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Germany
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Magazine Denmark
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RALPH, ALBERT & SYDNEY
He doesn’t need enormous loudspeakers, no big amplifiers and no light show. Ralph McTell accomplishes it on his own with his guitar to captivate his public. BRAVO witnessed that on his German tour in Hamburg. I want to earn my applause Hamburg Schauspielhaus, 11:00 pm – an unusual place and an unusual time for Ralph McTell’s first concert in Germany. “I prefer an intimate atmosphere in a theatre for my songs,” says Ralph McTell. “Normally, I believe, concert halls are too impersonal.” On the stage you can recognise that half an hour beforehand a play was performed. To the left there is a carpet, behind it are bookcases, to the right – painted windows. In front of the foot-lights, just one chair and a microphone, then everything goes silent. Ralph McTell on his first German tour did not arrive from London in an aeroplane, but in his van. He loves the simple life. In jeans and a
sports shirt he comes onto the stage. He
gently acknowledges the applause that greets him, “Wait first to hear if you
like my programme.” He starts
with ‘First Song’. “That was
my first composed when I was 16, that’s why I named it in this way,” says
Ralph, who tells a little story with every song.
In ‘Sweet Mystery’ he tells of a man who wants to beguile women with
champagne and in ‘Summer Lightning’ tells of a romantic encounter disturbed
by an emotional summer storm. Next is ‘Zimmerman Blues’ about Bob Dylan,
whose real name is Robert Allen Zimmerman. He talks to his
public as he would to a good friend without any arrogance or superiority.
On a small piece of paper he has a few short German words which someone
wrote down for him, which he reads out in between his songs.
“How do you like this?” “I must definitely learn German…”
“Can I have a beer please?” “Would
you like to hear another song?” When he sings
the public seems to hang on to his every word.
His voice is quiet, almost whispered, but has a binding fascination.
You lean forward so that you can soak up every note. Although most of his
songs are unknown blues and ballads, you can imagine that you have heard these
beautiful songs somewhere before. “Now I will
keep quiet and let my guitar speak to you,” and Ralph introduces a 10 minute
solo. His fingernails are extra
long (2 cms) with which he plucks out of his guitar an almost orchestral sound.
Ralph McTell, who earned his living as a teacher, controls his instrument
with an unbeatable perfection. At the end of
his 90 minute concert, Ralph McTell sings the song which made him famous –
‘Streets of London’. The
audience spontaneously sing with him, first one, then two, and at the end the
whole theatre. “I felt very
comfortable with you. I felt you
gave me warmth and friendliness and for that I want to thank you.”
Ralph McTell says goodbye and leaves the stage. I no longer want to perform
in England This is not just
a saying, it is true, says Ralph, as half an hour later he stands on the terrace
of “Onkle Pö” with a beer in his hand.
“If a concert doesn’t go well, if the spark doesn’t happen, then I
feel uneasy about it, it depresses me for several days,” says Ralph, “then I
have not performed well.” For that reason
he doesn’t want to perform in England, “They only offer me huge halls and I
cannot get any atmosphere in them. I
would rather sing for 300 true listeners than to 5,000 who say, “Yes, that
wasn’t bad”. All the money in
the world cannot make up for that.” My story is completely
different Isn't the story
of the poor tramp who can afford only a warm meal in “Streets Of London”
correct? “No, English reporters made that up themselves,” explains
Ralph. “I am not
rich, but I’ve got enough to live on, I am really very content.
I have my family, my Norwegian wife Nanna, my children Sam and Leah.
We’ve got a house in England, a car – what more do I want?” After waiting
for 7 years, did his sudden fame change him? Ralph says
thoughtfully, “Actually life became more difficult. I’m constantly on the road away from home, often under time
pressure and I hate being the centre of attention. That makes me very angry.
Complete strangers slap me on the shoulder but real friends are hard to
find, like before when I was an unknown musician. It is nice to find places in Hamburg and Munich where I
performed in clubs before I was famous.” Autographs – that makes me
go red Are there any
more super-hits from Ralph McTell in the pipeline? “I am not the
type who produces hits on a conveyor belt,” explains Ralph.
“The fact alone that ‘Streets of London’ needed 7 years from the
first recording to being successful, is proof of it.
My new record ‘Red Apple Juice’ is a happier song than ‘Streets of
London’. It is an old folk ballad
which I actually sang only for fun in a production break with friends. The
sound engineer secretly let the tapes run however...” At this moment a
girl asks Ralph for an autograph. Ralph
laughs, goes red, and in his shy confusion, drops the pen 3 times.
Then he asks, “How come you recognise me?
I have an absolutely average face.”
Er
benötigt keine Riesen-Lautsprecher, keine groβe Verstärkeranlange und
keine Lightshow – Ralph McTell schafft es allein mit seiner Gitarre, das
Publikum in seinen Bann zu ziehen. BRAVO
erlebte ihn während seiner Deutschland-Tournee in Hamburg… Hamburger
Schauspielhaus, 23 Uhr. Ein ungewöhnlicher Ort, eine ungewöhnliche Zeit für
Ralph McTell’s erstes Konzert in Deutschland.
“Ich bevorzuge für meine romantischen Lieder die intime Atmosphäre
von Theatern”, sagt Ralph McTell. “Normale
Konzerthallen sind mir zu unpersönlich”.
An der Bühne
kann man sehen, dass hier noch bis vor einer halben Stunde Theater gespielt
wurde: Links eine geschwungene Treppe, hinten eine Bücherwand, rechts gemalte
Fenster. Vorn an der Rampe stehen
ein Stuhl und ein Mikrofon, von nur einem Scheinwerfer angestrahlt.
Ralph McTell, der zu seiner ersten Deutschland-Tournee nicht mit dem
Flugzeug, sondern mit seinem Wagen aus London anreiste, liebt die Bescheidenheit. In Jeans und Sporthemd kommt er auf die Bühne. Den Begrüssungsbeifall wehrt er schüchtern ab: “Wartet doch
erst mal, ob euch mein Programm gefällt.”
Er fängt mit “First Song” (Das erste Lied) an.
“Das war meine erste, mit 16 selbst komponierte Nummer, deshalb habe
ich sie so getauft”, sagt Ralph McTell, der zu jedem Lied eine kleine
Geschichte erzählt. Bei
“Shining” plaudert er von einem Mann, der mit Frack und Champagner die
Frauen betören will, bei “Summer Lightning” von einem Sommergewitter, das
Ralph bei einem romantischen Rendez-vous störte, bei “Zimmerman Blues” von
Bob Dylan, der mit bürgerlichem Namen Robert Allen Zimmerman heisst. Er spricht zum
Publikum wie zu einem guten Freund, ohne Arroganz und Aufgesetztheit.
Auf einen kleinen Zettel hat er sich ein paar deutsche Sprüche
aufschreiben lassen, die er zwischen seine Songs streut: “Gefällt es Ihnen?...Ich
muss unbedingt Deutsch lernen…Kann ich ein Bier bekommen?...Wollen Sie noch
ein Lied hören?” Wenn er singt, hängt
das Publikum still an seinen Lippen. Seine
Stimme ist unaufdringlich, fast leise, jedoch von einer fesselnden Faszination.
Man lehnt sich nach vorn, um jeden Ton aufzusaugen.
Obwohl die moisten seiner Lieder unbekannte Bluesstücke und Balladen
sind, kommen sie einem in ihrer schlichten Schönheit wohlbekannt vor. “Jetzt werde
ich schweigen und meine Gitarre zu euch sprechen lassen”, leitet Ralph McTell
ein zehnminütiges Solo ein. Seine
Finger mit den extra langen Nägeln (zwei Zentimeter!) holen aus der einfachen
spanischen Gitarre einen ganzen Orchestersound heraus.
Ralph McTell, der früher mal sein Geld als Gitarrenlehrer verdient hat,
beherrscht sein Instrument in kaum mehr zu überbietender Perfektion. Zum Abschluss
des 90-Minuten-Konzertes bringt Ralph McTell das Lied, das ihn ins Rampenlicht
gebracht hat: “Streets of London”. Spontan
singen die Zuhörer mit, erst einer, dann zwei, zum Schluβ alle im Theater.
“Ich habe mich bei euch wohlgefühlt, ihr habt Freundlichkeit und Wärme
ausgestrahlt, dafür möchte ich euch danken”, verabschiedet sich Ralph McTell. Daβ das
keine Artigkeit, sondern wirkliche Überzeugung war, erzählt mir Ralph, al ser
eine halbe Stunde später beim berühmten “Onkel Pö” mit einem Bier in der
Hand am Tresen steht. “Wenn ein
Konzert nicht so gut läuft, wenn der Funke nicht überspringt, dan bedrückt
mich das tagelang”, sagt Ralph, “dann habe ich versagt…” Deshalb will er
in England vorläufig nicht mehr auftreten: “Man bietet mir dort nur
Riesenhallen an, und dort kann keine Stimmung aufkommen.
Lieber 300 begeisterte Zuhörer als 5000, die sagen, na ja, war nicht
schlecht. Da kann mich keine Gage
der Welt locken…” Stimmt also die Story vom armen Tramp nicht, der sich erst seit “Streets of London” ein warmes Essen leisten kann? “Nein, das haben sich englische Reporter zusammengedichtet”, erklärt Ralph. “Ich bin zwar
nicht reich, aber zum Leben reicht’s. Ich
bin sowieso sehr anspruchslos. Ich
habe meine Familie, meine norwegische Frau Nanna, meine Kinder Sam und Leah, wir
haben ein Haus in England, ein Auto – was braucht man mehr?” Hat ihn der plötzliche
Erfolg nach sieben Jahren Wartens verändert? Ralph meint
nachdenklich: “Eigentlich ist alles dadurch schwieriger geworden.
Ich bin ständig unterwegs, oft unter Zeitdruck und stehe meist im
Mittelpunkt. Das macht mir zu
schaffen. Wildfremde Leute klopfen
mir auf die Schulter, aber wirkliche Freunde zu finden, wie früher als
unbekannter Musiker, ist schwierig. Schön
dagegen finde ich, dass ich Plätze wie Hamburg oder Munchen wiedersehe, wo ich
früher schon in Klubs auftrat.” Ist in der
Zukunft ein weiterer Superhit von Ralph McTell zu erwarten? “Ich bin kein
Typ, der Hits am Fliessband produziert”, erklärt Ralph.
“Schon allein die Tatsache, dass ‘Streets of London’ von der ersten
Plattenaufnahme bis zum Erfolg sieben Jahre brauchte, ist ein Beweis dafür.
Meine neue Platte heist, ‘Red Apple Juice’ (Roter Apfelsaft) und ist
fröhlicher als ‘Streets of London’. Es ist ein altes Volkslied, das ich
eigentlich nur aus Spass in einer Produktionspause mit Freunden sang.
Der Tonmeister hat jedoch Heimlich das Ban mitlaufen lassen…” In diesem Moment
bittet ein Mädchen Ralph um ein Autogramm.
Ralph lacht, wird rot, lässt vor Schreck dreimal den Kugelschreiber
fallen. “Wieso hast du mich
erkannt?”, fragt er. “Ich habe
doch ein absolutes Durchschnittsgesicht…” Gerald Büchelmaier
I
am not tired of singing Streets of London,
Ralph McTell They sing it in England, they sing it in Australia, they sing it in the USA, and we sing it in Denmark. Roger Whittaker sings it, “De gyldne Løver” (The golden Lions) sing it, school pupils sing it - everyone sings it: “Streets of London” - the warm song about loneliness and poverty in a world that does not care. Everyone knows the song, but it’s far from everyone who has experienced Ralph McTell, who wrote both the lyrics and the tune of this “evergreen of folk music”. The English folk singer, who
became world famous because of “Streets of London”, has just been on a
tour around Denmark. “Stiftstidende” attended Ralph McTell’s concert in
Copenhagen and managed to get a long interview with him. Both parts (concert and
interview - Ed) confirmed that this Englishman has a totally incredible
charisma. Nervously he tiptoes onto the
stage, but his confidence grows steadily and quietly, as the audience enjoys
his interpretations of the many sides of life: humour, romance and anger can
be the basis for his songs, which are presented with a pleasant voice and
powerful guitar playing. Ralph McTell is more than
“Streets of London” - much more. His
versatility on his records and in his concerts is astounding. Streets
of Paris The day after the concert in
Montmartre I meet this pleasant Englishman in café “Nørreport Bistro” in
inner Copenhagen. McTell talks
openly about his music, his “message”, his TV programmes for children and
about many other things. Concerning
“Streets of London” he says, “It is probably the most important song for
me. It was written in 1965 when I
lived in Paris. I intended to
call it “Streets of Paris”, but that was later changed to London. All
the four people who are mentioned in the song, are people I have met in
London. When I close my eyes, I
can still see them before me, as if I had met them only yesterday. “Streets of London” was the second or third song I wrote,
so I peaked early,” Ralph McTell adds humorously, and goes on, “It
didn’t make it to my first album, and it was my producer who persuaded me to
put it on my second LP, “Spiral Staircase”. The song became explosive in
the world of music. Everyone sang
it and everyone played it. In
1974 Ralph McTell recorded “Streets of London” in a new version - it took
an hour and it became a hit of huge dimensions. Security “I do not grow tired of
singing it,” says Ralph. Neither do his concert audiences, and therefore it
has developed into being a beautiful sing-along song at his concerts all over
the world. About the purpose of his music
Ralph says, amongst other things, “Quite honestly I want to give people a
feeling of security. If you
locked up an individual in a room and said ‘Try taking a look at your life
and a look at the world, isn’t it terrible?’ And he would answer, ‘Yes,
it really is’. I think that
there are so many things that push people away from each other. The individual
people who come to my concerts are very different, but slowly during an hour
you bring them together, until the smile is there. That
is so good.” Ralph McTell is known for his
beautiful and caring lyrics. Several of them depict his own childhood, “In
all my songs about my childhood there is something that is a little
melancholy, but there is always a strong hope in them as well. If I do have a
message, it’s that the strength is inside you, and that you do not need to
be physically strong to pull through your problems. Even
if there were sad things in my childhood, I try concentrating on the most
optimistic things. Too
little romance Further on his lyrics he says,
“I find it more challenging to give a personal view on things that I have
not experienced personally. I
write in a slightly romantic style, but surely that is permissible. I don’t
think there is enough romance in the world today. In his homeland Ralph McTell
is at the moment first and foremost known for his popular programmes for
children on TV. The whole alphabet is covered with a song for each letter. When
that series is over, he will participate in 36 episodes of a completely
different children’s series. But according to him that will be the end of
participating in that genre. What made him take up the challenge of making TV for children? “I was lured into it. The argument that finally persuaded me was when the TV production company said. ‘You have 4 children yourself - do you generally like the children’s programmes on TV?’ I replied no. And then they said that now I had the chance of becoming actively involved in something that was completely different,” says Ralph and goes on, “I believe that people, who make children’s programmes for TV, often do not have children themselves, and they have a tendency to patronise them! ‘hellooo children’ - I do not do that. I talk on TV like I talk to my own children.” He, along with his Norwegian wife, has 4 of them, and the whole family, plus a dog, live together in the Putney area of London. Along with his brother, Bruce,
Ralph has established his own record company. This gives an increased freedom, but it has unfortunately also
meant that it has now become difficult to buy his records here. He
himself thinks that it’s crazy, that the Danish audience, “who understands
English and Ralph McTell so well” for instance are unable to buy his latest
LP “Water of Dreams” in the record stores. There
are, however, talks of having a company managing his record sales in Denmark. 20 years have passed “I look forward to playing
on Fuen (Fyn) next time I am touring Denmark,” says Ralph McTell, who had to
let down the “Fuen-dwellers” this time. This
also annoys concert promoter Marianne Jul, but there were no venues where
Ralph could play, so Fuen was skipped. The café, the glass doors and
the March sun makes Ralph McTell think back, “I am sitting here thinking
that it is 20 years ago that I was in Paris and went hitch-hiking around
Europe. What has become of all
that time?” Ralph McTell wonders. We are
many who hope that he grabs another 20 years on the road - at least. See
you, Ralph. Translated
by Henrik Nielsen
4 February 1996 Ralph still trudges around in London By Henning Høeg Photo
text 1 Photo
text 2 Even if Ralph McTell has written over 250
songs, his name is firmly tied to "Streets of London" from 1969. After
35 years in the music business and with 30 released records behind him Ralph
still plays his guitar every day, and he believes that the world needs music
that cares about people. If
you can't remember him, then you surely know the song. Have
you seen the old man in the closed down market ....“Streets of London”! Anyone,
who has ever seen just the shadow of an AOF employed guitar teacher has had a
poor photo copy of Ralph McTell’s classic thrown right in his/her face. (AOF
are evening classes – Ed) Easy
and logical chords, a good melody, and absolutely memorable lyrics. When
Ralph McTell wrote the song, he was working as a construction worker and as a
semi-pro boxer. He had just
turned 25. Only
5 years later, when Ralph rerecorded the song, the world discovered its simple
beauty for real, and since then no less than 156 other artists from Harry
Belafonte to Charles Aznavour have recorded the melancholic song and earned
McTell well deserved riches. It
is however not like the ex-soldier and college drop out hasn’t written songs
other than “Streets”, but it is the only one that has brought in the
really big sums. Actually
Ralph McTell has released no less than 30 albums with more than 250 memorable
songs. Some just as good as “Streets of London”. Others better. And of course some that are not quite as good. Today
Ralph has turned 51. He lives in West London near the Thames, and with him in
the big house lives his Norwegian wife of 29 years, Nanna, and three of their
four children. The oldest boy lives at the university where he studies. “No,
I haven’t played today, but I will sit myself down with my guitar, when we
have finished talking,” says Ralph McTell after he has come to the phone in
his office at home, via a squeaky door and a crunchy floor.
“I always practice for at least half an hour every day, and I compose
at night - between one and four a.m. That
is the only time it’s quiet enough here,” says Ralph with deep laughter.
McTell
does not need to be whipped into playing his guitar. Since he turned 16, he has always had a new song racing around
in his head. And just about a
month ago he let 14 of his darling songs loose on Album (CD) number 30 “Sand
In Your Shoes”. Hopeless "I
am still hopelessly in love with the latest song I have written. And
even if they have become quite a few in number, it still fascinates me to sit
with such a little piece of work that I have created by myself,” says McTell.
The songs on “Sand In Your Shoes” have not come into being in a
matter of a few minutes. Ralph McTell is his own most vicious critic, and the
title song for instance, which deals with the ballast of life, for better or
worse, has been under way for three long years. “I
would like to have each of my songs as a good book. Something that you can
take out again and again and every time find something new in it.
Both the lyrics and the melody should have some special twist that
holds up. And before I let a song
go, I tell myself that I should be cautious.
Once the record is out there, then the song exists forever". After
nearly 30 years with a super active life and a house full of children Ralph
McTell practices growing old. The
youngest child has turned 17, and within the next few years there will only be
the two senior McTells left in the big house. “I
have always been inclined to be melancholy. In order not to become depressed I have dealt with the
disappointments, the losses and difficult phases of life a little in advance. Already
20 years ago I wrote the song “Naomi”, which is about what I am going
through now - the kids leaving home and growing old with your wife”. Melancholy When
Ralph years ago got a small puppy, he - to be on the safe side - sat down and
wrote a song (“Old Brown Dog”) about the day, when the dog would die of
old age. Are you a melancholic or
what? “Melancholy
can, unlike depression, be something healing. Used in the right way you are
able to reach out for people and help them in hard times. When
I walk around London today, I can see that there is use for songs like
“Streets of London” more than ever - songs that reach out and care about
human beings. “In
a lot of modern music it often seems to me that you are more concerned with
how the snare drum sounds than about what the song has actually got to say.
When, at age 16 I seriously started with music, I was a staunch
socialist. Now the narrow part
around my waist and the broad view on life have swapped places. Now
I weigh almost 100 kg / 220 lbs (Ralph
is almost 2 metres tall - Ed), and if you ask my kids, they will tell you
that I am very narrow minded. But
I still feel that everyone is entitled to a safe childhood, an education, a
job and a dignified old age. And
if that makes me a socialist, well, then that’s what I am.” Musical
Children Out
of Nanna’s and Ralph’s four children - three sons and a daughter - three
of them are musically active. Their daughter both plays piano and guitar and
she, according to her proud father, sings quite heavenly. The
oldest son is already an experienced guitar player, and the youngest is
musically the apple of Ralph’s eyes. Not
only does he often ask his Dad for pieces of good advice on the guitar, he
even sits and practices his father’s beautiful songs. “That
is really something which warms my father’s heart. That is the true
success,” says Ralph heartily. Translated
by Henrik Nielsen
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