Love this tune. Great crowd pleaser when done live. He toured with a wonderful band in the early '90's which included Clive Gregson and Christine Collister on backing guitar and vocals. They tore up the Bottom Line in NYC together after Amnesia was released. I've never been the same since.
Did i just hear that from the sacophone? May as well say it anyway, since it still turns me on and gets me to dance in 2026! Thank you for for greasy rendition of Lo-el"s classic!; 🎉 Cheers,~
Saw RT at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa last night(Oct.7th)and he was every bit as awesome as he always has been.Still can play the hell out of the guitar like no one else.Got to meet him before he went to his tour bus and he signed the book that Patrick Humphries wrote in 97.
The second time I ever saw RT in concert was at the Bottom Line in NYC. He had this line-up. A great band with the "Petes" (Thomas and Zorn) on saxes, and his FC mates, Nicol, Mattacks and Pegg, plus Alan Dunn. Amazingly tight, yet jaunty and free. Great energy. Truly unforgettable.
@@Denzilfabricant You are a halfway decent human being, I'm sure, though the evidence presented here indicates otherwise. Unless decent has a use I am not aware of analagous to godamn brilliant.
Tull are a much greater band though.Ian Anderson is a fantastic songwriter particularly his lyrics and unlike Fairport Tull had quite a few hit singles a sure sign of great songwriting.....Thats why Tull are world famous and Fairport Convention are not.Martin Barre was much greater than RT too and Jethro Tull's rhythm section (particularly with Glen Cornick or Jeffrey Hammond on bass) were in a different class to Fairport who were always a bit underpowered in the rhythm section department.
early 90's saw RT w/ @ 120 others @ Sarasota Opera House. after the show he invited ''ALL" of us backstage. Myself, Joan, & 7 nerds showed up & 1 guy got his dad's Fairport Convention T-shirt signed. To get a rise outta RT I asked him @ my "fave" band Blodwyn Pig and had my "A Head Rings Out" cd for him to sign. He scoffed & said, "Oh, pity you. I'll not be signing that!" We had a laugh as he knew I was not serious. Mr.Thompson is cool (if that's still a 'cool' term)!!!!!!!!!!!
Doesn't hurt to havre Dave Mattacks (drums), Simon Nichol (rhythm Kelloggs guitar), and Dave Pegge (bass) - most of Fairport Convention - as your backup band.
I really like RT's technique on this. He pulls out all the tricks! Pulls, rips, shreds, bends the thing in half--all with that amazing RT light touch. He abuses a strat like nobody in this style!
So this may have been 3 years before I was even born but I love this!! This music is actually music with REAL instruments. Not machines meant to sound like instruments or instruments made to sound BETTER with machines or any of that...very enjoyable
what a brilliant performance, I'd heard this song on the radio but didn't know who it was. was only after I heard & bought the rumour & sigh album ( because I heard I feel so good, ) that I realised it was the same man.
@sudsamatic That year was before I started going to multiple Bottom Line RT shows. But subsequently, I became a fanatic and started buying tickets for as many as FOUR RT shows in a 3 night stand at the Bottom Line. Great place that was! Your anecdote is classic. The quote is sooo Richard, dry, ironic and hilarious. Few artists can pull off irony the way RT can.
No...a female country artist covered it and got lots of airplay on U.S. country radio years ago. Believe me, I know, having had to listen to country music radio against my will for quite a while.
That's John Kirkpatrick on the left, accordion Simon Nicol far right, guitar, backup vocal Dave Mattacks, drums Fairport and Morris On Alumni, great musicians all!
@@tziguk So it's you then? Never seen this band live, but when finding videos my focus seem to drift to Mattacks drumming, Peggys bass lines and your feeling playing. I mean, RTs playing is always interesting and inspiring!
I gave a live version of this on cassette to a friend of mine and one week later he described it as "a sitar player on acid". It's since become a cliche but it's also pretty accurate.
your comments mirror my son's (b orn same year as you).....I told him to check out Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac "World Keeps Turning" on RUclips. This guy was our hero back in the day...real stuff for sure.
...still I'd like to see the version on video from his box set release. That one really features RT's mangling of the strings. He stands like a scholar while he plays some far-out licks. This and "Little Blue Number" are definitely two guitar opuses (opii?).
Except it is not the same song. In Richard Thompson's song the woman is writing the tear stained letter whereas in Johnny Cash's song he is saying that he is going to write a tear stained letter. Both great songs by incomparably great artists but no comparison is possible between the two songs.
![Richard Thompson & Jo-El Sonnier - Tear Stained Letter [1990]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-wKZu8o0s9g/mqdefault.jpg)
So infectious a groove that the horn players are skanking along when they’re not playing
Thompson's the greatest rock'n'roll guitarist the UK has ever produced, and should be recognised as such.
Brilliant song-writer too!!
he doesn't play rock and roll he plays rubbish folk like this which falls hopelessly between stools.
Britain's finest ginger, despite stiff competition
Love this tune. Great crowd pleaser when done live. He toured with a wonderful band in the early '90's which included Clive Gregson and Christine Collister on backing guitar and vocals. They tore up the Bottom Line in NYC together after Amnesia was released. I've never been the same since.
Did i just hear that from the sacophone? May as well say it anyway, since it still turns me on and gets me to dance in 2026! Thank you for for greasy rendition of Lo-el"s classic!; 🎉 Cheers,~
Still brilliant, after all these years!!!
Saw RT and guest band perform this at Cropredy this weekend. Fantabuloso, one of the highlights of the festival.
Saw RT at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa last night(Oct.7th)and he was every bit as awesome as he always has been.Still can play the hell out of the guitar like no one else.Got to meet him before he went to his tour bus and he signed the book that Patrick Humphries wrote in 97.
The second time I ever saw RT in concert was at the Bottom Line in NYC. He had this line-up. A great band with the "Petes" (Thomas and Zorn) on saxes, and his FC mates, Nicol, Mattacks and Pegg, plus Alan Dunn. Amazingly tight, yet jaunty and free. Great energy. Truly unforgettable.
A peak moment in the history of Western civilization.
a really average singer but a decent guitarist
@@Denzilfabricant You are a halfway decent human being, I'm sure, though the evidence presented here indicates otherwise. Unless decent has a use I am not aware of analagous to godamn brilliant.
Whew! How did this song not make the man famous?
because people don't like his voice.
Saw this exact lineup doing this number at the Albany Empire in either 1983 or 1984, on the Hand of Kindness tour. Absolutely brilliant.
One of the most unique musicians I've ever encountered. Bravo!
RIP Pete Zorn
Lets not forget the talented Jo El Sonnier.
@SAHBfan Pegg was in Jethro Tull's band as bass player as well as being in Fairport Convention. Went with the whole Tull band "look" at that time.
Tull are a much greater band though.Ian Anderson is a fantastic songwriter particularly his lyrics and unlike Fairport Tull had quite a few hit singles a sure sign of great songwriting.....Thats why Tull are world famous and Fairport Convention are not.Martin Barre was much greater than RT too and Jethro Tull's rhythm section (particularly with Glen Cornick or Jeffrey Hammond on bass) were in a different class to Fairport who were always a bit underpowered in the rhythm section department.
Happy 73rd Birthday to Richard.
Top notch song and performance. Glad to see and hear this.
early 90's saw RT w/ @ 120 others @ Sarasota Opera House. after the show he invited ''ALL" of us backstage. Myself, Joan, & 7 nerds showed up & 1 guy got his
dad's Fairport Convention T-shirt signed. To get a rise outta RT I asked him @ my "fave" band Blodwyn Pig and had my "A Head Rings Out" cd for him to sign. He scoffed & said, "Oh, pity you. I'll not be signing that!" We had a laugh as he knew I
was not serious. Mr.Thompson is cool (if that's still a 'cool' term)!!!!!!!!!!!
Doesn't hurt to havre Dave Mattacks (drums), Simon Nichol (rhythm Kelloggs guitar), and Dave Pegge (bass) - most of Fairport Convention - as your backup
band.
+ (if I'm right) John Kirkpatrick on box & Pete Zorn on sax - also fab players
Don’t forget John Kirkpatrick and the late Pete Zorn.
i always thought Fairport Convention were an incredibly weak rhythm section compared with Paul Jones/John Bonham,Chris Squire and Bill Bruford.
I really like RT's technique on this. He pulls out all the tricks! Pulls, rips, shreds, bends the thing in half--all with that amazing RT light touch. He abuses a strat like nobody in this style!
So this may have been 3 years before I was even born but I love this!! This music is actually music with REAL instruments. Not machines meant to sound like instruments or instruments made to sound BETTER with machines or any of that...very enjoyable
what a brilliant performance, I'd heard this song on the radio but didn't know who it was.
was only after I heard & bought the rumour & sigh album ( because I heard I feel so good, ) that I realised it was the same man.
Good to see Simon Nichol with his Kellogg's Corn Flakes guitar! RT has most of Fairport Convention out there burning it up with him!
Richard finished off his set at Cropredy this year with this crowd favourite.
I saw him last night in Albany, NY. His guitar solos on this song last night were MUCH better than in this video
Lucky enough to know this man and in 1984 made him a ckae in the shape of a tear stained letter!
@sudsamatic That year was before I started going to multiple Bottom Line RT shows. But subsequently, I became a fanatic and started buying tickets for as many as FOUR RT shows in a 3 night stand at the Bottom Line. Great place that was! Your anecdote is classic. The quote is sooo Richard, dry, ironic and hilarious. Few artists can pull off irony the way RT can.
No...a female country artist covered it and got lots of airplay on U.S. country radio years ago. Believe me, I know, having had to listen to country music radio against my will for quite a while.
Lovely! It has kind of a Nick Lowe feel about it, as did a lot of UK music in 1984.
You can see them perform it together on the TV show Night Music. Amazing performance. The clip is here on RUclips if you poke around a bit.
My goodness, 35-year-old Richard Thompson was a looker. (The staggering talent doesn't hurt or anything, either.)
That's John Kirkpatrick on the left, accordion
Simon Nicol far right, guitar, backup vocal
Dave Mattacks, drums
Fairport and Morris On Alumni, great musicians all!
Alan Dunn on accordion - not John. I was incredibly fortunate to play with Richard for a couple of years back then.
@@tziguk So it's you then? Never seen this band live, but when finding videos my focus seem to drift to Mattacks drumming, Peggys bass lines and your feeling playing. I mean, RTs playing is always interesting and inspiring!
I gave a live version of this on cassette to a friend of mine and one week later he described it as "a sitar player on acid". It's since become a cliche but it's also pretty accurate.
just heard it on the radio, thought it was david byrne singing. great song!
You're very lucky to have seen him live.
It did...sort of...there was a cover on - yes - country music radio in the 80s. I think it was by...aww, now I can't recall her name.
your comments mirror my son's (b orn same year as you).....I told him to check out Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac "World Keeps Turning" on RUclips. This guy was our hero back in the day...real stuff for sure.
F'ing brilliant!
...still I'd like to see the version on video from his box set release. That one really features RT's mangling of the strings. He stands like a scholar while he plays some far-out licks. This and "Little Blue Number" are definitely two guitar opuses (opii?).
Ah, the old days when RT and Peggy still had some hair...
Patty Loveless is her name.. She did a good version.. But this one is better.
The song was originally done by a guy...Jo-El Sonnier. This song was a big hit for Richard after leaving Fairport Convention and divorcing Linda.
The song was written and *originally* done by Richard Thompson.
Oh come on...
"Comparisons are odious".
Thanx 4 the clarification. Yeah, that isn't Kirkpatrick.
Got it....it was Patty Loveless...
Only RT can pull off tenor sax and cajun air compressor trading fours...
Tom Hanks played sax in this band? (3:16)
Why is Dave Pegg wearing a comedy stick on beard??? :-o
Ha ha yes it does look like one!
Truisms are odorous..
@oppie1945 Christgau is one of the worst music critics I've ever seen, but he's right.
Johnny cash's version is better in my opinion
Except it is not the same song. In Richard Thompson's song the woman is writing the tear stained letter whereas in Johnny Cash's song he is saying that he is going to write a tear stained letter. Both great songs by incomparably great artists but no comparison is possible between the two songs.
it is a different song!!!!!