Susannes Folksong-Notizen
[1975:] [Mit dem Erfolg] verlor [McTell] zeitweise [...] den Kontakt zu den Clubs, zu der Szene und dem Publikum, die ihn gemacht haben. Und gleichzeitig verloren seine Lieder das, von dem Streets of London geradezu strotzt: soziales Bewußtsein. (Andreas Roßmann, sounds 5/75)
[1975:] Wenn es heutzutage noch so etwas wie ein Volkslied gibt, McTells Streets [of London] gehört mit Sicherheit in diese Sparte. McTells folgende Lieder erreichten nie mehr die atmosphärische Dichte dieses Songs [...]. Ein solches Lied wird nicht jede Woche geschrieben, vielleicht nicht einmal jede Dekade. (Folk Magazin 6, 21)
[1979:] Although he now has a wider success, [Ralph McTell's] songs have been a minor cult for some years among the cognoscenti, and especially in the folk clubs. His justly famous 'Streets of London' is one such; unfortunately, perhaps, he wrote it early in his career and now views it much as the older Yeats viewed 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree'. (Woods, Revival 111)
[1992:] The third song Ralph wrote, sadly as relevant today as it was when he wrote it in 1967/8 only just making Ralph's second album ['Spiral Staircase'] after producer Gus Dudgeon persuaded Ralph to include it. Above all others it has introduced thousands to the main body of McTell's work and given him international recognition by achieving over 170 cover versions and selling more in sheet music than any other song since 1945. (Notes Ralph McTell, 'Silver Celebration')
[1995:] [The] streets of London have come on a bit since the '60s; McTell's assorted old geezers outside Seamen's Missions and market cafes have been replaced and overwhelmed by an army of young people, conscripted as cannon fodder in the Tories' battle for Britland, hunkered down in doorways, and subways. (Robb Johnson, Rock 'n' Reel 23, p 35)
[2000:] [In 'Day Trip to Bangor'] it was Rhyl which does not fit the tune so it got moved along the coast a bit. (Similar to "Streets of London" about Paris) How do I know this? Folk knowledge: "everybody" knew this at one time but most of us forgot! (Roger Gawley, uk.music.folk, 10 Jan)
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