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Vashti Bunyan :
vocals, guitar
Christopher Sykes :
piano, organ
John James :
dulcichord
Robin Williamson :
fiddle, mandolin, Irish harp
Dave Swarbrick :
fiddle, mandolin
Simon
Nicol : banjo |
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At one time regarded as being the new
Marianne Faithfull or even a female Bob Dylan, Vashti Bunyan has
never really made it. Looking into her history she was at the right
place at the right time yet found the love for her animals and her
very own freedom far more important than becoming pop’s next big
thing. The fragile acoustic songs she wrote and sang are the perfect
example of the hippy atmosphere of the sixties. If you listen to the
lyrics on this “Just another diamond day” album, most of them sound
very childish but then again that was the way young people felt
during their hippy period, without a single worry in the world. In
the mid sixties she was spotted by Rolling Stones producer Andrew
Loog Oldham. He gave her a contract with Immediate Records and the
Jagger/Richards penned ‘Some things just stick in your mind’. This
single gave her the opportunity to include one of her own
compositions as ‘I want to be alone’ was used as the single’s
B-side. One of her sessions was filmed by Peter Whitehead for his
legendary “Tonight let’s all make love in London” film. In 1965 she
was even photographed by the great Gered Mankowitz who worked for
the Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Small Faces, Yardbirds, Free, Nice, Wings,
even Wham ! Looking at her career a lot of songs were written, some
recorded but hardly any got released. Luckilly she found a friend in
British troubadour Donovan who helped her financially in order to
survive. With the help of Joe Boyd a full album was finally
recorded, an album called “Just another diamond day” and today a £
200+ album in it’s original vinyl form. Vashti doesn’t even have a
copy of this as she gave all of them away. Another hippy trademark !
Producer Joe Boyd tried to get his
label Elektra to sign Pink Floyd and Eric Clapton but they wouldn’t
listen. Instead, although American, Boyd ended up becoming one of
the most important producers in the domain of British folkrock
having Nick Drake as one of his most important clients. Due to his
contacts Boyd managed to get Robin Williamson from the Incredible
String Band to work on Vashti Bunyan’s album. Also Dave Swarbrick
and Simon Nicol both from Fairport Convention were drafted in as
guests. Nevertheless “Just another diamond day” remained a long
forgotten gem demanding huge prices in it’s original vinyl format.
When a CD bootleg taken from a battered vinyl copy was issued,
Vashti Bunyan was devastated and angry and through Rhino’s Paul
Lambden the label Spinney was set up who finally re-issued the album
in legal form. Originally released in 1970 this CD-version contained
four bonustracks. Released as the ultimate tribute to the fragile
voice of Vashti now comes the most remarkable re-issue from the
specialized Korean label M2U records. Stuck in a thick cardboard
miniature sleeve such as the Akarma releases, this surely has to be
the ultimate form of respect for her talent. The release comes with
a detailed booklet containing all of the lyrics, a poster and the
inevitable obi strip. Strange however how the inner sleeve is one
which promotes “Volando” by I Dik Dik unless of course this is a way
to promote other releases by the same label ?
All of the eighteen tracks on display
here are short sketches out of Vashti’s diary of the sixties, of the
simplicity of every day life without a single sorrow. Of all these
tracks the simple yet effective ‘Diamond day’ has to be one of my
favourites due to the uplifting melody and the fragile flute. Once
again proof that you don’t need ellaborate arrangements to make it
work ! ‘Lily pond’ sounds almost exactly like the nursery rhyme
‘Twinkle twinkle little star’ to such an extent that I ask myself
whether at all she never got sued about it. ‘Rainbow river’ sounds
as fluent as the river itself not in the least because of the naïve
recorder. Each single song is the music of a world without problems,
a thing unheard of today and therefor a perfect statement of the
golden sixties. The four bonustracks which finish the album sadly
are not of the same audio quality but I’m convinced completists will
be pleased to find these songs here. For me however it all ended
with ‘Iris’s song for you’ heavilly featuring both Swarbrick and
Nicol who, compared with the second version of the same song, made
sure the authentic folk feel remained throughout. Personally though
I would have loved to hear some authentic bodhran in order to spice
things up
Due to the sudden interest in this
release Vashti Bunyan is currently working on a new album. No doubt
it will most certainly no longer contain the innocence which is
captured here. Maybe, as is the case with Marianne Faithfull, her
voice will have changed drastically over the years. However, as with
Marianne, maybe the media will finally give her the attention she
has been waiting for for the last thirty years. Well deserved I
should say after listening to this album for the last week or so !
Vashti Bunyan on CD is yet another example of the magic of the
internet. With her site being produced by Blueshed and with a
certain Peter Bunyan working there (her son ?) proof is yet again
delivered how small our world really is !
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