Shelagh McDonald, 57, pictured with her partner Gordon FarquharOn the Thursday evening of November 10th 2005 I came across a review of Shelagh McDonalds new CD-compilation "Let No Man Steal Your Thyme". An artist that I totally forgotten since the 70's - still her two records were some of the most played Lp´s on my record player back then! But they got lost in my memory - there was so much going on.
So I took the Shelagh Lp's down from the attic - and it all came back to me!
Songs like Stargazer and Peacock Lady....
The last few years I have seeded many of my own recordings on Dime, mostly from folkmusic scene in London during the late 60's and early 70's. Many of them are quite unique - the first known live-recordings with Fairport Convention and Sandy Denny, John Martyn, Cat Stevens and Dr Strangely Strange just to name a few.
Listening to Shelagh's records I got a vague recollection that I maybe could have recorded her in February 1971. I had a listen to some of my tapes and there hidden at the end of a Steeleye Span/Jethro Tull-tape it was!
Shelagh McDonald live - recorded the last week in February 1971 most likely at a London University Folk club.
Shelagh McDonald came to London from Edinburgh in the 1960s and was feted by Melody Maker, NME and ZigZag. She was a composer with promise, a voice blending the melancholy of Sandy Denny and the birdsong of Joan Baez, and a beauty who didn't capitalise on her looks. Signed to Sandy Roberton's B&C Records, she didn't move many units with her first outing, but a second album was to prove a dramatic leap forward.
However, within months of the release of Stargazer, a mini-masterpiece from 1971, she was nowhere to be found, and her phone had been disconnected. On the cusp of fame and fortune, talented and critically acclaimed songwriter Shelagh McDonald disappeared. Now her music is back in print, but the royalties remained uncollected, and her whereabouts were a mystery.
Until I found this on a messageboard:
"Posted on 2005-11-14 at 07:57:38 by Keith Christmas
For anyone interested, Shelagh MacDonald walked into the office of the Scottish office of the Daily Mail last week after a lady called Grace McAskill did a piece on her for the Magazine section.
I spoke to Shelagh for a few minutes but I was in the middle of teaching Year 11 ICT and couldn't say much. She has since disappeared again."
Talk about coincidences - Shelagh returned and I found my old tape with her the same week!
Shelagh showed up for a short moment but then disappeared again -
but I'm happy that I found that old tape and Shelagh will be in my mind forever!
Anyone interested in the recording have a look here: http://www.dimeadozen.org.
Look under folk.
2 comments:
Hello from Athens!
I was wondering if you could post the Shelagh McDonald live recording somewhere else as I can't download from dimeadozen and I'd like to listen to it.
Thank you for posting news about Shelagh McDonald. It's great to know she's still out there amongst us.
I would like to second "sophisticatedbeggar". I love Shelagh's music, and I'm dying to hear your recording, but dimeadozen seems to be maxed out at 107,500 members. I am not a torrent whiz by any means. Is there some other place to get this? Any help very appreciated. Your story about digging this out of the attic is absolutely wonderful!
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