The other Robert Johnson...?

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: GUEST,another steeleye fan - - - again!!
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 08:04 PM

Oh yes a solo album!! I can understand Bob Johnson not wanting to tour or appear on stage but a recording would be great,he's too good to retire totally!

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: reggie miles
Date: 13 Apr 10 - 04:30 PM

Here I thought you might be wanting to know about my friend Robert 'OneMan' Johnson. Another fine player and songwriter.

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: GUEST,Steeleye fan
Date: 13 Apr 10 - 04:19 PM

I am not the only one who thinks Bob Johnson is god with a strat!

I too have lost my love of steeleye live without Johnson. I met him after a concert about 10 years ago in the theatre bar and what a gentleman he is.

Sorely missed. I believe he is completely retired now.

Come on Bob, release that solo album!

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: GUEST,guest another steeleye fan
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 08:01 PM

I agree !! Definitely a genius,I've always liked Steeleye in all its incarnations but stopped going to see them live after Bob Johnson gave up,his singing & playing are sadly missed.
Sorry to poke my nose in here,I stumbled across this & couldn't resist adding my bit!!

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: GUEST,Steeleye fan
Date: 30 Mar 10 - 06:13 PM

I have always loved Bob Johnsons singing and playing and just listened to the Roger Nicholson album for the first time. Its a joy to hear Bob sing on a lost treasure.

Why oh why has this genius never released a solo album.

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: Will Fly
Date: 20 Mar 10 - 04:39 PM

And you can see Mark, Joy his wife and friends in action in:

Sunrise On A Guinea Farm

Good stuff!

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 20 Mar 10 - 02:46 PM

I've recently joined WillsPorch, “A meeting place for DIY music and good companionship,” and, since I'm not around here as much as in the old days, today discovered Will Fly is also a member here. This thread marks Will's first Mudcat post so I'm tying things together here.

Will and his friends sure make great music.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: nager
Date: 09 Aug 08 - 07:34 PM

Robert Johnson is a fine guitarist who lives in the Newcastle (NSW) Australia region. Together with his equally talented brother Mike, they have been playing blues, jazz and folk for a lifetime and are brilliant. They brought out a CD a couple of years ago which was excellent. The brothers are good friends with that other brilliant Oz guitarist Bruce Mathiske.

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: Nerd
Date: 09 Aug 08 - 07:22 PM

Yes, they're the same Bob Johnson (the Nicholson Guitarist and the Steeleye guitarist). Bob is also the vocalist on Nonesuch for Dulcimer.

Bob was Peter Knight's partner in the folk clubs. When Steeleye hired Peter, they sort of robbed Bob of his partner. Later, when Martin Carthy called it quits, they thought of Bob. Bob had always loved the idea of combining trad music with rock, so he was delighted to join.

I think Bob really helped to define Steeleye's approach on the classic albums like Below the Salt, Parcel of Rogues, Now We Are Six, and All Around My Hat. He was in the band for their top ten hits, Top of the Pops, and all that.

When Steeleye called it quits the first time, Bob actually became a vocational guidance counselor (odd for a man whose only previous job experience was folk club musician and rock star!)

When Steeleye made a comeback in the mid-nineties, Bob was aboard. I interviewed him and the other members pretty extensively when they toured the US in 1996.

Bob's not in the latest lineup of Steeleye, so I'm not sure what he's up to lately.

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: quokka
Date: 09 Aug 08 - 10:03 AM

Welcome, Will. Careful, Mudcat can be addictive! The folks here know a lot of stuff, and are real friendly!
Cheers,
Quokka

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: GUEST,cookie
Date: 09 Aug 08 - 09:52 AM

And there was me thinking you were on about Robert Johnson, the Elizabethan lutenist.

Cookie

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: Neil D
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 10:43 PM

Welcome to Mudcat Will Fly. Good solve irishenglish.

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: Will Fly
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 02:34 PM

"Just to avoid confusion here, there is no way we are talking about Bob Johnson of Steeleye Span here are we?"

Just checked out a picture of Steeleye Span from 1969 - and the bloke labelled "Bob Johnson" looks VERY like the Robert Johsnon on the front of the Roger Nicholson album! I think you've solved my mystery!

Now, if I'd only put "Bob" instead of "Robert" into Google first time round...

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: irishenglish
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 12:17 PM

Just to avoid confusion here, there is no way we are talking about Bob Johnson of Steeleye Span here are we? I don't know much about his pre-Steeleye career, other than working with Pj Proby.

Subject: RE: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: greg stephens
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 11:54 AM

Didn't he sell his soul to the devil on the zebra crossing opposite Boots?

Subject: The other Robert Johnson...?
From: Will Fly
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 11:25 AM

Just a quick "hello" from a "newbie" to everyone out there - and I wonder if anyone knows what happened to an English folk guitarist called Robert Johnson?

Robert played backing guitar on Roger Nicholson's first mountain dulcimer album - "Nonesuch for dulcimer" back in the late 60's/early 70s. He was a fine guitarist, but I've heard nothing from him either before or after the collaboration with Roger Nicholson.

Any news of info would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Will