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Carleen Anderson Glasgow: The Arches, Sun 21 Jun. Texas, 1964. While most regular eight-year-olds wrestled with their dime store hula-hoops, got their bobby socks dirty and hollered along to TV’s Leave It To Beaver. little Carleen Anderson was busy singing gospel songs in her granddaddy's church and getting all excited about seeing one of mom’s shows.
You see, this tiny, soft-spoken singer had anything but a conventional childhood. Her mother, velvet-voiced Vicki Anderson, and step-dad, fellow soulster Bobby Byrd, were two of the trump cards that made James Brown’s perma- touring revue a must-see in the 605 and 705. As a result, Carleen was instead raised by her deeply religious grandparents. ’I always felt restless,’ she says. 'I moved around constantly in an attempt to find some places I could call home.’
After joining rare groove collective The Young Disciples, Anderson finally decided to move to England in 1988. It was a decision that she has never regretted. ’I never felt
welcome in the States,’ she says in her gentle Texan tones. 'The country was founded on prejudice and that
mentality has never changed.
'I also feared for my son,’ she continues, speaking of Bobby, her nineteen-year~old who will shortly be undertaking a sociology degree in Bristol. ’I didn’t want him to end up a victim of the environment like so many Black American males. I’m glad Britain is my home now. I
love it here.’
One name to feature prominently in Anderson's bulging contacts book is that of the indomitable Paul Weller. Having been introduced in the early 905, the pair have since collaborated on each other's projects, with Weller casting a sagacious eye over the production of her recent
Blessed Burden album.
’Paul’sgreat,’ enthuses the diminutive singer, vigorously refuting The List’s suggestion that the Grand Poo-bah of all that is trad may not be the most winsome of career compadres. ‘He's actually very supportive and generous — he gives so much back on a personal level. Paul also can’t
ROCK The Mutton Birds
Glasgow: King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Sat 13 Jun.
Rarely can a musician have sounded so satisfied about berno dumped by a major record tornpany as the Mutton Brrds' srrrrjer, guitarist and chief sonrpxxrrter Don McGiashan talking about then now ex—Iabel Virorrr 'They rrrust be relieved as ‘.'/e|l,' he says, offering a rrlrnt of charity 'I think we i caused them a lot of sleepless nights
mushy.’
Carleen Anderson: captain's orders
take compliments,’ she chuckles affectionately. ’He gets so embarrassed. I guess he thinks that sort of thing's too
But, great or not, the defiantly un-mushy Weller has also been irrefutably responsible for leading Anderson, albeit temporarily, from the path of sobriety. While recording her version of Paul McCartney’s glorious 'Maybe I'm Amazed’, she found herself in a bit of a quandary.
’l was beginning to think that I wouldn't be able to pull
it off,’ explains the ever-youthful 41-year-old. 'I just couldn’t find myself in the lyrics and I guess the band must have heard me moaning, because the next thing I know, Paul’s asking me what I want to drink.’
Flagrantly ignoring her request for a cup of herbal tea,
Anderson instead found herself gulping back a
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the Mutton Birds: Kiwis on the edge
But for us it's just so good not lld‘flllt] to go into that office any more and sit in endless meetings explaining why we don't have all the rhinos don't have. short skirts, simple tunes, lyrics a four-year-old could sing
Perhaps Vrrqrn should have taken proper note of l.ltG|ashan's attual musical manifesto, issued when he
formed the band in their riatrte l‘lt’V.’
Zealand seven years ago "Note about ordinary thrnris tars, streets, oun-
shop owners, mad people on the
street Use \r‘.lell-\'./orrr phrases that
suspiciously large measure of Captain Morgan rum. 'After that, although I'm not quite sure how, I managed to find myself. I finally made a go of it and ended up being so pleased with the results. And,’ she adds mischievously, 'I owe it all to the Captain.’ (Sarah Dempster)
rna'r.e you slrudder‘ Add :n a collector beefy, laz'l-(“l’ll'd guitar ruayestn
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preview MUSIC
FOLK
Kavana, McNeiII, Lynch and Lupari
Edinburgh: FOllc Club, The Pleasance, Wed ll Jun.
A founder and long-time member of the Illr’At‘ltille‘ Battlefield Band, rnultr- wtstiurrlerrtcilrst and singer Brian
Ma. Lerll has for years now pursued a r r. aieer In that time, he has toured lrrs St ots exile rnuitirrredra Sll()\‘i.’ Back 0' lire vrf/r lt’i/ri.’ ta sequel, Bait/(i To [l.'./'t}lllilllll is on the stotks) and published a tirst novel, The Brisker (his set r «rd, lo 'lllb‘flu'l The Peacock, is due for rel-or ‘.'.‘llll accompanying fiddle retortlirrri and tune book)
Mr He li's wrrrr;‘.‘.rrrtrntj output has risen rn quantity and quality, and he still trrris trrne tor rerjulai international sometimes wrth i'rvrr; Ha: r'.‘.arius on riuitar, and lately in rahr i.ii\ ‘.'.’!lll lxlan l. The Nice himself, lair Mir K1rrti sll Apart from the Ill-
-f‘ lar‘. Alba, he has steered clear of (orrrtrritl'rrr) himself to a band, but, :ls, firirrris are thanrirnrj
to'rrrnu, olterr
litttlltlll
'it startefl bet ause were often t‘r'lllrl‘n'j up in the same stage, like at it it tier [in ilerrrrr.rrl;, one of Europe’s
4-. t“/t'lll‘~l and enjoyed p-:>.'fr..rrn:n'; together thr- way you do rn the last night] he says 'But the ':roup .1('.ll:lll‘/ tarne together at the Henri Kenr; loll. Festival, after the hand It's-u: la .t year So we at tually t..r.'r ml rrr (‘hrira"
rrll‘u/ ltlj‘lll rnarrit turtlltfiil‘ player and srnrjer from Four "' ' rr'rvl veteran
ill, it' t
,lllr‘
i-rr Arr : twirj, ~’;.'r'r‘.'.rrte.' arid teltu rootser Ron Kazarra lire-res rrothrnri, er, l.‘llrl‘.'.’t‘lfllll about that trio, as you rrray .'.w_«'l re; r. raise, but they're just about
{I aid the urllearr paper (and
anger/u rll':.'.'lilt‘l and guitarist) Tomas t*,'r:. rr, w. .rifl .unrls the stereotype 3;, i'wm': . riazlly talented and llltl(ll ‘lzlllllerl Vie l.(lllll)tlll;ll rirr; the other Scottish 'rn loll: lestival over rnrdsurrrrrrer ‘.‘.‘t‘(“l.(‘llfl rs Lynch'S debut with the hand With an album already lhrll recorded, the band are set ti; stay trrriether, as Mat Neill insists 'tO this’fl turr wind that doesn't mean just
fr he tux»- ll':z"t"‘. a lot of serious
one is at l‘sl
trr.rs:-., ("Jr-ll ,1 the heavy stuff coming r ‘ tl;-- ‘, ."-";‘.'.':‘.rrrri, hut h rsl(ally . ;;:.t ti‘e h irr:l t-.r;etlrer‘ to see the ads. th at iaapperr' "irairners;
'l;',rtira:r
Brian McNeill, Ron Kavana and Gino Lupari: folk supergroup
/‘) Jun 1998 "if UST45