My only problem with Both Sides Then is Martin Carthy's bass; shame they couldn't have got a more convincing bottom end in there and it would have been perfect.

I could have got my my copy of Keep On Kipling signed, but felt a bit weird about it at the time - a mixture of being in awe of the man yet wanting to acknowledge his humanity at the same time. Hey, remember that time a few years back when you were reduced to grovelling for a doss from strangers at The Bridge? Well, I'm the one they sent you up to bar to seek out. Hadn't heard of you then of course but thanks to my mate Raymond I'm now of the opinion that you're the most important singer on the scene and as a performer you generate as much excitement as the Art Ensemble of Chicago who I saw last week in Leeds by the way...

Yes - Songs & Rummy Conjurin' Tricks - which is a fine piece of work & always a firm favourite over the years since his untimely demise which made it his swan song thus giving it that unique status in any body of work, which I have to say it more than adequately lives up to. I can't help feeling there was something else on his mind that night - maybe like recording the near-perfect live album??