Richard Thompson, A Solitary Life

BBC TV 2003. Some editing due to copyright issues.

[@judsoncarroll5902]

He walked into a little guitar shop in Athens, GA when I was working there, in college. I brought out our best old gear and just sat and listened while he jammed for an hour or so. He didn't buy anything, but I was elated! After he left, the owner asked, "Who was that guy? He was really good!" I answered, "THAT was Richard Thompson!" "Never heard of him," he said. GREAT memory!

[@wabisabi6875]

"Folk music, oh, you mean like Peter, Paul and Mary?" Faceplant. The man is one of the most serious song-writers and inventive guitarists of our time.

[@markhayward7400]

Richard Thompson's shy modesty and self-deprecating humour showcase the nice man behind the musical genius.

[@billbaggins1688]

When i thought i couldn't love this guy any more, there he is playing snooker.

[@jonathansmith5085]

Was that in the club in Kentish town ?

[@weemaggiejiggs8832]

🎼" l see angels and arials in leather and chrome sweeping down from heaven to carry me home..and he gave her one last kiss and died..and he gave her his Vincent to ride 🎼 beautiful lyrics..❤ love from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@Puffsdad]

God loves a drunk raise up your glasses Amen

[@johnnybsteelriff]

Modest and a huge rarity in that he is a virtuoso guitarist and a virtuoso songwriter, usually you are one or the other....

[@Deebemc]

Once again, there’s a Danny Thompson……….accompanying a brilliant guitarist…, Davy Graham, Bert Jansch, John Martyn before RT…….fab video on a fab musician.

[@andrewmair7371]

Yes, the great DT with the great RT 🙌 Saw/(heard!) them in duo mode on a double bill with Loudon Wainwright 3rd in Sydney’s ‘Basement’ years ago… a memorable night☝️😁 Rock On Richard - 🎸

[@richardfinlayson1524]

​@@andrewmair7371 I remember that tour, I saw him play at basement discs in Melbourne,

[@andrewmair7371]

@@richardfinlayson1524 👍😊

[@noelmajers6369]

I've been lucky enough to see Richard perform three times including once with Linda Thompson (Sunny vista tour), solo once in the US (Art Theatre NY) and with a band again a couple of years later in Cardiff. It was all wonderful but a particular stand out moment was during the NY gig when, with his acoustic guitar and as an encore, he blasted out an absolutely barnstorming version of Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away. Totally brought the house down and the New Yorkers just loved it.

[@mindsigh4]

was nice of your sister to take time off from her busy home funeral directoring service to participate in this beautiful documentary.

[@gavinkeown6488]

In my book, that performance of 'Cooksferry Queen' is one of the best in the history of 'Later...'. The guy's a genius, completely agree with Ms. Raitt's suggestion that he's in the highest pantheon of songwriters.

[@craignl]

Narrated by the late great John Peel!

[@thomasshepard6030]

You know he was a nonce

[@sharonhearne5014]

I discovered Richard and Linda through my niece Tara and then began to go farther back into history exploring his musical history and fell in love with it. To me he is one of the finest guitarists alive with an unforgettable voice. To me Linda added a dimension that was unforgettable just as Sandy Denny’s had earlier. He is a bard in the true tradition and I am glad to have seen him live twice in Austin which was once reputed as Musical Capitol of The World. Having discovered my Scottish ancestry even though part of his is British, I relate to him as my Scottish soulmate♥️.

[@BRLaue]

His version of ‘Woodstock’ at the Joni Mitchell tribute is a performance for the ages.

[@AFaceintheCrowd01]

RT left so much of this stuff out of his memoir, which dealt with his life through the mid-70s. This is a terrific documentary largely thanks to Linda and Nancy’s participation.

[@hardlines5472]

Pour Down Like Silver is one of the greatest albums ever.

[@thomasshepard6030]

I have been listening to Richard Thomson forever one of his best songs is stumble on and a brother slips away from the album DREAM ATTIC

[@robertloader9826]

10:40 Mother of God, how GOOD is RT at 17!? Astonishing.

[@DanHintz]

fun fact: the great singer-songwriter hugh cornwell of the stranglers was in a high school band with richard thompson!

[@MrConan89]

Amazing docu. Glad I found it. RT and Mark Knopfler are three years young than me but we all have something in common - as beginners we all bought the Bert Weedon book "Play in a day". I still gig weekly at age 77 and I sometimes perform "Vincent Black Lightining". As an owner of a Norton motorcycle I recorded it (It's on KZbin) as "Norton Commando 1972"

[@joejackson6453]

Brilliant Loved that, The Blessed Richard Thompson as June Tabor once said. Great to see a happy dad 🎶

[@philbell5774]

Saw him at the central hotel in Southsea about 1983 playing to an audience of about 500. Great gig and all round nice guy.

[@keithangus1683]

His son Teddy playing back up guitar on the last song.

[@powermatic52]

Saw him in Akron,and cleveland OH.down by the old Cuyahoga river, in tne 80s.or so, even shook his hand, he appeard to give it up cautiously... luv "Liviin on barrowed time". and" Hand of kindness," along with my other 400 favoriteRT songs.....

[@richardfinlayson1524]

I love all those early Fairport albums, the first two get overlooked a bit, but they have some great stuff on them.

[@sianwarwick633]

Really good at explaining the how's and why's of Richard Thompson's life, especially with the esteemed and missed John Peel. (nostalgia my middle name)

[@seattlerinis8249]

Saw this for the first time today.. Begins describing a mother who finally gave up on Richard 5 years before - 1998.. ok Richard, this music thing is legit.. Describes a strict authoritarian dad, a police detective, who made Richard's stuttering worse and didn't approve of Richard pursuing music. Only that dad was a guitarist himself and liked it when Richard listened to his Django Reinhardt records. That made me laugh out loud. This guy is a true legend easily since the late 1960's. Saw another video from 2023 Richard playing a Fairport song he wrote in 1969 about homeless people being kicked out of a squat. Song holds up beautifully after all these years.

[@deadpoet62]

What a great Docu, I saw fairport in the 70’s, absolutely brilliant. Richard is one Britains last standing most talented guitarists. Such a modest bloke too when he has every right not to be, as he is up there with the best past & present.

[@pierrelalonde3705]

richard thompson is an awesome musician

[@ricjan58]

Wow! I've always been somewhat a fan, mostly Fairport. This documentary certainly opened my eyes wider. Thanks for posting this.

[@bluesman172]

First saw RT in the original Fairport Convention (Judy Dyble) in London about 67/68 and followed him closely ever since, seeing him live in many different settings. His songwriting and guitar playing are wonderful and his catalogue is amazing. He has been a constant soundtrack to my life. Loved this documentary.

[@thomasshepard6030]

Stumble on and a brother slips away fantastic songs

[@robinstafford6177]

Went to see his 70th birthday gig at the Albert Hall. The huge range of artists who turned up to play with him was a tribute to how much he is loved and respected. One of the greatest but so like him to play it down.

[@HighKingTurgon]

As a new parent WHOSE INFANT ONLY LIKES ROCK & ROLL AND NOISEPOP, I can corroborate the oddity of singing "The End of the Rainbow" as a lullaby. Feels wrong, but the song is so damn good.

[@danielstephens9748]

A very measured and thoughtful man.

[@johnod1955]

Thanks, i just saw him last night.

[@paullevine1813]

Awesome little documentary & anyone that knows of him knows despite the little quirks he's a musical genius . I wish they had a wee bit more of his thoughts on the time he spent playing with Sandy Deny as that had to be a highlight of a small portion of his career but holy moly they made some fine music with that band . One of the finest players around then & now & Sandy was like the female version of himself . pure talent & genius.

[@stevehead365]

If a blue plaque was placed on the site of the former Cooks Ferry Inn, you would get run over attemping to view it. What was once a famous rock venue is now a roundabout. RIP.

[@TheSpidey1969]

Wow! Thanks for the posting! So blessed to have had a chance to see him in concert!

[@eahannan]

Very interesting and personal documentary. Learned a lot thank you .

[@youthofyesterdayrecords]

Richard and Linda are AMAZING!

[@davidburne9477]

Saw his electric trio some years back and I swear it sounded like there were 3 guitars. Mighty, mighty sound, and so melodic. Not to mention the depth in the songwriting.

[@andrewfrancis4462]

Fairport Convention was way before my time. I remember Shoot Out the Lights made a huge impression on me, the first 'adult' record I got into. Recently I was listening to a album he made 2018 I think - very much a rock and roll record. I loved it.

[@Baci302]

Thanks for posting. Love Richard.

[@frankwilson2607]

Note that this docu was made in 2003. RT has moved to the East coast as of 2019. New Love. Search for "richard-thompsons-winding-road-leads-to-montclair". Saw him with a Fairport reunion in the min 90s, a buhch of times solo, and again in Saybrook CT 2023. Winding road indeed! His writing perfectly illustrates the permutations of the heart and the ineffability of the human soul. and...God I miss Billy Connolly - RIP.

[@jamestejada3673]

He is still alive man.

[@frankwilson2607]

@@jamestejada3673 Ach, that's simple. I just confused my demise for his.

[@williamcurtin5692]

Saw one of the Shoot Out shows in DC. The tension between him and Linda was thick enough,,, but the performance was sublime. A fan from Fairport days. In school days a group of us once had a mock debate "Resolved: Lord Donald was a sport" (Matty Groves).

[@gregdecker3518]

Excellent !!!

[@Silly.Old.Sisyphus]

"so un-rock'n'roll" - beautiful! :)

[@evansmith3589]

I was on Nancy's tour in summer 1983, launching even more interest in (folk-) rock.

[@pierrelalonde3705]

a great composer as well

[@grendel_nz]

Thank you for posting this wonderful doco :) (01:46)

[@josefinagarza241]

Excellent

[@chrisrobertson9264]

The Bob Dylan of Great Britain ❤️

[@jonathansmith5085]

An aside that he was a grammar school boy . Indeed , we were at William Ellis school at the same time . No mention of Paul Ghosh and another boy who’s name escapes me . The story is that the head called him in , berated him for all the guitar “ nonsense “ and warned him not to fail his “A “ levels. Six months later they played the Albert Hall 😂

[@HarborLockRoad]

California, always California... Dave Mattox had the right idea in settling in Marblehead, Massachusetts, I'm positive New England would be more agreeable to a Brit coming to America. Even the towns have the same names! 😂👍♥️

[@timoakes450]

Wisdom thanks mate

[@brucegelman5582]

A balanced man.

[@bradfordrossi7539]

Saw that one and only American tour R & L did in support of the superlative ‘Shoot Out The Lights’ . Before the Internet, info took time to be disseminated, so trouble in the marriage wasn’t really known until the Rolling Stone article some months later. Reflecting, there did seem to be some tension, but nothing overt. Linda sat down on the stage during one of his songs, which seemed to nettle him somewhat.But still a great show!

[@andrewpearson1903]

52:42 these fifteen seconds justify this whole documentary

[@billkeon880]

FC didn’t invent folk rock as you state. It had been around since ‘65. But they were fantastic, and RT is awesome

[@richardwilton722]

You probably mean the Byrds. As mentioned in this documentary, Fairport Convention invented folk rock based on traditional British music, which led to Steeleye Span and the Albion Band etc.

[@MrBluoct]

A road travelled

[@danielstephens9748]

His son has a little bit of talent too!...lol

[@neilritson7445]

12.00 No mention of the wonderful girl vocalist?

[@danielstephens9748]

the band 'reckless kelly' do a great version of '1952 vincent black lightning.'

[@brendancoburn427]

39:19......Derek Smalls!!!!! Yeaaaay!

[@unchattytwit]

Wonder what it's like living with John Denver? got me wonderin' now!

[@johncopeland3826]

Even i with my untrained ears can hear The Band in most of Richard's work ! Those guys were more than pretty good influencers , huh !

[@davidmorgen4558]

No one on the street seemed to know who he was,Dylan couldnt do that!

[@eahannan]

28:00

[@hughtierneytierney3585]

The Richard and Linda duet at 22 or so minutes showcases some truly terrible singing from both. I'd not expected that.

[@patrickmorgan4006]

Wasn't their best work, or at least the sound system made it seem that way.

[@liamoconlocha3264]

They didn't invent folk rock! Horslips were playing stuff like this long before

[@JonWallis123]

Neither Fairport Convention nor Horslips "invented" Folk Rock -- that was arguably the Byrds, a few years before either British/Irish group formed. Time magazine used the term in 1965 to describe Dylan's influence on popular music (eg, after he released Bringing It All Back Home), and it was also applied to the Byrds' music around the time they released Mr. Tambourine Man (which, of course, included a lot of Dylan covers). As for Fairport "versus" Horslips - Fairport released both Unhalfbricking (arguably their first rock-oriented folk album) and Liege & Lief (definitely British folk rock) in 1969, a year before Horslips even formed, and three years before they released their first album in 1972.

[@liamoconlocha3264]

@@JonWallis123 great informative answer, yes you are absolutely right

[@LeadMe2TheBliss]

Well, David Gilmour covered one of Richard's songs, so he still wins. When David Gilmour is a huge fan of your music you know you did something right.

[@joline2730]

NO SUBTITLES ‼️‼️‼️👎👎👎 Eleven million deaf in the UK

[@blindpew69]

I was ok with him until he walked out on his wife and children. Not good!

[@billclarke3773]

He's written some great songs and he can play the guitar but he really is a miserable beggar, sneering at everything, ungrateful, blaming everyone else, wife abandoner. He let's himself down.

[@DanHintz]

you know him?

[@robertandrew5768]

​@@DanHintz A bit like Dylan then. What's wrong with that ?