Blue Bay Blues is a song referencing coastal town Byron Bay, on the northern coast of New South Wales, Australia. My interpretation is that it concerns someone living in the city (such as Sydney) longing for the coastal vibe of Byron.
The song was written by singer songwriter Richard Clapton, who has been releasing his songs since the seventies and is still performing. While he is not well known outside of Australia, he has received generous praise from visiting musicians such as Jackson Browne. He's the real deal.
I first saw Clapton in Canberra during the seventies on a tour entitled 'Woodsmoke and Oranges' featuring four solo performers, including Richard, Mike McClellan, Glenn Cardier and Paul Pulati. I was really impressed with Clapton's songs, which were mainly from his first album, Prussian Blue. Clapton has written so many good songs, it's hard to single any out. That said, this would be one of my favourites. I love the Byron Bay reference, and the acoustic guitar (which I seem to remember was played by Mike McClellan).
This song must be a record for one of the longest fadeouts on record! I would encourage anyone not familiar with Clapton's work to seek out his CDs and have a listen. As there is no video of this version of the song (from the Girls of the Avenue LP), I have made my own, featuring every photo I could find of him (which I sourced from his website, and which cover about a thirty year period).
Comments are welcome.
3 ноя 2009
