own Witchwood Records sometime next month, and will be available from Witchwood direct. Stocks aren't with the dealers yet, though, owing to problems with the covers. I'll report further when I have more news on release date, price and mail address. (And there's more exciting stuff in the pipeline .... watch this space!)
Track listing is expected to be as follows (assuming it following the vinyl release):
All I Need Is You (Cousins) - A&M album 1st version - different to any version heard to date - Hooper lead vocal Stay Awhile With Me (Cousins) A&M album 1st version - similar backing track to Sandy version, but Cousins lead vocals
Sail Away To The Sea (Cousins) - same as published on Sandy Denny/All Our Own Work
Two Weeks Last Summer (Cousins) - same/similar to Sandy Denny & Strawbs version
Nothing Else Will Do (Cousins) - as All Our Own Work
Who Knows Where The Time Goes (Denny) - as Sandy Denny
I've Been My Own Worst Friend (Cousins) - demo
I Turned My Face Into The Wind (Cousins) - early banjo dominated version of this, which came out very differently on Dragonfly
On Growing Older (Cousins) - demo version
And You Need Me (Cousins) - A&M album 1st version - different vocals
Ah Me, Ah My (Hooper) A&M album 1st version - same/similar to GNW
And You Need Me/Josephine, For Better Or For Worse (Cousins) - A&M album 1st version - instrumental link (there would have been a spoken word intro over this probably) then the breathy nightclub version of Josephine with Herb Alpert tribute brass.
Just The Same In Every Way (Cousins) - either A&M album 1st version or outtake - not dissimilar to version on Preserves, but sounds as though this one is more finished
How Everyone But Sam Was A Hypocrite (Cousins) - A&M album 1st version - UNIQUE version of this song ... set in an East End pub! Breaking glasses, fights everything going on behind.
Young Again (Hooper) akternate version, probably demo - faster version with banjo
Whichever Way The Wind Blows (Cousins) - A&M album 1st version - unreleased melodic ballad, Tony vocals
Sweetling (Hooper) - A&M album 1st version - the closer - big band treatment, with the Ted Heath Orchestra (bar Ted) in attendance. Irving Berlin playout (oh yes!)
For those who enjoyed Hudson and Ford's new ditty about saving the pound and being British, you can now buy it on CD. The single has two versions of the song - the original, recorded here in the UK, and a new rock version, recorded by John over in the States - as well as a bonus track "The GB Jig" also recorded by the boys under an alias, the GBs - see site for further details. Price is £4.50 inc p&p
You can also get the original numbered limited edition, autographed version (1 track only) CDR for the same price. If you want both, they'll rush you £8 for the two.
The "Just Say No" t-shirt - an attractive design - comes at £11. If you want all three items, just pay £18 for the lot.
Merchandise address - click here. NB. Cheques to be payable to Cyberdisk, NOT The Strawbs for any of the above.
Another date is possible before the 31st May. Further info to follow.
The station airing John Ford's TV special is WLIT on channel 71. The date is Mar.22nd at midnight.
The address and 'phone number for the Isleworth show (April 8) is; The Red Lion Linkfield Rd. Isleworth TW7 6QJ. Telephone 0208 560 1457
News from the recent Hudson Ford special gig at the Conservative Party Spring Convention in Harrogate on 3 Mar. Gig went very well, with Michael Ancram, Conservative Party chairman, also playing a couple of Buddy Holly numbers. The boys played Part Of The Union, Nice Legs Shame About The Face, a Beatles number and their newly recorded song Just Say No. Interestign to hear just how many MPs are Strawbs fans .....
Michael Coleman has set up a page which recalls a free Dave and Brian acoustic gig in Ravenscourt Park, back in 1979. He writes:
I thought you might like to share the experience I had back in 79' when I saw Dave Cousins and Brian Willoughby play a free open air concert at london's Ravenscourt Park Summer Theatre. Rather than send a text message [to Witchwood] I have put it in HTML format for you to read. There are also a couple of JPGs and a MP3 track from the event to enhance the experience.
Click here for the page.
For photos from a similar era, check out the range of photos just uploaded from Cliff Port's collection. Click here.
Witchwood gets to the strangest places: Chris Mugridge writes with news of his business venture - an engineering firm called Witchwood Engineering :
Witchwood Engineering Ltd has been formed to provide safety engineering services to projects in the aerospace and railway signalling sectors. What that means, basically, is providing projects with advice and guidance regarding their system design so that safety can be "designed in". We can also provide risk analysis of models, simulations and business processes, identifying areas where risks can be targetted most effectively.
We're based in Devizes, Wiltshire (I say "we", but at present there's only me, however that may change very soon) and we have a very basic website which you can find at www.witchwood-eng.co.uk . (Any volunteers who'd like to have a go at redesigning it would be most welcome!) I wanted to get just plain "witchwood.co.uk" but that's already been taken.
We can be contacted on 01380 721928, or by snailmail at 18 Davies Drive, Cannings Hill, Devizes, Wilts SN10 2RL. I'm not sure that there will be too many takers for what is, after all, a very specialised service, but if any members of the band have need of Witchwood's services, I could offer a very competitive rate.....
I chose "Witchwood" because it's one of my favourite albums (and Burstingattheseams Engineering didn't seem to fit, somehow ....
Simon Carey sent me a tape of a song he'd written and recorded, called 'Never Lay Down' - a story of Dave Cousins and the Strawbs. Well he now has an MP3 page and it features on it. It is the 5th song in the list and there are details about it, a story, lyrics etc.
James Brent (aka lpjim@aol.com) suggests we should all visit Rudy's A&M Corner at http://www.amcorner.com. This is a site for fans of A&M label artists. We need more online Strawbs fans to visit.
Delany's - 16 Mar 01 in Hicksville, 828 South Oyster Bay Road, NY 11801; (516)822-3500.
John's TV appearance, a half hour TV special featuring a short interview and 4 songs from his last CD, will be aired on Thursday 22 Mar. Details of station etc. (in NY area) to follow.
Rick will be performing round the UK from 10 March to 8 April along with renowned operatic tenor Ramon Remedios. Last chance to catch this master of the keyboards .... check out the Rick Wakeman site www.rwcc.com for full listings.
Paul Brett and Johnny Joyce were both member of Elmer Gartry's Velvet Opera along with Hud and John. Paul also played guitar on Dragonfly and on Dave Lambert's Fire album "The Magic Shoemaker; the other original members of Fire, Bob Voice and Dick Dufall, hooked up with Brett after Fire's demise as Paul Brett's Sage and did a couple of albums for Dawn.
Anyway, Paul e-mailed me recently to let me now about a new site and new online label that John and he have started. The label is called Fretdancer and the site is www.fret-dancer.com. Check it out.
Old Grey Whistle Test (for those outside the UK who don't remember it fondly) was THE progressive/rock programme on TV back in the 70s, fronted by mild-mannered "Whispering" Bob Harris. Bob now has a site at:
www.bobharris.org
In September 2001 the BBC will be celebrating OGWT's 30th anniversary with various shows and a 4 hour DVD of clips from the shows. There's one vote already for Strawbs' appearance promoting Hero and Heroine.
As far as I know there were at least 2 more - one which I saw where they appeared on the same show as singer-songwriter Judee Sill (around the time of Bursting at the Seams); and, from some photos I've seen of the band in the characteristic OGWT studio, an earlier show when Tony Hooper was still with the band, probably in early/mid 1972 promoting Grave New World.
I'm told that there don't need to be many votes to get an act into the proposed listing for the shows and DVD; Strawbs fans might want to have a look and make their own suggestions for inclusion. You have to register, but the process isn't too onerous.
Simon Hart is a record dealer, who's very helpful in tracking down hard to find Cds. He's changed his sites AGAIN though (I can;t keep up!): the previously advertised sites www.panfield.demon.co.uk and www.musicalbox.co.uk are no more. His new site is:
www.shart.freewire.co.ukand you can e-mail him on simonhart@btinternet.com
He also has sent me details, for those in the London area, of a retail shop which stocks second hand LP's & CD's:
Record Shop
The Bargain Centre
212 High Road
East Finchley
London. N2 9AY
Phone: 020 8883 0234
Open 7 Days from 11am-6-30pm
Strange piece of news this.
Hud has written a song called "Just Say No" which is all about saying no to the adoption of a European Single Currency and control by faceless bureaucrats in Brussels.
It's been recorded and sent to Conservative Party HQ, who have picked up on it. Accordingly, they've invited Hud and John to sing the song after dinner at the Conservative Party Spring Convention, which is taking place in Harrogate on Saturday 3 March. John flew over to the UK on Wednesday and we all met up last night (1 March).
Conservative Party Chairman, Michael Ancram, met Hud on Wednesday to finalise the details - apparently Ancram is secretly a bit of a whiz on the 12-string guitar and may be joining them on stage to perform the song!!
Copies of the song have been put onto CDR for sale through the party and Hud is hoping that it will be commercially available in due course, with additional specially recorded tracks. Let Dick Greener know if anyone thinks they'd want a copy.
We live in strange and interesting times.
Another 3-hander acoustic gig confirmed for before the Strawbs tour:
They are also planning a short jaunt to Italy as follows:
I don't have any further details of venues etc., but will post them when I do.
Dave, Dave & Brian also intend to play a whole week at the Edinburgh Festival later this year - dates will be announced when further details known.
STOP PRESS - Just heard from Brian that Cathryn is better and that she will be in the UK on Monday 19 February, so the remaining gigs will go as planned, starting in Maidstone on 21 Feb. Click here for full list
Please note the change of date for the Sunderland gig - now 27th not 25th.
Sorry for the short notice - Hogarth Pub, 58 Broad Street, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 8QY, phone - 020 8977 3846
Location - Broad Street is off the main High Street; the Hogarth is the only pub on Broad Street.
Admission - Free. Start - 8.30 to 9.00 pm. Ends - c. 11pm
Car Parking - None at the pub, parking nearby said to be very difficult. Nearest is Tesco's car park, but unknown if this is locked late at night.
Thanks to Dave Callow for the detective work on the venue.
Just heard from Brian that Cathryn is ill and will be unable to make the first few gigs of the tour which is starting soon. ACCORDINGLY THE FIRST FOUR DATES ARE CANCELLED:
Brian and Cathryn take to the road for an impressive list of dates in running from mid-February 2001 to 1 April (getting Brian back in good time to practise his electric guitar "twiddly bits" before the Strawbs tour kicks off in mid-April). For a full list of dates, click here.
Owing to Dave's injury - a badly sprained wrist - this is shaping up to be a one-off trio performance. Dave e-mailed as follows:
"I will go to the Cabbage Patch but may not be able to play. Dave Lambert is coming along and we'll have to see what happens. I am seeing the doctor again on Friday for advice."
Address is: 67, London Road, Twickenham (diagonally to the left out of Twickenham British Rail station). Tel: 020 8892 3874.
Dave Lambert recently played at the Professional Cricketers Association annual awards dinner held at the Albert Hall on 19 Sep 2000. For more details of the event, and some scanned photographs from Dave, click here.
I'm not able to confirm dates yet, but it is very likely that Strawbs will tour again (in the UK only - sorry folks elsewhere!) between mid April and May 2001 (probably between 13 April and 13 May). Start your long-range travel planning now !
Despite having only recently got over a serious illness, John's agent Carolyn Kady is still putting together lots of gigs for John in the NY/Long Island area. The current list below:
Dave and Brian play a gig on 8 Oct 2000 at the Cabbage Patch Folk Club in Twickenham. Address is: 67, London Road, Twickenham (diagonally to the left out of Twickenham British Rail station. Tel: 020 8892 3874.
Strongly recommended that you check that the gig is on before travelling. I'll do so myself and post news here if anything changesYou can now sign up to a Strawbs discussion group and chat to other Strawbs fans. The service was set up initially by Norwich arch-fan Steve Young, and now Adrian the Rock and I have joined as co-moderators (Adrian had done some work a while back towards setting up a parallel service, but owing to me being too busy
Witchwood is starting out with albums as topics for discussion: in alphabetical order according to the following schedule:
All Our Own Work (With Sandy Denny) - 27/8/00
Burning For You - 10/9/00
Bursting At The Seems - 24/9/00
Chiswick - 8/10/00
Concert Classics - 22/10/00
Signing up to Witchwood
Either send an e-mail to
Witchwood-subscribe@egroups.com
or visit http://www.egroups.com/group/Witchwood/
On the site (once you've subscribed) you can view the archive of past messages.
To unsubscribe:
Witchwood-unsubscribe@egroups.com
I'll will definitely keep my e-mail database going for occasional Newsletters when major events are in the offing (though if any of you want to come off that once you're on Witchwood, just let me know, as I'll post the same information to Witchwood as a matter of course). Look forward to seeing you on Witchwood.
Brian Willoughby and Cathryn Craig are back in the UK now after a while spent in the States. They appreared as the guests of Hitchin Folk Club at the Cambridge Folk Festival in late July and also at the Broadstairs Folk Festival. Brian writes:
"Here I am, slaving over a hot phone, trying to organise Feb.-March next year. So far so good, I've got 17 gigs in. Broadstairs was ab.fab.---we had a sell-out concert in the Methodist Church, which was a beautiful venue and we very much enjoyed our "In Conversation" with Tom & Barbara Brown."Meanwhile, a series of dates are scheduled for October and November as follows:
Check out the Willoughby/Craig website for further info and last minute updates: http://www.brianwilloughby.com
Hud recently sat in on drums for a short tour of Germany and Italy by blues-based singer/songwriter Paul Millns. Check out Paul's website http://www.millns.freeserve.co.uk for information about Paul.
John's agent Carolyn Kady has been as busy as anything. John is playing at the following venues (includes previously announced gigs):
UPDATED - SEE ABOVE
Check out the snazzy new search engine for StrawbsWeb, powered by Atomz.com. Click here to see the search page.
Check out Anil Prasad's tastily revamped site www.innerviews.org. which as part of his truly impressive collection features two interviews of interest to Strawbs fans. All the interviews have been re-edited recently and include material hitherto unpublished.
A few gigs coming up for John Ford in the NY/Long Island area.
UPDATED - SEE ABOVE
Anyone wishing to book John for further gigs, contact Carolyn Kady.
Coming soon - an interview with John about his two excellent solo albums "Love Is A Highway" and "Heading For A High", which come with the highest recommendation from me. You can get them from Strawbs Merchandising - check out the Strawbs Merchandise page.
Apologies to any of you who may have been waiting for CDs ordered from Strawbs Merchandising. Alerted by a few complaints about late delivery, Denise, who has been picking up mail and orders from the PO Box regularly, checked at the Post Office to find that they had been sitting on a large batch which had not been properly processed. She now has these orders and they will be processed on Thursday 20 July and in the post by Friday 21 July. Harsh words have been exchanged with the Post Office and we hope that this problem will not recur.
The first album is now available - a number of you have already ordered and received your copies - contact Si-Wan in Korea or in Canada to get your copies. Hurry as they don't "print" many and will probably have to repress soon.
Website: http://www.siwan.co.kr/The Links page should be finished before too much longer, but in the meantime, check out the site, http://www.skellysongs.com, of Brian Willoughby's friend and writing partner Michael Snow, a British writer/producer, based in Nashville. A frequent collaborator with Brian, including on his solo album, "Black & White." Snow's current CD "Here Comes The Skelly" explores his Liverpool/Irish roots: "In our opinion, one of the best albums of original Irish ballads in many a year." Irish Music Magazine, June 2000.
Brian and Cathryn's website is at
http://www.brianwilloughby.com or
http://www.cathryncraig.com, whichever you prefer
and whilst you're on the web you could check out Blue Weaver's site at:
http://www.macblue.demon.co.uk
Dave Lambert will be playing r'n'b at a charity event at The Swan Theatre in High Wycombe on 5 July 2000. Former Strawbs' bassist Rod Demick may also be appearing. Other musicians confirmed include:
The concert is in aid of South Bucks Hospice, a day hospice for the infirm and terminally ill. It offers relief for the carers of the ill and aged by giving them warm and friendly surroundings where they can go in the certain knowledge that they will be cared for by loving and considerate staff, a large number of whom are volunteers. The hospice also provides the only source of Manual Lymph Drainage, a specialised form of relief for those breast cancer patients whose lymphatic system is damaged by surgery. The result is that the body cannot dispose of it's own lymphatic fluid, and the affected limb swells and become painful. The hospice has two members of staff trained in this particular discipline. They are the only two in Buckinghamshire.
Contact Details:
St Mary Street, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP11 2XE
Box Office : 01494 512000
Fax : 01494 538080
Email : enquiries@wycombeswan.co.uk
Owing to family illness, Blue will not be able to play all the dates on the tour - at very short notice indeed, Adam Wakeman has agreed to fill in. He has already played at Beverley, Kings Lynn and Southampton, and whilst Blue is expected back with the tour from Milton Keynes, Adam will be playing on some further dates towards the end of the tour - details to be supplied. I understand it may be the case that BOTH of them will be at the QEH on 8 May. Two guitarists, two keyboards - what next!
Best wishes in the meantime for a speedy recovery to Blue's wife
Dragonfly is now available on CD from Korean re-issue specialist Si-Wan Records. The price is 21 US dollars plus postage on top.Please send your credit card number, expiration date, your address and name by fax or e-mail. We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express.Hope you enjoy the sleeve notes!!!
S+H Rate (Regular Airmail)
For North America $3.00 for one,
$1.50 each for the additional CDs.
For other countries $4.00 for one,
$2.00 each for additional CDs.
Said Hud: "Sorry for raising everyone's hopes about the US tour.It is thought that this will have no effect on the projected UK tour which was being discussed for next Spring/Summer, though no details are available on this yet.
Obviously, it's a great disappointment for all of us too - we had such a good time on the UK tour in May and we were all really looking forward to playing together again and getting back to see all of you. We hope we'll be able to put a tour together sometime next year."
Si-Wan are releasing Dragonfly on CD in September, with sleeve notes written by me! Further dteails of price etc. when I have them, but the Si-Wan website is at: http://siwan.co.kr and you can order from Korea or the Canada office.| 1-10. | as album | from Nomadness |
| 11. | Lay Down live | from In Search |
| 12. | Out In The Cold/Round And Round | from In Search |
| 13. | Just Love | from In Search |
| 14. | It's Just Love | Dave Lambert demo |
| 15. | Treacle Toffee World | Fire |
| 16. | Happy Sound | Fire demos |
| 17. | Spare A Copper | Fire demos |
| 18. | Will I Find Love | Fire demos |
| 19. | Man In The Teapot | Fire demos |
| 20. | My Father's Name is Dad | Alternate version of Fire first single [ends abruptly mid track] |
| 21. | Don't Try To Change Me | "original unremixed version" |
News just in on the Renaissance Records release from Michael Cimino, who publishes an online newsletter Cottage Views Classic Rock Newsletter - check it out at http://www2.netcom.com/~rockmail/news.htm: he'll be running a review of the CD shortly. Michael writes:
It is the same show that has been widely bootlegged as Live in London 1977. The mix is slightly different (some better/some parts worse) but it is indeed the Cousins, Lambert, Cronk, Tony Fernandez, Andy Richards line up. They cut out the talk between tracks ...."The track listing for the live CD is now posted on Renaissance Records' website: http://skymarshall.com/renaissance/index.html and this makes it pretty clear that this is an edit taken from that gig, with a couple of the songs which were included on Live in London missing as well.
| RUNNING ORDER OF SONGS | ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION | LIVE IN LONDON 1977 BOOTLEG | CONCERT CLASSICS |
| Lay Down | YES | YES | NO |
| The Last Resort | YES | YES | YES |
| Ghosts | YES | YES | YES |
| No Return | YES | YES | YES |
| Heartbreaker | YES | YES | YES |
| Sealed With A Traitor's Kiss | YES | NO | NO |
| Simple Visions | YES | YES | YES |
| Cut Like A Diamond | YES | YES | YES, but not listed |
| Out In The Cold/Round And Round | YES | YES | YES |
| Hero And Heroine | YES | YES | YES |
Just in, a scan of the artwork for the new live CD featuring the 1980 line up of Cousins, Willoughby, Chas Cronk, Tony Fernandez and Andy Richards (despite Dave Lambert being pictured, he was certainly off the scene by 1980). Click on the image for a larger version.Some friends of mine who are bellringers at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight, have got Rick Wakeman to play the warm up concert for his new tour in Shanklin church on Fri 21st May! It's to raise money towards getting their bells put back into good working order."Date: - Friday 21st May
Went to Nettlebed Folk Club last night to see Brian and Caroline perform. They did a short accoustic set of five songs as back up to the main act. Mary Hopkin was also with them but did not sing. As always Brian and Cathryn performed brilliantly and were very well received. Tony Hooper was also in the audience.
I know Brian from the past as he lived opposite (my father-in-law) Clive Brook's pub in Twickenham - The Old Anchor. He is hoping to get a gig arranged for the Turks Head sometime around the May dates - he will let me know as soon as it is confirmed and I will pass on the info.
http://www.rmplc.co.uk/eduweb/sites/carolrb/fairport/cropredy98.htmland a picture of Dave if you scroll down far enough. What I hadn't known was that, as well as Fairport today, the line-up for Dave's two numbers "Lay Down" and "Ringing Through The Years" included Maart Allcock, Pete Zorn and John "Rabbit" Bundrick An interesting line-up .......
They only had a very small quantity, so if you are interested, you should contact them immediately. It is a live recording from 1974. It contains material from Bursting at the Seams and Hero and Heroine.In fact, though the disk says it was recorded in NY, it is in fact the 1974 BBC In Concert recording which formed the second disk of "Heroes Are Forever". Some of these tracks were released officially on the Windsong "In Concert" CD (the "Hero" tracks only), but this is now the only way to get hold of the whole concert (unless you've got a few hundred quid lying around for the BBC Transcription disc .....
Cuneiform is their label which releases some great progressive music. Wayside is their mail-order business of a very large selection of progressive music.
They do not take orders by email - only by fax or snail mail. You should request their printed catalog, if you are interested in progressive music in general. It is a good read. They provide descriptions of all of the music. I have discovered lots of great stuff from reading their catalogs. They also usually have the best prices on almost everything that they sell.
Brian's new CD "Black & White" is now released. It is an acoustic album, with a focus on Brian's songs, co-written with such artists as Michael Snow, Bill Lloyd, Cathryn Craig and Mary Hopkin, who sings on one of the tracks."The way the UK market is developing, I believe that this is the best way to use the resources of PolyGram UK and achieve the maximum benefit and opportunities for our artists. Regrettably, this will result in some job losses, but I hope these will be as few as possible. We will be offering opportunities to many of the current A&M staff as a result of strengthening the Polydor, Mercury and Island operations.The restructuring of A&M UK was anticipated and planned before negotiations started between Seagram and Phillips and is not a consequence of PolyGram's proposed change of ownership.
I accept there will be speculation that the restructuring signals the demise of A&M, but that is not my intention. This is a pruning back, intended to allow the company to grow stronger while lessening the budgetary pressures. I expect the A&M identity and branding to be as strong as ever. Artists signed to A&M in America will continue to be released on the A&M label in the UK, as will some of the artists currently signed to the British company. New artists will also continue to be signed to the label. The relocation of international artists to Polydor brings us into line with the current worldwide marketing streams for A&M product and removes an anomaly which existed in the UK."
For your information, A&M UK is being restructured with UK-signed artists being moved to Mercury and international artists going to Polydor.It isn't yet clear whether the familiar A&M logo will survive as a brand. However, as both the re-issues and boxed set are being handled by parent company PolyGram, there shouldn't be any problems with either of these as a result.
ATTENTION ALL FANS - PolyGram are planning to release a 4 CD box set to mark the 30th anniversary of The Strawbs. If you have any thoughts or suggestions for songs that you would particularly like to see featured please e-mail me, Mike Gill, at c.dreams@virgin.net - (click on the address to use a Netscape form to respond.
The most popular requests will be included in the final track selection. Please bear in mind that all the hits are, predictably, already accounted for.
Furthermore, if you think you may have some interesting photographs, posters or programmes which you would like to see on the finished artwork (cover or booklet) please let us know.
We are predicting a fairly wide response to this request and although we can assure you that all e-mails will be read, it may well prove impossible to reply to every single response. Where we do find something interesting we'll be in touch.
The planned release date for the set is October 1998 so we are looking to finalise both tracks and artwork decisions by the end of July this year.
Many thanks for your help in advance,
All the best,
Mike Gill (Executive Producer)
| Track | Album | on UK Halcyon Days? | First time on CD ? |
| The Man Who Called Himself Jesus | Strawbs | YES | NO |
| Where Is This Dream Of Your Youth | Strawbs | NO | YES |
| The Battle | Strawbs | YES | NO |
| The Weary Song | Dragonfly | NO | YES |
| I Turned My Face Into The Wind | Dragonfly | YES | NO |
| Forever | single | NO | YES |
| Song Of A Sad Little Girl | Antiques | NO | NO |
| A Glimpse Of Heaven | Witchwood | NO | NO |
| Witchwood | Witchwood | YES | NO |
| Sheep | Witchwood | NO | NO |
| The Shepherd's Song | Witchwood | NO | NO |
| The Hangman And The Papist | Witchwood | YES | NO |
| The Shepherd's Song | Witchwood | NO | NO |
| Benedictus | Grave New World | YES | NO |
| Queen Of Dreams | Grave New World | YES | NO |
| Heavy Disguise | Grave New World | NO | NO |
| New World | Grave New World | YES | NO |
| Two Weeks Last Summer | Two Weeks Last Summer | NO | YES |
| Blue Angel | Two Weeks Last Summer | YES | NO |
| Track | Album | on UK Halcyon Days? | First time on CD ? |
| Part Of The Union | Bursting At The Seams | YES | NO |
| Tears And Pavan | Bursting At The Seams | NO | NO |
| The River/TD> | Bursting At The Seams | YES | NO |
| Down By The Sea | Bursting At The Seams | YES | NO |
| Lay Down | Bursting At The Seams | YES (depending on version) |
NO |
| Autumn | Hero And Heroine | NO | NO |
| Hero And Heroine | Hero And Heroine | YES | NO |
| Midnight Sun | Hero And Heroine | NO | NO |
| Out In The Cold | Hero And Heroine | YES | NO |
| Round And Round | Hero And Heroine | YES | NO |
| Ghosts | Ghosts | YES | NO |
| Grace Darling | Ghosts | YES | NO |
| Lemon Pie | Ghosts | NO | NO |
| To Be Free | Nomadness | NO | NO |
| Hanging In The Gallery | Nomadness | NO | YES |
| The Promised Land | Nomadness | NO | YES |
No definite date yet for two reasons - 1) RGF is releasing this week a double CD of 'Don't Say Goodbye'/'Ringing Down The Years' and 2) A&M are releasing six 1970s original albums on CD (remastered, some with bonus tracks) within the next three months. However, with a bit of luck (and a following wind), RGF may also do 'Blue Angel' this year. Thanks for your interest - keep watching the skies !
Best wishes
John Tobler
| Title | UK Pounds | US Dollars | Can. Dollars | Germ. Marks | Dutch Guilders | Ital. Lire |
Fr. Francs | Aus. Dollars |
| Ringing Down The Years/Don't Say Goodbye(Double CD) | 17 | 27 | 36 | 41 | 45 | 40453 | 137 | 34 |
| I | Nickelodeon | |
| II | Free Spirit | |
| III | When Worlds Collide |
In response to various enquiries regarding the availability of RGFCD 020 ('The Bridge' by Dave Cousins & Brian Willoughby), RGF Records is pleased to report that plans are advanced for this album to be re-released, with an additional four bonus tracks, before the end of 1997 under the title of 'Blue Angel', a new (and epic) version of which (featuring Mary Hopkin) is the first of the bonus tracks. The second is a new Dave Cousins composition, titled either 'Sarajevo' or 'Celebration' (no definite decision yet) - both these tracks were recorded in 1996 by The Strawbs. The other two bonus tracks are both sides of a rare single, released circa 1981: 'The King' is by The Strawbs with guest Maddy Prior (of Steeleye Span), and 'Ringing Down The Years' by Dave Cousins & Brian Willoughby. Watch this space for further info, and thanks to everyone for their interest
NB Please understand that, as yet, no final agreement between RGF and Dave Cousins for this reissue has been concluded, and such an agreement is unlikely to be made before September, 1997, at the earliest.
Sorry about the confusion. You are quite right as to the CD being Grave New World. I apologize for exciting fans of a most excellent band. I hope this does not reflect badly on your page. Please accept my apology in this matter. I guess I should not be on the net while under the influence of a flu bug.
I contacted The Turks Head. Tickets are NOT available from there by post. They don't provide that service. However, although tickets are not available at the door of the venue (a hall next to the Turks Head pub) they ARE available on the night from the bar of the pub itself.
Hi,I think that many Strawbs fans will consider that a VERY satisfactory answer.
I don't know how many titles of Strawbs Si-Wan is going to release. Si-Wan is planning to release Ghosts, but I don't know when. Sorry that I couldn't give you a satisfactory answer.
Sincerely,
Si-Wan Records Canada
Dear Jamming SubscriberHeather added that just as issue 4 was in production, she ended up needing to work more than full-time and so, amongst other things that had to go was Jamming. You can contact Heather by e-mail on heather@staf.demon.co.uk.
As you may already have realised, Jamming is no longer published. It is now being wound up. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am not able to publish the fourth and final issue, so I am sending you a refund of £1.00 in stamps.
I am very sorry that you have waited so long to hear from me. Thank you for supporting Jamming.
Yours truly
Heather Malcolm
Limited edition CDand many many more. Copies can be reserved in advance of release. For further details contact Fledg'ling Records, PO Box 547 SE26 4BD
On April 29 Georgia Denny (daughter of Sandy Denny and Trevor Lucas) gave birth to beautiful twin daughters in Australia. Danny Thompson suggested that a compilation record could be put together to welcome them to the world. A few telephone calls later the project had snowballed. The great and the good of UK folk-rock are donating an extraordinary collection of exclusive, rare and live performances>
Georgia On Our Mind is to be released in October 1997 with contributions from:
- Fairport Convention
- Richard Thompson
- Ralph McTell
- John Martyn
- Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick
- Danny Thompson's Whatever
- Dave Cousins
- The Albion Band
- Robin Williamson
- Christine Collister
- John Tams
Zoot Money, Woodstock Taylor and a Strawb: TV star and British Blues legend Zoot Money joins up-and-coming Edinburgh song writer Woodstock Taylor and Strawb Brian Willoughby for an unplugged and surprising bill of quality songs and blatant entertainment.To order by telephone, call the Fringe Office on +44 (0)131 226 5138 from Monday 23 Jun 97, between 10am-6pm, Mon-Sat (23 June - 26 July) and 9am-9pm, 7 days a week (28 July - 30 Aug)
Venue 98: Marcos, 55 Grove Street.
Aug 23-28 18.15 (19.15) £6.00 £5.00
The Strawbs Official Homepage is an extremely well-done site with tour information, biographies, set lists, stories, a trading post and complete discographies as well as information on how to find those hard-to-get Strawbs CDs.Thanks very much indeed for the review! Parts of the magazine are online at http://www.dirtynelson.com/linen/.