Spencer The Rover (after John Martyn) - A Cover

[Osmun79]

Tuning is lower then usual, but it lends a nice mood to it. I posted my version on here.

[ianmcgeachy]

@Osmun79 Cheers. Yes, you're right it is a lower pitch than what JM played this in, my excuse is that I havent got Johns voice!!..[I still used the sus4 tuning though..I think thats important for playing this...but altered the pitch accordingly]. Im still not satisfied at all with this soundwise 'cos of the problems I was having recording at the time. -Ian

[ianmcgeachy]

@Osmun79 Cheers. Yes, you're right it is a lower pitch than what JM played this in, my excuse is that I havent got Johns voice!!..[I still used the sus4 tuning though..I think thats important for playing this...but altered the pitch accordingly]. Im still not satisfied at all with this soundwise 'cos of the problems I was having recording at the time. -Ian

[BenF1978]

Top drawer again ian. Great feel and flow to this version, vocals are spot on too. 5*!

[ianmcgeachy]

Thanks muchly Ben. Look forward to more JM from you squire anall'.

-Ian

[johni2bad]

nice job, i learnt alot about the way jm uses alternate tunings from gettin this 1 down. its a must 4 any1 who wants to playike jm. 5* me old cobber

[ianmcgeachy]

Thanks Lyndon. Its basically 'pattern picking' int it..most of time, folk style. But I agree, a good one to learn esp' when starting dadgad stuff. There's been a good tab of this around awhile, from Willie Milnes old site- which I partially used..and a really popular song of Johns that people warm to. MicheleVK (see below comment) also has a great version at the minute with *class* vocal work anall.

-Ian

[Waggonerslad]

Sterling work as always Ian. Love this song. Another I'd like to have another go at if I ever find the time. Great job shedding the insect. You're right.. can't give up at that stage of the song!! :)

By the way, JM claims on a famous BBC recording of this, that he learned it from one of the Dransfield brothers.

[ianmcgeachy]

Thank you muchly. You're right about the name...I got it wrong...Dransfield not 'Drabble' (its me getting old-mi' brain's addled these days. Wheredid that name come from, 'Top Cat' c artoon some years ago??)

[mvo5720]

Very good Ian, I can see I missed out on a lot of John's stuff, I'll have to get back into him through you. Thanks - Mike

[ianmcgeachy]

After JM sort of 'dismissed' playing pure folk, by say 72, I believe he heard at some point after, this played by Phil Drabble and asked Phil to show him how to play it. He really liked this pure trad song by all accounts. (PS after telling you about me 'solving' bass drop off before, I then had similar probs here-the damn pickup this time/signal to amp)

-cheers, Ian

[MicheleVK]

Such beautiful chords and progressions...I could listen to you play this all night and day.

[ianmcgeachy]

Well, with you and a couple of others recently uploading this, it gave me the impetus to have a bash recording it.

[ It would prob' greatly benefit from Danny T's bass ...but, not much chance of that for *me* eh?!]

Seriously- many thanks for kind words Michele.

-Ian

[electricragtime]

Absolutely spot on...Ian...But I,m still waiting for your version of I,d rather be the devil..5*****

[ianmcgeachy]

Cheers squire. As for "Rather...Devil"...don't put off anything while you're waiting (like the coming Summer or repainting the bridge over the Humber) ...I do have something else of JMs 'on the boil' similar to that ("..Devil" though.

-cheers Ian

[electricragtime]

can,t wait to hear it my friend....I love your John Martyn stuff ....and if you do want a danny thompson to do the low bits....I have an upright bass in my loft gathering dust

[buniluvr]

Hello Ian! Am I the lucky one who gets to comment first! No one does JM like YOU! This is brilliant Ian! Especially with the insect; I would have keeled over and fainted :) Your playing is exquisite and you've really made this your own. BRAVO Ian! All stars to YOU!

cheers

julie

[ianmcgeachy]

You're far too kind! Ive played this for a few years now but never committed to utube.

No way I wanted to stop with the last verse only to record!

-cheers Julie