36 - Hell Cat

 

Album: Top Priority, 1979, Stage Struck, 1980

Top Priority, which came out on 16 September 1979, features what could be classed as many classics of Rory Gallagher’s oeuvre, including ‘Bad Penny’, ‘Wayward Child’, ‘Follow Me’ and ‘Philby’. Recorded at Dieter Dierks studios just outside Cologne, it was the second and last studio album Ted McKenna worked on with Rory.

In the songs, Rory touches upon certain things in his life. In ‘Hell Cat’, a song that doesn’t seem to have been extensive in his live repertoire, though it does appear on the 1980 live album, Stage Struck,  we see Rory take an eerier turn. On the notes on the official Rory website for Top Priority, Dónal writes that it’s a spooky song in which, Rory explores his superstitious side and wonders if he might be jinxed. Rory’s superstition is something that has been written about, becoming more pronounced later on in life. Taken along with the themes of other songs in the album, fear of flying, stresses of life on the road, wistfulness for the future, as well as superstition, and the hardboiled detective and cold war spies, Top Priority is certainly an album that can be described as something of an onion with many layers.

‘Hell Cat’ is certainly an interesting song to explore. It’s something of a departure from what Rory usually writes about in his songs. Musically, with its opening riff, sliding into a jaunty blues rock of the sort any fan happily dances about to probably when they think no one is watching. However, the rocking guitar, bass, drums and vocal are a rather clever cover. This isn’t just another clever slice of rock. Listen closely to the lyrics and you seem to be falling closer to the realms of Shirley Jackson.

The lyrics to ‘Hell Cat’ can best be described as a horror story, that describes the increasing intensity and ever pervasiveness of a nasty haunting to a tee. And it’s a very clever turn by Rory as a lyricist, who has essentially written a rather terrifying horror story of being stalked by a demon spewed from the pits of hell. Certainly one for those who enjoy a good scare. Rory Gallagher is the last musician you might think could scare the wiggins out of you as a songwriter, but with ‘Hell Cat’, he proves very effective at it, yet more proof that he is a wildly underrated songwriter:


Well, there's a strange, strange feeling chilling your hands
A shadow in your doorway, freeze you where you stand
You play your dice with the Devil, now it's much too late

Well, don't you know you got a hell cat on your trail
Well, don't you know you got a hell cat on your trail


The themes of nasty, other worldly creatures are not something unfamiliar to the Blues. Robert Johnson was perhaps the most famous proponent of it, helped exceedingly by the legend that he sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads in exchange for becoming an excellent guitarist. Fuel to the fire is added by the fact that no sooner had Johnson started his career, he was dead. The story goes that he was poisoned by the jealous husband of a woman he was over friendly with. Or that the devil had come to collect what was owed.

Legend aside, Johnson also featured the supernatural in some of his songs in a similar manner to Rory in ‘Hell Cat’. In ‘Hell Hound On My Trail’, Johnson is also like  a man pursued by something from hell, though he gives more prominence in his lyrics to the way in which the everyday mundane, such as his lover, might help him escape. Rory, on the other hand, gives his song over to the full horror of the entity, though both songs indicate that there is no escape. Interestingly, Rory mentioned in one interview that listening to Robert Johnson terrified him.

 

Blues aside, there is also some hell cats to be found in Irish folklore and ghost stories, which it’s probably a fair bet Rory might have heard of. In County Roscommon, there is The Cave Of Cats, or Oweynagat, reputed to be the Gateway To Hell. As noted in the Ulster Cycle, Queen Medb tests Irish heroes, including the famous Cú Chulainn, by releasing three hell cats from the cave, the end result of which, is that Cú Chulainn is the last one of the heroes left alive. 

Then there is the Black Cat of Killakee. This a monstrous ghostly, or possibly demonic, cat, whose large apparition was seen at Killakee House near Rathfarnham in County Dublin. The house also has ties to the infamous Hellfire Club of Dublin. And there is a rather unsettling portrait of the Black Cat painted by an artist who witnessed the apparition. ‘Hell Cat’ certainly does make the appropriate soundtrack!

Ann Massey McElroy goes into detail on both tales on the Spooky Isles website, which are highly recommended reading, while listening to the end of Top Priority. Perhaps while clutching a teddy bear.

Further reading:

Robert Johnson Crossroads legend

Debunking the Robert Johnson legend

Ann Massey McElroy on Spooky Isles: Cave of Cats (Second tale in article) 

Ann Massey McElroy in Spooky Isles: The Black Cat Of Killakee

 

35 - Special - Review – All Around Man – Live In London

 

There’s no telling what treasures might be found in archives. Rory Gallagher’s is a case in point. In a recent article in the Irish Examiner, it was noted that Rory’s archive consists of over 1,000 tapes, amongst which was one simply marked T&C – that has now been released as the new live album, All Around Man – Live In London. The reasons why it was recorded are something of a mystery, but we can nonetheless be glad it was, as it captures a brilliant set of performances from the Town and Country Club, Kentish Town, London on 28 and 29 December 1990, from the Fresh Evidence Tour.

There are people who cast doubt on this, and the other Rory releases put out in recent years, arguing Rory wouldn’t have put them out himself. But at the end of the day, can you really say that for sure? A key point here, this is Rory’s closest family members overseeing the releases. It’s not some blink corporate cash in, with little to no input from loved ones. Such was the case with the work Jeff Buckley had recorded for a second album, which he was working on at the time of his drowning in the Wolf River in Memphis on 29 May 1997. His label were rolling ahead to release what had already been recorded, when a band member contacted Jeff’s mother, Mary Guibert, who immediately stepped in.

Dónal Gallagher worked closely with his brother from the very start (I think we can count from the days of childhood, when they started by duetting on stage, until that moment 9-year-old Dónal stopped during his solo turn on ‘A Scottish Soldier’ to inform 11-year-old Rory there was no guitar in that particular verse and was promptly sacked!). Arguably, there is no one better placed when it comes to knowing Rory. Dónal has done an admirable job of keeping the flag flying since Rory’s death in 1995. Today, Rory Gallagher is very popular, with a much younger generation falling in love with the man and his music. Credit is also due to Rory’s nephew, Dónal’s son Daniel, who has overseen the recent releases and pretty much everything else Rory related. Eoin Gallagher, Dónal’s eldest son, has also done sterling work scanning in visual archive material on album booklets, which any fan worth their salt would drool over. There is also close contact between the family and the fans, the overall effect being a personal touch not afforded to many late artists.

Another reason why All Around Man is important is the fact that Rory’s later career has all too easily been dismissed. By the time of Fresh Evidence, Rory had been struggling with his health for a while. Unfortunately, this has led to a lot of negativity about his abilities, state of mind and even physical appearance, with the result that his later work has been somewhat neglected. But ill health does not negate talent. As this new live album shows, he still had it and in droves. His songwriting also retained its usual high standard and was maturing with age. It’s safe to say he was developing in a new direction, something which had happened a few times in his career as he progressed as a musician. This album is vital in shining a light on a period that needs to be re-examined without all the ableist bullshit. What we have here is a man who was suffering, but he went out there and not only did it but did it to the high standard he had kept throughout his entire career. That takes guts, and if there is one thing you can say about Rory Gallagher, it is that he was a man of immense strength. Could any of the nay sayers of his later career do the same if the shoe was on their foot? I kind of doubt it.

As for the album itself, put the thing on and the sound will knock you off your feet. The band is tight, and Rory is on fire. It’s a fantastic introduction to Rory’s later material, which also hasn’t previously had the live album treatment and showcases his later songs as classics in the true Gallagher tradition. He often mentioned in interviews ‘the Rory Gallagher song.’ The uninitiated can have their socks blown off by ‘Heaven’s Gate,’ ‘The King Of Zydeco,’ ‘Continental Op,’‘Kid Gloves’ and ‘Ghost Blues’ to name but a few.

Some classics remain – for instance, when you don’t think the man can possibly do it again, surely with ‘Tattoo’d Lady,’ he actually goes and does it again. The same can be said of ‘Moonchild,’ ‘Shadow Play’ and ‘Shin Kicker’. Meanwhile, permanent live set fixtures, such as ‘Bullfrog Blues’ and ‘Messin’ With The Kid’ continue to blow away, with the added strength that almost 30 years’ experience has to offer. The acoustic section Rory is also famous for remains with ‘Out On The Western Plain,’ ‘Ride On Red, Ride On,’ ‘Walkin’ Blues’ and ‘Empire State Express’ – all blues classics with Rory very much showing his chops as a bluesman.

The album also offers a look at Rory with key band members who haven’t had the same level of exposure on his live albums, like for instance, Lou Martin and Rod de’Ath have. Brendan O’Neill joined the Rory Gallagher Band on drums in 1981 and had the longest tenure of all the drummers in the band. It’s about time Brendan’s work with Rory was given more notice. Listening to him here, his drumming is incredible. Mark Feltham joined Rory on harmonica in 1984 and also deserves the showcase this album provides. He segues in seamlessly with Rory’s guitar to the extent that he actually seems like an extension of the guitar! It’s often said that he and Rory had a strong bond. If there is more with Brendan and Mark in Rory’s archives, yes please!

So if you still have your knitting in a knot over Rory’s later career, do yourself a favour and get this. And if you haven’t touched Defender and Fresh Evidence yet, wrap them around your ears as an aperitif. Rory Gallagher in 1990 is just as vital as Rory Gallagher in 1973.

 

34 - I Could've Had Religion

 

I Could've Had Religion, The Marquee, 1972

Album – Live! In Europe, 1972

See also – Deuce 50^th Anniversary box set, Radio Bremen version.

 

He wanted his next album to be a live album and it made the executives at Polydor somewhat twitchy – a live album wasn’t quite the stuff of hit material. But then again, Rory Gallagher wasn’t exactly bidding pop idol material about to get the right haircut, the right clothes, drape himself in supermodels and mime on Top Of The Pops. He recorded performances of his European tour of February and March 1972, releasing them as Live! In Europe on 14 May that year.

It didn’t get him on Top Of The Pops, and then there’s the tale of Rory’s less than positive response to the exec who presented him with an edited version (not edited  by Rory!) of ‘Going To My Hometown,’ declaring it to be a hit single. But Live! In Europe was his biggest charting album of all three of his solo albums at that point and it is still spoken of in hallowed tones by a host of highly respected successful musicians who regard it as a seminal influence.

Outside of ‘Going To My Hometown’, ‘I Could’ve Had Religion’ is one of the legendary songs off the album. Bob Dylan had planned to include it on one of his albums in the early 1990s and requested a copy of Live! In Europe, which he was sent with a copy of the then most recent album Fresh Evidence. As it was, Dylan never used the song. When asked why when he caught up with Rory at the 1994 Montreux Festival, Dylan replied that he thought it was an old traditional song, not realising that Rory had written it himself.

Rory had found the verses that he expanded into ‘I Could’ve Had Religion’ in a poetry book, and to that end, apparently regarded it as a traditional number. He thought Dylan should have recorded it anyway, but Dylan didn’t want to take the song away from Rory. Being a massive Dylan fan, Rory probably would have been delighted if it had been used by the American legend.

It’s easy to see why Dylan took the song as part of the traditional cannon. It has all the hallmarks of an old blues song: a man done wrong by a woman on the road to some personal hell, who originally was aiming for a life in the church. Interestingly, in the hey day of the country blues, the church regarded the music as being from hell itself. There were many bluesmen caught up in the juxtaposition, with Eddie ‘Son’ House perhaps being a famous case. He was a preacher at one point but fell back into the blues. His singing style was thought to have been influenced by his time as a preacher.

It's also astounding that the song was put together by a 23-year-old. Rory had a very strong faith himself and was a practicing Catholic. It’s mere supposition, but perhaps the themes of  blues allowed him to explore another side of life from a safe vantage point. Unlike many of his peers, Rory hadn’t fallen prey to the sexual mores and drugs that beset the music industry of the late 1960s and early 1970s. He had probably witnessed enough of that chaos to be able to channel it into a classic blues song of his own.

As good as it was, ‘I Could’ve Had Religion’ doesn’t seem to have remained in Rory’s live repertoire beyond the early 1970s. But decades later, in the 1990s, it made a return to Rory’s set and the passing of time only seems to have added to its potency. The guitar sound became even more wretched and angry, with Mark Feltham’s otherworldly harmonica giving it an added dimension. At the 1994 Montreux Festival – that same one where he met Dylan again – Rory also adds to the lyrics something that could only have been gleaned from lived experience. This later version comes across as one that is truly spoken from the heart. Rory did have the odd penchant at times to cook up new lyrics seemingly on the spot as he played live. This is no exception and perhaps for him, an incredibly shy and reserved person offstage, it was a way in which he could safely express what was on his mind.

I Could've Had Religion, Montreux 1994

33 - Whole Lot Of People

 

Album: Deuce (1972)

Rory Gallagher found himself in something of a baptism by fire in 1971. The year started with him recoiling from the bitter split of Taste and dealing with the various bits of red tape arising from that, while trying to launch his solo career. At the same time, he was putting together a new band and, after auditioning Jimi Hendrix’s old rhythm section of Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell, he opted to go with bassist Gerry McAvoy and drummer Wilgar Campbell, both of the Belfast group Deep Joy, who split not long after Taste broke up.

With his eponymous debut album, Rory hadn’t had the chance to take his new band out on the road. This was a different kettle of fish when it came to the follow-up, Deuce. By this point, the group had several gigs under their belt. They were even touring when Deuce was being recorded, coming to the Tangerine Studios after shows, with an aim of capturing the fire of the Rory Gallagher live performance. Deuce not only captured this energy, but it also captured the fact that Rory had regained his confidence after the experience of the chaotic Taste split. In essence, he perhaps regained faith in his ability as a musician. Deuce, released on 28 November 1971, is one of his most highly regarded albums, and seen as a good entry point for those who are new to his work.

It was the first time Rory worked with engineer Robin Sylvester, who was the in-house engineer at Tangerine Studios. He had started as a musician during the 1960s, becoming an engineer in 1969 and was one of the assistants at Abbey Road when The Beatles recorded the Abbey Road album. Robin took up bass after being inspired to do so by Paul McCartney. Rory found him an excellent person to work with, and Robin would subsequently work on Live In Europe, Irish Tour and Against The Grain. The relationship with Rory would continue when Robin’s band supported Rory on tour. Shortly before the time of writing, it was sadly announced that Robin had passed away. He appears to have had that rare quality – someone Rory trusted to get the sound he wanted without too much supervision!

One of the aspects of Deuce most commented on is the strength of Rory’s slide guitar. A notable track is ‘Whole Lot Of People'. It’s a fiery song. The recent 50th anniversary release of Deuce offers a great insight into how it was built up. Hearing it on acoustic in an alternate take 1, you would think it might be vastly different to the final electric version on the album. However, while it does have a classic folky feel, thanks to the acoustic, it still retains its fire and is instantly recognisable. It has a nice solo that is a pleasant addition to the endless list of epic Rory Gallagher moments. This version would have equally held its own as a definitive version on the album. The other versions offered on the Deluxe 50th anniversary release are also acoustic, with yet more gorgeous soloing. Is it possible that Rory originally envisioned it as an acoustic track before going electric?

With all that said, the electric version that we are more familiar with fits perfectly with the lyrics. Rory said in one interview he didn’t see the point in him writing a political song, though he acknowledged it was something other musicians did. Of course, being Irish and the Troubles being at their height, it was a topic Rory was asked about at times. He was very well versed on the politics, though it and his music were kept apart. One thing Rory does remain famous for is the fact that he was one of the few artists who would play in Belfast in the early 1970s. His shows at the Ulster Hall in Belfast are the stuff of legend – and a statue in his honour is planned to be erected there, though it has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, with ‘Whole Lot Of People,’ Dónal Gallagher notes on the official Rory website:

“The sharpness of this playing masks the lyrics of the politics of the then emerging and troubled ‘new‘ Ireland.”

Of course, fans can and will attach their own meaning to a song that is utterly at variance with what the composer originally intended. Music is, at the end of the day, an immensely subjective experience, and the lyrics of ‘Whole Lot Of People’ are powerful:

A whole lot of people talking, trying to make sense

Seems everybody's living on a barbed wire fence

Whole lotta people too proud to call

'Cause it won't get no help at all

Everybody's waiting for the good news day

But it seems so far away

Wonder if it's ever gonna come

'Cause the way it's been the restless one

With Rory, his songs are also seen as an insight into his deeper feelings, that he was reluctant to air by talking about them. Dónal, however, does offer a valuable take as one of the people closest to Rory.

RIP Robin Sylvester, 1950 - 2022

Find out more about Rory playing Belfast during the Troubles click here. 

32 - Special - Deuce 50th Anniversary Edition.

Another Rory milestone is upon us – the 50th anniversary of his second solo album, Deuce, and Daniel Gallagher has worked his magic in putting together another anniversary package.

Like the last 50th anniversary release, that of Rory’s eponymously titled debut, the Deuce 50th anniversary release comes in a deluxe edition in both vinyl and CD, which also includes a 60-page book packed with photos and behind the scenes tales. There is also a separate vinyl release (emerald green no less!) of live BBC performances. And finally, a more condensed set on vinyl and CD, which, as one fan put it on Facebook, is great for those simply after the music.

Deuce has endured as one of Rory’s most popular solo albums. He seems to have suddenly exploded in terms of his capabilities. In the booklet for the anniversary release, his brother Dónal states that, following the messy split of Taste, and having gone straight into the studio with a new band in the form of Gerry McAvoy on bass and Wilgar Campbell on drums, by the time work on Deuce started, Rory now had had the time to play live, and get his confidence back. Part of what Rory wished to achieve on this second album was to capture the energy of his live shows.

At the time, he was still touring in support of his first album. After shows, he took the band back to the studio and they worked late in the night. The studio to which they repaired was the Tangerine Studios in Dalston, London, which had been built in the 1960s by producer Joe Meek. The studio came with engineer Roy Sylvester, who was to work with Rory on subsequent albums. Sharing the building with the studio was a bingo hall. There were few issues in the initial recording sessions owing to them happening late at night, but it was a different story when it came to mixing, mastering, and adding the finishing touches to Deuce. Sessions then had to take place in regular daytime hours, when of course, there was a bingo session on the go next door, and the wall between bingo hall and studio lacked substantially in the soundproofing department.

On some of the album, famously, the calls of the hall were picked up on the recording – and can be heard if you listen carefully. However, it appears that it was Rory himself who caused more issues. The famously mild-mannered guitarist, according to the booklet in the anniversary release, terrified the elderly bingo fans with his guitar, leaving his wee brother to placate the owners of the bingo hall. It’s not the first time Rory’s guitar playing had terrified the unsuspecting according to legend. Growing up in Cork, he and his family lived above the small bar owned by his grandmother, and he would apparently put the wind up those trying to enjoy a quiet pint with the noise that came from his amplifier when he plugged in his electric guitar!

The sheer volume he was capable of is apparent in the new 50th anniversary release. His guitar (presumably the Strat!) sits front and centre of the recordings. Rory’s ability as a slide guitarist really comes to the fore on Deuce – many have mentioned how astounding he is on ‘Crest Of A Wave.’ The new set also gives a fantastic insight into how he and the band built up the songs. We range from acoustic versions of songs we are more familiar with as electric, there is the behind-the-scenes studio banter as they get things going – as well as the odd happy cry of 'HOUSE’ coming from the bingo hall, perhaps followed by a frustrated expletive from Gerry.

There are several things in here that will please fans for many reasons. We could be here all day listing them, but really, everyone will have their own take. For me, two particular stand outs are the home demos and the Radio Bremen recordings. The home demos feel like you are getting a rare insight into a very private man. Here is Rory by himself getting his new songs down on tape, and frankly, it is gold for fans. The one that particularly strikes me is the demo of ‘Maybe I Will’ – because it is in stark contrast to how we are used to him playing, which is usually loud! This time he is quiet, and you really have to listen. It’s a very intimate recording.

The Radio Bremen tracks are nothing short of amazing. I directed a friend to one, and he was knocked out by the bass playing, which is heavy kudos to the then 19-year-old Gerry, who at that point had received some po-faced comments in the music press from some reviewers that he wasn’t up to much as a bassist. He was quite the opposite – to be able to keep up with Rory, you wouldn’t have gotten very far otherwise.

It also seems that these 50th anniversary releases are casting a very welcome spotlight onto Wilgar Campbell. It feels like, because he left fairly early on in Rory’s career, he perhaps has been somewhat neglected when it comes to appreciation of Rory’s drummers. But the focus on Rory’s early solo albums is showing that Wilgar was an immensely talented and versatile drummer, who already had a proven track record.

For those on streaming, the full four disc set of the deluxe edition of the Deuce 50th anniversary is available on Spotify.

31 - Going To My Hometown

Album: Live In Europe (1972)

See also: Irish Tour ’74 (1974), Wheels Within Wheels (2003), Irish Tour ’74 40th anniversary (2014), Check Shirt Wizard (2020)

Rory Gallagher’s brother Dónal once told the story of what happened when the record company took it upon themselves to do a cut of ‘Going To My Hometown’ from the Live In Europe album without letting Rory know so they could show him how the song could work as a single. The effect on the famously quiet natured Rory was incendiary: as Dónal described it, Rory went through the roof, and apparently took the label executive with him!

It has often been discussed how releasing singles could have boosted Rory’s career, got him regular radio play and regular chart appearances. There is probably merit to that argument, but on the other hand, would we have the Rory Gallagher as many of us know and love today? Perhaps not. Any compromises could have completely shifted the game, and it’s an oft mentioned warning what standing on a tiny insect could do to history should someone go time travelling. Rory was very much anti-single for many reasons.

In the Irish Tour film, he says, “I don’t regard myself as a Top 20 musician at all, even though I could write a Top 20 song, but I wouldn’t. I don’t think that’s important, you know. It’s a pity, I think a lot of people might see me and see me on the television, on the screen, and without listening, they turn it off and might think ‘He’s a Top Of The Pops man’, they wouldn’t…Sometimes appearances and songs are not what they seem to be. I just want to be able to continue playing. Want to be able to buy a bar of chocolate in a shop if I want to or go into a bar and have a pint without being besieged all the time. Just want to have an ordinary kind of walking down the streets without being recognised sort of life. Of course, if someone comes over and says, ‘How’re you doing, Rory?’ that’s fine. But I don’t want to get into the Rolls Royce, the mansion and the cloak and dagger style of living.”

In other words, perhaps releasing singles as he saw it opened him up to the kind of major rock star life that was not for him. There is a sense in listening to this and seeing him discuss the matter in other interviews that he felt it would take him away from who he really was, and ultimately, how he wanted his music to be. Rory was regarded as a tad stubborn by many for this, who argued he could have taken his career in so many different ways, but he is also respected for sticking to his guns in an industry that takes the talent, strips away the essence and presents something instantly marketable. And of course, disposable and of the moment. Not something you could say about Rory Gallagher, who has something of the timeless about him.

Of course, “Going To My Hometown” is not just another, could have been single. It’s one of the most popular songs in Rory’s canon. It was never recorded in a studio, but first made its appearance on 1972’s Live In Europe album, released on 14 May 1972. Starting off with Rory accompanying himself on mandolin, it literally brought the house down, as the song grew in crescendo with the rest of the band gradually joining in, with an elated crowd stomping and clapping along in unison. It was also a song mooted as a duet with Lonnie Donegan, Rory’s childhood hero, though as things worked out, they never managed to record it in the studio for any of Donegan’s albums, but there is a live version of the two duetting on the song on Rory’s posthumous 2003 Wheels Within Wheels album.

'Going To My Hometown’ is a classic folky number, the main theme of which is the story of a young guy who has left home to work in a factory, mostly likely a Ford plant. But it doesn’t quite have a happy ending for him, despite the fact there is now a girlfriend and love in his life. This is one homesick lad who just wants to get back to the home turf. And he may or may not get back to the girl!

The day I left,

You know the rain was pouring down.

The day I left,

You know the rain was pouring down.

I'm going home again baby,

I believe the sun's gonna come on out.

Let's go home, boy, let's go home.

Yes I'm going to my hometown,

You know baby I gotta go.

Going to my hometown,

You know I just have to go.

I really love you, woman,

I'll see you in a year, maybe no, maybe yes.

Played live, the song quickly turned into a call and response, with Rory asking the audience “Do you wanna go!” and getting an enthusiastic “Yes!” back – clearly a crowd who would go anywhere with him!

30 - The Mississippi Sheiks

 

July 1978 saw Rory Gallagher in the studios with Gerry McAvoy and new drummer Ted McKenna working on the Photo Finish album, so-called because of a tight deadline brought about by Rory scrapping previous work recorded in San Francisco and then recovery from a broken thumb. The album was handed in just in the nick of time!

The album, as mentioned previously in this blog, was recorded at Dieter Dierks’ studio just outside Cologne and provided a congenial atmosphere to work in. Ted McKenna said, “It took us two weeks to do the backing tracks. I remember doing a lot of takes, and Rory would take his time choosing the one he thought had the magic. It was a great studio, and an enjoyable experience altogether.”

A new line up seems to have given Rory a boost. Photo Finish, released on 1 October 1978 (certainly giving proof to the pudding that it indeed just made the deadline!), is a joy to listen to and one of my personal favourites. Rory was asked in one interview promoting the album if he had been getting singing lessons, much to his surprise. But it is a fair question. His vocals on this are especially strong.

Photo Finish takes the listener on many journeys, from the murky world of ‘Shadow Play,’ the heartbreak of ‘Fuel To The Fire’ to a band causing unrest in a quiet, small town, presumably somewhere in the boonies, by playing a show there in ‘Brute, Force and Ignorance’. Rory even includes a touch of time-travel in ‘The Mississippi Sheiks,’ which is without a doubt, the song of a blues devotee. The song beautifully captures the notion of slipping back in time to the early twentieth century when most of his blues heroes were working, many earning a few dollars playing in the street, as well as in juke joints and fish fry parties.

It was a history that Rory certainly absorbed in learning as much as he could about the blues. For anyone with an interest in the blues, he is certainly a good teacher. Interviews have him answering questions about his influences, and the answers he gave ranged along Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Howlin’ Wolf and Skip James. He covered songs by Bukka White, Blind Boy Fuller, Son House, and Lead Belly, making his own mark on them. In a less serious interview, he was asked who his ideal date was – Memphis Minnie! It is probably not much surprise he wrote a song like ‘The Mississippi Sheiks.’ You could certainly go no wrong by metaphorically accepting his invitation to “… come along with me, back to the southern streets.”

The namesakes of the song itself comprises of a guitar and fiddle country blues band from Mississippi, popular during the 1930s. The core of the group comprised of the Chatmon family, Armenter Chatmon, Lonnie Chatmon, and Sam Chatmon, as well as Walter Vinson, and Papa Charlie McCoy. The Mississippi Sheiks’ most famous song is ‘Sitting On Top Of The World’ from 1930, which was covered by many artists, including a Rory favourite, Bob Dylan. The group made their final recording in 1935. Armenter was better known as Bo Carter, He was mostly a part-time member, with a successful solo career outside the group, eventually leaving the band altogether. He is particularly known for sexually suggestive songs, one of which was also covered by Rory, ‘All Around Man,’ which is #10 in this blog. It’s thought that Carter was the half-brother of the legendary Charley Patton, a strong influence on Howlin’ Wolf, but as with most things in blues history, that’s not a definite!

Peg Leg Howell is the other name Rory sees in his blues-tinged fantasy. Hailing from Eatonton, Georgia, Howell picked up guitar aged twenty-one and often played in the streets of Atlanta, with a side line in bootlegging. He recorded for Columbia, but his career faded after the mid-1930s, with very few performances. He had a leg amputated due to complications from diabetes in the 1950s and was ‘rediscovered’ by George Mitchell and Roger Brown in 1963, during the blues revival of the late 1950s and early 1960s, a time when the young Rory was also taking in a lot of the blues and began playing guitar. It is an interesting question of how much he may have picked up from the blues revival, which saw many blues musicians play in the UK and Europe, where interest in the blues was strong. This is the same period that brought Son House and Skip James back to the fore. Rory could not have been doing anything but pay attention, even if he were too young at the age of twelve to make it to any of the shows in Europe and the UK mainland. Peg Leg Howell did make some final recordings in this period, but being born in 1888, he was an old man and passed away in 1966.

It's amazing what Rory hints at in what is lyrically a very short song – more of a vignette than a full tale. But it’s enough to provide a powerful glimpse into the world of the blues back in the day. During an interview later in his life, it was suggested to Rory he could easily teach a blues course at a university. He no doubt would have been particularly good at it. His short comments on the topic to journalists and other interviewers are lessons in themselves.