- Linda Thompson (singer)
Infobox musical artist |
Name = Linda Thompson
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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Linda Pettifer
Alias = Linda Peters
Born = 23 August 1947
Died =
Origin =
Instrument =
Genre = BritishFolk rock
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Years_active = 1972-present
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Associated_acts = Richard Thompson
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Notable_instruments =Linda Thompson (b.
23 August 1947 inLondon ,England ) is a British singer. Born Linda Pettifer (Linda is the sister of the actorBrian Pettifer ) in the London Borough of Hackney, Thompson became one of the most recognised names—and voices—in the Britishfolk rock movement of the 1970s and 1980s, in collaboration with her former husband and fellow British folk rock legend, guitarist Richard Thompson, and later, as a solo artist.Biography
Early years
When Linda Pettifer was six, her family moved to a rough district of
Glasgow .In about
1966 she started singing in folk clubs, and in1967 began studying modern languages at theUniversity of London , but quit the latter after four months. She changed her name to Linda Peters. By day she sang advertising jingles, including one withManfred Mann . By night she sang folk songs in coffee houses, meeting up with key members of the folk scene includingSandy Denny . During1970 she had an affair withMartin Carthy , and wasJoe Boyd 's girlfriend in the early 1970s. Linda met Richard Thompson in1969 but they did not record together until1972 . By then she had recorded theBob Dylan song "You Ain't Going Nowhere", released as an MGM single in 1972 by "Paul and Linda". The Paul mentioned is Paul McNeill - another friend of Sandy Denny's and Alex Campbell.Her reputation led to her being invited to join
The Bunch , a loose supergroup of folk rock luminaries including former Fairport Convention membersSandy Denny , Richard Thompson, andAshley Hutchings that recorded an album called "Rock On". This was a set of 1950s rock and roll classics. A single was released from the album:The Everly Brothers ' hit "When Will I Be Loved ", which was a duet by Linda and Sandy. Later in 1972 Linda and Richard were backing singers on Sandy Denny's solo album "Sandy".After Fairport
After leaving
Fairport Convention , Richard teamed up withSimon Nicol and Linda Peters. Calling themselves "Hokey Pokey," they toured as a trio. Linda and Richard married in 1972. Richard's first solo album, also recorded in 1972, sold extremely poorly. Linda sang on Fairport's album "Rosie" (1973 ), credited as Linda Peters.The next album, "
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight " (1974 ) was credited to "Richard and Linda Thompson". Two albums followed in 1975: "Hokey Pokey " and "Pour Down Like Silver ". Richard had started to take an interest inSufism , a mystical form ofIslam , in 1973. The album cover of "Pour Down Like Silver" showed him wearing a whiteturban . After the tour, the couple went to a Sufi commune inEast Anglia for six months, then to another inMaida Vale . Richard announced that he would never play again, but returned after three years. In those years Linda found herself in a community where all the food was prepared by the women. In Linda's words, the members were "white middle-class people trying to punish themselves, and everybody else. It taught me a lot. To stay away from sects, mostly." [http://www.cdshakedown.com/110696.htm]Lights on and off again
Their come-back album was called "First Light" (
1978 ). Richard's writing has a strong thread of disdain for fame, wealth and worldly values and attacks political hypocrisy, often in wildly abstract metaphors. On tours and on the albums, however, Linda was given the slowest, and most melancholy songs to sing. "Sunnyvista " followed in1979 , and "Shoot Out The Lights " in1982 ."Shoot Out The Lights" was surprisingly successful in America, and the Thompsons, despite the fractured state of their relationship, were offered a long and lucrative tour of the USA. Simon Nicol described the final tour, in the summer of
1982 , as "like walking on a tightrope", and that as a result the first thing he did on stage was "look for the exit". The couple were barely speaking to each other, and Linda would occasionally try and trip Richard up as he walked on stage.Despite the emotional problems, however, the music they shared was reputedly astonishing, and hearing this their record company arranged a mobile recording studio to record dates for a live album. The recording could not be arranged before the last date of the tour. The penultimate date of the tour was in Los Angeles (where Richard's new lover lived). Linda reportedly performed the greatest show of her life, then went to stay with her friend
Linda Ronstadt . The tapes have never been released, although a version of "Walking On A Wire" from earlier in the tour is on the Free Reed "RT" boxed set.When Richard left Linda, she had just given birth to their third child, Kamila.
Linda alone
Linda lost her voice for the next two years as a result of hysterical
dysphonia set on by her breakup with her former husband. She made a new start in1984 , singing with "The Home Service" at the National Theatre's production of medieval mystery plays and in1985 she released her solo album "One Clear Moment ", then fell silent for eleven years. One song from the album, called "Telling Me Lies ", written withBetsy Cook , was also recorded byEmmylou Harris ,Dolly Parton , andLinda Ronstadt for their "Trio" album in1987 . The recording was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Country Song category. Linda retired from music to run an antique jewellery shop inBond Street London . She married an American,Steve Kenis , who was an agent for recording artists. In the same year Richard married an American folk club organiser,Nancy Covey .A compilation of Linda's earlier work, "Dreams Fly Away" (
1996 ), included both previously released songs and alternate versions of some of her better-known songs. It was received politely but did not sell well. In1999 Linda's mother died. This provoked an outpouring of sorrow and regenerated her determination to sing. Linda was diagnosed withspasmodic dysphonia , preventing her from singing. An obscure cure was found. By havingbotox injected into her throat, she could regain her normal singing voice for a few months. "Give Me a Sad Song" (2001 ) was positively reviewed. In2002 , she released a new CD, "Fashionably Late", which featured several family members, including her sonTeddy Thompson and daughterKamila Thompson , as well as a brief appearance by Richard Thompson. For the first time since the sixties, she sang some traditional folk songs.Linda appeared along with her son,
Teddy Thompson , her friends,The McGarrigles and their chldrenMartha Wainwright andRufus Wainwright (amongst others) inHal Wilner 's "Came So Far For Beauty" tribute concerts to the music ofLeonard Cohen from 2003-06. Linda sang the Cohen songs "A Thousand Kisses Deep" and "Alexander Leaving".Linda also appeared again with
Teddy Thompson with theMcGarrigles and Wainwrights for some of their family concerts, including the McGarrigle Christmas shows.In 2007, Linda released yet another set of original songs and covers, "Versatile Heart". Like "Fashionably Late," this too was primarily a collaboration with son
Teddy Thompson , and the CD also features a supporting cast of family and friends, includingKamila Thompson (Linda's daughter), who wrote one track,Martha Wainwright ,Antony Hegarty ofAntony and the Johnsons , as well asMartin Carthy andEliza Carthy . The CD was warmly received in the press, particularly for Linda's sensitive live recording of theTom Waits /Kathleen Brennan anti-war song "Day After Tomorrow," as well as for a new song written for Linda, "Beauty," byRufus Wainwright . Linda and Teddy show a wide range of versatility in the arrangements of the songs, which cover traditional folk, honky-tonk, country as well as cabaret/art-song styles. The CD opens and closes with two arrangements of aTeddy Thompson instrumental piece "Stay Bright," the first an acoustic version, and the second a version for string quartet arranged by famedNick Drake collaboratorRobert Kirby .Linda also contributes vocals to the
Primal Scream album "Beautiful Future " (2008), on the track "Over & Over".Discography
Richard and Linda Thompson
*"I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight " (1974)
*"Hokey Pokey" (1975)
*"Pour Down Like Silver " (1975)
*"First Light" (1978)
*"Sunnyvista " (1979)
*"Shoot Out The Lights " (1982)Richard and Linda Thompson (live)
*"In Concert 1975" (not released until 2007)Solo albums
*"One Clear Moment" (1985)
*"Dreams Fly Away" (1996)
*"Give Me A Sad Song" (2001)
*"Fashionably Late" (2002)
*"Versatile Heart" (2007)Singles - Richard and Linda Thompson
*"I Want to See The Bright Lights Tonight" / "When I Get to the Border" (1974)
*"Hokey Pokey" / "I'll Regret it in the Morning" (1975)
*"Don't Let a Thief Steal Into Your Heart" (1978)
*"Georgie on the Spree" / "Civilisation" (1979)External links
*"
Crawdaddy! " [http://crawdaddy.wolfgangsvault.com/Article.aspx?id=2954 review of Fashionably Late, 2007]
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