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Author Topic: Cathy LeSurf  (Read 47600 times)
GubGub (Al)
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« Reply #40 on: June 01, 2009, 09:15:45 AM »


I really rate Cathy as a singer and as a female guest with FC (she was my first so, as in so many ways, my favourite).  She's also a lovely person (or was on the 2 or 3 times I met her).

Isn't it amazing that oysterband (aka The Oyster Band and/or Fiddlers Dram) seem to have rewritten history to completely disown much of their early work.  Weird.


I'm not sure that is true. For their 25th Anniversary they reissued the vast majority of their first four albums on CD compilations (still available from Running Man I think) and JJ regularly talks about those days on stage but there was a stylistic shift after CL and others left the band and they adopted a rock rhythm section for Step Outside and that is the basic blueprint they have stuck with ever since.
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« Reply #41 on: June 01, 2009, 09:26:37 AM »



I really rate Cathy as a singer and as a female guest with FC (she was my first so, as in so many ways, my favourite).  She's also a lovely person (or was on the 2 or 3 times I met her).

Isn't it amazing that oysterband (aka The Oyster Band and/or Fiddlers Dram) seem to have rewritten history to completely disown much of their early work.  Weird.


I'm not sure that is true. For their 25th Anniversary they reissued the vast majority of their first four albums on CD compilations (still available from Running Man I think) and JJ regularly talks about those days on stage but there was a stylistic shift after CL and others left the band and they adopted a rock rhythm section for Step Outside and that is the basic blueprint they have stuck with ever since.


I'll admit to not paying that much attention recently, but I distinctly remember press releases at the time that talked about Freedom and Rain as their 4th album or whatever....
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« Reply #42 on: June 01, 2009, 09:33:20 AM »


Day Trip to Bangor.
I remember at the time argueing whether she sang "on the way back, we had a quick shag" - we we younger and punker in those days.


Or alternatively "on the way back I struggled with Jack to open a bottle of cider".  Well some bottles were hard to open in those days!   Grin

Jules
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« Reply #43 on: June 01, 2009, 09:35:55 AM »

I was watching the Oysterband in the sunshine just two days ago.  They put on a great show.  I'd never seen them before.

Jules
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GubGub (Al)
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« Reply #44 on: June 01, 2009, 09:37:49 AM »




I really rate Cathy as a singer and as a female guest with FC (she was my first so, as in so many ways, my favourite).  She's also a lovely person (or was on the 2 or 3 times I met her).

Isn't it amazing that oysterband (aka The Oyster Band and/or Fiddlers Dram) seem to have rewritten history to completely disown much of their early work.  Weird.


I'm not sure that is true. For their 25th Anniversary they reissued the vast majority of their first four albums on CD compilations (still available from Running Man I think) and JJ regularly talks about those days on stage but there was a stylistic shift after CL and others left the band and they adopted a rock rhythm section for Step Outside and that is the basic blueprint they have stuck with ever since.


I'll admit to not paying that much attention recently, but I distinctly remember press releases at the time that talked about Freedom and Rain as their 4th album or whatever....


Well, I guess it was, sort of. Oyster Band/Oysterband were a very different proposition/line up to the Oyster Ceilidh Band, which is what they were before. Step Outside represented a completely different approach and was, I guess, something of a year zero but I don't think they have ever denied what went before.


I was watching the Oysterband in the sunshine just two days ago.  They put on a great show.  I'd never seen them before.

Jules


 Shocked Shocked Shocked How have you possibly never seen them until now? Really one of the best live bands out there. Actually one of the best bands, full stop!
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Chris
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« Reply #45 on: June 01, 2009, 12:09:20 PM »


I was watching the Oysterband in the sunshine just two days ago.  They put on a great show.  I'd never seen them before.


Another TAWer at Wychwood then.....I've a few photos somewhere....
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« Reply #46 on: June 01, 2009, 01:40:17 PM »


 Shocked Shocked Shocked How have you possibly never seen them until now?


I guess I'm a rocker with folk leanings rather than a folkie with rock leanings, so I just didn't cross paths with 'em.

Jules
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« Reply #47 on: June 01, 2009, 01:40:52 PM »



I was watching the Oysterband in the sunshine just two days ago.  They put on a great show.  I'd never seen them before.


Another TAWer at Wychwood then.....I've a few photos somewhere....


Maybe you got one of the back of me head, Chris!   Cheesy

Jules
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GubGub (Al)
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« Reply #48 on: June 01, 2009, 01:52:48 PM »



 Shocked Shocked Shocked How have you possibly never seen them until now?


I guess I'm a rocker with folk leanings rather than a folkie with rock leanings, so I just didn't cross paths with 'em.

Jules


Me too. But the first thing I ever heard by them was Hal An Tow which rocks like a b*st*rd and their cover of New Order's Love Vigilantes. It was love at first sight!  Grin
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« Reply #49 on: June 01, 2009, 03:35:36 PM »


But the first thing I ever heard by them was Hal An Tow which rocks like a b*st*rd


Aye, they played that on Saturday.  It was mighty!

Jules
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« Reply #50 on: June 01, 2009, 09:54:15 PM »

I'm not sure that whether her underarms were shaved or not has much to do with anything musical
I guess I'd say that anyone who has the strength of mind to ignore such a universal yet completely pointless convention is someone whose strength of mind might well mean that they have interesting things to say and attitudes to convention in other arenas of life and their music might very well be one of them...

Apropos to which the topic inspired me to dig out an old compilation tape which has got "The Green Mist" (which Cathy wrote as well as sang) off "Light Shining" on. Grief, that is such a wonderful piece. For me it really is one of the jewels of the Folk Rock movement, right up there with the best of Sandy and Richard's songs... Lovely arrangement too, especially Jean-Pierre Rasle's pipes...
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« Reply #51 on: June 02, 2009, 12:32:42 AM »

There is definitely a strong contingent here who dislike any female vocalist who isn't Sandy Denny. Sad, really, since they cheat themselves out of a lot of fine music. All credit due to Sandy and her memory...but there are many, many awesome vocalists out there of both sexes.

Sermon over. As far as Cathy LeSurf, I like her voice very, very much and wish her stay with the band had been much longer.  I couldn't care less about her armpits. Or anyone else's, for that matter.   Roll Eyes
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« Reply #52 on: June 02, 2009, 01:10:46 AM »

I didn't know that "Light Shining" was in any kind of limbo - I have a CD buried in a cupboard somewhere.... must play it tomorrow.
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Sam
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« Reply #53 on: June 02, 2009, 05:27:27 AM »


There is definitely a strong contingent here who dislike any female vocalist who isn't Sandy Denny. Sad, really, since they cheat themselves out of a lot of fine music. All credit due to Sandy and her memory...but there are many, many awesome vocalists out there of both sexes.

Sermon over. As far as Cathy LeSurf, I like her voice very, very much and wish her stay with the band had been much longer.  I couldn't care less about her armpits. Or anyone else's, for that matter.   Roll Eyes


well said !
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« Reply #54 on: June 02, 2009, 08:42:26 AM »


I didn't know that "Light Shining" was in any kind of limbo - I have a CD buried in a cupboard somewhere.... must play it tomorrow.


Most of the Albions stuff from the 80s (nearly all of which features Cathy) seems to be pretty much unavailable. Not sure why Talking Elephant have not picked it up as they have the one album from this period that she does not appear on (Shuffle Off). Ashley's studio version of By Gloucester Docks and the All Stars' As You Like It from the same era seem to have had the same fate.


There is definitely a strong contingent here who dislike any female vocalist who isn't Sandy Denny. Sad, really, since they cheat themselves out of a lot of fine music. All credit due to Sandy and her memory...but there are many, many awesome vocalists out there of both sexes.




I'd like to exclude myself from that contingent if I may. I enjoy many female vocalists both within the broad "folk" genre and beyond but sadly Cathy is not amongst them. There is something about her voice or perhaps her phrasing that puts me off. I'm not even sure what it is but it is, no doubt, my loss.
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« Reply #55 on: June 02, 2009, 08:43:41 AM »


 I couldn't care less about her armpits.


I disagree.  I like a hairy armpit (or two) on a woman, and I'm completely in favour of being told who is and who isn't sporting such a look.

 Grin

Jules
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« Reply #56 on: June 02, 2009, 08:57:11 AM »

My first introduction to the Albion Band was in the Cathy LeSurf era - Under The Rose was the first Albion Band album I bought, and I'm another who would like to see it re-released on CD, as I only have an LP in a cupboard somewhere.

I have mixed feelings about her voice - there are certain tracks which I love, and others that I'm not so keen on.
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« Reply #57 on: June 02, 2009, 09:16:52 AM »

I've heard nothing but praise for Light Shining. Where does it fit, style-wise, in the Albion Band cannon? Is it folk-rock in the Rise Up Like The Sun vein, or more 80's sounding like Under The Rose? I do have a soft spot for Under The Rose, although it's around 15 years since I listened to it (on vinyl, borrowed from my local library).

Is Light Shining's non-appearance on CD anything to do with Celtic Music? ie, the same fate as some Nic Jones' albums, and Bright Phoebus?

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« Reply #58 on: June 02, 2009, 09:44:06 AM »

It would seem that Cathy is still performing on the odd occasion - here she is at Grantham Folk Festival in June 2008....http://www.flickr.com/photos/unclechristo/2602004855/
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« Reply #59 on: June 02, 2009, 10:52:24 AM »


I've heard nothing but praise for Light Shining.



I really liked Light Shining.  Must dig out my old vinyl copy and give it a listen... haven't heard it for years.
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