THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,400) John Martyn — “Sandy Grey”
The Glasgow raised Scottish/Belgian folk legend’s ‘67 debut LP London Conversation includes a quite “beautiful” (Graeme Thomson, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jul/15/nick-drake-john-martyn-complex-friendship-small-hours-extract) song by his friend the singer-songwriter Robin Frederick — about her getting stood up by Nick Drake! It is “about an elusive character with loss and rootlessness in his genes”. (Robin Frederick, https://robinfrederick.com/nick-drake-place-to-be/sandy-grey/)
Martyn (born Iain David McGeachy) didn’t know the song was about Drake, or even who Drake was, but they actually met a year later and became good friends. Years later, Martyn wrote “Solid Air” about Drake.
Read Robin Frederick’s telling of the story at: https://robinfrederick.com/nick-drake-place-to-be/sandy-grey/.
As to London Conversation, VinyleEnamored writes:
[It] is an understated gem in the folk music canon, where his raw talent is laid bare in its purest form. Released in 1967, the album captures the nascent brilliance of an artist who would later fuse folk, jazz, and blues with experimental virtuosity. Here, however, the charm lies in its simplicity, a sparse, acoustic landscape where Martyn’s deft guitar work and introspective vocals shine unadorned. His songs exude a quiet intimacy, revealing both lyrical depth and emotional resonance. This debut stands as a “must have” for connoisseurs of folk music, not only for its historical significance but for the profound sincerity it conveys. It invites the listener into a world of quiet reflection, where each note and phrase is meticulously crafted. . . .
Brett Hartenbach’s take is that:
London Conversation, whose material (written primarily by Martyn) reflects the era and his age (18 years old), comes across as a young, although soon to be important artist looking for a voice. . . .
[It] only hinted at what was to come in Martyn’s career. Although it contained touches of blues along with Martyn’s rhythmic playing and distinctive voice, it was for the most part a fairly straightforward British folk record.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/london-conversation-mw0000377899, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-martyn-mn0000196969#biography
As to Martyn, Brett Hartenbach writes:
With his characteristic backslap acoustic guitar playing, his effects-driven experimental journeys, and his catalog of excellent songs as well as his jazz-inflected singing style, John Martyn is an important and influential figure in both British folk and rock. Martyn started out as a folk artist with jazzy leanings that were highly unusual for the mid-’60s. He made a couple of albums with then-wife Beverley that were very much of their time before embarking on a musical journey that combined folk, blues, jazz, and rock, with a tendency towards electronic and atmospheric experimentation. His early-’70s albums . . . are as distinctive and striking as anything in the singer/songwriter canon. Alcohol problems and commercial concerns found him adopting a slicker, more pop-oriented sound as he moved toward the ’80s, but Martyn came out on top again both personally and artistically with his ’90s releases and performances. . . . He began his innovative and expansive career at the age of 17 with a style influenced by American blues artists such as Robert Johnson and Skip James, the traditional music of his homeland, and the eclectic folk of Davey Graham . . . . With the aid of his mentor, traditional singer Hamish Imlach, Martyn began to make a name for himself and eventually moved to London, where he became a fixture at Cousins, the center for the local folk scene . . . . Soon after, he caught the attention of Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who made him the first white solo act to join the roster of his reggae-based label. . . . [Following London Conversation] . . . . [h]is voice . . . started to take on a jazzier quality as he began to experiment musically. While on the road, Martyn continued to experiment with his sound, adding various effects to his electrified acoustic. One such effect, the Echoplex, allowed him to play off of the tape loops of his own guitar, enveloping himself in his own playing while continuing to play leads over the swelling sound. This would become an integral part of his recordings and stage performances in the coming years. He also met Beverley Kutner . . . who later became his wife and musical partner. The duo released two records in 1970 . . . . The next couple of years saw Martyn continuing to expand on his unique blend of folk music, drawing on folk, blues, rock, and jazz as well as music from the Middle East, South America, and Jamaica. His voice continued to transform with each album while his playing became more aggressive, yet without losing its gentler side. . . .
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-martyn-mn0000196969#biography
Here is Robin Frederick:
Here is “Solid Air”:
Pay to Play! The Off the Charts Spotify Playlist! + Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock Merchandise
Please consider helping to support my website/blog by contributing $6 a month for access to the Off the Charts Spotify Playlist. Using a term familiar to denizens of Capitol Hill, you pay to play! (“relating to or denoting an unethical or illicit arrangement in which payment is made by those who want certain privileges or advantages in such arenas as business, politics, sports, and entertainment” — dictionary.com).
The playlist includes all the “greatest songs of the 1960’s that no one has ever heard” that are available on Spotify — now over 900 songs. The playlist will expand each time I feature an available song.
All new subscribers will receive a Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock magnet. New subscribers who sign up for a year will also receive a Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock t-shirt or baseball cap. See pictures on the Pay to Play page.
When subscribing, please send me an e-mail (GMFtma1@gmail.com) or a comment on this site letting me know an e-mail address/phone number/Facebook address, etc. to which I can send instructions on accessing the playlist and a physical address to which I can sent a magnet/t-shirt/baseball cap. If choosing a t-shirt, please let me know the gender and size you prefer.
Just click on the first blue block for a month to month subscription or the second blue block for a yearly subscription.
Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! / Off the Charts: 60s Rock Revelations😊 