Beverley Martyn
Encyclopedia
Beverley Martyn is a singer, songwriter
, and guitarist
.
While still a student, she was picked to front The Levee Breakers, a jug band
who played the folk circuit in South East England. At the age of 16 recorded her first single
"Babe I'm Leaving You" which was released on the Parlophone
label
in 1965.
Martyn was then signed as a solo artist to the Deram Records
label. In 1966 she released a single, "Happy New Year" (b-side
"Where The Good Times Are"), written
by Randy Newman
, on which she was accompanied by Jimmy Page
, John Paul Jones (musician)
, Nicky Hopkins
, and Andy White
. "Happy New Year" was chosen, together with "I Love My Dog" by Cat Stevens
, to launch Deram as the progressive branch of Decca Records
(see references). She also recorded an unreleased single in the same year, "Picking Up The Sunshine" / "Gin House Blues
". These last two tracks also featured John Renbourn
and Mike Lease. During this period she was taught the guitar by the folk guitarist Bert Jansch
who also encouraged her songwriting. Her follow-up single "Museum", written by Donovan
was released in 1967, produced
by Denny Cordell
.
Closely involved with the folk scene at the time, she met Paul Simon
who invited her to New York
where she contributed to the track "Faking It" on the Simon & Garfunkel album
, Bookends
--she's the one who says in the middle of the song: "Good morning, Mr Leitch, have you had a busy day." She later appeared at the Monterey Pop Festival
on June 16, 1967, as did Simon & Garfunkel.
In 1969 she met, and later married
, John Martyn. As a duo
they issued two albums, Stormbringer! and The Road to Ruin both of which were released on Island Records
. Following The Road to Ruin, Island persuaded John Martyn to resume his career as a solo artist because they believed that there was more public interest in solo singer/songwriters. Although she was spending more time with her children, Beverley continued to contribute to John's solo projects. However, John's physical violence towards her led to the breakdown of the marriage. The couple divorce
d during the making of John's album Grace and Danger
in 1980, and Beverley retired from the music industry for a number of years. Beverley was interviewed in 2004 for a BBC documentary about John Martyn and despite the decades since their marriage ended the conflicted feelings as regards her ex-husband was there for all to see.
In the 1990s, with her children now grown up, she was invited to join Loudon Wainwright III
on his European tour. In 2001 she resumed her recording career with the release of the album No Frills.
In 2004 Beverley's song ‘Primrose Hill’ about the simple joys of domesticity, which she wrote and sang on ‘Road To Ruin’ was sampled by Fat Boy Slim for the track ‘North West Three' which is on his 2004 album ‘Palookaville.’
At various times, Martyn has worked with Levon Helm
, Jimmy Page, Dave Pegg
, Richard Thompson, John Renbourn
, Ralph McTell
, Davy Graham, and Sandy Denny
. She appeared in the photograph
on the album sleeve of Bert Jansch's 1965 album It Don't Bother Me
; where she can be seen lounging in the background.
Currently, Beverley is recording an album for release in 2010. The album will feature a previously unrecorded Nick Drake & Beverley Martyn song 'Reckless Jane'. Martyn has recently completed her biography The Beverley Martyn Story which is available now.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
.
While still a student, she was picked to front The Levee Breakers, a jug band
Jug band
A Jug band is a band employing a jug player and a mix of traditional and home-made instruments. These home-made instruments are ordinary objects adapted to or modified for making of sound, like the washtub bass, washboard, spoons, stovepipe and comb & tissue paper...
who played the folk circuit in South East England. At the age of 16 recorded her first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Babe I'm Leaving You" which was released on the Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
in 1965.
Martyn was then signed as a solo artist to the Deram Records
Deram Records
Deram Records was a subsidiary record label established in 1966 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. At this time U.K. Decca was a completely different company than the Decca label in the United States, which was then owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings were also distributed in the U.S. through...
label. In 1966 she released a single, "Happy New Year" (b-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
"Where The Good Times Are"), written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Randy Newman
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
, on which she was accompanied by Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
, Nicky Hopkins
Nicky Hopkins
Nicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
, and Andy White
Andy White
Andy White may refer to:* Andy White , Scottish studio drummer* Andy White , Irish singer/songwriter and poet...
. "Happy New Year" was chosen, together with "I Love My Dog" by Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
, to launch Deram as the progressive branch of Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
(see references). She also recorded an unreleased single in the same year, "Picking Up The Sunshine" / "Gin House Blues
Gin House Blues
"Gin House Blues" is the title of two different blues songs, which have become confused over the years. Both songs were first recorded by Bessie Smith....
". These last two tracks also featured John Renbourn
John Renbourn
John Renbourn is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career before, during and after that band's existence .While most commonly labelled a...
and Mike Lease. During this period she was taught the guitar by the folk guitarist Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
Herbert "Bert" Jansch was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s, as an acoustic guitarist, as well as a singer-songwriter...
who also encouraged her songwriting. Her follow-up single "Museum", written by Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
was released in 1967, produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Denny Cordell
Denny Cordell
Denny Cordell was an English record producer. He is notable for his late 1960s and early 1970s productions of hit singles for The Moody Blues, The Move, Procol Harum and Joe Cocker.-Career:...
.
Closely involved with the folk scene at the time, she met Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
who invited her to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where she contributed to the track "Faking It" on the Simon & Garfunkel album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Bookends
Bookends
-Charts:-Personnel:*Paul Simon - Vocals, Guitar, Producer*Art Garfunkel - Vocals, Producer*Hal Blaine - Drums, Percussion*Joe Osborn - Bass*Larry Knechtel - Piano, Keyboards*John Simon - Production Assistant...
--she's the one who says in the middle of the song: "Good morning, Mr Leitch, have you had a busy day." She later appeared at the Monterey Pop Festival
Monterey Pop Festival
The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California...
on June 16, 1967, as did Simon & Garfunkel.
In 1969 she met, and later married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
, John Martyn. As a duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
they issued two albums, Stormbringer! and The Road to Ruin both of which were released on Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. Following The Road to Ruin, Island persuaded John Martyn to resume his career as a solo artist because they believed that there was more public interest in solo singer/songwriters. Although she was spending more time with her children, Beverley continued to contribute to John's solo projects. However, John's physical violence towards her led to the breakdown of the marriage. The couple divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d during the making of John's album Grace and Danger
Grace and Danger
-Background:The album was written and recorded while John Martyn was in the process of divorcing from his wife Beverley and the songs strongly reflect the emotional upheaval that he was experiencing at the time. Phil Collins played drums and provided backing vocals...
in 1980, and Beverley retired from the music industry for a number of years. Beverley was interviewed in 2004 for a BBC documentary about John Martyn and despite the decades since their marriage ended the conflicted feelings as regards her ex-husband was there for all to see.
In the 1990s, with her children now grown up, she was invited to join Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Snowden Wainwright III is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle.To...
on his European tour. In 2001 she resumed her recording career with the release of the album No Frills.
In 2004 Beverley's song ‘Primrose Hill’ about the simple joys of domesticity, which she wrote and sang on ‘Road To Ruin’ was sampled by Fat Boy Slim for the track ‘North West Three' which is on his 2004 album ‘Palookaville.’
At various times, Martyn has worked with Levon Helm
Levon Helm
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band....
, Jimmy Page, Dave Pegg
Dave Pegg
Dave Pegg is an English multi-instrumentalist and record producer, arguably most visible as a bass guitarist. He is the longest-serving member of the pre-eminent electric folk band Fairport Convention and has been bassist with a number of important folk and rock groups including The Ian Campbell...
, Richard Thompson, John Renbourn
John Renbourn
John Renbourn is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career before, during and after that band's existence .While most commonly labelled a...
, Ralph McTell
Ralph McTell
Ralph McTell is an English singer-songwriter and acoustic guitar player who has been an influential figure on the UK folk music scene since the 1960s....
, Davy Graham, and Sandy Denny
Sandy Denny
Sandy Denny , born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny, was an English singer and songwriter, perhaps best known as the lead singer for the folk rock band Fairport Convention...
. She appeared in the photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
on the album sleeve of Bert Jansch's 1965 album It Don't Bother Me
It Don't Bother Me (album)
It Don't Bother Me is the second album by Scottish folk musician Bert Jansch, released in December 1965. The album was produced by Nathan Joseph and Bill Leader, although Leader was left uncredited....
; where she can be seen lounging in the background.
Currently, Beverley is recording an album for release in 2010. The album will feature a previously unrecorded Nick Drake & Beverley Martyn song 'Reckless Jane'. Martyn has recently completed her biography The Beverley Martyn Story which is available now.