Version City #75 - Jackie Oates sings Longpigs and The Cure

You find me momentarily pausing in my attempts to chuck every permutation of clothing into a bag while simultaneously rummaging through cupboards in search of my inflatable mattress. Tomorrow morning I'm off to FolkEast, my annual brief concession to what Evan Dando memorably described as being the outdoor type. I'll be sleeping under the stars (well, under canvas under the stars to be precise, but you get my drift) for three nights and catching as many bands as possible at my one festival of the year. Somewhere near the top of my 'to see' list is a rare set by The Imagined Village, the ever-evolving, genre-bending supergroup featuring Martin & Eliza Carthy, Billy Bragg, Simon Emmerson of Afro-Celt Sound System, sitar player Sheema Mujherjee, tabla percussionist Johnny Kalsi and drummer Andy Gangadeen. Also in the line-up (I hope) will be Jackie Oates, someone who I've wanted to see in concert for a very long time. True, on this occasion she'll just be part of the band, but I hope she gets to step forward for at least one or two numbers. Jackie is about to release her eighth solo album and she's made others in tandem with fellow artists such as Megan Henwood and John Spiers. They're all recommended and many of them are available to sample on her Bandcamp page (here).

For the purposes of this feature (the first new instalment since January 2021!) here are a couple of absolutely breathtaking covers by Jackie. The Cure's 'Untitled' was recorded for 'Life's What You Make It', a compilation of  various folkies tackling 1980s hits, while 'On and On' will appear on that new solo album I mentioned, 'Gracious Wings'. Steel yourself for these.

Finally, as a little light relief after those jaw-dropping beauties, here's a stripped down line-up of The Imagined Village from ten years ago with Martin and Eliza to the fore, tackling Slade's 'Cum on Feel the Noize'. 

Monday Long Song(s)

Both Eliza Carthy and her legendary dad Martin are making plans to hit the road again, individually and occasionally as a duo, following the immense loss of Norma Waterson at the end of January. I've seen Martin several times in the relatively recent past, but when I catch up with Eliza in the Summer, it'll be for the first time in at least ten years.

Here's a set from Eliza's self-titled 1997 album with the King's of Calicutt and Martin with the terrific 2006 re-recording of  'Famous Flower of Serving Men', an epic murder ballad I've been privileged to see him play a few times and which originally appeared in an earlier incarnation on his 1972 LP 'Shearwater'. 

Eliza Carthy and the Kings of Calicutt - Sheffield Park / Polly Bishop's Slip Jig / Roger de Coverley

Martin Carthy - Famous Flower of Serving Men