January 15, 2017 By Diane Kemp

Ray’s chat 16

Hi Folks

So it’s RAYS CHAT Sixteen.
So here we are in 2017: and I am sure it is going to be an interesting time in this World of ours. But one thing we can be SURE of; YES the RED LION FOLK CLUB is going to be GREAT!

In RAYS CHAT Fifteen I said next time we would talk some more about some of the Great Folk days at “THE JUG OF PUNCH”.
More of the memories I have of that wonderful Ian Campbell Folk Club. Yes, so many memories of wonderful evenings at “The Jug”. More than 400 people met every Thursday evening in the Old Digbeth Institute back room. There was always lots of people wanting to perform. Always a MAGIC Night.

We had guest singers from all over: the World: I remember when an American Indian Princess came to perform:
A very Famous Lady name BUFFY SAINT-MARIE. YES: She is a real Red Indian Princess. She was only about 25 when I saw her: She’s 75 now. Brilliant Singer/song writer.
Well Worth looking a her web site. Go to her official site you will see her in Indian Dress.
She is still touring and singing , Now in her 70s. like Joan Baez and Julie Felix. All of that era. And all still singing.
All really GREAT singers from the early days..
Buffy Saint-Marie wrote very many songs of the protest sort. One, she sang at the JUG, was called THE UNIVERSAL SOLDIER. AND; That song got her into a lot of trouble with the American Authorities. Oh Yes. I have found her talking about Universal Soldier, Then singing it’.
DO FIND IT AND WATCH AND LISTEN. It IS well worth listening to her telling how she came to write the song.
Yes just Who is responsible for War?
BUFFY SAINT-MARIE-UNIVERSAL SOLIDER 4.23 Make sure you get the one where she is talking to you.
A live performance.. this will Make you think. She is good.
Yes a brilliant performer; and I am lucky to have seen and heard her. Don’t miss this one.

The JUG had all sorts of Singers/ Writers. Ian liked to bring variety to the Club. And he certainly did that with the next guy.
I remember a fellow called JAKE THACKRAY coming.
He was about 30 when I saw him; He died quite young at 64.
His voice was a bit like Noel Cowards very clipped.
He wrote VERY strange songs which he performed with a weird Guitar style. Very unusual sort of performer.
I couldn’t make-up my mind if I liked him or not.
I am not sure HE really counts as FOLK. But I guess if it was good enough for Ian Campbell.. Well it has to be good enough for me. Jake was on the radio quite a lot with his strange monologues and songs. A VERY different PERFORMER.
And he wrote some very weird songs: Listen to this:
JAKE THACKRAY – SISTER JOSEPHINE 2.34
Well you have to agree it’s different.

OH Yes: I remember there was another “Different” performer
A young man from Scotland. Very talented guy named DONOVAN. Do you remember him??
Quite big in the 60’s. Yes and Still singing today at 71.
He was just about twenty when Ian booked him for THE JUG.
Just a slim young lad with a guitar standing there looking so young. But when he started to play, and sing, he had a Magic.
Well; He GOT me. Lovely style of playing and I liked him.
He had a sort of haunting quality in his voice. Yes he was good.
I remember him singing CATCH THE WIND 2.58
Yes good song. Another I liked is COLOURS 2.45.
And he did sing other songs.
His version of THE UNIVERSAL SOLDIER is very good too.
Yes you should listen to Donovan.

THE JUG was a Great Club not just sticking to authentic Folk.
Well I told you Diz Disley was a fairly regular performer at
THE JUG.. And Diz was a JAZZ guy.
Sometimes he came with his friend Stefan Grapelli:
Stefan was probably the World Greatest JAZZ fiddle player;
He very often played with Diz. Diz was famous. He had his own Jazz trio; and very often Stefan would make it a quartet.
When they came to “THE JUG”, and we always had a Great night.
I remember one New Years Eve.. I had a FANTASTIC NIGHT.
What happened was. The New Years Eve fell on a THURSDAY that year. Yes “JUG” night: and Ian decided that the CLUB would go on that night, BUT also the MIDLAND JAZZ wanted to run their Club that night. And they needed the BIG Room:
So Ian agreed we would use the Front Room. Which was more like a theatre with a balcony. And Jazz had our usual back room.
Ian said Tickets were available to allow you to go to BOTH Jazz and Folk.. WOW!! Sounded good; So My Sister Beryl and I had the double event tickets.
Came the Great night: There we were in the Front room and
Diz Disley was there. Beryl and myself were there in the balcony. And Diz came and sat with us.
About 10.30 The mood was a bit on the quiet side;
Diz said, I got to go to the Jazz now as I am on there soon
I said GREAT we can come with you We’ve got joint tickets..
So off we went from the quiet Folk to a MAD Jazz night.. Fantastic atmosphere.. Diz did his bit in the Jazz.
And after a while said: I got to go back to the Folk. I’m on soon.
So we went back with Diz to the Folk.
Oh WHAT a FANTASTIC NIGHT we had.
Mad Crazy Wonderful Night. Diz was just Great Fun.
Next time I saw Ian he told me Beryl and me were the
only ones who bought the Double Tickets
Yes: So YES We were the ONLY ones ever to enjoy BOTH Folk and Jazz on New Years Eve..
Well Diz did as well, of course!!

The funny thing it was only about three weeks later I was at a business lunch in a Town Restaurant; and Who should walk in?
But DIZ.. We both looked at each other and said,
WHAT are YOU doing here?.
Sorry to say that WAS the last time I saw him.
He died in 2010 age 79.
​Nice chatting to You
RAY