While most commonly labelled a folk musician, Renbourn's musical tastes and interests take in early music, classical music, blues and world music. His most influential album, Sir John Alot (1968), featured his take on songs from the Medieval era.
He died on March 26, 2015.
Career
John Renbourn studied classical guitar at school and it was during this period that he was introduced to Early Music. In the 1950s, along with many others, he was greatly influenced by the musical craze of "Skiffle" and this eventually led him to explore the work of artists such as Leadbelly, Josh White and Big Bill Broonzy.
In the 1960s the new craze in popular music was Rhythm and Blues, also the impact of Davey Graham was being felt. In 1961 Renbourn toured the South West with Mac MacLeod and repeated the tour in 1963. Renbourn briefly played in an R'n'B band while studying at the Kingston College of Art in London. Although the British 'Folk Revival' was underway at this time, most folk clubs were biased towards traditional, unaccompanied folk songs and guitar players were not always welcome. However the Roundhouse in London had a more tolerant attitude and here, John Renbourn joined Blues and Gospel singer Dorris Henderson, playing backing guitar and recording two albums with her.
Possibly the best known London venue for contemporary folk music in the early 1960s was "Les Cousins" in Greek Street, Soho, which became the main meeting place for guitar players and contemporary singer-songwriters from Britain and America. Around 1963, Renbourn teamed up with guitarist Bert Jansch who was visiting London from Edinburgh and together they developed an intricate duet style that became known as "folk baroque". Their album "Bert and John" is a fine example of their playing.
Renbourn released several albums on the Transatlantic label during the 1960s. Two of them, "Sir John Alot" and "Lady And The Unicorn" sum up Renbourn's playing style and material from this period. "Sir John Alot" has a mixture of jazz/blues/folk playing alongside a more classical/early music style. "Lady And The Unicorn" is heavily influenced by Renbourn's interest in early music.
At around this time, Renbourn also started playing with Jacqui McShee who sang traditional British folk songs. Together with Bert Jansch, bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Terry Cox, they went on to form Pentangle. The group became very successful, touring America in 1968, playing at the Carnegie Hall and at the Newport Folk Festival.
Renbourn went on to record more solo albums in the Seventies and Eighties. Much of the music is based on traditional material with a Celtic influence, interwoven with other styles. He also collaborated with American guitarist Stefan Grossman in the late 1970s recording two albums with him, which at times hark back to the folk baroque days with Bert Jansch.
In the mid-1980s Renbourn went back to university to earn a degree in composition, since which time he has focused mainly on writing classical music, while still performing in folk settings.
Renbourn continues to record and tour. In 2005 he toured Japan (his fifth tour of that country) with Tokio Uchida and Woody Mann. In 2006 he played at number of venues in England, including appearances with Robin Williamson and with Jacqui McShee. He is working on a new solo album and collaborating with Clive Carroll on the score for the film Driving Lessons directed by Jeremy Brock. In 2008, he toured with the reformed Pentangle.
John Renbourn Group
Bert Jansch & John Renbourn
Dorris Henderson & John Renbourn
John Renbourn & Jacqui McShee
John Renbourn & Stefan Grossman
John Renbourn & Robin Williamson
Clive Carroll & John Renbourn
Lindsay
John Renbourn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
straight to the north he'll steer
With a Speyside fiddle in his pack
Aye he'll make a livin' it's clear
He's well met with a Padlar's drouth
And a chance to adjourn to the inn
He's called for ale and he's taken up a pipe
All through the night they fiddled and piped
For the dancers had taken to the floor
They neither wanted a pipe or a glass
Or a lass when the music was o'er
They played up through markets and fairs
'Till at length to the north they've come
And there they met black Janet the widow
Who sang as she rattled her drum
Now Lindsay asked black Janet to dance
And you ne'er saw so bonny a pair
She has taken him firm by the hand
And they tripped to the top of the stair
Here, she said, is a fine feather bed
Where a man be he weary or drear
May step for me a gay strathspey
With me lilting a tune in his ear
Now Janet was as good as her word
And Lindsay has proven his worth
May you all have so merry a dance
If ever you're comin' to the north
The song "Lindsay" by John Renbourn tells the story of a fiddler named Lindsay, who travels to the north with his Speyside fiddle in his pack. He stops at an inn where he meets a group of people playing music and dancing. They play music all through the night and Lindsay becomes captivated by a widow named black Janet who sings and plays the drum. He asks her to dance, and they end up in a feather bed, where she tells him to step for her a gay strathspey with her lilting a tune in his ear. Lindsay proves his worth by dancing, and the song ends on the note that everyone should have so merry a dance if ever they are coming to the north.
The song seems to be a celebration of the joy and camaraderie that comes from music, dance, and new experiences. Lindsay's journey represents the freedom and sense of adventure that many people seek. Black Janet represents an attentive partner who is appreciative of good music and dancing. The feather bed and lilting tune evoke a sensual happiness that is delightful to experience. The song celebrates these elements of life that can be easily overlooked but are essential to our happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Now Lindsay, he has taken to the road
Lindsay has decided to go on a journey
straight to the north he'll steer
He has decided to head north
With a Speyside fiddle in his pack
He has brought a fiddle from the Speyside region with him
Aye he'll make a livin' it's clear
He plans to make a living on this journey
He's well met with a Padlar's drouth
He is very thirsty
And a chance to adjourn to the inn
He finds an opportunity to go to an inn
He's called for ale and he's taken up a pipe
He orders some ale and starts smoking a pipe
And carelessly slipped to the tune
He starts playing a tune on his fiddle without much thought
All through the night they fiddled and piped
They continue playing music all night long
For the dancers had taken to the floor
People started dancing to their music
They neither wanted a pipe or a glass
The dancers were too busy dancing to care about smoking a pipe or drinking ale
Or a lass when the music was o'er
The dancers did not want to dance with or talk to anyone once the music stopped
They played up through markets and fairs
They continued playing music as they traveled through different towns
'Till at length to the north they've come
They finally reach their destination in the north
And there they met black Janet the widow
They meet a woman named black Janet who is a widow
Who sang as she rattled her drum
Black Janet also played music with a drum
Now Lindsay asked black Janet to dance
Lindsay asks Black Janet to dance with him
And you ne'er saw so bonny a pair
They make a very attractive couple
She has taken him firm by the hand
Black Janet takes Lindsay's hand with a strong grip
And they tripped to the top of the stair
They dance together on the top of a staircase
Here, she said, is a fine feather bed
Black Janet points out a nice bed
Where a man be he weary or drear
She says the bed is a good place to rest
May step for me a gay strathspey
She requests that Lindsay dances a lively Scottish dance with her
With me lilting a tune in his ear
Black Janet will sing a tune as they dance
Now Janet was as good as her word
Black Janet kept her promise
And Lindsay has proven his worth
Lindsay impresses Black Janet with his dancing skills
May you all have so merry a dance
The singer hopes that everyone can have a dance as happy and enjoyable as Lindsay and Black Janet's
If ever you're comin' to the north
If anyone ever visits the north, they should have a good dance like Lindsay and Black Janet did
Contributed by Hudson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
speleojazzer
on Can't Keep from Crying
These are NOT the lyrics to JR's Can't keep from Crying