John's Diary 1990s

"Every record I've made - bad, good, or indifferent - is totally autobiographical. I can look back when I hear a record and recall exactly what was going on. That's how I write. That's the only way I can write ! Some people keep diaries, I make records."

John parted company with Island Records and signed to a small label, Permanent Records. Unfortunately, it was to be an unhappy relationship and far from Permanent!

The Apprentice  Cooltide  BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert  Couldn't Love You More 
No Little Boy Sweet Little Mysteries Live The Hidden Years 
And The Very Best Of The Church With One Bell The Rest Of The Best 
Live At Bristol 1991 Serendipity Another World   

The Apprentice

The Apprentice Cover

  1. Live On Love (J. Martyn)
  2. The River (J. Martyn)
  3. Look At The Girl (J. Martyn)
  4. Income Town (live) (J. Martyn)
  5. Send Me One Line (J. Martyn)
  6. Deny This Love (J. Martyn)
  7. Hold Me (J. Martyn)
  8. Upo (J. Martyn)
  9. The Apprentice (J. Martyn)
  10. The Moment (J. Martyn)
  11. Patterns In The Rain (F. Patterson)

The Apprentice was released in March 1990. By February 1988 John had completed ten new tracks for a new album, but Island rejected the tapes. They parted company and John found himself without a recording contract and the backing of a major label. He continued to tour on a shoestring, with a solo tour in late 1988 and another tour in the Spring of 1989 augmented by Foster Paterson. No programmes, no merchandise, just the music in small venues across the country.

John signed to Permanent Records but unfortunately this proved to be a far from happy and permanent arrangement. However, the album is confident and extensive use was made of synthesizers and samplers on the fierce disco beat Deny This Love which achieved a good amount of air play. More subtle blends and instrumentation were evident on The Apprentice, Send Me One Line and the vastly underrated The Moment (The Moment is only available on the CD version). Look At The Girl is a song about John's now grown up daughter Mhari and Patterns In The Rain features John's acoustic guitar playing for the first time in many years. Income Town is apparently live from The Green Banana in Toronto but this is in fact dubbed.

In August 1990 a remix of Deny This Love/The Apprentice (live) was released as a 7 inch single. A CD single was also released with the album version of Deny This Love as an additional track. Send Me One Line was also released with Patterns in the Rain on the B side.

Lyrics

The Apprentice CoverThe Apprentice Remastered and Expanded

  1. Live on Love
  2. The River
  3. Look At The Girl
  4. Income Town
  5. Send Me One Line
  6. Deny This Love
  7. Hold Me
  8. Upo
  9. The Apprentice
  10. The Moment
  11. Patterns In The Rain
  12. Bonus Tracks: Deny This Love (remix)
  13. The Apprentice (live)
  14. The River (live)
  15. Send Me One Line (live)
  16. Look at the Girl (live)

Released by Voiceprint on the One World Label in 2007 with four live bonus songs from The Apprentice Tour in 1990 and the CD single remix of Deny This Love. Improved artwork and sleevenotes, however the front cover remains the same.

Cooltide

Cooltide Cover

  1. Hole In The Rain (J. Martyn)
  2. Annie Says (J. Martyn)
  3. Jack The Lad (J. Martyn)
  4. Number Nine (J. Martyn)
  5. The Cure (J. Martyn)
  6. Same Difference (J. Martyn)
  7. Father Time (J. Martyn)
  8. Call Me (J. Martyn)
  9. Cooltide (J. Martyn)

 

Released on 9th September 1991. This album was more characteristic of John's style and the synthesizers were less evident. All John's trade marks are present, strangled duck vocals, subdued beat with excellent instrumentation. Tremendous bass lines featured through Jack The Lad, the up tempo The Cure and the atmospheric title track. An early insight in to the development of this track was later to be released on the Live At Bristol 1991 album. Father Time is a jazz orientated track and different from the other tracks on the album in that respect. Emotion and heartfelt vocals are particularly evident on Call Me. An album which many fans return to on a regular basis. John toured during September and October.

Jack the Lad was released as a CD single with a remix of the same song as track 2 called Jack Sez and Annie Says as a third track.

Lyrics

Cooltide CoverCooltide Remastered and Expanded

  1. Hole in The Rain
  2. Annie Says
  3. Jack The Lad
  4. Number Nine
  5. The Cure
  6. Same Difference
  7. Father Time
  8. Call Me
  9. Cooltide
  10. Bonus Songs: Jack The Lad (remix)
  11. Jack Sez
  12. Jack The Lad (live 1991)
  13. Hole in the Rain (live 1991)

Released by Voiceprint on the One World Label in 2007 with four bonus songs. A remix of Jack The Lad and Jack Sez from the Jack The Lad CD single and two live songs from The Cooltide Tour in 1991. Improved artwork with sleevenotes, however the front cover remains the same.

BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert

BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert Cover

  1. Head And Heart
  2. Spencer The Rover
  3. Mad Dog Days
  4. The Dealer
  5. Outside In
  6. Big Muff
  7. Serendipity
  8. Looking On
  9. John Wayne
  10. Johnny Too Bad
  11. Over The Rainbow
  12. Outside In (extended version)

An excellent release from the BBC archives (on the Windsong Label) featuring 9 tracks recorded at Glastonbury in 1986. John turns in a great performance full of passion and power. John's guitar playing is a feature of the album and Alan Thompson's bass rhythms are superb.

The album is well worth buying and in particular features an incredible extended version of Outside In, a real classic echoplex extravaganza that I never tire of listening to. A tremendous performance, an excellent recording and a live album that rivals if not betters Philentropy.

"Martyn is a fine guitarist, but his most flexible instrument is his voice - one minute achingly pure, the next slurring and teasing..." Review

"These archive recordings find him at his most mesmerising..." Q Review 1992

"The Glastonbury gig is a monster. Martyn's fusion band lays down a big noise....passionate, compassionate, as vicious and as loving, as sweet and as bitter as you need, a mapper of intimate tragedy and cosmic celebration? Damn right!" Vox

Couldn't Love You More

Couldn't Love You More Cover

  1. Lonely Love
  2. Couldn't Love You More
  3. Sweet Little Mystery
  4. Head And Heart
  5. Could've Been Me
  6. One Day Without You
  7. Over The Hill
  8. Fine Lines
  9. May You Never
  10. One World
  11. Ways To Cry
  12. Angeline
  13. Man In The Station
  14. Solid Air
  15. Never Let Me Go

Released in 1992 Couldn't Love You More consisted of re-recorded versions of classic tracks with guest appearances including Phil Collins, David Gilmour and Gerry Conway. Permanent asked for John's permission to release this album whilst John and Jim Tullio were working on the No Little Boy album. Couldn't Love You More is in fact the session tapes for No Little Boy. John refused permission, but Permanent released the album anyway! John and Jim Tullio were furious. The mixes were clean, sweet and sometimes dull and boring. There is no sign of the spontaneity that John still craves today. Saxophone is overpowering in places and the backing vocals make the album super smooth - not the John Martyn sound that fans know and love. The songs are 'John Martyn', but the 'sound' is not. The album that John wanted to release was No Little Boy which was released in 1993.

"This album could, quite safely, be considered The Best of John Martyn", read Permanent Records press release. John disagreed as did most of his established fan base.

A small number of the LP version has an incorrect track listing. The record has ten tracks but the cover gives the same track listing as the CD ! This was the last album vinyl release on the Permanent label.

"Hopefully this will get a whole new audience to check out one of the most impressive back catalogues around; and for those who have most of that back catalogue, here's an indispensable addition from a man who can do no wrong - trust him!" Review

Sweet Little Mystery was released as a 7 inch single and a CD single. Lonely Love was also released as a CD single.

Couldn't Love You More (Remastered and Expanded)

A remastered version of the album with new artwork was released by Voiceprint in 2007. Two bonus songs are included.

  1. Couldn't Love You More Remastered CD CoverLonely Love
  2. Couldn't Love You More
  3. Sweet Little Mystery
  4. Head And Heart
  5. Could've Been Me
  6. One Day Without You
  7. Over The Hill
  8. Fine Lines
  9. May You Never
  10. One World
  11. Ways To Cry
  12. Angeline
  13. Man In The Station
  14. Solid Air
  15. Never Let Me Go
  16. Couldn't Love You More (from the Live at Bristol 1991)
  17. Never Let Me Go (from the Live at Bristol 1991)

No Little Boy

No Little Boy Cover

  1. Solid Air
  2. Ways To Cry
  3. Could've Been Me
  4. I Don't Wanna Know
  5. Just Now
  6. One Day Without You
  7. Sweet Little Mystery
  8. Sunday's Child
  9. Head And Heart
  10. Fine Lines
  11. Bless The Weather
  12. Man In The Station
  13. One World

Released in July 1993. John was unhappy that Couldn't Love You More had been released. John was in fine voice throughout and Levon Helm, Phil Collins and Andy Sheppard all featured. Some songs were slightly remixed to bring more character to the songs but most songs were completely overhauled. Some of the tracks were deleted and four songs were entirely re- recorded, I Don't Wanna Know, Sunday's Child and Bless The Weather featuring John Giblin on bass, and a excellent new version of Just Now featuring Levon Helm on harmony vocals. The end result was a vastly superior album, much more in balance and John was happy.

It was a lot to expect from his fans to buy an album with such a similar content but many did and most prefer John's reworking of Couldn't Love You More to the original. However, there was no doubt that John's credibility had been harmed by the release of two very similar albums. Was John correct to rework the material ? What were Permanent thinking of to release an album without John's approval ? This was the end of the road for John and Permanent.

"The music is beautiful and Martyn is in fine voice throughout..." Q Review

Lyrics

No Little Boy - Remastered

Released in 2007 by Voiceprint on their One World label with improved artwork and sleevenotes. The front cover and tracklisting are as the original.

Sweet Little Mysteries: The Island Anthology

Sweet Little Mysteries Anthology Cover

  1. Bless The Weather
  2. Head And Heart
  3. Glistening Glyndebourne
  4. Solid Air
  5. Over The Hill
  6. Don't Want To Know
  7. I'd Rather Be The Devil
  8. Fine Lines
  9. Eibhli Ghail Chiuin Ni Chearbhaill
  10. Make No Mistake
  11. Lay It All Down
  12. Root Love
  13. Sunday's Child
  14. You Can Discover
  15. Call Me Crazy
  16. Couldn't Love You More
  17. Certain Surprise
  18. Dancing
  19. Small Hours
  20. Dealer
  21. One World
  22. Some People Are Crazy
  23. Lookin' On
  24. Johnny Too Bad
  25. Sweet Little Mystery
  26. Hurt In Your Heart
  27. Baby Please Come Home
  28. Sapphire
  29. Fisherman's Dream
  30. Angeline
  31. Send Me One Line
  32. May You Never
  33. One Day Without You
  34. Spencer The Rover

Released on 6th June 1994. An excellent overview of John's music with Island, which spans the greater part of his career. Noticeable by their absence are any songs from John's first four albums - a little strange ! Surely there was room for Parcels, Cocain, Dusty etc - apparently not.

A well put together package and an excellent introduction to John's music.

Live Cover

Live    (recorded at the Shaw Theatre, London, 31st March 1990)

 

  1. Easy Blues
  2. May You Never
  3. Dealer
  4. Outside In
  5. Never Let Me Go
  6. Sapphire
  7. Couldn't Love You More
  8. Deny This Love
  9. Fisherman's Dream
  10. Big Muff
  11. AngelineLive (Beet the Bootleggers) Cover
  12. Sweet Little Mystery
  13. The River
  14. Income Town
  15. The Apprentice
  16. John Wayne
  17. Look At The Girl
  18. Looking On
  19. Johnny Too Bad
  20. One World

 

Released in 1995 having been recorded during The Apprentice tour at the Shaw Theatre, London. To support the release of The Apprentice John toured for three months in the UK and Europe, including eleven dates at London's Shaw Theatre which featured guest artists and reunited John with his right hand man, Danny Thompson. Pink Floyd's David Gilmour also guested and the show at which he appeared was filmed and released on Video in August 1990.

David Gilmour features on the album but unfortunately Danny Thompson didn't play. John and David Gilmour were interviewed on television and Gilmour said he had admired John's music for a long time and even knew one or two songs ! The pair had only rehearsed for a couple of hours before going on stage and Gilmour jokingly said that John would glare at him when he got it wrong ! Another spontaneous recording. In November 1999 re-released as Dirty, Down and Live on the Griffin label.

The Hidden Years

The Hidden Years Cover

  1. Live On Love.
  2. Hole In The Rain.
  3. The River.
  4. Jack The Lad.
  5. Look At The Girl.
  6. Same Difference.
  7. Send Me One Line.
  8. The Cure.
  9. Income Town.
  10. The Apprentice.
  11. Call Me.
  12. Deny This Love.
  13. Hold Me.
  14. Cooltide.
  15. Patterns In The Rain.

Released in 1996, a superfluous compilation of The Apprentice and Cooltide from Artful Records.

And Cover

And

  1. Sunshine's Better (J. Martyn)
  2. Suzanne (J. Martyn)
  3. The Downward Pull Of Human Nature (J. Martyn)
  4. All In Your Favour (J. Martyn)
  5. A Little Strange (J. Martyn, Leon Ware, T-Boy Ross)
  6. Who Are They ? (J. Martyn)
  7. Step It Up (J. Martyn)
  8. Carmine (J. Martyn)
  9. She's A Lover (J. Martyn)
  10. Sunshine's Better (remix)

 

Released on 29th July 1996. John had been struggling with health, record labels and other problems. And came over four years after John's last new material on Cooltide. The result was an excellent album which showed clearly that John's music was still progressing with the use of samples and trip-hop beats. Produced by Stefon Taylor who was clearly an inspiration to John.

John was now signed to the Go Discs label along with bands like Portishead. Unfortunately, this was another short term relationship as the Go Discs label was soon bought by Polygram. And is a remarkable album and one which I return to regularly. Phil Collins and John Giblin both play on the album and Phil Collins backing vocals are evident on some of the tracks, particularly Suzanne. Some critics criticised Collin's involvement as detracting from the album but on the whole And was received well particularly by fans. Crackles are evident on some tracks and on making enquiries of Go Discs I was told that this was vinyl feel ! The album was also released on vinyl - wonder if that's got double vinyl feel then !? Nonetheless there are some classic songs on this album, The Downward Pull Of Human Nature, Carmine, Sunshine's Better and She's A Lover.

Four of the tracks featured on the Snooo.. CD EP which had been given away free with a t-shirt. This has now been re-released by Voiceprint.

An unlisted Acid Remix of Sunshine's Better with a superb bass-line brings the album to a close.

Asian dance/remix artist Talvin Singh was to remix Sunshine's Better and this version received much radio air play especially on Radio 1. This is totally different to the remix which appears at the end of And and it is included on a compilation album Cafe Del Mar Volume Four. A 12 inch promotional version of the track was also released on vinyl lasting some 12 minutes plus !

Go Discs planned to release Sunshine's Better as a single but it was withdrawn prior to release. One or two copies of a Radio Edit Version on CD made it to radio stations but these are without a sleeve and are very hard to find.

Lyrics

The Very Best Of John Martyn

Very Best Of Cover

  1. Lonely One.
  2. Couldn't Love You More.
  3. Sweet Little Mystery.
  4. Head And Heart.
  5. Could've Been Me.
  6. Over The Hill.
  7. Fine Lines.
  8. May You Never.
  9. One World.
  10. Ways To Cry.
  11. Angeline.
  12. Man In The Station.
  13. Solid Air.
  14. Never Let Me Go.
  15. I Don't Wanna Know.
  16. Bless The Weather.

Released on 7th April 1997, another superfluous compilation album compiled from Couldn't Love You More and No Little Boy.

The Church With One Bell

The Church With One Bell Cover

  1. He's Got All The Whiskey (B. Charles)
  2. God's Song (R. Newman)
  3. How Fortunate The Man With None (Dead Can Dance. lyrics by B. Brecht)
  4. Small Town Talk (B. Charles, R. Danko)
  5. Excuse Me Mister (B. Harper)
  6. Strange Fruit (L. Allen)
  7. The Sky Is Crying (E. James, M. Robinson,/ C. Lewis)
  8. Glory Box (G. Barrow, B. Gibbons, A. Utley)
  9. Feel So Bad (S. Hopkins)
  10. Death Don't Have No Mercy (G. Davis)
  11. How Fortunate The Man With None (alternative version)

The eagerly awaited cover-album was released on 23rd March 1998. Uncovering a whole generation of blues classics from Portishead's Glory Box to Billy Holliday's Strange Fruit, The Church With One Bell reverberates with John's vast musical talent. John is accompanied by John Giblin (bass), Spencer Cozens (keyboards) and Arran Ahmun (drums).

The track selection was quite simple, when John and the band laughed, they chose that track - hard to imagine as many of the songs are not happy ! John's rendition of Glory Box stands out and other songs such as Small Town Talk, Strange Fruit, God's Song, Excuse Me Mister work well. On the other hand some songs just don't make the grade. This album enabled John to purchase the Church next door to his cottage where he know lives.

The album was recorded in one week in Glasgow and was produced by blues producer Norman Dayron. Unlike many artists John doesn't just cover a song, he re-writes it and makes it all his own. Church received wide acclaim in the USA but unfortunately was less well received here. In time people will realise what a great album this is.

Excuse Me Mister was released as a CD single with additional live tracks.

Lyrics

The Rest Of The Best

Rest Of The Best Cover

  1. Big Muff
  2. Dealer
  3. Easy Blues
  4. Fisherman's Dream
  5. John Wayne
  6. Johnny Too Bad
  7. Just Now
  8. Pascanel
  9. Rock Salt and Nails
  10. Sapphire
  11. Sunday's Child

Released on 30th March 1998, you guessed it! Yet another superfluous compilation from Artful.

Live At Bristol 1991

Live At Bristol Cover

  1. Big Muff
  2. Cooltide
  3. Couldn't Love You More
  4. Deny This Love
  5. John Wayne
  6. Johnny Too Bad
  7. Never Let Me Go (incorrectly titled as Let Me Love You Tonight)
  8. Looking On
  9. Sweet Little Mystery

Released on 30th October 1998. A limited edition 'Official Bootleg' of 5,000 on the Voiceprint label, featuring the line-up of John (vocals/guitar), Alan Thomson (bass), John Henderson (drums), Andy Sheppard (saxophone) and Spencer Cozens (keyboards) performing nine tracks in concert. A good recording which includes an early experimental version of Cooltide, "this is a bit of a shifter...a groove thing to send you home feeling cool" John says by way of an introduction. Becoming hard to get hold of now although there are still one or two in the shops. Never Let Me Go was incorrectly titled as Let Me Love You Tonight. A good version of Couldn't Love You More with an excellent guitar solo. John introduces the song with a tale about a family of pigeons!

Serendipity - An Introduction To John Martyn

Serendipity Cover

  1. Solid Air
  2. I'd Rather Be The Devil
  3. Bless the Weather
  4. Seven Black Roses
  5. Stormbringer
  6. May you Never
  7. Glistening Glyndebourne
  8. Look In
  9. Way to Cry
  10. One day Without You
  11. My Baby Girl
  12. Smiling Stranger
  13. Johnny Too Bad
  14. Coming in on Time
  15. Serendipity
  16. Sweet Little Mystery
  17. Small hours

Released in 1998. "An Introduction to John Martyn" - yet another compilation from Island, presumably trying to entice those people who didn't buy the Anthology. Good value at around £10 and there are some excellent sleeve notes.

 

Another World

Another World Cover

  1. Dancing
  2. Dealer
  3. Certain Surprise
  4. Smiling Stranger
  5. One World
  6. Couldn't Love You More
  7. Small Hours
  8. Big Muff
  9. Black Man at the Shoulder
  10. Dancing (drum machine)
  11. The Dealer (kit)
  12. The Dealer (drum machine)
  13. Certain Surprise
  14. Smiling Strangers (instrumental)
  15. Big Muff (drum machine)

Released by Voiceprint in May 1999 this is a real gem providing an insight into the making of One World and features instrumentals and session music. At the time of release advertising literature stated there was a limited edition of 1,000 copies with a bonus disc. I have yet to see a copy without the bonus disc!

In the summer of 1977, Chris Blackwell asked producer Phil Brown to work with John on his new album One World. The Island Mobile was set up on Saturday the 16th of July 1977 and the album was recorded for three weeks in the courtyard of a house in Theale, Berkshire.

The house was in the middle of a lake and equipment was set up on each side of the lake so that it picked up the sound of water lapping, and a distant 'strangled' sound on the guitar which was perfect for lead solos. Most recording was carried out between 3am and 6am and these quiet hours before dawn created the most magical atmosphere for recording, resulting in two of John's most popular songs One World and Small Hours.