I was hugely looking forward to
seeing and hearing John Richards again. He is an artiste I have a lot
of time for. As a Folk Club organiser (albeit a fairly recent and
inexperienced one), I get to see and evaluate many different kinds of
acts. This includes some very talented, warm people who can really
entertain. It also includes a few Prima Donnas and Divas whose
reputation to me seems undeserved. John comes into the first category.
He is top drawer. A likable, affable down to earth Midlands bloke
who writes good songs, plays guitar well, and has a fine voice. He
also does an awful lot corporately, on behalf of Folk music. He is a
supportive and industrious ambassador for the genre.
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| J.R. at Church End |
But there is more. Some of John's
songs have an epic quality to them. He is a wordsmith, with an ear
for saying things in other people's voices, that touches hearts.
“Polly” is a song I have loved for a long time. It is a
haunting melody, with a spine-tingling lyric, delivered in a way that
makes hairs stand up on the back of one's neck. “ It'll end on
a rope in the morning,” the singer predicts,ominously. I also admire “Pity The
Deserter,” and “Honour and Praise,” too. In both
songs he sets modern day feelings into a historic context, and that
just works for me
In “The Moth” and
“ Foundryman's Daughter” he explores contemporary but
nevertheless familiar themes. Classic songwriting. When John talks
about his life and his songs it is clear that he is politically left
of centre, a man who burns with the injustice of equality, and one
who has been hurt by watching his family suffer ups and downs. No
wonder so many people want to cover his songs.
But I guess there are thousands
of people who empathise with the anthemic “Shine On.” With
John's blessing I am amongst those singers who (occasionally in my
case!) cover it. There is a special connection there for me, because
that song was a contributory factor for me in surviving the last 12
months, under circumstances which, though not unique or just specific
to me, were harrowing enough. It was a life raft which kept me
performing and finding solace in song. If you talk to people who know
the song it is not uncommon for others to have related to it in a
similar way.
He was as outstanding as ever last night. And he sang all the favourites and more, like a Throstle. (see what I did there?). He makes a joke of
supporting WBA through their ups and downs, though believe me John,
if you are unfortunate enough to have followed Nuneaton Borough's
roller-coaster through demotions, points deductions, promotions,
play-offs relegations and enforced name changes, you know what a
fan's suffering truly is. ( Yes I did write a song about it).
I feel I have other affinities with John. His roots are in the Black Country, and my maternal grandmother was a Darby. Her line is traceable back to generations of nail makers working in the foundries of West Bromwich. So although I've got him booked
into Nuneaton Folk Club this October, I jumped at the opportunity to
see him again beforehand, when appearing locally.
I even blagged a
floor spot from Atherstone Folk Club host Phil Benson, so I could pay
the man a fulsome tribute in public. Looking at the calibre of the
other acts supporting John last night, I can see fully that I was
very lucky to get one at all. Our part of the Midlands is blessed
with some very talented and entertaining performers. And then there's
me.
I rehearsed two songs long and
hard, with a view to performing them in tribute. I also practised
introductions to both, as I wanted to explain how John's influence
affects my choice of repertoire. I also wanted to frame “Shine On”
briefly into a personal context-as I felt it was important to share
with anyone who had not seen him before, just how potent a song like
“ Shine On” can be.
I started with one of my own
compositions-”Di Di The Ice Cream Man.” I used to call
this “Down Our Street” until I heard a song of the same name
performed by a Lancashire group which is much older than mine. "Di Di" is a nostalgic look back at tradespeople who used to serve us. A few
still do-but the Window Cleaners,Mobile Shops, Meter Readers and Milk
floats are rapidly fading into history. Where else to pay homage to
them than through the medium of Folk Music? I remembered that John himself pays
tribute to Cosmotheka and the influence they had on him. I was
privileged to see them often, and to play on the same bill
occasionally. Dave and Al certainly affected my songwriting, when
putting “The Odeon” together, and son of Odeon, “ Di Di.” is also
firmly rooted in recalling urban living in the Midlands during the 1950's.
I felt John might relate to that.
It's a jolly enough melody, and
peppered with nostalgic images about Milkman's horses, coalmen and
Davenports “Beer At Home” drays. Cosily reflective. To some
peoples' visible amazement, I sometimes get requests for it, which
means that the choruses are returned cheerfully. So I wanted to
balance it up with something gentle, reflecting the contribution “Shine
On” has made to my life.
Nothing I've ever written could match
that, so I eventually chose Rod Felton's beautiful song “Curly.”
One of the best singers guitarists and songwriters to come from the
Midlands, Roddie died a few years ago. A great loss. I went to his
Funeral, his Wake and co-hosted a Tribute night to him soon after his
death. All three events were packed-because Roddie inspired people. Through his words, his playing, and his powerful voice. He was deeply respected and is greatly missed.
Rod Felton had an aura. Long hair,
earrings and bangles, a presence when he walked into a room and a
unique guitar style with a tuning he liked to keep secret. On stage
he was magnetic. Most of his songs were clever, spiky affairs with
catchy choruses and a cheeky laddish lyricism. “Curly” came
as a surprise when I first heard it, for it was a beautiful, moving
lullaby, written about a real baby. All the mourners sang it at his
funeral, doubling the poignancy of the occasion. Later that day I met
Curly herself-all grown up, obviously. I was introduced to her by
Roddie's sister, and the Felton family approved of my request to
sing it at the Tribute night. Which I did, accompanied on guitar by
David Parr and Arnold Chave. It made a few people cry.
I dedicated "Curly" last night to
John Richards. I was looking forward to singing my own twin Grandsons
to sleep with it one day, but sadly, around this time last year, they
both died, within a day of each other. My other daughter miscarried,
the day after their funeral. So for me, “Shine On” and it's reflection on misery-(
“There are days when you think that it's not worth the
fighting,”)-kept my head above water at times. It inspired me
to write my own song of Hope “Tiny Lights” which I'm humbled to
say, a couple of people have since covered themselves. But primarily
“Shine On” leaves you with a glimpse of a future. “ I
know there'll come a time when your luck will change for better/when
you'll look back on these days as a scar that doesn't matter.” John sings. And he is right.
I preceded “Curly”
by pointing out that since the personal tragedies of last year the daughter who lost the twins is now 8 months pregnant, and my other
daughter is expecting a baby girl. Both of them are doing well. Shine
on indeed. It is just one of those odd quirks
of fate that, being on so early, in my shamelessly blagged floor spot,
John missed both songs and the fulsome, heartfelt debt of gratitude I
paid him. So here it is instead mate. Maybe in October......
.
