John Martyn
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John Martyn – John The Baptist
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Biography
(1948 – 2009)
He grew up in Glasgow and attended Shawlands Academy. John Martyn moved to London from Glasgow in the mid 1960s. He made his initial recorded impact in 1967, at the age of 19, with his debut album London Conversation. He then quickly became an integral part of the British music scene, incorporating folk, blues, and jazz into his unique sound.
In the late 60s to early 70s he was close friends with Nick Drake, for whom he wrote the song
Solid Air. The album of the same name remains an extremely moving album, as does the later Grace And Danger which documents his divorce from his wife Beverley with whom he recorded several albums (as John & Beverley Martyn). During the 70s John lived in Hastings on the South Coast of England. Whilst in Hastings he released, amongst others, the Live at Leeds album which he sold from his own house. Also during his time in Hastings John tried to help Paul Kossoff put his life back together.
A long held alcohol problem didn’t prevent Martyn from releasing twenty-two albums. In 2003 he contracted an infection that resulted in the amputation of part of a leg, an episode documented in the 2004 BBC documentary “Johnny Too Bad”. He recovered, however, and continued to play, record and tour. In 2008, he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Folk Awards. He has influenced many songwriters and guitarists and is an artist whose stature only grows with time.
Top Tracks
Top Albums
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Solid Air
116,509 listeners33 tracks
Released:
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London Conversation
16,857 listeners13 tracks
Released:
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May You Never - The Very Best Of John Martyn
9,471 listeners30 tracks
Released:
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The Church With One Bell
8,102 listeners10 tracks
Released:
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HoratioOornblow
found The Apprentice in a record store in London. pretty cool stuff
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sproaty
I saw him when I was about 8...unfortunately didn't appreciate fully, but remember it was awesome!
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Otomo72
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mutinyonark
so many good varied albums. tragically underrated in terms of his peers
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WalkingMirror
I have never bothered posting in here, because no amount of petty, overused superlatives could do John Martyn justice. In my head, his music exists on an entirely different plane to the rest of my library.
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iliveinthewoods
Solid Air is so smooth
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gui_x
rest in peace
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TeenageRiot-
I never bothered listening to Grace and Danger until today. It could become one of my favourite albums.
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TongueInAspic
the man
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fergalmc
Small Hours is a thing of beauty. [2]
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TeenageRiot-
Small Hours is a thing of beauty.
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Akayz7
his Phil Collins albums are grand. :D
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Julian1074
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohmSPv-rtSQ.A classic with Danny Thompson on bass.
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minuszeroLastFM
similar artists are British folk, looks good to me :)
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nixhex4311
How is Tim Buckley not a "similar artist?"
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minuszeroLastFM
I think I'm in love with this man ;)
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west-wing
He's incredible. Sad way to die. But I'm glad that musically I discovered him.
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anjski
"eibhli ghail chiuin chearbhail" works like an ethereal brain waves oscillator
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DanielAdams00
He drank himself to death, but he finished strong, leaving his legacy and music to marvel at.
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d1lll1nger
Great!
All 339 shouts
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