Dreich Is The Only Word For It.

It looks as though we are being battered by "Son of Hurricane Bawbag" at the moment. The wind is howling and the rain is pishing down.

It is at times like these that I search through the shelves 'til I get to M,  reach for some John Martyn, put it on the turntable and listen, really listen then it doesn't seem so cold and miserable, well it is but I just don't care any more.

John Martyn - Ways To Cry

John Martyn - Over The Hill (Peel Session)

What Do You Think?

When the clocks go back and the nights start to draw in up here in the north, I always find myself reaching for some John Martyn and in particular Small Hours for some reason.

A couple of weeks ago I did a post concerning the White Label, Stolen Voices album and mentioned that they had cut up, for want of a better word, Small Hours. At the time I was quite disparaging about this, as fucking about with that song is akin to Michael Bolton covering Dock Of The Bay. Anyway, after repeated listens I have grown to quite like what has been done with it, granted it can not compare to the sheer beauty of the original but it has a charm all of it's own, I think anyway.

See what you think.

White Label/Stolen Voices - John 2

and here is a version that you may not have heard of Small Hours from the US mixes of One World. I cannot take the credit for bringing this to your attention, it was kindly sent to me by Dubrobots, a Martyn aficionado and frequent commenter.

John Martyn - Small Hours (US mix)

John Martyn

I'm in a bit of quandry at the moment.

Last week saw the release of an album of material by the late John Martyn, Heaven and Earth. It is said to consist of tracks that John was working on at the time of his death. I'm not a big fan of posthumous releases as I find them for the most part patchy and usually lacking in substance and I fear that this would be true of this release.

I have read the reviews and for the most part they are very positive but I kind of feel that this is usually the case with the material released after the death of someone as over looked by music journalists and indusrty insiders as JM was, call me cynical but that's the way I see it.

I think that I prefer to remember Martyn for the fine body of work that he left behind such as the the track posted and even the album with Eric Clapton and Phil Collins that I used to avoid like the plague is not too bad as I was pleasantly surprised to find when I played it for the first time in years the other week

I'm off over the water to Belfast on the stupid o'clock flight for a couple of days so nothing here until Thursday.

John Martyn - Ways To Cry 

In The Evening

 We haven't heard the dulcet tones of John Martyn here for a while. Here is another beautiful unreleased track made available on the brilliant and must have Aint No Saint box set from 2008.

It is wet and windy and bitterly cold up here as I type this but after listening to this track I feel all warm inside.

John Martyn - In The Evening

The Last Time For A While, I Promise.

I promise this will be the last John Martyn for a while. I just can't stop playing his music at the moment, I think that these songs are particularly suited to my mood at the moment.

Anna is another unreleased gem which for me is far too beautiful not be heard by as many people as possible.

John Martyn - Anna

Keeping It Peel, Number 5

When a lot of people think of the Peel sessions what initially springs to mind are punk, post punk and indie bands. I know that this is a sweeping generalisation but whenever I mention the Peel sessions to people of my age they mention groups like the Fall, Wedding Present, Napalm Death etc or if younger The White Stripes.

Today, although recorded in 1978 when the Peel Show was full of The Fall, Stiff Little Fingers and The UK Subs we have a very different beast.

Those of you who have read this nonsense over the last month or so will know that I have posted material by John Martyn on a few occasions recently. Martyn recorded 7 sessions over 10 years for Peel and today's track comes from the last session and is probably my favourite track by the artist.

This track/session is an illustration of what made the Peel show so unique. I think that a couple of other DJs on fabulous Radio 1 would probably have played tracks by John Martyn, none I'm guessing would play the 8mins 25secs of Small Hours and follow it up with the likes of 999 or Steel Pulse or something just as diverse.

In the dictionary under eclectic, surely the Peel show should be mentioned.

Session recorded 9th January 1978 and aired 16th January.

Tracks: Small Hours, Big Muff

John Martyn - Small Hours

John Martyn, Again

I don't know what it is at the moment but I find myself listening to John Martyn a lot of an evening. Maybe it's the time of year, there is something rather comforting in those slurred vocals when the nights are drawing in but it''s probably just the fact that the man was a brilliant songwriter/musician.

To illustrate the point I have posted an incredibly beautiful track which Martyn didn't deem good enough to warrant inclusion on One World and which lesser talents would probably give their left bollock to have penned.

I defy you to say this isn't lovely.

John Martyn - All For The Love Of You

It's Friday . . . Let's chill for a while

I thought that I would follow up yesterday's post with the only remix I've ever heard of, of John Martyn's music and what a fucking beautiful remix it is.

I heard this one late night in 1996 and thought that I must be tripping as I was sure that I was listening to a blissed out John Martyn but it couldn't be as it had beats and tablas. Although not something that you couldn't imagine Martyn producing I just couldn't believe it was him.  I knew that I had to have it, even if it had been by somebody else it would still have been an essential tune.

The next problem, couldn't find the bugger anywhere and nobody seemed to know anything about it. I eventually found out that it had been released on promo only by Go! Beat, the story being that Martyn hated the remix and would not allow it's release, how true this is is anybody's guess. Anyway, the realisation dawned that the chance of me ever owning this record were extremely slight.

The following year one of my best mates was going to Ibiza and I jokingly said to him, "mind and look for a copy of Sunshine's Better" as I reasoned if it could be found anywhere then that would be the place.

When on his return he told me he had got a copy of "that John Martyn tune for you" I thought he was on the wind up until he came round to the house and presented me with it. I'm not one to get emotional but I came very close to hugging and kissing him but in turn handed over the readies and thanked him profusely.

Although not the original Go!Beat promo but a promo for the cafe Del Mar Vol IV it was and remains a prized possession and I still can't believe that Starky took time out from clubbing and chasing women to search round the record shops on the white isle for a record that he only half believed existed.

So sit back, pour your favourite poison and take 13 minutes out to do nothing but listen to a masterpiece.

John Martyn - Sunshine's Better (Talvin Singh mix)

Couldn't Love You More

I have regailed you with the story of when I had to escort John Martyn from the local hostelry where I used to work many moons ago now.

When not touring John Martyn could frequently be seen around the many local pubs in Lanark, sometimes sober and well put out at other times less so. I never however saw him anything less than pleasant and good humoured and certainly there were no rock star affectations about him, in fact most people who came into contact with him in the pubs had no idea that they were in the company of one of the best songwriters and guitar players of their era.

It always used to sadden me that Martyn never got the recognition he deserved but from what I saw of him, which granted wasn't that much it didn't look as if he was all that bothered himself.

Here is my second favourite track from my favourite album of his, One World, which always makes an appearance on my stereo as the nights start drawing in .

John Martyn - Couldn't Love You More

Just Because

. . . I've come home from the pub and I want to hear this.


John Martyn - Small Hours

Tuesday Apocalypse Blues

The death of John Martyn last week got me reminiscing about the times that I had the pleasure to see the man and my wife reminded me of the time he played at a local hotel as part of the line up for a short lived TV show either on Channel 4 or STV can't remember which or even what the show was called. What I do remember was that it was hosted by Stuart Cosgrove, one time head of programming for Channel 4 and one half of radio Scotland's Off The Ball team, "the most petty and ill-informed football show on the radio".

The guests on this programme ranged from legends like John Martyn and Desmond Dekker to knobheads like Pat Kane in his Armani socialist days as part of Hue and Cry.

Andy White was on the same night as John Martyn, two great singer songwriters for the price of one. Although during the filming we also had to endure the horrid Frank Carson, who at one point said to White that he could tell that he came from the North as he could smell the Semtex.

Andy White was born and brought up in Belfast and released his first ep Religious Persuasion in 1985 followed by the excellent album Rave On Andy White his first of 13 so far. I can't tell you what the rest are like as I only bought Rave On but after revisiting the album at the weekend, some thing I have done quite a few times over the years I have been wondering why I didn't buy anything else as the debut album is excellent. It is at times a commentary on the situation in White's native isle (Religious Persuasion, The Soldiers Sash ) and at others concerns itself with those universal topics of love and loss (Rembrandt Hat, Visions of Blue). At the time I think that he was described as the new Irish Dylan then again what earnest young man with a guitar hasn't been tagged as a " new Dylan".

Andy White - Tuesday Apocalpse #13

Andy White - Rembrandt Hat