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.
The Butcher and the Tailor's Wife
Nic Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he had a handsome wife, and her name was Mary Bell
She's gone to the butcher's, a joint of meat to buy
"What is your will, dear woman?" the butcher did reply
Well, the joint of meat it was cut down, refuse it she did not
And straightway she goes and she puts it in the pot
And when the tailor he come in, she told him what she had
And the poor tailor jumped for joy, his heart was very glad
"Oh Husband, dearest husband, I'll tell you what must be
Tomorrow night the butcher, he has to lie with me
You take a broadsword in your hand, and under the bed go
And the first man that enters, then, be sure to run him through."
"Oh I never handled sword or gun, my dear and loving wife
And butchers, they are bloody dogs, I think he'll have my life."
"Oh don't you be down-hearted, with courage stout and bold
And if the butcher you will come, you'll wear a chain of gold."
And the butcher's thinking it was time to see the tailor's wife
And thinking they might form a plot or trick or take his life
He takes a brace of pistols with powder and with ball
"And the first man that molests me now, by Jove I'll make him fall!"
And when the butcher he come in, she takes him by the hand
She led him to her bedchamber, says, "I'm at your command."
He takes a brace of pistols and lays them on the bed
And the poor tailor's struck with fear: he lay as if quite dead
And the butcher's taken off his clothes a-going into bed
How he was struck when he did spy one of the tailor's legs!
"Is this your husband's dog?
" He says, "I'll shoot him for the fright."
"Oh spare my life!" the tailor cries, "and you can have my wife!"
The Butcher and the Tailor's Wife by Nic Jones is a ballad that tells the story of a wealthy tailor, his wife, and a butcher. The song begins by introducing the wealthy tailor who lives with his beautiful wife named Mary Bell in London. Mary Bell goes to the butcher's shop to buy a joint of meat, and the butcher asks her what she wants. Mary Bell asks for the joint of meat and doesn't refuse any cut of it. She then goes home and cooks the meat for her husband.
Once the tailor comes home, Mary Bell tells him that she has accepted an indecent proposal from the butcher. She asks her husband to hide under the bed and wait for the butcher to come. She advises her husband to kill the butcher with a broadsword if he attempts anything wrong. The tailor is frightened at the thought of killing someone and tells his wife that he has never used a sword or gun before.
However, Mary Bell insists on her plan and offers to reward him with a gold chain. The butcher arrives with a brace of pistols, and Mary Bell leads him to the bedroom. She places the pistols on the bed, and the tailor is terrified. As the butcher undresses, he notices a leg that belongs to a man who is hiding under the bed. He thinks it's the husband's dog and threatens to shoot him. The tailor begs for his life and offers to let the butcher have his wife.
Overall, The Butcher and the Tailor's Wife is a tragic ballad that tells the story of a woman's sacrifice for her husband. As a result, she puts herself in danger and attracts the butcher's attention. The ballad highlights how some people can go to extreme lengths to protect their loved ones, even if it meant making a life-threatening choice.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh it's of a wealthy tailor, in London town did dwell
The story is about a prosperous tailor living in London.
And he had a handsome wife, and her name was Mary Bell
The tailor had an attractive wife called Mary Bell.
She's gone to the butcher's, a joint of meat to buy
Mary Bell went to buy meat from the butcher's shop.
"What is your will, dear woman?" the butcher did reply
The butcher asked Mary Bell what she wanted.
Well, the joint of meat it was cut down, refuse it she did not
Mary Bell got the meat she wanted, without any problem.
And straightway she goes and she puts it in the pot
Mary Bell immediately put the meat in a pot to cook.
And when the tailor he come in, she told him what she had
When the tailor came in, Mary Bell told him what she had bought.
And the poor tailor jumped for joy, his heart was very glad
The tailor was happy to hear about the meat and was overjoyed.
"Oh Husband, dearest husband, I'll tell you what must be
Tomorrow night the butcher, he has to lie with me
Mary Bell tells her husband that the butcher has to sleep with her the following night.
You take a broadsword in your hand, and under the bed go
And the first man that enters, then, be sure to run him through."
Mary Bell tells her husband to hide under the bed with a sword, and when someone enters, stab him.
"Oh I never handled sword or gun, my dear and loving wife
And butchers, they are bloody dogs, I think he'll have my life."
The tailor is worried and tells Mary Bell that he has never used a sword or gun and he thinks the butcher might kill him.
"Oh don't you be down-hearted, with courage stout and bold
And if the butcher you will come, you'll wear a chain of gold."
Mary Bell tries to reassure her husband that he will get a reward if he is successful in defeating the butcher.
And the butcher's thinking it was time to see the tailor's wife
And thinking they might form a plot or trick or take his life
The butcher decides it is time to meet Mary Bell and thinks that they might have a plan to harm him.
He takes a brace of pistols with powder and with ball
"And the first man that molests me now, by Jove I'll make him fall!"
The butcher takes two pistols with him and warns that he will shoot anyone who tries to attack him.
And when the butcher he come in, she takes him by the hand
She led him to her bedchamber, says, "I'm at your command."
Mary Bell welcomes the butcher and takes him to a bedroom, telling him she is at his service.
He takes a brace of pistols and lays them on the bed
And the poor tailor's struck with fear: he lay as if quite dead
The butcher puts his guns on the bed, and the tailor is terrified and pretends to be dead.
And the butcher's taken off his clothes a-going into bed
How he was struck when he did spy one of the tailor's legs!
The butcher strips down to get into bed with Mary Bell and is surprised to find a leg of the tailor's sticking out from under the bed.
"Is this your husband's dog?
" He says, "I'll shoot him for the fright."
"Oh spare my life!" the tailor cries, "and you can have my wife!"
The butcher mistakes the leg for a dog and is about to shoot, but the tailor begs for his life and offers his wife to the butcher in exchange for being spared.
Contributed by Elizabeth V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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