Nic Jones

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: Marc
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 07:59 AM

I think its interesting to hearpeople talk of him being screwed. Harry Robertsons family feels he did the same thing with penguin eggs.

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: Micca
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 06:26 AM

I agree about Penguin Eggs, it is one of my 8 for the Desert island. especially as it was the first time I heard "little pot stove" and who ever wrote that had been to South Georgia!!! I have picked up the same positive noises from friends about Nics health for a few years now and have hopes of seeing him in performance one day. if you read this Nic or anyone connected please convey my best wishes also along with those others on thgis thread, You are not forgotten BTW i Frequently give PE as gifts.

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: GeorgeH
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 04:16 AM

JenEllen: The parallels between Jones/Dylan and Carthy/Simon are not as strong as you suggest, but these matters have been debated endlessly on rec.music.folk (where I've upset a lot of folks by standing firmly in the Carthy/Jones camp) and are not worth reviving here; anyone interested can visit DejaNews and see the original in all its gory. But it's fair to say neither Jones nor Carthy has ever put it as strongly as "being screwed". And Nic's family have MUCH more reason to feel agrieved by the refusal of Celtic Music to re-release his back catalogue (anyone wanting more info on this can look for a recent post of Pete Coe's on uk.music.folk concerning the Bandoggs album).

Personally, I prefer the unavailable "From the devil to a stranger" album to "Penguin Eggs".

And - IMO - it's unreasonably downbeat to suggest "everything continues as before" with Nic. There was a slow but steady improvement in Nic's health, mental and physical, over many years. These days he seems more "back to usual" than one would have ever imagined possible in the years immediately after his accident. The sleve notes on the "In Search of Nic Jones" CD are presented as if Nic wrote them and I've no reason to doubt this is the case; if so, they are a strong testament to the extent of his recovery. There was also an article in a fairly recent issue of Folk Roots which gives a similar, strongly positive message.

At the same time things can't be easy for Nic and his family; the could certainly make use of the royalties from everyone here buying the Penguin Eggs and In Search of Nic Jones CDs - and purchasers would be rewarded by two very fine recordings, as well.

BTW (Trivia point) there are many other albums with Nic playing as a session musician - including the Richard & Linda Thompson "Pour Down Like Silver".

G.

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: JenEllen
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 03:15 AM

Nic got screwed by Dylan, just the same as Carthy did by Paul Simon. It's NOT a nice story. All the best of wishes to the Jones Family.

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: Bugsy
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 02:34 AM

Here Here!

Cheers

bugsy

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: john c
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 02:25 AM

Great to hear that someone else agrees with me about Penguins Eggs. Ive said it before in other threads and Ill say it again - it is the best english traditional album - ever. The tragedy of his accident also brought to light one of the meanest stories Ive ever heard about the folk business. At a time when the Jones family needed nothing more than as much financial help as they could get, it was decided the best way to raise funds would be to rerelease all his old records as cds. A great idea - they are all brilliant and very hard to find on vinyl. But somebody, somewhere was, and still is, sitting on the rights to these recordings and refuses point-blank to allow them to be issued. As a result, we are being denied some of the finest music ever recorded in the folk idiom and, more important, a very important source of income is being withheld from Nic and his family. Not a nice story. And while Im on the subject - no jewels would have fallen off Bob Dylans crown if he´d at least acknowledged Nics influence when he recorded Canadee-i-o. Anyway, should Nic be reading this (a lot of important folkies do, even if they dont contribute) Id like to wish him all the best and thanks again for P.E.s.

John.

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: Willie-O
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 11:10 PM

John Wesley Harding? This wouldn't be Bob Dylan in disguise, would it? (Its commonly thought that when Dylan put out an album of trad songs a few years ago, he lifted arrangements from Nic Jones and some others, without giving credit--caused much (justified) fru-fru.)

Or is it someone taking a shot at Dylan by pointedly referencing both Dylan (who of course entitled a song & album "John Wesley Harding") and Jones' trad arrangements?

Seems a bit much of a coincidence...

Don't believe in them myself.

Willie-O

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: margaret
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 09:25 PM

I'm going about this Nic Jones thing backwards. He's been recommended to me many times but I never came across his albums. Just last week, though, I found a used CD by John Wesley Harding called "Trad: Arr.Jones" which is pretty much what it sounds like -- Harding covering Jones' versions of trad. stuff. I like Harding's Elvis Costello-ish voice, though it might not appeal to everyone; and I'm very happy with the CD. This is slightly drifting, I know, but my point is, I'm all the more convinced I need to hear the real thing now!

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 09:24 PM

The Living Tradition occasionally has articles about Nic; two are available online.   Review of the live CD In Search of Nic Jones  and   A short biography, with some discussion of Nic's guitar tunings .  There's also an unofficial webpage,   here , which has a discography and track listings.  Lyrics are given, but some of these are from versions entirely different from those recorded by Nic; several, indeed, seem to have been borrowed from the DT!  There are a couple of sound samples, but they are re-interpretations and not, so far as I can tell, Nic's own playing.  Nevertheless, the site does contain useful information.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: Bugsy
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 09:19 PM

Thanks for that info, we don't seem to hear much about what's happening to him over here in Australia, though he has a lot of fans here,

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: JenEllen
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 09:15 PM

Heard from a friend that all is about the same. Nic and the missus are taking it day by day. Seems he's paying more attention to the dog, and to music. Also that another round of fundraising and benefits were in order if anyone's interested.

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: Bugsy
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 08:07 PM

Definitaly a great album by a wonderful folk artist.

Can anyone update the 'Cat on Nic's current situation?

CHeers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: Little Dorritt
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 07:42 PM

here, here, one of the best folk albums ever

Subject: RE: Nic Jones
From: clare s
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 07:23 PM

Rereading my post I guess some might think that I'm trying to promote a new release.

Nic Jones was something of a star of the '70's english folk scene. Tragically he had a dreadful car crash in 1982. 'Penguin Eggs' - his 1982 album is the only one currently available (apart from a recent compiation - which is also fab).

Penguin Eggs remains as a wonderful album, and anyone with the remotest interest in English folk should own it.

Clare

Subject: Nic Jones
From: clare s
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 07:06 PM

I'm sure that this has probably said before, but I'm going to say it again. Nic Jones's Penguin Eggs is $#@%*ing (very) fabulous.

I'd try to pick out a few tracks, but whenever I'm about to, the next track starts and is fab too.

I recommend everyone here to buy Penguin Eggs by Nic Jones (Topic Records) I'm not rich enough to offer a money-back guarantee... but I honestly don't think I'd need to

Buy it soon - you won't regret it

Clare