‘A guy held a knife to my throat and said: play something normal!’ Richard Thompson on crazy crowds, his beloved beret and Sandy Denny’s driving skills
As he releases new album Hippies, Thugs and Heroes, the 77-year-old British folk legend answers your questions about Billy Connolly, Californian fish and chips and whether he nearly joined the Eagles Billy Connolly recalled being in a room with you, Sandy Denny, Nick Drake and John Martyn. Did you feel you were collectively doing something special? poscopy That might have been at the Royal Festival Hall [in 1969]…
Key points
- Richard Thompson, 77, releases new album Hippies, Thugs and Heroes and answers reader questions in a Guardian Culture interview.
- He recalls a 1970s Swedish solo tour where a man held a knife to his throat and demanded he play something normal.
- Thompson says he was firmly asked to join Linda Ronstadt's band in 1971 but declined, and was also invited to join the Band twice.
British folk legend Richard Thompson, 77, has released a new album, Hippies, Thugs and Heroes, and answered reader questions in a Guardian Culture interview. He discussed his career, collaborations and strange moments from decades of performing.
Thompson recalled a 1970s solo tour of Sweden, where he played in the Arctic Circle. He said a man held a knife to his throat and asked why he did not play something normal. Thompson said he was not afraid and wondered what normal meant, and may have played a Buddy Holly cover.
Fairport Convention and collaborators
Thompson described the camaraderie among acts produced by Joe Boyd, including Fairport Convention, the Incredible String Band and John Martyn. He said they felt different rather than special and did not feel successful because they were not selling many records at the time.
He remembered Sandy Denny as a difficult passenger who was hypersensitive in cars and on planes, once spilling a gin and tonic in his lap on a flight to Los Angeles. He said she was at ease on boats, which inspired many of her songs about the sea. He also said Nick Drake was taciturn and hard to know.
A guy held a knife to my throat and said: “Why don’t you play something normal?”
— Richard Thompson
Career offers and other work
Thompson said he received a firm approach to join Linda Ronstadt's band in 1971, after four members left to form the Eagles. He declined, saying he could not jump ship and did not want to live and work with a bunch of Californians. He added that he was asked to join the Band twice but thought they would drink themselves to death.
He also mentioned a brief period as an antiques dealer at a friend's shop in Marylebone. He said he was too honest with customers and once sold two porcelain Ming dynasty lions for £60, thinking they were fakes, though they were worth thousands.
