Valentine's Day Bandit & Richard Thompson
Liner Notes: Richard Thompson's Rumor and Sigh (1991)
I spent Valentine’s Day in Portland, Maine, meeting a dear old friend and his wife for a fantastic dinner in the Old Port area of Maine’s largest city. There are many reasons to love Portland, Maine, but one of the biggest is the hearts that have begun to appear once again from the Valentine’s Day bandit, a tradition that originally started in 1979.
Whether you spent Valentine’s Day with a loved one or you were just chillin’ on the couch listening to records, I’m curious, what’s a love song you never get tired of hearing? For me, it’s Gladys Knight and the Pips version of ‘Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me’ and The Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows’. What about you?
Liner Notes
In 1993, I spent many Saturday nights inside a locked studio at WUNH 91.3 FM. I was the voice of the 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. shift for an entire semester.
It’s a strange feeling, DJing overnight. You assume you’re shouting into the void, but then the phone rings. It’s an insomniac, a night-shift worker, or someone waking up at the crack of dawn, all connected by the same frequency.
Being alone in that studio gave me the keys to the kingdom: the enormous music library full of CDs, 45s, and rows of LPs. I started digging through the bins, and I found a record with handwritten notes on the sleeve calling the artist a “genius” and a “historical figure.”
That record was Richard Thompson’s Rumour and Sigh, released a few years earlier, in the Spring of 1991. As recommended by the comments, I dropped the needle on “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” and the night suddenly paused. It’s a beautiful story told through some of the most mind-bending acoustic guitar work I have ever heard. Thoughtful, unique storytelling about James and his rare British motorcycle that he gave to his girlfriend, Red Molly, after his death.
Then I went back to the second track, “I Feel So Good,” an upbeat, beautifully crafted song featuring Thompson on a Fender Stratocaster and a Chamberlin organ played by Mitchell Froom. The track sounds like a celebration until you actually listen to the lyrics about breaking someone’s heart. That’s the Richard Thompson magic.
Thompson emerged from the 1960s British folk scene, but by 1991, he had perfected this sort of Indie Folk hybrid, and it was a hit at college radio stations across the country. If you want to hear a masterclass in songwriting, listen to the way he balances the tragedy of the lyrics with his guitar picking on “God Loves A Drunk,” a song about addiction.
Before I dropped the needle that early morning at WUNH, I didn’t realize I was about to play music by a man who was heavily invovled in defining the British Folk scene of the 1960s. Thompson was a founding member of Fairport Convention. While the rest of the UK was improving on the sound of American blues, Thompson and his band were digging into both centuries-old British ballads and Bob Dylan covers.
By the time he reached his solo career and his legendary (and heartbreaking) duo years with his then-wife Linda Thompson, he had become one of the best songwriters in music.
Final Thought
There is a reason why some critics call Richard Thompson one of the best-kept secrets in music. Finding him in that dusty, sticker-laden bin at WUNH felt less like a discovery and more like an initiation.
It was my introduction not only to Thompson, but also to Fairport Convention, Fotheringay, Planxty, Pentangle, Steeleye Span, John Renbourn, Burt Jansch, Sandy Denny, Teddy Thompson, Incredible String Band, Ralph McTell, Nick Drake…
My journey into British Folk continued at a local record store where I worked for a few years while finishing school. The manager was super knowledgeable in music, and he introduced me to “A Sailor’s Life” by Fairport Convention (1969), guitar by Richard Thompson. That is still one of my favorite pieces of music, some 30+ years later. Thank you, Bill. 🙏🏼
Listen to the magic:
Tell me about your “locked studio” moment. Have you ever had a late-night discovery? A song or a book you found when the rest of the world was asleep that ended up staying with you for decades? Maybe even still with you today?
Thanks again for reading. Much appreciated. - JB
Don’t forget that your wife was at the Valentine’s Day dinner too! 😉 I think the name of your future record store should be Drop the Needle!