OUT TO THE WILDS - FOR PIZZA PIE

The previously mentioned words entitled OUT TO THE WILDS (they have been recorded and may appear on Bandcamp sometime) speak of the seeking of some peace of mind This post is about the seeking of a different piece - a piece of pizza pie

And I have been cautioned about describing in too much detail where it can be found Because one of the pleasures of arriving at the door of MOON OVER NAIKOON -where the pizza is made eaten and enjoyed - is that your search for it may have been difficult but it has been successful

But pizza is not all you will find there and while it is not my intention to itemize the various other delights on the menu it could be considered wicked not to mention the cinnamon buns

So get yourself to Haida Gwaii and try a piece of pizza pie It can't be bettered anywhere Might move you close to where despair No longer holds you in its beak and morsels of the peace you seek May land upon your feet

PS I republished this on July 11th as I wanted to keep it at the top of the posts

TOM and THE BISCUITS

The TOM is CONTI and the BISCUITS are John Saich and Mags Russell of Wild Biscuit Music www.wildbiscuit.com 

Below is a strip of information taken from the RADIO SIX INTERNATIONAL July

10th's playlist (I have kept the image small and narrow in contrast to some of the others I have posted)

I don't check RSI everyday but I think this is the first time this track has been used on there - and that is excellent - whether it is the first time or the last 

The 'BISCUITS' provided the arrangement for the track and there is more about it on the web site at www.sheilakcameron.com

Mentioned a long time ago - it can also be heard on a blog at 
http://crivensjingsandhelpmaboab.blogspot.ca/2010/05/yesterday-i-heard-poem.html

RETURN TO TIREE and THE SONG THAT BELONGS THERE

There have now been three titles for the song which belongs with the island of Tiree - LIKE THE SEA ROLLING IN, YOU COME ON OVER ME and a TIREE LOVE SONG  But this post is not about the song It is about the place that inspired it

On my last visit to the island of Tiree - and who knows it might be the last ever - I wanted to find out if the feelings I had for the place many years ago would be aroused again They were and they were not

But there were three special moments

The first was the scene in the photograph below just minutes after arriving there by boat The photograph has been cropped but has not been altered in any other way

The second 'moment' came with being taken to a house which was on sale at the time From a few hundred yards away, approaching over an expanse of green grass, one could see a full washing line blowing in the wind and a small house overlooking the sea The scene brought with it thoughts that Tiree might be THE PLACE after all

The  photograph below was taken from the land surrounding the house

The third moment was not really a moment at all

It was more of a search for the place in the sand dunes where for days and sometimes weeks I had lived in a tent and spent the time doing nothing much more than sleeping eating drinking and washing in the sea

There are memories of playing guitar and singing at the nearby hotel for visitors from Kenya and I also have a vague memory of singing at a concert in bare feet

What I am certain about is the photograph below This is exactly where the tent was pitched  

Yes indeed -YOU COME ON OVER ME aka LIKE THE SEA ROLLING IN is a Tiree love song

SEA ROLL and A REMINDER

Arriving in a too hot city came the welcome and cool news that LIKE THE SEA ROLLING IN was being included in the Podcast referred to below

I responded by sending a thank you email to Bree Noble and her assistants at Women of Substance Radio

Bree responded with the following comment

The message below also arrived - but the words 'OF SUBSTANCE' got partially lopped off when I took a screen shot The lopping off was completed by me 

And I was reminded that Jennifer Clark (who can be found at www.jenclarkmusic.com) had chosen to work on this particular take of the song - and that the arrangement had changed it from being one of my usual word dominated tracks into something other For something other also read special

News of it being played also gave me an excuse to post again a cropped photograph of the sea rolling in over the rocks on the lovely island of Tiree It was provided by Isabel Whyte, a photographer from Glasgow Scotland 

CLOUDS OVER THE ROCKIES

The image being considered for the words OUT IN THE WILDS was cropped from a photograph taken from a plane flying between Vancouver and Masset 

The words, as said elsewhere, are being considered for an upload to Bandcamp 

There are just a few of them and while the spoken word recording is adequate it has not been mastered 

The image is being posted until a decision has been made about the words 

A DOLLY OF A PEACH - OR A PEACH OF A DOLLY

I couldn't find a dolly So I bought a peach instead

I thought it very beautiful And tried it in the bed

But eating it had more appeal I watched it for a while

Then took a picture of it there Before it went inside

A BOX FOR A DOLLY

A box containing a microphone was delivered to my door today And as this is a site about words songs and images - and with nothing better to do - I decided to take a photograph of the box and post it on here

I may also have chosen to take the photograph because it reminded me of those little beds one used to make for little dolls Or the reminiscing followed the taking of photograph Either way I then found myself (well I have not done that yet) writing some daft words about the box 

I might have stopped
It would have been something of a relief to stop
I have notebooks full of unstoppable words 
But it isn't easy as is evidenced in the full notebooks

Exactly why I would choose to take the photograph is beyond me just now although I expect the real reason is likely to become apparent - and at a time when I wish it hadn't - become apparent that is  And with hadn't and apparent rhyming and appearing in the same sentence, and fearing they might be a trigger to write more daft words, I am moving on quickly to the image below

And below in the smallest text available to me on this site are the previously mentioned daft words

If I had a dolly I might put it in this box Close the lid To keep it there Keep it 'til the rocks 

Of the earth Got melted And socks lost the ribs That rub against your toes When your shoes don't fit 

If I had a dolly I might make this her bed Sew a little pillow For underneath her head 

Leave the lid open See her sleeping in there Sleeping like a baby With soft flimsy hair

If I had nothing To put inside the box I'd be glad to have had Such a lovely box 

I might choose to close the lid Store it on a shelf And keep it for always All to myself

And there it was before the next morning had arrived. Of course the dolly is little me. And all little me's always need a safe and cozy bed to sleep in And there you have it There's always a reason - and that's as much of this one as I intend to provide

Also of interest; it is a reaffirmation that the lyrics I write often tell me what I know before I know it myself

GOT IT for GOT

In the post THE FOOT THUMPING FIFTH I refer to my latest attempt at song making but do not mention the title. I declare now that it is called GO ON THEN (GOT for short)

It has been mastered as an acoustic only track and that might prove to be the only professional treatment it receives. But a few minutes before writing this post I realized how foolish I had been. And as a consequence of that foolishness I had been denying the track what it has been calling out for

It was a piano that gave the song a tune and it is a piano that the song requires to satisfy its innermost needs

Why describe myself as foolish? Alas, because I have been ignoring my own words and my own instincts while setting off down a path that, however I walked it, could only take me further from the desired outcome i.e words and sounds joined together in a mutually complementing relationship

So, GOT IT for GOT is the title of this post because I had suddenly got it that the song GO ON THEN, was eager to be out there but only if it could be accompanied by a piano

And in a note to myself I have concluded that sometimes one has to get lost to have any hope of being found

BLACK SAD BIRD ON A SANDY ROCK

Having identified myself closely with a blackbird in the last verse of the song BAD GIRL BLUES I was glad to find the photograph below earlier today. Glad because I thought it would be a replacement for the image of the miserable looking man I had used for the song LA BONNE FEE on Bandcamp

The blackbird in this photograph may or may not be miserable - and who knows what the non arrival of the good fairy might represent for a bird on a rock - but I think it is a better image than the previous one. The pleasure at finding it may diminish. I will say no more and let the image have its say

SEA ROLL ON A ROLL WITH WOS

On Tuesday, or it might have been Wednesday, I received an email from WOS (Women of Substance Radio) at www.wosradio.com with much of the following message

'We would like to add the following song to our regular rotation: Like The Sea Rolling In

Your song is due to debut on the online radio station the week of June 22 so watch for an email from womenofsubstanceradio@gmail.com in a few days with more details.  

Your song will also be included on an upcoming episode of our new #1 Podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/women-of-substance/id939201604?mt=2'

For anyone who has not heard this interesting track (with the interesting aspects coming from Jennifer Clark's arrangement*) it can be listened to on Bandcamp at https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/track/like-the-sea-rolling-in 


This track has now been visited 100 times on Bandcamp although all visitors have not chosen to listen through until the end

* For a reminder of Jennifer Clark's work and interests please visit www.jenclarkmusic.com 

THE FOOT THUMPING FIFTH

Words I did not intend to write - and entitled OUT TO THE WILDS OF HAIDA GWAII - appeared several days ago and I have recorded them. They came out in a oner except for two words which were moved sideways and on to a different line. I was also not intending to get them worked on but it seems likely they will be getting dressed up a bit before going out and about on here and/or elsewhere 

And they are being followed, or preceded (it is not known at the time of writing) by my latest attempt at making a song. My enthusiasm for it may be misguided - and I am no stranger to being so - but there have been moments of acute delight in the making of it. 

I am a realist when it comes to delight but I will be hanging on to this lot for a while

The main pleasure came from having acquired part of the tune very soon after completing the words. And it refused to go away. I did ask friends if it sounded like one they had heard before but they said no. I was of course not convinced. And as not being convinced is a feature of the song it seemed appropriate not to be - convinced. 

Others may hear and declare that there are similarities with  . . . but for me it is long past that stage. And here is another interesting part of the story - well it is for me. I got the tune from a piano. The first time for a very long time I have used a piano - or might one say that a piano used me. The last time it happened was for the song LIKE A SWEET WARM LIGHT.

So, after hearing the tune in my head for several days, I downloaded a keyboard app and played it over and over while sitting in bed. In between the bed episodes I returned to the piano to make sure the piano was comfortable with the tune I had arrived at.

I was uncertain about whether or not to record it. I began to consider singing it without any guitar accompaniment. I made no effort to find guitar chords for it. And then, as happens, the right moment arrived and I found myself switching on my recording equipment and singing it unaccompanied, all the way through. 

My guitar was alongside me and I reached for it and used it for another take. I tried two more of a similar kind. 

By the fifth take I was increasing the tempo and thumping my foot on a wooden box I keep beside my equipment. The sixth take was similar to the fifth but I forgot the tune at one point and when listening to the six takes later it was only the foot thumping fifth that I felt might work

And that is the track which will be getting dressed up for being on line, hopefully, sometime soon. And it is the track which has provided the title for this post.

SONGS IN NEED OF TREATMENT

For a better idea of what this post is about you will need to read the text below the photograph of Jennifer Clark, the most recent contributor to my material 

Photograph by Kris Kesiak

http://www.kriskesiak.com

It may have been mentioned elsewhere on this site that I used a cassette tape for my first ever attempt at putting some of my songs together and getting them out there. And I called it SONGS IN NEED OF TREATMENT

And when I first felt motivated and brave enough to contact the CaVa recording studios in Glasgow www.cavasound.com and meet with the owner (and with Brian McNeill who was working there at the time) my pitch to them was coloured by that title

It went something like this. What could you do if I were dead and gone and someone I had known came to you with loads of my recorded tracks and asked you to tidy them up and make them sound more likely to get listened to?

At the same time as I was asking that question an acquaintance told me about John Saich and Mags Russell of Wild Biscuit Music www.wildbiscuit.com

And anyone who has been interested in the songs which did subsequently 
receive some treatment will be familiar with what CaVa, Brian McNeill and Wild Biscuit brought to the table

Recently another person has become involved in providing the treatment some of my material needs. And I found her on line during one of the times the main protagonists (mentioned above) were not available. 

Below are some of the words I wrote about her last week. more information on her interests and work can be accessed on her web site at www.jenclarkmusic.com  And as the most recent contributor to my songs I am choosing to give her photograph a place at the top of this page 

The delights of working with Jennifer Clark are many. Apart from her
 expertise as a musician and her sensitivity and skill as arranger she has
 the kind of human qualities which would serve her well in any profession.

In her recent work for me as arranger and producer (and this has involved playing, mixing, mastering and editing) she has shown herself to be immensely patient, flexible and even - as in my own case - tolerant and open to incoherently expressed ideas and requests

Jennifer welcomes enquiries about her professional music services, including arrangement, production and composition, and can be contacted at jen@jenclarkmusic.com

THE GOOD FAIRY ARRIVES

In the song entitled LA BONNE FEE the good fairy does not arrive - and that is a shame - but the song has arrived on Bandcamp - and the link is https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/track/la-bonne-fee 

The image which is presently alongside it is a cropped black and white version of the one below. I found this recently in a pile of old sketches and paintings. I do not know who this miserable looking person is but I can say with some certainty that this is not a self portrait

If and when I can find something more suitable I will replace it - on Bandcamp and here

                                   Pink man

FRASER and the DISPARATES

While compiling the selection now entitled THE BAD GIRL and OTHER DISPARATES I considered including the version of MR MOON which features Fraser Spiers playing blues harp - then I hesitated - and then I got lost

A different version of MR MOON was used on CUT FEET and EMPTY SHOES leaving this one - as with several other tracks in the Bad Girl selection - without a place to call their own

So, after thinking about it again, I decided it should join in with the other disparates and it is now the last track on the BAD GIRL selection

And in consideration of anyone who might have purchased the selection before MR MOON was added, it will be free to download for a while 

SOFT or MOSTLY SPOKEN

Yesterday, a small selection of tracks on Bandcamp was given the title MOSTLY SPOKEN. Then it was removed and the title changed to SOFT and MOSTLY SPOKEN before being changed again to SOFT or MOSTLY SPOKEN. This is a ruse to assist with the task of gathering together more of the tracks which are lying around with no set place to go 

The selection will not now be appearing on Bandcamp until it is complete. 

At the time of writing this the selection includes a half spoken version of LIKE THE SEA ROLLING IN, a recent recording of MY LOVE IS VELVET, an old version of the track LIKE AN OLD TIN CAN - (I never liked the drums which had been added) This is a plain acoustic version -although it does have a relatively quiet beat provided by a drum machine

Also included are four small songs which had been languishing somewhere for a while. They were, once upon a time, combined to play for 3 mins 23 secs (I doubt if Neil would have approved of the act of combining them). They have now been separated. 

When the selection has been completed and remastered it will uploaded again on Bandcamp.  

My intention to gather together most of the tracks for this selection before re-uploading it to Bandcamp was overtaken by my wish to put MY LOVE IS VELVET out there. The link is https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/album/soft-and-mostly-spoken

A CONTINUATION of the CONSOLIDATION

The nudge was, as I may have suggested previously, very welcome
And the consolidation of the disparates has now spread to some of the mainly spoken word tracks and a reordering of everything which is on Bandcamp
And better still the process is reminding me of what material I have 'out there' and is encouraging me to consolidate it all even more

There was a temptation to combine, on Bandcamp, the four selections of words which are in the book THE INESCAPABLE ROAD - but there would be too many  
And anyway they are all together in the book and on a DVD with the same title

I did intend to make the DVD available for any stalwart supporter of my work but have not yet found time or inclination to do so

THE BAD GIRL and other DISPARATES

The nudge has taken me in the direction of a title for the CD of disparate singles
And as I modify the above sentence I can declare that the deed has been done and most of the disparates have been gathered together alongside BAD GIRL BLUES on Bandcamp.

The selection so far consists of 14 tracks and the order is arbitrary. It might get changed soon - or sometime or other
I am continuing to play around with the image and the one below (as also used on Bandcamp) is all I have managed so far

A NICHE and a NUDGE

Someone I have never met before* purchased two of my tracks yesterday. He also suggested I occupied a niche. And that was pleasing. But there was more! He was complimentary about the combination of the Fraser Spiers blues harp and my voice - which set me up for the day. 

He also said he would have been glad if - for ease of access and download - more of the single tracks had been available in in one selection He was not looking for a less expensive option and later advised, if I should go ahead with the move, not to make it free

And that is where the nudge came from. I had been seriously considering gathering in some of the tracks which are on Bandcamp as singles and had not previously been used on a CD or other selection - and I am now working on this

As yet I have not decided on a title or the image to use and the main problem, as I perceive it just now, is how varied the tracks are in type and treatment They certainly will not go together as might birds of like feather

But if it works out reasonably well I will put the tracks onto a CD 

* I asked the stranger if he would mind me posting the above comments but have not yet received a reply. I am boldly going ahead without it

I am also awaiting some advice from Bandcamp about the easiest way to combine the tracks - other than the arduous way I can easily envisage

THE UMBRELLA and THE ROLLING SEA

Some background

For several years the bus taking me to work in the East End of Glasgow passed under a bridge called the HIELANDMAN'S UMBRELLA

And it was there in that rather dark place (and recently returned from Tiree) that I wrote the words for a song called YOU COME ON OVER ME 

I used to sing it a lot when I was out and about performing - and could sing it quite well at the time

Returning to it many years later - and when attempting to re-record it -I added some words and a bit of a tune which turned it into the song now entitled LIKE THE SEA ROLLING IN. 

The track which Jennifer Clark used for her arrangement of the song was one of those old attempts. And although the vocal was/is weak - she improved it markedly and has made it into something which - for me anyway- is mesmerizingly special.

Again, it can be heard on Bandcamp at https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/track/like-the-sea-rolling-

About the bridge 

The Hielanman's Umbrella (English: Highlandman's Umbrella) is a famous landmark in the centre of Glasgow,Scotland It is the local Scots nickname for the glass walled railway bridge which carries the platforms ofGlasgow Central station across Argyle Street

Due to the forced displacement of people during the second phase of the Highland clearances in the 19th century, 30,000 Highlanders who spoke Scottish Gaelic but did not speak English came to Glasgow to find work When arriving in the city they were housed in many different areas of Glasgow Over many years Highlanders continued to arrive and began to keep in touch by meeting under the bridge, mostly at weekends

With the city's inclement weather and the meeting of the Highlanders it came to be known as the Hielanman's Umbrella

As time passed the Highlanders and their offspring became integrated into Glasgow culture until finally the meetings no longer occurred. Many of the younger generation no longer recall the name of the bridge

                                 

The text and the image were copied from Wikipedia

LIKE THE SEA ROLLING IN

This track is unlike the others that are on Bandcamp (and elsewhere)

The arrangement is by Jennifer Clark, who plays keyboards, bass guitar and percussion. She also mixed and mastered it.
The initial vocal and guitar recording came from my back catalogue and some restoration work was required. For this Jennifer sought the assistance of a friend and professional colleague Eddie MacArthur of Stealth Studios at http://www.stealthrecordingstudio.com
Jennifer's website is at http://www.jenclarkmusic.com

Jennifer is advising that you use headphones to listen to the track

The link to hearing it on Bandcamp is https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/track/like-the-sea-rolling-in

A CD of this track as a single is being considered and if it does happen the image for the insert will probably be taken from a photograph provided by Isabel Whyte. It is of waves crashing in over the rocks south of Balaphuil Beach on Tiree. It will be similar to the one below

The image on Bandcamp, which is cropped from an old painting of mine entitled Tiree Landscape, will remain for now. The piece of land it features is real and familiar and was revisited not long ago. For those who know Tiree it is on Gott Bay. Standing in front of the Lodge Hotel and looking towards the sea it is about a hundred yards along the road to the left. 

WITH YOU IN MY LIFE x 3

Having now acquired two different versions of the song WITH YOU IN MY LIFE I have chosen what I consider is a convenient way of making them both available. And, as an afterthought, I have added the original acoustic track and given them the title of WITH YOU IN MY LIFE x3 

The text below also accompanies the songs on Bandcamp at https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/album/with-you-in-my-life-x3

Version 1 is my initial attempt to record the song and give it a bit more 'depth' with some rough and ready overdubbing using Audacity.  It was subsequently mastered by Geoff Allan of Cava Sound Glasgow

Version 2 is an arrangement by Jennifer Clark.Jennifer was also responsible for the arrangement for The Water is Deep and will hopefully be working on other tracks of mine in future.  More about her can be found on the web site at www.jenclarkmusic.com 

Version 3 is an arrangement by Brian McNeill who was responsible for some of the tracks on my CD Cut Feet and Empty Shoes. The treatment he provided was unexpected. I have been referring to it as the colliery band version. 


The image on Bandcamp of my hero NY is there without permission but I am in the process of seeking it

Along with this selection is the image of my hero Neil Young. It is being used without permission but I am in the process of seeking it. I do however remain under his influence and this will hopefully increase over the coming months

SECOND HELPING - COMING UP

With a touch of the colliery band there will be another version of the song WITH YOU IN MY LIFE on Bandcamp soon. It was a surprise to me and I hope it will be a pleasurable surprise for others.

Also, as indicated on Bandcamp, the idea of making available the mastered version of the original acoustic version and the two professionally arranged versions is being considered 

A FEW BLUES

Four blues influenced songs featuring Fraser Spiers have been uploaded to Bandcamp over recent months as separate tracks. But there is a fifth (also featuring Fraser) which until now has been left out. It is a version of I'VE WAITED A LONG TIME. Those familiar with the CD MORE LIKE A RIVER THAN A ROAD will know it as the opening track on that selection. They will also be aware that the arrangement was by John Saich and Mags Russell of WILD BISCUIT MUSIC www.wildbiscuit.com.

Today I intend to put the five songs together and call the selection very simply -as the title of this post indicates - A FEW BLUES. From a relatively superficial search this title has not been extensively used before - if at all.

Once they are all together in a oner I will probably remove them as singles from the Bandcamp site

Also as four different images have been used for the single tracks I will need to choose one only. And at the time of writing I have no idea which one it will be. I hope I get one later.

Later. Ideas were not required. The words of the opening track I LOOKED ALRIGHT THIS MORNING belong in Glasgow and I am choosing to use a photograph of a street on which I frequently walked. The link to A FEW BLUES is https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/album/a-few-blues

SAPSYNONYMOUS ANONYMOUS

This evening a new blog was painlessly conceived. Indeed it was accompanied by much self induced laughter. Tomorrow - who knows - it may provide more enjoyment. And if so it will be very welcome

A few mornings later the laughter had subsided but the idea had remained. More will be said very soon.

Very soon.
There will be a SAPSYNONYMOUS CLUB. So far there are two possible members. Me and 'another'

Members will be ANONYMOUS. The criteria for becoming one will be varied.
First up one will be required to admit that, at some time in one's life (in relation to matters of love and romance) one has behaved like a sap. Or if one prefers a chump, a patsy or a dolt. All other synonyms  were too potentially demeaning.

Masochists will not be eligible.

And an important question was asked. Might such a club be of any use to anyone other than the two possible members already identified? Catering to oneself and one other only had little appeal.

And following on from that question came others.

Check in again for what they were and to find out what will be required of members.

THE SAP SIMPERS ON

Yesterday I received an email containing an invitation to submit to a competition. One of the categories was for poetry. Now I do not enter competitions* and I do not think I write poems but I do write words that can look like them. And as I was hanging around not sure what to do next I decided to submit one of the things I had.  I came across SO SAID THE SAP and decided to use it. Doing so also reminded me where I had got the title for the blog and what it had meant at the time.

I also listened to the recording of the words on Bandcamp and if anyone is interested they can be heard on there by using the following link https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/album/so-said-the-sap

I have moved the selection of spoken words to which they belong (there are 30 items) to first place on the Bandcamp page for easy access. The image - a collage - which goes with it can be viewed there. It was also included in another post on this site but (again for ease of access) I may as will include it at the foot of this one

SO SAID THE SAP

These words

May not

Be heard

As rap

But they

Were written

By a sap

Who could not see

That need and greed

Can oft times quell

True love's appeal

Who could not see

That what they saw

Was victim of

Their deepest flaw

A tendency to keep

Repeating

What they had

When four or more

Around that time

The date's not clear

But what they got

Was stark - a fear

Of losing what

They had and whether

Light or dark

The fear was bad

Or bad enough

To find a place

In everything

They did - a trace

Of fear ran through

Their every move

And kept them tied

To anxious mood

To hesitating

Stepping back

Scared of falling

Off the track

That others rode

With engines stoked

With words of love

Of praise of hope

That all would play out

Good and true

That what they had

Would see them through

But being sap

Does not require

To also breathe

A bitter fire

Upon all those

Who have it good

Although a bit more

Sharing would

Improve the lot

Of those who feel

They never got

Their early needs

Met in ways

That set them free

Of fear - the sort

I'm citing here

So said the sap

The day they found

Love does not always

Leap and bound

To fill the heart

And head with joy

Sometimes its crap

And but a ploy

To satisfy the selfish needs

Which found a place

When grief destroyed

Those tender moments

Soft and kind

Which we all need

If we're to find

Within ourselves

A peace of mind

*A correction. I did inadvertently (one of my favourite words) enter TWO INCHES TALL in the Spoken Word category of the Independent Music Awards and it was - remarkably - successful. But that was a long time ago in 2012 

IN THE GARDENS OF FRIENDS

The overall title for the material I make available for others to see and hear is SONGS AND IMAGES from GLASGOW HAIDA GWAII and IN-BETWEEN. It was settled a long time ago as indicated on a page on my main web site (clicking on the title will take you there) 

And when I was looking for a good reason to post the photograph below I was reminded of this. There has been much on this site about songs but not very much about images. 

About the photograph: I was very familiar with the figure in a friend's garden but yesterday I noticed that it had acquired a dress of green foliage. And I thought it looked so beautiful - although I can admit to not wearing my glasses at the time - I should take a picture of it.

It was only later, with my glasses on, that I saw clearly the flower and the bud touching its mouth 

The experience also reminded me of another, also in a friend's garden, and 

I had written some words about that one

Lots of sparrows sat

In ones twos and threes

Eating the seeds

Bouncing off the leaves

In the garden

The marguerites were out

Full opened white

Reacting to a hazy sun

And overcast light

For water the sparrows

Had found a gutter

Blocked with debris

From a winter of rain

Through the house doors which were open

Came the sound of a singer

Repeating the same song

Over and over again

The woman who lived there

For the first time in her life

Ignored her hair in the mirror

As she passed it by

To pour a hot cup of tea

For a friend who was sat in the garden

Writing this description

Of the scene 

JONI, THE SAP, THE MAN and THE TRAM

Words this morning were prompted by two photograph of trams

and the news that Joni Mitchell was unwell. The photographs were warmly received. The hope is that Ms Mitchell will fully recover very soon


                       THE SAP proudly recalls riding on a tram just like the one in this photograph 

The photograph showing High Possil Secondary School in the background is displayed here with the permission of Sue (representing Larry 'who took loads of photographs of old Glasgow') and Milton Glasgow Memories on Facebook 
It was sent to me by Isabel Whyte who knows the area well. And the tram which The Sap often rode into downtown Glasgow (and which was remembered, about 45 years on, by Mrs Margaret Whyte) was the No 22

Before The Sap became a sap
The Sap rode in a tram 
From up at Possil High School
To Hope Street, with a man

Who spoke to her of painting
Who liked the way she sang
Who set her on the path towards
Performing with a band

Until The Sap became a sap
(tho doomed to head that way) 
She rarely looked back with regret
At all she'd failed to say 

To others who were loving
It's much the same today 
As Joni told us long ago
We're slow to learn 
What matters most
So slow we often let it go
And only know
When it has gone
How much we should have 
Treasured love and kept it 
Safe and strong

The following link will take you to a full list of Glasgow Corporation Tram Routes from 1871 - 1973
http://www.semple.biz/glasgow/gct%20tram%20routes2.shtml

DUSTY, THE THRUSH AND HELLO SINGING BIRD

The remastered version of HELLO SINGING BIRD is now on Bandcamp at https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/track/hello-singing-bird-2

It is accompanied by a photograph of a thrush which once sang in a Glasgow garden. It could be the same thrush as the very tame one which can be seen eating raisins, on most days, in the same location. I am told the image looks rather 'murky' and will be attempting to improve it if at all possible.

And it has been.

                                                    THE SINGING BIRD - less murky

About the song. I don't know exactly why I have recently been working on songs associated with the loss of a mother but two on Bandcamp, DANCE ON and MOTHERLESS, precede this one. 

Hello Singing Bird was written while - as it suggests in the words - walking through a park. The park was Glasgow Green. The song also refers, as indicated in another post on the site, to a loaf of Mother's Pride - and for anyone who likes Dusty Springfield, to a video of her in an advert about the bread. I will repeat it here 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pu8E-KCEik