Monday, December 7, 2009
I was just looking through a bunch of blogs and Claire Hamill's name appeared. I loved her first record (One house left standing) and lost touch with her - I saw that she'd gone all new age-y but I must admit that I never followed up to find out what she was really doing. Anyway. I looked her up on myspace and she reminded me of all the times we had in a folk club in sunny Leicester (it was the upstairs of a bakers I think). Anyway small room, lots of smoke, and mainly three acts I remember - my partner in The Time Between (Gwyn), a guy named Geoff Overcoat (can't have been his real name) and The Ric Grech/Claire Hamill thing. Geoff was best known for a song called Marlon Brando and James Dean (must have been decent as I still remember the title) and alot of blues covers. Gywn did his versions of country and folk standards (totally brilliantly if I remember rightly - what else can I say), and Ric and Claire (who were usually totally out of it) did a bunch of country stuff with much Gram Parsons thrown in - not surprising since Ric co-write Ooh Las Vegas and produced the album. Then they all came together at the end for some chaotic rock and roll. I can't remember what they played - just remember it was totally chaotic. I saw that Ric had come back to Leicester to get out of the music business and sell carpets (?). Obviously it was a terrible idea as gettin out of the business did nothing for his health and he succumbed at the wickedly young age of 43. What a shame. What we have left is some terrific music (he was in some great bands - Family, Blind Faith, Traffic) and some sad memories and the thoughts of what might have been. Nice to see Claire is still going strong. I need to check out her newer stuff.
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