Print Page - Questions for Judy Dyble (March 2004)

Hi Judy,
On an FC family tree some time ago, I noticed you were involved with Giles, Giles & Fripp - or was it an early version of King Crimson? - anyway, what was it like working with Mr Fripp? and did you sing or record any of the early Crimson songs (e.g. I talk to the wind, moonchild)?
Incidentally, Maartin Allcock is covering Moonchild on his next album.
Regards, Paul

Hello Paul
Yes, indeed I was. it was pre-King Crimson. Ian Macdonald and myself got together with Giles Giles and Fripp to see what would come of it. Robert was exhilarating to work with. He stretched my vocal range enormously (it's shrunk back now!) trying out different songs. We made some recordings of GGF and Ian/Pete Sinfield songs in the back room of their flat in Kilburn. Peter Giles had set it up as a studio using carpet underfelt over a framework as a vocal booth. (It was very hot and itchy). The version of I Talk to the Wind was released on 'The Young Persons Guide to King Crimson' and the others have been released last year on 'Metaphormosis' (limited edition vinyl) and 'The Brondesbury Tapes'. Both releases are a 'snapshot' of where they had been and where they were going. I left them shortly afterwards and they mutated into King Crimson. (It's amazing where I've been by accident!)

Judy,
Thanks for your answer. Now I'll have to track down the Brondesbury tapes... I still have my vinyl (mono!) copy of "The Cheerful Insanity of GG&F". Marvellous!
Paul

My pleasure, Paul. That there 'Cheerful Insanity 'is truly weird isn't it?
Judy

Dear Judy
it'amazing how many good young talents were around at that time! anyway, my question is another one: did Trader Horne play live sometime? And, if you did, which was the audience reaction? I think that Trader Horne record features many pretty good song.
Nice to meet you here
Best, Paolo

Hello Paolo,

You're right and thank goodness there are just as many today. Trader Horne played live many times.Most of them seemed consist of zigzagging up and down the country - one day Aberdeen , the next, Luton......
We played the Albert Hall (me wearing a long dress that got trapped in the swing doors and was in danger of disintegrating while being totally entangled by the lead of my electric autoharp- Ah those were the days...!) and then places like the Temple in Wardour St. That was a very creepy place by day but at night -well it was all happening there man .......(or so they said)

The audiences were very kind to us and seemed to enjoy what we played. I don't think they knew quite what to expect really!

Judy

Hi Jude. Are there any gigs that really stand out in your memory (either as a performer, or even a punter)?
Cheers, Carey

Hello Judy, Do you go to Cropredy every year?
Amethyst

Crikey! 2 questions at once eh? I'll answer Amethyst's first if that's okay.

Yes I do normally manage to get there. I think my late husband and I came across it by accident in 1980 and then I was asked to sing in 1981 and 1982. Although I didn't sing again until 1997 (was I that bad?!!!), we continued to drag the children along almost every year up to the present day. Actually we didn't have to drag them, they really enjoyed it and still do. Daughter Stephanie managed to get lost every year up until she was about 10. (I think she just enjoyed sitting in the St.John's Ambulance)

Well Ces, There have been quite a few memorable gigs. The first ine has to be the first ever gig before either Martin or I joined, at the church hall in Golders Green. Brian the Wire and I had made a silent hand-clapping machine to encourage audience applause. Which wasn't at all necessary, I have to say.
Another was my first gig with them.. on a boat on the Thames..someones birthday party. Brilliant gig except the boat started sinking halfway through....
Playing at the Speakeasy Club with Jimi Hendrix sitting in....(very loud) the Saville Theatre with Pink Floyd....and especially the1997 and 2002 Cropredys with the waves of friendliness coming from the audience.......

Playing at the Albert Hall with Trader Horne.....It's all a bit of a blur really if any more pop into my head I'll add them on later replies. I have a sort of time delay on memories.

Hi Jude. Wow!! Hendrix, Floyd & sinking ships!! ;D ;D ..Brilliant...but tell us more 'bout the "silent hand-clapping machine'! ;D :o :)
Carey

More memories have surfaced: (to the sounds of Tiggy's stomach gurgling loudly in the back ground)

Arriving at Geneva Airport after doing the 'Bouton Rouge' TV thing in Paris the day before,en route to play at the Montreux Golden Rose Awards. We were a bit surprised to find a brass band on the tarmac and a lot of people dressed in Edwardian/Victorian clothes. We then discovered we'd arrived at the same moment as the Sherlock Holmes Appreciation Society going to re-enact the death of Moriarty at the Rohrbach Falls. So that was odd!

With Jackie McAuley, doing a thing for Grampian TV and being fogbound at Aberdeen Airport. While waiting we sat outside with Cat Stevens (also on the show) while he played songs from his new album 'Tea for the Tillerman) with us inventing harmonies with the fog swirling round.... That was magical.

My last gig with Fairport- a huge stadium just outside Rome with Ten Years After and others.(can't remember who else). The stadium was so vast the echo of my voice came back seconds after I'd sung, so it was like singing harmonies.

After the gig I flung down the harp and flounced out in a really dramatic exit- then had to flounce back again 'cause I didn't have my air ticket home........

Jude

(Gordon Bennett, Tig, have you swallowed a train or something? Let's slide down the wormhole to the bar and see if Otts has got anything to sort you out....maybe some of Richard's chips......)

Hi Judy
Sadly not too up on your work, though I'm doing my best to remedy the situation (whilst simultaneously serving you Irish coffee in the arms... what a weird situation to be in :o ;D)

Anyway, a couple of questions:
- What is an autoharp?
- If you were asked to perform, occasionally, such as Croppers, would you do so?
- What were the highlights of working with Fairport
- Was there ever any crossover between the Judy and Sandy periods of Fairport? I know there was a gap, but did she perform whilst you were officially Fairport or vice versa?
Cheers
James Denny (aka Sir Otto Cleese)

Right then James (or may I call you Otty)

The Autoharp. It looks like a zither that has 32 strings(all of which have vicious ends which take delight in slashing ones hands to bits). Across the strings are a number of bars with dampers on which stop the strings which are not in the relevant chord(if you get my drift). it is tuned chromatically mostly and is a real pain to tune.But it has an amazing sound which makes up for tuning it. My accoustic harps have 12 bars, my electric (mono) one has 21 bars as did the stereo one I used with Fairport (sadly I think that was destroyed in the crash). I used to have a great beast of a harp that had about 42 bars which I used to play on stage but it used to weigh about a ton and now lives in my sister's attic.

I have played at Croppers in 1981,1982 1997 and 2002 and will always play when asked, but as I don't perform otherwise it's always very scary and nerves do get the better of me...(so I go for the sympathy vote....)

Highlights with Fpt. Well, so many, because it was the first time for all of us at the time each gig was usually something we'd never done before and therefore memorable. Mostly it was just great fun and I just seem to remember giggling most of the time.

No Sandy and I didn't overlap at all, in fact I only really met her once at her flat when we drank mead and swapped jokes. I was humbled by her talent.

Ces...

Brian the Wire(Wyvill) lived next door to Ashley and was at school with Richard He wasalways messing around inventing things so I suggested we made a silent hand-clapping machine. Which was a box with two sticks coming out of it with paper hands on the ends which clapped but never met. The whole thing was probably powered by a small electric motor which made more noise than the hands. It was a very silly thing indeed. But then Richard sent Simon a fried egg in an envelope as a birthday card once. (It may have been the other way round) and that was even sillier......

You must be yolk-ing? :o :) :-X
Sounds good fun, Jude! Did you ever read Kinglsey Abbott's "Fairportfolio' BTW? And if so, what did you think of it?
Cheers, Carey

Yes of course. Kingsley's an old friend (in fact married to Brian the Wire's sister).
I loved Fairportfolio. It was a very accurate report of the olden days! I ring him when I've forgotten stuff and he usually knows the answers.

I saw Fairport the first time way back in mid '68 but cannot recall if you were still with the band or Sandy had joined... it was that very weird gig where FC played at Parliament Hill Fields with Jefferson Airplane... totally peed with rain... skinheads tried to break up the fun but the drowned and the sodden were already heading off... was that you or Sandy? And I still have a copy of the Ribbon Bow 45rpm!!! Must see if I can get you to sign it the next Cropredy you attend!

By the way it's really good of you to answer all these questions! Many thanks Judy!
Jack O Diamonds

Hallo Jack O'D

That would have been Sandy I'm pretty sure. I don't think I ever played on the same bill as Jefferson A.
Thinking about it, it sounds like a real pain of a gig.I'm quite glad I wasn't there!!
I'll be happy to sign things if people don't mind lugging them along to Cropredy!

Jude

I just say that's a pleasure to read you, Judy - if you came across Italy in vacation please don't forget autoharp, my hammer dulcimer is eager to meet her (is an autoharp a girl?).
I enjoy indeed, then: another question: which way did "your" Fairport choose - and did find - the song to record and perform?
Thanks in advance, Paolo

Hi Paolo

My autoharp's very old and grumpy these days!
Amongst the friends of the band were several people,Richard Lewis and Kingsley to name but two, who were very keen album collectors especially American Imports. Many a time was spent listening to these and trying to play them. Richard & Mimi Farina, Eric Anderson, Love etc. Actually there was a hugely eclectic mix of personal tastes involved and we listened to just everything and anything, and if someone said what does that sound like played on a mandolin or autoharp, or whatever, we just tried it. If it sounded good we used it. Then when Joe Boyd got involved of course he had access to unreleased demos like Joni Mitchell or Dylan so we'd try them out too. Jazz concerts, blues, traditional folk, American folk - there were so many pubs with little clubs attached to them. One night it would be a folk club and two days later it would be a blues'n'soul club. Same place, same audiences. So it was really a vast rich seam of musical treasures which we dipped into. Anyway that was in my 'era'. It altered and evolved later.

Quote

and if someone said what does that sound like played on a mandolin or autoharp, or whatever, we just tried it. If it sounded good we used it.

Similar to me with Kellie (my melodeon). I play a lot of Eagles stuff.
Otts

Are your Greyhounds into Fairport/Trader Horne/etc.? How did you get into looking after greyhounds...?
Otts

The greyhounds will happily fall asleep to any music. My previous two, Pharoah and Kymo, would follow my daughter to the piano and lie at her feet for hours while she played. They also liked going to church to pick her up after choir practice where they'd plonk themselves down on the cold marble floor and wouldn't get up until the singing stopped.
I didn't have any opinion on greyhounds at all until 8 years ago. We'd always had little dogs (lhasa apsos) and then a little black mongrel. When she died my daughter and I went to a local animal sanctuary to find another little black thing and there were too many to choose from. As it was raining we said 'let's go and shelter by the greyhounds 'cos we won't want one of them' and instantly fell deeply in love with two of them. Pharoah a huge golden boy and Kymo a blue girl. We took Pharoah home thinking 'what have we done?' But he was so quiet and gentle that a few months later after I'd sung at Cropredy we went back and got Kymo, and thus began my besottedness with greyhounds. As a breed they are massively badly treated in many countries - check out the 'greyhounds in need' website - but they do make wonderful pets.
They need 20 minutes walk per day and they spend 23 out of 24 hours asleep (on the couch preferably), Because they are sight hounds they won't see a cat or a rabbit unless it moves, but anything running past them brings out the chase instinct and sadly they are more likely to catch than most other breeds. When running off the lead I always muzzle them - just in case.
Pharoah and Kymo are both gone now and I have Tiggy instead. I like to have the older dogs (7 years+), I know I don't have them for long, 12 years is average for ex-racers and 14 for non racers. I must stop burbling now!!

Jude

Hi Jude, just wondering are there any songs by other artists you would like to cover? And, is there any of your own material you would ever fancy re-doing: in a different style/tempo etc.
Cheers, Carey

PS - Many thanks for all the answers you have given so far - really interesting/good fun :D

Thankyou for your comments. I'm really enjoying doing this. On re-reading my last answer I've decided that it all sounds a bit tragic really!! Hee hee.

The thing is, I have been out of singing for so many years that I don't really listen to anything with a view to singing it myself nor of re-working any old stuff. To be perfectly honest my entire career seems to me to have been accidental - being in a certain place with certain people at certain times and what has come out of those occasions has mostly worked very well. And it's been fun to do.
This may sound a bit big-headed -(its not meant to be)- but I seem to have been a sort of catalyst for the people I've worked with to go on to do better things. I may cross that last bit out. No I won't, but I'd better stop before I get befuddled...........

Jude

You may have answered somewhere already but humour me... are you going to be at Cropredy this year? I realise you will not be playing (although the "Old Fairport" set that Friday night a couple of years ago was the by far the BEST set in years... and I mean years!) but just wondered.
Jack O Diamonds

Yes I will hopefully be lurking around the field somewhere (providing I'm given a ticket or two - takes me ages to pluck up courage to ask for any!). If you see me please say hello and who you are. For instance, unless Amethyst appears as a large crystal I shan't know who she is.
I really enjoyed being back on stage with the originals, it was almost like the years between hadn't happened and we were all 18 again.

For me one of the highlights of Croppers 2002 was to see you sing on "Time Will Show the Wiser" down at the Mill warm ups. I always thought that was a stand out track on the first album and should have been a hit single. Was it ever considered as a single at the time?
Tony

I don't remember TWSTW being considered as a single although it was probably the most 'poppy' song we did. It does seem to have a different 'feel' to the rest of the album.
I don't think we really considered the singles charts at that time, certainly I didn't anyway (I can't remember thinking about anything seriously at that time it was all too amazing for words).
You'd probably need to ask Ashley that sort of thing (she said - passing the buck....)

Hi, Judy - I'm really enjoying this session of talk awhile - thanks for giving us your time (and for introducing the description "wibbly")!
So - question(s) - do you have any regrets about giving up singing as a career? You say - with justification - that you seem to have been a catalyst for people to go onto bigger things - are there any regrets that they didn't take you with them? For instance, I think that King Crimson with you as lead vocalist could have been really interesting and who knows where that could have lead? Dyble, Emerson and Palmer maybe ;).
Barry

Thank you Barry, I'm very happy to be doing this. It's stopping me having to think about selling my house and downsizing and clearing out cupboards. So anything to delay thinking about that. The loft can wait!
Wibble is a good word isn't it, let's see if it can get in the OED!

I have no regrets about anything really.The singing career sort of gave me up rather than the other way round. I wasn't that keen on touring my head always seemed to end up full of cornflakes and cotton wool, and having a family meant I didn't want to be away. Simon started a tape duplication business so we ran that together all day, all year, and before I knew it the time had flown. Life is full of 'what ifs' - if I'd stayed with GG&F and been part of King Crimson I'd probably be very deaf by now and I wouldn't have met other musicians or been half of Trader Horne or...... etc. So who knows... Dyble, Emerson and Palmer! Crikey the mind boggles.

There was one single in the 70s that started with a jaws harp solo! Can't for the life of me remember what it was - possibly Medicine Head? Thanks for all the time you've taken answering questions Judy.
Paul

I did a google for you, very little came up... have you ever considered setting yourself up a website?
Otts

Paul,
Medicine Head!!! Gosh there's a blast from the past. Remember the name but not anything about them. I shall look them up. Thanks for being kind.

Sir Otto,
I found all sorts of stuff I'd forgotten about when I googled me (Sorry, I couldn't think how else to phrase that!).
I wouldn't have the foggiest idea how to set up a website!!

If you're interested I can advise.
Otts

If you can use Word, it doesn't take much to learn Front Page, and you can set up a web page with that. I can do the mechanics, but I have zero artistic ability.
Have a look at www.jeromes.org or http://homepage.ntlworld.com/paul.jerome/html/hlo.htm for examples. These were both knocked up very quickly, just to learn how to use the programme.
Paul

Thank you both for your help.

Jude

Hi Jude.
Great to see/hear you at Cropredy 2002.Any chance of you rejoining?
frogcrutches

Hello Mr Frogcrutches

Glad you enjoyed it!
No I shouldn't think there's any chance at all, not with me anyway. The music's evolved from my day. (Grief that makes me sound ancient!)
I am trying to get to grips with being a psychedelic-ambient-techno person at the moment anyway

They do have quite a few guest female singers - lovely Vicky Clayton and Cathy Lesurf to name just two - so they would have plenty to choose from. They haven't had one for so long now I would think it's not on the cards, but then you never can tell what they're going to do next.

Can you tell us more about the Psychedelic Ambient Techno thing please?
Cheers, Nick

O yeah, We need to know more, Paolo

okie dokie Paolo and Nick, here we go:

I was contacted by Marc Swordfish of Astralasia shortly after Cropredy 2002. He said he'd always liked my voice on the Trader Horne album and would I be willing to do some singing if he sent up some demos. Having made sure that he realised that my 18 year old voice was a bit different to my 5 year old voice, I agreed (this might be a hoot, I thought). The demos were completely different to anything I'd heard before, (remember that I haven't actually listened to very much since punk began and then I got left behind as it were) "Just sing what you feel " he said. So I did.

The rest of Astralasia consists of Simon House- violin (ex-David Bowie, 3rd ear band, High Tide and Hawkwind); Stevie B - sax, David Gates - Guitar (Salt Tank, Patient Saints) and Peter Pracownik - guitar (ex-Pink Fairies and fantasy artist extraordinaire!).

The only one I've met yet has been Marc, who appears with his lap-top and microphone - records my vocals, disappears away and sends me wonderful mixes by post. I am so impressed by it all I can't tell you.

We have aanother couple of tracks to do, Peter is doing the sleeve artwork, and it should be ready for release later in the year. All we've got to do is think up a name. Anyway I think it's brilliant and totally different to anything I've done before.....

I'll post details on 'Announce' when it's ready ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Jude

Astralasia look like a psychedelic gourmet supergroup ... looking forward hearing from you and them. Paolo

Just a small warning- it does have quite an electronic/techno slant that being what Astralasia do, so it might not be whats expected as a folk thing and therefore might not appeal to people but anyway we'll see.
Anyway I like it (defiant!)
Jude

In my experience mixing older stuff with dance beats can yield to some excellent results. Alan Stivell has been pretty successful in that area. He even had a hit in France a few years ago with a techno version of his perenial "Tri Matelots" - although as he wasn't involved in the remix he then threatened to take the guys who did it to court!
Frightening! Someone can actually turn up at your house and record your voice on a laptop. That's all you need! And I remember when 8 track was "that thar new fangled technology". Tony

It's quite scary isn't it? Especially when they post off a fully mixed track that sounds amazing!

Ooh it's all too clever for words!

Jude

If my memory serves me correct I think it was 1982 when Mr Hutchings said to you something on the lines of "What song shall we sing Judy?" and you replied something like "how about the one we've been practising all week?" which I thought was a great line :) Mind you the PA then proceeded to make life about as difficult as it could IIRC...
jimc

Oh yes- tee hee hee! Well remembered Mr jimc (sorry - inadvertant rhyme there-must be Sir Otto's influence)
That was at Broughton Castle wasn't it?. No it wasn't I just looked it up. You are right, the P.A. was playing up somewhat. I don't remember if they had stage monitors in those days, but I do remember having terrible problems with feedback. I think Simon asked that question and Peggy was playing bass, which was very loud that year and reverberated right through my bones!!!

Sorry if I was a tad defensive but talking to Marc yesterday, he'd had some comments that maybe the collaboration wasn't 'folkie' enough to appeal. I ask you - since when have I been really 'folkie'? and what is 'folkie' anyway? (No, don't go there it's already been done to death in another thread or 90)
Jude

P.S. Why can't my compioutery sprelll? (And do'n't say sprellingy chrequergers!!)

edukashun edukashun edukashun
reading, riting and rithmetic
don't those two rather defeat their own objectives?

I know Dave Pegg stubbornly refuses to be called a folkie
Otts

Dear Judy / All
in order to make clear what is folk music, I would like to recall that the irish folk arpist "par ecellence", Turlough O'Carolan considered himself as a new stuff composer with a sole aim: mix irish traditional mood with the influence of his favourite contemporary artist, i.e. Arcangelo Corelli.
Best, Paolo

Hi Jude. Just wondering: how does it compare when you play the Banbury Mill warm-ups & the Cropredy Festival in the same week?
Which, if either, do you prefer? And, what do you do when your stint is done? Do you watch the rest of the show? Or go and catch up with old friends etc?
Cheers, Carey

Hi Ces,
When I did the1997 Crops, I wasn't even aware that I would be doing warm-ups at the Mill, so the fingernails got chewed even more. The first rehearsal at Woodworm had been very odd because I hadn't seen Ashley, Richard or Simon (or indeed anyone) in the previous 15 years so it all felt a bit stiff at first. Then came the rehearsal at the Mill when I suddenly remembered ' how to do it' and by the evening when the whole place was full of devoted fairporters the atmosphere was wonderful and it felt really good to be there (hence cheesy grins on photographs). This gave me confidence for the actual festival. I had hoped I'd be on at night so that I wouldn't have to see the audience but no it was still daylight. But the sea of smiling faces was just so welcoming and fabulous.

So therefore;
Mill - being cuddled by a warm (hot)blanket
Cropredy - just pure friendliness ( very difficult to describe)
No preference to either the feel is so different at each

When my bit's over I usually float around on a bit of a high and then disappear back into the audience to my family and think 'Blimey was that me? Did I really do that?'

And then a couple of days later I'll be back shelving books in the Library watching people come in with Fairport T shirts thinking 'I wonder if they know they're wearing my name on their back'

Jude who must now go and hoover the carpet.

(Thinks why do I only find spelling mistakes after I've posted)

Hi there Judy!
I'm in the midst of reading the King Crimson book 'In the Court of King Crimson' and it mentions that after your time with Fairport Convention and before you joined Giles, Giles & Fripp that yourself and Ian McDonald started writing songs. Can you recall whether or not any of these were completed?
Best wishes, Philip

Oh ho ho Philip

That book has just about the worst ever photo of me I've ever seen! I haven't read it yet, Sid Smith promised me a copy but hasn't sent one. I've only glanced through it in a bookshop and gone away blushing.

Anyway to your question. Sorry I don't recall any of the songs so we probably didn't finish them or they were unmemorable. That whole time is really tangled up and blurred in my memory, but stuff does surface from time to time.

Whether I've remembered it correctly is another thing, but then I didn't really expect to have to remember it at the time (Am I going round in circles and disappearing into a black hole here? Aaa-a-argh)

Jude

Those geordies have got dreadful memories!! I recently asked Peter Sinfield if there were any unreleased/recorded McDonald/Sinfield songs and he said no, but then remembered recording a demo(before G,G&F) one of the songs was entitled 'Springtime Song' which, he believes, Ian still has an acetate of! Perhaps you sang on this demo!?

No, I'm sorry I don't think I did. Must have been just Ian and Pete who were friends long before I met them, I'll ask Ian when I next talk to him.

Ok, thanks Jude!
For those that are interested, here's a link to an interesting article by a flautist called Ian Cameron about meeting Nick Drake, with a brief mention of Judy, Ian McDonald and Dorris Henderson etc:
http://www.algonet.se/~iguana/DRAKE/meetingnick.html
Love & light, Philip

Hi phillip
Just looked at that article
Crikey what a tangled old lot we were to be sure!

I'm sure every band from that era can be linked to one another in some way. The music scene of that time especially in London just sounds so amazing! Would you ever consider doing a tour again or a few gigs, maybe with a small band or something, I think you'd be surpirised at how popular it would be?
Here's another link to a rare pic of Trader Horne and others for the Hollywood Festival May 1970:

http://tinpan.fortunecity.com/ebony/546/hollysupport.html

Would I be right in saying that Trader Horne had split just before this?

Yup absolutely. Our management were furious at me. Quite rightly. I can't for the life of me remember why we split, although I think it was me having some tantrum (unusually for me) I have felt quite guilty for leaving Jackie in the lurch but I don't remember the details. I don't think I could cope with touring again (see my previous comments somewhere in this thread) but you never know. I might say yes accidentally at some stage...

Still, we have the beautiful Morning Way LP to enjoy, I wonder if there are any live recordings of the band in existance, it'd be interesting to hear those songs, to hear how they differ from the studio versions.
I'd imagine that touring wouldn't be so demanding in comparison to the 60's, what with the improved transport etc... but, if you ever need a guitarist/flautist...
Philip

...or a melodeon player...
Otts

What an extraordinary band this would be.

I'll only tour when my daughter invents the anti-gravity handbag. I've been nagging her ever since she started studying Physics. Judging by this band we might need to hi-jack the Tardis as well...

How strange modern life is...
here I am listening to Judy singing circa 1969, whilst talking on a computer in 2004.
yeh, the tardis!

(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000086O5.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg)

Is this a reissue, or has the stock been shifting somewhat slowly? Ok it's a reissue. The reviews are good.
Otts

Quote from: Review 1 of 2
I first heard this music when I was a freshman in college (more than 30 years ago!) My original album bit the dust long ago (from so much use.) I just bought the CD as it was first choice to help celebrate my upcoming 25th wedding anniversary. The music is whimsical and romantic. It transports you to another place and captures your imagination!

Quote from: Review 2 of 2 (from Israel)
You don't have to be a fan of late 60's British Folk to like this album (but if you are - this is an absolute must!). We're talking shimmering beauty. Judy Dyble's voice is as clear and haunting as in Fairport Convetion's debut. Every song is a gem, and they are all connected with delicate passages that add to the over all heavenly feel of this masterpiece. Morning Way is A burried treasure that deserves new recognition.

The latter I think. One of the slower growing legends!!!

Jude

Forgive me if this is too personnal... but have you encountered any problems with royalties from such re-issues etc?
Bands like The Small Faces have had to battle in the courts to get what is rightfully theirs.
Philip

I lost track of royalties years ago. Current stuff's okay, but the older stuff brings in pennies (literally sometimes) in dribs and drabs. If I nag the right people, when I can find them, some stuff filters through, otherwise it turns up when it turns up. I don't hold my breath....

Sigh :( One of the worst things about being a musician... always the last to get paid, if at all!
Thanks for answering all these questions Jude :)
Philip

It's a pleasure.
Jude

I've never been paid for my music in my life. I suppose a good few charities have benefited though.
Paul

Other than the Cropredy appearances, when was the last time you performed live?
Did you participate in any other music projects after leaving Trader Horne?
So many questions, your poor brain must be aching with all this backtracking! ???
Philip

Quote

okie dokie Paolo and Nick here we go

I was contacted by Marc Swordfish of Astralasia shortly after Cropredy 2002. .....
.... I'll post details on 'Announce' when it's ready

Jude

Sorry, I blinked and missed this reply. Thanks very much, it all sounds very interesting. I'm a bit of a fan of ambient techno-ed folk, particularly with female vocals so I shall look forward to this. (For others in the genre try Jennifer Folker with Banco De Gaia or Sarah McLachlan with Delerium (the original work though not the horrible speeded up dancey remixes that came out recently...))
Keep us posted!
Cheers, Nick

Thanks Nick, for those suggestions. Young friends I've played the new stuff to have said 'chill- out room' ??? So I guess it's not speeded up. (Older friends have just said 'Blimey that's not you is it?')

Hi Philip,
It's good for my brain to get a work-out, its turned to sludge recently. After Trader Horne I met up with Lol Coxhill and Steve and Phil Miller (from Delivery) and guess what we were called? Yup! Dyble, Coxhill and the Miller Brothers! (or sometimes Penguin Dust). We did a short tour of Holland and a couple of English gigs along with whichever other of their friends was available' (possibly Roy Babbington, Laurie Allen) and then fizzled out. That was a much more jazzy combination and I remember them all with great fondness. Sadly Steve Miller died recently.

Arriving at Geneva Airport after doing the 'Bouton Rouge' TV thing in Paris the day before,en route to play at the Montreux Golden Rose Awards. We were a bit surprised to find a brass band on the tarmac and a lot of people dressed in Edwardian/Victorian clothes. We then discovered we'd arrived at the same moment as the Sherlock Holmes Appreciation Society going to re-enact the death of Moriarty at the Rohrbach Falls. So that was odd!

With Jackie McAuley, doing a thing for Grampian TV and being fogbound at Aberdeen Airport. While waiting we sat outside with Cat Stevens (also on the show) while he played songs from his new album 'Tea for the Tillerman) with us inventing harmonies with the fog swirling round.... That was magical.

My last gig with Fairport- a huge stadium just outside Rome with Ten Years After and others.(can't remember who else). The stadium was so vast the echo of my voice came back seconds after I'd sung, so it was like singing harmonies.

After the gig I flung down the harp and flounced out in a really dramatic exit- then had to flounce back again 'cause I didn't have my air ticket home........

Other than that, a couple of appearances in my village pantomime (once as a Rat and once as Mandy Rice Krispie of the Silver Scissors Saloon).

I've got a question for all you nice helpful things.

In 1970 Trader Horne did a gig at the 'Temple' in Wardour Street and it was filmed by Granada Television for a documentary called "Wardour St: Celluloid City of Dreams" (good title eh?).

Being in the days long before video we watched the programme when it was shown on TV, but never heard of it again. Is there anyone who knows if or how I can get a copy of it?

Jude

Hi Jude. GarethWR is probably THE man to ask about the Trader Horne prog (if anyone could find details I'm sure he could) ;).
Cheers, Carey

Didn't someone on the Fairport list recently catalogue all the Fairport film clips that still exist in the Granada vaults Ces? Was that Gareth?
Tony

Hi Tone/Jude/all. Yep, I think I'm right in saying that GarethWR works in TV (hence the recent sounds of Angel Delight/End of A Holiday for the "Cold Feet' trailers - and I think I heard a snippet of Jim Moray the other day! ;D )).
Anyway, he very kindly listed Fairport appearances on Granada programmes (see Si Tu Dois Partir thread on the FC Board. And, I'm sure that if copies of the Trader Horne prog can be obtained, he'd be the chap to tell you how! :D
Cheers, Carey

Could you sum up (in five words per person!) yourself & your Fairport colleagues (the ones you have met - from Ashley to Peggy, from Richard to Ric)!
Cheers, Carey

Cor Crikey thats a hard question Ces!! I shall have to go away and think about that. Really really think. I shall return.....

.....this is really difficult to answer. The original members I knew well, obviously, but only up to 35 years ago. The current members I've only met for minutes at a time in recent years but I'll have a go:

Ashley: Subtle Farthinker Enthusiast Charismatic Bossy(not really)

Simon: Kind Courteous Friendly Witty Underestimated

Richard: Quiet Shy Masterofthewittymutteredaside Tall Longbonyfingered

Martin: Small Curleyheaded Weatherforecastingpoet("Dog sit on Feet, Bad Weather we shall Meet...") Sadly Missed

Ian: Cool Fashionable Sparkly Verygoodatsinginghighnotes Giggly

All of the above: Sideachinglyfunny Charismatic Disgracefullyovertalented GladIknewthem

Me :Tall Elegant Serious Methodical Tidy (Ha ha not really; actually Small Scruffy Batty Accidental Messy)

As I say it's hard to describe the current members so I'll do a sort of general thing: Kind Friendly Warm Funny Disgustinglyovertalented

Is that Ok?

Jude

The "five word descriptions" were not OK Jude: they were marvellous ;D.
Cheers, Carey

Quote

What an extraordinary band this would be.

What about a special international guest on Hammered Dulcimer?
Best Cheers, Paolo

Fantastic! Even harder to tune than an autoharp I should think. Wonderful Sound though!
Jude

Many MANY thanks. (yes, harder than autoharp to tune, I suppose, but even harder for me to play in tune, I must confess).
Paolo

Does a hammer dulcimer have a stand, or is it played on your knees as it were?
I have an appalachian dulcimer that I used to play but it kept falling off my lap. I don't think Blu-tack was invented then otherwise I might have tried it.

You stand behind a hammer dulcimer to play it. It is a bit like the inside of a piano.
Paul

There's a brilliant Chinese duo, one of whom plays a h/dulc. Brilliant stuff. Shame that they've moved into playing "Eurpoean ugh" recently.
Otts

We went to see the Bursledon Village Band on Saturday (brilliant). They used to use a hammer dulcimer in the interval. Havn't seen it for a few years though.
Paul

Dear Judy / Members All, fond lovers of Hammered Dulcimer
Better play with a stand, no doubt. Mine is actually a sinth stand forgotten in the Castle by italian folk-rock act Ciapa Rusa (great stuff, unfortunately they disbanded soon after, allowing me to keep the stand).
The model I (try to) play is a cheap one from Michigan, simpler than east-european, Persian, Indian and Chinese versions (all different one from another). In my website there is a Hammer Dulcimer page: the page is in italian, but all the related links are to english language sites
Here's the link: http://www.paologalloni.it/Dulcimer.html
All the DulciBest, Paolo

How many people have tried doctoring the inside of a piano? i.e. sticking drawing pins on the hammers to make a jingly-jangly sound. It sounds great but is very labour-intensive.
P.S probably best not tried on a Steinway or Bechstein............
Jude

Have tried it on a school piano when the music teacher is not looking! Laying paper on the strings of a grand has a similar effect.
Paul

Certainly does. There were a few pianos in a few Student Union Halls in a few Universities around the country with doctored pianos after Fpt had played at them (then I ran out of drawing pins).
It was very odd doing the Uni rounds with my children and trying to remember if I'd played at them in my youth.....
Jude

As very naughty children of ten, not realising how much damage it would do, ~~me and some friends~~ some kids in my class stuffed the clothes from the drama cupboard into the piano as an April Fools prank.
That lovely blind man with the soft dog came in the next week ;)
Raynah

Hi Jude,
This isn't a question, more of a fan letter! First heard Fpt 1st album 1968, friends and self played to death, lost touch with your music for 13 years, then there you were at Broughton Castle, and I've looked forward to subsequent appearances (Cropredy 1997/2002 - unbelievable). Reading this thread has sort of made me 19 again, isn't it fab. John Peel! Electric autoharps! Time Will Show the Wiser! ;D ;D ;D. Better go for a cocoa and calm down. Hope to see you down the field at Croppers and will say hello if I can pluck up the courage.
Cheers - Ed

Oh please pluck up courage and do so. I'm quite shy myself so if you stammer "hello I'm edthe folkie" (or even edith folkie as I keep misreading it) I'll stammer back at you. This applies to anyone - I bet I'm shyer than any of you lot!!

Except when talking about greyhounds, Judy! You had qiuite a conversation with my wife at Cropredy 2002 (who didn't realise who you were - sorry :( ) whilst I gibbered shyly in the background.
Barry

Ah well - greyhounds. I am besotted, you may have noticed!! All I can say is don't gibber quietly any more say hello then I can put faces to names to really weird cartoons!! (raynah!!!!!)

Shhhhh! That's not a cartoon, Judy! :o ....She's from Birmingham :o ....I'll say no more :-X.
Carey

Just look for jumping badgers, penguins and pirates eh then?
Jude

Hey, Ma, I'll look for the pirates while you look for the penguins. Jumping badgers should be easy to spot, even at Cropredy! And if you think Jude's besotted with greyhounds, well you're wrong! She's obsessed!

Uh, maybe. :-\ Sort of... :-[

Jude, mum whatever I should call you here, why don't you get a picture of Tiggy and stick it up as your face? Then everyone can make a beeline for the dog at Cropredy and congratulate her for being such a star and you can quietly gibber away in the corner or something... ;) ;D
The Neff

'ey oop, two Dybles?
Otts

Yes, she's my daughter
Jude

Mum, you should not have let me sign up to this site! Chaos will probably follow in my wake!
The Neff

Have you seen the recent remastered 1st Fairport CD? There are some great pics of your good self and the rest of the band in the booklet... such groovy clothes! Everyone looks so sweet and innocent, heh!
Philip

Well, we mostly were. It was the first time I'd seen the photo with me in the long dress. We'd hired it especially for the Saville Theatre gig with the Pink Floyd, so that was a real treat. I thought Ashley's sleeve notes really summed up that whole time perfectly.

That is one mighty dress!
Hmmm, my ex-girlfriend has an uncanny resemblance to you during this period (complete with purple velvet jacket), which makes looking at the pics a strange thing for me! :o
I love the humour in Ashley's sleeve notes :).
Philip

Coo!! Dunno what to say to that!!!

Ashley is an all-round-good-egg isn't he?

Jude

I got bought for me an old 12 bar autoharp. It looks real old, as do the strings. Tis quite a strange thing to play... I'm struggling to get used to the proper way of playing it, so I sometimes just set it on my lap!
Did you buy your one's already set up for 'electric' playing?
Philip

The first one was accoustic and I think Brian the wire probably modified it with a pick-up.
The second one was a stereo solid body electric imported from America by Rose-Morris.
The standard way to play one is flat on your lap, but someone said hold it up and use a claw-hammer guitar technique so I tried that. Vibrations in the ear!!

Good grief, I almost sound as if I know what I'm talking about here!

Oh, so you're supposed to cross your hands, as in press the chord buttons with the left hand whilst strumming with your right?
Philip

*Tries it out mentally*

Yup that's right. You sort of cuddle it, as it were! Play the top part of the autoharp. It'll make your hands ache for a bit, and mind your arm on the string ends. Sharp pointy bits. Try that and tell me if it works ok?

Got it... I'll get practicing tomorrow, thanks!
Online lessons with Jude. Hehehe ;)
Philip

I knew there was something I'd forgotten to say. I always used metal fingerpicks and thumbpick. Otherwise your fingers hurt too!

Jude

Did you use this 'tac piano' thing on the fairport album, the track 'Portfolio' in particular?
Philip

Oh yes so we did! .....or did we?
I think Pink Floyd had done a session there before us and the piano was badly in need of tuning and on re-listening to the track I can't work out whether we did or not. Sorry!

However - Trivia Corner - I played harmonium on Ribbon Bow but because my feet wouldn't reach the bellows-pedals, Martin had to lay on the floor and work them..........

Jude

I didn't realise you were that short Jude :P.
Martin Lamble, what a beautiful drummer he was! :'(
I found this: http://www.philmiller-incahoots.co.uk/millerbiog/main.htm Is that you in the Delivery picture, or Carol Grimes? It's a pity there aren't any recordings of this group, it'd be interesting to hear you in a jazzy context!
Philip

That's Carol Grimes.

Hi Jude,
Newbie snagglepop here. First may I say it's an honour to be communicating with you - thank you for taking the time.
My question is about Martin Lamble - do you have any special memories of him. Listening to the stuff he played on, he sounded like a seasoned pro but was very young.
Thanks, snagglepop (a.k.a. simon)

Hallo snagglepop simon

He was a very lovable person with the drollest sense of humour. His drumming was very subtle with a very sure sense of what would fit a particular song.

He wore a very silly hat and like the rest of us (except Ian) had very little fashion sense. ( Maybe we thought we did!!)

As Kingsley Abbott relates in 'Fairportfolio' Martin wrote 'SWAG' on the bag he always carried his drum beaters and towel in and when stopped by police, had a hard time convincing them that he wasn't about to rob someone...

He was very young and very very talented. What a waste!

Hello Jude,
I'm afraid I hadn't heard of you until I read (the now mythical) Jonas' signature ... which were some beautiful lyrics written by you.
Having been through all of these pages now I see that you only perform at Cropredy. I would LOVE to be able to sing well and I find it such a shame that people that can don't.
Do you not just get the urge to sing/perform Or does the need to keep nails on the end of fingers really get in the way.
And .. I'm probably as shy as you
How about writing? Do you still write? Again, it is a shame if you have such talent but don't use it.
I dont think I've seen you in poetry corner... how about visiting?
How do you express yourself creatively now?
Linda.

Hallo Linda,
I hadn't heard much of me either!. The thing is, when I stopped singing and moved and had babies, the years sort of galloped by and I think that to give a decent performance you have to be constantly practising and playing with other musicians. Otherwise you go rusty. Like I did. And after a bit it gets harder to get back into it all.
Touring was never my favourite thing and I couldn't just take off and leave my family and pootle about the country a) because we were running a business andb) Simon was so disorganised (lovely but disorganised..) it would have been chaos at home and I would have been unable to concentrate on performing properly.

So....it all became a distant memory... That's why when I did Cropredy I'd sort of lost the knack... Therefore the performances were ok but not as good as I 'd have liked.
When I did go to Cropredy as a non performer, my heart ached to be doing it all again so I never lost the urge just the practicalities.
I am writing now for this new project and that's very satisfying. I may post some doggerel in Poetry corner......

Jude

Jude has written lyrics to some tunes by the guy from Astralasia. Some of them are very poignant, especially the lyrics about her previous lurchers. Plus she's written some other absolutely cracking lyrics. (what's it called, Stardust? I can't remember :o)
Maybe she could share them with us? Of course it might be better (or worse!) to wait til the CD comes out!
Jude has a lovely voice. But she gets stagefright really easily. I'd love to see her on stage again at Cropredy, but it's up to her and the band to decide that, I'd guess.
As for the rest of it, I'll let her speak for herself!
The Neff :)

Don't mention lurchers. I can't listen to "leanin" all the way through without blubbing :'(. It would be nice if Jude could sing at Cropredy again, but obviously it would be up to her. It would be lovely to hear her. Perhaps if we all packed the front row with our smiling faces it would lessen the stage fright.
Paul

A Folk club? I don't believe Ms Dyble has ever been a folk singer have you? Fairport was a *proper* rock band when you were in it - at least I presume so, what did Fairport describe themselves as back then, I know the phrase rock band was in by '72 when I started making noise in company :)
jimc

Helloee JImc,

The first band I was ever in went by the exciting name of (ahem!) Judy and the Folkmen :-[ :-[ :-[ so I guess I was a bit of a folksinger. The fellow whose band it was, was very into Woody Guthrie/Pete Seeger (well it was 1964) and our only public gig was for the Hornsey Conservative Association's 'Candlelight Soiree' (eat your heart out Hyacinth Bucket- I was there first).
This was when Peter Paul and Mary were the height of folk - pre Dylan/Baez and English Folk was the domain of the rock climbing fraternity.
There were many folk clubs in the area and anyone could pitch up and sing anything so I frequently did, usually to prove I could remember the words of whatever song I'd just learnt and adapted for the autoharp (can you imagine Bert Jansch's 'Strolling Down The Highway' on autoharp? Well I managed a sort of version).
So I guess I did start out as a folk singer. I don't know that Fairport really described themselves as anything then, they were capable of playing almost any style that took their fancy. I don't know if this answers your question. Ask more if it doesn't!

Jude

What can we say?
Judy - you are a complete star. Thanks for all the time that you have taken to respond to the questions - and thanks for giving us lots of laughs along the way. I’m so glad that you’ve felt able to get involved with the rest of the board, too. Please do stay amongst us - look forward to meeting you at Cropredy (where I won’t gibber … well … not too much, anyway ;))
Cheers, Barry

Are you going to wear one of those blinking fez things then - otherwise we wont know who you are :D.
mik

No I will positively not be wearing a fez - I hate hats. Mind you I had to buy one last year (hat not fez) beacuse it was so hot.
Tell you what - you all wear them and I'll find you. If I see someone wearing a fez I'll just say "eecummingses" to them. If they reply with "Allfalldown" then I'll know it's one of you lot. If they don't then my reputation as a mad old bat will continue....

Jude.

More and more people have greyhounds and there seem to be a growing number at Cropredy. They are usually not aggressive and very tolerant of other dogs. I spent an hour in that really hot sun last year with a loose greyhound trying to find out whose it was (turned out to belong to one of the traders in the end). I left Tiggy in the shade with those very nice people from the Ledge so she was ok, I had to go home with sunstroke(came back later though).

Tiggy is a dark brindle (sort of stripey tabby effect) with chocolate ears tail and feet (and eyes). If she's lying on her back she's grey. We'll find you I'm sure. A pocket full of cheese straws will have her homing in.

What colour is she Jude?
What a stupid question... I spose she'll be... errr... grey?
Amy

Actually I don't think I've ever seen a grey greyhound, so not such a stupid question.

Jude

TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

TalkAwhile => Talked Awhile : 2003-05 => Topic started by: MAJ on March 09, 2004, 11:29:53 PM