Author needs info on '60s folk scene

Subject: BS: Author needs info on '60s folk scene
From: GUEST,Peter Ames Carlin
Date: 18 Feb 14 - 08:50 PM

Hi folks,

I'm a writer in the USA working on a book about Paul Simon, to be published by Henry Holt & Co. at some indeterminate point in the not-distant future.

I will soon visit the UK to research Simon's era in and around the folk clubs of England and Europe, and am eager to speak with anyone who might have information and/or memories and insights to share.

I have already contacted a pretty good array of folks, but there are a few who seem to have vanished and I'm wondering if any of you might know where they might be found.

David McCausland - The co-manager of the Brentwood Folk Club in Essex during the early and mid-60s. Even his partner David W Rugg, has no idea where he's gone. Does anyone out there have any knowledge of his current whereabouts?

Joan Bata - A friend of Judith Piepe, the social worker whose flat housed a legion of fine musicians -- Al Stewart, Jackson Frank, Paul Simon, etc. Ms. Piepe passed away a few years ago, but does anyone know where Ms. Bata might have gone?

Kathy Chitty - the ticket-taker at the Brentwood Folk Club who became Paul's girlfriend and inspiration for all those S&G songs that refer to Kathy (e.g., "Kathy's Song").

Thanks very much for reading this, and if you have any information or ideas about information, or information about ideas, please contact me at: [e-mail]

Peter Ames Carlin

Subject: RE: BS: Author needs info on '60s folk scene
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 18 Feb 14 - 09:33 PM

start with the mudcat thread on les cousins folk club

Subject: RE: BS: Author needs info on '60s folk scene
From: Rapparee
Date: 18 Feb 14 - 10:04 PM

Should be Up Above -- not down here in the BS area.

Subject: RE: BS: Author needs info on '60s folk scene
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 18 Feb 14 - 10:39 PM

Hi Mr. Ames.

I think your best chance at getting the information you seek on this forum, start a thread for each of the people you want to find saying


Please help me find David McCausland
Please help me find Joan Bata

etc and explain who each and is and why you need to find them.

It is fair to say that not everyone on this forum reads every thread.
That is especially true of threads beginning with the prefix "BS."

The strategy that I suggest will get you past people's filters and focus the attention of people who may know of the individuals you hope to find.

Good luck to you.

Subject: RE: BS: Author needs info on '60s folk scene
From: doc.tom
Date: 19 Feb 14 - 11:46 AM

Should be Up Above -- not down here in the BS area.

Subject: RE: BS: Author needs info on '60s folk scene
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 19 Feb 14 - 12:02 PM

IMHO There's no problem having it in both places. Not everyone who might know those people reads all of this forum.

Please be nice to the guy. He had no way of knowing the unwritten rules of thread titling.

Subject: RE: BS: Author needs info on '60s folk scene
From: Andrez
Date: 20 Feb 14 - 03:24 AM

Oh cool, how good is that? I had no idea about the Kathy Chitty story and have always loved this song so much. Thanks for this snippet.

Cheers,

Andrez

Subject: RE: BS: Author needs info on '60s folk scene
From: GUEST,Peter Ames Carlin
Date: 20 Feb 14 - 05:40 PM

Thanks so much for the tips & advice. All very much appreciated, and I didn't hear any snideness in anyone's cybervoice, so let's don't worry about that.

I will post a few direct queries on the top of the page queue. I didn't want to gum up that list with my non-musical request, but now I will!

Very cool board, by the way. I'm enjoying the threads very much.

cheers,

Peter

Subject: RE: BS: Author needs info on '60s folk scene
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 20 Feb 14 - 05:48 PM

That is considered a music question here, think "music related" and you are cool.

Subject: RE: Author needs info on '60s folk scene
From: Howard Jones
Date: 21 Feb 14 - 06:25 AM

I didn't start going to Brentwood Folk Club until about 1970 so this was before my time and I didn't know those people. However Geoff Harris who was running the club by that time is an occasional visitor on here, although he posted in this thread as a guest so may not be a member.

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=152385&messages=12

He is on Facebook

Subject: RE: Author needs info on '60s folk scene
From: GUEST,Peter Ames C
Date: 21 Feb 14 - 03:09 PM

That's a great lead, Howard. Thanks very much -- I'll try to track him down!

best,

Peter

Subject: RE: Author needs info on '60s folk scene
From: Jeri
Date: 21 Feb 14 - 06:30 PM

Peter, up top is for "general music", and "unclassified". "Music" can be a discussion of songs, musicians or musical history, and probably other musical things such as instruments, tunings, etc.

I moved it up here. (Jeri the moderator)

Subject: RE: Author needs info on '60s folk scene
From: GUEST,Stuart Reed
Date: 21 Feb 14 - 07:31 PM

I missed Paul Simon's floor spot at The Victory Club in Cheltenham sometime in 1964 but was there the following week when the regulars were still reeling from the experience of having been subjected to an American - playing a guitar, not a commonly seen or welcome in certain clubs in those days.

He'd obviously tried out one of his new songs and I overheard one of the regular's comment, "How apt, a miserable song by a most peculiar little man - ha, ha!"

To be fair, that was the place where I first heard the Songwainers sing the Copper Family version of Spencer The Rover, which broadened my musical horizons forever.