Bert Jansch – Bert Jansch

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I’ve been indulging in a bit of nostalgia. I bought this great debut album way back in 1965. I was just sixteen. I used to carry this around under my arm with along with John Renbourn, Snooks Eaglin and Howlin’ Wolf in the vain hope of attracting and impressing girls. Needless to say they were not easily impressed. They were more interested in the Beatles.

Fortunately I liked the Beatles too!

Bert really made an impact on me. In particular I loved his anti-war songs – Do You Hear Me Now and I Have No Time. His guitar playing was exceptional. I couldn’t understand why the girls weren’t bowled over.

Later, in 1966, when I bought my motorbike I’d head off to Greek Street and Les Cousins (Wish I’d kept my membership booklet) to see Bert, John Renbourn, John Martyn and many more. That’s when I first saw the immaculate Roy Harper!

Bert Jansch – Strolling Down the Highway – YouTube

Bert Jansch – I Have No Time – YouTube

Bert Jansch – Running From Home – YouTube

Bert Jansch – Dreams Of Love – YouTube

Bert Jansch – Veronica – YouTube

Bert Jansch – Alice’s Wonderland (1964) – YouTube

Bert Jansch – Angie – YouTube

Roy Harper – China Girl and Goldfish

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‘China Girl’

The opening track of Roy’s career is remarkable. People expecting some type of folk song were about to be amazed. This song is much rockier than they would’ve expected – not Roy with a guitar, but Roy with a whole band.

   This was only 1966 but listen to that phasing as Roy makes the music into a psychedelic masterpiece. This was the very dawn of psychedelia, and Roy was riding it.

   The song was written about a beautiful Chinese girl he used to see in Soho. The lyric’s willow patterns, dragons and sunsets, create a magical landscape. It is an example of the way Roy was merging his poems with music.

   The track set the tone for the rest of the album.

‘Goldfish’

In contrast to ‘China Girl’, ‘Goldfish’ has a catchy tune and is a much simpler acoustic number. It starts with a basic melody plucked out on guitar, the vocal then mirroring it – the song changes at the chorus, with the backing growing in symphonic effect.

   Written for Roy’s baby son Nick, ‘Goldfish’ is a fine example of a contemporary folk song. The deft poetic touch makes it much more than a lullaby. The second guitarist on this track is Lon Goddard.

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Roy Harper – Sophisticated Beggar – The debut album

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The title says it all. Roy saw himself as being outside of mainstream society. He used his intelligence and creativity to scrounge a living. He was and still is, the sophisticated beggar.

   Pierre Tubbs produced this album for Strike Records. The story is that a bunch of shady underworld characters were laundering money, and they set up Strike in order to hide their activities. Roy claimed it to be a true garage album because it was recorded in a makeshift studio, converted from a potting shed in Leatherhead. As studios go, it was a primitive setup, and the album was recorded on a basic Revox tape machine. Out came this remarkable album, which is quite unlike anything his contemporaries had produced.

   Nobody seems to remember exactly who played on what. No professional notes were made. The tape was left to roll, and the numbers were mainly single takes with a minimum of overdubs. The equipment wasn’t up to much and options were limited. Only one or two tracks were worked on further and added to – notably the single and the other chosen as its B-side.

   For the time, it is surprising and unusual that Roy didn’t want to include any of the folk/blues songs he’d been busking with. All the songs are Roy Harper originals. Also surprising is the album showing such a range of style and complexity, coupled with poetic lyrics. Roy was already experimenting, adding jazz chords and even using rock backing. His vision was much wider than most other folk artists. Not only is the album more original in content than that of his contemporaries, but it’s more ambitious and avant-garde. He knew what he wanted and was extending his musical prowess. He might have been playing folk clubs with an acoustic guitar, but this album clearly demonstrated that there was a lot more to Roy.

   Sophisticated Beggar has been re-released a number of times (and was illegally bootlegged by Tring Records as Legend). It also appeared as Return of the Sophisticated Beggar, with the additional track, ‘Hup Hup Spiral’: which is simply Roy saying, ‘Hup hup hup’, as the stylus moves to the disc centre and lifts.

Roy Harper – Sophisticated Beggar Album

Posted on by Opher

The title says it all. Roy saw himself as being outside of mainstream society. He used his intelligence and creativity to scrounge a living. He was and still is, the sophisticated beggar.

   Pierre Tubbs produced this album for Strike Records. The story is that a bunch of shady underworld characters were laundering money, and they set up Strike in order to hide their activities. Roy claimed it to be a true garage album because it was recorded in a makeshift studio, converted from a potting shed in Leatherhead. As studios go, it was a primitive setup, and the album was recorded on a basic Revox tape machine. Out came this remarkable album, which is quite unlike anything his contemporaries had produced.

   Nobody seems to remember exactly who played on what. No professional notes were made. The tape was left to roll, and the numbers were mainly single takes with a minimum of overdubs. The equipment wasn’t up to much and options were limited. Only one or two tracks were worked on further and added to – notably the single and the other chosen as its B-side.

   For the time, it is surprising and unusual that Roy didn’t want to include any of the folk/blues songs he’d been busking with. All the songs are Roy Harper originals. Also surprising is the album showing such a range of style and complexity, coupled with poetic lyrics. Roy was already experimenting, adding jazz chords and even using rock backing. His vision was much wider than most other folk artists. Not only is the album more original in content than that of his contemporaries, but it’s more ambitious and avant-garde. He knew what he wanted and was extending his musical prowess. He might have been playing folk clubs with an acoustic guitar, but this album clearly demonstrated that there was a lot more to Roy.

   Sophisticated Beggar has been re-released a number of times (and was illegally bootlegged by Tring Records as Legend). It also appeared as Return of the Sophisticated Beggar, with the additional track, ‘Hup Hup Spiral’: which is simply Roy saying, ‘Hup hup hup’, as the stylus moves to the disc centre and lifts.

Today’s Music to keep me IiiinnnNnSSsssAaaaNNnnnEEE – Bert Jansch – Strolling Down The Highway

Posted on by Opher

From that first album reputedly recorded on a reel to reel in a friend’s front room. Sheer genius. That distinctive guitar picking. Beautiful.