Fledg’ling
artists. In the case of the late jazz musician Chris McGregor’s finished after Donahue had
legacy, Maxine McGregor – his wife – has opened up the poured over the once-scattered
tape vault. Beside previously released artefacts such as Very reel-to-reel tapes from the
Urgent by the Chris McGregor Group – straddling McGregor’s Island/Universal archives.
Blue Notes and Brotherhood of Breath periods – from 1968,
there sits the Chris McGregor Septet’s unheard Up To Earth
“With Restless,” says Donaldson,
from 1969. Illuminations pour down. Take its Yickytickee/
“I don’t have any recollection
Union Special. By the time Union Special finishes, things
of recording it. I don’t have an
have become positively vaudevillian and wacky, while
image of being somewhere
passages of the masterful Years Ago Now at times ricochet
– not even a faint one in the
off Blue Rondo à la Turk or act as a demented pre-echo of
back of my mind – and of sitting
Ornette Coleman’s masterful Dancing In Your Head.
and playing. It’s me doing it. It’s
strange having this stuff coming
But there have been other at you from so long ago. For
developments with new
Shirley Collins
an album to have been
works from Blue Blokes 3 started and finished
– the Stubble triumvirate over nearly 40 years is weird. Who knows
of the aforementioned Ian what the finished product would have been
Anderson, Lu Edmonds in those days? We have no idea anymore.
and Ben Mandelson who What we have here are the songs that
trail clouds of English were recorded. Who knows what would
Country Blues Band, have happened if we’d carried on
Mekons, Billy Bragg’s recording at that time, if things had
Blokes and Tiger Moth not ground to a halt?”
behind them. Similarly,
Fledg’ling has a long
Shirley Collins adds a coda to the
relationship with England’s
Fledg’ling tale: “With some of the
squeezebox maestro John
bigger companies – and I won’t
Kirkpatrick.
name them – you can’t ever talk
to anyone. Or if you’re chasing
Fotheringay
But the biggest surprise on royalties that are maybe years
Fledg’ling is Fotheringay’s late it’s a struggle. With David
2 – the album that never was, the follow-up to Fotheringay it’s worked like clockwork. You
(originally released in 1970). The group were the great white can’t fault the man and on
hope for folk-rock around 1970, small wonder since they top of that he’s just a good
had Sandy Denny and Trevor Lucas (both long dead) on lead egg, an absolutely all-
vocals, Gerry Conway on drums, Jerry Donahue on lead guitar round good person.
and Pat Donaldson on bass. But they folded their hand so He’s become a good
soon. 2 adds a chapter to what might have been. It is part- friend of mine over
archival release, part-reconstruction and part-new project – a the years. I owe him
work that Pat Donaldson estimates was probably 80 percent a great deal because
he helped revive my
career by reissuing a
lot of the stuff that
wasn’t available. He’s
a wonderful human
being. I know it sounds
silly but he is. Trustworthy,
reliable, honest,
straightforward,
kind and a
businessman:
that’s a great
combination
Shirley & Dolly Collins
and quite a
rare one.”
Ken Hunt
David Suff
Robin Williamson & French, Frith, Kaiser, Ian Anderson’s Country
His Merry Band Thompson Blues Band
Journey’s Edge Live, Love, Larf & Loaf Stereo Death Breakdown
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