Richard Thompson, 1000 Years of Popular Music

 

2004 Beeswing Music  (BSW003)

 

L'idea per questo cd proviene nientemeno che dal magazine Playboy che nel 1999 ha chiesto a Richard di presentare una lista delle dieci migliori canzoni del millennio. La rivista intendeva evidentemente riferirsi al rock di fine millennio ma Thompson, sfruttando l'ambiguità, presenta una scaletta di brani che ha inizio nell'anno mille. Da qui nasce questo cd: l'idea di fondo è che la musica popolare vive in molte forme e ch emolte cose interessanti si annidano nella polvere della storia. La grafica del cd curata da David Greenberger vuole appunto rappresentare questo filo che unisce passato e presente. Il progetto è senza funambolico ma rivelatore di grandi sorprese: basti ascoltare "So Ben Mi Ca Bon Tempo" oppure "Blackleg Miner" per rendersene conto.


Tracks:

1. Sumer is Icumen In (trad., arr. by Thompson; Beeswing Music admin. by Bug/BMI) - 2. King Henry V's Conquest Of France (trad., arr. by Thompson; Beeswing music admin. by Bug/BMI) - 3. When I Am Laid In Earth (trad., arr. by Thompson; Beeswing Music admin. by Bug/BMI) - 4. So Ben Mi Ca Bon Tempo (Vecchi, arr. by Thompson; Beeswing Music admin. by Bug/BMI) - 5. Shenandoah (trad., arr. by Thompson; Beeswing Music admin. by Bug/BMI) - 6. Blackleg Miner (trad., arr. by Thompson; Beeswing Music admin. by Bug/BMI) - 7. Waiting at the Church (trad., arr. by Thompson; Beeswing Music admin. by Bug/BMI) - 8. Trafalgar Square (trad., arr. by Thompson; Beeswing Music admin. by Bug/BMI) - 9. There Is Beauty? (Gilbert & Sullivan/trad., arr. by Thompson; Beeswing Music, admin. by Bug/BMI) - 10. Why Have My Loved Ones Gone? (Foster/trad., arr. by Thompson; Beeswing. Music admin. by Bug/BMI) - 11. Old Rocking Chair's Got Me (Carmichael; Songs of Peer Ltd./ASCAP) - 12. Orange-Coloured Sky (Milton Delugg-William Stein; Amy Dee Music Corp./ASCAP) - 13. Cry Me A River (Arthur Hamilton; Chappell & Co. Inc./ASCAP) - 14. Drinking Wine Spo-dee-o-dee (Sticks McGhee-J. Mayo Williams; Universal MCA Music Publishing/ASCAP) - 15. The Fool (Lee Hazlewood; Mother Texas Production Inc./ASCAP). Originally by Sanford Clark) - 16. Legal Matter (Pete Townshend; Towser Tunes Inc.-Careers BMG Music Publishing/BMI) - 17. Tempted (Glenn Tilbrook-Chris Difford; EMI Blackwood Music Inc./BMI) - 18. Kiss (Prince; Controversy Music/Universal Music Publishing Group/ASCAP) - 19. Oops! I Did It Again (Karl Sandberg-Rami Yacoub; Zomba Enterprises Inc./ASCAP) - 20. Sam Hall (unknown, arr. by Thompson; Beeswing Music admin. by Bug/BMI) - 21. Money (Benny Andersson-Bjoern Ulvaeus; EMI Waterford Music Inc.-Universal Polygram Int'l Publishing Inc./ASCAP) - 22. It Won't Be Long (John Lennon-Paul McCartney; Sony/ATV Music/BMI) - 23. Marry, Ageyn Hic Hev Donne Yt (trad., arr. by Thompson; Beeswing Music admin. by Bug/BMI)


Musicians:

Richard Thompson - guitar & vocals; Michael Jerome - percussion; Judith Owen - vocals

 

Recorded by Ed Haber and Ilana Pelzig Cellum - Mixed, edited and compiled by Simon Tassano at Rumiville, Austin TX - Mastered by Jim Wilson at YES Mastering, Austin, TX - Package design by David Greenberger