John Martyn
Encyclopedia
John Martyn, OBE
(11 September 1948 – 29 January 2009), born Iain David McGeachy, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a forty-year career he released twenty studio albums, working with artists such as Eric Clapton
and David Gilmour
. He has been described by The Times
as "an electrifying guitarist and singer whose music blurred the boundaries between folk, jazz, rock and blues".
, Surrey
, England. Martyn's parents, both opera singers, divorced when he was five and he spent his childhood alternating between Scotland and England. Much of this was spent in the care of his grandmother. His strongest ties were in Glasgow
, and he attended Shawlands Academy
there.
, Martyn began his professional musical career when he was seventeen, playing a blend of blues and folk that resulted in a unique style that made him a key figure in the British folk scene during the mid-1960s. He signed to Chris Blackwell
's Island Records
in 1967 and released his first album, London Conversation
, the following year.
This first album was soon followed by The Tumbler
, which was moving towards jazz
. By 1970 Martyn had developed a wholly original and idiosyncratic sound: acoustic guitar run through a fuzzbox, phase shifter and Echoplex
. This sound was first apparent on Stormbringer! in 1970, which was written and performed by both John and Beverley Martyn, his then wife who had previously recorded solo as Beverley Kutner
and had worked with artists such as Nick Drake
and Jimmy Page
. Her second album with John Martyn was The Road to Ruin, also released in 1970. However, Island Records felt that it would be more successful to market Martyn as a solo act and this was how subsequent albums were produced, although Beverley Martyn continued to make appearances as a background singer as well as continuing as a solo artist herself.
, the title song a tribute to the singer-songwriter
Nick Drake
, a close friend and label-mate, who died in 1974 from an overdose of antidepressants. On this album, as with the one that preceded it, Bless the Weather
, Martyn collaborated with jazz
bass
ist Danny Thompson
, with whom he proceeded to have a fruitful musical partnership which continued until his death. He also developed a new, slurred vocal style, the timbre of which resembled a tenor saxophone
.
Following the commercial success of Solid Air, Martyn quickly recorded and released the experimental Inside Out
, a more difficult album with emphasis placed on feel and improvisation rather than song structure. In 1974, he followed this with Sunday's Child
. In September of the next year he released a live album, Live at Leeds
—Martyn had been unable to convince Island to release the record, and resorted to selling individually signed copies by mail from his home. Live at Leeds features Danny Thompson and drummer John Stevens
, and is notable not only for the performances given, but the recording quality and incredibly quiet audience for a live recording. In 2010 Universal Music released a 2CD Deluxe version of Live at Leeds. After releasing Live at Leeds, Martyn took a sabbatical, including a visit to Jamaica
, spending time with famous reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry.
In 1977, he released One World
, which led some commentators to describe Martyn as the "Father of Trip-Hop". It included tracks such as "Small Hours" and "Big Muff", a collaboration with Lee "Scratch" Perry. One World
is notable for having been recorded outside, the album's lush soundscapes are partly the result of microphones picking up ambient sounds, such as water from a nearby lake.
.
Released in October 1980, the album had been held up for a year by Chris Blackwell. He was a close friend of John and Beverley, and found the album too openly disturbing to release. Only after intense and sustained pressure from Martyn did Blackwell agree to release the album.
Commenting on that period, Martyn said, "I was in a dreadful emotional state over that record. I was hardly in control of my own actions. The reason they finally released it was because I freaked: Please get it out! I don't give a damn about how sad it makes you feel—it's what I'm about: the direct communication of emotion. Grace and Danger was very cathartic, and it really hurt."
In the late 1980s Martyn would cite Grace and Danger as his favourite album, and said that it was "probably the most specific piece of autobiography I've written. Some people keep diaries, I make records." The album has since become one of his highest-regarded, prompting a deluxe double-disc issue in 2007, containing the original album remastered.
Phil Collins
played drums
and sang backing vocals on Grace and Danger and subsequently played drums on and produced Martyn's next album, Glorious Fool
, in 1981.
Martyn left Island records in 1981, and recorded Glorious Fool and Well Kept Secret
for WEA
, the label clearly aiming to bring him mainstream success, and achieving his first Top 30 album. Glorious Fool
was a sharp departure from Martyn's 70s sound and at the time was regarded as something of a sell-out by his die-hard fans, but time has revealed it to be a much stronger album than it seemed at the time, with some fine songwriting and vocals. Well Kept Secret (1982) was less successful.
Martyn released a live album, Philentropy, in 1983.
Returning to Island records, Martyn recorded Sapphire (1984), Piece by Piece
(1986) and the live Foundations (1987) before being dropped by Island in 1988.
Martyn released The Apprentice
in 1990 and Cooltide
in 1991 for Permanent Records, and then rerecorded many of his "classic" songs for No Little Boy (1993). The similar 1992 release Couldn't Love You More was unauthorised by and disowned by Martyn. Material from these recordings and his two Permanent albums has been endlessly recycled on many releases. Permanent Records also released a live 2 CD set called "Live" in 1994.
And (1996) came out on Go!Discs and saw Martyn draw heavily on hip-hop textures while blending a sound still distinctively Martyn, a direction which saw more complete expression on 2000's Glasgow Walker
; The Church with One Bell
(1998) is a covers album taking in material from Portishead to Ben Harper
.
In 2001 Martyn appeared on the track Deliver Me by Faithless
keyboard player and DJ Sister Bliss
.
In July 2006 the documentary Johnny Too Bad was screened by the BBC
. The programme documented the period surrounding the operation to amputate Martyn's right leg below the knee (the result of a burst cyst
) and the writing and recording of On the Cobbles
(2004), an album described by Peter Marsh on the BBC Music website as "the strongest, most consistent set he's come up with in years." Much of Cobbles was a revisiting of his acoustic-based sound.
He continued to write and collaborate with various artists up until his death, dividing his time between Glasgow and Thomastown
, Kilkenny
in Ireland. He recorded a ballad entitled "Really Gone" with Irish group UltanJohn featuring John Conneely & Ultan Conlon which was released in November 2006.
On 4 February 2008, Martyn received the lifetime achievement award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk awards. The award was presented by his friend Phil Collins
. The BBC website says of Martyn, "his heartfelt performances have either suggested or fully demonstrated an idiosyncratic genius." Eric Clapton
was quoted as saying that Martyn was, "so far ahead of everything, it's almost inconceivable." Martyn performed "Over the Hill" and "May You Never" at the ceremony, with John Paul Jones
accompanying on mandolin.
To mark Martyn's 60th birthday, Island released a career-spanning 4CD boxed set, Ain't No Saint
on 1 September 2008. The acclaimed set includes many live recordings and unreleased studio material, researched and compiled by his close friend John Hillarby who also runs the official Martyn website.
Martyn was appointed OBE
in the 2009 New Year Honours.
Phil Collins
paid tribute, saying: "John's passing is terribly, terribly sad. I had worked with and known him since the late 1970s and he was a great friend. He was uncompromising, which made him infuriating to some people, but he was unique and we'll never see the likes of him again. I loved him dearly and will miss him very much." English rock band Keane included a dedication to John Martyn at their Glasgow concert. On 31 January 2009, Liverpool-based folk-singer/guitarist John Smith, who had previously supported Martyn on tour, performed "Spencer The Rover", from Martyn's Sunday's Child
album, at The Bluecoat
in Liverpool
, announcing the song simply "For John".
Paying tribute to Martyn, BBC Radio 2
's folk presenter Mike Harding
said:
"John Martyn was a true original, one of the giants of the folk scene. He could write and sing classics like 'May You Never' and 'Fairy Tale Lullaby' like nobody else, and he could sing traditional songs like Spencer The Rover in a way that made them seem new minted." Harding introduced an hour-long tribute to Martyn in his Radio 2 programme on 25 February 2009.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(11 September 1948 – 29 January 2009), born Iain David McGeachy, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a forty-year career he released twenty studio albums, working with artists such as Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
and David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
. He has been described by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as "an electrifying guitarist and singer whose music blurred the boundaries between folk, jazz, rock and blues".
Early life
Martyn was born in Beechcroft Avenue, New MaldenNew Malden
New Malden is a town and shopping centre in the south-western London suburbs, mostly within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and partly in the London Borough of Merton, and is situated from Charing Cross...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England. Martyn's parents, both opera singers, divorced when he was five and he spent his childhood alternating between Scotland and England. Much of this was spent in the care of his grandmother. His strongest ties were in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, and he attended Shawlands Academy
Shawlands Academy
Shawlands Academy is a non-denominational secondary school on the southside of Glasgow, Scotland.-Admissions:It has a roll of approximately 1,250 pupils and 90 teachers...
there.
Late 1960s and collaborations with Beverley Martyn
Mentored by Hamish ImlachHamish Imlach
Hamish Imlach was a folksinger. He was born in Calcutta but claimed to have been conceived in Glasgow, Scotland. Although his commercial success was limited he influenced many other artists, including most notably John Martyn and Billy Connolly. In Central and Northern Europe Imlach enjoyed a...
, Martyn began his professional musical career when he was seventeen, playing a blend of blues and folk that resulted in a unique style that made him a key figure in the British folk scene during the mid-1960s. He signed to Chris Blackwell
Chris Blackwell
Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...
's 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...
in 1967 and released his first album, London Conversation
London Conversation
London Conversation is the first album by John Martyn released on Island Records in 1967. Largely self-penned, the album is much more folk oriented than the Blues/Jazz tinged later releases...
, the following year.
This first album was soon followed by The Tumbler
The Tumbler
The Tumbler was John Martyn's second album released on Island Records in 1968. The album shows a progression from his previous solo folk offering to a more expansive sound including significant contributions from jazz flautist Harold McNair....
, which was moving towards jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. By 1970 Martyn had developed a wholly original and idiosyncratic sound: acoustic guitar run through a fuzzbox, phase shifter and Echoplex
Echoplex
The Echoplex is a tape delay effect, first made in 1959. Designed by Mike Battle, the Echoplex set a standard for the effect in the 1960s and was used by some of the most notable guitar players of the era; original Echoplexes are highly sought after....
. This sound was first apparent on Stormbringer! in 1970, which was written and performed by both John and Beverley Martyn, his then wife who had previously recorded solo as Beverley Kutner
Beverley Martyn
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...
and had worked with artists such as Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
and 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...
. Her second album with John Martyn was The Road to Ruin, also released in 1970. However, Island Records felt that it would be more successful to market Martyn as a solo act and this was how subsequent albums were produced, although Beverley Martyn continued to make appearances as a background singer as well as continuing as a solo artist herself.
1970s
In 1973, Martyn released one of the defining British albums of the 1970s, Solid AirSolid Air
Solid Air is a folk jazz album released in 1973 by John Martyn on Island Records.Contemporary reviews were favourable with music paper Sounds declaring that Solid Air flows beautifully and shows the entire spectrum of music that John Martyn has at his fingertips." The album has continued to...
, the title song a tribute to the singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
, a close friend and label-mate, who died in 1974 from an overdose of antidepressants. On this album, as with the one that preceded it, Bless the Weather
Bless the Weather
Bless the Weather is a 1971 album by John Martyn and marks his return as a solo artist having released two albums with his wife Beverley Martyn. When it was released it garnered his best reviews to date, and remains a firm favourite among fans, featuring such standards as "Head and Heart" and the...
, Martyn collaborated with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist Danny Thompson
Danny Thompson
Daniel Henry Edward 'Danny' Thompson is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist and businessman...
, with whom he proceeded to have a fruitful musical partnership which continued until his death. He also developed a new, slurred vocal style, the timbre of which resembled a tenor saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
.
Inside Out (John Martyn album)
Inside Out is an album released in 1973 by British singer-songwriter John Martyn. It was his fifth solo album, and his seventh if one includes the albums he made with his wife, Beverley...
, a more difficult album with emphasis placed on feel and improvisation rather than song structure. In 1974, he followed this with Sunday's Child
Sunday's Child
Sunday's Child is a John Martyn album released in 1975. John Martyn's follow-up to 1973's Inside Out is a more song-oriented, less experimental album. His eighth record, including two with his wife Beverley Martyn, shows the many facets of Martyn's playing, from his effects-driven electric guitar...
. In September of the next year he released a live album, Live at Leeds
Live At Leeds (John Martyn album)
Live at Leeds is a John Martyn album. He independently released this album himself in an initial run of 10,000. The working title was "Ringside Seat", photos of Martyn and bassist Danny Thompson in a boxing ring were taken for a prospective cover, though never used...
—Martyn had been unable to convince Island to release the record, and resorted to selling individually signed copies by mail from his home. Live at Leeds features Danny Thompson and drummer John Stevens
John Stevens (drummer)
John William Stevens was an English drummer. He was one of the most significant figures in early free improvisation, and a founding member of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble .-Biography:Stevens was born in Brentford, the son of a tap dancer...
, and is notable not only for the performances given, but the recording quality and incredibly quiet audience for a live recording. In 2010 Universal Music released a 2CD Deluxe version of Live at Leeds. After releasing Live at Leeds, Martyn took a sabbatical, including a visit to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, spending time with famous reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry.
In 1977, he released One World
One World (John Martyn album)
One World is a 1977 album by John Martyn. One of his more experimental works, it features atmospheric, reggae influenced rhythms and free-flowing, jazzy arrangements. Acclaimed for its collaborative spirit, the album includes contributions from Lee Perry on "Big Muff", and Steve Winwood...
, which led some commentators to describe Martyn as the "Father of Trip-Hop". It included tracks such as "Small Hours" and "Big Muff", a collaboration with Lee "Scratch" Perry. One World
One World (John Martyn album)
One World is a 1977 album by John Martyn. One of his more experimental works, it features atmospheric, reggae influenced rhythms and free-flowing, jazzy arrangements. Acclaimed for its collaborative spirit, the album includes contributions from Lee Perry on "Big Muff", and Steve Winwood...
is notable for having been recorded outside, the album's lush soundscapes are partly the result of microphones picking up ambient sounds, such as water from a nearby lake.
1980s and breakup of marriage
Martyn's marriage to Beverley broke down at the end of the 1970s and, according to his official website, "John hit the self destruct button" (although other biographers, including The Times obituary writer, attribute the break-up of his marriage to his already being addicted to drink and drugs). Out of this period, described by Martyn as "a very dark period in my life", came the album Grace and DangerGrace 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...
.
Released in October 1980, the album had been held up for a year by Chris Blackwell. He was a close friend of John and Beverley, and found the album too openly disturbing to release. Only after intense and sustained pressure from Martyn did Blackwell agree to release the album.
Commenting on that period, Martyn said, "I was in a dreadful emotional state over that record. I was hardly in control of my own actions. The reason they finally released it was because I freaked: Please get it out! I don't give a damn about how sad it makes you feel—it's what I'm about: the direct communication of emotion. Grace and Danger was very cathartic, and it really hurt."
In the late 1980s Martyn would cite Grace and Danger as his favourite album, and said that it was "probably the most specific piece of autobiography I've written. Some people keep diaries, I make records." The album has since become one of his highest-regarded, prompting a deluxe double-disc issue in 2007, containing the original album remastered.
Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
played drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and sang backing vocals on Grace and Danger and subsequently played drums on and produced Martyn's next album, Glorious Fool
Glorious Fool
Glorious Fool is a 1981 studio album by musician John Martyn. After a long association with Island Records, this was Martyn's first album for WEA. The album was produced by Phil Collins and engineered by Nick Launay and Steve Travell. The album is named for the title track satirizing Ronald...
, in 1981.
Martyn left Island records in 1981, and recorded Glorious Fool and Well Kept Secret
Well Kept Secret
Well Kept Secret is John Martyn's second and final album for WEA. It was released in 1982 and is thought by many to be his most disappointing effort. "Never Let Me Go" featured Ronnie Scott on saxophone.-Track listing:...
for WEA
WEA
The Wea are a Native American tribe.WEA may refer to:* Wanganui East Athletic, a New Zealand association football club* Warner-Elektra-Atlantic, another/former name for Warner Music Group...
, the label clearly aiming to bring him mainstream success, and achieving his first Top 30 album. Glorious Fool
Glorious Fool
Glorious Fool is a 1981 studio album by musician John Martyn. After a long association with Island Records, this was Martyn's first album for WEA. The album was produced by Phil Collins and engineered by Nick Launay and Steve Travell. The album is named for the title track satirizing Ronald...
was a sharp departure from Martyn's 70s sound and at the time was regarded as something of a sell-out by his die-hard fans, but time has revealed it to be a much stronger album than it seemed at the time, with some fine songwriting and vocals. Well Kept Secret (1982) was less successful.
Martyn released a live album, Philentropy, in 1983.
Returning to Island records, Martyn recorded Sapphire (1984), Piece by Piece
Piece by Piece (John Martyn album)
Piece by Piece is a rock album by John Martyn. Recorded at CaVa Sound Workshops, Glasgow, Scotland. Originally released on LP by Island, catalogue number ILPS 9807, with cover photography by Mike Owen.-Track listing:...
(1986) and the live Foundations (1987) before being dropped by Island in 1988.
1990s and 2000s
The Apprentice (album)
The Apprentice is a rock album by John Martyn. Recorded at CaVa Studios, Glasgow, Scotland. Originally released on CD by Permanent Records, catalogue number PERM CD 1....
in 1990 and Cooltide
Cooltide
Cooltide is an album by John Martyn. Recorded at CaVa Sound Workshops, Glasgow, Scotland. Originally released on CD by Permanent Records, catalogue number PERM CD 4....
in 1991 for Permanent Records, and then rerecorded many of his "classic" songs for No Little Boy (1993). The similar 1992 release Couldn't Love You More was unauthorised by and disowned by Martyn. Material from these recordings and his two Permanent albums has been endlessly recycled on many releases. Permanent Records also released a live 2 CD set called "Live" in 1994.
And (1996) came out on Go!Discs and saw Martyn draw heavily on hip-hop textures while blending a sound still distinctively Martyn, a direction which saw more complete expression on 2000's Glasgow Walker
Glasgow Walker
Glasgow Walker is a 2000 album by Scotland-based singer-songwriter John Martyn. It was his first album to be written on a keyboard rather than a guitar, after a suggestion from his friend Phil Collins. It contains a trip-hop song, "Cool In This Life", after John experimented with trip-hop on his...
; The Church with One Bell
The Church with One Bell
The Church with One Bell is a 1998 covers album by John Martyn. It was recorded in one week at CaVa Sound Studios, Glasgow, Scotland. The CD has a hidden bonus track after a 50 seconds break attached to the last track...
(1998) is a covers album taking in material from Portishead to Ben Harper
Ben Harper
Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...
.
In 2001 Martyn appeared on the track Deliver Me by Faithless
Faithless
Faithless were a British electronica band consisting of Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo. The group is best known for their dance songs . Faithless recorded six albums. During their career they sold over 15 million records worldwide...
keyboard player and DJ Sister Bliss
Sister Bliss
Sister Bliss is a British keyboardist, record producer, DJ, composer and songwriter. In the studio she is best known for her work with Rollo Armstrong, particularly as part of the now disbanded dance group Faithless.She started music at the age of five, when she learned how to play the piano...
.
In July 2006 the documentary Johnny Too Bad was screened by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. The programme documented the period surrounding the operation to amputate Martyn's right leg below the knee (the result of a burst cyst
Cyst
A cyst is a closed sac, having a distinct membrane and division on the nearby tissue. It may contain air, fluids, or semi-solid material. A collection of pus is called an abscess, not a cyst. Once formed, a cyst could go away on its own or may have to be removed through surgery.- Locations :* Acne...
) and the writing and recording of On the Cobbles
On the Cobbles
On the Cobbles was the final studio album by John Martyn released during his lifetime , released in 2004...
(2004), an album described by Peter Marsh on the BBC Music website as "the strongest, most consistent set he's come up with in years." Much of Cobbles was a revisiting of his acoustic-based sound.
He continued to write and collaborate with various artists up until his death, dividing his time between Glasgow and Thomastown
Thomastown
-Landmarks:Kilfane Glen is a restored historic 1790s garden of romantic era with waterfall, woodland walks and cottage orne. The garden is listed as an Irish Heritage garden and was awarded assistance in 1993 by the European Union Cultural Commission...
, Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
in Ireland. He recorded a ballad entitled "Really Gone" with Irish group UltanJohn featuring John Conneely & Ultan Conlon which was released in November 2006.
On 4 February 2008, Martyn received the lifetime achievement award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk awards. The award was presented by his friend Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
. The BBC website says of Martyn, "his heartfelt performances have either suggested or fully demonstrated an idiosyncratic genius." Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
was quoted as saying that Martyn was, "so far ahead of everything, it's almost inconceivable." Martyn performed "Over the Hill" and "May You Never" at the ceremony, with John Paul Jones
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...
accompanying on mandolin.
To mark Martyn's 60th birthday, Island released a career-spanning 4CD boxed set, Ain't No Saint
Ain't No Saint (album)
Ain't No Saint is a career-spanning retrospective of folk musician John Martyn, released on the eve of the singer's 60th birthday in 2008. Compiler John Hillarby chose at least one track to represent each of Martyn's albums, including rarities and outtakes....
on 1 September 2008. The acclaimed set includes many live recordings and unreleased studio material, researched and compiled by his close friend John Hillarby who also runs the official Martyn website.
Martyn was appointed OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in the 2009 New Year Honours.
Death
Martyn's death was announced on his website on 29 January 2009, John Hillarby wrote, "With heavy heart and an unbearable sense of loss we must announce that John died this morning." Martyn died in hospital in Ireland as a result of double pneumonia.Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
paid tribute, saying: "John's passing is terribly, terribly sad. I had worked with and known him since the late 1970s and he was a great friend. He was uncompromising, which made him infuriating to some people, but he was unique and we'll never see the likes of him again. I loved him dearly and will miss him very much." English rock band Keane included a dedication to John Martyn at their Glasgow concert. On 31 January 2009, Liverpool-based folk-singer/guitarist John Smith, who had previously supported Martyn on tour, performed "Spencer The Rover", from Martyn's Sunday's Child
Sunday's Child
Sunday's Child is a John Martyn album released in 1975. John Martyn's follow-up to 1973's Inside Out is a more song-oriented, less experimental album. His eighth record, including two with his wife Beverley Martyn, shows the many facets of Martyn's playing, from his effects-driven electric guitar...
album, at The Bluecoat
Bluecoat Chambers
The Bluecoat is an arts centre in School Lane, Liverpool, Merseyside, England and claims to be the oldest arts centre in Great Britain. It is a Grade I listed building and is meant to be the oldest surviving building in central Liverpool The Bluecoat is an arts centre in School Lane, Liverpool,...
in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, announcing the song simply "For John".
Paying tribute to Martyn, BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's folk presenter Mike Harding
Mike Harding
Mike Harding is an English singer, songwriter, comedian, author, poet and broadcaster. He is known as 'The Rochdale Cowboy' after one of his hit records...
said:
"John Martyn was a true original, one of the giants of the folk scene. He could write and sing classics like 'May You Never' and 'Fairy Tale Lullaby' like nobody else, and he could sing traditional songs like Spencer The Rover in a way that made them seem new minted." Harding introduced an hour-long tribute to Martyn in his Radio 2 programme on 25 February 2009.
Studio albums
- London ConversationLondon ConversationLondon Conversation is the first album by John Martyn released on Island Records in 1967. Largely self-penned, the album is much more folk oriented than the Blues/Jazz tinged later releases...
(October 1967) - The TumblerThe TumblerThe Tumbler was John Martyn's second album released on Island Records in 1968. The album shows a progression from his previous solo folk offering to a more expansive sound including significant contributions from jazz flautist Harold McNair....
(December 1968) - Stormbringer! (February 1970) (with Beverley MartynBeverley MartynBeverley 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...
) - The Road to Ruin (November 1970) (with Beverley MartynBeverley MartynBeverley 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...
) - Bless the WeatherBless the WeatherBless the Weather is a 1971 album by John Martyn and marks his return as a solo artist having released two albums with his wife Beverley Martyn. When it was released it garnered his best reviews to date, and remains a firm favourite among fans, featuring such standards as "Head and Heart" and the...
(November 1971) - Solid AirSolid AirSolid Air is a folk jazz album released in 1973 by John Martyn on Island Records.Contemporary reviews were favourable with music paper Sounds declaring that Solid Air flows beautifully and shows the entire spectrum of music that John Martyn has at his fingertips." The album has continued to...
(February 1973) - Inside OutInside Out (John Martyn album)Inside Out is an album released in 1973 by British singer-songwriter John Martyn. It was his fifth solo album, and his seventh if one includes the albums he made with his wife, Beverley...
(October 1973) - Sunday's ChildSunday's ChildSunday's Child is a John Martyn album released in 1975. John Martyn's follow-up to 1973's Inside Out is a more song-oriented, less experimental album. His eighth record, including two with his wife Beverley Martyn, shows the many facets of Martyn's playing, from his effects-driven electric guitar...
(January 1975) - One WorldOne World (John Martyn album)One World is a 1977 album by John Martyn. One of his more experimental works, it features atmospheric, reggae influenced rhythms and free-flowing, jazzy arrangements. Acclaimed for its collaborative spirit, the album includes contributions from Lee Perry on "Big Muff", and Steve Winwood...
(November 1977) - Grace and DangerGrace 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...
(October 1980) - Glorious FoolGlorious FoolGlorious Fool is a 1981 studio album by musician John Martyn. After a long association with Island Records, this was Martyn's first album for WEA. The album was produced by Phil Collins and engineered by Nick Launay and Steve Travell. The album is named for the title track satirizing Ronald...
(September 1981) - Well Kept SecretWell Kept SecretWell Kept Secret is John Martyn's second and final album for WEA. It was released in 1982 and is thought by many to be his most disappointing effort. "Never Let Me Go" featured Ronnie Scott on saxophone.-Track listing:...
(August 1982) - Sapphire (November 1984)
- Piece by PiecePiece by Piece (John Martyn album)Piece by Piece is a rock album by John Martyn. Recorded at CaVa Sound Workshops, Glasgow, Scotland. Originally released on LP by Island, catalogue number ILPS 9807, with cover photography by Mike Owen.-Track listing:...
(February 1986) - The ApprenticeThe Apprentice (album)The Apprentice is a rock album by John Martyn. Recorded at CaVa Studios, Glasgow, Scotland. Originally released on CD by Permanent Records, catalogue number PERM CD 1....
(March 1990) - CooltideCooltideCooltide is an album by John Martyn. Recorded at CaVa Sound Workshops, Glasgow, Scotland. Originally released on CD by Permanent Records, catalogue number PERM CD 4....
(November 1991) - AndAnd (John Martyn album)And is an album by John Martyn. Recorded at JMI Studios and The Washoose. Originally released on CD by Go! Discs, catalogue number 828 798-2.-Track listing:All tracks composed by John Martyn; except where indicated#"Sunshine's Better"#"Suzanne"...
(August 1996) - The Church with One BellThe Church with One BellThe Church with One Bell is a 1998 covers album by John Martyn. It was recorded in one week at CaVa Sound Studios, Glasgow, Scotland. The CD has a hidden bonus track after a 50 seconds break attached to the last track...
(covers album) (March 1998) - Glasgow WalkerGlasgow WalkerGlasgow Walker is a 2000 album by Scotland-based singer-songwriter John Martyn. It was his first album to be written on a keyboard rather than a guitar, after a suggestion from his friend Phil Collins. It contains a trip-hop song, "Cool In This Life", after John experimented with trip-hop on his...
(May 2000) - On the CobblesOn the CobblesOn the Cobbles was the final studio album by John Martyn released during his lifetime , released in 2004...
(April 2004) - Heaven and EarthHeaven and Earth (John Martyn album)Heaven and Earth is a posthumous studio album by John Martyn, completed by Gary Pollitt and Jim Tullio, released online on the 16 May 2011. During recording the album was provisionally entitled Willing To Work.-Track listing:...
(May 2011)
Other
- Live at LeedsLive At Leeds (John Martyn album)Live at Leeds is a John Martyn album. He independently released this album himself in an initial run of 10,000. The working title was "Ringside Seat", photos of Martyn and bassist Danny Thompson in a boxing ring were taken for a prospective cover, though never used...
(September 1975) - So Far So GoodSo Far So Good (John Martyn album)So Far So Good is a compilation album with selected tracks taken from the John Martyn album's, Bless The Weather, Solid Air and Sunday's Child.-Side One:#"May You Never"#"Bless The Weather"#"Head and Heart"#"Over The Hill"...
(1977) - Philentropy (November 1983)
- Foundations (October 1987)
- Couldn't Love You More (October 1992)
- No Little Boy (July 1993)
- Sweet Little Mysteries: The Island Anthology (1994)
- Live (1994)
- Serendipity — An Introduction To John Martyn (1998)
- Solid Air - Classics Re-visited (2002) (compilation of previously released tracks)
- Late Night John (2004)
- The Battle of Medway: 17 July 1973 (live) (2007)
- Anthology (2007)
- The Simmer Dim (2008)
- The July Wakes (2008)
- Ain't No SaintAin't No Saint (album)Ain't No Saint is a career-spanning retrospective of folk musician John Martyn, released on the eve of the singer's 60th birthday in 2008. Compiler John Hillarby chose at least one track to represent each of Martyn's albums, including rarities and outtakes....
(2008) 40-year anthology - May You Never — The Very Best Of (2009)
DVD
- Live in Concert (with Danny Thompson) (2005)
- John Martyn at the BBC (2006)
- The Apprentice In Concert (with Dave Gilmour) (2006)
- Empty Ceiling (2007) (recorded in 1986)
- The Man Upstairs (2008)
Further reading
- John Neil MunroJohn Neil MunroJohn Neil Munro, author of The Sensational Alex Harvey and Some People Are Crazy - The John Martyn Story , was born in Campbeltown and grew up in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis....
Some People Are Crazy: The John Martyn Story (2008) - Chris Nickson Solid Air: The Life of John Martyn (2011)
- Mat Snow John Martyn In Person (2011)
External links
- John Martyn official website
- Big Muff — The John Martyn Pages