Makes me feel very sad to read all this.
On the one hand it's great to find the thread, and to realise that there are people that remember him - but somehow, I expected to find more!
I discovered Tom Yates back in 1990, through the Second City Spiritual album. I was a young singer/songwriter of 17 at the time. I remember learning Second City Spiritual, Central Station (I'm with the above poster Bryn Pugh on this one, gorgeous song) & Some Early Morning (not sure if the titles are correct).
To discover on this page that he must've been 23 when he made the album is astonishing. I'm guessing he must've been playing at Les Cousins at the time he made the album (second city spiritual) right in that melting pot of creativity - but that takes away, not at all from what he achieved.
By my early 20's, I was performing my own stuff, & these songs were no longer visited. It's funny how stuff pops into your head.
Lying in bed tonight, I found myself thinking of the lyrics to Second City Spiritual - I guess they still have relevance for me.
I reckon I can still remember them!
I'll write them out when i get a moment.
An astute observation of the Dylan phenomenon I'd say!
Dylan called Phil Ochs a journalist, I wonder what he'd have said about Tom Yates?
I'd like to think that Bob would've called him a poet!