This is a proper one that got away. I always meant to return to this song and put it on an album but the moment never came and I moved on from it. I was thinking about the phenomenon of the TV talent show as a modern day version of the travelling medicine shows that would tour the towns of young America, using elaborate staging to sell substandard products to the population. Maybe my discomfort with this slightly bitchy metaphor stopped the song from finding a home on an album.
John Drumbo French from Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band worked with Thompson on two albums along with Fred Frith and Henry Kaiser.
Those two French, Frith, Kaiser and Thompson albums led me to this.
Also, Richard Thompson taught Hugh Cornwell (of The Stranglers) how to play the bass guitar in a band when they were both at the same school (Emil and The Detectives?).
With a career spanning 50 years and playing with two of my heroes (French and Cornwell) Thompson has produced a fascinating EP. yellowcakeuf6
Sweet to the soul. This skillful, passionate set of songs causes the fluttering of wings along with the tranquilness of a heart at peace.
An album to learn from. lightsound77