Also of note: Update re Susan de Muth's What Lovely Weather! next batch of performances (*The first performance of said play which was held at The Barbican Centre, Silk St., London on July 15 2010): Susan will be directing the English premiere performance of Andre Breton, Benjamin Peret and Robert Desnos' "un-performable" 1923 surrealist play Comme il fait Beau! (
2) Last week, I (RH) kindly received the following exclusive review of Tymon's July 6th's Blake Soceity ‘Burning Bright’ night gig courtesy of the Blake Society's Will Easton (cheers, Will!): "Tymon Dogg and his colleagues brought their stage show ‘Burning Bright’ to the monthly Blake Society meeting on 6th July, 2010 held at the City of Westminster Archives Centre in central London just off Parliament Square. They transformed a dry archive into an atmospheric auditorium with the use of stage lighting. The evening was very well attended and the performances much appreciated by the audience, the majority of which was made up of regulars at Blake meetings, some less frequently seen faces and fans of Tymon Dogg and his co-performers. Mr Dogg performed a selection of songs from the stage show, which is set to encompass holograms, puppetry and pyrotechnics in future performances. Tymon introduced a musical instrument of his own creation, a Tetra-Harp that he plays standing up, pressed against his torso. As with his guitar playing, the songs were accompanied by finger- picking rather than the strumming of strings. China Fish supported Susan de Muth on singing duties. Tymon’s own voice seemed ideally suited to the rendition of Blake’s songs which deal with the notions of ‘Innocence’ and its more worldly counterpart ‘Experience’. These contrary states were well expressed by the silks and steels of Tymon’s voice. Tymon sung and played his own original musical settings of two of Blake’s poems that deal with the lamentable social positions and treatment of children in Blake’s London at the end of the 18th Century in ‘The Chimney Sweeper’ and ‘The Little Vagabond’. The performance closed with a fine rendition of Blake’s most popular poem, from which the show’s name ‘Burning Bright’ is taken, ‘The Tyger’. Blake’s poems, which are widely thought to have been sung by Blake himself, though the tunes are now lost, were set in context by Tymon and Susan de Muth who made some interesting interpretations of poem-songs like The Divine Image in light of Blake’s biography. The suggestions were often based on Blake’s earliest biography by Gilchrist, and included the assumption that the 18th century women’s rights campaigner Mary Wollstonecraft may be the Mary of Blake’s poem of that name (and who, it has been proposed, may even have had an intimate relationship with Blake who attended the same dinner parties) who probably inspired Blake to think about sexual liberation and the roles of women in the late 1780s and early 1790s, an interest most visible in his illustrated poems The Book of Thel (1789) and Visions of the Daughters of Albion (1793). The latter poem looks at colonial, Negro slavery and slavery’s relationship to the roles of some white women in 18th Century England. Blake also believed that individual psychologies could be enslaved by ‘mind-forg’d manacles’, and emancipated, and that his broader society had become enslaved to a philosophy of the five senses, to the exclusion of other beliefs. Heather Fish engagingly read Blake poems unaccompanied throughout the evening and assisted Susan and Tymon in fielding questions from the audience at the end of the performance; this helped to define the persuasive sense of Blake that Tymon and his colleagues have developed and express in ‘Burning Bright’." - For information regarding the Blake Society's future events, and in general, please visit their official website, here: http://www.blakesociety.org/.
3) Still on all things Wiliam Blake, here is Tymon performing a musical version of Blake's "The Chimney Sweep", live on BBC RADIO MERSEYSIDE's On The Beat programme, August 29th, 2009 (On The Beat © BBC): WILLIAM BLAKE - THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER (1794)
A little black thing among the snow
Crying "weep! 'weep!" in notes of woe!
"Where are thy father and mother? say?"
"They are both gone up to the church to pray.
Because I was happy upon the heath,
And smil'd among the winter's snow,
They clothed me in the clothes of death,
And taught me to sing the notes of woe.
And because I am happy and dance and sing,
They think they have done me no injury,
And are gone to praise God and his Priest and King,
Who make up a heaven of our misery.
* Tymon appeared as a guest, hosted by old friend Spencer Leigh. Other guest featured were renowned sessions musicians (and ex Plastic Ono Band members) Klaus Voorman and Alan White. For more information regarding such, please see the August 31st, 2009 post here on this fan site.
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1) Track listing: Bitter Thoughts Of Little Jane / Rambling Boy / Now She Says She's Young / Travelling Man / Something New Every Day / Who Needs A King / Cochon / Coming To Meet / Velvet Stella / Battle Of Wills / Low Down Dirty Weakness / Locks And Bolts And Hinges / Legal Thief / Once You Know / Neck of The Ox / Something To Prove / Cold Wind Blows / Oil (2007) / Guantanamo (2007) / Travelling Man Re-Visited (2009) -Acoustic With Piano / Lose This Skin Acoustic Version. - The Irrepressible Tymon Dogg: A Collection 1968 to Date: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irrepressible-Tymon-Dogg-Collection-1968/dp/B003EH3J6I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1271073091&sr=1-1. |
3) That forthcoming album (?) by Tymon and former 101'ers / PiL drummer Richard Dudanski will apparently be titled, 1973. As previously mentioned here on the site, the release will consist of re-recordings of various original Tymon tunes penned during the 1970's. All such tunes were initially recorded with Dudanski at GrabaGrabaHey! studios in Las Negras, Spain last summer (UK). For a preview listen to two tunes from this project ('You've got that I don't care look...', and 'Appearances'), please visit Tymon's official Myspace profile at: http://www.myspace.com/tymondoggandthequikening. 4) An interesting article / post regarding Tymon and The Clash, circa the group's 1981 Combat Rock sessions in New York, can be found via American music producer, author and photographer Hank O'Neal's official website, here (see last paragraph for Tymon): http://hankonealphoto.com/blog/2010/06/23/103-joe-mick-and-allen-at-electric-ladyland.html. PAST NEWS: On Tuesday July 6th, 2010 (UK), Tymon performed various new songs from his and wife Susan de Muth's forthcoming William Blake musical project Liberty Boy - the Seven Trials of William Blake, at the The City of Westminster Archives Centre (10 St. Ann’s Street, London) as part of The Blake Society's 'Burning Bright In Concert' night.
June 1st - 30th, 2010
UPDATE! (16/06/2010) - I) Tymon Dogg and wife Susan de Muth's 2010 book-cd hybrid project, Louis Aragon's A Wave of Dreams (1924) (see below), is now also available for sale direct from the book's publisher, Thin Man Press, here: www.thinmanpress.com (*if thinking of purchasing said book, please do so via said site as they take less than Amazon). It has also been announced that there will be a launch night for this publication on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 at London's RED Gallery 1-3 Rivington Street, Hoxton EC1 (Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) - a flyer of which is featured below (and for two more gigs in July, please see below): - The THIN MAN PRESS website now has five MP3 samples from the book (inc. In the Eyes of Every Woman / Trancers / Hunters / Dreams, dreams, dreams / Surrealists and The City), plus two preview pages available to read in .pdf form: http://www.thinmanpress.com/A_Wave_of_Dreams_SAMPLE.1.pdf + http://www.thinmanpress.com/A_Wave_of_Dreams_SAMPLE.2.pdf. II) Two new Tymon Dogg tunes ('You've got that I don't care look...', and a reworking of an old 1977 'Fools'-era 'Appearances'), are now available to listen to for free on Tymon's official myspace profile at: http://www.myspace.com/tymondoggandthequikening. Both tunes were recorded with former 101'ers/Fools/PiL/ drummer Richard Dudanski in Spain circa summer 2009 (UK). III) Tymon (as 'Step Murray') has also recently written some film music for English director Nichola Bruce's forthcoming documentary feature film about the Apollo moon landings, Moonbug (2009/2010). The The's singer/songwriter/frontman Matt Johnson also provides music for said film. For further information, please see: http://nicholabruce.com/moonbug.html.
1) Tymon Dogg and wife Susan de Muth's new A Wave of Dreams book and CD project (previously mentioned here last update) is now available to purchase online from Amazon.co.uk (see link below). The book, published by Thin Man Press, features Susan's complete (64 page) 2010 English translation of French Surrealist author Louis Aragon's classic prose-poem-essay Une vague de rêves (1924), with Tymon providing the musical accompaniment (on violin, piano, electric guitar, synthesizer, chinese shawm, tambura, drums, and tetraharp) to five of eight spoken word text extracts read by Scottish actor Alex Walker (www.alex-walker.info/) in an accompanying CD (to feature inside said book) - the other three extracts featuring sole musical accompaniment by English musician (and one-time 'Quikening' drummer / percussionist) Alex Thomas. Below are two brief edited excerpts from the project - ' In the Eyes of Every Woman' and 'Hunters' - courtesy of Tymon and Susan, along with a sample of the cover art (printed on a cream-coloured card). The other three tracks by Tymon, inc. ' Let in the Infinite', ' Dreams, dreams, dreams', and 'Surreality'. *CD produced by Indeed Productions, and mastered by Third Eye Productions. Susan de Muth (June 2010 email): "This is a first for Tymon to work with literary texts and marks a new departure (though he's still making his own music - loads of it!). The music he has made takes the listener on a compelling, almost hallucinatory journey down the 'hawthorned by-ways' of the young French surrealists inner adventures." - A Wave of Dreams (1924, 2010): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wave-Dreams-Louis-Aragon/dp/0956247318.
- Music © Tymon Dogg. Text by Louis Aragon (A Wave of Dreams, 1924), translated by Susan de Muth. |
2) The first ever Tymon Dogg 'song collection', The Irrepressible Tymon Dogg: A Collection 1968 to Date, is unfortunately currently held up by Universal/Threshold negotiations hence its slight delay (previously advertised on Amazon.co.uk and other online CD retailers for release May 31 2010). Further information regarding just when indeed the set will be available to purchase will hopefully soon be added here. The RPM Records' Cherry Red / Rev-ola label 21 track set chronicles Tymon's 40+ year music career, spanning 1968 to present day (2010). It should be further noted that this set will feature two extremely rare, previously unreleased Apple Records recordings Tymon made in 1968 as 'Timon': 'Something New Every Day' and 'Who Needs A King').
- The Irrepressible Tymon Dogg: A Collection 1968 to Date: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irrepressible-Tymon-Dogg-Collection-1968/dp/B003EH3J6I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1271073091&sr=1-1.
April 15th, 2010
UPDATE! (15/04/2010) - The first ever Tymon Dogg 'song collection' is finally here! The collection in question, The Irrepressible Tymon Dogg: A Collection 1968 to Date, (released on RPM Records' Cherry Red / Rev-ola label) will be available on CD May 31 2010 from Amazon.com, and other noted online music retailers. The 21 track set chronicles Tymon's 40+ year music career, spanning 1968 to present day (2010). To pre-order the album, please visit the following Amazon.com link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irrepressible-Tymon-Dogg-Collection-1968/dp/B003EH3J6I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1271073091&sr=1-1. |
The track listing for this collection is as follows: NOTES: "The Tymon Dogg story is really a tale of two Tymons. As Timon, he was a psychedelic pop troubadour who cut several beguiling singles in the late 60s, before disappearing forever from the pop scene that had shaped the style and sound of his early recordings. When he re-emerged several years later as Tymon Dogg he defiantly mixed folk, pop and world music influences into a distinctive and wholly uncompromising style that he pursues to this day. Initially groomed for pop stardom by the likes of the Beatles and Moody Blues, Tymon went on to record with the Clash in the 80s and was later a key member of Joe Strummer's Mescaleros. All the while he has also continued to pursue his idiosyncratic solo career. He is still making vital music perhaps some of his best to date - and playing shows with artists as diverse as Mick Jones¹ Carbon Silicon and ex-Libertine Pete Doherty. Lose This Skin: Tymon Dogg Selected tracks the fascinating journey of Tymon Dogg, from his 1967 Pye single Bitter Thoughts of Little Jane to his very latest recordings, including a 2009 remake of his Travelling Man which was first issued in 1970 as the b-side to the single he cut for the Moody Blues Threshold label. This, the first ever anthology of Tymon Dogg's work, is an essential document of the secret life of UK music yep, as essential as that!"
From The Blake Society's website: "Tymon Dogg has set seventeen of William Blake’s short poems to music and together with Susan de Muth is developing a theatrical spectacle around these songs - a selection of which Tymon will perform live tonight.
The theatrical project eschews a linear narrative, drawing instead on the stories and meaning within each song and finding in the whole an abstract philosophical narrative which captures Blake’s own perception of existence as ‘continually building, continually decaying’. As befits William Blake, the result is a new kind of theatre, an aural and visual celebration of the Imagination, encompassing many performance disciplines including puppetry, pyrotechnics, holograms and film.
‘We welcome the chance to share a selection of the songs with the Blake Society and to present a brief description of the theatrical event. Afterwards we look forward to your feedback and conversation.
’Tymon Dogg is a singer~songwriter whose career stretches over 40 years during which time he has collaborated with a wide variety of bands and individuals from the Moody Blues in the 60s to the Clash in the 80s; he was in Joe Strummer’s Mescaleros until the latter’s untimely death in 2002 and wrote the music for some of Strummer’s most significant songs. Tymon plays many instruments including violin, piano, guitar and a harp of his own invention. The Blake project represents an evolution in Tymon’s music, centred around strong melodies, touching on several genres from folk to classical whilst retaining his own - and Blake’s - peculiar integrity.
Susan de Muth is a writer & translator and has directed several theatre pieces including ‘The Greatest Ever dada Show’ which toured widely including Tate Modern and the Liverpool Biennale. Her translations include Mayakovsky, Louis Aragon and many Dada and surrealist texts."
For more information, please visit the official The Blake Society website at: www.blakesociety.org.
2) As with the new William Blake project, Tymon and Susan also have another project on the go involving the work of French Surrealist Louis Aragon. Said project involves Tymon providing the musical accompaniment to five extracts from Aragon's A Wave of Dreams (1924) (translated into English by Susan), read by Scottish actor Alex Walker (www.alex-walker.info/). Two brief edited excerpts from the project, 'In the Eyes of Every woman' and 'Hunters', are now featured below courtesy of Tymon and Susan. The other three tracks to feature inc. 'Let in the Infinite', 'Dreams', and 'Surreality'. All five tracks will be released inside the cover of the new book that is to be published by Thin Man Press (their very first publication) in May 2010.
Music © Tymon Dogg. Text by Louis Aragon (A Wave of Dreams, 1924), translated by Susan de Muth.
- Also of note: Susan de Muth will be directing a performance of Andre Breton, Benjamin Peret and Robert Desnos' "un-performable" 1923 surrealist play What Lovely Weather at London's The Barbican arts centre on July 15th, 2010. The centre will be hosting a massive surrealist exhibition from June - September, and Susan's play will be the first show as part of her Greatest Ever Dada Show (GEDS)'s revival. A Wave of Dreams narrator Alex Walker will be one of the actors from her group.
For more information please visit the www.theatreoftheabsurd.co.uk.
3) Tymon's 1971 single And Now She Says She's Young is to feature on a new Various Artists CD compilation by RPM's Cherry Red Records, titled Lovers From The Sky: Pop Psych Sounds From The Apple Era 1967-1969. The compilation is set for release 25/03/10, and will be Volume 4. in Cherry Red's successful series exploring the archive of songs and songwriters once signed to The Beatles' Apple Music label. For more information please see the new COMPILATIONS on this site, or visit the official Cherry Red Records website at: www.cherryred.co.uk.
- Also now added to this site's new 'Compilations' section are the following CD compilations: Lovers From The Sky: Pop Psych Sounds From The Apple Era 1967-1969 (2010), Ram Cafe 2 - Lounge & Chillout (2007), Give Em The Boot Vol. IV (2004), Give Em The Boot Vol. III (2002), Black Hawk Down (OST) (2002), Les Inrockuptibles Presents Un Printemps / Ete 2001 (2001), and Birth of The Y (Plus) (2005).
4) Here are some memories regarding Tymon courtesy of an old '23 Chippenham Road' flatmate named Daniel Fanego (January 1st, 2010, email):
"Between 75 and 78 I was lucky to be living in 23 Chuppenham Road, a house full of such lovely people, all freaks, but we never liked the term, anyway, in those days Tymon had a very special look, half of his head had long hair, the other half bald, also his moustache was in half! He was starting a band in those days, and we have some talks about it, but nothing happens because I was going to India. London was and is a place of creativity, you could not be still and do nothing. I was also working at That Tea Room (a vegetarian Tea Room) owned by Dave, Jane was also working there, Monica too, all people from 23, me too! We also did music festivals. (Glastonbury, where you did not have to buy a ticket!!! Stonehendge, with no fences!), also free, Gong was playing there too. And I was a musician back then and still I'm working my fingers to the bone."
- My apologies to Daniel for taking so long to post this comment.
*And, while we're saying our 'sorries', I must apologise to English singer-songwriter Jonathan Martin for not having information regarding his 2009 4-track EP No.1 (which Tymon helped provides the violin accompaniment on single This Is Only Me) up on the RELATED PROJECTS page until today. I had added such info previously (late 2009?), but for some reason it simply disappeared somewhere along the way of which I've only just released. Again, sorry about this Jonathan, I wish you all the best with release of your forthcoming full-length debut album This Is Only Me (With Friends). :)
5) Added another old Tymon gig (September 5th / 6th, 1981 - FUTURAMA 3 - New Bingley Hall (Day 1 of 2), Stafford, UK) to the LIVE SHOWS page.
6) Mp3 samples of the following Tymon songs have now been removed (for the time being?), they include: "The Bitter Thoughts of Little Jane", "And Now She Says She's Young", "Cochon" and "Cold Wind Blows".
7) Added to the MESCALEROS page entries for three film Soundtracks feat. Tymon-era Mescaleros tracks: Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten (2007), Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005), and Black Hawk Down (2002).
December 25th, 2009
Well, that's that for another year... My thanks to everyone who has helped out with this site in some way throughout the year/s, and I hope you all have a great Christmas day, break, etc. All the best in the New Year, and please do keep an eye out for further Tymon-related goodies in the near future - such as... Susan de Muth (8/12/2009): "Tymon has had an incredibly productive year writing new material and recording. Two new projects are ready but still under wraps...one is a completely new departure and sees Tymon embarking in a very different direction musically. Wishing everyone all the best for 2010!" |
- Also added the following bits & pieces for one last post of the year: I) Added to the following to the VIDEO page: - Three Tymon-related excerpts from Julien Temple's 2007 Joe Strummer documentary, The Future Is Unwritten. - The 'Mondo Bongo' dance scene feat. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie from 2005's Mr. & Mrs. Smith. II) Update information (on various pages) regarding Ellen Foley's 1981 LP SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS, and the fact that both the Tymon Dogg-penned "Beautiful Waste Of Time" and "Game of Men" were both released that same year as B-sides to singles: The Shuttered Palace (Epic EPC-9522) and Torchlight (Epic EPCA-1160), respectively. Then, in 1992, both B-sides (inc. the Tymon-penned "Indestructible") were featured on Ellen's 1992 Best-of... collection, The Very Best of Ellen Foley. II) 'Blixasrevenge' Blog excerpt regarding Tymon, by 'Ed from Moshachusetts' - (February 19th, 2009): "Tymon Dogg was and is one of the nicest people I've ever met; it was he who made sure I and another fan got a ride over to village bar where the after gig party ensued. Like Joe, he was a warm, friendly and approachable gentleman, who told me he had learned the music of "Minstrel Boy" while still in the womb, and I found myself frequently in his company, chatting as if with an old friend, over the ensuing night of singing, drinking and conversing. I will always look back on that time with warmth, affection and more than a little sadness." Original post: http://blixasrevenge.blogspot.com/2009/02/i-dreamed-i-saw-joe-strummer-last-night.html. II) Yet another "Lose This Skin" admirer, 'Tim' from http://www.theclashblog.com/tag/london-calling/ (September 24th, 2009): "Guest vocals by old Strummer cohort Tymon Dogg make this track as atypical of a Clash song as it gets. As a kid I’d tell my non-clash friends that the vocals were by the geyser from Rush, it worked a treat. Musically it was a rollercoaster of styles and brilliant drumming. A song that will make a non-Clash fan guess for hours – still a great party trick I enjoy. It did get a revival with Joe and The Mescaleros also!"
December 9th, 2009
- And, a final (?) Tymon-related memory for 2009, this time from Journalist Fetzer Mills, elaborating on his time with Tymon and Joe Strummer before a Mescaleros Seattle show in October 2001 (November 4th, 2009 - via email - thanks Fetzer, apologies for the delay!): "I don't have much to expand on it, but I felt kind of badly for Tymon. Meeting Joe was like meeting my evil twin, the type of person you feel like you've known forever and the feeling's mutual. Joe and I were just sort out of control and Tymon was the adult in the room. We'd been racing in those chairs before Joe got the idea to launch Tymon. I was so supposed to be conducting an interview and Joe was supposed to be giving them to a lot of journalists who were lined up outside the door waiting to interview him. They were who Joe wanted to launch Tymon into. Basically, we all pissed away the entire afternoon, then Joe sent the Mescalero's manager, Simon, to find me in the crowd after the show and he invited back to the dressing room. We hung out and stayed up all night because they had a flight out around 6:00 a.m. I liked Joe and Tymon a lot and life's too short to work with people you don't like, besides, Tymon's a musical genius." - For the original piece Fitzer is elaborating on, see the STORIES / MEMORIES section. |
October 22nd, 2009
Tymon's live performance of "Lose This Skin" at last year's (July 12th, 2008) Hasenschaukel club Woody Bash Festival in Hamburg, Germany, is now available on Hasenschaukel's new compilation CD of various material, Who Dropped The Needle? Live at Hasenschaukel (2009, Devil Duck Records DDuck030 / Indigo). The CD will be out in stores on October 16th, though can also be purchased via mailorder (for Euro 12 plus s&h.) through Hasenschaukel's email, here: siebzehn@hasenschaukel.de - or simply visit the official Hasenschaukel's website, here: http://www.hasenschaukel.de/. The 21-track CD also features the following: Bjorn Kleinhnez, Rue Royale, The WoWz, Kelly Stoltz, Gisbert Zu Knyphausen, Stanley Brinks, Russian Red, The Great Park, The Wave Pictures, Whip, Anais Mitchell, Southerly, Ching Chong Song and many more... A flyer of the CD, courtesy of Tan Le Raccon is featured below: For reviews / photos from the related Woody Bash Festival event, please visit the LIVE SHOWS or PHOTO GALLERY pages. |
October 14th, 2009
1) Tymon now has a new poem titled "The Vegan Has Landed", published in issue #3 of the free online 'news and culture' magazine, LA BOUCHE. For a free read of this poem, see the following link: http://www.labouchemag.com/issue-three.php?art=83. - Thoughts on the recent September 11th, 2009 George Tavern gig Tymon played can also found in the very same magazine, by Rose Mouton, here: http://www.labouchemag.com/issue-three.php?art=84. 2) Five photos of Tymon Dogg circa New York 1980 have now been added to the PHOTO GALLERY - 2 page courtesy of Solveig Wilder. Solveig: "He (Tymon) spoke to me after every show (circa New York, 1980) I attended and he was a perfect gentleman. I never saw him drink or drug or anything, and he never said a disparaging word about anyone. Trust me -- if I had any dirt, it would have been published by now! My only complaint is that I can't find a recording of my favorite tune -- Child of War." "I still consider him to be one of the greatest performers/singer/songwriters I've every seen! - Solveig." 3) Four video clips of Tymon and The Quikening performing live at the The 19th Annual Hastings Free Beach Concert back in August 4th 2007 have also been added to the VIDEO section. All four videos were shot by and uploaded to Youtube by member, Cert12com. Also added to this section is a video of Tymon performing 'Lose This Skin' at Carbon / Silicon's (Mick Jones & Tony James) Carbon Casino 3 night back in February 2008, uploaded to Youtube by member, joerip02. |
August 31st, 2009
UPDATE! (08/09/09) - A couple of new photos featuring Tymon chatting with musicians Klaus Voorman and Alan White (both formely of John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band) after Spencer Leigh's August 29th, 2009 BBC RADIO MERSEYSIDE On The Beat programme can now be found in the PHOTO GALLERY - 1 section, courtesy of Susan de Muth. My thanks to both Susan and Tymon for kindly sharing such photos. 1) Tymon 's next gig will be at Decima L!VE & La Bouche magazine's BRITAIN’S RUBBISH night at the (Mad) George Tavern, 373 Commercial Road, E1 0LA, on September 11th 2009 (8 till late). Other acts appearing on the night include: The Coolness (LIVE with their troop of page 3 girls!), Tricity Vogue and her Ukelele Caberet, The Fucks, Nova, and poetry by 'zine legend and poet lauriete', Steve Micalef. Also featured will be 'art' from Mark McGowan, Stephen Gill, Vicki Gold, cApStAn StRiNg, Paul Sakoilsky, Simon Ould, Mark Reeves, and David C West. DJs include Chaz John Ross, Be Bop Not Lula and many more... £5 entry. For further information, please visit the Official La Bouche magazine website at: www.labouchemag.com. 2) "Tymon played one of his new songs live on BBC Radio Merseyside last night - The Chimney Sweep (a setting of William Blake's poem). It was Spencer Leigh's show and fellow guests included the legendary bass player Klaus Voormann and Alan White (Yes drummer) who were the rhythm section of the Plastic Ono band and on Imagine, Jealous Guy etc. It was a magic show and those two guys had some amazing anecdotes as you can imagine. It is Beatles weekend in Liverpool at the moment. Tymon played the song with the violin accompanying his voice although it was originally composed to the piano. Everyone seemed to enjoy his startling performance." - On The Beat © BBC (To listen to the complete show, please visit the Official BBC Merseyside website here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0044p7l/On_the_Beat_29_08_2009/). WILLIAM BLAKE - THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER (1794)
A little black thing among the snow
Crying "weep! 'weep!" in notes of woe!
"Where are thy father and mother? say?"
"They are both gone up to the church to pray.
Because I was happy upon the heath,
And smil'd among the winter's snow,
They clothed me in the clothes of death,
And taught me to sing the notes of woe.
And because I am happy and dance and sing,
They think they have done me no injury,
And are gone to praise God and his Priest and King,
Who make up a heaven of our misery.
3) Here is Tymon performing "Lose This Skin" at Carbon Casino 3, February 1st, 2008 (footage by joerip02):4) Merrill Aldighieri's 2008/09 Tymon Dogg documentary 9 LIVES OF TYMON DOGG is still available on limited edition hand-made DVD, which can be purchased via Merrill's Official website at: http://artclips.free.fr/dvd.htm. |
2) Here is Tymon performing "Lose This Skin" at Carbon Casino 3, February 1st, 2008 (footage by joerip02):
3) Found the following Tymon-related comment by 'deedeedeextrovert', (July 2008):
"One of the most underrated musicians in all of music history - no lie. The only person (in my opinion) to completely stun in five consecutive decades - from the '60s "Bitter Thoughts Of Little Jane" to his extraordinary pre-punk indie release from 1976 "Outlaw One" to his great work with the Clash on "Sandinista!" and "Combat Rock" and his mind-blowing punky-Indian-Celtic take on Pop Group-styled politics on his Y label album "Battle Of Wills" and more. His unreleased Joe Strummer-produced album is a gem, his back-to-the-basics "Relentless" downright incredible, and his songs with Joe Strummer's Mescaleros tend to outshine Joe's own work. ("Minstrel Boy" was his idea and he's responsible for most of "Johnny Appleseed.) A new single, Guantanamo, is pretty fine too. There's a movie about him that's looking for distribution. And the b-side of the single you mentioned, "Indestructible," I rate as one of the best compositions of the 20th Century - it's in the style of a hymn and it's just sublime."
4) Merrill Aldighieri's 2008/09 Tymon Dogg documentary 9 LIVES OF TYMON DOGG is still available on limited edition hand-made DVD, which can be purchased via Merrill's Official website at: http://artclips.free.fr/dvd.htm.
July 17th, 2009
"I came back from recording with Tymon and went straight in to the production of a big classical music festival that has me sleeping 5 hours a night!!! Things are cooling off now thank gawd.... Yes, Tymon & I had a really great time at Graba Graba Hey! As you know, Tymon & Susan had rented a house in San Jose, Almeria for 6 weeks, so he could concentrate on his songwriting. He'd mentioned to me that he'd like to record some of the old songs that we'd played together back in the 70's with The 101'ers & the Fools, so I located a studio in that neck 'o the woods in Las Negras. Its owner/engineer "Cote" was brilliant, & we had the perfect atmosphere for the recording. We did 13 tracks in two days.... Tymon playing keyboards (or guitar) and a guide vocal, me on the drums. It was such fun. A real trip down memory lane, but in a strange way so actual. Probably down to fact that Tymon is such a performer. Every take was a "performance" as recording should be in my opinion. No drum clicks and maximum 3 or 4 takes each song. That way things stay fresh. Tymon has taken the files back to Uk where he'l add whatever instruments he thinks appropriate & mix it for release. We did most of the Fools' songs that were recorded on 4 track back in 77....Appearences, Sick as a dog, Cochon etc....plus other tunes of Tymon we used to play with The101'ers...." - And this, from June 24th, 2009, courtesy of GrabaGrabaHey! owner/engineer, Coté Fernández Bravo: "Tymon and Richard was here to record the drums of the new project. Amazing talent and very personal songs. They stay here for only two days and recorded 13 songs. They were happy with the result and for me has been a very rich experience." - GrabaGrabaHey! it is located in the heart of the Natural Park of Cabo de Gata - Níjar, in sunny Almeria. For further information, please visit www.grabagrabahey.com/. |
June 19th, 2009
UPDATE! (05/7/09) - I) A week or so ago, I received the following two rare and unreleased Timon-era tunes, "I Am Not Important" and "Who Are You", courtesy of Clive Armitage. My thanks to Clive for kindly passing on such tunes. "I thought you'd be interested to know that he went into a studio near Las Negras to record some of his songs from the 1970s that have never been recorded before; Richard Dudanski, who was the drummer of the 101ers, the Fools (with Tymon) and PiL, did the percussion. They ended up getting about 13 songs down. It sounds really great. It'll be an album, I'll let you know more in the next couple of weeks. He also got a lot done on the new project while in Spain so we should be seeing at least two new records released in the next few months." |
2) Also, Tymon looks set to appear in a new documentary about the Clash called The Last Days of the Clash. Susan: "He (Tymon) is being interviewed right now in San José for a new documentary about the Clash called 'The Last Days of the Clash'. Tymon played piano on the last track they ever recorded together as a band - Death of a Star." - GrabaGrabaHey! it is located in the heart of the Natural Park of Cabo de Gata - Níjar, in sunny Almeria. For further information, please visit www.grabagrabahey.com/. 3) Via the following link you can find footage of Tymon performing live on stage with English singer-songwriter Jonathan Martin and his band, Katjam (Part Deux). The gig - Jonathan's No.1 EP launch - was held at The Crypt club in Hastings, East Sussex, England on February 1st, 2009: http://www.tymondogg.net/gpage32.html. - Tymon also plays violin on Jonathan's "This Is Only Me" (shortlisted for a National Songwriters Award), as featured on the recently released No.1 EP. For more information regarding this release (and for a listen of "This Is Only Me"), please visit Jonathan Martin's Official myspace.com page at: http://www.myspace.com/thisisonlymemusic. My thanks to both Janette and Jonathan for the use of the clip and for keeping me up to scratch with what's what of late. And more lyrics... (All lyrics © Tymon Dogg): TYMON DOGG - ONCE YOU KNOW - Once You Know © Tymon Dogg.
May 3rd, 2009
UPDATE! (25/5/09) - Received the following brief message from Tymon's wife Susan de Muth on May 21st, 2009: "Tymon is going into a studio here (Spain) with ex-PiL, 101ers, Fools drummer Richard Dudanski to record some previously unrecorded material in June (all being well). Will keep you posted. He is back in UK for a week or so but I haven't forgotten your interview, will try to do it a.s.a.p.". 1) A slow 'news' year folks, though good news is Tymon is indeed currently working on a whole new batch songs both in the England and Spain, and further word on such music will be added to this site when available. A possible new 'Q & A' feature with Tymon may also happen over the month or so also, so stay tuned!
2) For those interested, there is now an excellent free online 'news and culture' magazine called La Bouche at www.labouchemag.com. La Bouche Issue #1 features various topics of interest, including: political articles, art features, fiction, poetry, and exclusive interviews with the likes of Pete Doherty, John Cooper-Clarke, Mark MacGowan, John Sinclair, The Dead Kids and more. The young lady behind the zine in question has published this debut issue via her own funds and such an endeavor is therefore all the more impressive for it. I highly recommend this great new ongoing site for those interested in experiencing both an engrossing and informative read. For more information regarding La Bouche and its future issues, please visit the site's website as listed above.
3) Merrill Aldighieri's 2008/09 Tymon Dogg documentary 9 LIVES OF TYMON DOGG is still available on limited edition hand-made DVD, which can be purchased via Merrill's Official website at: http://artclips.free.fr/dvd.htm.
Some more lyrics (All lyrics © Tymon Dogg): TYMON DOGG - BATTLE OF WILLS
It's a battle of wills!
between a child and a man
One wants control of the other one's soul and have no control of their own
It's a battle of wills!
and we appear to be slaves
As if the Russians and the Yanks are gonna dictate the way we behave
So you go exchanging a hungry mouth for a hungry heart and a hungry soul is almost bought
and the world tries to cover its eyes from the light while battle of wills carries on into the night
It's a battle of wills!
and anything goes
It doesnt matter whats true anything will do if nobody knows
It's a battle of wills!
between two false spies
And they both forget what it is and forget who they are
and why they got into a war
Well its not in the interest of the moon
to warm the sun to rise too soon
The reflections all-shining at night
But it'll be hardly seen by the day's new light
It's a battle of wills!
and the tide lose their hearts
It's not a question of right but who wins the fight
and they're defending the dark
It's a battle of wills!
and two shadows steal
But at the end of the day none will get their way
'cause they'll both find out they're not real
It's a battle of wills!!!
- Battle of Wills © Tymon Dogg. |
March 27th, 2009
1) "Tymon and Susan were here (Granada, Spain) the last weekend. We were in a flamenco concert on Saturday night and Sunday morning we were with a friend of mine who is a piano concertist. Tymon played his new songs on piano for us and, man, the stuff is fantastic! The new record will be basically on piano. Really great. Tymon is coming again to Spain next May. He and Susan will spend two month of holidays in San José (Almería), the same place Joe Strummer used to be."
2) Further word on Tymon's recent guest spot supporting UK singer-songwriter Pete Doherty (The Libertines, Babyshambles) at Leas Cliff Hall (The Leas) in Folkestone, Kent, England on March 20th (turns out, support also included Wolfman and Mick Whitnall): GLAMCHOPS1 - last.fm - March 25th, 2009: "Considering he was a support act, he was quite well received amongst both the old and young members of the audience. I think it is the first time in which i saw a support act get no boos whatsoever from the crowd. He performed 4 songs on the violin first, before doing a few more on guitar. He did 'Something to Prove', 'Oil' and might have also done 'Guantanamo' and 'The Wheel of Life and Death' as well. Can't be sure. Would see him again if he came back down here." CUT-WINGS - last.fm (March 23rd, 2009): "The support act was some guy playing folksy tunes on Violin and I later I found out that he is Tymon Dogg. At first I think the crowd didn't really know what to make of the bizarre singing and rhythmic playing but in the end it became a whimsical introduction to Pete. I don't think anyone could deny that the guy was talented, even if it was unexpected." SUSAN DE MUTH (March 21st, 2009 email): "Last night Tymon supported Pete Doherty at Folkestone Lees Cliff Hall which was fun. Pete's young audience seemed to like Tymon's stuff a lot. A whole new generation to discover work new to them. The only problem was that, being Tymon, he didn't say who he was...just got up and did a solo set with the violin and guitar then wandered off! I'll send you something more detailed for your site later if you like... got some pics but very bad lighting." The gig, as I understand, was one the 12 Uk dates of Pete Doherty's current Solo tour.
3) Found another version of Tymon's performance of "Mondo Bongo" at Strummercamp 2007, courtesy of 'Pete' (http://www.myspace.com/90479189) via myspace.com:
- Pete has promised further footage from that special night in May '07, which I hope will soon be available to post here.
4) One very important aspect of Tymon's music that I have overlooked or not featured enough (basically any...) of is, is his unmatched way with the written word, ie. his lyrics. I have not concentrated on this particular aspect of his work for various reasons, though hope to in future as it is indeed one of the great qualities of the man. Over the next few weeks I plan to work on transcribing a bunch of his songs, and ask whoever reads this - be it a fan or someone who may care to lend a hand - for your help in transcribing any of Tymon's songs' lyrics for inclusion on this site. Your help in this would be very much appreciated as my previous attempts (as evident in the bunch of sheet music transcriptions I had done a year or so ago) have been somewhat off. There is without fail, at least one or two phrases Tymon sings that always stumps me; I don't know how or why, but it happens. Therefore, any help with this would be very welcome, thank you. Second day of lyrics... featuring a Tymon song from 1990, yet to be released, called "Wishing Cavalry". My thanks to Tymon and Susan for kindly passing on these lyrics for inclusion on the site: TYMON DOGG - WISHING CAVALRY
We are locked into our hearts
we have to talk in camoflage
softly softly through the walls
we cannot make ourselves too large
the seeds of knowledge thrown away
by a world that's out to play
we'll do the work and get no pay
we're the Wishing Cavalry
Some can give their love for free
the seeds of that have come to be
they may not appear to rule this world
but they grow the soul that guides each turn.
Temptation's endless money begs
and fame and fortune run on legs
we do the work that's measureless
we're the Wishing Cavalry
Some artists leave their bloody marks
the slaves of business turn to art
there it hangs upon the wall
50 million quids worth that's all
The trails of yearning stretch so far
the eyes cannot believe their sight
big is small and small is big
and weakness often looks like might
we have to travel through this rage
our only payment looks like age
but we're fresh as every moment can be
we're the Wishing Cavalry
We dream this world
into its mould
we dream the loss we dream the gold
we're the ones who are hard to see
we're the Wishing Cavalry
- Wishing Cavalry © 1990, Tymon Dogg. |
February 26th, 2009
1) "The gig went Great considerin' the blizzard and a couple of other gigs near by. Tymon was Superb, as usual! As was Pete and Donna And of course, the rest of KATJAM! It took David (our keyboardist) 'till 6 in the mornin' to get back to London (as my family!), But yeah... It went well. I've been sent a few shots and should receive the DVD of the night later, there's a few stills from the film we salvaged too!." Assistant to Jonathan Martin, Janette Monteith-Crawford (email excerpt, February 19th, 2009): "The chemistry between Jonathan with Tymon on board was nothing short of brilliant, truly exciting. If this is my introduction to the scene, I can't wait for more. I find myself hungry for Jon's yet unreleased LP's so that I can play them over and over, rather than being restricted to hearing a few tracks on his myspace. KATJAM is a great cohesive band and complement each other really well - there's an easiness as well as professional 'feel' about them. A band 'without ego' which is what Jon was aiming for."
2) One very important aspect of Tymon's music that I have overlooked or not featured enough (basically any...) of is, is his unmatched way with the written word, ie. his lyrics. I have not concentrated on this particular aspect of his work for various reasons, though hope to in future as it is indeed one of the great qualities of the man. Over the next few weeks I plan to work on transcribing a bunch of his songs, and ask whoever reads this - be it a fan or someone who may care to lend a hand - for your help in transcribing any of Tymon's songs' lyrics for inclusion on this site. Your help in this would be very much appreciated as my previous attempts (as evident in the bunch of sheet music transcriptions I had done a year or so ago) have been somewhat off. There is without fail, at least one or two phrases Tymon sings that always stumps me; I don't know how or why, but it happens. Therefore, any help with this would be very welcome, thank you. I guess I'll start with a newie (as yet unreleased, though can be heard/viewed on the 9 LIVES OF TYMON DOGG DVD - see "Documentary" page): TYMON DOGG - CONSCIENCE MONEY
Seen it on the TV
What a feast for eyes
Someone had a conscience
What a surprise!
Got me over dinner
Twinge in my heart
Made me realise
It's time to start
Conscience money
Conscience money
I made a million
Throw a penny back
Give 'em a crumb from your bursting sack
When they drank champagne
They offer them the fizz
That's conscience money
We all know it is!
- Conscience Money © Tymon Dogg.
CONSCIENCE MONEY
- 9 Lives of Tymon Dogg excerpt © 2007/2009, Merrill Aldighieri. |
February 9th, 2009
1) Several new photos (shot by Susan de Muth, and featuring Tymon) from singer-songwriter Jonathan Martin's February 1st 2009 No.1 E.P launch night at Hastings' The Crypt, have now been added to the PHOTO GALLERY - 1 section. My thanks to Susan de Muth. If anyone caught the show and would like to share some thoughts about it for the site, please contact me at dogginfo@gmail.com - thanks. Also, a quick word from Susan about the night: "Considering the blizzards and the fact it was a Sunday night here were a good few people there and everyone enjoyed it. Donna Terenzi, a local singer-songwriter, supported Jon with a strong voice and great material. The pics are not great because of the lack of lighting and also they had a dry ice machine (!)." 2) Yesterday, I was lucky enough to chance upon a previously unknown cover of Tymon's "Lose This Skin" classic, by Tymon fan and indepedent musician, Christopher Van Epps. Chris's cover appears on his own non-profit Downloadable B-sides compilation, Side Effects, available here: http://www.cvanepps.com/music/index.html Chris: "I always liked LTS and thought it was a standout on Sandinista. My vocal performance on the cover is a bit more mainstream but I think it works, in an alt-country/pop sensibility sort of way. These are new tunes (mostly covers) that I didn't want to bother getting the legal clearance to place on the retail CDs (because I'm a lazy bastard) or because I felt the performance wasn't up to snuff.." "I'm trying to remember the details of seeing Tymon on Uncle Floyd, but not too much is coming up from the depths of memory and time. It must have been on sometime between December 81 and late January 82 because I remember watching the show in the apartment in Brooklyn I lived in between those dates. My roommate and I often watched the show. Tymon came on and we were both struck by the unique-ness of his act - a guy singing solo with a violin - and his high, warbly voice and onstage intensity - very contained kind of nervous energy, very compelling. I don't know which of us said it but he reminded both of us of Loudon Wainwright III, his very early stuff - a similar high voice and the same kind of onstage presence. He played Lose This Skin, of course. Uncle Floyd often had guests lip-synch - I recall seeing Squeeze laughing their way through a lip-synch performance of Black Coffee in Bed - but I am pretty sure Tymon played live. "Wish I could remember more. I forgot about him for some years - I didn't know he had an association with The Clash as I was not a big fan of them at the time and didn't have any of their albums. I was reminded of him years later, in the late 80s or early 90s - I was in a band with the violinist in Camper Van Beethoven, and he launched into Lose This Skin at one of our rehearsals. I asked him about it a few days ago; he never saw Tymon play and says he learned the song off one of his records or maybe off Sandinista, doesn't remember anymore."
5) Sample artwork for Merrill Aldighieri's 9 LIVES OF TYMON DOGG doco DVD (now available, see DOCUMENTARY page) can also be found below: |
January 26th, 2009
1) On Sunday the 1st of February 2009 (UK), Tymon will be appearing at the launch of singer-songwriter Jonathan Martin's No.1 E.P. located at The Crypt (Havelock Road, HASTINGS). Other guests on the night will include Pete Burden and singer/songwriter Donna Terenzi - plus D.J.'s Dr. Reuben and Richard D. Doors open at 8:00pm. JM's 4 track E.P will also be handed out upon entrance for £5. Advance tickets are available at The Street in for £4 (you will recieve the E.P. on the night). JM's myspace.com page: http://www.myspace.com/thisisonlymemusic - All the best on the night!
2) Below, you will find both a new 'trailer' for Merrill Aldighieri's 9 LIVES OF TYMON DOGG documentary, and a short excerpt from the film, featuring Tymon performing a solo rendition of his Joe Strummer tribute tune, "Planty John Mellor". To purchase the DVD, visit Merrill's Official website at: http://artclips.free.fr/dvd.htm. TRAILER 2
- 9 Lives of Tymon Dogg excerpt © Merrill Aldighieri. PLANXTY JOHN MELLOR
- 9 Lives of Tymon Dogg excerpt © Merrill Aldighieri. |
January 11th, 2009
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'Happy New Year Everybody. Here (above) is where you can now find my new film with Tymon Dogg available on DVD, cranked out one by one with loving care! Best wishes" - Merrill Aldighieri. 1) Tymon will apparently next be appearing at the launch of singer-songwriter Jonathan Martin's No.1 EP. located at The Crypt (Havelock Road, HASTINGS), on Sunday the 1st of February 2009 (UK). Other guests on the night will include Pete Burden and singer/songwriter Donna Terenzi - plus D.J.'s Dr. Reuben and Richard D. Doors open at 8:00pm. JM's Jonathan 4 track No.1 E.P will also be handed out upon entrance for £5. Advance tickets available at 'The Street' in the new year for £4 (recieve the E.P. on the night). JM's myspace.com page: http://www.myspace.com/thisisonlymemusic. 2) Received the following messages with regards to Tymon Dogg, from both acclaimed Irish singer-songwriter, Doctor Millar (aka Sean Millar), whose 1995 album, The Bitter Lie, Tymon helped produce that year: SEAN MILLAR - January 10th, 2009 (email): "His (Tymon's) influence on its (The Bitter Lie's) sound was total. He said we shouldn't use acoustic guitars or bass or drums. He wanted it to sound like one of those off the cuff late night pop staples albums. I remember making mistakes with the singing and him saying that the take was worth the mistakes. He said with my stuff everyone just wanted to hear the lyrics. No one would ask for their money back if there were no drums. We put piano, organ and violin on some tracks. When we were mixing it he turned the vocals up high and made me stand out in the hall. If I couldn't make out every word he turned it up again! As a result the album sounded like nothing that had ever been produced before. On one song the organ accompaniment sounded like background noise the vocal was so loud. Most music is produced to hide a singers flaws.mine was the opposite. As a result it divided my old fans who liked me singing sweetly. It got the best reviews of any album released that year in Ireland within three weeks of its release it was nominated for an award. Other people up for the award were Van morrison and Paul Brady. It only sold a couple of thousand copies over ten years. Ten years later it was included in both the Sunday Tribune and Today FM's 'Top Fifty Irish Albums of All Time'. I still get stopped in the street by it's fans. Making 'The Bitter Lie' sound work live was impossible for me, and I switched back to using acoustic guitars. I am occasionally still in contact with Tymon. I used to call him my guru because he told me it was Indian for teacher. They say when the pupil is ready the teacher arrives. That was true for me." SEAN MILLAR - January 8th, 2009 (email): "When I first met Tymon, I was the singer in a rock 'n roll band called 'The Cute Hoors'. I ran a gig in Islington and my agent for solo stuff was Marion Ring. "On her books were acts like Rory McCloud and the Golden Monkeys and someone I'd never heard of called Tymon Dogg. That was 1989. Tymon was one of the guest musicians at that gig one week. Marion gave me 'Battle of Wills' to listen to and by the time we met I was already really interested in him but when he played that day I became a devotee. Halfway through the set he pulled out the leads and jumped on the tables and did the rest of the show like that. On album he was very considered and intelligent, but live he was a genius. "We became friends over the next couple of years and when my band broke up I asked Tymon and my friend Jim Walker to accompany me to fulfill all the gigs I had booked as they probably wouldn't have gone for a singer on his own - the term singer songwriter was not around then except to describe your jobs in a band ie, I was the 'singer and songwriter' in The Cute Hoors. "After a few ropey gigs we grew into a really good act and played together over a period of about 18 months. "We are both 'talkers' and the travelling - for once - was often more fun than the gigs. "Tymon is from a different generation and listening to his accumulated wisdom and experience was a real gift. "We would talk about the God Ganesha, The Velvet Underground, Blonde on Blonde, Gibson guitars, Macca versus Lennon, the genius that is Keith Richards and so on. "Politics, Religion, Art - even sometimes Punk Rock! "Although I knew that he had been a friend of Joe Strummer's, I'm not really the fan-boy type so it didn't make that big an impression on me. Frankly, I was more interested in Tymon. His songwriting was/is phenomenal, his musicianship groundbreaking, extraordinary. There is no question in my mind that he invented what we now call anti-folk. "On the plane on the way back from one trip - to Poland - he said he'd produce my debut album (The Bitter Lie)." - and, a brief message from the renowned US (New York) "Godfather of Anti-Folk", 'Lach' (Thank you both Sean and Lach for passing on these messages). LACH - January 4th, 2009 (email): "I have enormous respect for Tymon as a musician and as a member of the Mescaleros. His work with Joe post-Clash was marvelous and from all accounts (we've never met personally) he seems a genuine and warm-hearted man." |
December 23rd, 2008
Merry Christmas to all Tymon, Susan, Merrill & Lucas, and all Tymon Dogg fans! Thank you everyone who has helped out with this site in some way in 2008 and previously in the past - your help was much appreciated, thank you!
Now, I feel I need to say the following with regards to both this fan site in general and Merrill Aldighieri's 2008 Tymon Dogg documentary, 9 LIVES OF TYMON DOGG. First, I can't stress the fact that I am not a writer of any kind enough to fellow Tymon fans or those who come across this site either by chance or curiosity. In my opinion, quite a lot of the self-penned text featured on fan site by myself is scrappy at best and will continue to be so due to my obvious lack of education in that particular department. However, I do think it's passable for the most part and ultimately does the job in getting what information it entails across, so that's good enough. The second thing I have to mention is of course the 9 Lives of Tymon Dogg doco, which was completed back in May 2008, though which has yet to find distribution or broadcast as such. I personally think this film deserves a release in the near future as it cleverly documents both Tymon's music and his thoughts on life in general very well, especially considering the film is not a biography of Tymon's life from birth to present as such, but instead is a concentrated effort on the music he is making now (or since 2007, though it does feature live concert footage from 1980). For the limited budget Merrill had to make this documentary and being the busy artist/director/producer, etc. that she is, 9 Lives of Tymon Dogg really is a fine effort and a fitting tribute to the music and life of Tymon Dogg. I must also mention that upon first viewing I missed out on detailing in my May review of the film, yet another new Tymon Dogg song featured in the film. The song in question, the title of which is yet unknown, was played live by Tymon and the Quikening at the Mindsweeper Benefit on November 17th 2008, and is about drugs and mental health. Throughout the the film, several live or rough versions of a bunch of new unreleased songs feature, including: "Conscience Money", "Drugs" (*NOT THE CORRECT TITLE), "Child of War", "Planxty John Mellor", "We Dragged Ourselves", "Pick Up The Pieces" (*POSSIBLY NOT THE CORRECT TITLE), and "Its Time For Moving On". Such new songs may possibly give some indication of what to expect on the forthcoming new album release by Tymon - perhaps even a French-lyric sung version of "ITFMO"... Above and below you will find three short video excerpts from the film courtesy of Merrill Aldighieri - please overlook the loss of visual quality due to youtube.com's upload conversion. *The actual film is crystal clear in broadcast quality widescreen stereo.
Here is my (RH) (now revised) review of 9 Lives of Tymon Dogg: The documentary opens with Tymon breaking/sneaking into a vacant property lot filled with amazing picturesque wild pink/red flowers (which I have been told is all bulldozed and muddy now to make way for a new block of flats… typical!) located in the back of several drab looking buildings (found by Susan De Muth), where he then proceeds to perform a minimalist version (on violin with running harmonium) of an old tune from '86 called, "Beyond This Frontier" (featured on Frugivores' 1986 LP, NEW AGE SONGS). It's an amazingly bare performance with just Tymon on his violin and the moody harmonium running in the background. Next, Tymon is interviewed in a location I cannot remember, though it has clocks and a running ticker of world news or something. Here he talks about his thoughts on resurrection and all forms of repetition, which is fascinating. Footage of Tymon performing at New York's Hurrah Club from November 21st 1981 is used at various points throughout the film, with Tymon playing the following songs: "Wheel of Life and Death" (originally released on Tymon's self-titled 1976 LP (aka OUTLAW NUMBER ONE)), "Johnny Is A Wander" (originally appeared on the unreleased 1983 HOLLOWED OUT LP), and "Lose This Skin (originally released on The Clash's 1980 Sandinista! LP, and as a subsequent single). This footage is amazing, as Tymon during this point of his career is such an incredible solo act to experience live and somewhat in his prime. All the songs from this show are filled with an inexhaustible amount of energy and passion, proving Tymon's early 70s busking days around London and Europe obviously played a big part in the both the showmanship and directness of this music - violin and harmonica going at the same time at such a pace, then straight back into those electrically-charged vocals… how does he do it? "Get Your Hands Off Me Satan" (originally released on 1982's BATTLE OF WILLS LP) from this same concert is also featured as a disc "Bonus". Other interesting segments in the film include: - Tymon talking about the importance of being light of possessions (coins in his pockets or the wearing of a watch - Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, take note!) when performing a song as for him personally, the be light of such materialistic items keeps the music more 'real' - for lack of a better word. This mindset is later evidenced when Tymon begins to play an old tune called "Velvet Stella" on the Mindsweeper's piano; Tymon flicks his sunglasses away. - Tymon giving a private performance of his self-made 'Pyramid Harp' (aka Tetraharp, or New World Harp), with the as yet unknown (possibly new) song, "Pick Up The Pieces". "Tymon's most recent songs to be released, "Guantanamo", "Cold Wind Blows" and "Oil" are all given the live treatment at both the Acton Town Hall Benefit from November 15th 2007, and later in the previously mentioned vacant property lot garden with the wild pink/red flowers. So, that's a quick review/look at 9 Lives..., though you really must see the film for yourself as my comments only briefly cover the overall film. This 1 hr. 3 min (PLUS 14 min. of bonus clips.) feature film is now available in broadcast quality Widescreen Stereo version for TV and DVD, so if any programmers or distributors are interested, please contact either Merrill for info on availability and materials via her website at http://artclips.free.fr/.
2) Added a September 6th 1980 Melody Maker Tymon article to the ARTICLES GALLERY page.
3) A final message for 2008 from Tymon fan Doug Highfield (email, December 4th, 2008): "Love the Clash. The Clash was a phenomenon, like thunder, like the blue mountains that are of themselves blue mountains. Nothing contrived about it because nothing could touch The Clash's musical incarnation into this world. It happens every now and then, there's a crack seems to open up and light pours in as music, the spirit riding on a wave of sound and light arriving at these shores. It happens now and again, each time unique, yet, the spirit revealed is the same. There is a place within us where something resonates, some young and ancient mystery that knows and sings of freedom's land. It is where we are all heading for. The Clash will take you there. and now, there is Tymon Dogg, dragging the bow across the fiddle strings, minstrel conjurer singing words of truth, words of hope to the weary, comfort to the exploited and admonition to the proud. The first time I heard Tymon was on The Clash's Sandinista! record. He sang "I got to lose this skin I'm imprisoned in." I knew the feeling very well. imprisoned in my skin, my ego-capsule, I was separate from the world, my heart wasn't open, I was lost, trapped in my own prison of skin on many levels. The urgency of his voice conveyed a sincerity, an authenticity that carried a message to my soul in its captivity and made me want to be free. I wanted to take back my life and live free! There is an ancient saying, it may be from hafiz, that goes something like this, "clever men put people in cages, but, the woman who must duck to pass under the moon throws keys to the rowdy prisoners." I think Tymon Dogg is a key, a gypsy tarot-card, the fool walking a path between the worlds." |
A SUMMARY OF NEWS & EVENTS
2008 November 16th El Doghouse (Richard Dudanski, Tom Lardner) officially released its second full-length album, Howl, which features Tymon playing violin on several tracks (including "Screamin' Bloody Murder") of this 15-song CD. The album was released by the Basque indie label Gaztelupeko Hotsak and is available to purchase via the group's myspace.com page at: http://www.myspace.com/eldoghouse October 19th Tymon briefly appeared on BBC Radio 2's Joe Strummer tribute program, Joe Strummer’s Last Recorded Concert - produced by Smooth Operations (www.smoothoperations.com). The programme featured music from Joe's last recorded performance at Cambridge FolkFestival in 2002 with The Mescaleros, interwoven with interviews with some of his old colleagues and close friends. September 13th It was announced that Tymon would be playing violin on UK alternative/rock/acoustic singer-songwriter Jonathan Martin's forthcoming 11-track album. Also appearing on this then forthcoming release were: Steve Demetri (Drums on No.1), Colin Gibson (Bass on No.1), James Friislawrence (Lead Guitar and Wah), Harvey Summers (Tele, Bass & Accordion), Simon Page (Drums) and Madeleine Milla (Piano & BV's). August 2nd Tymon headlined a special festival afternoon of folk and roots music at the Stockton Riverside Fringe Festival at the Georgian Theatre in Stockton-on-Tees, England. The festival also included bands/artists such as: Super Furry Animals, Happy Mondays and Paul Heaton (Beautiful South and Housemartins), John Power, British Sea Power and Clinic. July 28th Tymon took part in an epic 4-hour live concert peformance of Hal Willner’s Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys concert, held at the Barbican Hall in London, England. Artists featured on the night, included: Shane MacGowan, Chris Difford, Baby Gramps, actor Tim Robbins, Gavin Friday, The Langley Sisters, Richard Strange, Martin Carthy, Neil Hannon, cartoonist Ralph Steadman, Teddy Thompson, Kamila Thompson, Sandy Dillon, Julie Fowlis and band, Robyn Hitchcock, Suzanne Vega, Martha Wainwright, Kathryn Williams, Eliza Carthy, Norma Waterson, Rachel and Becky Unthank, Jenni Muldaur and house band: Kate St John (MD), Andy Newmark, Leo Abrahams, Rory McFarlane, Martyn Barker, Barry Reynolds and Roger Eno... Songs played throughout the night included: "South Australia", "The Leaving of Liverpool", "Farewell Nancy", "Pinery Boy", "Boney was a Warrior", "Baltimore Whores", "Bully In The Alley", "Bay Of Biscay", "Good Ship Venus", "Johnny Leave Her", "Lowlands Low", "Caroline and Her Young Sailor", "Rolling Sea", "Sam's Gone Away", "Lowlands Away", "Cruel Ship's Captain", "Turkish Revelry", "Hog Eye Man", "Row the Boat Child", "Old Man of the Sea" and an improvised (due to Pete Doherty's non-appearance) "What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor". 13th Tymon played a 30-40 minute headlining set at London 's 'The Offside Bar' as part of the 'Long Hot Summer Party'. 12th Tymon headlined the 'Woody Bash Festival' in Hamburg, Germany at a venue called 'Hasenschaukel'. The following musicians/bands also appeared at the festival: Amy Rude, Unreachables, La Grande Illusion, Tan Le Racoon, Boo Hoo, and Dirty Dishes. 11th Tymon played his first July show in Germany at the 'Wild at Heart' club in Berlin. May 24th A May 2008 Q & A feature was added to the fan site. In this piece, Tymon shed some light on various subjects such as his then forthcoming full-length album, and recently played live shows in the month prior. 18th Filmmaker Merrill Aldighieri completed work on her 2007/2008 Tymon Dogg documentary feature, 9 Lives of Tymon Dogg. March 20th Tymon played a solo show as part an informal evening celebrating the music of Joe Strummer at London's legendary Filthy MacNasty's Whiskey Cafe. Tymon played songs he wrote with Joe Strummer and some of his own songs, which he hadn't played in many years. Here is a review from Susan de Muth of this show: "Confessions of an English Tea drinker" (1974), "I caught you dancing" (1973), "Johnny is a Wanderer" (1970), "Too small to lead, too big to follow" (1973), "Lose This Skin" (1977), and "Locks and Bolts and Hinges" (1977). ’Riot of our Own’ author Johnny Green hosted the night. - Some time in March, Tymon was interviewed two US writers for two different projects. The first was by Kristofer Engelhardt for a revised 2008 edition of his book 'Beatles Undercover'. Secondly, Stefan Granados interviewed Tymon for his new book about The Beatles' Apple Records. Stefan was also apparently going to write an article about Tymon for music magazine Shindig. - Also in March, Tymon's 2007 single "Guantanamo" was compiled on the Anti-War music compilation, Child Victims of War/ Hastings Against War. The following artists also appeared on this CD: Natalie's Box, Pass the Cat, Claire Hamill, Gail Storm, Zoe Konez, Jonathan Martin, Gavin Brown, Nightshift, and This Project. Phil Hudson - Guantanamo Review "Local legend Tymon Dogg has impeccable credentials, having recorded for the Beatles' apple label when he was only 17, and going on to be a sideman with the Clash and a founder member, along with Joe Strummer, of the Mescaleros. "Guantanamo" takes us right back to the issues at the heart of this CD and reminds us of the hollow, inhuman logic driving the policies behind the 'war on terror'. Tymon also contributes piano and violin to the next track, 'Don't let it slip away', a heartfelt eulogy to a distant lover by local musician and poet Jonathon Martin." Michael Bentley - Guantanamo Review "Tymon Dogg‘s "Guantanamo" has an overwhelmingly Arabic flavour (Bowie’s weird and wonderful ‘Yassassin’ comes to mind), which suggests a Muslim viewpoint, and the lyrics (sometimes hard to hear over the array of wonderful instruments) burn with righteous anger. It’s cathartic like many of my favourite protest songs such as The Creekdippers "George Bush Industriale" (‘I want to grind his face in the Beatitudes’) and above all Dylan’s "Masters of War"." T. Townsend - Guantanamo Review "As an extraordinary singer/songwriter, Tymon Dogg's new songs deliver a powerful and highly original new sound, with radical thought-provoking content that most artists are afraid to let rip. GUANTANAMO a soaring, passionate indictment in a fusion of sounds is 'the Quikening's' first release. A surprising combination of instruments, from the talking-drum and mandolin to the piano, simmer in the background, whilst Tymon's expert, jagged violin strokes, with an Arabian zest, take the front seat. The song explores the dark political truth behind the US military detention centre in Guantanamo bay, Cuba, with a sense of urgency as it climaxes, reflecting how critical and barbaric the situation has become. OIL, another politically charged track satirises society's apathetic approach towards war and material preference over basic human values. Although "Oil" is essentially highlighting a bleak reality, ironic cheer is injected into the verse with some light-hearted, feel-good folk. COLD WIND BLOWS an emotive piece to explore. Working with a fluid, interchangeable group of musicians, Tymon ultimately demonstrates an ongoing commitment to telling it like it is in an exciting, compelling musical register that is unique to him." Doug Highfield - Guantanamo Review "On "Guantanamo", the Arabic scales, the poignant lyrics, and unique vocals just smashed me. "Cold Wind Blows" is a great bit of reflective quiet-time that chills you to the bone. "Oil", this one is my favourite lyrically. – "If you are poor, we'll leave you to rot, you can't afford the justice we've got" – now, that sums it up. This is a real and true CD. No fucking wonder it ain't the radio. All together, this CD is and enlightening and eye (ear) opening experience… and you can dance to it! February 9th Tymon married girlfriend/partner Susan de Muth at St. James Church in Piccadilly. Tymon and his nephew musician Daniel Sumner played a song together as part of the celebrations. Forthcoming "9 Lives of Tymon Dogg" filmmaker Merrill Aldighieri, was also a guest there, and managed to film the below video compilation of the day. 1st Tymon and the Quikening played a guest set at Mick Jones's club night, Carbon Casino 3, held at Inn on the Green, located at 3-5 Thorpe Close, Portobello Green, London. Tymon himself also played three songs as the encore with Jones's band Carbon Silicon, including a cover of "Junco Partner", and two Carbon Silicon numbers, "Really The Blues" and "The Network's Going Down". - Some time in February, Richard Dudanski and Tom Lardner's band El Doghouse released a 12" vinyl maxi-single (EP) entitled Screamin. including the songs. Tymon played violin on the single/EP's b-side "Screamin Bloody Murder". January 31st In the extras section of the new "Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten" DVD, which features over 100 minutes of unused family & friends interview footage, there is a part where director Martin Scorsese talks about Tymon's song "Lose This Skin". Scorsese says: "They (The Clash) came to visit me – I was living in an apartment across the street here. I think it was the first time I met them. I forget what year it was – 1980… I was finishing Raging Bull. I was editing up there with Thelma Schoonmaker and I had a big stereo system and they came in and… outside it was a beautiful view of the city in that building – windows all around, and you could look all the way down Park Avenue, whatever. The sky was getting darker and darker and darker and darker. They came in and said hello, suddenly said, "Where's you unit", I said, "over there". They took something, a tape, threw it in, turned it on, blasted it, and that point it was "Lose This Skin", and that that point, thunder and lighting erupted all over the city! That was our hello to each other! (Laughter). The lightning and thunder – it was just one those great moments. Just to redo it now digitally would be really, er… (Laughs). But it is one of those things. It was all the forces came right down into that room. It was quite something." Also, The Clash as it happens, once were an integral part in an early vision of Scorsese's epic Gangs of New York film, which he had wanted to make as far back as the early 80's. From the "Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten" DVD, Scorsese talks about The Clash and his early ideas for Gangs of New York: "My next film I wanted to make was Gangs of New York (after King of Comedy), but the whole industry had changed. Key to the project was, for me, the visualisation of the picture, and a sense of what the picture should look like was The Clash, um, even to the extent of putting them in as actors and certainly doing the score. And I remember them asking me one time, saying, wouldn't it be out of time or out of place, meaning would it be anachronistic. I said, no, that would be… Actually, it would probably be the best thing for the film, because that was the feeling that was the emotion that was the drive, the drive of the people living at that level, in the streets at the time. I really feel that. And it would also make it… it would also make it modern."
2007 25th Tymon played a gig at The Half Moon pub located at 10 Half Moon Lane, London. The night also featured the following bands/artists: Gertrude, Mr. Irvine, and Planetzim. - Tymon's 2007 single "Guantanamo" appeared on fRoot magazine's January/February 2008 free compilation CD of 17 tracks. November 16th Tymon Dogg & The Quikening took part in a Benefit gig for the restoration of the unique floating underground venue called the Mindsweeper on November 16th at ‘Climate of Change’ located at 235 -241 Union Street, London SE1 OLR. The Benefit gig was organized to raise funds towards the £10,000 needed to restore the ‘Mindsweeper’ to its former glory, which suffered a lot of fire damage earlier in September 2007. Tymon Dogg & The Quikening played a Joe Strummer Tribute Show at Acton Town Hall, Uxbridge Road, Acton, West London. This event commemorated the fifth anniversary of the Fire Brigades Union benefit where Joe Strummer played his last London show. Tickets sold out on months earlier on April 23rd, 2007. Two of Tymon's late 60's songs "Rambling Boy" and "The Bitter Thoughts of Little Jane" were compiled on an RPM CD compilation of obscure 60's/70's songs titled "A Glass Menagerie". Some time in October or November, GEAR magazine's Gavin Coulson interviewed Tymon for the magazine's November 2007 issue. October Tymon interview/article by Ian Anderson appears in the October 2007 issue of fRoots magazine. September 28th Multi-award winning innovative filmmaker Merrill Aldighieri (artclips.free.fr/) began work on "9 Lives of Tymon Dogg", a yet-to-be-released documentary dedicated to Tymon's music. Merrill travelled to London in September to film various live shows, solo performances and interviews for the film. 7th Cardiff Festival24 gig cancelled. August 14th fRoots magazine's Ian Anderson interviewed Tymon at the 'Boot and Flogger' pub for the magazine's October 2007 issue. 8th Received Tymon's answers to a list of questions I sent Tymon, regarding his music for a 2nd ' Q & A' piece for the fan site, courtesy of Susan de Muth. 2nd/3rd Tymon Dogg & The Quikening played a gig at the Big Green Gathering Festival.
June 22nd Tymon's early second single from the 70's "And Now She Says She's Young" was compiled on Flower Machine Records' “Fading Yellow” compilation "Volume 9: The Other Side of Life". 15th Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros' "Johnny Appleseed" (which Tymon co-wrote) was chosen as the official theme song for a new HBO show called "John from Cincinnati". May 27th Tymon Dogg & The Quikening played a gig at Strummercamp 2007. 18th Tymon appeared as special guest on The Sound Projector radio show. 17th Tymon appeared as a special guest on Essex's Phoenix FM radio station (www.phoenixfm.com/). He joined 'The Bear at Lunchtime' on Phoenix FM and played two acoustic tracks "Oil" and "Time for Moving On". 9th The Joe Strummer biopic "Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten" directed by Julien Temple premiered at London's Notting Hill Coronet, ahead of it's theatrical release of May 18. April 4th "Lose This Skin" cover version by both Jim Allen features on Jimmy Guterman's "The Sandinista! Project".
March 23rd Japanese artist and Tymon/Clash/Joe Strummer fan "nob" sent me an animated two-frame drawing of Tymon and Joe, circa the Mescaleros era. 10th Mapmusic informed me that Tymon Dogg's new EP "Guantanamo" initially looked set to be released in the shops around May/June. A full-length album was also predicted for a release later that year in December 2007. This new album is now slated for a spring 2008 release. 4th Got word from a Tymon fan from New Jersey who works with several re-issue labels in the UK who was interested in getting Tymon's older unreleased tracks, circa the late 60's, finally released. Nothing ever came of this though. 1st Tymon and The Quikening played a gig at London's The Rhythm Factory – it was voted "gig of the day" by British newspaper Metro. February 10th Songs from Tymon Dogg & The Quikening’s new EP “Guantanamo” were played on Spencer Leigh’s BBC Radio Merseyside “Juke Box Jury” on Saturday the 10th of February on BBC 95.8FM at 6.30pm-8.00pm. 6th Received an email from Susan de Muth at www.tymondogg.com who kindly went to the trouble of getting Tymon to help out with answering my list of questions sent to him via Mapmusic. The original interview posted on this site was taken down due to errors made on my part. The piece has now been corrected thanks to the kindness and patience of both Tymon and Susan. It was this time in February 2007, that Tymon also began thinking of remastering and releasing the "Hollowed Out" album from 1983 that he recorded with Joe Strummer, Richard Dudanski, Ralf Schmidt, and Glyn Johns. 2nd Received an email out of the blue from Ralf Schmidt who played bass on Tymon's unreleased "Hollowed Out" album from 1983/1985. The title of Tymon's "Lose This Skin" song was chosen as the title for Episode 10 from Series One of the Canadian television program "Instant Star". Two other episodes in the series were named after Clash songs: "Train In Vain" and "Should I Stay Or Should I Go".
- Crime Fiction author Jerry Sykes used the title of Tymon's "Lose This Skin" as the title for his February 2007 second novel, Lose This Skin. |
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