Author Archives: Tony Burt

Winter Sun Summer Rain

Had a really good week in June at Halsway Manor in the company of Boo Hewerdine and Darden Smith for a bunch of songwriting fun. Met up with a few other old friends and met some new ones in what became an inspiring and productive week.

At the end of the week we each recorded a song that hadn’t existed at the beginning of the week. Mine was “Winter Sun Summer Rain”. Hear it below as recorded on 8th June 2017 at Halsway by the very excellent Chris Pepper.

It’s really just a series of contradictions: “winter sun/summer rain”, “autumn birth/spring decay”, “happiness makes you cry”, “lonely man in a crowd” and so forth. I guess it hints at the unexpected changes we meet in life and the sheer unpredictability of things.

Unlikely to change the thinking of Western civilisation but here are the words. For those taking notes it’s tuned DADGBD and capoed at 3rd fret.

WINTER SUN SUMMER RAIN (Tony Burt)

Winter sun will warm your heart
Seasons change and I follow
Summer rain a world apart
Seasons come and go

Autumn birth a joy to share
Seasons change and I follow
Spring decay will prompt a prayer
Seasons come and go

Chorus:

Seasons come and seasons go
Sun and hail, rain and snow
Changes catch you unawares
Seasons come and go

Happiness can make you cry
Sadness bids the tears goodbye
Sickness makes the day go fast
Rosy cheeks will make it last

Chorus

A lonely man hides in a crowd
A busy man lives life out loud
You think you know just who you are
Life is writing your memoir

Chorus

Repeat Chorus

Farewell To The Shanty Man

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Early in September 2015 my good friend John Taylor suddenly died. I’d first met John when playing cricket against him, probably in the 80s or maybe early 90s. We quickly established we both had a passion for folk music and so met often at clubs and sessions.

He was a terrific singer of sea shanties but was also a steady and expressive guitarist and was a fine singer of a wide range of songs. His work with Bob and Rebecca Fox in the trio Foxtail Soup was always interesting and free of cliches. I worked with them a lot, solo and with my band.

I’d spoken with John a day or two before his death about Worcester Music Festival where I was to perform with Ally Craigan and John Davis. Only three days after we lost him I did my spot and it was a strange feeling. He should have been there and in a way he was. So many people were so upset but we all did our best to perform well at an event he put so much effort into. I hope we managed it.

Very soon after I felt the need to create something musical to commemorate John’s contribution to my life and that of many others. Almost immediately I came up with the title and opening line “Farewell to the Shanty Man”. That then sat around for a while.

In April 2016 I went to the wonderful retreat near Loch Ness, Moniack Mhor, for a songwriting workshop led by Karine Polwart and Findlay Napier. It was there that I decided I needed to finish John’s song.

I got some help from Mike Vass a very accomplished singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. We tried various arrangements and ended up by abandoning guitar and just using voice and fiddle. We had a resident sound engineer, the excellent Ben Seal, and here is the recording he made of “Farewell to the Shanty Man”:

[jwplayer mediaid=”239″]

I felt really awkward about performing the song. It was sort of too personal and I was worried people would not feel it did John justice, which of course it never could. I sang it at a couple of events where no one knew John and then plucked up courage to sing it at the Falcon in Bromyard and the Talbot at Knightwick, two sessions John attended. The reaction was positive and I was encouraged to make the song more public so here it is.

I still feel nervous but here goes and I hope you like it.

Here are the lyrics in case anyone wants to sing it. I’d love that!

Farewell To The Shanty Man (Tony Burt)

It’s farewell to the shanty man, he’s left these shores for good
He’s led our songs, helped right our wrongs
And brightened up the mood
Farewell to the shanty man

And it’s farewell to the shanty man, to every one a friend
He’d time for all, both great and small
A shipmate to the end
Farewell to the shanty man

Chorus:

Heave and pull my Johnny-O
Heave and pull away
Heave and pull my Johnny-O
We’ll sing again one day

So farewell to the shanty man, he left us far too soon
We wanted more, to help us roar
Our shanties at the moon
Farewell to the shanty man

Chorus:

Farewell to the shanty man, his like we’ll not see more
He’s left a hole, God Bless his soul
Too special to ignore
Farewell to the shanty man

Chorus:

Farewell to the shanty man, his like we’ll not see more
He’s left a hole, God Bless his soul
Too special to ignore
Farewell to the shanty man

Bromyard Festivals Calendar 2017

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Frank Sullivan’s 65th Birthday Party

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Frank Sullivan was the father of my friend of nearly 50 years, John Sullivan and someone I knew and liked from my teens. So when John asked a few of us to get together a scratch band for his 65th birthday party, I was very happy to oblige.

Now I have to admit that not only had I forgotten about the party but I’d also forgotten there was a tape of our one and only rehearsal until I stumbled across it today. So here it is, warts and all. I’m guessing this is from around 1990 but I’d love to get a firmer date.

The band comprised John Sullivan on guitar, concertina, mandolin and vocals, Jim Bennett on vocals and maybe guitar, my wife Maryse on vocals and guitar and me on vocals, guitar, banjo and harmonica.

No photographic evidence can be found, unless John or Jim have something, but here are a few of the tracks. Fond memories!

Sloop John B

Maggie May

D Day Dodgers

Sergeant Where’s Mine

Summertime

Oh Sha La La

Save The Last Dance For Me

Whip Jamboree

18th November

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Pete Bath displaying silky skills in 1971.

Today is the 18th November and is the birthday of my good friend Pete Bath. It’s not so much that Pete’s birthday means so very much to me, though I wish him the very best, but what tended to happen in my life on his birthday.

I met Pete in September 1970 when he left Doncaster, as I left Birmingham, to start a degree course in French and Italian at University College London. We became good friends almost immediately and that continued through the next 4 years together and also since then.

18th November 1970 was not as significant as later ones. I think we had a bit of a pub crawl and I probably kept Pete company in a boozing marathon. I think I spent much of the evening with a young lady who became my girlfriend not long after.

18th November 1971 was a different kettle of fish altogether. We were living in a flat in West Finchley and decided Pete’s birthday was a more than adequate excuse for a party. Had a row with my then current girlfriend who stomped off home in a huff. Got “befriended” by an older lady from flat next door and grew up a fair bit over the following few months!

This prompted a song I still occasionally perform … “Silicone”. This recording is a demo from a couple of years ago.

Nether Street flat, West Finchley 1972

18th November 1972 found Pete and I sharing a flat in Geneva having both landed plum assignments as English Assistants for a year. As usual Pete’s birthday was an excuse for a party and friends arrived from UK and other places as well as many of our new found Swiss friends. I started a “warm friendship” with a lady I met at the party which created the fresh complications my life seemed to demand in those days.

It was also one of the first times I had played with Michel Bucher, a wonderful flautist and great friend. We recorded a few songs together as “Weeping Willow” and here is one I wrote around this time, “Nevermore”. (NB: recorded in 1972 on a portable cassette recorder so don’t expect “Phil Spector” quality!).

Weeping Willow : Tony Burt & Michel Bucher : Geneva, 1972-73

So we come to 18th November 1973. Back in the UK, sharing a flat in Edgware and of course planning a party. So on the 17th November 1973 I’m wondering what tomorrow is going to bring, and here is the song those thoughts prompted, “18th November”.

When the momentous day arrived, 18th November 1973, what whirlwind hit me? How was my life turned upside down? Well I was receptive and open to it but nothing interesting happened and I don’t recall much of note happening to me on that date from 1973 to now.

But I did write a song, sat sulking in my room, “The Ship”, which was the last song I wrote as a young man. I didn’t write another until well into the 1980’s. Anyway here is “The Ship”

So what about 18th November 2014? Well it’s 41 years since I wrote a song on this date and I’d probably sit down and try to write one tonight if I wasn’t otherwise engaged. I’m off down to the Falcon Hotel in Bromyard for our weekly music session where I get to play with some of my best buddies. Think I’ll try a few of these songs to bring back memories. But definitely will not be starting any romantic adventures, especially as Brigid and her sister will be there too!