Richard Thompson 6-21-07 at a Brooklyn Celebrates concert
in Prospect Park, Brooklyn NY
photographed by Anthony Pepitone (CC-BY-SA)

Rumor and Sigh album cover

Richard Thompson OBE (b. 4/3/49) is an English songwriter, musician (primarily a guitarist,) singer and record producer.

Thompson first gained prominence in the late 1960s as the lead guitarist and a songwriter for the folk rock group Fairport Convention, which he co-founded in 1967. After departing the group in 1971, Thompson released his debut solo album, Henry the Human Fly, in 1972. The next year, he formed a duo with his wife, Linda Thompson, which produced six albums, including the critically acclaimed I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974) and Shoot Out the Lights (1982.) After the dissolution of the duo, Thompson revived his solo career with the release of Hand of Kindness in 1983. He has released 20 solo studio albums. Three of these —Rumor and Sigh (1991,) You? Me? Us? (1996,) and Dream Attic (2010)—have been nominated for Grammy Awards, while Still (2015) was his first UK Top Ten album. He continues to write and record new material and has frequently performed at venues throughout Europe and North America, and occasionally further afield.

I was telling Clive last week that he performed about 45 miles from here a few years back and I’m still kicking myself for not going. The song I chose today by Richard is the first song I heard by him. A blogging buddy sent me a mix CD that had the song on it. It was love at first listen and I’ve been a fan ever since, trying to catch up on the discographies of Fairport Convention, Richard & Linda, and his solo albums.

My ex-boyfriend reminded me of the character in the song, but without the glorious ending.

“1952 Vincent Black Lightning” is a song from his 1991 album Rumor and Sigh. In 2011 Time magazine listed the song in its “All TIME 100 Songs,” a list of “the most extraordinary English-language popular recordings since the beginning of TIME magazine in 1923,” praising it as “a glorious example of what one guy can accomplish with just a guitar, a voice, an imagination and a set of astonishingly nimble fingers.”

Despite not being issued as a single, the ballad became a fan favorite and is one of Thompson’s most highly acclaimed solo compositions. A live version of the song appears on Thompson’s album Two Letter Words: Live 1994.

Trivia: The band Red Molly, who has covered the song, takes its name from the lead female character in the song.

CC BY-SA 3.0 VINCENT Black Lightning

1952 Vincent Black Lightning

Oh, says Red Molly to James, "That's a fine motorbike
A girl could feel special on any such like"
Says James to Red Molly, "My hat's off to you
It's a Vincent Black Lightning, 1952
And I've seen you at the corners and cafés it seems
Red hair and black leather, my favorite color scheme"
And he pulled her on behind
And down to Box Hill they did ride

Oh, says James to Red Molly, "Here's a ring for your right hand
But I'll tell you in earnest I'm a dangerous man
For I've fought with the law since I was 17
I robbed many a man to get my Vincent machine
Now I'm 21 years, I might make 22
And I don't mind dying, but for the love of you
And if fate should break my stride
Then I give you my Vincent to ride"

[instrumental]

"Come down, come down, Red Molly," called Sergeant McRae
"For they've taken young James Adie for armed robbery
Shotgun blast hit his chest, left nothing inside
Oh, come down, Red Molly to his dying bedside"
When she came to the hospital, there wasn't much left
He was running out of road, he was running out of breath
But he smiled to see her cry
And said, "I give you my Vincent to ride"

Says James, "In my opinion, there's nothing in this world
Beats a '52 Vincent and a red-headed girl
Now Nortons and Indians and Greeveses won't do
Ah, they don't have a soul like a Vincent '52"
He reached for her hand and he slipped her the keys
He said "I've got no further use for these
I see angels on Ariels in leather and chrome
Swooping down from heaven to carry me home"
And he gave her one last kiss and died
And he gave her his Vincent to ride

Songwriter:  Richard Thompson

Source: wikipedia

Jim Adams is the host of Song Lyric Sunday. This week the theme is to find a song written or performed by someone who was born in the month of April.