Nic Jones - Annan Water

[@jtpinnyc]

Not a syllable goes to waste in Nic Jones' singing. Each one is utilized to its maximum melodic potential. I also love the way he treats the meter as essentially free, whatever the lyrics require. And the way the bass notes harmonize the melody in fifths. All superb. Technicalities aside, the end result is a beautifully depicted series of images in your head. I first heard this almost 30 years ago and when I listen to it now I have the same images in my head that I had the first time around. Same with most of Nic Jones' songs tbh.

[@mariannemcaleer746]

Exquisite singing; ornaments like the ripples on a river .....

[@alb2620]

Nic has many definitive versions, but the melody in the guitar part sets this even higher on the ethereal plane.

[@devsedit]

This man is very good, beautiful voice, guitar on the button, what have I missed all these years.

[@ianferguson3543]

My house overlooks Annan Water. We hear the river 24x7.

[@noopportunitynecessary]

The most breathtaking voice

[@barbpanter9427]

Totally magical, heart breakingly gorgeous

[@RuthDoblo]

Gosh this makes me weep

[@Potemkin0]

I can die happy having heard Nic's music

[@Alcalaina]

Made me cry when I first heard this 30 years ago and made me cry today. Thank you so much for posting this treasure!

[@singinghinnie]

Watched the documentary and the Warwick Folk Fest performance with his son was very moving and Nic the man gave an authentic exposition of the creative process and communicating 'something more than just words'.

[@kololikate]

I love his songs and was very moved to see him at The Village Pump festival this summer. I saw him on Breakfast TV this morning and looking forward to BBC 4 on Friday. The Enigma of Nic Jones. Return of Britain's Lost Folk Hero.

[@2Habsfanz]

I have loved Nic Jones singing and guitar since the late 1970s and had only been back from England a week when I heard of his horrible accident. I have always gone out of my way to find all his available recording s and KZbin has provides some many otherwise lost treasures. I still wish I could play guitar as well as he did, but his recordings always move me. 'Annan Water" is one of his best works.

[@HouseInTheWoodProductions]

Thank you so much for putting this up. It's a travesty that this album hasn't been released on CD. It's absolutely brilliant! I saw Nic perform this one. It was - and is - just lovely.

[@t4texas]

Simply brilliant. I can't imagine a better version. One of the most brilliant song performances I believe I've ever heard.

[@JancisHarvey]

I still have this vinyl, and still love the song and the album................ and although I can't play it, I only have to look at it and then I hear it.

[@GixxerRider1991]

+Jancis Harvey It's impossible to get his older albums... I'd give anything to have them; especially 'From the Devil to a Stranger'.

[@JancisHarvey]

I just have this album and I can play it now and I love it !!

[@robertloader9826]

@@JancisHarvey Have loved your records too for many years Jancis!

[@harpy61]

Wonderful to find this again! I was obsessed with this track about 20 years ago, and haven't been able to find it since.

[@Teddyb1939]

What a clown I must have been ! I used to have this lovely album & more or less gave it away with some other good stuff, If we knew then what we know now. This was always one of my favourite tracks by the magic Nic Jones. The guitar work is almost minimal in content. Just lovely.

[@promerops]

This is just so heartbreakingly beautiful. It's a crime that Nic's albums aren't freely available.

[@NitaBoQue]

So gorgeous.

[@SatinReign]

Wow. Just... wow. What an evocative voice, he really brings out the emotion in full force. Gives me chills! Thanks so much for uploading this :)

[@2468pebble]

Fell in love with this and Drowned lovers via Kate Rusby. Hard to adjust to an earlier version when you've only heard one, but I can love both.

[@einhverfr]

Nic Jones is clearly a master. The only thing I noted when going to the Child version was not only it was much more complex but it had one or two subtleties lost in Jones' version. The big one being that the horse sweats for fear because she hears the water-kelpie roaring. It's not the water, but rather the otherworldly spirits which drown the unwary which are active.

[@paulharty3081]

love the "water kelpie" aspect, never heard that before, Thx

[@moonharp]

Thank so much for posting this.

[@peterlloyd1554]

Outstanding song, beautifully played

[@wrongwayup.]

Yeah, I'd say this is a definitive version, to which others get compared :)

[@edwinalovelawrence3519]

thanks for this - has been years since I heard it. Vinyl was good, live was even better!

[@barstuards1]

@wrongwayup Nic Jones and definitive version seem to be linked together very often.

[@carolineholding]

i'd never heard this, can't get this album for love nor money -thanks

[@kololikate]

some of his earlier stuff isn't available because of recording contracts I have several on vinyl but they aren't available on CD.

[@clawpuss2]

Just watched a doc about this guy on BBC4, never heard of him before in my (long) life, He sounds fuckin ace man!

[@wrongwayup.]

@t4texas I agree. It's really impressive how Nic managed to get so much out of what is essentially a fairly simple song.

[@Adam-ie5wy]

Oh Annan Water’s wondrous deep And my love Annie’s wondrous bonny. I’m loath that she should wet her feet Because I love her best of any. Go saddle to me the bonny grey mare, Go saddle her soon and make her ready, For I must cross that river tonight And all to see my bonny lady. And woe betide you Annan Water, At nights you are a gloomy river, And over you I’ll build a bridge That never more true love may sever. And he has ridden o’er field and fell O’er moor and moss and many a mire, His spurs of steel were sore to bide And from the mare’s feet flew the fire. The mare flew on o’er moor and moss And when she’d won the Annan Water, She couldn’t have ridden a furlong more Had a thousand whips been laid upon her. And woe betide you Annan Water, At nights you are a gloomy river, And over you I’ll build a bridge That never more true love may sever. Oh boatman come put off your boat, Put off your boat for gold and money For I must cross that stream tonight Or never more I’ll see my Annie. The sides are steep, the water’s deep From bank to brae the water’s pouring, And your bonny grey mare she sweats for fear, She stands to hear the water roaring. And woe betide you Annan Water, At nights you are a gloomy river, And over you I’ll build a bridge That never more true love may sever. And he has tried to swim that stream And he swam on both strong and steady, But the river was broad and strength did fail And he never saw his bonny lady. Oh woe betide the willow wand And woe betide the bush of briar, For it broke beneath her true love’s hands When strength did fail and limbs did tire. And woe betide you Annan Water, At nights you are a gloomy river, And over you I’ll build a bridge That never more true love may sever.

[@ProfYaffle]

The best

[@wrongwayup.]

@1fretter I can imagine that, since it's an genuine tour-de-force on Nic's part. And all the more reason these recordings should be available to the public. That is why I have uploaded several of the unobtainable songs. But to be frank, Nic should get the rights to the recordings back...

[@graemerothery6189]

My family were the lairds of Annandale before a family fall out a few hundred years ago.

[@dermotmoloney7542]

This is a beatuful song

[@BUTTS59]

Yep I just watched the doc a couple of hours ago also. Never really knew of him before. Impressed or what?

[@Teddyb1939]

wrongwayup.Thanks for this magic track beautiful. Have posted comments today already but being new to the modern world am not sure you received hence this message.I mentioned Martyn Wyndham-Read before another great artist.Thanks.

[@ronstone507]

Just listened to kate Rusby version and this is so much "purer". Wish i had found this man when he was in his prime.

[@dickmiles6639]

i knew him in his prime, Iwas the guest at the Glossop folk club, the week after his accident, he fell asleep at the wheel coming back to his home from that club,. I booked him several times at a folk club in the early seventies and again in the 80s ,he had tremendous stage presence, this lp along with penguin eggs is superb

[@willzer808]

@wrongwayup i love them both, i am in agreement with you now, i love this song dearly now

[@TrueImmortality]

If our family historian is to believed, my father's side of the family is from the Annandale region of Scotland. I have always loved this song and now it seems even more poignant with that background knowledge.

[@TheShinobidog]

awesome! love the john wesley harding version on Trad Ar Jones also!

[@carollizc]

Kate Rusby's version is good, of course, but not a patch on this one. Nic's version captures the pain and poignancy of the lyrics simply and perfectly.

[@Teddyb1939]

Have heard Kate murder many songs, o/k on rare occasions,

[@wrongwayup.]

Wow, I'm really behind on these comments... Anyway... I agree, this should be available for people to purchase. Alas, it still isn't, which is why I decided to upload it to youtube (I wouldn't have done so if it was for sale).

[@wrongwayup.]

Glad you found it again. :)

[@wrongwayup.]

@Teddyb1939 I did not receive any other messages from you prior to this one. But that's no problem. I'm glad you liked this track. :)

[@wrongwayup.]

@willzer808 Fair enough. I think Rusby's version is great as well (which I why I posted this video as a response to the Rusby video).

[@hopefulguitarist7532]

Quite sublime. Anyone know what guitar tuning is used here?

[@mscocorosie]

Why does it matter if you're gay or not? In the past crying was once thought to be quite manly, particularly when warriors did it, because it showed that the person crying was brave enough to show their true deep feelings on a matter.

[@Toupret]

After reading all comments, the detail of homosexual or heterosexual seems utterly redundant. Cry if you wish. The subject is the music. Absolutely fantastic it is too! Perhaps some comments have been deleted, for whatever reason. The mention of sexual orientation seems to be for the seeking of attention ONLY. The music gains more attention, do not feel hurt.

[@mscocorosie]

Agreed,

[@wrongwayup.]

@willzer808 It's magnificent :P

[@WillyEckaslike]

any chance of putting up " The Outlandish Knight" from the Ballads and Songs album?...Cheers

[@wrongwayup.]

@AnonymousScreenOgler Agreed.

[@GSalvage3]

Try Isambarde's rendition - which they credit to Nic - it's a good-un

[@wrongwayup.]

@oscar6418 I'll see what I can do :)

[@streetspiritben]

While we're getting sassy, gay people can be soldiers too.

[@mscocorosie]

@thekingshand82 Gay people aren't the only ones that cry. Soldiers do too.