A rather belated Happy New Year
Dear all,
Here at King Towers time either moves too fast or too slow but either way, it is now a full 12 months since we recorded the My Darling Clementine album, and, as yet, we are still pursuing that illusive deal that will bring this lovely album to the ears of the masses. We will continue to pursue until the right partner for the album is found. Rest assured.
Curiously, the album, albeit unreleased, did make it into one ‘Top Ten albums of the year‘ poll on the NetRhythms Web Site.
6. My Darling Clementine – My Darling Clementine (no label)
OK, this is a cheat. The album’s not been released, has no label or distributor and the mixes aren’t finalised, but this spent several months on my player and still hovers close by for repeated spins. A joint project by Michael Weston King and wife Lou Dalgleish, its self penned songs pay faultless homage to the hurtin’ n cheatin’ duet albums of George and Tammy, Dolly and Porter. It’s overflowing with classics from the Patsy Cline-like The Other Half and the honky tonking Nothing Left To Say to the twangy Mavericks style 100,000 Words and Dalgleish showcase Put Your Hair Back. Easily one of the best old school country albums of this or any year, what on earth is Nashville waiting for?
Naturally, we will keep you informed as to what happens with it.It will see the light of day in 2010.
Meanwhile, my troubadour life goes on. I have just made a new solo album, called I Didn’t Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier, it is a little different from my previous albums, as it is made up entirely of protest songs. Some news ones, written specially for the project, along with my interpretation and re-working of some old ones, not just from the 1960′s but some dating back as far as the 1900′s. Many of those old songs are as relevant now, as when they were first written, which is a sad indication of the times, but fascinating all the same.
The track list is as follows:
- In Time (Michael Weston King)
- I Didn’t Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier (words, from 1915 by Alfred Bryan, music by MWK)
- Life Is Fine (words by Langston Hughes, music by MWK)
- Hey Ma, I’m Coming Home (Michael Weston King)
- Parish of Rope (Oliver Lomax / Paul Hesketh)
- Cops Of The World (Phil Ochs)
- The Sounds of Our Time (Jim Ford / Bobby Womack)
- High Price Blues (Brownie McGhee)
- Is There Anybody Here? (Phil Ochs)
- In Spain The Dogs Are Too Tired To Bite You ( Michael Weston King)
- I Pity The Poor Immigrant (Bob Dylan)
- Simple Song Of Freedom (Bobby Darin)
This album will be out in April, but if you want a sneak preview of a couple of the songs, they are currently on the MySpace and Facebook sites;
It will also form the basis for a lot of my live shows this year. A number of these songs will be in the set, starting next week in Biddulph, and there will even be a workshop on protest songs during my appearance in Belfast later in the month as well as a special concert celebrating the songs of Townes Van Zandt (See tour dates for more info).
You can also hear some of the new songs in their rawest (ie, un-rehearsed) form, on a recent live session that myself and Al recorded in Holland in November. It was recently broadcast but is still available at; (www.radiowinschoten.nl)
You can listen (on demand) to this show at: www.rootsparadise.nl
Ok, I think that is all for now. Hope to see you at a show in the very near future.
Many thanks, as ever,
Michael