Someone introduced him to the records of various folk blues artists who nudged He occasionally practiced some songs, it wasn’t until he entered college that Years old he toyed with the ukulele because, as he put it, “I couldn’tĪfford a regular guitar at the time.” Although McTell has long been an avid player of stringed Incidentally, out of deep admiration that Ralph (May) selected Willie’s last Playing such tunes as “Cocaine Blues” or “Statesboro Blues” by Blind To be an excellent guitarist, demonstrating his instrumental abilities by His native country, England and he’s slowly emerging as a top name here inīesides being a fine songwriter, Ralph has proven “Nanna’s Song”, Ralph McTell, 32, is finally enjoying superstar status in Riding on the strength of two hit songs, “Streets of London” and And it is good to see hard work get itsĪrticle in Guitar Player magazine – August 1976 I just hope that the ballyhoo of chart success doesn'tīlind people to the fact that Ralph McTell is first and foremost a In this column last month, because his success may open doors for many I am delighted to see Ralph doing so well not onlyīecause he deserves his long-awaited recognition, but also, as I explained Greats and he's got a lot of time for John Martyn, a contemporary of hisįrom the club circuit days before their musical paths diverged. Has long rated his friend and mentor Bert Jansch as one of the all-time Such as Martin Carthy, Isaac Guillory, John James and Pete Berry man. Likes many of the more stylish players still to be seen in the folk clubs, Ralph has very few fixed ideas about guitar techniques. He also has a Zemaitas 12-string, a Danelectro, a big Martin Vintage 1954 Gibson 145, the instrument many of his best songs wereĬomposed on. Married to a J45 neck, though it has been modified so much that you'd On stage he plays a powerful black guitar, custom-made for That only years of nimble-fingered picking can develop. Other well-known singer/songwriter, playing with the ease and dexterity Spotlight, he uses the acoustic guitar more effectively than almost any That the guy out front couldn't manage.' Now that he's the one in the 'I used to sitīehind the curtain at the side of the stage, filling in the twiddly bits Olympia, though the audience wouldn't have known that. Spent a long time busking in London and Paris and even played at the Paris He learnt his trade as a guitarist well before the big step in 1967. Ralph has been fully professional for eight years now. Least be sure now that no-one's going to exploit or mismanage him into Real personal following in the clubs and the college circuit, he can at But having worked away for years to build up a very Was diffident about his talents and distrustful of the music business as a That it didn't do so is almost certainly the result of the fact that Ralph Technique to carry off tricky ragtime versions of songs like Hesitationīlues and Too Tight Rag as well as the slower ballads, we could notīelieve that the hit machine would fail to cotton on to him immediately. The face and personality of an engagingly amiable gangster and the guitar When I first opened a folk club, in 1968, Ralph wasĪlready a marketing man's dream. Shot to the top of the national pop charts, it brought with it all theĬomplications of instant stardom, though it should also have the effect ofįocusing attention on Ralph's other, often underrated, songs. Of London, the home-grown anthem of the folk-clubs which Ralph originally But the release of the new single version of Streets Relaxed after a tough concert tour and obviously hoping for a quiet, Sammy Mitchell's impeccable bottleneck playing. When I saw Ralph McTell before Christmas he was standingĪt the back of the Half Moon Folk Club in Putney, admiring his old mate
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