Marlow Bottom Acoustic Club

It was good to have Gerry back from Australia. He brought with him a surprise (especially for Steve) when he played Steve's song Santa Claus. Not only had he learned the original guitar part, but also the lyrics - something the author will probably never manage! Gerry's other songs were Cat Steven's How Can I Tell You and Paul Simon's April Come She Will. Steve himself sang Coope, Boyes and Simpson's Unison in Harmony, Little Feat's Willin' and finished the evening with A Non's A Miner's Life

We welcomed two newcomers. Pete sang three unaccompanied songs: Female Drummer Boy, I Was a Navy Boy and Sit Down. Peter from Maidenhead was persuaded to borrow a guitar and sing Sweet Baby James. We hope to see and hear them both again soon.

It's hard to imagine most Joni Mitchell songs being played in any other way than the way she plays them. So Robin's mandolin-accompanied version of Morning Morgantown was a revelation. His other number was Tom Lehrer's Irish Ballad (AKA Rickity Tickity Tin).

We're seeing more of Terry these days. This week he sang Sunny Memories and Pete Aitken's Have You Got a Biro I Could Borrow. Bob was also with again this week and sang Cuckoo She's a Pretty Bird (as he's seen one recently) and Dido's My Lover's Gone.

Alison and David were without their melodeon player this week (he apparently preferred listening to the Australian Pink Floyd than to us). I missed their first couple of songs whilst at the bar, but I'm reliably informed that they were Andy's Gone and Go On Home Girl (recorded by Ry Cooder and The Stones). I was paying more attention second time around, when Alison sang the lovely See How My True Love Comes Smiling.

The new Star Trek movie is out this week and will no doubt continue to boldly split infinitives. To recognise the event, Dave sang a hilarious 'trekkie' song on the theme of justice, beauty, truth and right. Sorry I didn't catch the title or the name of the writer. Dick wondered whether he'd be required to sing Fathom The Bowl in Klingon.

Other songs and tunes were:

Dick: Bring Us a Barrel, Gently Annie, The Lusty Smith
Dave H: Oyster Girl/Isabella, Hobos (sounding particularly good on Steve's guitar) and Jack Robinson
Rosie and Alan: O'Carolan's Welcome, Walking On a Wire, Time Of The Preacher
Alan: Pernod Waltz
Karen and Roger: Follow The Heron Home
Roger: Upton Stick Dance (he and Karen are off to Upton on Severn next weekend) and Planxty Fanny Power
Karen and Steve: Machine Gun Kelly
John C: Nolans and Elton John

It's Dick's surprise 70th birthday celebration next Wednesday at The Pegasus. It will be a busy night so please arrive early so we can kick off promptly.

The Pegasus Wednesday 22 April 2009

There was a good crowd at this our largest current venue, even though some of our regulars were away. We look forward to Gerry’s return – he is at present in warmer climes, and we were pleased Dave and Norma were having lovely weather for their trip to Devon. We were pleased to see Sheila again, with friends as well, and she gave us her website address, where her songs are freely available - http://www.sheilahamil.co.uk/

Stuart and Delia played a duet on their concertinas – Michael Turner’s Waltz, and we saved a chair in the middle for Simon – which he eventually sat on! Fred sang us his own unique Walking Home to Alpha Centori – accompanied by guitar, and, at Alan’s request, told us about his Scandinavian and home-made flutes. John arrived after his male voice choir practice. Also present were: Dick, Rosie, Alan, Steve, Jennifer, Roger, Karen, Dave, Alison, and Hilary.

English songs and songwriters were much in evidence as it was the week of St George’s Day. Some of these were:

Fathom the Bowl
Ship in Distress
Scarborough Fair
Whistling Gypsy Rover
Streets of London
Lovely Joan
Looking for New England
Sovay
Weave and Worry
Bladon Races
Tom Deadlight
Pulling Down Song
Raggle Taggle Gypsies
Sweet thames Flow Softly
Dirty Old Town
Sunny Afternoon
Witches Promise
Cornish Lads
Oh No John No
Oak and Ash and Thorn
The Islands of Steel

Across the Atlantic gave us the lovely Agnes Will You Go With Me, sung beautifully by Alison. There were a few tunes including Broom’s Reel.

Next week we’re at The Prince Albert for the 29th April which is the 5th Wednesday of the month, and then 6th May will be at The Pegasus.

There were 8 or 10 of us when we first starting meeting at The Old Ship, and we fitted comfortably into the dining area. Our increasing numbers make it something of a squeeze these days. This was particularly so this week, with 19 of us present. The Marlow Bottom contingent was late arriving, so Karen wasn’t even around to move the furniture.

We also had space problems for our Richard Thomson evening at the Prince Albert last week, so moved into the side room. As usual, John arrived midway through the evening, but promptly left because we weren’t in the main bar, assuming he had got the wrong pub. So, we had to survive without his version of Beeswing. He made up for it this week.

Lester and Alison joined us for the first time for a while. We enjoyed both Lester’s subtle melodeon playing on Chris Woods’ Mrs Saggs and Brian Peters’ Blossom In The Rain, and Alison’s singing of The Old Figurehead Carver and The Kipper’s Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy Boy.

Both Stuart and Delia are making progress with their concertinas. Stuart played the Shetland tune Da Stockit Light and Delia played an intro and outro for her rendition of The Vicar of Bray. Stuart also sang the Devon song Bellringing.

Martin was with us for the last week before returning to university and impressed everyone with his finger-style guitar playing on Opeth’s Beknighted. In louder mode, he later played Top Yourself by the The Raconteurs (his parents were lucky enough to see them in 2008).

I’d not heard Tom Paxton’s Jesus Christ SRO and enjoyed Terry’s version. His second song was Towrope Girls, adapted from the poetry of Cicely Fox Smith, as was Limehouse Reach, usually sung by Dick.


Other songs and tunes were:

Dick: Let Union Be, Twas On One April Morning
Dave H: his own Plough and Sow and Nova Scotia
Bob: No Words, Little Bowl (also his own I think)
Rosie and Alan: So Far Away (Carole King), White Petticoat/Out On The Ocean, Grandad (Jake Thackray)
Alan: My Darling Asleep
Karen and Roger: Bells of Norwich (Sydney Carter), King of Bohemia (Richard Thompson)
Karen and Steve: My Man (The Eagles)
Roger: Upton Stick Dance, Two Sisters
Alison: one song in French that might have been called Chant A Ma Moulin and one in English that may have been Flow You Tired Old River
Dave F & Alison: Marseille Waltz
Simon, Dave F & Alison: A Calling On Song, Come All Ye Rolling Minstrels

We’re at The Pegasus on 22nd. It’s the week of St George’s Day, so English songs and tunes would be appropriate but aren't compulsory.

We decided to mark Richard’s 60th birthday with an evening of his songs as he is such a fine (& prolific) song-writer.

Richard very kindly replied to Alan’s email telling him of our evening:

Dear Marlowe Bottom-ites, It's a thrill and an honour that you would consider a whole evening of my music - 30 seconds is enough for most people. I wish you a great night, let the good times roll, and may the club long prosper! Best wishes, Richard Thompson

Luckily only 17 of us turned up, as we had to use the back room – which proved very warm and cosy! Dick, Rosie, Alan, Martin, Bob, Annette, Steve, Jennifer, Karen, Roger, J&G, & 3 of his friends & his Dad, Simon, and Dave (Train Dave).

Dave Fenner & Gerry did their Richard Thompson songs last week (Wall of Death & From Graceland to Galway) as they couldn’t be with us this week, and unfortunately John couldn’t remember which venue were at so we didn’t get to hear his lovely unaccompanied version of Beeswing – maybe on Wed 15th April at The Old Ship, John?

However, we were treated to renditions of the following Richard Thompson songs:

Sybella
King of Bohemia
Waltzing’s For Dreamers
Al Boley
Razor Dance
Needle and Thread
Walking on a Wire
Crazy Man Michael
We’ll Sing Hallelujah
Time to Ring Some Changes
Down Where the Drunkards Roll
Dimming of the Day
Turning of the Tide
Meet on the Ledge
Sights and Sounds of London Town

As well as RT’s songs we also heard:

Carry Me Home to the Sea (Kate Rusby)
Polkas
Bring Us A Barrel (Keith Marsden)
Fair Lucy (trad)
All the Way to Galway & ‘List for a Sailor
The Time of the Preacher (Willie Nelson & tune in Edge of Darkness)
I’m A Dreamer (Sandy Denny)
Need Your Love So Bad (recorded by Fleetwood Mac)
Upton Stick Dance (harmonica led)
Medicine Wheel (Kate Wolf)
Teenage Cremation (Leon Rosselson)
Hornpipes
Off to California
Money Money Money (Abba)

Next week (3rd Wed) we’re at The Old Ship, Cadmore End, and the following week (4th Wed) we’re at The Pegasus in Marlow Bottom. 5th Wed will be at The Prince Albert, Frieth.

See you there for another great evening.........

I've added some of Gerry Miller's recordings to the 'jukebox' on the right. These are:

• Cats In The Cradle (Harry Chapin)
  
• Castles In The Air (Don McLean)
  
• Cootamundra Wattle (John Williamson)

You can find some more here.

We hadn't been to the Belle Vue while an England game had been on before. We were relieved that the only TV on was at the other end of the L shape from us. As usual at this lively town centre pub, we set up an amp and couple of microphones for those that wanted to use them. There were more takers than usual and we had a great evening.

As always, it was a pleasure to see and hear John McCrae. He sang two songs by Tom Russell. Firstly Tonight We Ride, about Pancho Villa, the Mexican revolutionary. and later Spanish Burgundy. He also finished off the evening wit My Heart Is Living In the Sixties Still.

We don't see Bob as often as we used to, so it was a shame that I only managed to fit him in twice. Sorry Bob. He sang Learning The Game, an undeservedly lesser-known Buddy Holly song, and in contrast, Peggy Gordon.

Also with only two turns were Dick (Dido Bendigo, Limehouse Lass) and Dave H (Clipper ships and Tolpuddle Men). Sorry to them too. I look forward to hearing Dave's new song when he can remember the melody:-)

Rosie and Martin made their big debut as a duo with Steely Dan's Peg to much acclaim. They made a great job of the two vocal parts in the chorus, with Rosie singing the Michael McDonald part. Maybe she can do the same for the Dansters at Wembley in July. I don't suppose the fills have been played on concertina before either.

Martin's other songs were Peter Gabriel's Here Comes The Flood, and Sugar Rush by Ian Siegal. Ian's a fantastic British blues singer and guitarist. Catch a glimpse here but, better still, go and see him live, preferably in a hot and sweaty stand-up venue rather than an Arts Centre.

Karen and Roger brought along a lovely new song The Bells of Norwich. I look forward to hearing that again. Along with Rosie, Steve and me,they recently had a gig playing for the Harleyford Motor Yacht Club's 'fitting-out dinner'. We learned Mr Tambourine Man and Knocking On Heaven's Door for that occasion but didn't get to play them, so they came out on Wednesday. Roger's big beast (i.e. his 12 string guitar) was in evidence on the former. There was also a particularly good rendition of Across The Great Divide. Rosie sang the White Stripes' Got Her In Your Pocket and led some Irish polkas (the latter filling in while Martin fetched his lyric sheet from the car!).

Gerry is off to Australia and can't make next week's 'Bring a Richard Thompson Song' evening, so he sang RT's Galway To Gracelands and later Jerry Lynn Williams' Running On Faith (popularised by Eric Clapton).

Dave F can't make next week either, so he and Simon gave us RT's Wall of Death. Very much more of this fun stuff next week. Dave and Simon's other offerings were Games People Play, Add Me and Banks Of The Roses.

The 'Bring a Richard Thompson Song' evening is on 8th April at The Prince Albert. It's a small country pub, so arrive early to get a good seat.