Richard Thompson, Tamarack & Murray McLauchlan
"Swingin' On A Star," CBC Toronto, Studio 4S
Toronto
September 22, 1991 (broadcast = November 23, 1991)

Recorded by stevemtl: CBC-FM broadcast > analogue cable > Yamaha RX596 > Sony TC-WR97ES > TDK SA100 cassette master. Transferred by stevemtl: audiocassette > Nakamichi Dragon > Sony PCM R500 (SBM) > Roland R44 (16/48) > SD chip > my fingers > HD. Mastered by stevemtl: HD > Sound Forge (@16/48: trim) > r8brain (vhq downsample) > CDwave (track cut) > TLH (flac level 8, ffp, md5) > TLH (torrent) > DIME. Circulated by stevemtl: Torrent marker uploaded to DIME on 2021-01-01. Faults = none

Anyone still unpersuaded of the brilliance of Richard Thompson's music should be convinced by this set. Start with t09, the best ever outlaw ballad, and pay attention to lyrics and the astonishing (but routine) guitar sounds. Murray McLauchlan's contribution is first rate, as always. Tamarak provides more interesting music.

'Swingin' on a Star' was a CBC series which ran for five years starting in September 1989 and was hosted by Murray McLauchlan. Generally, the guests were little known outside (sometimes even inside) Canada, but the music always was first rate and still greatly rewards the listen. McLauchlan, who contributed one or two excellent songs to every episode, has released nineteen albums and every one is filled with gems. Obviously I'm a fan; why he never achieved great popularity is astonishing to me.

01. "intro"
02. "interview"
03. Home To You Once More
04. "interview"
05. Aultsville
06. "interview"
07. Why Must I Plead...
08. "interview"
09. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
10. "talk"
11. Red River Flood
12. "interview"
13. The Lonesome Cowboy's Lament
14. "interview"
15. Stuart & Lillian
16. "interview"
17. I Misunderstood
18. "interview"
19. Turning Of The Tide
20. "outro"

Duration = 51:13

Murray McLauchlan - host

songwriters / performers:
t03, 13, 15: James Gordon / Tamarack
t05: Alex Sinclair / Tamarack
t07, 09, 17, 19: Richard Thompson / same
t11: Murray McLauchlan / same

musicians:
James Gordon (Tamarack)
Alex Sinclair (Tamarack)
Gwen Swick (Tamarack)
Richard Thompson
Murray McLauchlan
Kit Johnson

***

Enjoy! Support the artist and buy the officially-released items (to the best of my knowledge & as of this writing; asterisks denote BGE/Wolfgang’s Vault) -
1972-10-25 (“Shady Lies)
1973-01-xx (Leeds - “Napoleon's Dream”)
1973-01-xx (John Peel Show - "The Little Beggar Girl,” ”Dragging The River,” "The Great Valerio,” "The Neasden Hornpipe”)
1974-01-xx (BBC - "I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight”)
1975-02-11 (“Wishing,” “I’m Turning Off A Memory,” “A Heart Needs A Home,” "Hokey Pokey [The Ice Cream Song],” "Georgie On A Spree,” ”I’ll Regret It All In The Morning")
1975-03-16 (“A Heart Needs A Home,” “The Great Valerio”)
1975-03-xx (Old Grey Whistle Test - "Jet Plane In A Rocking Chair,” ”A Heart Needs A Home”)
1975-04-25 (“Dargai,” “Never Again,” “The Sun Never Shines On The Poor,” “Dark End Of The Street,” “Beat The Retreat”)
1975-09-07 ("I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight,” "Together Again,” "Calvary Cross," “Hokey Pokey,” “Streets Of Paradise”)
1975-11-27 (“It’ll Be Me,” “Night Comes In,” “Calvary Cross”)
1975-11-xx (Swindon, GBR)
1975-11-xx (Norwich, GBR)
1975-xx-xx (Marc Time Show - “Hokey Pokey”)
1977-05-01 (“If I Were A Woman & You Were A Man,” “The Madness Of Love,” “Night Comes In,” “A Bird In God’s Garden,” “The King Of Love,” “Layla”)
1981-01-xx (“Jimmy Thackray & Songs” Show - “Pavanne,” "Just The Motion”)
1981-08-xx (“A Little Light Music” Show - "Night Comes In,” ”I'm A Dreamer,” ”I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight,” ”Shoot Out The Lights,” ”You're Going to Need Somebody,” ”Dargai,” ”Dimming Of The Day”)
1982-01-08 (“Time To Ring Some Changes,” “Beat The Retreat,” “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight,” “Down Where The Drunkards Roll,” “Don't Let A Thief Steal Into Your Heart,” “How Many Times Do You Have To Fall?,” “Roll Over Vaughn Williams,” ‘Meet On The Ledge”)
1982-05-29 (“Pavanne,” “High School Confidential”)
1982-05-xx (Paris Theatre - "A Man In Need,” ”Withered And Died,” ”New-Fangled Flogging Reel/Kerry Reel,” "Shoot Out The Lights,” "Just The Motion,” "Back Street Slide,” "Night Comes In”)
1982-09-29 (“Woman Or A Man?,” “A Heart Needs A Home,” “For Shame Of Doing Wrong,” “Genesis Hall,” “Honky-Tonk Blues,” “Small Town Romance,” “Love Is Bad For Business,” “The Great Valerio,” “Never Again”)
1982-09-30 (“Small Town Romance,” “Shepherd’s March > Maggie Cameron”)
1982-xx-xx (BBC “Folk On 2” Show - "Dimming Of The Day,” “Modern Woman”)
1983-10-14 (“Shoot Out The Lights”)
1983-10-29 (“Calvary Cross”)
1983-12-13
1984-01-26
1984-11-28 (“Jennie”)
1985-03-28
1985-04-10
1985-04-xx (Polydor session; broadcast 1985-08-xx - ”Fire In The Engine Room,” ”She Twists The Knife Again,” ”Wall Of Death,” ”When The Spell Is Broken,” ”Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed,” ”The Wrong Heartbeat,” ”Tear Stained Letter”)
1985-07-xx (Andy Kershaw Show - "She Twists The Knife Again,” “You Don't Say,” ”When The Spell Is Broken”)
1985-08-01 (“Devonside”)
1985-08-xx (Old Grey Whistle Test - "She Twists the Knife Again”)
1986-11-07 (“Al Bowlly's In Heaven,” “When The Spell Is Broken")
1986-11-19
1986-11-20 ("The Angels Took My Racehorse Away,” ”Valerie,” ”Jennie,” ”You Don't Say,” ”Fire In The Engine Room,” ”Wall Of Death,” ”Nearly In Love”)
1987-01-xx (Andy Kershaw Show - “Valerie,” "When The Spell Is Broken,” ”Two Left Feet,” ”Turning Of The Tide.” ”How Will I Ever Be Simple Again,” ”Ghosts In The Wind,” ”Shoot Out The Lights,” ”She Twists The Knife Again,” ”Withered And Died,” ”The End of the Rainbow”)
*1988-07-01
1988-11-07
1990-10-03 (“From Galway To Graceland”)
1990-10-04 (“Bogie's Bonnie Belle”)
1991-08-09 (“Tear Stained Letter”)
1992-08-26 (“Poor Wee Jockey Clarke”)
1993-09-05
2001-07-02
2001-09-xx (Andy Kershaw Show - “Gethsemane,” "Outside Of The Inside,” ”Wall Of Death”)
2002-07-xx (Joe’s Pub, NYC)
2003-03-(06-13)
2003-04-xx (Andy Kershaw Show - "Word Unspoken, Sight Unseen,” ”Kidzz,” ”Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed,” "The End of the Rainbow”)
2003-05-17
2003-05-25
2003-07-23
2004-05-xx (BBC - "One Door Opens,” Outside Of The Inside”)
2004-10-07
2007-07-xx (Tom Robinson Show - "Let It Blow,” ”Old Thames Side,” ”Dad's Gonna Kill Me,” ”Down Where The Drunkards Roll,” ”I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight,” ”Needle and Thread”)
2008-12-xx (Bob Harris Show - "So Ben Mi Ca Bon Tempo,” "The Cutty Wren,” "See My Friends”)
2009-01-xx (BBC - "Time’s Gonna Break You,” ”William Brown,” ”Meet On The Ledge”)
2011-01-xx (Celtic Connections Festival - Glasgow)
2011-05-xx (Idyllwild)
2011-xx-xx (Cambridge Folk Festival)