"So, in your opinion Jim, why did Ewan MacColl have two sheds? "
Oh dear!
Any 'Python' fan will describe the sketch where a composer wants to talk about his music, while the interviewer will only discuss his nickname - pretty much the same as threads like these.
"Exactly, which is why you, Jim, and Pat, are the best people to write something substantial on Ewan's work and ideas."
Thank you for that Derek.
In 1978, Pat and I began to interview Ewan - it lasted over six months (about a dozen nights) and concntrated almost exclusively on his work and ideas on song; it was an incredibly rewarding experience for us. At one time our aim was to transcribe it and make it available to all but, as the world seems full of people who 'were asked to sit on MacColl's knee, and never went back' it will probably be archived and let the future decide.
I've thought I'd heard it all about MacColl, but 'Ewan the letch' is a new one on me (Bert maybe!). As a regular at The Singer's I heard the 'sit on my knee' joke a dozen or so times, every time they played to capacity audiences, which was virtually every time they were on. I even received the invitation a few times myself - it was a reference to the club being full (an indication of their popularity as artists). It wasn't one of his better jokes, but it was mildly amusing the first half-dozen times, especially (as Mike, I'm sure, will confirm), MacColl always sat on a back-to-front chair (a relaxation technique) and so, didn't have a lap to sit on. I can't believe that anybody could take it seriously (especially in the light of Peggy's feminist politics).
Mike:
"Jim: you posted "on the folk scene, (or any other artistic field, for that matter)"
Fair enough - I rephrase and ask again - what folk artist has had his or her character placed before their contribution to the music to the extent MacColl has?
Maybe we should concentrate on Grainger's S & M fetish rather than his Lincolnshire collection - what do you think?
Jim Carroll