Guitars, bars & rock stars... Part 2

Now back to Swarthgill & the impending impromptu birthday gig up in the Yorkshire Dales - the link to the 1st part:

http://simonjacquesfiles.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-10-03T12%3A40%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7

The hoards having been well fed and watered, settled down in a spacious room within the bunkhouse, whilst the newly crowned "Swarthgill Swingers" entered to make their début. The hushed room was greeted by an opening track written by a buxom US Country Singer - it was a hell of a gamble - especially as I opted to play Toby's mandolin on "Jolene"...

I had in the past played such illustrious instruments such as The Flugal Horne, Banjo and Jew’s harp – but never a Mandolin – what quite possessed me I do not know however this went down better than expected, mainly due to some great Singing from Natalie

Following some Pink Floyd (Wish you were here) & The Jam (That's entertainment) it was time for John & Marie's Birthday Blues, which we had written rather in haste, with any of us not really knowing how the song went, or indeed should go. No pressure then myself being the lead writer and player.

For anyone who has ever heard a Status Quo Song – they, in the main, follow the 12 bar blues rule, and this building block of modern music phrasing has been around ever since Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil by the crossroads in 1936. Not that one could ever compare the two of course in terms of musical importance, but you get the idea.

Johnson and his contemporaries simple melody has been utilised down the years in so many songs, and it was this template that was followed for John & Marie’s Birthday Blues. This was finally delivered somewhat nervously by our rag-tag outfit to by then a fairly expectant audience that would take no prisoners if Mr Cockup arrived at the gig.

Safe to say I will not repeat what the hastily cobbled lyrics were – but for those interested – the performance is captured here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8fvl3gBNr0

Robert Johnson may be destined to sup with the devil, but at least he played a hell of a lot better than me…(I’m the one on the left btw…) but hey! it was a (re) - start!

...and what happened to Nat the guitar? That's next...