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andyw
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Posts: 27
Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #20: 09.06.10 at 21:46 »
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Radcliffe & Maconie Show on Radio 2 has just played the Coope, Boyes & Simpson track "Now Is The Cool Of The Day", and announced that CB&S will be on their show on Tuesday 29 June.  I have suggested that they encourage them to play "A Hill Of Little Shoes" - can you fix it Jude?
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Ian Ashleigh
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Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #21: 15.06.10 at 18:54 »
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Somewhat belatedly - my review
 
The cover of A Hill Of Little Shoes is, as those who have heard it, will confim a wonderfully poignant cover.  The whole CD is equally good, I like the cover of Richard Thompson's Keep Your Distance every track is well arranged and has something to say.  There are self penned songs of high quality including an answer to Pete Townsend's Won't Get Fooled Again from a 2010 perspective and an adaptation of a Robert Burns peom tied to a song written in the workhouse 100 years ago
 
So to all MVs who have listened to the PA/CJ cover, check out the whole album.
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Though he had no great gifts of personality or mind, he was quite well respected.
Carole
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Re: Hill of Little Shoes
« Reply #22: 16.06.10 at 12:29 »
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The gig last week at Belper School was excellent good fun.  
 
'Hill' drew the usual Oh!s when it was explained that 'that' Clive James had written the lyric, and CB&S also did a nice plug for PA/CJ's songwriting skills. They sang 'Hill' beautifully and all Pete's complex chords really seemed to make it stand out from their other material. I heard a few gulps at the end of the song and Lester Simpson yet again said what a splendid song it was.  
 
Everything else they did was top class. As Ian says, check out the album, you won't be disappointed.
 
We had a chat with Georgina Boyes after the show and a longer one with Jim Boyes (Georgina was manning the CD desk and doing a brisk trade) who said that Pete had been really pleased with their treatment of 'Hill' and had suggested a couple more songs for them to do! Lovely - can't wait!
 
Carole
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andyw
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Posts: 27
Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #23: 11.07.10 at 09:52 »
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"A Hill Of Little Shoes" update.
 
Radcliffe & Maconie Show on Radio 2 on Tuesday 29 June did not feature the Coope, Boyes & Simpson a cappella version from the “as if” CD.
 
However, I am delighted to report that the audience was mesmerised by the live version that CB&S performed at the superb 20th anniversary celebration of the No Masters Co-operative on Friday 9 July at Victoria Hall, Saltaire (near Bradford).  It was introduced as “a song by Pete Atkin and Clive James”, which was greeted by a murmur of at least partial recognition, and seemed to be well received by the packed crowd, even though we were somewhat subdued by the heat and humidity of the night.
 
A triumph and, like Carole, I am looking forward to more covers of our heroes from CB&S.
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Ian Chippett
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Posts: 332
Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #24: 12.07.10 at 21:06 »
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They're still at it...
 
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/29371/
 
Ian C
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Phil Smith
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Posts: 42
Re: Hill of Little Shoes
« Reply #25: 07.08.10 at 21:33 »
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Oh dear, I fear my NT technology disability will mean this goes to the entirely wrong place. But......The version of "Hill Of Little Shoes" on the new CD by Coope, Boyes and Simpson is both magnificent and heartbreaking. Who ever said that a great cover could never be made of an Atkin/James song?
« Last Edit: 07.08.10 at 22:42 by S J Birkill »     https://peteatkin.com/forum?board=Music&action=display&num=1271889095&start=25#25   copy 
S J Birkill
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Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #26: 08.08.10 at 10:11 »
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No problem, Phil -- I took the liberty of moving your post from the 'Julie Covington on Radio' thread to this one.
 
Two ways to ensure a post appears where you want it:
 
If replying to an existing thread, just open any message in that thread (as you did with the JC one) and hit 'Reply' in the blue bar at bottom right of the page.
 
If starting a new thread (topic), go to the full forum index ('MV Home' on the menu bar), choose a 'Category' and a 'Board' (for instance 'Music', the fifth one down) and click that. If there's already an open thread on your topic, select that from the list and use 'Reply', as above. Otherwise click 'Start New Thread' in the blue bar at top or bottom right.
 
Whichever route you take, your post will appear at the top of the unthreaded chronological 'Recent Posts' list in the 'Information Summary', or in the Short Form list.
 
But yes, C, B & S's must be the most sympathetic PA cover version ever. We should do more to raise awareness of the songs in today's musicmaking community.
 
Steve
 
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Stephen J Birkill
Kevin Cryan
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Re: Hill of Little Shoes
« Reply #27: 08.08.10 at 17:52 »
Quote

on 07.08.10 at 21:33, phil_smith wrote:
Oh dear, I fear my NT technology disability will mean this goes to the entirely wrong place. But......The version of "Hill Of Little Shoes" on the new CD by Coope, Boyes and Simpson is both magnificent and heartbreaking. Who ever said that a great cover could never be made of an Atkin/James song?

 
The BBC (Radio) Music reviewer, Laura Barton, whom I presume to be that clever columnist who features now regularly in the pages of The Guardian, liked the CBS cover of A Hill of Little Shoes enough to quote from it.  
 
Quote:
Barry Coope, Jim Boyes and Lester Simpson are masters of close-harmony vocal work — the rather technical definition which describes the kind of heart-stirring group singing that has been one of the most recognisable characteristics of the English folk tradition. They have sung with the Waterson-Carthy clan, and with the National Theatre, as well as releasing their own recordings in the near-20 years of their career as a trio.
 
As If… is their first record for five years and it shows the measure of their talent — running from covers such as Robert Burns’ The Slave’s Lament to the deep, steady sadness of Clive James and Pete Atkins’ A Hill of Little Shoes (sample lyric: “and every little shoe’s a foot that never grew another day”) to a closing answer to  The Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again (says Simpson: “They inspired me when I was at school, but now I have a more realistic view of the world”).
 
There is further new material here, too, and it is this which proves the most intriguing — the politically-charged Under a Stone and the satirical twinge of The Emperor’s New Clothes, to the close, warm, gentleness of Simpson’s composition, Haven. Even on the newer tracks, As If… offers music that is rich and deep and rousing in its familiarity.

 
The misplacement of the apostrophe I attribute to the sub-editor’s not knowing that Pete’s surname, unlike the surnames of Burns and James, does not end with an “s”.  Or it may be an forgivable mistake arising from the fact that since the apostrophe correctly comes after the "s" in Burns' case, and would have been placed correctly after the “s” in James' case had James' name been placed after, rather than before,  Arkin’s, the Akins’ – apostrophe after “s”- must be correct.
 
Kevin Cryan
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Ian Chippett
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Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #28: 08.08.10 at 19:58 »
Quote

Kevin wrote:
 
<<The misplacement of the apostrophe I attribute to the sub-editor’s not knowing that Pete’s surname, unlike the surnames of Burns and James, does not end with an “s”.>>
 
I think poor Pete is just condemned to having his name misspelt: I lent my next-door neighbour two of CJ's books which she loved and then today Pete's "Midnight Voices" compilation. "Ah, yes! He talks about Pete Aitkin in the Cambridge volume."
 
He's not alone, alas.
 
Ian Chipett/Chippet/Chippette
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Phil Smith
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Posts: 42
Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #29: 09.08.10 at 22:07 »
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Bring me the head of Clete Atkames! And enough of this! The use of the unnecessary apostrophe has already been the subject of an Iranian comedian's sketch, brings distress to all right thinking pedants, and who is this Cliff Richard on rhythm Rolling Stone pop records? And what has happened to Bill Bailey?
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Richard Bleksley
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Posts: 164
Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #30: 24.11.10 at 16:45 »
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Must be the longest gap between postings since I joined MV....
 
Sloth being officially one of the seven deadly sins, I am ashamed to say that I have only just caught up with Coope Boyes and Simpson's cover of A Hill of Little Shoes. I am not ashamed to say that I was totally blown away by it. I had actually heard of them before, so I had an idea of what to expect, but the reality exceeded expectations. Just brilliant, and must be, as has been said already, the finest cover of a CJ/PA song ever.
 
The whole album beckons.
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andyw
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Posts: 27
Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #31: 01.12.10 at 17:51 »
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Picture the scene – a very frosty Sunday night in Lancashire, where a small, but perfectly-formed audience has congregated in the small, but perfectly-formed Mellor Brook Community Centre.  After a brilliant opening set by the excellent Tom Doughty (http://www.tomdoughty.com/), the headline act is Coope, Boyes and Simpson, singing mainly from their “as if” CD.  So, I suspect quite a few people are for the first time exposed to the work of our heroes, through "A Hill Of Little Shoes".  As is always the case with CB&S, full and appropriate credit was given to the writers, so some more people know of Pete and Clive’s work – and “as if” CDs seemed to be selling.  Needless to say, "A Hill Of Little Shoes" was performed impeccably and was well-received – contributing to a wonderful night of music.
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Ian Ashleigh
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Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #32: 01.12.10 at 21:11 »
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This could cross 2 threads ...
 
I bought a copy of 'as if' for my brother who was listening to it in the car and as a result my 15 year old neice asked for it to be put on her i-pod
 
Quality will always out methinks
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Though he had no great gifts of personality or mind, he was quite well respected.
Pete Atkin
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Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #33: 09.02.11 at 09:46 »
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I'd had my fingers crossed for CB&S at the Radio 2 Folk Awards (they were nominated in both the Best Group and Best Album categories, if you hadn't noticed - and even if you had), so as far as I'm concerned crossing your fingers is now a thoroughly discredited technique.  I've had good results so far with always putting my left sock on first, but I can't avoid the feeling that disillusion lurks there too.   But anyway, two nominations in two such major categories constitute a considerable achievement, worthy of large congratulations.
 
And by the way, Clive and I have been paid a further compliment by Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow, more compactly known as O'Hooley and Tidow, who have also learned the song and added it to their current setlist.   They also operate under the No Masters banner.  You can find them at (surprise surprise) www.ohooleyandtidow.com.  Catch them if you can and give them all the encouragement they undoubtedly deserve.
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naomi
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Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #34: 09.02.11 at 22:17 »
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It's some challenge to endure singing Pete's and Clive's song - and for reasons that are entirely to the writers' credit. There are some songs whose power can be too much for a performer to bear. It's good to hear that this song is entering the mainstream repertoire of some who have faced that challenge.  
 
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Gerry Smith
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Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #35: 10.02.11 at 00:40 »
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I entirely agree that CB&S's cover of HoLS is outstanding. Wondering why they chose to slightly truncate it though. Seems to end a bit suddenly.  
 
But Naomi is right, the power of this piece is hard to understimate. My brother has made a copy of Winter Spring omitting the track as he finds it too upsetting to listen to.  
 
I like CB&S but prefer The Watersons in this style. A great verson of 'The Good Old Way' on YouTube: [url] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9qlI6hQYy0 [/url]
 
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Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #36: 10.02.11 at 09:15 »
Quote

Gerry wrote:  
<< My brother has made a copy of Winter Spring omitting the track as he finds it too upsetting to listen to.  >>
 
Exactly: I was sitting next to Gerry at Buxton back in 1998 when Clive "sang" this on stage and there was a tear in at least one eye present.
 
Ian C
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Ian Ashleigh
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Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #37: 11.02.11 at 22:51 »
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Following on from the serious tone of this posting:  
 
I find the song difficult to listen to but I am pleased that it was written and covered by CB&S and that it is being discussed.  And I do listen to a 3 versions that I own regularly.  
 
I have evidence that I lost family in Treblinka and I know that I lost others, I just haven't found them yet.  But I see my daughter, my neice and nephew and their friends and contemporaries now in their mid to late teens who did learn to tie their shoelaces and did grow tall and I am thankful that we have the freedom to write the song and discuss it.
 
The 3 versions are on Winter Spring, Live in Australia and the Coope Boyes & Simpson cover.
 
Shabbat shalom and peace be with you.
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Though he had no great gifts of personality or mind, he was quite well respected.
Douglas Fergus
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Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #38: 23.02.11 at 16:55 »
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Recently updated my profile following a period of absence from MV  Embarassed
(Thanks again Steve for your help!)
Perusing  the site I came across the various YouTube clips.
The film accompanying the Hill of Little Shoes cover is harrowing - in fact, I found it very upsetting.  
The caption at the end says it all; profoundly moving.
 
Douglas
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Cary
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Re: Hill of little shoes
« Reply #39: 23.02.11 at 23:02 »
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Also on Youtube "23rd January 2011. Belinda O'Hooley & Heidi Tidow performing Hill Of Little Shoes at Seasalt & Passion Cafe Bridlington" (though not credited to A & J .... not credited to anyone actually!)
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnVWHZ3wTFo
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