TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

I read on Ashley's site that he is working on a "Gloucester Docks Revisited and other tales of love" double CD project for release in the summer!! I'll never forget his All Stars tour in 1988, seeing the Colchester, Royton and Islington gigs. A reprise for the new album would be wonderful!

Very interesting - there's a strong case for "By Gloucester Docks..." to be Ashley's masterpiece. At the very least it's one of the most important albums he's ever made, any news of a revival is very welcome !

I'm ashamed to say I've never heard it, possibly even heard of it.

Dan, would you care to expand upon your 'strong case' to try and convince me...?

It's the true story of a doomed love affair between our hero (AH) and someone who cannot be named - an affair that's requited but for various reasons cannot continue.

The music is emotional and expansive featuring luminaries such as Phil Beer, Pete Zorn, Graeme Taylor, Dave Mattacks, Polly Bolton and Christine Collister, and spoken passages from actors Michael Pennington and Marilyn Cutts. Songs such as "Dancing Under The Rose - Again" and "Brief Encounters" underline the raw emotions AH has been brave enough to put on show.

If you can get hold of the CD-ROM of Brian Hinton & Geoff Wall's superb AH biography "Always Chasing Rainbows", part 2 of The Guv'nor, there's a whole chapter devoted to the story and making of this album.

On the back of Talking Elephant's 2013 reissue of the album :

"When I first heard this wonderful piece I knew I was hearing something that was not just heartfelt and personal, but beautiful, original, and fresh. 26 years on I have still heard nothing remotely like it."
Simon Nicol

"This is an album that should be on every shelf. Heroic writing from Ashley and the haunting voice of one of England's most beautiful singers, Polly Bolton. The performances throughout are exceptional whilst the narrative reaches into the heart and gently tugs."
Chris While

"All too rarely somebody gets a concept album right. The late 1980's produced two for me : Bruce Springsteen's 'Tunnel Of Love' and released in the same year and sharing his theme of lost love, Ashley Hutchings' seminal 'By Gloucester Docks...', which is not only truly inspired but also produced one of my favourite songs, 'Brief Encounters'. Stunning."
Julie Matthews

Having read all about the album in the Hinton & Wall biography, I was intrigued enough to find a copy on Amazon, about 9 years ago now, and have loved it ever since. Well worth exploring.

Pictured below the original "clown" cover and the Talking Elephant reissue.



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There is also "By Gloucester Docks.........-Live" by AH All Stars (AH, Polly Bolton, Clive Gregson, DM, John Shepherd & Pete Zorn) from 1999 on Road Goes On Forever label. Worth a listen.  :)

Here is the wonderful Folk on 2 session they did:


http://tela.sugarmegs.org/_asxtela/AshleyHutchingsAllstars1988-06-22BBC.asx

Thanks guys.  I see the latter version is on Spotify.  Will have a listen  :)

This interests me greatly.  I'm not familiar with the whole of AH's catalogue, but I latched onto BGD etc. in the 80s and like it very much. Also like the now  reissued Allstars live album.  

Thanks for that!

Think that's the one I still have on tape.  :)

Ashley also toured Gloucester Docks with members of the Albion Band plus Elaine Morgan in early 1989. We caught them at Windsor Arts Centre!

Oh dear, I'll be honest...I'm really struggling here.  From my point of view I'm finding it hard to locate the folk-rock masterpiece (which so many reviews point out, especially following the 2013 rerelease) underneath the a) sub music hall 'fluff' of the quieter moments, and the frankly irritating 80's twangy rock (who is the guitarist - they're absolutely desperate to be Mark Knopfler..?) style of the louder, heavier stuff.  There are moments where I think 'this is a great song' and then a lyric* or a guitar sound get in the way.  When that doesn't happen the rather dated production sound does.  Harumph.  I'm really annoyed.  I so wanted to love it....

* the lyrics to Ring on Her Finger had me literally hiding behind a cushion.

ps is Christine Collister on this?  I thought Polly B was the female singer, but I swear I can hear Christine on some of it?

Polly Bolton sings the lion's share. Christine Collister sings the opening track and does some bv's. The guitarist is Graeme Taylor.

I think I know what you mean, David,  but I find myself liking it in spite of its embarrassing  shortcomings.. It's not one to play very often, and only when in precisely the mood.

Given all the superb albums he's been involved with over the years (Liege & Lief, Please To See The King, Morris On, Compleat Dancing Master, etc.) By Gloucester Docks would need to be a hell of an album to be considered a highpoint of Ashley's career. I had the original vinyl and gave it several spins before deciding it just wasn't for me. It's been a while since I heard it, but my strongest recollection is some rather plummy-voiced actors ("It is true, it IS true!") I think a lot of artists who made great music in the 60s & 70s tried to sound relevant in the 80s, and their albums from that decade can grate a bit

I have always considered it to be a superb album, as were the band's 3 performances I saw.  :) I am very much looking forward to the "revisited" album!

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