Love this tune. Great crowd pleaser when done live. He toured with a wonderful band in the early '90's which included Clive Gregson and Christine Collister on backing guitar and vocals. They tore up the Bottom Line in NYC together after Amnesia was released. I've never been the same since.
The second time I ever saw RT in concert was at the Bottom Line in NYC. He had this line-up. A great band with the "Petes" (Thomas and Zorn) on saxes, and his FC mates, Nicol, Mattacks and Pegg, plus Alan Dunn. Amazingly tight, yet jaunty and free. Great energy. Truly unforgettable.
Saw RT at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa last night(Oct.7th)and he was every bit as awesome as he always has been.Still can play the hell out of the guitar like no one else.Got to meet him before he went to his tour bus and he signed the book that Patrick Humphries wrote in 97.
early 90's saw RT w/ @ 120 others @ Sarasota Opera House. after the show he invited ''ALL" of us backstage. Myself, Joan, & 7 nerds showed up & 1 guy got his dad's Fairport Convention T-shirt signed. To get a rise outta RT I asked him @ my "fave" band Blodwyn Pig and had my "A Head Rings Out" cd for him to sign. He scoffed & said, "Oh, pity you. I'll not be signing that!" We had a laugh as he knew I was not serious. Mr.Thompson is cool (if that's still a 'cool' term)!!!!!!!!!!!
Doesn't hurt to havre Dave Mattacks (drums), Simon Nichol (rhythm Kelloggs guitar), and Dave Pegge (bass) - most of Fairport Convention - as your backup band.
I really like RT's technique on this. He pulls out all the tricks! Pulls, rips, shreds, bends the thing in half--all with that amazing RT light touch. He abuses a strat like nobody in this style!
what a brilliant performance, I'd heard this song on the radio but didn't know who it was. was only after I heard & bought the rumour & sigh album ( because I heard I feel so good, ) that I realised it was the same man.
So this may have been 3 years before I was even born but I love this!! This music is actually music with REAL instruments. Not machines meant to sound like instruments or instruments made to sound BETTER with machines or any of that...very enjoyable
No...a female country artist covered it and got lots of airplay on U.S. country radio years ago. Believe me, I know, having had to listen to country music radio against my will for quite a while.
I gave a live version of this on cassette to a friend of mine and one week later he described it as "a sitar player on acid". It's since become a cliche but it's also pretty accurate.
@sudsamatic That year was before I started going to multiple Bottom Line RT shows. But subsequently, I became a fanatic and started buying tickets for as many as FOUR RT shows in a 3 night stand at the Bottom Line. Great place that was! Your anecdote is classic. The quote is sooo Richard, dry, ironic and hilarious. Few artists can pull off irony the way RT can.
That's John Kirkpatrick on the left, accordion Simon Nicol far right, guitar, backup vocal Dave Mattacks, drums Fairport and Morris On Alumni, great musicians all!
@@tziguk So it's you then? Never seen this band live, but when finding videos my focus seem to drift to Mattacks drumming, Peggys bass lines and your feeling playing. I mean, RTs playing is always interesting and inspiring!
your comments mirror my son's (b orn same year as you).....I told him to check out Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac "World Keeps Turning" on RU-vid. This guy was our hero back in the day...real stuff for sure.
...still I'd like to see the version on video from his box set release. That one really features RT's mangling of the strings. He stands like a scholar while he plays some far-out licks. This and "Little Blue Number" are definitely two guitar opuses (opii?).
Except it is not the same song. In Richard Thompson's song the woman is writing the tear stained letter whereas in Johnny Cash's song he is saying that he is going to write a tear stained letter. Both great songs by incomparably great artists but no comparison is possible between the two songs.
