Bridget St John
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Bridget St John (born Bridget Anne Hobbs; 4 October 1946 in
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, England) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for the three albums she recorded between 1969 and 1972 for
John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
's
Dandelion ''Taraxacum'' () is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, which consists of species commonly known as dandelions. The scientific and hobby study of the genus is known as taraxacology. The genus is native to Eurasia and Nor ...
record label. Peel produced her debut album, ''Ask Me No Questions''. She also recorded a large number of
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...
and Peel sessions and toured regularly on the British college and festival circuit. St John appeared at leading folk venues in the UK, along with other folk and pop luminaries of the time such as Nick Drake,
Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...
, and
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, among others.Brumbaugh, Sam
"Bridget St John, Interview"
''
Chickfactor Gail O'Hara is a U.S. editor, writer, photographer, recording label owner and filmmaker. She has worked at the ''Washington City Paper'', ''SPIN'', ''Time Out New York'', ''ELLEgirl'', ''EW'', Modern Painters, Kinfolk and other publications. Car ...
'' No. 12, 1999. In 1974 she was voted fifth most popular female singer in that year's ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' readers poll.Richardson, Anna, unidentified article, ''Cumberland News'', 2007; reproduced within the of St John's previous website. Blessed with a "rich cello-like" vocal style, she is also an accomplished guitar player who credits
John Martyn Iain David McGeachy (11 September 1948 – 29 January 2009), known professionally as John Martyn, was a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 23 studio albums, and received frequent critical acclaim. ...
and Michael Chapman as her "musical brothers".Davies, Gill
"Celtic Connections Festival 2012-Bridget St John"
, BBC. Retrieved 29 May 2013.


Biography


Early life

St John grew up in a musical household where her mother and sisters were all accomplished pianists.Greenhorn, Meg
"Bridget St John – Interview"
''
Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well ...
'', 19 April 2009. She took piano lessons at her mother's behest, but she did not get along with her teacher and quit when she was 11. After studying the viola for two years and then the trumpet for two years, St John bought a guitar with 20 pounds her grandmother gave her shortly before she finished high school. Her first performances were at
Sheffield University , mottoeng = To discover the causes of things , established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions: – Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield , type = Pu ...
in 1964–5, and her very first "proper gig" was at a pub in
Rotherham Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...
. In 1967, St John spent three months in
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as part of her French studies. During this period she met American singer-songwriter
Robin Frederick Robin Frederick (born 1947) is an American songwriter, author and children's television contributor. She is a former Director of A&R and Production for Rhino Records and Executive Producer of over 60 albums. She has written and produced more than ...
.


Solo career, 1968–1974

When it was time to return to England, St John travelled back to London with Robin Frederick. It was through Frederick that St John met
John Martyn Iain David McGeachy (11 September 1948 – 29 January 2009), known professionally as John Martyn, was a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 23 studio albums, and received frequent critical acclaim. ...
when he was living in Richmond. He was instrumental in getting St John's music out to a larger audience. In 1968, a mutual poet friend of theirs, Pete Roche, put St John in touch with John Peel for his "Nightride" radio show. St John's first recording sessions for Peel were recorded by Al Stewart in 1968 on Stewart's
ReVox ReVox (on-logo styling REVOX) is a brand name, registered by Studer on 27 March 1951 for Swiss audio equipment. History The first Studer-designed tape recorders were branded Dynavox. After the first production series of Dynavox recorders, a new ...
. The four songs she recorded were released on ''John Peel Presents Top Gear'', Peel's 1969 compilation of
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...
demos. The four songs were: "The River" (written by Martyn), "Song To Keep You Company" (written by St John), "Night In The City" (written by Joni Mitchell), and "Lazarus" (traditional). Peel and Clive Selwood formed Dandelion initially to release St John's music. St John's 1969 debut album for Dandelion, ''Ask Me No Questions'', was produced by Peel and recorded in nine to ten hours.Adams, Owen
"Label of love: Dandelion Records"
''
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'' 7 October 2009. "Curl Your Toes" and "Ask Me No Questions" featured Martyn on second guitar.
Richie Unterberger Richie Unterberger (born January 19, 1962) is an American author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing. Life and writing Unterberger attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he wrote for the university newspaper '' ...
reviewing for
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
called the album "music for wandering through meadows on overcast days", while admitting that the songs are not as good as those of the musically similar Nick Drake. In 1970, St John recorded a vocal duet with
Kevin Ayers Kevin Ayers (16 August 1944 – 18 February 2013) was an English singer-songwriter who was active in the English psychedelic music movement. Ayers was a founding member of the psychedelic band Soft Machine in the mid-1960s, and was closely assoc ...
on "The Oyster and the Flying Fish" for his '' Shooting at the Moon'' release. Her second album, '' Songs for the Gentle Man'', was produced by
Ron Geesin Ronald Frederick Geesin (born 17 December 1943) is a Scottish musician, composer and writer known for his unusual creations and novel applications of sound, as well as for his collaborations with Pink Floyd and Roger Waters. Career Ron Geesin ...
and released in 1971. This album was a significant step up from her debut, and contained string arrangements mostly by Geesin himself, particularly striking on the opening track "A Day A Way" and "Seagull- Sunday." Her third album ''Thank You For...'', released in 1972, was even more ambitious and used more musicians with a folk-rock sound. The album was her last album for John Peel's Dandelion label, however, which folded due to its artists' lack of commercial success. St John's adventurous fourth album ''Jumblequeen'', released through Chrysalis Records in 1974, garnered critical praise in ''
Spare Rib ''Spare Rib'' was a second-wave feminist magazine, founded in 1972 in the United Kingdom, that emerged from the counter culture of the late 1960s as a consequence of meetings involving, among others, Rosie Boycott and Marsha Rowe. ''Spare Rib' ...
''.


Later years, 1975–present

St John emigrated to
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
in 1976 and virtually disappeared from the public eye for over 20 years. She took part in the Strawbs 25th Anniversary festival held in 1993. St John released a 'come-back' album in 1996, ''Take The Fifth'' and appeared at a Nick Drake tribute concert in New York City in 1999. She toured Japan in 2006 with the minimalist French musician Colleen, and appeared with the Electric Strawbs in the B.B. King Blues Club and Grill (NYC) on 27 June 2007. Aside from work under her own name, Bridget St John has also recorded with
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on his albums ''
Ommadawn ''Ommadawn'' is the third studio album by English musician, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Mike Oldfield, released on 25 October 1975 on Virgin Records. ''Ommadawn'' peaked at No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart, No. 74 in Canada, and No. 146 on ...
'' (1975) and '' Amarok'' (1990), as well as
Kevin Ayers Kevin Ayers (16 August 1944 – 18 February 2013) was an English singer-songwriter who was active in the English psychedelic music movement. Ayers was a founding member of the psychedelic band Soft Machine in the mid-1960s, and was closely assoc ...
and Robin Frederick. In 2007 she reunited with Ayers to record "Baby Come Home" on his album ''
The Unfairground ''The Unfairground'' is a 2007 album by Kevin Ayers, recorded with members of Ladybug Transistor, Teenage Fanclub, Neutral Milk Hotel, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and Roxy Music. It was his sixteenth studio LP and his first new set of recordings in f ...
''. St John has toured with Michael Chapman, and in 2016 she recorded with Chapman for his ''50'' release. She was described by
John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
as "the best lady singer-songwriter in the country". St John recorded the song "Fly" for ''
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'' magazine's Nick Drake compilation album, ''Green Leaves: Nick Drake Covered'' (cover dated March 2018).


Discography


Albums

*''Ask Me No Questions'' (Dandelion) 1969 *'' Songs for the Gentle Man'' (Dandelion) 1971 *''Thank You For...'' (Dandelion) 1972 [reissued in 1995 on See For Miles with eight bonus tracks, recorded live at Montreux, Switzerland, 28 April 1972. Released in 2005 on Cherry Red with 10 bonus tracks, eight of which are the live Montreux recordings] *''Jumblequeen'' (Chrysalis) 1974 [reissued in 1995 on BGO with four bonus tracks. Reissued in 2006 on Hux with three bonus tracks]


Compilation and live albums

*''John Peel Presents Top Gear'' (BBC) 1969 includes four tracks by Bridget St John *''Take the 5ifth'' (The Road Goes On Forever) 1996 *''BBC Radio 1968 - 1976'' (Hux) 2010 - 2 CDs *''Hello Again: A Collection Of Rare Tracks'' (P-Vine) 2010 *''A Pocketful of Starlight: Best Of Bridget St John'' (Cherry Red) 2013 *''Dandelion Albums & BBC Recordings'' (Cherry Red) 2015 - four CDs (first three albums plus BBC Recordings 1968 - 1972) *''Fly High: A Collection of Album Highlights, Singles and B-Sides, Demos, Live Recordings, Sessions and Interviews'' (Cherry Red) 2016 - Double CD *''From There/To Here: UK/US Recordings 1974-1982'' (Cherry Red) August 26, 2022 - 3 CDs: Jumblequeen (with bonus tracks), Take The 5ifth (with bonus tracks), New York Sessions (previously unreleased).


References


External links

*
Interview
Terrascope.co.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:St John, Bridget 1946 births Living people English folk singers English women singer-songwriters Dandelion Records artists Chrysalis Records artists People from Surrey 20th-century guitarists 21st-century guitarists 20th-century English women singers 20th-century English singers 21st-century English women musicians 20th-century women guitarists 21st-century women guitarists