This Friday evening you can spend some time listening in to the chat I had with Ron Sexsmith. It’s hard to know why we haven’t played much Ron until recently. It’s probably because he doesn’t really fit the “Americana or Alt-Country” tag.
However he did write a song called Lebanon Tennessee and, given that’s right next to Nashville, I think we can include him. He’s also very good and over the last 20 years has made some fine records. He will be talking about the new album, Long Player, Late Bloomer and we’ll also get a little insight into some older songs. I did ask the question of Ron…what did he make of this?……..
Because Ron – apart from being a fine writer himself – is pretty good for a few Dylan covers himself.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s done the odd one from this album….
a few people have. We feel we’re doing justice by putting these two together this week.
Talking of Bob – we’ll also hear what Woody Guthrie sounded like 60 years ago when he and his wife rolled up to a community hall in Newark and played to 50 or so locals.
We’ll be playing lots of new things too from Zoe Muth, Nick Lowe, My Morning Jacket our good friend Eilen Jewel and something great from Oklahoma’s own Other Lives…I think you’ll like it. You know, f course, that we’re on air from five past eight on Friday evening. BBC Radio Scotland.
Sunday Morning…
We’re getting nearer to the 10th Anniversary of the Twin Towers attacks. Firstly Elizabeth Goren tells us why she felt she needed to tell her story of New York’s fire-fighters in “Beyond The Reach of Ladders.” The we will hear from Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. You don’t know him? Perhaps you remember some of these headlines?…..
We will talk to Imam Feisal about why his vision of a community centre based on the ideals of Cordoba in Spain got hijacked by mischievous anti-Islamists. I think you’ll want to hear him.
We’re also going to meet John Matthews, who made a decision to leave business and serve the Church. We’ll talk about supporting families and folks….
We’ll play some great music. We’ll go from Ramsay Lewis to Randy Newman and we’ll play some songs about the great city of New York. All from seven on Sunday Morning on BBC Radio Scotland.
I’ve always been aware of Ron Sexsmith since his appearance on Later with Jools many, many years ago circa 1992. He made an instant impression but regrettably I never got around to buying his album at the time or any subsequent albums of which there were many. This year I was lucky enough to see the documentary Love Shines, a warts and all insight into Ron’s life, history and recording of his new album Long Player, Late Bloomer. At times comic, at times heartbreaking, it’s an ultimately moving account of nice guy Ron’s struggle to succeed doing what he was surely sent here to do – write and perform songs.
I finally woke up and bought the album, went to see his triumphant set at Glastonbury this year and will surely now buy every record he ever makes from now on and be front and centre for any future tours. May there be many, many more…
Oooh controversial in including the Dylan (aka A Fool Such As I)album among the official studio album discography! Released without Bob’s knowledge or consent as a compilation of outtakes from the Self Portrait and New Morning sessions from 1969 and 1970 after Dylan left Columbia to sign with David Geffen the album was deleted not long after he resigned with Columbia and the CD version was deleted and is no longer available on CD or on iTunes. Have never heard the album in question or had the inclination to track down a copy with the out-of-print CD version often attracting a price tage of £100 or more.
I had wondered about that Dougie, but was then suprised that it is listed on Bob’s own website (and with good star rating from reviewers which suprised me even more).
There is a certain wonder in hearing Dylan sing Mr. Bojangles….
Will the Basement Tapes feature later on in the series between Blonde on Blonde and John Wesley Harding? Strictly speaking those recordings weren’t from studio sessions for an album project and were just a series of demos recorded with friends in their house.
For shame I knew of Ron Sexsmith without really knowing any of his music. Thanks, then, for shoe-horning him into “Another Country” and rest assured that on the strength of what I heard I will be checking out his most recent album and likely the back catalogue too… Another wonderful personal find for me thanks to the show!