Interesting statement from The Magpie Arc today:

Just a heads up everyone, all of our CD’s and vinyl are now off Amazon so if anyone is looking and you see “items unavailable” it’s only unavailable from there, you can still buy our new album Gil Brenton and all our other albums on CD and vinyl from us directly at our webshop here….

https://themagpiearc.company.site/


And on download from Bandcamp here…

https://themagpiearc.bandcamp.com/


Why?

It’s not some grand statement, just simply that for every CD we sell there at £12 they are now taking over 50% of that as their cut and the old “but you’ll be in a shop window in front of hundreds of millions of potential buyers and new fans” line is complete nonsense, much the same as that other thief Spotify.

Also, and this is the biggie, a hugely increasing number of rogues are buying there with the sole intention of “returning an item” to get a refund from the seller, which Amazon automatically comply with, and then tell the buyer to keep the item or give it away as it’s too much hassle for them to administer. And then said rogues are straight off to Music Magpie to exchange the free CD or album for cash.

It’s just another kick in the teeth for artists (and indeed sellers of all kinds) to deal with and we’re not going to let that happen to us any more.

I think this is very much the crux of the matter. If you’re helming a project you need people that are going to turn up on time, take advice on board and subdue their ego long enough to make the whole thing turn out to the best of the leader’s vision. With the best will in the world, I don’t think anyone would suggest Swarb as the first person to fit that profile. (See, for example, RT playing lead guitar for Clive Gregson on the OGWT or Danny Thompson’s many, many contributions to other folks’ work or, for that matter, Aly Bain’s ensemble playing on the Celtic Connections series).

The late-period RT/Swarb BBC TV session has been previously referenced as possibly being a generous TV-related payday for an old comrade who had found himself on his uppers.

Hmmmm.  Think it was a bit more personal than that.  Basically he told Joe Boyd (never a big Swarb fan) to **** off.

My general impression has been that Swarb was a star or co-star in his projects, and did not tend to serve as anyone’s sideman.

An example of this would be his withdrawal from the 2009 Witchseason Weekend. His statement referenced his preference not to be an accompanist for a string of guest singers.

I was there… I’m pretty sure it was at Conkers off the A40, many years ago now.

I sometimes see a video of this gig on fbook.

They played a brilliant  set together at  a festival near Leicester ….cant remember the name, sorry.

I might be wrong (please correct me if so) but I'm sure I remember reading somewhere, that when Beryl Marriott recorded "Weave the Mirror", there was some surprise that Swarb wasn't involved but she explained that she used Chris instead because it was "her" album and it had to reflect her own style. Something along those lines anyway. That certainly didn't appear to cause any lasting upset with Swarb, as he wrote a tune called "Mrs Marriott" in her honour, which is on the much later "Straws in the Wind" album with Martin Carthy.

Maybe, to some extent, it was a similar situation with Richard?

It's not an inexpensive item but it's been well received by fans.

 I should investigate that. Thanks Alan  

Nick Drake :  The Making of Five Leaves Left   (Island 4LP,  2025).

Only the second  time  i've played this right through, and i know now it was a sound investment.
 The album of course i'm familiar with - if you listen to an LP at intervals for 50 years that's how if goes. But what this box gives us  is a sense of Nick the artist at his best, and a  full, complex person.  Scant though  they are, there are moments when he speaks  in the studio, even laughs occasionally, though not without reserve.
 It sounds cliched i know  but  his really is a tale of the tragic decline and loss . We must be grateful for what he left for us