River, 1971

It’s coming on Christmas
They’re cutting down trees
They’re putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh, I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
But it don’t snow here
It stays pretty green
I’m going to make a lot of money
Then I’m going to quit this crazy scene
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh, I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby cry

He tried hard to help me
You know, he put me at ease
And he loved me so naughty
Made me weak in the knees
Oh, I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I’m so hard to handle
I’m selfish and I’m sad
Now I’ve gone and lost the best baby
That I ever had
Oh, I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh, I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby say goodbye

It’s coming on Christmas
They’re cutting down trees
They’re putting up reindeer
Singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on

Margo Guryan

So sad to hear of the passing of the wonderful Margo Guryan (September 20, 1937 – November 8, 2021).

Listen to my car

Would you favour a record player or an 8-track in your car?

Meditations on Kate Bush

Over the last couple of years, I have been working on a photographic project called One Kiss In Apple Blossom, inspired by the music of Kate Bush. Partly portraits of women who love her and partly a mediation on the link between song and image, I am now ready to take the project to the new phase.

Watch this space!

You can view the project and read the stories of the women taking part here

https://onekissinappleblossom.wordpress.com/

Lullaby Of Spring

Spring has showered far her drip
Splash and trickle running,
Plant has flowered in the sand
Shell and pebble sunning;So begins another spring,
Green leaves and of berries,
Chiff-chaff eggs are painted by
Motherbird eating cherriesIn the misty, tangled sky,
Fast a wind is blowing
In a newborn rabbit’s heart
River life is flowingSo begins another spring,
Green leaves and of berries,
Chiff-chaff eggs are painted by
Motherbird eating cherriesFrom the dark and whetted soil,
Petals are unfolding
From the stony village kirk
Easter bells of old ringSo begins another spring,
Green leaves and of berries,
Chiff-chaff eggs are painted by
Motherbird eating cherriesSpring has showered far her drip,
Splash and trickle running
Plant has flowered in the sun
Shell and pebble sunningSo begins another spring
Green leaves and of berries,
Chiff-chaff eggs are painted by
Motherbird eating cherries

June & Juno

A bit of blatant self-indulgence here: I needed a new challenge, so I decided to try to write some songs and record demos of them. I can’t play an instrument, can’t really sing and have never recorded anything before, so it is a steep learning curve, but I started with nothing and now I have something.

If you want to give the songs a listen I have done four so far; you can find them here – don’t get your hopes up!

Lovely artwork by Pepperbox.

In May, my thoughts turn to…

Home recording…

Kate Bush project updated

Here’s the latest photo in my Kate Bush series

And some lovely outtakes from the same session

You can read Lily’s story and see the whole project so far here https://onekissinappleblossom.wordpress.com/

This amazing man inside, fantastic as a dragon

“If only time would give me wings/I’d double back tomorrow”…

How sad to hear of the passing of Clive James today. If you thought he was just that man off the telly I would recommend Julie Covington’s 1971 album The Beautiful Changes, which he co-wrote with Pete Atkin; a thing of exquisite delight and something that I am thankful to have in my life.

If I had my time again

There’d be no days wasted

In playing hard to get

As for now all I regret

Are the joys untasted.

If I had my time again

You would find me bolder

Not hard to get to know

On the mark all set to go

And no cold shoulder.

We’ve been told in every generation By the ladies in the magazines

To keep our distance keep our fascination

Well they can tell it to the marines.

If I had my time again

It could mean disaster

I’d be burning to begin

I guess I wouldn’t always win

But at least I’d be moving faster.

♾ Clive James (7 October 1939 – 24 November 2019)

Current obsession

A little bit of my world just there.