This is Duncan Browne’s ‘My Old Friends’, which I heard on a repeat of Guy Garvey’s BBC Radio 6 Music programme Guy Garvey's Finest Hour from a Sunday in June:
I’d never heard of Duncan Browne, though I should have done. As you can see from the hair, this was done in 1973. It starts unpromisingly, and he's singing entirely about male camaraderie - the friendships made before “we met our women and they took us away" - but there's a cluster of fresh and lovely lines in the middle. And it's in interesting contrast to that other song about old friends, 'Bob Dylan's Dream'.
Duncan Browne died of cancer in 1993, aged 46.
Thanks for this Michael,
ReplyDeleteBeautifully poignant and full of loss. Don't know how welcome that is as I'm pushing 65
Cheers
I remember him well - a seriously under-appreciated talent. I didn't know he had left us. Sad.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Rambling Gambling Gordon
ReplyDeleteWistful, poignant, understated, and rather beautiful.
This was his big hit, from the same album. Lovely song:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS1bvFmwtsA
Thanks for the link, Steve.
DeleteMichael - I am a huge Duncan Browne fan - I even recently found a book of his poetry (to which the other contributors were Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone!) I unreservedly recommend his music, and did so here not so long ago:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rocktorch.com/2010/04/20/john-wesley-harding-recommends-duncan-browne-1947-1993/
Excellent songwriting; sensational singing and fantastic guitar playing. What more can you want?
best wishes wes
A grateful thank-you to all those who've commented: I'm very glad I found him, all these decades after he was creating this work - and 'My Old Friends' was a fine introduction. And having now heard 'Journey' too, I can hear how Duncan Browne has been an influence on John Wesley Harding's work. So interesting.
ReplyDeleteHe should also be remembered for his work with Peter Godwin on the excellent Metro album from 1977. This is still one of my favorite albums from that period and I recommend giving it a listen.
ReplyDeleteHi Michael & anyone else who might be interested,
ReplyDeleteA few years I interviewed all of Duncan's major collaborators & his widow Lin, so if you want to know all about Duncan Browne but were afraid to ask well here you go!
http://www.southernfm.com.au/general/the-purple-haze-archive-presents-the-duncan-browne-tribute-podcast/
Great website you have too!
Cheers,
Nick
Nick,
DeleteHad some questions about Duncan Browne
Could you contact me at: Garydiam55@aol.com
at your conveniece, Cheers, Gary