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"...My Young Love Said To Me..."
At the sprightly age of 18 –
the young Scottish Folk Troubadour Ian David McGeachy signed to the roster of
Chris Blackwell's eclectic and brilliant Island Records and became the first
white artist to do so. Remodelling his new surname on a Martin Acoustic Guitar
(changing the 'i' to a 'y') and just one month after his 19th birthday – his
debut album "London Conversation" was released in Mono in October
1967 to a rapidly changing musical landscape.
Recorded at the Pye Studios
in London and criminally forgotten now - it reputedly cost a paltry £157 to
make - and thus began a love affair with that brilliant record label and his
public that lasted into the late 1980s and beyond. In fact I've always felt
that his music in the 90s and 00s was even more brilliant than his revered 60ts
and 70ts output (his loss in January 2009 was a bitter blow to many music
lovers). John Martyn's Folky debut LP has always been notoriously difficult to
find on original vinyl (let alone repress) - so its CD reissue here under the 'Island
Remasters' label-imprint is both welcome and beautifully done. Here are the
chimney-pot chitchats and wee bonnie ballads...
UK released November 2005 –
"London Conversation" by JOHN MARTYN on Universal/Island Remasters
IMCD 319 (Barcode 602498307335) is an Expanded CD Remaster (one added bonus
track) and plays out as follows (42:04 minutes):
1. Fairy Tale Lullaby [Side 1]
2. Sandy Grey
3. London Conversation
4. Ballad Of An Elderly
Woman
5. Cocain
6. Run Honey Run
7. Back To Stay [Side 2]
8. Rolling Home
9. Who's Grown Up Now
10. Golden Girl
11. This Time
12. Don't Think Twice, It's
Alright
Tracks 1 to 12 are his debut
studio album "London Conversation" – released October 1967 in the UK
on Island ILP 952 (Mono only). Theo Johnson produced the album (it received no
US release).
BONUS TRACK:
13. She Moved Through The
Fair – Previously Unreleased Session Outtake
The 12-page booklet has new
liner notes from JOHN HILLARBY – a man who has kept the JM light lit for
decades now. There's a two page photo spread of the rear sleeve with John sat
between chimney pots playing his Acoustic Guitar and looking 'so' young. It’s
sad to think that Hillarby mentions the Traditional 'Cocain' and the Bob Dylan
cover of "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" as 'remaining favourites with
him' because of course when he wrote the liner notes in September 2005 – John
Martyn was still with us (living in Ireland). Compiled by Mark Powell of
Esoteric Recordings fame – the big news is a fabulous Remaster by PASCHAL BYRNE
(Tape Research by Zoe Roberts) that really brings out the Folk beauty and
purity of the recording. With just an Acoustic Guitar and his Voice for the bulk of the tracks – "London Conversation" is a long way away
from 1973's trippy "Solid Air" or 1977's gorgeous "One World"
with its echoplex guitars and space Folk-Rock soundscapes – but I find its
Folky simplicity 'beautiful' to the nth degree. These are sweet and lovely
melodies – and even at 19 – his voice was so expressive and Soulful.
It opens with the impossibly
pretty "Fairy Tale Lullaby" – the acoustic guitar sweet and warm – as
it is on "Sandy Grey" – a love song written in anger about Nick Drake
by Robin Frederick (mistakenly credited to JM on the LP). "London
Conversation" is another gorgeous transfer – no hiss – just air and his
voice as the strings rattle. "Ballad Of An Elderly Woman" and
"Run Honey Run" have great stories to each – "...Well I wish I
could think of some cliché to mouth to make our parting scene less sad..."
Side 2 opens with "Back To Stay" – a sweet rolling JM ballad that
reminds me of "May You Never". His Sitar playing on "Rolling
Home" is impressive (the only track to feature the instrument) while one
of the album's hidden nuggets is "Who's Grown Up Now". Both it and
"Golden Girl" are JM originals - yet they sound old – like they’ve
always been with us. And while the Dylan cover is inevitable (and rather
tastefully done too) – what blows me away is the gorgeous and Previously
Unreleased session outtake "She Moves Through The Fair" – a
Traditional that stretches back centuries. The lyrics have always moved me –
"...it will not be long love...till our wedding day..." Simple Minds
turned it into "Belfast Child" on their superb 1989 album
"Street Fighting Years".
In the last few years - the
album has seen renewed interest. July 2014 saw a reissue on heavyweight
180grams vinyl of the LP using the Paschal Byrne remaster - while 18 April 2015
saw "Cocain" b/w "London Conversation" issued as Record
Store Day 45 in the UK on Island 472-010-2.
"London Conversation"
is forgotten now and he would follow it with "The Tumbler" in
December 1968 – another Folk album affair – but this time with some Blues and
his own songwriting magic on stuff "Fly On Home" (which is actually
very Nick Drake with Harold McNair’s flute additions).
Sometimes things are
beautiful precisely because an artist keeps it simple – song, voice and guitar
- no clutter. John Martyn was always capable of moving the masses and even as a
naïve lad of 19 living in a London flat living on Tea and Toast to survive -
I'm sure that's what Chris Blackwell saw and heard when he signed someone so
young. Talent, talent, talent - and a huge Celtic soul. I miss him...
This review and hundreds like it are part of my full-fitted e-Book (over 1850 pages) called
"CLASSIC 1960s MUSIC ON CD" - it part of the SOUNDS GOOD: Exceptional CD Remasters" Series
