From 1973 to 1982, British folk legend Richard Thompson (having quit Fairpo… Read Full Bio ↴From 1973 to 1982, British folk legend Richard Thompson (having quit Fairport Convention in 1971) recorded as a duo with his wife Linda Thompson. This period saw a great amount of critical praise for Richard's songwriting and Linda's voice, though not much popular success. Following their divorce, both pursued solo careers.
The Thompsons recorded three albums I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974), Hokey Pokey (1975) and Pour Down Like Silver (1975) before they decided to leave the music business and moved to a Sufi commune in East Anglia. Songwriting was by Richard throughout, lead vocals generally by Linda,and backing by a consistent core band of English folk-rock stalwarts
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight showed a clear development from Richard Thompson's first solo effort Henry The Human Fly with Linda's vocals adding grace, as well as the opportunity for Richard to write from a female perspective. Although Thompson's trademark gloom is already evident, the lightness and beauty of the arrangements counterbalances this to produce moments of great beauty. The use of brass, from the renowned CWS silver band in particular takes forward Thompson's continuing crusade to find a more contemporary and ordinary expression of Englishness in music,(as opposed to say the forays into the Morris form of his Fairport contemporary Ashley Hutchings, solo and with The Albion Band). The next year's release, Hokey Pokey to some extent repeats the formula, although it is improved in production values, and is stylistically more adventurous still. A Heart Needs a Home is a minor miracle of songwriting, expressing the longing for love without cynicism and has a standout multi-tracked vocal from Linda.
Pour Down Like Silver extended the reach of Richard and Linda's music, and without the occasional weaker tracks of the preceding releases. Here in the writing cynicism is balanced with humour, (Hard Luck Stories, Streets of Paradise), and love and need is expressed directly, and to touching effect ( Jet Plane in a Rocking Chair, Beat the Retreat). The impact of Sufism on their lives is expressed in Night Comes In, which borrows imagery from Sufi mystic poetry, and the practice of finding union with the Spirit through dance. The playing, arrangements and production are uniformly excellent throughout.
In 1978, Thompson decided to take his family out of the commune and go back to their old home in Hampstead. He also decided to return to making music, partly because, as he commented at the time, he'd come to realise "that [he] wasn't really any good at anything else".
Re-uniting the core band, the resulting album, First Light was warmly received by the critics but did not sell particularly well. Neither did its follow up, 1979's harder-edged and more cynical Sunnyvista. Chrysalis Records did not take up their option to renew the contract, and the Thompsons found themselves without a contract, but not without admirers.
About a year later Joe Boyd signed the Thompsons to his small Hannibal label and a new album was recorded. Shoot Out the Lights included new recordings of many of the songs recorded in 1980, and was clearly a very strong album. Linda Thompson was pregnant during the sessions, and so the album's release was held back until the Thompsons could tour in support of the new album. Linda's pregnancy also meant that she did not sing on all of the songs.
On its release in 1982, Shoot Out the Lights was lauded by critics and sold fairly well - especially in the USA. The Thompsons, now a couple for professional purposes only, toured the USA to support the album and then went their separate ways. Both the album and their live shows were well received by the American media, and Shoot Out the Lights effectively relaunched their career - just as their marriage was falling apart.
As against the first phase of their career, this last offering is sparer, without the instrumental augmentation that characterized the earlier albums, much more rock orientated, and altogether more ferocious. Although Thompson in interviews has always resisted over-personal interpretations of his songs, it is difficult not to see in its energy, tone and themes the difficulties of the final stages of the Thompson's marriage, transmuted into musical gold.
The Thompsons recorded three albums I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974), Hokey Pokey (1975) and Pour Down Like Silver (1975) before they decided to leave the music business and moved to a Sufi commune in East Anglia. Songwriting was by Richard throughout, lead vocals generally by Linda,and backing by a consistent core band of English folk-rock stalwarts
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight showed a clear development from Richard Thompson's first solo effort Henry The Human Fly with Linda's vocals adding grace, as well as the opportunity for Richard to write from a female perspective. Although Thompson's trademark gloom is already evident, the lightness and beauty of the arrangements counterbalances this to produce moments of great beauty. The use of brass, from the renowned CWS silver band in particular takes forward Thompson's continuing crusade to find a more contemporary and ordinary expression of Englishness in music,(as opposed to say the forays into the Morris form of his Fairport contemporary Ashley Hutchings, solo and with The Albion Band). The next year's release, Hokey Pokey to some extent repeats the formula, although it is improved in production values, and is stylistically more adventurous still. A Heart Needs a Home is a minor miracle of songwriting, expressing the longing for love without cynicism and has a standout multi-tracked vocal from Linda.
Pour Down Like Silver extended the reach of Richard and Linda's music, and without the occasional weaker tracks of the preceding releases. Here in the writing cynicism is balanced with humour, (Hard Luck Stories, Streets of Paradise), and love and need is expressed directly, and to touching effect ( Jet Plane in a Rocking Chair, Beat the Retreat). The impact of Sufism on their lives is expressed in Night Comes In, which borrows imagery from Sufi mystic poetry, and the practice of finding union with the Spirit through dance. The playing, arrangements and production are uniformly excellent throughout.
In 1978, Thompson decided to take his family out of the commune and go back to their old home in Hampstead. He also decided to return to making music, partly because, as he commented at the time, he'd come to realise "that [he] wasn't really any good at anything else".
Re-uniting the core band, the resulting album, First Light was warmly received by the critics but did not sell particularly well. Neither did its follow up, 1979's harder-edged and more cynical Sunnyvista. Chrysalis Records did not take up their option to renew the contract, and the Thompsons found themselves without a contract, but not without admirers.
About a year later Joe Boyd signed the Thompsons to his small Hannibal label and a new album was recorded. Shoot Out the Lights included new recordings of many of the songs recorded in 1980, and was clearly a very strong album. Linda Thompson was pregnant during the sessions, and so the album's release was held back until the Thompsons could tour in support of the new album. Linda's pregnancy also meant that she did not sing on all of the songs.
On its release in 1982, Shoot Out the Lights was lauded by critics and sold fairly well - especially in the USA. The Thompsons, now a couple for professional purposes only, toured the USA to support the album and then went their separate ways. Both the album and their live shows were well received by the American media, and Shoot Out the Lights effectively relaunched their career - just as their marriage was falling apart.
As against the first phase of their career, this last offering is sparer, without the instrumental augmentation that characterized the earlier albums, much more rock orientated, and altogether more ferocious. Although Thompson in interviews has always resisted over-personal interpretations of his songs, it is difficult not to see in its energy, tone and themes the difficulties of the final stages of the Thompson's marriage, transmuted into musical gold.
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Hard Luck Stories (1972 - 1982)
Richard & Linda Thompson Lyrics
A Heart Needs A Home I know the way That I feel about you I'm never going…
Back Street Slide Those backstreet women, watch what you say You turn your bac…
Beat the Retreat I'm beating my retreat Back home to you I'm beating my ret…
Borrowed Time There's riders in this county They're taking heads for bount…
Civilisation They're not human, they're with the Woolwich They eat food …
Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed? She was there one minute And then she was gone the…
Died For Love I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
Dimming of the Day This old house is falling down around my ears I'm drowning…
Don't Let A Thief Steal Into Your Heart Don't let a thief steal into your heart Or you may…
Don't Renege On Our Love Remember when we were hand in hand Remember we sealed it…
Down Where The Drunkards Roll See the boys out walking The boys, they look so fine Dressed…
Drunk I had a silver penny and an apricot tree And I…
First Light Give me what I ask for Give me what I long…
For Shame of Doing Wrong It seems like a lifetime since I saw you Lover lover…
Georgie on a Spree Thompson Me Mammy told me "Isabel, now don't stay out too…
Hard Luck Stories Thompson They say running into you is like running into t…
Has He Got A Friend For Me Saturday night and I'm all alone No ring on the door…
Hokey Pokey Every boy running and the little girl At the money took…
House Of Cards Oh the rain is falling (blow blow down) And the wild…
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight I'm so tired of working every day Now the weekend's come I'm…
I'll Regret It All In The Morning Whiskey helps to clear my head Bring it with you into…
It'll Be Me Well if you see somebody knocking on your door If you…
Jet Plane in a Rocking Chair Jet plane in a rocking chair Roller coaster roll nowhere Dea…
Just The Motion Remember, when we were hand in hand? Remember, we sealed it…
Justice In The Streets There's sickness in this land Hearts have turned to sand C…
Layla I drew near to the house of Layla It was then…
Living In Luxury I don't have no credit And I don't know where to…
Lonely Hearts Heart beat pounding so hard it keeps me wide awake…
Lucky In Life Verse 1 Lyrics When I was a baby, …
Mole In A Hole Waterson Like the flowers, like the bees Like the woodl…
Never Again O who will remember, o who will be sure And still…
Night Comes In Night comes in, like some cool river How can there be,…
Old Man Inside A Young Man I was walking down the street When I met with Billy He…
Pavanne Pavanne, cold steel woman Pavanne How do you love a woman …
Saturday Rolling Around Wind's gonna blow my blues away Wind's gonna blow my blues…
Shoot Out The Lights In the dark, who can see his face? In the dark,…
Sisters Remember the time when we two kin were reared There was…
Strange Affair This is a strange affair The time has come to travel…
Streets Of Paradise Thompson The tears fall down like whisky The tears fall …
Sunnyvista In SunnyVista all your dreams are reality It's the smart pl…
Sweet Surrender I gave my heart to you Oh oh oh oh I gave…
The Calvary Cross I was under the Calvary Cross The pale-faced lady she said…
The Egypt Room Thompson Now Hobnail Kelly and the Beefcake Kid Just rol…
The End Of The Rainbow I feel for you, you little horror Safe at your mother's…
The Great Valerio High up above the crowd The great Valerio is walking The rop…
The Little Beggar Girl I'm just a little beggar girl and Sally is my…
The Poor Boy Is Taken Away Thompson Called him poor boy, you took him for fun He dr…
The Sun Never Shines On The Poor Thompson The urchins are writhing around in the mud Lik…
The Wrong Heartbeat Don't think my love is something that you can play…
Things You Gave Me For all the times I felt cheated I complained You know…
Traces Of My Love The songbird sings so clear Like your voice upon my ear I…
Walking on a Wire I hand you my ball and chain You just hand me…
Wall Of Death Let me ride on the Wall Of Death one more…
We Sing Hallelujah A man is like a rusty wheel On a rusty cart He…
When I Get To The Border Dirty people take what's mine I can leave them all behind Th…
Withered and Died This cruel country has driven me down Teased me and lied,…
You're Going To Need Somebody When you're lost in the dark and you can't find…
We also have lyrics for these tracks by Richard:
Down Where The Drunkards Roll See the boys out walking The boys, they look so fine Dressed…
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight I'm so tired of working every day Now the weekend's come I'm…
The Calvary Cross I was under the Calvary Cross The pale-faced lady she said…
The Great Valerio High up above the crowd The great Valerio is walking The rop…
When I Get To The Border Dirty people take what's mine I can leave them all behind Th…
Withered And Died This cruel country has driven me down Teased me and lied,…
We also have lyrics for these tracks by Linda Thompson:
A Heart Needs A Home I know the way That I feel about you I'm never going…
A Man In Need I packed my rags, went down the hill Left my dependents…
Back Street Slide Those backstreet women, watch what you say You turn your bac…
Dimming of the Day This old house is falling down around my ears I'm drowning…
Down Where The Drunkards Roll See the boys out walking The boys, they look so fine Dressed…
For Shame Of Doing Wrong It seems like a lifetime since I saw you Lover lover…
Hokey Pokey Every boy running and the little girl At the money took…
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight I'm so tired of working every day Now the weekend's come I…
It'll Be Me Well if you see somebody knocking on your door If you…
Never Again O who will remember, o who will be sure And still…
Night Comes In Night comes in, like some cool river How can there be,…
Old Man Inside A Young Man I was walking down the street When I met with Billy He…
Shoot Out The Lights In the dark, who can see his face? In the dark,…
The Calvary Cross I was under the Calvary Cross The pale-faced lady she said…
The End Of The Rainbow I feel for you, you little horror Safe at your mother's…
The Great Valerio High up above the crowd The great Valerio is walking The rop…
Walking on a Wire I hand you my ball and chain You just hand me…
When I Get To The Border Dirty people take what's mine I can leave them all behind Th…
Withered And Died This cruel country has driven me down Teased me and lied,…