by me This song remains a folk
Over the decades I have owned a huge variety of recording mediums. Fostex 1/4 inch 8 track. Otari 1 inch 8 track. Tascam portastudios. Roland and Zoom wave file recorders. Yamaha digital workstations. Atari computers and finally, fully computerized systems utilizing Pro Tools and Logic audio.
With a small number of exceptions, the contents of Box set no. 2 are the vast trail of whats left from demos, live sets, alternative album tracks, front room recordings, doodles and compositional efforts. It goes without saying that some of it is low fi in quality and only brought to life by the sterling and patient work of Mark Tucker and Jolyon Holroyd. My heartfelt thanks to them. What these recordings reveal is the story behind the studio albums and the relevance of live performances.
The late Mick Dolan was instrumental in my learning the art of the studio. This is dedicated to his memory.
In more recent times, thanks are due to Gerard O’Farrell and to Mark Tucker in particular for their brilliant work on a succession of Show of Hands albums.
Warning. This four disc set is the tip of the iceberg. Enjoy.
Track Listing. Box Set 2. Disc One.
[Disc numbers and track listings to be added here]
Disc one Live.
- Keep your distance. (Richard Thompson) Probably recorded at The Plough Arts Centre Torrington. The opening number if I recall. Always one of my favourite RT songs. Priviledged to have done so many shows with him over the years. He never fails to amaze.
2. Broken Arrow. (Robbie Robertson) Myself and Deb Sandland at Hambledon village hall. Courtesy of Colin and Ann. Straight off the desk. Rather too much reverb which Mark has managed to limit. There is the odd drop out if you listen on headphones but I like the track so it stays. Deb and I duetted for around two years outside of the Phil Beer Band. Hambledon was always a favourite venue.
3. Cocaine Blues. (Rev Gary Davies) Yet another version. First heard from Davey Graham. It was damascene moment for me at age 14. I learnt so much from constantly listening to ‘Folk, Blues and Beyond’. The folk road seemed more appealing at the time but in later years I have explored the Blues influence much more. The longest conversation I ever had with Bert Jansch was on the subject of Davey at a folk awards night. Both he and John Renbourn revered Davey.4.
4. All seeing Stour. (Beer/Hutchings) Live Ridegriders at New Milton with Ashley and the wonderful Chris While. A live concert recording possibly still available from Talking Elephant records. Recorded by Will Thomas and performed to a backdrop of vintage motorcycles. Ashley would arrive at rehearsals with a sheaf of lyrics and Chris and I would divi them up and set them to music.
5. Frank and Jesse James. (Warren Zevon) Telephone track. Well done Mark for making it audible. I just like it for the rather mad playing. The least Hi Fi track on the album but I like the performance. Eternal thanks to Rob Shaw for first playing Warren Zevon stuff to me. Must have had too much coffee!!
6. Tunes/Riley. (Beer/Dylan) Bobs take of an old trad song. Location unknown. We recorded this song with the Albion band in 1989 on the album, ‘Give me a saddle I’ll trade you a car’. I reworked it later for solo shows I have no idea where this was recorded.
7. Simon Smith. (Randy Newman) A subtle piece of Newman Satire. Location unknown. Most people know it in the UK for the Alan Price version.
8. Pleasant and Delightful. (Trad arr Beer) Happy memories of early folk club days. A folk club standard first heard by me at the at the Jolly Porter folk club in Exeter.
9. The Fox. (Trad arr Beer) I doubt if they still sing this one in primary schools anymore. We did!
10. Rough with the Smooth. (Steve Ashley) One of Steves excellent songs learned when I roadied him for some gigs in the 70’s. I moved to Cheltenham in 1976 in order to facilitate easier travelling to gigs in a more central location. I discovered a large number of musicians doing the same thing. I knew of Steve as an early member of the embryo Albion Band but had never got to know him until then. During the period I drove him to gigs, I learnt many of his brilliant songs.
11. Innocents song (Johnny Coppin/Charles Causley) One of Johnnys greatest settings. A Show of Hands Favourite. My Auntie Carol was a huge Causley fan and a primary school teacher in Falmouth. She must have read his stuff to countless numbers of children. I still find it one of the darkest ideas ever encountered to conflate Santa with King Herod. Did he just wake up one morning and think, what if?
12. Good King Arthurs days. (Trad Arr Phil Beer) Another childhood song.
13. (Bruce Springsteen) Memories of being on the road in Ohio at a weird, hilltop, motel looking down over a scene reminiscent of the Deerhunter. Somewhere between Barnsley and Columbus. Heading for a show with 10,000 Maniacs.
14. 500 Miles/Wayfaring Stranger (Trad) Another insane performance. Probably at Trowbridge Festival. More than just coffee I think. 500 miles is a standard american folk revival song and sits well with the old gospel song Wayfaring.
15. Uke/ Vatican rag. (Beer/Lehrer) A bit of Uke malarkey followed by a tribute to another brilliant satirist. I have all the records. I still occasionally throw this one is as atribute to one of the greatest of musical satirists.
16. (Trad/little Feat) A wonderful night on Paul and Freds Acoustic UK tour. Highlights of my chequered career are gigs with Paul and Freds acoustic UK tours. Still Willin.