Jackie Leven

[foxwelljsly]

I love his very first album 'Control' recorded under the nom de plume 'John St Field' in Spain in 1971. A rippling psychedelic mix of folk, hard rock and celtic airs that is staggeringly acomplished for one so young and sounds like it was recorded years later. And his voice is better than it ever was later.

 

[iansr]

His voice pre-strangulation was something very special. Still great afterwards but sadly he’s lost the top end.

 

[Scottymac]

Me and my daughter positively wreck our ears in the car listening to dancing shoes

 

[iansr]

Me and my daughter positively wreck our ears in the car listening to dancing shoes

I love that track! My all time favourite JL tracks are 3 live acoustic tracks he played on The Saturday Rock Show hosted by Richard Skinner and Mark Ellen in about 1982 or 83. Dancing Shoes was one of them, but all three tracks are truly magical. I recorded it on a crappy cassette tape but I believe there are CD recordings of the session floating about. I would LOVE to find a copy.

 

[Scottymac]

Me to,
Great album, always end up playing John martyn and martin Stephenson
About the same time!

 

[Darmok]

Wonderful singer wonderful man, saw him perform twice live,
second time in the music venue I worked.

Ist time we spoke he asked me if I ever went to any of his north London jams, sorry was my reply. I lived the wrong side of the river in those days, souf Landon.

Butcher Boy. Yay.

 

[Tomasz612]

I saw your post just now about Jackie. I was living in Paris during the middle seventies to early 1980s and saw Doll By Doll quite a lot. (A terrifying live band but the best I ever saw save for Miles Davis in 1971.) Anyway, I notice you posted about Robberies of the Rain. These tracks are so rare Jackie didn't have but one of them himself. *Love Is Shining Down on Me" was released in 1983 as his first solo single. The remainder were to be among the choices for his first solo album. From what I know from him--we were correspondents throughout the 1990s and 2000s though I first met him in 1978 before Doll BY Doll signed to Automatic -- he was planning to record 24 songs and choose twelve for his first album. After he was jumped and savagely beaten doing damage to his larynx, the album as it was, was left unmastered. Supposedly those are the 11 tracks you have. the single mentioned above is even a slightly different mix. The problem as I understand it is that the mixed but unmastered master tapes disappeared. He was going to file suit while he was alive but the cd disappeared too quickly. Had he had those tapes he would have completed the master and released it.

Anyway, after all that, I'd love to finally hear them. More than almost anything. I have some really rare DxD live stuff too.
Thanks.

 

[Dave Cattlin]

He still feels a part of my life

so strange he's not there - nearly 10 years now

Dave

 

[iansr]

I think you can tell from the way people talk about him and his music that he was something special. I really miss going to see him play live.

 

[sideshowbob]

Amazing songwriter and performer. I remember seeing him at David Thomas's Meltdown in London in 2003, both solo and a Doll by Doll reunion. I knew his name, but had never heard his music. Was instantly and irrevocably turned into a fan. Talked to him after his solo set and was blown away by his charisma and honesty.

 

[Nickargenta]

Never did get to see the big man live, despite him living a few miles down the road and doing a few local gigs. One of my big regrets.

I don’t normally bother with “collector editions” but I’ll be interested to hear the Mystery Supplement EP which I don’t think I’ve ever heard.

 

[Mullardman]

I kept seeing reference to Jackie Leven and vaguely wondering....

I think he has a new fan.

 

[Enrae8]

Just in case anybody misses this on the other Leven thread
https://jackieleven.tmstor.es/products
New vinyl at a good price

 

[iansr]

Never did get to see the big man live, despite him living a few miles down the road and doing a few local gigs. One of my big regrets.

I don’t normally bother with “collector editions” but I’ll be interested to hear the Mystery Supplement EP which I don’t think I’ve ever heard.

I bought the EP when it first came out. There are some top drawer JL tracks on it.

 

[iansr]

Fabulous obituary here:
https://www.pauldunoyer.com/the-jackie-leven-obituary/

 

[iansr]

Just preordered the vinyl

 

[Dave Cattlin]

Had to re-read this

It sums up the man which many of us will recognise

https://www.pauldunoyer.com/the-jackie-leven-obituary/

and I loved him

Dave

 

[ff1d1l]

Just been getting into Shining Brother, Shining Sister the last few days, which I'd somehow managed to miss.
A stone-cold masterpiece - would be a brilliant album with the songs on their own - and they are very high-quality songwriting - but the found sounds, the poetry, and the sheer quality of musicianship and arrangements elevate it to the very loftiest heights. I've been playing it on headphones out walking in rotation with the new Gabriel album, also excellent, but I think JL's aces it.
Beautiful drums and bass sound particularly well recorded, and Levin's singing is just fantastic - risky, original and breath-catchingly beautiful at times.
What a loss, and how is this man not a household name?

 

[iansr]

Yup, as I told him to his face, he was a star but the world didn’t know it.

 

[Dave Cattlin]

Just been getting into Shining Brother, Shining Sister the last few days, which I'd somehow managed to miss.
A stone-cold masterpiece - would be a brilliant album with the songs on their own - and they are very high-quality songwriting - but the found sounds, the poetry, and the sheer quality of musicianship and arrangements elevate it to the very loftiest heights. I've been playing it on headphones out walking in rotation with the new Gabriel album, also excellent, but I think JL's aces it.
Beautiful drums and bass sound particularly well recorded, and Levin's singing is just fantastic - risky, original and breath-catchingly beautiful at times.
What a loss, and how is this man not a household name?

God love you for that

Merry Christmas


Dave