Richard Thompson BBC 4 Session - Goodbye TVC-2013

Part of the evening of programs shown on BBC 4 in March 2013
As part of the Goodbye TV Centre celebrations, guitarist, singer and songwriter Richard Thompson plays a one-off concert filmed in TC8.
Thompson has been performing in BBC TV studios since 1969, starting on Top of the Pops with Fairport Convention and then making frequent appearances on the Old Grey Whistle Test, The Late Show and Later with Jools Holland as a solo artist and bandleader.
Filmed before the opening night of the tour celebrating the Top 20 placing of his album Electric, Thompson leads his current power trio through songs from that album, including Salford Sunday and Stony Ground, alongside classics from his songbook like I Want to See the Bright Lights and Tear Stained Letter. Thompson is joined on a couple of acoustic songs by former Fairport bandmate and master fiddler Dave Swarbrick, frequent collaborator Pete Zorn adds sax to Al Bowlly's In Heaven and his daughter Kami Thompson harmonises on Waltzing for Dreamers.
Filmed before a small studio audience in the bare style of some of the previous BBC music shows on which Thompson has appeared, this concert celebrates Thompson and a tradition of popular music performance from TV Centre.
1. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
2. I'll Never Give It Up
3. Good Things Happen to Bad People
4. Salford Sunday
5. Medley: a) Wishing, b) Victors' Return, c) Gravel Path to Granny
6. Waltzing's for Dreamers
7. Stony Ground
8. Sally B.
9. Al Bowlly's in Heaven
10. Saving the Good Stuff for You
11. Tear Stained Letter
Cast
music performance Richard Thompson
music performance Taras Prodaniuk
music performance Michael Jerome
music performance Kami Thompson
music performance Peter Zorn
music performance Dave Swarbrick
music performance Paulina Thompson

[@cstuartcook9390]

The world lost a great musician when Pete Zorn went.

[@jmorra]

rest in peace Pete Zorn...a brother slips away

[@EnosEverything]

and R.I.P. Dave Swarbrick - the greatest ever fiddler in English folk-rock history.

[@dbrianhughes]

I met Pete Zorn and Dave Mattacks after an RT Band show in Lawrence, Kansas in 1996 and went out for a drink after the show. I kept in touch with Pete over the years and went out for drinks whenever he and the band were in the area for several years after that. I was sorry to hear of his death. What a great guy and great multi-instrumentalist!

[@xenahodson7835]

One of the nicest guys ever! Missed but in our hearts- now and ever

[@53etienne]

Didn't realize he was an American. What a great musician he was! Saw him with RT several many times. RIP

[@keithbird8910]

The sign of a great songwriter - producing consistently brilliant songs for decades. Go out and buy as many Richard Thompson albums as you can find.

[@AlanWylie]

I was old and lucky enough to see Fairport Convention live. Mr Thompson was their guitarist, and Sandy Denny the lead vocalist. The best female singer ever, Check out Fairport Convention. You will love their progressive and astonishing attitude to folk music.

[@davepower7170]

Sandy Denny...what a voice......

[@jeffreylemal7432]

@@davepower7170 the lady

[@3rdUncleBob]

1. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight 2. I'll Never Give It Up 3. Good Things Happen to Bad People 4. Salford Sunday 5. Medley: a) Wishing, b) Victors' Return, c) Gravel Path to Granny 6. Waltzing's for Dreamers 7. Stony Ground 8. Sally B. 9. Al Bowlly's in Heaven 10. Saving the Good Stuff for You 11. Tear Stained Letter

[@stevem4375]

Bob McIntyre Thanks for this - the setlist is always the most important comment for me.

[@voivodOfficial]

Thank you Bob! I am new to Richard Thompson's work and was going to ask if someone could post the set list.

[@kolloduke3341]

Thanks so much for track listing .Its a bit annoying when someone puts something up , but then gives no clue to the song titles therefore it dosent help when buying his albums with the songs featured. lol

[@flexmusic89]

I had the honour of being in the studio audience for this.

[@sullivan2339]

congrats- fantastic!

[@haroldsteinblatt2567]

I never realized until just now how great “All Bowlly’s in Heaven” is. Somehow this performance got me to really hear the lyrics; too often I get hung up by his acoustic playing: “How did he do that, I can't see the chord..." The drummer is terrific,

[@mitchellwallace5654]

I just saw Richard Thompson this weekend in Phila PA USA at the Keswick. He is still inspiring in fantastic voice, humor and a real showman. Technically to say the least and new material is superb and poignant. Not surprisingly many of the Audience were not aware of his superior schredding Ability. He remains one of the unsung guitar masters to be reckoned with!

[@tomwestgate5310]

only one word to describe richard in my opinion. pioneer.

[@boogieeck]

I saw him last night. Best Guitarist since Hendrix, best writer since Dylan, a folk singer who is rawer than AC/DC, heavier than Metallica, writes lyrics for Goths, a Muslim who is totally English. Awesome

[@brucegolub9627]

Late. But this is one of the best descriptions i've ever read about Richard.

[@helethead]

He is a Sikh

[@zounds13]

No, he's a Sufi. www.theguardian.com/music/2010/apr/11/richard-thompson-faith-feature

[@helethead]

That's what I meant to say. Don't know why I said Sihk??

[@TolkienStudy]

Well said

[@bonoix]

I've seen him several times over the years. He's one of my favorite musicians in the world. Hoping he comes to town again soon! So many great songs and I love his voice, not to mention his being one of the great guitarists ever.

[@gracie30ish]

the coolest old man you'll ever see

[@billyboggins]

Pure genius..overlooked by many

[@fredbloggs2206]

As inventive as you could hope for from any guitarist. His electric tone and touch are something to behold. His acoustic playing’s not bad either 😉

[@joehiggs100]

Thanks for posting, I've yet to see anything bad from Mr Thompson. A maestro.

[@seanod7157]

I had never heard of him until the night I saw him live. He blew us away without us knowing a single song of his or anything about him. That's talent.

[@emilyslomovits9204]

So great to see Kami playing with him! He's one of my favorite performers ever.

[@ianmcdonald3410]

2019 and I only have just discovered this brilliant musician, was listening to Spotify and heard 1952 Vincent , will now check out everything I can 👍

[@adamwheeldon]

Ian Mcdonald enjoy 👍

[@markiliff]

Jealous that you have so many wondrous discoveries ahead of you!

[@goodun2974]

Ian McDonald, better late than never!

[@christopherwhite7502]

These guys are all consummate musicians...fit to accompany a great talent like Richard.

[@arneemilbredland2339]

RT and Swarb together brings a tear to my eye. Lovely.

[@annaheinrichleonpalmer7038]

The guitar playing on tear stained letter at the end is astounding

[@goodun6081]

Anna, Tear-Stained Letter is always a rave-up. Crash the Party is another real barnburner I've heard him do. I saw him a number of times with the later "big- band" iteration of the late 1980s that included Clive Gregson, Christine Collister, and John Kirkpatrick. The best way to describe that band is with a paraphrase from Richard's song about Al Bowlly: "That was a NOISE, That was a BAND !"

[@therapidone]

@@goodun6081 I recently (late June, 2019) saw him perform solo and he used Tear Stained Letter as one of his encore numbers...and made it a sing along! After the performance at which I first saw him in the early 90s, I had the chance to chat with him. I talked to him about Jimmy Shands (Don't Sit on My Jimmy Shands from Rumor and Sigh). I had uncovered a copy of a Jimmy Shands record from my next door neighbor in Pittsburgh, who was older and from England. RT then asked me if I might uncover any Al Bowlly records (Al Bowlly's in Heaven from Daring Adventures)...if so, I should contact him ASAP. As it turns out, I came up empty on Al Bowlly.

[@shrimptunes3463]

good 'un yup, I wholeheartedly agree. That iteration is my favorite RT band!

[@mikekojan5208]

Good sound

[@kevinrosich589]

one of my old favorite players. underated guitarist. Dave Swarbrick a great violinist

[@LeeLucas]

superb concert by Thompson and was great to see the great late Swarbs with him too.

[@democratpatriot6752]

Thompson has the courage to stay true to his musical roots.

[@tadpalac]

Re Salford Sunday...."Back when Fairport used to play at Salford University on a regular basis.."....I was there!! Those were the days! Yes, Salford was pretty grim, but we had a great time. This song bring back so many memories.

[@hansout2831]

The solo in Stony Ground- ferocious! I was happy to see him on tour around this time, when he played this.

[@williamcran7950]

Wonderful! Loved Swarbs bit - he was a friend on FB after I told him about 6am wake up call in Oman over the camp pa in 1972! The Lark! First thing I bought on my return to Uk was The History of Fairport Convention. Have seen RT numerous times since.

[@wadefite]

this man is so talented

[@jeffreynorman3554]

Had the pleasure of standing next to him at the Half Moon pub at Putney while he held his Strat before going onstage with Fairport in August 1987 before that year's Cropredy reunion. Absolutely brilliant - a Folk-Rock legend

[@janeweedon6335]

Ah yes, the Half Moon. Wonderful pub. We were watching Fairport in the early eighties and I trod on someone's foot in the dark. I turned round to apologise and Billy Connolly smiled at me and said 'nae problem lassie!' Happy days they were.

[@jeffreynorman3554]

Blimey, that was good. It was always so informal in there - you could go out in the bar and there'll be Peggy and Simon at the bar. Some time near Christmas they were at the Dominion in Tottenham Court Road and they were in the bar and managed to get them to autograph my programme. Such nice people.

[@ChrisR_68]

Amazing singer & guitarist !!' And brilliant live..... WOW 🙂

[@hochetbernard1600]

Toujours excellent ce Richard Thompson

[@dreamwell2020]

Wherever the BBC took this operation, I'd like to buy season tickets - this is a beautiful production.

[@carolwolf9614]

Thanks for uploading this. Absolutely awesome performance.

[@sullivan2339]

adam wheeldon Thanks very much for this post

[@StanfordFan-jn1dp]

saw him in Golden Gate Park in front of 35k and in Berkeley in a small club. As a Singer/songwriter/guitarist he has no equal.

[@goodun6081]

"Where are the Daleks gonna go?!". Brings back memories of watching Doctor Who here in the States with my parents, many years ago.

[@arthurshepherd8757]

I harpooned a Goddess Mermaid with a line attached to a blade of poetry and prose. It was miles long and she swam off with every word before she broke it and disappeared. Then I prayed to take back every word just to see her again without the scar. Lo and behold she did come back and she made me vow to utter not another word until she taught me about love. Then she took me deep until I forgot how to breathe.

[@daveskerritt185]

Yeah , I agree with all of you. I had the honor of of seeing Richard, when he was touring, and he played in a small concert place, in Ann Arbor, Michigan of all places. I probably had the chance to go up and meet him, and didn't have the nerve. Darn. He had a stuttering problem that I guess he overcame. This is why we would mostly see him coming out with funny short phrases when he says something funny. I miss him singing with his previous wife Linda. It's always a joy to listen to the Fairport Convention.

[@andrewmaloney9201]

Thanks Richard, that was BRILLIANT - as is ALL of your work and performances as they NEVER EVER disappoint on QUALITY of Lyrics, vocals and your unique style of guitar playing!! I ABSOLUTELY Enjoyed this session. THOROUGHLY a SMASH!!! As ALWAYS!!!!! Oh, and NOT to FORGET what GREAT performances ALSO - by your BAND members and guest Violinist/ Fiddler and Backing Singers!!! GREAT STUFF as always! Thank you ALL! 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

[@sithering]

Sad to say we have lost two of the performers since this was recorded. :-(

[@catweasel28]

R.I.P Swarb.

[@billtaylor9931]

Loved and miss Pete zorn

[@jutahbagels5805]

From the first note, he is absolutely entrancing.

[@atleengelstad5303]

Out standing......., true musicianship....

[@jamesmcmeekin1893]

fantastic footage

[@Joe-rp8ou]

Kami is a great musician in her own right and certainly favors he mother

[@thejigantics2641]

Did a few gigs with Pete Zorn and I was briefly in a band with him. When he depped he would turn up with zero rehearsal and sit out for the first few bars then choose his instrument and play his way through the track like he’d been working on it all week

[@dmn23]

I met Pete a couple of times after different RT shows in the 90s and he was gracious and amiable and didn't mind dealing with fans. Seemed like a genuinely good guy.

[@hendrixdeadboy]

Michael Jerome is the coolest drummer in the world!

[@olafbigandglad]

+Carl Stickley I must respectfully disagree. My vote has to go to Jay Bellerose.

[@frederickj.7702]

+Carl Stickley ... I, too, must disagree. MJ, center stage, is just one enormous, ongoing distraction; and he seems like such an inappropriate choice to support our guy RT. He does seem much more dialed back than usual in this video, thank goodness... probably due to the venue and audience being so small; but I still don't know what RT has been thinking in his case. Not exactly the drumming equivalent of Danny Thompson...

[@hendrixdeadboy]

+Frederick J. Hi. I'm not a musician so I'm not rating him on his chops. I hear you that he's not Danny Thompson but RT goes on the road with MJ as part of the Electric Trio. The set isn't just quiet folk tunes (which RT usually plays solo, like Black Vincent 52). There are waltz tunes, country swing, ballads, Fairport tunes and sixties classics like White Room and All Along the Watchtower - all of which MJ can play. I suppose I like a bit of performance and, sorry, RT's not the most animated of musicians!

[@MrRik2]

He really is amazing - cool and an amazing musician. I could sit and watch just MJ drumming on his own.

[@goodun6081]

@@frederickj.7702 , nor is Michael Jerome in the same league as Dave Mattacks.

[@chokkan7]

Thanks loads for this! Can never get enough of Mr. Thompson's talents...

[@salossi]

I love every fuckin tone, RT squeezes out of his geetaaa... Absolutely lovely...!!!!! He is the man!!!!

[@vanu49]

They're having fun and you can hear that. It's great. Tks for the upload!

[@MrOopsidoodledo]

OMG pure musical genius...

[@daveskerritt185]

I like Richard for his honesty, sense of humor, and cleverness as a musician. I've followed him through the Fairport Convention, his career with Linda, and his solo career. I saw him live once. He sometimes gets into that almost off the edge sardonic humor, but not really. He can take us to a dark place, but not really. For me it is always a dark place we all experience at times, but not most of the time. Mostly he has taken us to a positive place where we sometimes have to laugh at ourselves. I want to see the bright lights tonight!

[@Ndlanding]

Class, pure class. Did nod off a couple of times, though. Glad I woke up for the guitar solo at the end. Class.

[@bernicewalsh3432]

Love Richard Thompson.

[@DeepShade]

great drummers slip the snare drum springs sound just before the chorus! thanks for that X X prof

[@MrMusicguyma]

It should come as no surprise that, along with all his other talents, RT is a superb accompanist for fiddle tunes. "Gravel Walk" is the common title for the 3rd tune in the medley with Swarb. Fairport often gave fictitious titles to their traditional medleys. I like RT's description of the trio as a "folky, wimp trio". Hardly. Great shtuff.

[@SaphirSouenEstherG]

03.04.2016 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RICHARD THOMPSON! Shared on Google+.

[@goodun6081]

I just noticed from your post that he's got another birthday tomorrow. Happy Birthday Richard, may you rock on!

[@alistairewen7005]

Have followed the man since f.c. days, amazes me he's been passed by so many guitarists even, I think that maybe his music is so varied, that one could listen to the WRONG track first.

[@arneemilbredland2413]

Wrong track? Only right tracks from RT :)

[@alistairewen9558]

@@arneemilbredland2413 I think you knew exactly what I meant but, I agree 'cause I love them all.

[@stevesarah]

Simply stunning

[@johnebgood108]

awesome he re-unites with dave sawrbrick, greatest english fiddler!!

[@PauloARodriguesFh]

Fantastic!

[@brendanwalsh4040]

Pure genius!

[@arthurshepherd8757]

February 4, 2015 - Last Greyhound Out Of Austin It’s all I can do to say I can’t find any other way to say goodbye broke and broken nothin’ left to give with everything forgiven goin’ home to the cold so old every word is so old now just like the last time I lost my guitar and left my car in Austin full o’ dirty clothes nothin’ left to say don’t know no other way three days on a Greyhound to think about it it’s tempting to think I might come back from the brink that no one else has ever been broken this way and I said there was nothin’ else to say but I’m sure no one else has ever been broken this way I got nothin’ left to lose or give but all’s forgiven I hope you know all’s forgiven and there’s nothin’ owed and nothin’ left to pay when you’ve given your heart and your Heaven away three days on a Greyhound to think about it how I gave my heavy heart and my Heaven away but I’ll tell you this It all was true every word I ever said about you about beauty grace and wisdom I meant every word before I crossed over I know you knew I know you felt it too what does it mean to say I love you after you’ve given your Heaven away you have to give it away after you swore you’d stay it’s a brokeness I can’t explain it’s harder than the hardest rain it’s deeper than the deepest pain cause it had to be pure I had to be sure I could give this Heaven away and take nothin’ back just fade to black keep nothin’ for myself 30 days on a hard steel rack for givin’ my Heaven away I prayed for intervention somehow somewhere some Angel would understand that none of it was planned who could plan such things who could know what makes Angels sing cause there were too many lifetimes involved too many riddles to be solved and not enough clues not enough grace to stretch that far between this star and that star so I gave my Heaven away I know I swore that I’d stay and I tried my best and there was nowhere to rest no place to hide from the ultimate test could I give my Heaven away would I give my Heaven away could I live one more day after givin’ my Heaven away three days on a Greyhound is not enough time to reflect no way to make sense in the future it’s all past tense so you let it go you go home alone back to the last place you heard someone say I love you long before I gave my Heaven away but I hope you know it all was true every single word I ever said about you will you find me again on some quantum cosmic plane where everyone sings for free just to pass the time entertainment for eternity and I’ll have a new face and just enough grace to give such Heaven away all I ask now is for you to go and give your Heaven away I don’t even have a guitar and I’ll never be a rodeo star and I might never be found but every word I said about you is true every word came from the heart wrapped around eternity lookin’ for a brand new start I heard you sing I gave everything never made one red cent it all was Heaven sent and I gave my Heaven away every word I said about you it all is true and yes I did sing for you I sang every word I sang like a bird I sang it for the sky I sang it for the wind I sang it for my cosmic kin I lost my soul and I lost my skin I thought there might still be some new way to begin after I gave my Heaven away it all is true every word I spoke every word I sang about eternal love and it’ll still be true next time around cause I gave my Heaven away so I could dream about a girl who gave her Heaven away to Angels who told her so long ago we’ll come back to sing and we’ll come back to play If you give your Heaven away So I gave my Heaven away just now just today I gave my Heaven away Peace Eternal love and devotion for the great 'One' the 'True' King of England Richard Thompson

[@66smashy]

Superb upload, thanks.

[@joepfeiffer8282]

good concert. Nice variation of recent and older songs and some special guests!

[@johnebgood108]

Zorn! awesome on sax - and everything else!!

[@grahamcox662]

Thompson ,underrated genius. Swarbrick is brilliant aswell.

[@chuckwilliam4746]

One of the greats~~an acoustic and electric giant

[@spharr]

That section with Swarbrick, and all the history they had. Enough to bring tears to my eyes. What players.

[@denniskeogh]

Underrated in as much as he's not a massive self-publicist, but he seems to be highly rated by most of his colleagues.

[@grahamcox662]

@@denniskeogh Self publicist? What's that got to do with anything? I'm talking about his musical talent.

[@mrsterripurcell]

He's due in Dublin soon, can't wait been too long

[@thechazdarby]

A treasure. Thank you for sharing this video. I don't have this one.

[@kevinriley4213]

Lovely sax player too!

[@ChromatophoneNature]

Amazing stuff on Stony Ground!

[@AnotherMusicLover2]

God, I love him.

[@Tveshag]

Brilliant Thank You For Sharing

[@jimholloway2228]

Very nice - thanks for posting this Mr. Wheeldon. And people ... please don't feed the trolls. It only encourages them.

[@adamwheeldon7553]

No problem, thank you Jim - Glad you enjoyed.

[@nicholasfadely9771]

Damn! Recently discovered RT. Sally is my favorite song right now.

[@janetgriffiths2151]

Second track, Salford Sunday one of my faves

[@fiestared1963]

Thanks for Sharing. Brilliant!!!

[@wadefite]

emotional getogether fot the pair. still sounding great.

[@LANCSKID]

Tricky Dicky with the still expert picky! Thanks for posting this vid.

[@jmorra]

that whining, moaning guitar -- like no one else! After 40+ years I remain baffled.

[@richieroma]

All hail the master!

[@Matt63491]

Thanks for this !

[@scwottful]

Thanks for this man!

[@EnosEverything]

What a fabulous little gig this is - R.T. in top form as always and a fine crew behind him featuring the late great Swarb and also the sadly missed genius of Pete Zorn.

[@arneemilbredland2413]

All things must pass, that`s the way it`s supposed to be. Swarb and Peter are sadly missed.

[@garrettzeff5729]

Thanks for uploading this!

[@scottdavison1420]

No one better.

[@harryhones]

Yes, its Kami as he introduces here after the song

[@jonathanwellman4203]

Fookin great! Doubt if he could do a bad tune. Makes me wish I wore two hats-take em both off. .

[@dickranmarsupial4911]

He was lucky to get Meryl Streep to provide vocals too!

[@robertamato358]

Here is one he did this evening but with his full band.

[@sagecreekwitt3301]

32.56 i like the eyes rolling back in the head. I like his latest band. Funny during stony ground.

[@michaellamneck2116]

His new album 'Still' is very good, hope he adds some tour dates in the U.S.

[@scottnollen3722]

Richard Thompson is the ONLY one of his kind.

[@williefess2685]

PLAYING IN Louisville tomorrow night and I have to have tonight pneumonia :(

[@chrisdansey2600]

Sad to think that two of the backing musicians are n longer with us

[@robertarthur887]

That Stony Ground.

[@DeepShade]

but only for a while.....indeed

[@diogenesagogo]

Richard Thompson & P J Harvey. Don't know if it'd work, but if it did ...

[@brucegolub9627]

I'd Pay

[@honeychurchgipsy6]

diogenesagogog - some have compared his voice to Nick Cave who has done a lot of work with Harvey - and all three come out of a folk/traditional music background mixed with blues etc. - should be awesome!

[@dreamwell2020]

"Smiddyburn"? ...Yeah - I knew all about that one.

[@alastairthomson2835]

How did I miss this full-length set? Possibly that final time RT and Swarb played a concert together?