Various Artists - Kerry Lee Crabbe Memorial Album: Songs with Daryl Runswick (2024) [Hi-Res]

The 24 songs on this double album are in some ways a completion. Together with Young Man Songs here are nearly all the songs Kerry Lee Crabbe and Daryl Runswick wrote (and Daryl sang) which are good enough to be issued. The subject matter here is wider ranging than on Young Man Songs:love songs, but also family, heroes and antiheroes, zen, celebration, nostalgia, philosophy, life and death.

Daryl Runswick writes: "I first set Kerry Lee Crabbe's words to music in 1967; for the last time in 2010. Our most prolific period was 1970-1980 during which time we had considerable success as a songwriting team, though we didn't have big hits. The pinnacle for us was when Cleo Laine recorded a whole album of our songs (One More Day: well worth looking out for on vinyl or CD). There are a number of reasons for our lack of hits: songwriting was for neither of us our main job - not 'the principal source of his revenue' as Paul Simon put it (One Trick Pony) - we did it in our spare time. Also, neither of us had any interest in being an entrepreneur, nor did we employ a manager to push the songs; also, perhaps we were snobs who disdained moneygrubbing; but perhaps the main reason was that these are art songs: art songs in the style of pop music, yes, but not aimed (other than tangentially) at the commercial market.

We'd have loved to have hits but that's not why we did it and we didn't bother overmuch flogging our wares around. Kerry and I were introduced to one another as undergraduates at Cambridge University. Kerry had written the book and lyrics for a musical (Someone is Squeaking) and I was instructed by Clive James, then President of the Footlights Club where I was Musical Director, to compose the songs. It was put on at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1967 with Julie Covington in the lead role. Kerry directed and I was musical director, playing piano in the accompanying trio. After that summer I went down to London to be a jazz bass player while Kerry had a further year at Trinity College, Cambridge. After he came down, we got together again and continued making songs."

1.01 - Tony Hymas, John Marshall, Ray Russell, Daryl Runswick, Phil Lee - Sweet Old-Fashioned Thing (3:18)
1.02 - John Marshall, Daryl Runswick, Phil Lee - Whiskey Haze (4:17)
1.03 - Tony Hymas, John Marshall, Ray Russell, Daryl Runswick, Phil Lee - The Colours Ran (3:24)
1.04 - Tony Hymas, John Marshall, Ray Russell, Daryl Runswick, Phil Lee - Lying Again (4:32)
1.05 - Linda Hirst, John Marshall, Daryl Runswick, Phil Lee - How Come I Missed It (3:20)
1.06 - Tony Hymas, John Marshall, Ray Russell, Daryl Runswick, Phil Lee - Let Yourself Off Your Lead (5:42)
1.07 - Tony Hymas, John Marshall, Ray Russell, Daryl Runswick, Phil Lee - She Got The Curves, I Got The Angles (3:45)
1.08 - Linda Hirst, John Marshall, Daryl Runswick, Phil Lee - One Night Stand (3:21)
1.09 - Linda Hirst, John Marshall, Daryl Runswick, Phil Lee - Taking and Leaving (4:42)
1.10 - Linda Hirst, John Marshall, Daryl Runswick, Phil Lee - Edge Of The City (4:52)
1.11 - Linda Hirst, John Marshall, Daryl Runswick, Phil Lee - Rock 'n' roll Won't Fade Away (5:39)
1.12 - Daryl Runswick - Take 3 Of A Simple Song/True And A Lie (5:48)
1.13 - Daryl Runswick - My Father's Hands (3:51)
1.14 - Daryl Runswick - People Stay In Rooms (4:38)
1.15 - Daryl Runswick - The Sound Of One Hand Clapping (3:25)
1.16 - Daryl Runswick - Sun Dance (5:05)
1.17 - Daryl Runswick - Too Much To Ever Love (5:18)
1.18 - Daryl Runswick - Philosophical Song (3:43)
1.19 - Daryl Runswick - I Like It Here (2:35)
1.20 - Daryl Runswick - I Never Want To See Another Rose (3:08)
1.21 - Daryl Runswick - Feet Of Clay (4:02)
1.22 - Daryl Runswick - Such A Gift, Such A Burden (5:47)
1.23 - Daryl Runswick - Big Black Car (13:28)