Mike Harding played my request

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 10:22 AM

"Personally, I don't need to compare IP addresses to match up multi-identity posters with brain-dead axes. Does anyone?"

For the record, as this thread/forum is in the public domain, and as Joe has, for some reason, chosen to not clear my name in this thread, I am NOT the above poster, 'lazy lawrence'

It matters to me. It matters to me that these two people above constantly lie and twist and infer things about me, which are totally untrue. It has gone on for way too long, it should not be allowed to go on one minute longer.

I no longer post to Mudcat, of my own choosing.

Joe knows why.

Thank you.

And now, back to Reg Meuross...

Subject: Reg Meuross is brill
From: GUEST,mauvepink
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 08:36 AM

Not wishing to hijack a thread nor get embroiled into the politics of transmassion I thought to raise a new thread for Reg Meuross as he really is worth listening to. Mike Harding made a good choice and I agree with all the other members comments on Reg Meuross.

Whilst being taken home by friends I was immediately hit upon by the few opening bars of one song on the CD and then the first two lines... "It's time to put your red dress on, and see how beautiful you are...". Smitten!

"Until I hold you once again", written after RM had heard a broadcast involving the Mum of one the poor girls murdered in Ipswich, tore into me. Without exception anyone who has since heard it has been moved and some to tears.

His "And Jesus Wept" is also touching. What sweet combination it is when a wordsmith and musician and one and the same. So many times it is that unison that makes the difference. I would recommend the Dragonfly album to anyone who can afford an ample supply of tissues.

"The sound of hallelujahs", "Without Love", and the unfaithful's guide to "Fools Gold: Yes. It is all here

I find His voice so androgenous too (anyone else find that?) and I do not mean that in any derogatory way. There are times you have no idea you are listening to a man or a woman. It is a rare treat for me.

So what is YOUR favourite RM song?

mp

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 02:52 AM

The topic is R2 airplay policy with particular reference to one specific hour. I have explained (again) how this policy governs output, which is strictly on-topic. To expand, MH has played something allegedly for me which I did NOT request - it was merely to fit in with the dominant theme. If he didn't do this, he wouldn't have a job and Smoothops wouldn't have a contract.

Personally, I don't need to compare IP addresses to match up multi-identity posters with brain-dead axes. Does anyone?

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Folkiedave
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 02:41 AM

Joe - can you identify people who post under different names from the same address?

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Folkiedave
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 02:24 AM

Sorry Joe, got sucked in..............

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 10:44 PM

Stick to the topic of discussion, please.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Folkiedave
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 05:41 PM

OK let's accept that you are not Lizzie and that you really are "Lazy Lawrence" of a completely different identity.

Now as someone wanting a mainstream radio programme consisting of "contemporary singer songwriters, people with something new to say" choose fifteen tracks for a one hour radio programme and then the second hour and then the second week.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: lazylawrence
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 04:31 PM

Why are you calling me Lizzie ? Do you think you're being smart or are you confused?

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Folkiedave
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 04:20 PM

Wrong again Lizzie, folk is not served poorly by mainstream radio; as I pointed out there are lots of them. My own programm is not audio streaming - but broadcast live; and lots of contemporary singer-songwriters are played on radio - no there isn't a specialist programme about them, why should there be, there are thousands of them out there. And since people can only listen to one programme at once - the "listen again" facility is very useful.

So here is a little chance for you to put together your own programme.

Who would you choose for your ideal programme? Apart from Show of Hands and Reg Meuross of course........here is a litle help - an hour's programme without too much talking takes about 15 tracks. Mike Harding got through 11 this week but he was talking to Shirley Collins.

So there you are - choose eleven tracks of contemporary singer-songwriters. And then for the second hour (I do two hours) another 15 tracks.

And here comes the difficult bit....week two?

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: lazylawrence
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 03:31 PM

No, there isn't an no, I'm not.

I am not a researcher or a campaigner for more folk radio. It is a fact that folk is poorly served by the mainstream radio that I am likely to listen to, and I don't expect that to change. Yes, there are lots of amateur online stations, streaming broadcasts etc but the main roots programmes are few and Mike Harding's appears to be the highest profile.

I am not interested in Trad music much, why should I be? I like contemporary singer songwriters, people with something new to say. the only real outlet for them as far as I can see is Harding & Bob Harris. Bob appears to think that it isn't authentic if it isn't American, and Mike has a very small playlist. Late Junction plays the odd thing if they can make it fit into their 'music as art' format.

I'm not dependent on Radio, I can buy the cds I want, but when something does get played that I am interested in I pay attention.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Folkiedave
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 03:13 PM

Comment 1 We all know Harding has a tiny playlist and there is really little else in the way of outlets for folk & roots music in this country.

Comment 2 Neither am I interested in Trad music or where people go to listen to or find out about it. That is not what my comment was about - pay attention!

Paying attention Lizzie - sorry Lazy - sorry Lizzie and I reckon comment 1 says you think there is not enough folk and roots music on radio and comment 2 says you are not bothered finding out if that is true.

Hey ho.......

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: lazylawrence
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 01:44 PM

To Easby:
Why should I be the faintest bit interested in Radio 2 policy? I'm not. Neither am I interested in Trad music or where people go to listen to or find out about it. That is not what my comment was about - pay attention!

I am interested though in contemporary writers with something interesting to say, who are out there doing it and not sitting on their fat a**** slagging it off and being rude to people.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Folkiedave
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 01:14 PM

there is really little else in the way of outlets for folk & roots music in this country

Blatant Plug follows.......

I have a folk music programme on community radio under the name "Thank Goodness It's Folk" - easily accessible via the internet.

The station also devotes two hours per week to roots music under the name Goondwana Sound presented by Jill Turner.

There is lots of folk music on the radio via the internet.

My playlist is generally posted on here thread.cfm?threadid=110008 and you can also access the playlist via my blog (first message on the thread).

Folk Radio (just google the name)is easily accessible via the internet.

Then there are all the other programmes on the BBC. That's what "Listen Again" is for.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 12:58 PM

I suggest "lazy lawrence" devotes a minimum of research time to BBC R2 policy, to the network's remit to the outsourced production company that produces the MH programme and dips into the innumerable published interviews passim with its presenter, and thus become a little more "sure" of that of which I speak.

there really is little else in the way of outlets . . .

What utter bollocks. Anyone looking seriously for broadcast trad music places R2 approximately last on a list of places to look.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: lazylawrence
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 10:57 AM

Reg is currently guest blogger on Mike's Radio 2 website. (Wed 25th Sept) The bush telegraph is obviously working! Well done Lizzie.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 09 Sep 08 - 08:55 AM

It is important to spread the word or some of us (definitely me!) would miss out on things and that would be a shame.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: lazylawrence
Date: 09 Sep 08 - 08:23 AM

It's an interestin thread Lizzie, Reg Meuross is a very interesting writer, and any kind of recognition is worth noting I think. We all know Harding has a tiny playlist and there is really little else in the way of outlets for folk & roots music in this country. But that is the nature of the beast - I'm not sure what Diane Easby is going on about! if she can't bring herself to write the word she obviously has other issues. she sounds very bitter.

I think the And Jesus wept site is excellent Lizzie, so thanks for that too. Hopefully Mike will play more of Reg's songs in the future. When there is so little radio opportunities for the likes of Reg I think it is important that people with your conviction and energy are spreading the word too. More power to your spreading knife Lizzie !

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: JHW
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 05:12 PM

"MH has to conform to the BBC edict of "follow-through" which means conning the listener into believing that the MOR trash played differs not a lot from the rest of the network's output."
But of course. Radio2 plays Classical music for those who are not up to Radio3. It plays Pop music for those not up to Radio1.
Its a long long time since I heard Border Ballads on Radio3 but it did happen!

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 04:06 PM

",,Is this Lizzie's connection I wonder ?.."

No, Lawrence, I have no connection to the song whatsoever.

The only 'Lizzie' in that song is Elizabeth Millington, Dick's wife.

It's great to read so many positive comments in here though.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: CupOfTea
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 11:49 AM

I'm obscurely comforted by the thought that there are parallels across the ocean of folk radio personalites who can be as clueless about performers as one of our local lads who regularly makes up stuff to make himself sound like he's got special IMPORTANT knowledge. It's all the more infuriating because he frequently DOES know stuff, has a huge audience because he's (bless his heart, seriously) been promotiing folk music for forever.

So when he "discovers" someone I've been listening to since the days of vinyl & tried to introduce him to back in the 80s, or makes some outrageously factual blunder (blathered about how a well known Chicago born fiddler had "won so many all-Ireland competitions that she moved here") it makes me grind my teeth and swear at the radio.

I comfort myself with "It's on the radio where folks can HEAR IT, it's wonderful and more people will know about it" (repeat over and over till I calm down)

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: lazylawrence
Date: 07 Sep 08 - 12:17 PM

Which of his songs did you play Simon ? I've heard excellent versions of Lizzie loved a Highwayman. Is this Lizzie's connection I wonder ?

Subject: Reg Meuross is brill
From: Simon G
Date: 07 Sep 08 - 12:04 PM

Saw this thread, visited the myspace page, bought the LP, sang one of Reg's songs at a singaround - all in a matter of a few days. The serendipity of the internet.

Reg is a brilliant storyteller through song. I don't think I come across so many powerful stories on one album. Even if you don't like his style buy the album you'll find yourself moved by the songs - everyone I've played it to has been so far.

Thanks Lizzie for reminding us of Reg.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 03 Sep 08 - 09:22 AM

Thanks for the links; this is somebody that I wasn't aware of before. I really enjoyed what I heard and will definitely be listening to him again.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: lazylawrence
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 12:29 PM

In answer to Sarah flute's comment:
And Jesus Wept is not an anti war song, it is an anti - getting - shot - by - your - own - side - without due cause - song ! So does not bear comparison to the Joni Mitchell song, which is a somewhat vague and slightly hippieish whinge as opposed to the very specific,powerful and heart breaking observations made by Reg's song. - but I guess that's just my opinion.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 07:01 AM

Oh..and I forgot to tell you this.

I had a drink with Reg, and a mutual friend, at Sidmouth Folk Week this year, after his gig. On the way home, I walked with Deb to the bus stop to see her on the bus to Exeter. Reg came too as he was going back to his car.

Well, we were stopped by two Amercians visitors to the festival, from Boston, as I recall, who were so pleased to see him. They told him they had every CD he'd ever made, along with all his LPs too, and thought he was the most underrated singer/songwriter in the UK.

So there you go, praise indeed, and richly deserved, too.

Subject: ADD: Lizzie Loved a Highwayman
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 06:38 AM

Reg is a great storyteller.....

From the CD:

"This song is for Rod & Marian of The Bluebell Inn in Hempstead, Essex, the birthplace of Dick Turpin. I am grateful to them for showing me the real story of the famous Highwayman."

The Bluebell Inn

Dick Turpin

And here is the sad story of Elizabeth Millington and her man. (I've broken the lyrics/text up a bit, apologies to Reg is I've done it in the wrong places) :0)




Lizzie Loved A Highwayman
(by Reg Meuross)

Poor Lizzie loved a highwayman
She gave him all a young girl can
And in return he gave her widowhood
From The Bell at Hempstead born to trade
The butcher's axe and the butcher's blade
And his childhood bride the picture made complete
But Lizzie's mother understood
That boy would come to nothing good
"An apprenticeship in bone and blood
Won't lead my girl to motherhood"

But didn't he look fine in church today
In his buckled boots and his fustian coat
And his feathers blue and grey

Young Richard joined the Gregory's
All Essex boys, the lowest thieves
They robbed both rich and poor for greed and gain
The broke into their homes at night
Regardless of their means or might
They'd rape or scald or set alight
Those poor souls who put up a fight
No honour bound those desperate men
The shot both enemies and friends
The sold their souls for liberty and gold
And Lizzie's dreams of home gave way
To cold nights in a forest cave
To a husband who she couldn't keep
Who killed his friend and ran away
On a stolen coal black mare called Bess
They say by a full moon's arc he rode to York
Two hundred miles away

With the bounty high, he changed his name
He poached the deer and the horse and game
And left his father to take the blame in gaol
'Til one day the landlord;s bird he blew
The landlord cried "Dick, I know you'
And again the drunk his pistol drew
Crying 'let me charge and I'll shoot you too'
From his prison cell he sent a note
to his brother and inside he wrote
'Find men who'll stand good witness to my name'
But he wouldn't pay the postage due
And the letter fell to one who knew
The writing of the one whose fame
Had brought the Turpin house to shame

But didn't he look fine in church today
In his buckled boots and his fustian coat
And his feathers blue and grey

Dick Turpin paid five men to mourn
In new coat and shoes stepped out at dawn
Like a gentleman he bowed along the way
He stepped up to the hangman's gate
And felt his legs begin to shake
He stamped the fear and with his friend
The hangman, half an hour he spent
And with a proud and noble air
He leapt from from that three legged mare
And for a while he dangled free
His feathers kissed by morning air

But mother didn't he swing well today
In his buckled boots and his fustian coat
And his feathers blue and grey

They buried Turpin's deep
But when the town was fast asleep
The bodysnatchers stole his corpse away
An angry crowd, friends to his fame
In preservation of his name
Saved him from the butcher's blade
And laid to rest the highwayman
They gave his ring and handsome clothes away
And another woman's tears fell on his feathers blue and grey

Poor Lizzie loved a highwayman"

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: GUEST,Mary Brennan
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 06:37 AM

I like his music too and bought 'Still' after I heard tracks from it on Lizzie's MySpace.

My last post saying this was removed from this board. Nothing's changed.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 05:59 AM

I hadn't heard of Reg Meuross before either and I won't be able to use the links until later this week. I'm really looking forward to it.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 06:31 PM

In that same MH prog as well as Jesus Wept he also played "Fiddle and the drum" by Joni Mitchell as sung by Karen Casey. I have to say that as an anti-war anthem it was head and shoulders above Jesus Wept but I guess that's just my opinion.

Sarah

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 05:33 PM

I own and have restored as far as I can a Hagstrom J-45 once owned by Reg Meuross. Alas it now has a non-Hagstom trussrod thanks to some ill-advised tinkering by a pre-Meuross owner. It has one non-Hagstrom machine head, on the G string, and I recently got probably the last unused correct machine head for this guitar in the WORLD only to discover that it was the wrong hand over and would have fitted the E to D strings but not the G to topE. These machine heads were made by KOLB in Germany in the 60s and have a figured german silver cover, and a rectalinear button (with rounded corners). If anyone has one such I would be eternally grateful and pay the right price...

I would also be interested in the previous history of the guitar if anyone knows it - in particular the serial number has been removed...

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 01:54 PM

Peter Bellamy set Danny Deever to a version of Derwentwater's Farewell, a tune used by the military in India and, as Peter said, there was every chance that Kipling would have heard it. It was first recorded on Barrack Room Ballads (1977).

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: GUEST,John from Elsie`s Band
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 06:57 AM

Rudyard Kipling wrote the poem "Danny Deever" in the 1890`s ("Barrack Room Ballads")about a soldier who was executed for killing a comrade and to hear this as a song performed by Marylin Bennett with Iris is stunning.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 05:00 AM

Thank you cllr. And Mike and Kat, glad you like his music too. :0)   


Here are Mike's actual words from his radio programme, on the night he first played '....And Jesus Wept' about three weeks ago, which I wrote down, verbatim, so I could, eventually, put them into my blog about 'Dragonfly'

"A singer songwriter who's fairly new to me is Reg Meuross….I did come across a sort of sampler album of his a few years back, but his new album which is called 'Dragonfly' is absolutely fantastic. This is one of the best songs I've ever heard about the first world war and particularly about the men who were shot at dawn. It's called '…..And Jesus Wept'"


So, yes...he was aware of Reg, but only vaguely and only comparitively recently, from one sampler CD, despite Reg's long career in music.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 04:40 AM

"Reg Meuross has been around for the last quarter of a century, at the very least and I think Mike Harding, despite his dumbed down persona, has probably been aware of his work for rather longer than the past few weeks."



Mike Harding, talking about finding Reg's music...for the *first* time.

"....I also get a real kick at "discovering" new people - new to me at least. And these last few weeks I've been playing CDs by Reg Meuross and Lissa Schneckenburger because they're amongst the best things I've heard in a long while. Lissa Schneckenburger is a fabulous old-timey fiddler and singer while Reg Meuross is a home grown West Country lad who writes some quite amazing songs. The reaction after we played his And Jesus Wept on the programme last week was amongst the strongest we've had to anything we've ever played - we've been inundated with requests to hear more from his album Dragonfly..."

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Cllr
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 03:56 AM

I remember seeing the Panic Brothers at a Sidmouth late night extra, many years ago wow, but i suppose the overnight success where overnight is twenty yrs is not unusual, I think the label is mistakingly applied to individuals where more accuratly a new act or show which previously had not been seen can be considered in this way, which is of course made up by people who have probably been around for a while. The importance of manufactured celebrity has been ramped up by the reality and x factor style shows, because it fits in with instant gratifacation "i want it all, i want now" that some cultures want to promote but even then unless your 6 yrs old or a dog presumably you have been perfecting your craft somewhere.

cllr

oh and grats on getting your request played

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 02:16 AM

Reg Meuross has been around for the last quarter of a century, at the very least and I think Mike Harding, despite his dumbed down persona, has probably been aware of his work for rather longer than the past few weeks. The Wednesday hour-long slot on R2 is, sadly and disgracefully, the one and only networked outlet for so-called "f*lk roots & acoustic" music and in order to hang on to his job with the outsourced production unit the BBC hires in to give a lazy nod to "minority interests", MH has to conform to the BBC edict of "follow-through" which means conning the listener into believing that the MOR trash played differs not a lot from the rest of the network's output. Which it very often does not, nor does the presentation style.

There are two regretfully large camps that piss me off about the "f*lk scene. One is wilfully ignorant dabblers who latch on to something and call it the new sliced bread (even though a post I noticed last night but now vanished pointed out rightly that Mr Meuross had been a Panic Brother a good 20 years ago). The other is the cabal of tie-dye wearers and tankard wavers who expect someone they saw when the revival was new to be doing exactly the same repertoire in the same way and walk out when they don't. Neither has a clue and the MH programme does nothing to alter such perceptions.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Aug 08 - 11:11 PM

He's got a beautiful voice and I like his songs, very much. I am trying to remember a movie we discussed a couple of years ago; it's fairly well known and is a drama about some soldiers, at least one and officer, who were taken out at dawn in India? Maybe? And, executed. I don't think it is the same as what Reg's song is about as there were only a handful or two of them. I wish I could remember the name of it because it was based on a true story. Anyway, thanks for the links and intro to Reg!

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 30 Aug 08 - 07:19 PM

Another very tender song, about Reg's father:

Reg on Youtube - 'Good With His Hands'

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: michaelr
Date: 30 Aug 08 - 06:10 PM

Wow. I'd never heard of Reg Meuross before. What a song.

Thanks, Lizzie.

Subject: RE: Mike Harding played my request
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 30 Aug 08 - 12:48 PM

Stand back and wait for the brigade of Mike haters

Subject: Mike Harding played my request
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 30 Aug 08 - 12:39 PM

Never happened before! But...last week, he had a request show, and so I wrote in, asking him to play something by Reg Meuross.

And...he did! :0)

Not only that, but he said that Reg was the artist he's had the most requests sent in for, ever.

Mike 'discovered' him just a few weeks back, when he found his wonderful song '...And Jesus Wept' from his new 'Dragonfly' CD, and that was it, he was so impressed, saying it was one of the best songs about the young men killed for alleged cowardice, during WWI, that he had ever heard. That evening, he was swamped with emails about Reg's music...and...when the request show came round, the same thing happened again. So now, Reg is firmly on Mike's horizon. :0)

The song he played was 'Lizzie Loves A Highwayman' which tells the story of Dick Turpin's long suffering wife..and paints Dick in a very different way from that in which he is normally portrayed. It's an *excellent* story song, very cleverly put together.

I recently saw Reg playing at Sidmouth Folk Festival and heck, he was good! He was joined on stage by Martin Carthy, Jackie Oates and Jim Moray, all of whom were superb.


Reg Meuross - Myspace

Reg - Main Site

And here is Harry Farr's page, Harry being the young soldier Reg wrote about so movingly, in '...And Jesus Wept'. I made it, because I was deeply moved by this song when I heard Reg sing it a year or so ago now. I sat down to start it..and everything poured out. I felt Harry was 'somewhere around' me during the days it took me to make it...and I even got to speak to his grandaughter, Janet, via emails, who's a really lovely lady. There was talk of making Harry's story into a film, I hope that it goes ahead, because it needs to be told..and I think Reg's song most definitely should be used in the film.   

Harry Farr - Myspace

If you've never seen Reg, then you are missing somebody special...and I cannot recommend 'Dragonfly' highly enough, and that goes for 'Still' and 'Short Stories' too.

So, there you are, Mike Harding really DOES play requests for people. Be sure and write in next time.

Lizzie :0)