MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_NextPart_01C8612C.390A22C0" Bei diesem Dokument handelt es sich um eine Webseite in einer Datei, die auch als Webarchivdatei bezeichnet wird. Wenn Sie diese Nachricht erhalten, unterstützt Ihr Browser oder Editor keine Webarchivdateien. Laden Sie einen Browser herunter, der Webarchivdateien unterstützt, wie zum Beispiel Windows® Internet Explorer®. ------=_NextPart_01C8612C.390A22C0 Content-Location: file:///C:/A0CAD652/Softley-RecordMirror.htm Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
RECORD MIRROR, January 29, 1972 Philosophy of the Road James Craig=
talks
to
MICK SOFTLEY
"There's a few valuable copies of my first album left in private
collections", says guitarist/singer/songwriter Mick Softly with an obv=
ious
pinch of salt. He's not too tall, a swimming nut, trad jazz fiend, trombone=
player,
factory worker and general all-round authority - but he's been a folk singer
since 1960 and takes the prize for that.
That first LP, 'Songs For Swinging Survivors' was done in conjunction
with Peter Eden and Geoff Stephens, the two responsible for Donovan's early
records. It was in 1965, but things were happening for Mick much earlier th=
an
that.
"I got on the stage at age six - acting in school plays." =
The
hint of satire remained as Mick laughed at the reminiscence. "I took up
the trombone in school and by 16, trad jazz was going and that interested m=
e. I
had been swimming regularly since I was four or five and at my local pool, I
found that the lifeguards went on to being bouncers at a club after work; we
all used to stomp it out to the sounds of Ken Collier and then skiffle.
Eventually, my teacher advised me to give up the trombone and start singing=
, so
I bought a 78 of 'Shake Rattle And Roll' and some Big Bill Broonzy records =
they
changed my whole attitude to music. I got a Selmer mail order guitar and so=
me
books and started figuring it all out . . . to the amusement of friends at =
the
factory where I worked as an engineer until I got the sack.
"I was tired of odd jobs, so me and Mick the Rip started for
Formentera. The motorbike went wrong and stranded us in Barcelona, so we li=
ved
in the mountains until Christmas and went back to Paris. I knew about two
chords, but somebody told us we could make some money there, so I stood by a
tree with my hat out and strummed. I got nothing. Finally, I got wise and a=
sked
for money - in fact, I was almost making them give money.
"Paris was far ahead of any other city with its artistic cultur=
e.
Many poets and guitarists were appearing in the 50s, but their folk music c=
ame
from the upper class, while ours came from the peasants. Alex Campbell had a
residency there and people like Jack Elliot and Derrol Adams were playing w=
hile
I was there. I went back and forth, but played here a lot until '69. I knew
Donovan (who recorded Mick's 'Goldwatch Blues' on an early album) from the =
Cock
and St Albans. He was 14 or 15 and stood around ogling the bigger people un=
til
Pete Eden picked him up and boom - overnight he made it. He was very good, =
but
in a different sort of way; he didn't have to fight for attention. I can
remember him standing all alone in a corner, very frightened. He knew what =
was
coming - that he's to be launched into stardom at 15 and he was frightened.=
Don
hadn't travelled and he didn't know what to expect.
"It was '65 and everybody said it was bad to do your own stuff -
people wanted to hear standards - but I sang many of my own. I was also man=
aged
by Eden Stephens and it was then I made that first album. It was only me an=
d my
guitar and I hated it - I got so pissed off that I just quit everything unt=
il
'69, when I got the idea things were changing, Derek Everett had handled my
early album at Columbia/EMI, which was now CBS and he said do another exact=
ly
how you like. He introduced me to Tony Cox, a producer, and we've been toge=
ther
ever since. I made two albums, which I liked with Tony's arrangements.
"This is all really a hobby", he exclaims through a thick
beard, "A gentleman's interest; a diversion. My main line is living fr=
om
day to day. If I want something done, I do it. I've been working on the next
album since June and the concept of the whole thing will be different. I've=
cut
down on the number of songs for a start, because I want to keep the quality=
up.
I usually take about an hour to write one, but another two months to decide
whether it's any good or not. I move around constantly to gain inspiration =
so
the songs have varied backgrounds. I don't want to be anyone's dummy and
international stardom isn't for me - I just like making a good living and I
want to drift. I wanted to travel, I have and I still do."
A genuine and very rare philosophy; the philosophy of the road from a
man who is quite satisfied with the present life he leads. So long as Mick =
can
play a song in a club, make the odd album and still be free to move on, he'=
ll
be happy. As long as he's happy, the music will keep on flowing.
<= o:p>