Prompts
John Martyn’s version of traditional song Spencer the Rover, from album Sunday’s Child, is one of his most
beautiful, and that comes from such a richness of others. As John Hillarby
writes here in his detailed and excellent review of the remastered SC
album, ‘John later dedicated this song to his son Spencer’. You can listen to a
live performance here [watch for the early duff note and John's giggle. Lovely, as is the subsequent singing and playing].
I was prompted to think of this today when reading Uncut and a short article on Beverley
Martyn’s imminent album release The
Phoenix & The Turtle. She is quoted as saying, in commenting on one of
the album’s songs Women and Malt Whiskey,
‘there’s a verse about our son, who is a bit wild. He didn’t have a good father’s
hand, John didn’t teach him good things.’
In one sense it is sad to read observations like this, but
in another it is widely documented that there was considerable unhappiness in
their marriage [and thus eventual split] and one has to respect her thoughts
and feelings. Indeed, and not wishing to make light of the comment and her experiences,
there is another quote from Hillarby’s review which is attributed to John as
stating his own father taught him ‘how to fish and fuck and ride a bike’, and
this certainly adds probable credence to Beverley’s tart observation.
Whatever, readers of this blog will know that I revere John,
and in terms of his recordings, the two albums he made with then wife Beverley
will always be favourites, serving very much as my introduction to John as an
outstanding artist.I would have been delighted had they recorded more together.
You can preorder Beverley’s album here, as I have just done,
and by doing so you will on its release receive a signed copy.
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