The Beggars of Old Street - test video (John McOldfield)

Tests for a song recorded between 2005 - 06 with long term producer Richie M (aka Plato Cox) who also plays drums. Mr McO playing Spanish guitar; crooning and also; just about; playing Cello.

My fascination with Cellos began with the BBC SCHOOLS pie chart tune and then Roy Woods 70s tracks. I then part exchanged and acquired one; after dabbling with Violin c. 1995.

The song is a retracing of a journey I made in the early 90s between Clerkenwell Rd and Islington. On various weekends I set out to try and seek out parts of the old London I recalled from around where my father used to work; near Flett St and Farringdon. Then continued drawn in by the views of old unchanged shops and Architecture. In my contemporary journey I ended up following a slightly different path; ending up at Old St tube; brought out of my dream by the sudden encounters with poverty and the Beggars who hung about the Station.

I first documented my reflections on this journey then decided it would make a compelling song subject. Though pensive and sombre; in my mind the song has a sense of peace and resolution; finding familiar truths known from ones past. To me its a celebration.

The video material began being collated very soon after my return journey. It took some time to eventually cover the whole route to Old St again. To date all I had managed to piece together to match different song segments is presented here. I still have not managed to find any of the Beggars of the story since.

Apologies and hope that I may complete this video eventually and post it here.

My thanks to Jeff C for realising with the visual fade and mix material.

The vid begins BTW with a photo of the same area seen taken by my Father in 1968 (here edited in arty Black and White).

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 1968
• Vintage London
• History of London
• Holborn
• Folk
• Art cinema
• Old St
• black and white film
• Cello music.

[SteveBarbe]

I Love The texture and mood. Your voice is right down in it's most effective range. This and the always modulating chord structure remind me of David Sylvian (as does other of your material) without the warble. I hope you complete it.

[johnmcoldfield]

Thanks very much - interesting comparison; I used to like Roxy music who I thought Sylvian resembled but have never been compared to him.

The low range actually is something I have only used in recent years

Forgot to mention - the start is a modification of a chord John Martyn used on his arrangement of 'SPENCER THE ROVER'. Remembered this but noted a dropped tuning featured. I just lowered the bottom E to D.

P.S. the song itself is completed but not the video..

[SteveBarbe]

Perhaps co-incidentally (or perhaps not)Japan was compared to Roxy Music (probably not least for the similiar vocal style), and then later in his career David Sylvian was compared to Brian Eno (who as you know was also in Roxy Music.)