BALD-HEADED END OF THE BROOM

Waterson/Carthy

Sound advice for a Friday . . . . . . . . or any day come to that . . . . . . reminds me of a Dubliners song 'Maids When You're Young Never Wed An Old Man' the moral tale is similar here . . . . . . although this one is advising to stay away from the opposite sex entirely!

Martin Carthy commented in the original album's sleeve notes:

The Bald-Headed End of the Broom is more widespread than I ever imagined. I had thought of it as piece of 1920s(ish) vaudeville, and remember Mike Seeger singing it with or without the New Lost City Ramblers, but lo and behold it turns up in Northern Ireland in the repertoire of a woman called Martha Gillen and recorded by Séamus Ennis and Sean O'Boyle [in 1954] with a totally different tune. We'd like to thank the Phoenix New Orleans Parade Band for their hard work on this. John Pashley sweated cobs when we asked his lot to do this and almost worried himself into a pile of old laundry about it. He needn't have worried as far as we're concerned. The song is prefaced by a morris tune from the Bampton tradition and called The Royal Forester.

Waterson:Carthy sing The Bald-Headed End of the Broom

Oh love it is a funny funny thing
It affects both young and old
Like a plate of burning ash
Many's the man that is sold
Make you feel like a fresh water eel
Cause your head to swell
You will lose your mind 'cause love is blind
You will empty your pocket as well

Chorus (after each verse):
Boys I say from the girls keep away
Give them lots of room
When you're wed they will hit you on the head
With the bald-headed end of the broom

When a man is in love with a pretty little girl
He will talk to her gentle as a dove
Give her all his money and he'll call her honey
And it's all for fun and love
When the money's all spent and you can't pay the rent
You'll find the story's true
That a mole in the arm's worth two in the leg
What's he going to do?

With a wife and fifteen half-starved kids
You will find that it is no fun
When the butcher comes around to collect his dues
With his dog and the double-barrelled gun
Screaming baby on each knee
Plaster on your nose
You'll find true love don't run very smooth
When you wear those pawnshop clothes

So now my boys take my advice
Don't be in any hurry to wed
You'll think you're in clover till the honeymoon is over
Then you'll wish you were dead
When the rents are high and the children cry
For want of hash to chaw
You'll find his son's gonna pick up his gun
And shoot his mother-in-law.

Oh love it is a funny funny thing
It affects both young and old
Like a plate of burning ash
Many's the man that is sold
Make you feel like a fresh water eel
Cause your head to swell
You will lose your mind 'cause love is blind
You will empty your pocket as well

COWBOY JUNKIES

Big O have posted a fine set from Cowboy Junkies from last year in Germany and if you can avoid the racist sexist filth that is now the comments section, head over there and enjoy. It is staggering quality too being satellite broadcast quality.

Lineup:

Big O says:

In July 2018, Canadian alt-country band Cowboy Junkies released their 17th studio album, All That Reckoning. The Junkies last recorded an album together in 2012, the final album of their Nomad series. Since then they had been working on different projects.

In March 2020, the Junkies digitally released their new album, Ghosts. The band had planned to re-release a remastered version of All That Reckoning as a vinyl double album with Ghosts being the second disc. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the project, potentially into the fall of 2020. The Junkies chose to release the album digitally in the spring of 2020. - wikipedia

Track 10 Sweet Jane

Cowboy Junkies - Rudolstraat Festival 2019 - Big O

PETER GREEN

Splinter Group Live in Germany 

Peter Green Splinter Group

June 28, 1998
Gesendef Auf,  Germany

Broadcast Source @HQ

So Floppy Boots Stomp dug around the FBS archive  and found this

This show was broadcast live on German TV.

May also be referred to as Live at Studio 5, Baden-Baden, Germany

So good to see and hear him play and seemingly in better times after his struggles with such poor mental health. 

Set list:

1 Intro
2 Black Magic Woman
3 Mama keep your Big Mouth Shut
4 Rattlesnake Shake
5 The Superatural
6 Shake Your Hips
7 Travelling Riverside Blues
8 Steady Rolling Man
9 The Stumble
10 Albatross
11 Green Manalishi
12 Going Down
13 Look Yonder Wall 

Peter Green & Splinter - Germany 1998 - Floppy Boot Stomp

PETER GREEN

and SPLINTER

"ALBATROSS"

with thanks to Floppy Boot stomp for the reminder here Peter and band cover an all time classic composition the ubiquitous 'Albert Ross'! 😏 here from German TV

PETER GREEN

With SPLINTER

& JOHN MAYALL BAND 

Birmingham UK 2000

A gorgeous release from Voodoo Wagon and Silent Way this morning. If you had written Peter off after his troubles and found Splinter a bit tired or predictable or occasionally varied in output check this honey of a recording from 2000

Peter Green & Splinter + John Mayall's Bluesbreakers 2000 - Voodoo Wagon

First incarnation Peter at left and John McVie Aynsley Dunbar and John Mayall on the right

Slight track listing errors but none the worse for that:

Corrected version here

Peter Green and John Mayall

Highlights of An Hour Of Rhythm & Blues 

Birmingham UK 5/1/00

BBC2 Radio with Paul Jones

Peter Green Splinter Group Session

line up

Peter Green - Vocals and Guitar

Nigel Watson - Guitar

Roger Cotton - Keyboards (and guitar)

Peter Stroud -Bass

Larry Tolfree - Drums

TRACK LISTING

Peter Green and Splinter - 01 - Big Change Is Gonna Come.mp3

Peter Green and Splinter - 02 - It Takes Time(Otis Rush).mp3

Peter Green and Splinter- 03 - Man Of The World.mp3

 04 - Paul Jones Interludium.mp3

Peter Green and Splinter - 05 - Steady Rollin' Man.mp3

Peter Green and John Mayall - 06 - Sweet Home Chicago (w John Mayall harp).mp3

07 - Paul Jones update/Bob Harris advert.mp3

John Mayall Bluesbreakers Session

 John Mayall - 08 - John Mayall Blues breakers - Deade City.mp3

John Mayall - 09 - A Hard Road.mp3

 John Mayall - 10 - Jacksboro' Highway.mp3

 John Mayall - 11 - Hideaway.mp3

John Mayall - 12 - Paul Jones - Closing.mp3

Lineup

John Mayall - Guitar, vocals

Buddy Whittington - lead guitar

Joe Yuele - drums

Greg Rzab - Bass

PETER

here with Carlos and Santana

"Black Magic Woman"

RICHARD THOMPSON

LIVE!

Meanwhile Richard Thompson has managed to play for a Iive audience out at Woodbridge especially sweet after it had previously been rained off!

Richard posted tonight

Nice review from yesterday's show in Woodbridge NJ...
https://www.njarts.net/…/a-rare-treat-richard-thompson-at-…/ 

Outdoor, socially distanced show took place July 25.

Will keep a weather eye out for its being posted online but have some personal stuff to deal with so may not be around for a while . . . . . stay safe you lot!

Best I could muster at the moment is these posted from the review and operate song tracks is cool but will still look for the full concert set when I get back . . . . . 

the whole thing seems to be available here and if you sign up (for free) to the Live Stream site you can play the whole concert
Richard Thompson Woodbridge High Scholl Woodbridge NJ July 2020 - Maxstream

It's Singy Songy Session #19!

KATE RUSBY

Kate says:

It's Sunday again, 😃 which means it's time for Singy Songy Session #19!! 🎉🌈This week we have 'CRUEL' from my 'Underneath The Stars' album. It's a chilled out Sunday afternoon sing-along/drift-along song. Have a sing and let the stresses pass you by. 

 😊☀️❤️🚣‍♂️⛵️🛶

PETER GREEN

R.I.P. guitar blues legend dies in his sleep aged 73

A legend is lost to us and I for one am just so glad his final years and playing with Splinter after his struggles with his mental health mean that he was happier towards the end. We will miss one of our greatest and seminal guitar players of the blues and original creations too. Green was incredibly modest and even named his band after the rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. 


A favourite moment and this made the hair stand up on the back of my neck when I first heard it and these that follow are all classic Green . . . . . . . and the REAL Fleetwood Mac

Though hit by a notoriously bad LSD trip when touring, it was to trigger Peter into a psychotic schizoid episode of enormous proportions requiring, at the time, therapeutic intervention and hospitalisation. Peter recovered and came back to us in later years, 

Splinter

Good Night Peter

Tribute posting from the awesome Floppy Boot Stomp



Turn it up!

Floppy Boot's SilentWay posted these links which are really worth following up on an article on his passing from Rolling Stone, the BBC announcement and their links to shows they shared . . . . . 

Losing Peter Green @ Rolling Stone 

 Peter Green at BBC News

Peter Green Shows HERE

EMILY BARKER

"The Woman Who Planted Trees"

Emily posted this today on her Facebook page and says:

From the new album "A Dark Murmuration of Words" - pre-order now: https://smarturl.it/eb-words A film by Joe Magee (see full credits below) “It’s a matter of life and death for this country. The Kenyan forests are facing extinction and it is a man-made problem.” Wangari Maathai Kenyan activist, Wangari Maathai founded The Green Belt Movement in order to reforest degraded land to provide food and empower women in her community. Since its establishment in 1977, over fifty million trees have been planted in the region, and over thirty thousand women trained in forestry, food processing, beekeeping and other trades that provide an income as well as protect and nurture the environment. In 2004 Professor Maathai became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize which was awarded for her “contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace". Though she passed away at the age of 71 in 2011, her legacy lives on with seeds and saplings planted years ago now towering as mature trees above the people in the community. I saw a short documentary about her which included interviews with her daughter, Wanjira Mathai, as she walked through the beautiful forests planted by her mother and friends. In the desperate context of our times, we can look to people such as Wangari Maathai and The Green Belt Movement for inspiration, knowledge and instruction. #WangariMaathai #treeplanting #womensrights #GreenBeltMovement #Ecosia #community #empowerment #womensempowerment #trees #freedom #democracy #peace #knowledge #inspiration Discover Wangari Maathai's legacy at The Green Belt Movement - Discover Wangari Maathai's legacy at The Green Belt Movement - http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/

========================================= The Woman Who Planted Trees (Music and lyrics by Emily Barker) I can tell my age By the height of trees By the years they’ve stood Growing over me When I was a girl You planted seeds And cast your love Forever over me When the land was dry No food to eat When the soil was sick And the river weak You took a spade Bare hands, bare feet And sowed your love Roots down deep In the cool, dark shade Leaves sing your name Wild green tongues glisten in the glade Your branches warp, my fingers weft Weave me through this gift you left From a prison cell You dreamt of trees Blood dried black Upon your cheek You didn’t know Around the world People listened People learned Water returned Soil healed Hope restored with every yield Trees grew high Bones grew strong Enough for everyone In the cool, dark shade Leaves sing your name Wild green tongues glisten in the glade Your branches warp, my fingers weft Weave me through this gift you left I can tell my age By the height of trees By the years they’ve stood Growing over me ====================================== Directed and Produced by Joe Magee The Woman: Corinne Walker Music: Emily Barker Cinematography: Joe Magee Additional footage courtesy of: Engin Akyurt (Pexels), Islem Benzegouta (Pexels), Free Creative Stuff (Pixabay), Samazing Family (Pexels) Thank you: Misha Law, Sylvie Magee, Lotte Lyster, Yola See more of Joe Magee's work here: http://www.periphery.co.uk/ ====================================== Stay in touch: https://emilybarker.com https://facebook.com/emilybarkerhalo https://twitter.com/emilybarkerhalo https://instagram.com/emilybarkerhalo



Can't wait for the album to come but this will help  and check the links to advance order

For JohnnyC1959

'BLUE'

Johnny C, a fine photographer and fellow muso and blogger posted some shots of a few of his walks recently ( here  ) and they inspired his reflections on the colour blue and some references at the end of his post caused me to reflect myself on the colour . . . . . .so this is for him!

Johnny noted :
Other blues are available… 🙂

(i) Blue: (ii) Blue Remembered Hills: (iii) IKB 79: (iv) Kind Of Blue: (v) Sky Blue (something about football!)

Teasels… [Image © John Callaway 2020]

Go visit Johnny's wordpress page here Ideas & images from Portsmouth and beyond

so I thought I'd post a couple of blues of my own -

I met Derek Jarman at the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford and he and his team filmed us upon his arrival to see and meet with the Deputy Director there, the wonderful Marco Livingstone, so it possible the archive of his films contains footage of yours truly! He was remarkable and super talented of course but I don't recall his visit resulting in a show but Marco would know better what happened there . . . . . . I watched Jarman's broadcast of a single still shot of the colour 'Blue' with his voice over and it seemed revolutionary to us all at the time. He is missed and the artworld is the poorer for his dying too early

I mentioned that Blue Remembered Hills as per Housman's famous lines from his 'A Shropshire Lad' drew me to think about the Dennis Potter play of that same name and a personal favourite with Helen Mirren, Janine Duvitski, Colin Welland and Michael Elphick with Colin Jeavons, John Bird and Robin Ellis cast as children and it evoked memories of my own childhood climbing trees and watching the world go by . . . . . . . my dad had moved his family down from Merseyside to the meadows of Oxfordshire in the early sixties when I was but a few years old and the countryside overwhelmed me with lots fascinating flora and fauna and spent an idyllic childhood playing in the meadow of Northern Oxford

Next . . . . . . 
Emily Barker (and her husband to be Lukas Drinkwater - here on bass) recorded this album 'Sweet Kind of Blue' dedicated to Sister Rosetta Tharpe and this is a great live version of a fine song . . . . .




one of my favourite Blues songs here by the master but written by JJ Cale (of course)


speaking of masters . . . . . . . . . Keb Mo




Can't have too many versions of this song . . . . . . . 


Bobby tells us about the blues . . . . . . 

it's all a bit random . . . . . . but enjoy . . . . . . 

. . . . .Blue Remembered Hills

UPDATE: and oddly by sheer coincidence Johnny posted this afternoon a set of pictures and notes on our shared connection to Oxford City as he and his other half came to do some genealogical research. 
Check his latest entry here: