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Who was (is) that man?


doodle

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:rolleyes: It was 1974 and Steeleye had been at the dressing-up box....... but despite that, the BBC 4 programme on 21 st November 23.00 hrs had some really superb anglo playing for the Albion Morris Men's spot in the show! Folk song may have moved on since then (some might say "thankfully"), but how many morris musicians are there today who can play with such authority and skill as Albion's man did for their display in '74?

So here's my query, can any of you with longish memories give that man a well deserved name-check? For me, he was the "star" of the show and a joy to my ears! I hope he still plays out and I come across him some time.

(PS If you are said person and are/were indeed the star you deserve to be, please accept my apologies for failing to recognise you in your yoof now that I am in my dotage!!;) )

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:rolleyes: It was 1974 and Steeleye had been at the dressing-up box....... but despite that, the BBC 4 programme on 21 st November 23.00 hrs had some really superb anglo playing for the Albion Morris Men's spot in the show! Folk song may have moved on since then (some might say "thankfully"), but how many morris musicians are there today who can play with such authority and skill as Albion's man did for their display in '74?

So here's my query, can any of you with longish memories give that man a well deserved name-check? For me, he was the "star" of the show and a joy to my ears! I hope he still plays out and I come across him some time.

(PS If you are said person and are/were indeed the star you deserve to be, please accept my apologies for failing to recognise you in your yoof now that I am in my dotage!!;) )

 

The anglo concertina player in question is John Watcham. I happened to bump into him at at day of Morris dancing in Brighton earlier this year, having not seen him for years. He still plays for Albion Morris.

 

Chris

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FYI, John Watcham plays one (beautifully played) medley of tunes on the Anglo International CD set.

 

:rolleyes: It was 1974 and Steeleye had been at the dressing-up box....... but despite that, the BBC 4 programme on 21 st November 23.00 hrs had some really superb anglo playing for the Albion Morris Men's spot in the show! Folk song may have moved on since then (some might say "thankfully"), but how many morris musicians are there today who can play with such authority and skill as Albion's man did for their display in '74?

So here's my query, can any of you with longish memories give that man a well deserved name-check? For me, he was the "star" of the show and a joy to my ears! I hope he still plays out and I come across him some time.

(PS If you are said person and are/were indeed the star you deserve to be, please accept my apologies for failing to recognise you in your yoof now that I am in my dotage!!;) )

 

The anglo concertina player in question is John Watcham. I happened to bump into him at at day of Morris dancing in Brighton earlier this year, having not seen him for years. He still plays for Albion Morris.

 

Chris

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The programme is still available on BBC iPlayer but only for a few more days (7 days from the date of broadcasting) so hurry if you want to watch it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00fm..._Steeleye_Span/

Thanks for flagging this up, Steve!!!

 

Shame that only UK members can see it. Great nostalgia, and some good playing. I've only heard recordings of John Watcham, but sadly never seen or met him, so it's nice to see him in action, all those years ago.

 

I met Maddy Prior, once, back in the late 80's. The late Peter Bellamy was booked at a club in London. Sadly; his star had waned much by this time, and less than ten people turned up, including Maddy and myself. I'd known Peter for a few years, having booked him for our club in Croydon etc. Anyway, Peter, Maddy and I were deep in conversation when I was dragged off to do a second "floor spot". Sorry, can't stay to talk to the stars, I've got to go and perform ..... or something like that!

 

Thanks again,

Peter.

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I met Maddy Prior, once, back in the late 80's. The late Peter Bellamy was booked at a club in London. Sadly; his star had waned much by this time, and less than ten people turned up, including Maddy and myself. I'd known Peter for a few years, having booked him for our club in Croydon etc. Anyway, Peter, Maddy and I were deep in conversation when I was dragged off to do a second "floor spot". Sorry, can't stay to talk to the stars, I've got to go and perform ..... or something like that!

 

Thanks again,

Peter.

 

 

That is a real shame Peter, as the last show we (The Ten Pound Fiddle in East Lansing) had him at had 5 times that number in attendance. Of course it was in America. He was a great player and a fairly good guy all around.

 

Alan

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:rolleyes: Thanks for the info. on my query, everyone. I got my first anglo in 1974 and how I wish now that I had seen or heard players of John W's calibre back then....... it would have inspired me (as it still did last night!) and shown me the way. I had suspected that the player might have been John, but wasn't sure so "chapeau" to that man!!
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John took a lot of tracking down.I saw John play in the duo Mr Gladstone's Bag and had a chat with him after the show.He played that evening amongst other things Purcell's "Trumpet and Air".I remembered that evening many years later when putting Anglo International and when I eventually found him I asked him to record it.In fact in the end it was a struggle to get him to record anything .John reminds me of a Cocker Spaniel I once had that always wanted to be somewhere other than where she was.I managed to get him to Jim's to do the recording in about the only thirty minute spot he had available in six months.

John declined the Trumpet and Air, as I must haver been the last person to hear him play it and just did the Morris medley.He is a wonderful player and I never get tired of listening to his playing.A lesson in left hand accompaniment. How he got involved with such a camp stage act I just do not know.A very quiet,almost shy man.

Happily married and living in Brighton about twenty miles from me.I scoured the World looking for him.

Al

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How he got involved with such a camp stage act I just do not know.

I can't say, but I was listening to a recording I made of Mr Gladstone's Bag and John was a full partner in the proceedings with Mark Clifton. Maybe it was his outlet for a hidden side of his personality ...

 

Chris

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How he got involved with such a camp stage act I just do not know.

I can't say, but I was listening to a recording I made of Mr Gladstone's Bag and John was a full partner in the proceedings with Mark Clifton. Maybe it was his outlet for a hidden side of his personality ...

 

Chris

An extremely funny act and certainly the two of them were very professional on stage.I cannot but agree with you Chris.

Al

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That is a real shame Peter, as the last show we (The Ten Pound Fiddle in East Lansing) had him at had 5 times that number in attendance. Of course it was in America. He was a great player and a fairly good guy all around.

 

Alan

I've just remembered a couple of amusing items from Sidmouth Folk Festival, all those years ago.

 

Each day, there used to be a Festival Newspaper ....... you know the kind of thing; changes to programme, instruments for sale, lifts wanted. There were always a couple of really funny articles.

 

Anyway; one day there was a series of "quotes" listed under the heading:

 

Things They Never Said

 

John Kirkpatrick - "I've had the car fixed!"

 

Peter Bellamy - "Now let's talk about you"

 

 

On another occasion, the Newspaper featured anagrams from the names of Festival guests:

 

Elmer P. Bleaty was one such.

 

Well, Peter, if you're up there, looking down on this Forum ..... sorry, and we still miss you!

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I saw John play in the duo Mr Gladstone's Bag ...

Well that must have been early 1970s, cos I saw them too. John is a fine player, and I seem to remember him being the silent one, dressed up as a clergyman (based on Father Ken?).

 

And Peter T, wasn't Peter B responsible for the Elmer P Bleaty agnaram himself? I seem to remember he had some input to the back cartoon page of Folk Roots, and also the finely named DEAFASS.

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And Peter T, wasn't Peter B responsible for the Elmer P Bleaty agnaram himself? I seem to remember he had some input to the back cartoon page of Folk Roots, and also the finely named DEAFASS.

Hi Wes,

 

You could well be right; who do we ask? I seem to recall that Laurence Heath drew the cartoons, and very good and topical they were too.

 

Ah ..... DEAFASS; what a fine and upstanding society, many of whose members would not have understood the Folk Roots cartoons, or why DEAFASS was such an appropriate name. I recall on one visit to Cecil Sharp House (used to sing in the Cellar Club fairly regularly for a few years), a couple of dancers being engaged in conversation when the band caller announced the next dance. One chap said "I've got to dance!", and rushed off mid sentence. Now; it's a funny thing .... I was just going to say that those of us who sing and play would never do something like that, when I remembered what I posted earlier in this thread! So, OK, I've only done that once in my life!

 

Hoisted ........ :rolleyes:

 

Peter.

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