'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 12:19 PM

The fellside web site Click here

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: GUEST,Greycap
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 11:44 AM

Hey, Troll, That's ok - I looked Dave up and had an e-mail or two with him 'cos we used to play & sing together for a while in the early 60s. I was doing the 'where are all my mates now?' thing. You know, the 'nostalgia isn't as good as it used to be' thing. Seeya,

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: Troll
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 07:49 AM

Greycap, thanks for the info on Dave.
Arnie, that sounds about right. Dave and Heather were sort of on the other side of a large group of folkies that my wife was part of. She knew who they were but had never met them.
Her closest friends were Colin and Beastie Dovey who ran a folk club in Worcester but who lived near Bromyard.
When we came over to visit in '85, Colin, who knew Dave well called asked if they could put us up for a few days since we were coming up to the Border country and thats how I met them. I didn't met Jim Boyes until the next trip.
Interesting tidbit; Dave's last name is not Brady but Bradley. At one of their first gigs, they were billed as Dave and Heather Brady and they simply kept that name professionally.

troll

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: Arnie
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 07:04 AM

Reading this thread, I've just made a fascinating connection (well, fascinating to me anyway). I was taught German at Bradford Poly in the early '70's by a lecturer named Heather Brady! Lovely woman and more like one of us students than a lecturer - she was only a year or two older than most of us. I met her husband on just one occasion in the Uni bar and recall him as a big bearded one-armed bloke. I was more into Led Zep etc at that time and wouldn't have known a folkie if one had come up and stuck their finger in my ear. Now of course I know better! I have a few illicit recordings of Swan Arcade taken from Reading Radio's folk slot (Mike Saunderson) in the '80's , and had never realised that they were Heather and her hubby until today! That's the wonder of Mudcat I suppose. I can testify to the fiery curries in Bradford - chappatis were good for mopping the brow as they were free at that time - which is why they were used as frisbees in many a curry house by the usual crowd of drunken students - Happy Days indeed!!

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: GUEST,Greycap
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 03:13 AM

Dave is alive and well and living in Scotland, roadying for another band.

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 02:39 AM

Hille - Mr Knights, father of Ollie, I think

Kitty

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: Troll
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 01:44 AM

I had the good fortune to spend a weekend with Dave and Heather about 15 years ago. Any story you may have heard about Dave is probably true and they aren't telling half of it.
He was a wild man but in the nicest sort of way. I helped him get in wood for the winter ( he lived right on the Scottish border in a little village called Catloudy) and he and his one arm darn near worked me to death!
He's the only man I ever saw that could sucessfully operate a chain-saw one-handed.
The last time I saw him was about 10 years ago. Heather had entered local politics and Dave was driving the equipment lorry for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. They had been hit with a HUGE capital gains tax when they sold the hotel they had been running and retired and didn't have as much money as they thought they would have.

troll

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 01:00 AM

Had a visit by a full suit of armour one folk-night in Hexham; Turned out to be Dave inside!

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: Ralphie
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 10:38 PM

The last two Swan arcade LPs have just been re released by Fellside Music....Can't remember the number just now
What a band though.....
As Dave Brady used to say
"We're going to do a song now called The F**king Flying F**cking Cloud!...
God Bless Him
Ralphie

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: GUEST,Hille - still looking for her cookie
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 08:26 PM

Ooops! Thanks Herga....cause he is (Dur! Obviously a worse night's sleep than I thought) Who was Lal married to tho'?

Hille

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 08:19 PM

Hille

Mike Waterson is Norma and Lal's brother.

Kitty

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 08:18 PM

Swan Arcade was a Victorian shopping arcade in the centre of Bradford, and was demolished in the 1960's to make way for concrete high rise buildings. I do not remember it as I was a bit young at the time, but it was close to the Wool Exchange, where wool from around the world was bought and sold.
Dave Brady lost his arm as the result of a motorcycling accident. Despite that, he played bass guitar with the group and, as previously mentioned, concertina.
Mike Harding used to relate a story about visiting a curry house on Leeds Road in Bradford where the curry was so hot that they ended up mopping their brows with a chapatti. Apparently Dave Brady was the other diner.
most of this information is third hand, so please excuse any inaccuracies.
GtD!

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: GUEST,Hille - who's lost her cookie
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 07:51 PM

'Ullo Paul!

The Blue Murder line up I saw at Sidmouth were: CB&S + Norma, Martin, Eliza and um, Mike Waterson, Lal's husband out of retirement. It seemed quite a permanent arrangement (although they sounded wildly under-rehearsed in places, admittedly tho' I fell asleep on the grass - after an appalling night's sleep in a wind-blown hill-top tent and an appallingly early rousing by small Harriet in the neighbouring VW camper locating her harmonica and repeatedly crash-sliding the door open and shut about 6" from my head it seemed. So - I probably missed the best bits! At tomorrow's rehearsal I'll ask Rep. Man what he knows.

See any good cartons lately?

Cheers, 'ille

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 07:42 PM

I read somewhere he'd died? Glad to stand corrected, though!

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 04:45 PM

The only one-armed concertina player I've ever seen.  Well, he's one-and-two-thirds-armed, really.  Also quite a raconteur; I still remember a story he told us long ago about the time he went drinking with Christy Moore.

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: BanjoRay
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 04:32 PM

I remember Tony Capstick intoducing Swan Arcade at a concert in Yorkshire many years ago. He said "You know when you do it with your other hand it feels like somebody else? Well when Dave Brady does it with his other hand it is somebody else!" Ah, the good old days before we all went PC.

Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 04:22 PM

'ello, 'ille...

Do you know if 'CBS' have 'taken over' as that half of 'Blue Murder' then? I remember reading somewhere a couple of years or more ago that they had done that, so I suppose that means 'Swan Arade' arent. (Not comparing them unfavourably there, by any means!)

Bradfordian, I didnt know that they had done, 'Doin the Manch'! Their version has to be well worth hearing! I'll look out for that!

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: bradfordian
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 04:13 PM

I heard that two old vinyl volumes has just been released on CD including "Doin' the Manch!" Sorry I don't know the title or label just yet but i'll dig around

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: GUEST,Hille
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 03:45 PM

Well, our trio (Haj!) is shamelessly plundering their repertoire and getting it back out here in a few clubs around here (Sussex). Luckily our chief repertoire-finder is a big fan and has most of their stuff.

Cooper, Boyes and Simpson (My heroes - swoon!) are also in Lewes, Sussex early next year..and saw them as Blue Murder with the Watersons/Carthy at Sidmouth this year.

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 03:10 PM

Just done a Search, to see if I can find anything current on them, but no joy....didnt find that site before, though I did find smething on the PLACE they were named for...a 'Shopping Arcade' in Bradford....

I havent seen or heard much, if anything, of them, as such, for about 10 years, probably, though seemingly they still do perform when they can, as 'Blue Murder' - a group consisting of them & the Watersons.....

Jim is evidently still busy with Coope, Boyes, & Simpson (thats a good Link Wildlone, thanks....hadnt come across their site before).

But for those that dont know, Swan Arcade were a married couple, Dave & Heather Brady (along with Jim Boyes). They are mostly (or EXCLUSIVELY???) known for unaccompanied singing (often at HIGH volume, thanks to Big Dave....*G*)

One of the songs they are most noted for is a spirited rendition of "Lola" (YES, the one by 'The Kinks'....)

I havent seen or heard much, if anything, of them, as such, for about 10 years, probably,

I was once told me a story about them when they were doing some gig, & the Sound-Man was trying to set the levels for Swan Arcade.

Now Dave Brady was a big bloke, had one arm, & a beard, &a VERY loud voice...he had a sort of 'piratical' look about him... but was one of the nicest blokes you could ever meet....

The Soundman was evidently having some trouble with the settings, & apparently he whispered to the MC (or someone) for the event, "Do you know that big bloke? Is he..er...alright?"

Somewhat puzzled, he replied "Yes, of course, he's alright, what do you mean?" The Soundman said "Do you know him then?" looking hopeful..

The MC (?) nodded, but still looking confused...

The relieved soundman sighed happily & said "Well would you ask him to stand about 3 feet off that mike"....

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: Les b (U.K.)
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 02:25 PM

Wow that was quick, 15 mins approx and two replies.
I never realised that Jim Boyes was in Swan Arcade I don't remember who they were, just what a good sound they made. They were an unacompanied harmony trio singing mostly trad songs in the U.K. in the seventies. I remember two blokes (one with only one arm) he must have been the one who wasn't Jim Boyes, and a girl, they had real drive and passion for their singing. I remember once when visiting London going to a club to see them (they were from 'up north' like me), and a lot of people had turned out to see them. ie Packie Burn, Vin Garbut, June Tabor, I think she was a resident, and a Belgium group called Rum who were on their way to Cambridge Festival.
What a night. Vin Garbut and Packie Burn having a whistle jam in the bar during the interval, whilst upstairs they cleared the floor and had a mini ceilidh.
ah those were the days.
Cheers Les

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: GUEST,wildlone
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 02:18 PM

sorry try this for Swan Arcade Click here
dave

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: 53
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 02:08 PM

i have never heard of them, what type of music do they play?

Subject: RE: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: GUEST,wildlone
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 02:06 PM

I have done a quick search Jim Boyes is still singing

Click here
dave

Subject: 'Swan Arcade' what happened to them?
From: Les b (U.K.)
Date: 15 Oct 01 - 01:43 PM

Does anybody remember 'Swan Arcade'? What happened to them and what are they doing now?