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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A Glimpse at the Leonard Cohen book

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I have carried out the final edit on the Phil Ochs book and that is winging its way to coming out shortly. The publisher has it down for the end of this month!

I am putting the finishing touches to the Leonard Cohen book. That has a lot of work but has really gone well. I thought I might share the piece I have just been working on. What do you think??

Nevermind (Leonard Cohen, Patrick Leonard)

This first came to light as a poem on his website in 2005 and was released in 2006 in his Book Of Longing.

   Another Patrick Leonard collaboration. Leonard sings it in a husky drawl over an ominous computerised bubbling synth with a heavy beat and a bassline. The aftermath of 9/11 hangs over this one with Leonard more conflicted than ever. He deplores the violence but can see the reasoning behind it. He’s no lover of many aspects of American culture. The Middle-East flavour is accentuated by the two Arabic bursts of singing from Donna Delory.

   When we are young and idealistic the world is black and white and taking sides is easy. Looking back at past actions and stances can sometimes seem uncomfortable. We missed the nuance. Remember, Leonard went off to fight in the Yom Kippur War. As he told The Daily Telegraph in 2014: ‘There comes a point, I think, as you get a little older, you feel that nothing represents you. You can see the value of many positions, even positions that are in savage conflict with one another. You can locate components on both sides that resonate within you.’ Sometimes you have to take stock, re-evaluate and change position. Things can look different with distance. There is deliberate deception.

   There is bitterness in the lyrics: ‘This was your heart, this swarm of flies. This was once your mouth, this bowl of lies. You serve them well – I’m not surprised. You’re of their kin, you’re of their kind. Never mind, never mind. I had to leave my life behind. The story’s told with facts & lies. You own the world, so never mind.’ Leonard reflects on the way the powerful spread their propaganda, sow their lies. We have to pick our way through it. He reflects on the way some things are of vital importance to some but are meaningless to others. As the song progresses Charlean Carmon and a synthesiser provides some light relief and as we approach the last verse there is the addition of eastern percussion and Charlean dueting the chorus. All incredibly effective. Leonard no longer knows what to believe he just gets on with his life. You can’t nail him down. Ultimately nothing matters. Besides he’s a different person now.

   The final words, written in Arabic, are about peace and reconciliation.

Today’s Music to keep me SSssaaaaNNnNneee – Jackson C Frank.

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Today I’ll be playing some Jackson C Frank – a terrific, virtually unknown, singer-songwriter, but one who was incredibly important. He came across to England by boat, bringing his unique songs with him, and galvanised the Folk Scene at Les Cousins, befriending the likes of the Great Roy Harper.

His songwriting was in a world of its own and his 1965 one and only album set a standard for songwriting. It was different.

I was turned on to that album in 1965 by a fellow student called Bob Ede. Thanks Bob!

He set a spark to the tinder and influenced many of the contemporary songwriters. That one album (the later recorded tracks) and the long-lasting effect on his fellow songwriters remains his legacy. Roy Harper (a good friend of his) wrote ‘My Friend’ for him.

I was fortunate enough to see him perform, close-up in a small room above a pub in Ilford. That memory is seared into my brain. After the gig we had a chat. He was very approachable, friendly and pleasant. I never saw him again.

I later learnt a lot more about him. He certainly led a traumatic life. I’m so grateful that I discovered him and got to see him perform as well as having a chance to meet him.

His music is eternal!

Roy Harper with Nick Harper – Royal Festival Hall 2011

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So great to see and hear them playing together. Sheer genius.

Nick Harper: The Wilderness Years Paperback – 31 Dec. 2019

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by Opher Goodwin (Author)4.7 out of 5 stars 20 ratings

Nick Harper – an insight into the music and the man.

Remembering ROBERT JOHNSON on the day he died: May 8th 1911 – August 16th 1938

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If only he had lived to perform in that concert in New York in Carnegie Hall! If only he had gone on to produce fifty years more music! What a performer. What a songwriter. What a guitarist. Even with such a limited number of songs recorded on portable equipment in hotel rooms he knocks the socks off nearly everyone! Genius!

If only that landlord hadn’t poisoned him!!

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Roy Harper – why have I written two books? The story.

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Roy Harper – why have I written two books? The story.

In a fit of creativity and great burst of obsessive zeal four years ago I sat down at my computer and wrote a book on Roy Harper. It took me three weeks – an explosion of words in a stream of consciousness.

I suppose I was imagining myself as Jack Kerouac with his long scroll of paper hammering out On The Road in one relentless gush.

First thought –best thought.

It wasn’t so much a book about Roy, although Roy was the theme; so much as the story of a fifty year friendship and two lives that ran down different tracks, in parallel.

I didn’t plan it or research it, I just wrote and it flowed.

I was part telling a story about Roy from my perspective, part talking about the times we lived through and part contrasting that with my life. I thought it gave perspective.

In a blind subjective haze I sent the book to Roy. He hated the writing but said that there was a good book in there.

I found that weird – but when I reread it with more objectivity I could see that it was far too dense and badly written. I’d just gushed it forth.

So, with my good lady Liz doing some great editing, I rewrote the whole book into a completely different style.

I’d nearly completed the rewrite and, on the spur of the moment, checked out whether a publisher would be interested. To my surprise I received an instant response. They liked the writing. They wanted a book on Roy.

However, they first wanted a book that fitted into the series they were putting out – On Track – every album, every track. They sent me a contract. I signed and found myself writing a completely different book – a book about Roy’s songs, albums and poetry.

Thus I ended up with two books on Roy!

Phil Ochs – The War Is Over

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Where are the new songwriters who are writing about the topics of today. Aren’t there enough things worthy of criticism?

Phil said it as it was.

As I watched America decaying into rabid packs of vigilante fascists. When Phil spoke of flag waving and treason he was talking about the people rising up against the government to stop an unjust war. He wasn’t referring to the President rousing a fascist mob in order to overturn a democratic election.

As the racist thugs and Neo-Nazis marched on the Capitol the President urged them into a frenzy. The next day he stabbed them in the back and disowned them.

Ever been conned?

As they rot in jail perhaps he will join them?

Unfortunately this war isn’t over. The battle for America has barely begun.

Phil Ochs – The War Is Over – YouTube

So do your duty, boys, and join with pride
Serve your country in her suicide
Find the flags so you can wave goodbye
But just before the end even treason might be worth a try
This country is to young to die

Roy Harper – Nowhere to Run To.

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Another track from Once. A hard hitting song about the cruelty we do to animals.

Roy Harper – Nowhere to run to – YouTube

Roy Harper – Twentieth Century Man

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A love and sex song from Whatever Happened to Jugula

Roy Harper – Twentieth Century Man – YouTube