I usually perform mostly my own Andy Roberts music but last night I felt like doing a short tribute to Roy Harper at the Havering folk club, where I do my thing on Wednesdays. "I'll see you again" went down well I think, but I was surprised that there was such little recognition of the name Roy Harper, even though this is an audience mostly of my own generation and slightly older. One person knew him well and asked me if I knew the one that goes "the kettle's on......" but the thing I wanted to blog about is When an Old Cricketer leaves the crease because that seems to be a recognisable song by people who didn't know who it;s by. How can this be? Was it on a sampler LP or played a lot on the radio or something? Or maybe it's because it's such a great song that a lot of people have covered it in some form.
Just wondered what other stormcockers experiences are with the consciousness on the very fringes of harperdom.
John Peel's Funeral and every cricketer's retirement
John Peel had this played at his funeral, I think. It is regularly featured on cricket programmes when great players retire and on other sentimental occasions. I think it's probably in Mark Nicholas's Desert Island Disks collection :-) IMHO, it should replace the Radio 4 theme, which used to be a fantasy theme of sea shanties and other popular folk songs, IIRC. Quintessential Englishness... which makes it odd that it is covered so well by an American on that tribute website.
Bob
Roy's unbeknown fame
I find it totally amazing that RH is not recognised more widely. Mind you I'm probably regarded as a bit of stuck-in-the-rut-madcap with certain people I commune with. Perhaps because I'm playing it to a younger crowd these days and his music sounds dated, or they always compare with BD etc.? I don't know. But he does play some exceptional stuff which I know will span the centuries for sure.
Have bought a new twelve string and going back to my roots recently! I'm sure Roy can do more on 12 strings because another variety opens up and you can combine it with Open Tunings [and effects] which sound wonderfully resonantly wonderful. Music is never ending!Shine on like the moon and the stars and the sun! Will try and make it to one of you gigs oneday when fundypoos allow.
chrs
andi
TOP TEN
A sweetly sentimental song written quickly for his Dad. Guess that's what the people or the industry wants. That's fine, but don't ignore the other masterpieces!
cricketer
Maybe because the likes of the late John Peel and John Walters both used it at their funeral services and this was mentioned in the John Peel biography/autobiography.
H