Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!

Subject: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 28 Dec 09 - 03:07 PM

Susan Boyle's naming of Elaine Paige has resulted in Elaine's music being introduced to a far wider audience, particularly in the USA. I was thinking, what if Susan had mentioned fellow Scot Barbara Dickson instead of Elaine? Now, that would have been interesting. For any of our non-UK Mudcatters, who don't know Barbara, here is a link to Barbara singing "Easy Terms" which, of course, was written by that well-known Liverpool folk singer Willy Russell!

Barbara Dickson singing "Easy Terms"

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: Rasener
Date: 28 Dec 09 - 03:14 PM

I am sure Barbara Dickson isn't too worried.

She lives very close to Faldingworth Live and as she lives close by I tried to see if it was at all possible to do a mystery night. Agent not interested and the quote was so unbeleivable for what we could afford, that was that. She doesn't need any help, she has enough work.

http://www.myspace.com/barbaradickson

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 28 Dec 09 - 03:25 PM

I'll say one thing for Babs, she (like me) looks better now than she did thirty years ago ...

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: MikeL2
Date: 28 Dec 09 - 03:29 PM

hi villan

It wasn't always so.

Many years ago when Barbara had just come down to Liverpool I managed to book her for something like £25.

She was fantastic not only as a musician and singer but as person as well.

Of course I am not doing that now and if I was I just wouldn't be able to afford her fee.....which IMHO she is worth every penny.

But hey.....the World goes round....

cheers

Mike

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: Rasener
Date: 28 Dec 09 - 04:00 PM

Hi Mike
I like your story :-)

Sounds like you fancy her Murray :-)

Les

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 28 Dec 09 - 05:18 PM

Well, she does have "single" on her Myspace profile.

Alas, out of my league now, I feel :-(

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: Gurney
Date: 28 Dec 09 - 07:28 PM

Anyone who goes looking into Elaine's work will come upon her singing 'I Know Him So Well' in duet with Barbara. Great music, great singers.

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: Rasener
Date: 29 Dec 09 - 01:00 AM

Indeed Gurney

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: C Stuart Cook
Date: 29 Dec 09 - 01:43 AM

I would have thought the Americans already had a very good idea of her as she had an award winning run in Blood Brothers on Broadway if I remember rightly.

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 29 Dec 09 - 02:04 AM

C.Stuart Cook: Elaine, too, received great critical acclaim on Broadway but the Susan Boyle exposure thing seems to have introduced her to a far wider audience.

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 29 Dec 09 - 03:17 AM

Villan, ask G & TC about the night Barbara played The Bothy FC in Gainsborough - some great anecdotes. Barbara was just a slip of a lass, back then, but still a great singer! :-)

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 29 Dec 09 - 03:20 AM

Oh, and I think we paid her fifteen quid! Mind you, a pint was only 1s/10d Old Money (9p in today's daft money) then, and fifteen quid was a week's wages for me.

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: Rasener
Date: 29 Dec 09 - 06:57 AM

Hi BWM. G&T have told me about that. She has moved on a bit since then though :-) Those were the days eh! Was that when you lived in a coconut :-)

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 29 Dec 09 - 10:40 AM

Aye, and we licked t'road clean wi' us tongues!
:-)

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: GUEST,John from Kemsing
Date: 29 Dec 09 - 11:30 AM

Elaine Page is undoubtedly a fine singer and broadcaster but her laugh drives my wife up the wall.

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Dec 09 - 05:48 PM

Let's just send Subo some folk songs, being scots she must know a few, and get her to strengthen the revival?

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: GUEST,David
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 12:36 PM

Frankly I think Barbara Dickson is worth a million Subos and Elaine Paiges combined. Neither of them - outside of the "songs from the shows" material both record and perform - have any musical identity at all.

Barbara Dickson, on the other hand, with her background in folk/roots music is a million times more interesting as a singer, song writer and interpreter of material. She is also - unlike Paige and Subo - an accomplished musician.

Saw her live recently, playing a set largely made up of traditional music. She was stunning. Wonderful band which included Troy Donockley and Pete Zorn!! Great to see an artist of Dickson's experience and vintage having a creative renaissance in her 60s!   Go Barbara!

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: MikeL2
Date: 09 Jan 10 - 02:41 PM

hi

I agree with what you say about Barbara Dickson.

I have "known" her since she first came down to Liverpool from Scotland....and have followed her career interestedly ever since.

Though I don't agree that she is more attractive now than then.

I preferred her in "folk mode" but my own favourite performance of hers is Caravans.

There is a reason - some...nay many years ago I was all alone at home on New Years Day with flu. Feeling dreadful. On the radio came Barbara singing Caravans and I immdiately felt much better. That was the first time I had heard this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcYfRysceeQ&feature=related

Regards

Mike

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: Tootler
Date: 09 Jan 10 - 06:52 PM

Clickyfied

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcYfRysceeQ&feature=related

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 04:58 AM

Tunesmith, I agree with you wholeheartedly! When Susan first said that on 'Britain's Got Talent', I checked out Elaine Paige on youtube, and was rather underwhelmed! Here, check out Karen Matheson!!

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

or Lisa Kelley

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EemvDk4Kmw

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfO6JpR5Ip8

HOPE YOU ENJOY THESE!!!
GfS

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: MikeL2
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 06:08 AM

hi tootler

Thanks for "clickyfying" my link. Just haven't been able to do it.......must try harder...lol

Thanks.

Mike

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: GUEST,David
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 09:15 AM

Like to see Susan Boyle and/or Elaine Paige try and better this from Barbara Dickson. Here she is singing MacCrimmons Lament. Pure, unadulterated artistry.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQNtZ2OA6t4

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: MikeL2
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 09:33 AM

Hi David

Many thanks for the link. Barbara at her very best.

With this vid I found the slight lip sync problem a little difficult to work out the words. So here are the lyrics for those that may be interested.

Lyrics to Maccrimmon's Lament :

< Doon Coolin's face the night is sailing,
The banshee croons her note of wailing;
My blue eyen wi' sorrow are streaming,
For I noo will never return MacCrimmon

No more, no more, no more MacCrimmon;
In war nor in peace shall return MacCrimmon;
Till dawns the sad day of doom and burning,
MacCrimmon is home no more returning

The breeze on the bray is mournfully moaning;
The brook in the hallow is plaintively mourning;
But my blue eyen with sorrow are streaming,
For I noo will never return MacCrimmon

No more, no more, no more MacCrimmon;
In war nor in peace shall return MacCrimmon;
Till dawns that great day of doom and burning,
MacCrimmon is home no more returning. >

I have an audio recording of this that I must look out. Strange to say I find it easier to understand the lyrics when I don't see the performance.

I say strange because I taught myself to speak French and Spanish and then I used to watch French and Spanish films and found it much easier if I could watch the speakers' mouths.

Thanks again

Regards

Mike

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 09:43 AM

The last line in vereses 1 and 3 should be,

' For him who will never return, MacCrimmon '

Dave H

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: GUEST,Rob and Rosie Hardman-Ixer
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 12:00 PM

Barbara was the booked guest singer at our wedding at the MSG 39 years ago next April.
For £12??
Her 'Fate of Charlie' album has to be one of the greatest ever.

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 06:09 PM

I agree, the The Fate O Charlie album is wonderful...and according to Barbara's new autobiography - the whole thing was recorded in a couple of days in a back room in Archie Fisher's house in Kirkcaldy!!

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: MikeL2
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 10:49 AM

hi rosie

I agree that this is one of the best things that Barbara has turned out in her great and varied career.

You married 39 years ??? Did you marry at 10 years old ??

I used to go to MSG and other NW folk clubs and have seen and heard you many times.

barbara charged you £12 eh ??

Cheeky bugger charged me £20...mind you it was worth a £100.

Regards

Mike

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 03:30 AM

Barbara will be on BBC 1 Breakfast show at 9.00am today.

Subject: RE: Susan Boyle/Barbara Dickson!
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 07:14 AM

She was on BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour this morning.