Favourite Signs From The Roadside
I thought I should pass on some of the better signs I have come across on my travels and will add to the list as I go. I’ll start with one I saw on a highway near Baltimore on Mother’s Day weekend 2009:
1) “Treat Your mother to dinner or crabs.” (Talk about making an offer you can’t refuse!)
2) ‘Camping Hell’ (spotted in the Zillertal Valley in Austria)
3. ‘Home Of Man That’s A Burger’. (On a Bayou cafe in Louisiana)
Other Julian Dawsons On The Web
I check occasionally on Google to see that all is well with the website (still Number 1 in the listings!) and decided, on a quiet day this summer, to look at a few other Julian Dawsons in the world. Here are the first ten I found…
1) English conductor & pianist living near Chicago (We used to receive each other’s royalty cheques)
2) Biochemist & Research Fellow of University of Aberdeen, Scotland
3) Auctioneer in Lewes, Sussex & Tunbridge Wells, Kent (where I grew up)
4) Ex-army assertiveness expert in the UK
5) South African investment consultant living in Australia
6) Civil engineer in Chicago (It’s getting crowded there!)
7) Political Science graduate University of Calgary, Canada
8) Contributor to the Republican party in Tulsa, Oklahoma
9) Racquetball player in Atlanta, Georgia
10) Councillor for W. Texas Community Resources for troubled youth (d. 2002)
Link to Pete Levin’s gallery of bald musicians: www.takeitfromthehead.com
Julian’s Top 100 albums of all time
- Allman Brothers Band: At Fillmore East
- Greg Allman: Laid Back
- Chet Baker: Chet Baker Sings
- The Band: The Band / Stagefright
- Beach Boys: Holland
- Beatles: Revolver / White Album
- Buffalo Springfield: Again
- Byrds: Notorious Byrd Brothers
- Chieftains: Two / Four
- Martin Carthy: Prince Heathen / Shearwater
- Gene Clark: No Other
- Shirley Collins: Anthems In Eden
- Ry Cooder: Boomer’s Story / Paradise & Lunch
- Sam Cooke: This Is Sam Cooke
- Crazy Horse: First Album
- David Crosby: If I Could Only Remember My Name
- Rodney Crowell: Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This
- Miles Davis: Kind Of Blue
- Doors: Waiting For The Sun
- Bob Dylan: Blonde On Blonde / John Wesley Harding
- Bill Evans & Toots Thielemans: Affinity
- Everly Brothers: First Album
- Georgie Fame: 20 Beat Classics
- Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Green): Greatest Hits
- Aretha Franklin: I Never Loved A Man
- Robbie Fulks: Gone Away Backward
- Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On
- Grateful Dead: Workingman’s Dead / American Beauty
- Andrew Gold: First Album
- George Harrison: All Things Must Pass
- John Hartford: Aero-plain
- Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland
- Incredible String Band: Wee Tam And The Big Huge
- Andy Irvine & Paul Brady
- Rickie Lee Jones: Pirates
- Kinks: Kink Kronikles
- Kris Kristofferson: The Silver Tongued Devil And I
- John Lennon: Plastic Ono Band
- Little Feat: Dixie Chicken / Feats Don’t Fail Me Now
- Love: Forever Changes
- Lovin’ Spoonful: Do You Believe In Magic / Daydream / Hums
- Kirsty MacColl: Kite
- Harvey Mandel: Cristo Redentor
- John Martyn: Bless The Weather / Solid Air / One World
- Kate & Anna McGarrigle: First Album
- Steve Miller Band: Sailor / Your Saving Grace
- Joni Mitchell: For The Roses / Court & Spark
- Van Morrison: Astral Weeks / St. Dominic’s Preview / Veedon Fleece
- Randy Newman: 12 Songs
- Gene Parsons: Kindling
- Gram Parsons: GP / Grievous Angel
- Ann Peebles: I Can’t Stand The Rain
- Dan Penn: Nobody’s Fool
- John Phillips: Wolfking Of LA
- David Qualey: Only Guitar
- Kimberley Rew: Grand Central Revisited
- Roches: First Album
- Rolling Stones: Beggar’s Banquet / Let It Bleed
- Boz Scaggs: My Time
- John Sebastian: John B Sebastian / Tarzana Kid
- Jules Shear: The Great Puzzle
- Ricky Skaggs & Tony Rice: Skaggs & Rice
- Spirit: Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus
- Dusty Springfield: Dusty In Memphis
- Ringo Starr: Beaucoups Of Blues
- Richard & Linda Thompson: I Want To See The Bright Lights / Pour Down Like Silver
- Lal & Mike Waterson: Bright Phoebus
- Wailers: Catch A Fire
- Bob Weir: Ace
- Tony Joe White: Homemade Ice Cream
- Lucinda Williams: Sweet Old World / Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
- Stevie Wonder: Music Of My Mind / Talking Book / Innervisions
- Neil Young: First Album / Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere / On The Beach / Tonight’s The Night
Strictly for fun…Musicians I’ve been lucky to work with on and offstage 1976-today
Bass
Steve York
Matt Dawson (Boy Wonder)
Brian Hodgson
James Delbridge
Raoul Walton
Rosko Gee
Garry Tallent
Rory McFarlane
Zev Katz
Mark Griffiths
Michael Rhodes
Roger Innis
Andy Metcalfe
David Hayes
Lily Parsons
Gene Parsons
Daniel Tashian
Fontaine Burnett
Drums
Terry Stannard (ex-Kokomo)
Alan Platt
Davey Murphy
Tim Walmesley
Phil Towner
Charlie Morgan
Hans Wallbaum
Peter Baron
Jaki Liebezeit
Gerry Conway
Dave Mattacks
Frank Vilardi
Vince Santoro
Ken Blevins
Daniel Tashian
Gene Parsons
Steve Ebe
David Mette
Heinz Lichius
Keyboards
Pete Wingfield
Iain Rae
Phil Millar
Helmut Zerlett
Barry Beckett
Mike Lawler
Bill Payne
Billy Livsey
Carl Marsh
Steuart Smith
Stewart Lerman
John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick
Nicky Hopkins
John Deaderick
Singers
Lynda Hayes
PP Arnold
Stevie Lange
Jonell Mosser
Dennis Locorriere
Bill Lloyd
Henry Gross
Robert White Johnson
The Delavantes
Dan Penn
Greg Trooper
14 Karat Soul
Charlie Louvin
Katy Moffatt
Rosie Flores
The Burns Sisters
Barry & Holly Tashian
Iain Matthews
Andy Roberts
Lucinda Williams
The Roches
Curtis Stigers
Jules Shear
Reg Meuross
Mark Johnson
Daniel Tashian
Robyn, Holly & Clancy Dawson
Barbara & Vince Santoro
Guitar
Stuart Cowell
Simon Climie
Jay Stapley
Mario Schulz
Michael Karoli
Spinello
Richard Thompson
Kimberley Rew
Steuart Smith
Mike Noble
Vince Gill,
Michael Henderson
Duane Eddy
Jean-Marie Peschiutta
Larry Campbell
Dave Tronzo
Gene Parsons
Andy Roberts
Richard Kennedy
Martin Carthy
Steve Allen
Bill Lloyd
Uli Kringler
Miscellaneous
Jimmy Jewell : Saxophone
Lydie Auvray : Accordion
Alex Wiska : Saz
Toots Thielemans : Harmonica
Charlie McCoy : Harmonica
Howard Levy : Harmonica
Steve Baker : Harmonica
Randy Singer : Harmonica
“Jelly-Roll” Johnson : Harmonica
Alastair Anderson : Northumbrian Pipes
Jerry Douglas : Dobro
Jim Horn : Saxophone
Mike Haynes : Trumpet
Charles Rose : Trombone
Jo-el Sonnier : Accordion
Larry Campbell : Violin, Pedal Steel, Mandolin
Steve Forbert : Harmonica
J-M Peschiutta : Mandolin
Andy Roberts : Bouzouki & Dulcimer
Matt Dawson : Pedal Steel
Clancy Dawson : Tambourine
Dave Andrews : Trombone
Mattie Airey : Trumpet
John Sebastian: Harmonica
Onstage Appearances
Jan Akkerman
Luther Allison
Richard Thompson
Rick Danko
Little Feat
Paul Barrere & Fred Tackett
Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham
Al Stewart
Glenn Tilbrook
Lonnie Donegan
Syd Straw
Mary Gauthier
Dolores Keane
Albert Lee
Fairport Convention
Chip Taylor
Jim Lauderdale
Tom Russell
Steve Young
Katy Moffatt
Rosie Flores
Long Players
Stefan Stoppok
BAP / Wolfgang Niedecken
Carl Carlton
Bobby Keys
Ian McLagan
Melanie
Tony Sheridan
Klaus Voormann
Ska Daddy
JD Souther
Dave Kelly & Maggie Bell
Nick Garvey
Jemima Puddleduck
Steve Dawson
Julian Dawson Facts: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
1) At just under 6′ 6″ he’s probably too tall for showbiz (see Keith Richards, Bowie, Paul Simon, Prince etc.)
2) One of seven brothers, he survived 10 years of Catholic boarding schools (see also guilt).
3) Proud to be part of the official Doris Day web page: Only man ever to cover ‘Move Over Darling’ on the album that produced the following favourite review (from the Internet) :
‘The album sucks, we almost put a variation of the Rolling Stones logo on the cover because we felt that anything that sucked this intensely needed a big pair of lips on it. By the way he’s helped out by his friends The Roches and Mr. Richard Thompson. Gee, I hope their careers can survive it – what am I saying? The Roches have never really had a career, they’re about as popular as the insects they’re named after and as far as that bastard Thompson is concerned he could take a dump on stage and the critics would have us think it was a gold ingot. If you’re at a party and someone trots out this fine work of art, leave immediately, go to a safe distance and call the Airforce. Insist on a napalm strike (a three-mile radius should do it). On second thoughts ask for a tactical nuke. Drop one. Have ’em wait half an hour, then drop another. With something as lethal as this guy’s music you can’t be too sure.”
4) The only Brit to play the Nashville Tribute to Gram Parsons.
5) Lured four members of avant-garde Germans Can into playing pop music.
6) Booked to open for Arthur Lee (Love) at New York’ Bottom Line the day he went to jail.
7) Once stood in for Irish crooner Val Doonican when he was taken ill.
8) Played the Grand Ole Opry (with Charlie Louvin) and went on to produce Charlie’s 1996 album ‘The Longest Train’.
9) Picked up fluent German and French – could get a job as a Euro-spy. Translated ’80s popster Nena!
10) He’s written hundreds of songs, alone and in collaboration with Lucinda Williams, Vince Gill, Dan Penn, Nicky Hopkins, Jules Shear, Dennis Locorriere, Rosie Flores, Willie Nile, Bill Lloyd, Iain Matthews, Garry Tallent, Clive Gregson etc.
11) No big hits yet.
12) Went bald aged twenty-one. (So did his son).
12a) Christened ‘Big Julie’ by Little Feat guitarist Paul Barrere.