Jones is widely recognised as one of the most enduring artists to come out of the 70s English folk revival. Although he originally styled himself as a folk singer, his fame rests largely on his skill as a guitarist and in composing memorable arrangements for traditional songs.
His early musical interests included acts like Ray Charles and The Shadows. He first learned to play guitar while at school. His interest in folk music was aroused in 1964 by some old school friends who had formed into a folk band called the Halliard. When the members of the Halliard decided to turn professional, one of them left to pursue a different career and Nic was invited to take his place. Whilst playing with the Halliard, Nic learned how to play the fiddle, and also how to research and arrange traditional material.
The Halliard split up in 1968 as the members decided to pursue individual interests. For Nic, after a period at home with his family, this meant forging a career as a solo artist. At first finding work as a session musician, his solo career eventually took off and he recorded five solo albums, plus contributions to another album with the folk act Bandoggs.
In February of 1982, he was involved in a serious car accident while driving home after perfoming at Glossop Folk Club. He broke a large number of bones and suffered some brain damage and was hospitalised for eight months. Although he survived, he still suffers co-ordination problems and feels he is unable to play the guitar well enough to perform and record. He can no longer play the fiddle at all.
Nic now lives in York and continues to play guitar and write songs for his own pleasure. He has also developed a passion for chess. His wife, Julia, set up the record label Mollie Music which has issued two albums of re-mastered live recordings from Nic's early career. In 2006 Topic released a third compilation of live recordings, Game Set Match.
Nic's guitar style was unique in its day and has often been imitated since. He played with a plastic thumb pick but not his fingernails. Instead he opted to grasp and pluck the strings of the guitar which led to the slapping down onto the fingerboard with no small force, a technique similar to that employed when plucking the lute. This created the percussive effect which became his signature sound.
Nic's first four albums were originally released on vinyl and have never been reissued, making them rather sought after. The label that now owns them, Celtic Music, has stated it will not release CD versions until all the existing vinyl versions are sold. However, in spite of repeated enquiries by fans, no-one has yet managed to buy one of the 'existing' vinyl copies.
With the Halliard:
* It's The Irish In Me - The Halliard (1967)
* The Halliard and Jon Raven (1967)
As a member of Bandoggs (Pete and Chris Coe and Tony Rose)
* Bandoggs (1978)
As a session musician with Maddy Prior and June Tabor
* Silly Sisters (1976)
Solo, now Unavailable:
* Ballads and Songs (1970)
* Nic Jones (1971)
* The Noah's Ark Trap (1977)
* From the Devil to a Stranger (1978)
Solo, still available:
* Penguin Eggs (1980)
* In Search of Nic Jones (1998) (remastered live material)
* Unearthed (2001) (remastered live material)
* Game Set Match (2006) (remastered live material)
In 1999, John Wesley Harding released a tribute album entitled Trad Arr Jones.
In 2001, Penguin Eggs was voted the 2nd best folk album of all time by listeners of the Mike Harding show on BBC Radio 2. The opening track on this album, Canadee-I-O, besides being an excellent example of Nic's guitar style is notable because it was recorded by Bob Dylan and included on his 1992 album Good as I Been to You. Whilst Canadee-I-O is a traditional folk song, some critics have accused Dylan of stealing Nic's arrangements for this song without credit or the offer of royalties. Others disagree, and believe the arrangements to be different. Another school of thought is that the arranger's copyright on recordings of traditional songs is little more than a legal fiction, allowing artists to receive "mechanical royalty payments" that would otherwise be kept by their recording labels. See the links below for further discussion on this issue.
Not having sung in public since the car crash some 28 years ago, Jones made a surprise appearance at the Sidmouth Folk Festival in August 2010. During a programme dedicated to performances of his work, he took to the stage to perform three songs with one of his past line ups, Bandoggs. It was an emotional event for audience and performers alike and Jones, having been rehearsing for the show at his home in north Devon, has now declared that he is considering performing again.
In 2012 Nic was a featured vocalist on the Kate Rusby album, 20, singing compelling yet tasteful harmonies with Kate on her self-penned song "The Lark". If this teaser is anything to go by we may be in for another treat from Nic Jones.
Sir Patrick Spens
Nic Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A-drinking the blood-red wine,
"Oh where will I get a fine mariner
To sail seven ships of mine?"
And then up spoke a fine young man,
Sat at the king's right knee.
"Sir Patrick Spens is the best mariner
Has ever sailed on the seas."
So the king he has written a broad letter
And signed it with his own hand,
And he's sent it off to Sir Patrick Spens
All walking all on the stand.
And the very first lines that Patrick he read
A little laugh then gave he,
And the very last lines that Patrick read
The salt it has filled his eyes.
"Oh, who is he, that's done this deed
And told the king on me?
For never was I a good mariner
And never do intend to be.
"Late yestreen I saw the new moon
With the old moon in her arms,
And I fear I fear a deadly storm
Our ship she will come to harm.
"But rise up rise up my merry men all
Our little ship she sails in the morn,
Whether it's a-windy or whether it's a-wet
Or whether there's a deadly storm."
And they hadn't been sailing a league or more
A league but barely nine,
Till a wind and wet and sleet and snow,
Come a-blowing up behind.
"Oh where can I get a little cabin boy
To take the helm in hand,
While I go up to the top mast high
And see if I can't spy land?"
"Come down come down Sir Patrick Spens
We fear that we all must die,
For in and out of the good ship's hull
The wind and the ocean fly."
And the very first step that Patrick he took
The water it came to his knees,
And the very last step that Patrick he took
They drowned they were in the seas.
And many was the fine feather bed
That floated on the foam,
And many was the little lord's son
That never never more came home.
And long long may their ladies sit
With the fans all in their hands,
Before they see Sir Patrick Spens
Come a-sailing along the strand.
For it's fifty miles to Aberdeenshire
It's fifty fathoms deep,
And there does lie Sir Patrick Spens
With the little lords at his feet.
The lyrics of Nic Jones's song Sir Patrick Spens tell a story of a king in Dunfermline town who needs to find a skilled mariner to sail seven ships of his. The king hears of Sir Patrick Spens, whom he believes is the best mariner, and sends for him to undertake this task. Sir Patrick Spens receives the message, reads it and begins to laugh. But as he continues to read the message, his laughter turns to sadness and his eyes fill with salt. This is perhaps an indication that he knows the task is dangerous.
With his crew, Patrick sets off on the king's mission, but they encounter harsh weather which proves too difficult for them to handle. As they are battling the storm, Sir Patrick Spens sends for a little cabin boy to take the helm while he goes up to see if he can find land. However, this is unsuccessful, and as soon as he sets foot on the deck, the water rose up to his knees. In the end, Sir Patrick Spens and his crew drown and never return home, leaving behind many mourning family members who wait in vain for their return.
Overall, the lyrics of Sir Patrick Spens touch on themes of loyalty, duty, danger, and loss. It highlights the danger and the sacrifices one must make to fulfill their responsibilities, even if it costs them their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the king he sits in Dunfermline town
A-drinking the blood-red wine,
The king is enjoying himself and drinking wine in Dunfermline town
"Oh where will I get a fine mariner
To sail seven ships of mine?"
The king is looking for a skilled mariner to sail his ships
And then up spoke a fine young man,
Sat at the king's right knee.
A young man sitting next to the king offers a suggestion
"Sir Patrick Spens is the best mariner
Has ever sailed on the seas."
The young man recommends Sir Patrick Spens for the job
So the king he has written a broad letter
And signed it with his own hand,
And he's sent it off to Sir Patrick Spens
All walking all on the stand.
The king writes and sends a letter requesting Sir Patrick Spens's services
And the very first lines that Patrick he read
A little laugh then gave he,
Sir Patrick Spens finds the beginning of the letter amusing
And the very last lines that Patrick read
The salt it has filled his eyes.
Sir Patrick Spens is moved to tears by the end of the letter
"Oh, who is he, that's done this deed
And told the king on me?
For never was I a good mariner
And never do intend to be.
Sir Patrick Spens questions who told the king he is a good mariner, and expresses doubts about his own abilities
"Late yestreen I saw the new moon
With the old moon in her arms,
And I fear I fear a deadly storm
Our ship she will come to harm.
Sir Patrick Spens sees a sign of a storm and fears for the safety of his ship
"But rise up rise up my merry men all
Our little ship she sails in the morn,
Whether it's a-windy or whether it's a-wet
Or whether there's a deadly storm."
Sir Patrick Spens rallies his crew to set sail, no matter the conditions
And they hadn't been sailing a league or more
A league but barely nine,
Till a wind and wet and sleet and snow,
Come a-blowing up behind.
The crew isn't far into their voyage when a severe storm hits
"Oh where can I get a little cabin boy
To take the helm in hand,
While I go up to the top mast high
And see if I can't spy land?"
Sir Patrick Spens needs someone to steer the ship while he climbs to a high point to search for land
"Come down come down Sir Patrick Spens
We fear that we all must die,
For in and out of the good ship's hull
The wind and the ocean fly."
The crew is scared they will not survive the storm
And the very first step that Patrick he took
The water it came to his knees,
And the very last step that Patrick he took
They drowned they were in the seas.
Sir Patrick Spens dies in the flooded ship as they attempt to abandon it
And many was the fine feather bed
That floated on the foam,
And many was the little lord's son
That never never more came home.
The ship is damaged and many people, including young nobles, do not survive
And long long may their ladies sit
With the fans all in their hands,
Before they see Sir Patrick Spens
Come a-sailing along the strand.
The women left behind have a long wait before Sir Patrick Spens's return
For it's fifty miles to Aberdeenshire
It's fifty fathoms deep,
And there does lie Sir Patrick Spens
With the little lords at his feet.
The location where Sir Patrick Spens died is far away and deep underwater
Contributed by Mateo V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Chrisjwhit
Nicely played, What tuning is it please?
Edward Taylor
fantastic - tuning pls?
mysticalwhisky
...Thats it!!
mynyddwrglas
@edtayl Tried to reply privately but can't find contact.
mynyddwrglas
@mysticalwhisky What?