Week of April 13, 2008
Personnel:
Steve Borrill - Bass
Martin Cockerham - Guitar, Vocals
Julian Cusack - Violin, Keyboards
Barbara Gaskin - Vocals
Dave Mattacks - Drums
Rick Biddulph - Mandolin
Alan Laing - Cello
Steve Ashley - Flute
John Boyce - Cello
Henry Lowther - Trumpet
Stan Sulzman - Flute
Albums:
St.Radigunds (B&C CAS 1042) 1971; Si Wan SRML 5005, S.Korea
Old Boot Wine (Pegasus PEG 13) 1972
Bells, Boots And Shambles (Polydor 2310 246) 1973; Si Wan SRML 5007, S.Korea
CD: Repertoire RR 4137 WZ, 1991
CD (All three albums): A Canterbury Tale, Castle/Sanctuary CMQDD 1258, 2005
CD: Burn The Bridges (The Demo Tapes 1970 - 1971), Repertoire REP 4846, 2000
45s:
Dangerous Dave/Captain's Log (PS) (Pegasus PEGS 3) 1972
I Hear You're Going Somewhere/Old Boot Wine (Polydor 2001 419) 1973
Starting as a quartet with Mattacks helping out, the group attributed much of
the charm of their first album to the crystal voice of Gaskin, combined with the
imaginative arrangements of Cusack and the strangely beautiful melodies of
Cockerham. Too often, though, the latter sings his own songs, with a voice that
is too strained to convince, preventing this album from becoming a psych-folk
classic. Some excellent songs are present, though. The second album augments the
sound with cello and mandolin and also gives more room to Gaskin's clarity of
voice, but the material is less strong and although the good tracks are almost
brilliant, the bad ones offer nothing but irritation. Somehow it all
crystallises on the third album, where suddenly a wholeness is reached instead
of the fragmentary former efforts. The atmosphere of sadness and despair, which
permeated the first two albums as well, now becomes chillingly urgent, while the
contribution of Lowther on trumpet works wonders, greatly so on 'The Furthest
Point', a minor classic by itself. Unfortunately this album is very
difficult to obtain. All three albums were also issued in Germany on Brain and
are a bit less rare than their British counterparts. Definitely worth
investigating.
Barbara Gaskin later appeared with Hatfield and The North and National
Health. She then enjoyed a hit as part of a duo with Dave Stewart (who'd
also been in those bands) covering Lesley Gore's 'It's My Party'.
Dave Mattacks was in Fairport Convention.
'The Clogs' folk sampler, on which 'Captain's Log' from their
first album appeared, suggested Cockerham would become one of the great
songwriters of the period.
(Marcel Koopman/Vernon Joynson/Mike Warth)
Discography and personnel data taken from The Tapestry of Delights - The Comprehensive Guide to British Music of the Beat, R&B, Psychedelic and Progressive Eras 1963-1976, Vernon Joynson ISBN 1 899855 04 1