Hi Maart,
I know you have played on and produced some of Ralph's work, the last being Red Sky I believe. Which projects were particular favourites and/or have special memories for you?
Rory McGrath was backstage at Ralph McTell's 60th Birthday Bash at RFH recently. He's actually a very nice chap
I also wanted to echo your sentiments about Rory. He very kindly wrote a piece for Ralph's birthday book (as did you) and contributed to the birthday CD, and whilst I wouldn't say we had become friends, he and I have spoken several times and intend to keep in touch. I think he's a really nice guy. (He told me he'd blagged his way into the party assuming that some of us would also be there. No such luck!)
All the best,
Marianne
Obviously producing Sand In Your Shoes was a very big deal for me as I got to hear the songs soon after their birth and saw them through to their final shape and sound. Ralph's great to work with and when he presents a new song he always talks you through the lyrics, line by line, explaining his meanings and wordplay. What an insight and an honour. It was a thrill being able to put my take on his stuff and it's one of my proudest moments.
Also working on Boy With A Note, on which I worked with Ralph at the demo stage. We recorded and mixed ten(?) songs in sixteen hours, some of which were only ideas when we started. Ralph was in one room finishing a song while I was arranging the previous one in the control room. A veritable hive of industry.
My first session for Ralph was Throw Out A Line And Dream and The Hiring Fair. TOALAD featured the third arm bass, sliding harmonics and so on, which was nice. Jerry Donahue and (I think) Gerry Conway were on this track too, and I don't think I'd been in Fairport for very long by that stage so I was a bit starstruck. I'd played Hiring Fair at every FC gig I'd done up to then, but it's subtly different and I kept getting confused. Besides which, I play lead acoustic on it with FC, and this time bass...
I love Ralph and would jump at the chance to work with him again on another album. I know there's a DVD on its way from the RFH gig last month.
Maart
Off to work now...
