Questions for Judy Dyble (March 2004)

[jude]

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

[jude]

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)

[jude]

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...

[jude]

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!

[jude]

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

[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

[jude]

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

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).

[jude]

Nice anecdotes Jude. Timely mention of Ten Years After. Alvin Lee has a new album out and is briefly mentioned in the new issue of Record Collector. Have you ever been approached to do an interview for that mag?
Tony   

No I've never been approached by Record Collector, but Kingsley Abbott did a really nice article on Fpt in 2001. Also in May last year the first album was declared 'a 24-carat masterpiece of British acid pop'!!!!!!!  Just one of the '40 greatest Brit-Psych albums'  (Why oh why do they keep using that terrible photo of me? Nana Mouskouri lives, eh?!!)


 

[jude]

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! )).
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!
Cheers, Carey

[jude]

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 .
Cheers, Carey

[jude]

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

[jude]

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! .  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! ....She's from Birmingham ....I'll say no more .
Carey

[TheNeff]

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...
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

[jude]

Is it true that you, on occasion, did some knitting whilst Fairport noodled away for 20 mins or so at live gigs?
Philip

Yes. I can't actually knit for toffee, so there were quite a few eiffel towers by the time I stopped knitting. 
It was me pretending to be   ( )

Jude

[jude]

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!  
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

[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

[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 .
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.

[jude]

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!

[jude]

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 )
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

[jude]

Oh Neff,
I didn't realise what you thought of me. Thank you sweetie.

Daughters eh?

And Paul - Leanin'? A song about Lurchers?  Tell me more.  I want to have a good blub too.

Jude

Leanin is a real tear jerker of a song by Sterndale-Bennett. I have just looked for it on the internet without any luck.
Basically it is about a farmer / poacher leanin on a farm gate look at the mound where his old lurcher is buried.
Sorry, can't go on, speck of dust in my eye.
Paul