Bill Staines and Paul McNeill

Subject: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: Justin K. Rivers
Date: 21 Aug 09 - 06:55 PM

On Bill Staines' first album "A Bag of Rainbows," there's a cover of a song called "Midway" by Paul McNeil. I assume this is a typo and is supposed to be Paul McNeill, who has been covered in other threads.

I'm wondering though if anyone has any information about the connection between the two. My impression was that Paul McNeill lived in London and played at the Troubadour a lot, but could he also have been part of the Cambridge, MA folk scene along with Staines? "Midway" doesn't appear on any of McNeill's other records. At least, not on the three solo albums that I know about.

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: curmudgeon
Date: 21 Aug 09 - 09:35 PM

"Midway" was written by Paul MacNeil, then of Boston. This was the late '60s when a lot of us played the greater Boston coffee house circuit and tended to party together.

In addition to Paul, Bill and myself, there were Dan Gravas, Paul Lolax, Chris Smither, Nancy Michaels, Paul Geremia, Pam Coulihan, Ray Clayton, Bill Madison,Kenny Girard, Alan Rotman,Rocky Rockwood,Eliot Kenin, and some others I can't remeber at this late hour - Tom Hall

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: Justin K. Rivers
Date: 21 Aug 09 - 10:30 PM

So this is the same Paul McNeill ?

According to the discussion, it seemed like in the early to mid 60's he was living in the UK. Did he move to Boston after that, and if so, any idea how long he lived there?

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 22 Aug 09 - 01:10 AM

Nope. Different Paul.

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: Justin K. Rivers
Date: 22 Aug 09 - 03:25 PM

Any idea what happened to the Cambridge Paul McNeil? Did he record at all? I think I found another record that the song "Midway" appears on.

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: curmudgeon
Date: 22 Aug 09 - 04:02 PM

Paul was briefly under contract to MGM (long story) where he recorded one album that the buggers never released.

However, the late Chris Biggi of Sunset Ridge Recording Studios had hundreds of hours of Paul MacNeil, including probably every song he wrote before the beginning of this decade. The last I heard, Jaime Brockett was going to begin work on archiving this vast collection. Chris used to say that he could embarrass any folksinger who played in Boston in the '60s.

I haven't seen Paul for some ten years or so. He had been living in the Philippines for quite a while and may well be back there. He had a website a few years back, but I can't track it down any longer - Tom

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: Justin K. Rivers
Date: 22 Aug 09 - 09:42 PM

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it!

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: GUEST,LesMoore
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 09:54 PM

I'm in touch with Paul MacNeil and Bill Madison, Ken Girard and others. Paul and Bill are still songwriting and Kenny still plays a bit from New Hampshire. All working on new media and web sites and Facebook pages.

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: Art Thieme
Date: 03 Nov 09 - 12:36 PM

Fascinating. Really.

So many folkies I never heard of; people who had entire lives and careers within our localized musical subcultures--yet, still, under the larger umbrella of folkiedom.---Paul McNeill is new to me.

A few came to be known to us in Chicago---Paul Geremia, Smither, and of course, Bill Staines & Jim Kweskin. But we had a lower / limited Midwest profile too I guess. -- As has been noted, It is a tangled web we weave.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: sing4peace
Date: 03 Nov 09 - 08:12 PM

Hey there Lesley!

I was just gonna share the news about Paul being on Facebook. That is spelled Paul MacNeil - (friend of Tom's, Kenny Girard, etc.)

He's been living in the Philippines and wants to come back to the United States. Some of his friends (like Lesley up there) are trying to help him do that. Mudcat and Facebook will be good networking tools for that purpose.

I haven't seen Paul since the 1990's when we all had a reunion concert at the Grog in Newburyport. I hope he does make it back here and that he gets to meet back up with and collaborate with some of his musician buddies.

I always loved those bossa-nova numbers he did.

Ahhhhh....
Peace,
JK

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: GUEST,Kenny Girard - there's a name
Date: 30 Dec 09 - 02:20 PM

Used to play Hoot nights at the Grog a million years ago (early '70s) with bunch of the boys to break from the House Band gigs...he was a great guy, and didn't give me ; never gave me the "girl guitar-player" treatment.

Martha Sterling-Golden
Maine

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: GUEST,Gone and forgotton
Date: 21 Jan 10 - 06:00 AM

Paul McNeill the English one, died of cancer in a Scandinavian country ?Finland? many years ago.

He made two albums live at the Troubadour (in London not LA) and another one (Decca) where he was backed by Davy Graham. He was highly thought of as a traditional singer. He accompanined Paul Simon on his early visits to the UK and sung with with Linda Thompson when she was called Linda Peters.

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: GUEST,Gone and forgotton
Date: 21 Jan 10 - 06:16 AM

I have just seen another thread on this site which gives Norway as where he died and lots more info inluding entries from a son who is Swiss called Marco Paulo.

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: GUEST,Marco Paolo McNeill
Date: 22 Jan 10 - 06:19 PM

I confirm, different Paul.
My father is yet on youtube:

www.youtube.com/user/7mcneill

I really think you have been mistaken on this person.
There is 171 Paul McNeill on Facebook yet.

I have see that this Paul you are spoken is another one.
Paul MacNeil it was.
My father is never gone to the USA...

My father is dead in Oslo, Norway on 26th december 1989.
Sorry

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: Justin K. Rivers
Date: 26 Jan 10 - 01:22 PM

Haha, this whole confusion stems from the fact that Paul MacNeil's name is spelled incorrectly on the Bill Staines album, and I thought he was the OTHER McNeill.

Also, apparently Paul MacNeil's work is going to be re-released on a Korean record label?

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: GUEST,nick hurlin rowley
Date: 11 Jan 13 - 10:59 PM

trying to reach paul to work on supporting pauls music... paul signed over one of his songs "theres no fool like and old fool" would like to hear back. Same old address. Lots of memories from the Grog days kenny g. rocky rockwood les m .... heres hoping.

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 01 Dec 15 - 05:27 PM

Does anyone have a copy of the lyrics to "Midway"?

I was doing some poking about today online and found a copy of Bill and Renee singing it, and that shook loose my memories of Tom Hall (Curmudgeon) singing it back in the early 1980s. Tom stopped singing it for some reason (too many trad songs to sing, I suppose) and, though I often requested it, just never sang it again. (When people would ask me to request a song from Tom, I'd always tell them -- semi-jokingly -- that I was the last person they should ask to request it. No matter how many years we were married, it seemed as if he was less likely to sing anything I requested.)

Anyway, the tune is back in my head and I'D like to start singing it. Always liked the song and I have fond memories of Tom singing it. I think I've heard Paul sing it, too. The recording quality (of the Bill and Renee album) isn't the best and I may have problems if I try to transcribe it.

I suppose I could go through Rocky or Lesley Moore to get the lyrics from Paul, but if someone has them, I'd appreciate it.

Linn

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 04 Dec 15 - 11:45 AM

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸Refresh¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Linn

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 08 Dec 15 - 10:59 AM

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸Refresh¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Linn

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: GUEST,Ken Shaw
Date: 12 Jul 16 - 11:21 AM

I was also playing in Boston in the late sixties and early seventies. I know Paul and almost everyone else named in this thread. My own songwriting was still developing.

Here are the lyrics to Midway, from my memory:

I walk along the city street, I go the way that I might meet but few
Misty rain or sunny day, does it ever seem to happen that way for you?
Though my mind grows weary of the games my head likes to play
Still I'll go out and chase my daydreams for another day.

Scuffed up boots to keep the time, the songs run through my scuffed up mind to cool
Chaos and confusion, that's the cost of my delusion as a fool
The truths you find in the daytime light may be lost in the nighttime sound
But if you don't get lost, there's a chance you might never be found.

(First verse repeats)

I used to change one word, to 'does it ever seem to work that way for you?'

I'll be happy to discuss this topic more. I can't reach Paul. Rocky was a best friend back then. Has tHe list mentioned Bob McCarthy or John Compton?

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 12 Jul 16 - 01:23 PM

Paul has been living in the Phillipines for some time, now. Rocky passed away this past January. He'd been too ill in December to pass on my request.

I'm Tom Hall's widow -- Tom (Mudcat's Curmudgeon) died in November, 2013

I actually just got a recording of Paul singing "Midway" from Lesley Moore less than a month ago. And Paul enunciates well so I easily transcribed the words. The words to the second verse and going into the bridge --

Scuffed up boots that keep the time
As songs pass through my scuffed up mind to cool
But chaos and confusion that's the price of my delusion as a fool
But time it treats me kindly as I pass along my way
And my boots can walk off the debts my mind has to pay

    Sometimes I think that there is no other road
    But when your burdens get heavy then it makes for a light load
    The truth you find in the daytime's light may be lost in the night time sound
    But if you don't get lost there's a chance you might never be found.

Here's the recording at YouTube - Midway - Paul MacNeil

Where are you living, Ken? I continue to run Tom's two Press Room (Portsmouth, NH) sessions, the weekly Friday trad session and the monthly sea music sing. If you join Mudcat (free and no spam or other bother), I can message you my email address.

Linn

Subject: RE: Bill Staines and Paul McNeill
From: GUEST,David LaPlante
Date: 13 Feb 18 - 11:52 PM

I too, knew Paul and Bill Staines from the early 70s when they routinely hung out at the Old Stone Church in Newmarket NH. I also vividly remember Ken Girard, Rocky Rockwood, Bill Madison and Chris Biggi. Very sorry to hear Chris and Rocky are now gone. A very creative group whose work deserved a wider audience. As many old folkies do I'm still active in music and have produced an album LaPlante and Pounds (1983) and two CDs (2004,2017) with my trio all-she-wrote. Hello to anyone who might remember me from the old days.
Best