Where are you Paul McNeill?

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: alanabit
Date: 04 Jan 16 - 07:25 AM

It did take though, Linn. This thread is about the English (with Irish background) folk singer - and the one you linked to is about the American from Cambridge USA.

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 18 Dec 15 - 12:13 PM

I don't know why the whole quote from Marco Paolo McNeill didn't "take" above. What he said was --

"My father is dead in Oslo, Norway on 26th december 1989.
Sorry"

See the thread -- The British Paul McNeill, not American Paul MacNeil

Linn

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: alanabit
Date: 17 Dec 15 - 04:44 PM

Here is another attempt at linking to the Kenneth Williams clip.

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 17 Dec 15 - 04:17 PM

On the thread "Bill Staines and Paul McNeill", which is actually about the American songwriter Paul MacNeil (misspelled on the Bill Staines LP) who is currently living in the Philippines, Marco Paolo McNeill said --

< <
<
< There is 171 Paul McNeill on Facebook yet.

< < <
< <

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: alanabit
Date: 17 Dec 15 - 03:31 PM

I can't be sure, but I think this may be a clip of Paul playing guitar for the late Kenneth Williams. Can anyone confirm or deny this? Colin Wilkie says it does not look like the Paul whom he knew. However, this would have been shot in the seventies, I should guess. That would make Paul younger than when I met him but an older man than Colin knew.


Accompanist for Kenneth Williams.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Paul McNeill
From: GUEST,Marco McNeill
Date: 13 Mar 10 - 07:23 AM

Watch http://www.paulmcneill.ch if you're interested by his last album...

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: GUEST,Marco McNeill
Date: 13 Mar 10 - 07:18 AM

The link www.youtube.com/user/7mcneill is yet not valid.
There's now http://www.paulmcneill.ch

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: GUEST,Marco McNeill
Date: 22 Jan 10 - 09:33 AM

Now there are 4 songs from my father on Youtube
www.youtube.com/user/7mcneill

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: balladeer
Date: 08 Oct 09 - 09:56 PM

I don't know why I didn't chime in to this thread when I first came across it years ago. Paul and I were good friends from the springtime of 1963 (shortly after I arrived in London from Canada via the Continent) until my return to Canada at the end of 1965. He was married to fair Juliet at the time. Through them I met Martin and Dorothy Carthy and Bert Jansch. We were all neighbours living in the general vicinity of Hampstead. Well, I shared a soon-to-be-condemned flat with five mates near the Chalk Farm tube station. We jammed a lot there. We all had lots of club gigs in those days. I knew Paul as a restless soul, very upset about politics on both sides of the ocean, given to ranting, but compassionate as well. I'd have said he and Juliet were happy then. Certainly they had made a lovely and loving home together.

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: GUEST,david
Date: 30 Aug 09 - 11:21 AM

hi found an old promo of Paul and Linda Peters You ain't going nowhere/I'll show you how to sing from 1968

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 15 Dec 08 - 12:42 PM

Wonderful Mudcat again. I have been sifting through old recordings of my early Southampton days and there amongst was just a small snippet - Paul Mc Neil and linda Peters.
Sad of course that he has gone, but don't we all share such amazing memories, and how our paths have crossed so often without realizing.

Happy feelings to you all,

ANdy

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Dec 08 - 12:09 PM

The e-mail address was not working anymore, that is why I tried this thread. In the meantime, I have been able to google his actual address. But thanks a lot for your input, alanabit. It's amazing to read all these people who must have been impressed as I was whenever I saw and heard him again.

Paul had actually stopped drinking before I met him in 1985. His medical doctor had told him the size of his liver... It impressed me how he once ate with a couple of friends at our place and he did not touch the wine on the tabe and told the people that he was dry.

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: alanabit
Date: 09 Dec 08 - 12:50 PM

Myriam, if you go back a few posts, you will find a link from Marco Paolo, Paul's son, where you can download "Children of the Storm".
I met Paul in Basel ca 1982-3. I recall his powerful voice, small Martin guitar and his store of busking tales. There were a couple of other old timers there too. One was a big, red headed Irishman called Seamus, who could sing almost as powerfully as Paul and the other was Phil Free, whom we all know as "The Buskers' Pope". (He is a gifted street comedian, who has probably had some sort of influence on every street comedian to follow him, whether they know it or not.) Although they had many friends in common, Paul and Phil were meeting for the first time. I heard a lot of good stories that week, although my drinking capacity was nowhere near enough to spend a long time in their company!

Subject: Good Record of "The Cathedral?"
From: GUEST,Myriam
Date: 09 Dec 08 - 04:30 AM

Hi Folks

I only just stumbled over this thread. What a pity.

I met Paul on Christmas Eve 1985 and remet him two years later busking in Berne. We afterwards stayed in contact for years whenever he passed Bern.

He very much encouraged me to start busking too (which I did with success for some years, also in Fribourg) and gave me a few of his songs to sing, amongst others “Children of the Stormâ€쳌 and “The Cathedralâ€쳌.

The latter I will be singing on Christmas Eve this year in Switzerland with another guitarist. I unfortunately only have a very old record on a cassette with the song on. So I dare asking whether you happen to have a record or even an MP3 version so I could make my guitarist listen to the original in good quality.

Thank you very much in advance.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Paul McNeill
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 21 Oct 05 - 05:27 AM

Thanks for putting up the blue clicky Alanabit as I'd had a slight forgetfulness about doing them.

On reflection, looking back at that thread, I think that the reference in that thread to myself booking him and Linda Peters in the early 70's should have read late 60's.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Paul McNeill
From: Effsee
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 08:44 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Folklore: Paul McNeill
From: DonMeixner
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 05:45 PM

Paul passed away from cancer a few years ago. His son was taken by the interest in his father. He was very pleased that Paul is so well regarded. Search the threads and your find his son's name and I think e-Address.

Don

Subject: RE: Folklore: Paul McNeill
From: Effsee
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 04:39 PM

Stu Tonnar...Buchan, 1974/5?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Paul McNeill
From: alanabit
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 02:48 PM

Paul McNeill
I hope this thread helps.
I met the man once and spent a few days hanging out with him and Phil Free, the greatest outdoor comedian I have ever seen, in Basel, back in 1981 or 1982. Several other Mudcatters knew him earlier and better than I did. If you join Mudcat (it is free and easy), you can PM me if you wish.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Paul McNeill
From: Charliestu
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 10:57 AM

I have 2 vinyls of Paul McNeill and the associated blurb off the sleeves. One is live from the Troubador FC in London and the other is a contemprary album. For more details contact

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Folklore: Paul McNeill
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 09:39 AM

Always worth doing a search before asking Guest LC.

Put Paul McNeill into the search engine at the top of the page and you'll find there has been some discussion here in the past, probably as much as you'll get if I recall the previous thread accurately. Then if you need more than is there you can be more specific in your question, probably even continue the existing thread.

I can't quite recall how to put links to the old threads or would have put one here for you to save you searching. Links to web site I can do with one hand behind my back......

Subject: Folklore: Paul McNeill
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 09:29 AM

Am looking for info on Folk singer signed to Decca mid sixties...
Would appreciate any help,
Best regards
Les Cousins

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: alanabit
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 03:31 PM

That's what I heard too Tom. If we don't actually know each other, we certainly have some friends in common. Could you PM me if you know anything about Phil Free?

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: GUEST,Tom Allan
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 10:46 AM

I met Paul McNeill once, briefly in Place Du Molard Geneva in the mid-80's. He was playing terraces. Well not actually playing an instrument - just singing - great voice but it was obvious the bloke was finished and yeah I heard he died of cancer.
As for New Zealand John? I met him in early '88 in Bondi Juction Sydney Australia playing One Man Band. Dodgy bloke. Last I heard he was in the nick in Bangkok on a drugs bust .... silly lad!

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From:
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 04:12 AM

In the eighties I did a lot of research to find out about records from the english folk revival. I issued 87 "The Folk Record Source Book" (now deleted). Within this book I have listed the two Decca albums and the Alex Campbell recording. Later I heart about the "Children of the Storm" LP. Til today the only record I could not find was the Troubadour one. I like them all very very much and was a little bit depressed to read about the death of Paul McNeill.

Recently I read the book "Dazzling Stranger - Bert Jansch and the British Folk and Blues revival" by Colin Harper.

There I found the following note:

"Bert also recalls staying with songwriter Paul McNeill - almost certainly during the summer/autumn of 1964. Never a major name, McNeill had been co-billed with Bert on his 17 March 1964 Troubadour show, where Bert recalls him being a redsident. At that time McNeill, Martin Carthy and Paul Simon all lived near each other in Swiss Cottage and comprised, from Bert`s perspective, somerthing of a clique. McNeill later partnered Linda Peters on record."

Horst Pohle, Berlin
PS: If anybody know someone who sells his Troubadour LP, please let me know.

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: GUEST,Marco Paolo McNeill
Date: 20 Aug 04 - 04:58 AM

Excuse me, you can download one song of Paul McNeill on:            http://membres.lycos.fr/mcneillmarco/                              Have fun

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: GUEST,M
Date: 20 Aug 04 - 04:56 AM

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: GUEST,Marco Paolo McNeill
Date: 18 Aug 04 - 11:17 AM

Now you can upload one song of the last record of Paul McNeill on my web site... Children of The Storm.
http://membres.lycos.fr/mcneill01/

Have fun

Marco Paolo

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: Dita
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 06:19 PM

Marco Palo,

Thank you for your response, I never met your Dad, but like Don I treasure my copies of his two albums on Decca, and the one he made with my friend Alex Campbell.

Like Don I always wondered what had happened to the man who had made such great music and then vanished from sight, I never thought to ask Alex before it was to late!

Be proud of a man who has touched the lives of so many people, he and you will never know. A wee bit of Paul lives on any time one of us sings one of his songs.

love, John

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: GUEST,Marco Paolo McNeill
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 01:16 PM

There's more photography from my father on my web site,
see you soon.

http://membres.lycos.fr/mcneill01/

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: Splott Man
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 08:06 AM

I too have the Troubadour album and still play it, scratches and all. It inspired me to set a few Causley poems myself.

What a lovely, touching thread! It bolsters my faith in the w.w.w.

Splott man

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: GUEST,Marco Paolo McNeill
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 03:28 PM

My exact website whith my father is: http://membres.lycos.fr/mcneill01/

Have a nice look

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: GUEST,Marco Paolo McNeill
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 01:04 PM

Sir Meixner, my mother had heard about you, and she had ask me if you want to have a copy of the last record from my father...
So, she had saied that we must have your adress, you can write at my mail.

See you

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 08:18 AM

Hi Marco

I used to have the Live at the Troubadour album, but not sure what happened to it. I learnt Charles Causley's Nursery Rhyme Of Innocence & Experience from it, which I'd forgotten about but dragged it from memory when CC died recently to sing at my club.

I remember booking Paul and Linda Peters (as she then was) for the North London Poly Folk Club back in the early 70's. Good days, mind you so are these.

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 08:17 AM

Marco,

I am very happy that this thread was revived. I enjoy your fathers music so much and I listen frquently to the one recording I have. I view that album as one of the few "Perfect Recordings" I own.

That record opened my ear to a greater world of folk music and helped to shape the music I still play today.

Don Meixner

If any of our fluent French speakers wish to translate this for me it will be just fine.

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: GUEST,lanfranc
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 08:11 AM

Marco

I knew your father well back in 1967-1971 and still sing a couple of the songs he wrote, and one that he and I wrote together. That portrait brought back many memories.

Alanabit had passed on the news that Paul had died back in the 80s, but now we know it was 5 years later and in Norway rather than Sweden.

Have you a copy of his last record?

See my website for some reminiscences of your father and others.

I will email you in due course when I have revived my French!

Alan

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: alanabit
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 04:21 PM

That's great Marco. I'll be in touch soon. Thanks for the picture. There's one for the memory.

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: GUEST,Marco Paolo McNeill
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 12:30 PM

One photography from my father is on: http://membres.lycos.fr/mcneill01/paulmcneill.doc

This is the photography of his last record.

If you want to write me some e-mail:
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: Jeri
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 05:07 PM

Si vous souhaitez écrire en français, nous pouvons traduire à l'anglais. (voir les liens au fond de chaque message.) La traduction n'est pas parfaite, mais il est assez bon ainsi nous comprendrons.

If you wish to write in French, we can translate to English. (See links at the bottom of each message.) The translation is not perfect, but it is good enough so we will understand.

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: alanabit
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 04:57 PM

I'm afraid not, Marco. I live in Cologne and speak German reasonably though. I was last in the lovely city of Friebourg in 1995. I was doing a three week residency at Chateaux d'Ouex. I made an effort to learn ten words of French every day - but that's not quite the same as speaking French!

Subject: alanabit
From: GUEST,Marco Paolo McNeill
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 03:32 PM

Do you speak french?

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: alanabit
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 12:03 PM

Thanks very much Paolo. I wonder if you would be kind enough to PM me, as you could probably give me a few facts which I have not come across yet.
I am very sorry to hear that Paul has indeed gone.

Subject: Paul McNeill's last son replying
From: GUEST,Marco Paolo McNeill
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 11:25 AM

My father died on 26th december 1989 (lung cancer) in Oslo (Norway).
I have to write you some more details... I'was born in Fribourg in Switzerland in 1983, and i still live there.
See you

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 25 Jul 04 - 06:09 AM

I remember booking Paul McNeill and Linda peters for a club I ran back in the 60s, but lost track since then like everybody else.
Giok

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 25 Jul 04 - 12:30 AM

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the interest. Paul McNeill seems to be another one who some how got away from us. I often wonder what he could have done given the time and the chance.

Don

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: alanabit
Date: 24 Jul 04 - 08:02 PM

I met Paul busking in Basel in about 1982. He played a small Martin and had the strongest voice I have ever heard on the street. I hung out for a few days with him, Phil Free and another busking friend of Phil's called Seamus. At the time he lived in Friebourg, Switzerland, with his wife. He spoke French fluently. An exchange of e-mails with Lanfranc a year or so back confirmed that this was the same Paul McNeill whom he knew.
The busking pipeline is not the world's most authentic source of information, but New Zealand John, whom I met in 1986, told me that he had died of cancer of the liver in Sweden or Norway a year or two previously. Paul would have been a year or so short of fifty at the time.
Paul knew most of the luminaries of the British folk scene. He had also worked with several leading British comedians, including the Monty Python team. John produced his last album, but I don't know what became of it.

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 24 Jul 04 - 11:05 AM

Watching the Martin Carthy documentary last night, I was reminded of Paul McNeill during the scene at the Troubadour. I too heard a report about 10 years ago that he was living rough. Constant rumours spring up about performers from that era who haven't been around for a while that they must have died. This is, fortunately, by no means always the case. For the past 30 years, people have been informing me of Bob Davenport's demise. Some still refuse to believe it's not so even when I tell them that I saw him only last week...

Let's hope Paul walks across somebody's path soon.

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: Jim McLean
Date: 24 Jul 04 - 10:49 AM

I'm afraid I can't add much. I knew Paul in the sixties but have no idea what has happened to him since. He was a decent bloke but I don't remember being very impressed with him as a performer. Hope he's still around, though.

Subject: RE: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: Dita
Date: 24 Jul 04 - 10:41 AM

Thought I'd revive this post from Don to see if anyone has any information on Paul.

He recorded two albums for Decca "Contemporary Folk" 1965 and "Traditionally at the Troubadour" 1966. Davy Graham plays on the first and Trevor Lucas on the second,(called Trevor Vietch on Dons USA Fontana copy).

1967 sees him do 2 tracks on "Alex Cambell and his Friends" Saga.
1968 single "You ain't going nowhere" with Linda Peters/(Thompson).

Running a forum search Don has been looking on for more details of what happened after 1968 on a few threads.

Lanfranc was a friend of his in the sixties as was Alex,(they went to France together), Martin Carthy taught him to play guitar, and he shared a flat with Paul Simon.

He has been reported as living on the streets in the 90s, and of dying in the 80s.

What happened after 1968?

It seems that Paul was well known in the mid-60s but by 1968 had gone from the folk scene. Like Don I encountered his records by chance, and fell under their spell. Like Alex he can make you want to listen to songs you thought you could not take another version of.

Jim McLean must have some details, and Lanfranc as well.

Your memories please.

John

Subject: Where are you Paul McNeill?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 13 Nov 98 - 10:34 PM

In 1969 or 70 I bought a record Called "Paul McNeill Live at the Troubadour", on Fontana records. I have long thot that along with Priscilla Herdmans Water Lilly album it was a nearly perfect album. I have wondered for many years what became of Paul McNeill and I was hoping the Brits on board could help. Any one??

Thanks alot

Don