alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?

Subject: alastair hulet
From: MARINER
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 09:55 AM

i recently heard a fine singer on youtube called Alastair Hulet but have been unable to find out anything about him .Can anyone help ?

Subject: RE: alastair hulet
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 10:06 AM

That's because he's Alistair Hulett. well-known Swarb collaborator.

Subject: RE: alastair hulet
From: Beer
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 10:10 AM

Nothing came up on you tube by Hulet. But Hulett did. Now is the fellow your talking about Roaring Jack (Blond Hair)or just Alastir Hulett.
Doesn't matter I like both anyway. Great find. I also know nothing about him"Them"
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: alastair hulet
From: GUEST,jimmy
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 11:06 AM

One of my favorites too. wonderful song writer and a really nice guy if you can manage to meet him sometime - keep searching and ye shall discover.   regards - jimmy

Subject: RE: alastair hulet
From: Jack Campin
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 12:31 PM

Alistair posts to the Footstompin forum occasionally and will doubtless read anything you ask about him there.

http://www.folkicons.co.uk/alistair.htm
http://www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/inart516.htm
http://www.footstompin.com/artists/alistair_hulett

"Swarb collaborator"? You *do* realize Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings? (I've heard quite a bit of Hulett, very little of Swarbrick and nothing of their collaboration).

Subject: RE: alastair hulet
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 12:40 PM

You know "very little" of Swarbrick?
Perhaps you need to get out more.
A decade or so ago when the two musicians were each living in Australia they recorded together and since then have done extensive tours.

Who's Paul McCartney?

Subject: RE: alastair hulet
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 12:51 PM

Check out Alistair's website at www.alistairhulett.com (sorry can't do blue clicky things yet!)

Subject: RE: alastair hulet
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 12:59 PM

I already posted the sitelink which provides more information than anyone could possibly or decently need to know about Alistair Hulett at #2.
Though expecting anyone looking at Mudcat to get an artist's name right, to actually read the thread or to click a link is clearly going way too far.

---

Chill, Diane!!

(In other words, be nice).
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: alastair hulet
From: Chris_S
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 01:30 PM

"Who's Paul McCartney?"

Not surprising you haven't heard of him, he was just bass player, part time guitar player and drummer for one of the many pop groups that emerged from Liverpool in the 60s. They had the cheek to nick all the tunes from Oasis before they even thought of them. Clearly not fair.

As for Alistair, the song 'He Fades Away' came to me via Andy Irvine and June Tabor and is in my opinion a really powerful song. It was a real treat to see him live at Sidmouth and do his own version. Not heard his CDs or collaborations with Swarb so interested in any comments as to which to look out for.

Chris

Subject: RE: alastair hulet
From: GUEST,Little Robyn
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 03:08 PM

When he was a lad, Alistair and his family came to NZ (1968 is when his biog says) and he used to sing with his sister Alison. They did a lovely version of 'Huntingtower' in one of our concerts that year.
He lived in Christchurch where he joined a group called Croodin Cant, singing unaccompanied British trad songs that wowed us all in the late 60s.
On one occasion a few members of the Wellington Folk Club bumped into them at the Wellington Railway station and were so pleased to see them. We weren't in a hurry and spent the next 10-15 minutes singing under the dome, with wonderful acoustics, echoing all around the railway station. I think it was a Saturday so there weren't great crowds but it was a memorable experience.
We were sorry to lose him to Oz but I guess he had more inspiration and better opportunities there.
When Gordon MacIntyre and Kate Delaney came to one of the Auckland Folk Festivals, they sang 'He fades away' and spoke about the writer, which reminded us of him and so the following year Alistair was the visiting guest. That was not long before he left Australia and returned to Scotland.
The rest you can read on the site Diane gave.
Robyn

Subject: RE: alastair hulet
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 04:42 PM

if I recall correctly, he tunes his guitar to DADEAB.

or at least he did about ten years ago

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Pete_Standing
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 05:32 PM

Indeed he does, one tone above Martin Carthy's CGCDGA, from whom he got the tuning. He also uses a standard set of strings and that top B is a mite floppy.

I met Alistair when I went to Oxford FC, purely because he was collaborating with Swarb. I was really impressed with Ali's guitar playing, singing and songs and now I regularly perform his "Song of a Drinking Man's Wife" and "He Fades Away", but on bouzouki.

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 06:04 PM

One of my favourite Alistair Hulett somgs has always been Destitution Road (Click on link for an MP3 download).

When Alistair first recorded this, I remember suggesting to one of Scotland's best-loved performers (who shall remain nameless) that he should cover the song, but he said that his literary sensibilities would never let him come to terms with the chorus

"It's no use getting frantic
It's time to hump your load
Across the wild Atlantic
On the Destitution Road"

I kind of agree with him about the chorus, but I still love the song.

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 08:02 PM

My favourite album is "The Cold Grey Light of Dawn" maybe cos it's the album I bought at the first concert of his I attended.

It contains many songs I love. Unfortunately I can't find "The Day the Boys Came Down" or "The Swaggies have all waltzed Matilda away" but I did find Seige of Union Street (Youtube)

I think I've subsequently bought all of his albums.

sandra

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 09:05 PM

Sandra, 'swaggies' is on Dance of the Underclass' (1992). Fine song and fine album (though I agree with Murray and his anonymous witness about 'Destitution Road' - the chorus just doesn't fit and spoils the song for me).

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 02:50 AM

Susanne, I think what Sandra meant was that she couldn't find performances of those two songs on YouTube. They are on The Cold Grey Light of Dawn, as well as being on Dance of the Underclass.

For someone getting started on Alistair, I'd recommend either (or both) of those CDs, and/or
Saturday Johnny and Jimmy The Rat. The Red Clydeside album has some great work on it, but not everyone is going to want to listen to a whole album about the Scottish left during World War I. There's at least one more album that doesn't seem to be on the site linked to at #2, it has a mix of Scottish trad & Hulett topical. It may be called Sleepy Scotland - in any event I'm pretty sure that's the name of one of the tracks on it.

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: GUEST,huw
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 08:00 AM

Alistair Hulett is brilliant.Dance of The Underclass is a great album but I also think Red Clydeside is an example of a politically committed and creatively inspired musician on top form.It about the explosive situation in Glasgow during the First World War and its immediate aftermath and contains many fine songs including "When Johnny Came Hame To Glasga" about the great anti war socialist John Maclean.Stirring stuff! When he died ten thousand went to his funeral.
Huw

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 09:45 AM

He's doing 3 gigs in the forthcoming "Celtic Connections Festival" in Glasgow, 2 of them children's concerts, and taking part in an evening of political song.
Details on his own website (as shown by Moorley Man above)or the Celtic Connections website (search by artist).

www.alistairhulett.com



www.celticconnections.com

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 09:46 AM

P.S. Hope the above links work: they are NOT when I test them, tho' the spelling has been checked 3 x over!

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 10:09 AM

As a matter of accuracy (absolutely NOT "niceness" of which I harbour not one jot), it was I who provided the link to AH's site way, way above.
And no, the links two posts above do not work, confined as they are to a search only of Mudcat's server since you omitted the prefix "http://".

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: gnomad
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 11:13 AM

For Celtic connections ere 'tis

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 12:47 PM

The link both Diane and I provided independently was this:

http://www.folkicons.co.uk/alistair.htm

The link Tattie Bogle didn't quite make and Moorley Man provided as text is better and more up-to-date:

http://www.alistairhulett.com/

The folkicons page doesn't link to the other one - it seems to have been last updated in 2006.

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 10:07 PM

many thanks to all concerned for Alistair's 'new' website - I do have all his albums! and look froward to future new ones.

sandra

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Bruce from Bathurst
Date: 13 Jan 08 - 10:53 AM

"It's time to hump your load."

Well, it's really not all that confusing when you think about it in context. Almost self-explanatory, in fact. It's worth a snigger, I suppose, but it doesn't really match the wondrous confusion caused around the world by words such as 'rubbers', 'thongs' or 'fags'.

Where I live we also find poetic warnings such as: "Australia's a big country, and freedom's humping bluey" - from Henry Lawson's 'Freedom On The Wallaby'. In that poem, 'bluey' is another name for a swag (think 'swagman')and is definitely not the name of a close personal friend, dog, pet sheep or a political enemy.

Alistair Hulett (watch that spelling!) can craft lyrics that just make you feel better singing them. I reckon that "hump your load" line is one example, and it's in the chorus of a very fine song.

Bruce

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 12:11 PM

Thanks to those who supplied the correct tech know-how to make the links work. I did follow the instructions to "make a blue clicky", but hadn't appreciated that I had to copy and paste the link from outside Mudcat, rahter than just type in the web address.

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 05:02 PM

Bruce , I think you are missing the target, it's not so much the "hump your load " which grates , it's the desperately contrived insertion of "frantic" to get a rhyme with "Atlantic".

It just doesn't work, imo, but as I said above, I still love the song.

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 05:52 PM

Maybe something like

No place for your emotion
It's time to hump your load
Across the Western Ocean
On the Destitution Road

?

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 06:07 PM

much better , Jack.

"haul your load" would be better still imo

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Bruce from Bathurst
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 10:47 PM

I take your point about "frantic/Atlantic", Murray. That's certainly not a rhyme I've seen in a song before this one, so I'll still award points for originality.

I wonder what Alistair thinks about it?

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: GUEST,Ally H.
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 02:43 AM

Someone the other day mentioned this thread to me so I've quite enjoyed watching it unfold. I wrote the song way back in 1986, so 'not a lot' is the short answer to Bruce From Bathurst's question.

I do still occasionally dust the song off, as it gets requested now and again, and yes, it's in my website songbook so I guess the awkward rhyme doesn't bother me over much. I probably wouldn't have used it if I was writing it now but I'm fairly relaxed about stuff like that from the dim and distant.

Two lines were in my mind at the time, I recall. 'I've done my share of humpin' wi' the dockers on the Clyde' (Trad Scots song Tramps and Hawkers) and 'When he gets a few jars he goes frantic, He's tall and he's dark and romantic and I love him in spite of it all' (Lassies From Kimmage by Luke Kelly). I seemed fine at the time and no-one's bothered much till now, so I got away with it for over twenty years I suppose! Anyway, it's nice to know folk care enough to post.
Best wishes to all,
Alistair

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 02:51 AM

Welcome to Mudcat, Alistair.

Are you still using the DADEAB tuning btw?

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: GUEST,Ally H
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 04:05 AM

Sure am Murray. Lovely tuning for trad stuff, epecially ballads. It makes a guitar behave like a concertina when you get a handle on it. I've been doing a lot in standard as well recently and still revert to DADGAD too, now and again. Anyway, I'm out of here. Eavesdropping on threads about yersel is probably bad luck. Sorry to blunder in but it was fun just the same.

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: GUEST,drewsmilitia
Date: 29 Jan 10 - 08:14 AM

Absolutely shatterded to hear tonight that Alistair has died in Glasgow. A lovely bloke has gone and music is the worse for it.

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: GUEST,Henry in Sydney
Date: 15 Feb 10 - 08:57 PM

I was at his memorial last sunday in Syndey and it was so good to see so many people turned up to farewell such a ledgend.

I hope his music and his politics live on for ever.

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: GUEST,Alistair Hulett Memorial Trust
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 06:41 AM

Alistairhulett.com

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: weerover
Date: 05 May 20 - 08:16 AM

Choosing music the last few days for my brother's funeral with another brother we decided on a track by Alistair. Only after this did we find that my late brother and Alistair knew one another. Don't know how friendly they were but this would have been nothing to do with "trad" music as said brother had little interest, they had other things very much in common. I had heard some recordings of Alistair but he was not particularly on my radar, but since learning of the connection I have listened to a good deal, and will certainly go looking for more. A great talent.

Subject: RE: alastair hulet/ Alistair Hulett - info?
From: Daniel Kelly
Date: 06 May 20 - 02:38 AM

Alistair, in my view, put together some of the most pleasant to listen to settings of traditional ballads and was also a master of capturing complex political issues in a 3-minute song.

There was a great turn out at his memorial concert in Sydney earlier this year. He certainly inspired me as a ballad singer and topical songwriter.