A Conversation With ‘Train Song’ and ‘Love Song’, brilliant string and recorder came from her pen. Caught in the settings for many of the ‘Diamond Vashti Bunyan vortex of confusion and ceaseless Day’ songs. The record is at once motion that was the dynamic of a pastoral symphony and a field “Catch one leaf and fortune will the Immediate label at this time, worker’s song, a Picasso painting surround you ever more” – she recorded a number of further and a child’s sketch, a poem and a ‘Rose Hip November’ sessions, none of which ended up documentary of life on the road. being released, although a window The songs coalesce on substrates on this time is thrown open of consciousness like ideas, moods ometimes it’s the briefly thanks to Peter and moments captured by an glyphs in the Whitehead's ‘Tonite Let's All antique box camera. Like the margins of history Make Love In London’ “slow glass” in Bob Shaw’s that tell us the documentary, which featured memorable novel, they offer the most about a footage of Vashti recording the contemporary listener a frozen particular period, and the superb ‘Winter Is Blue’. The track moment to hold up to the light. experiences of English singer- also appeared on the soundtrack The opening track ‘Diamond Day’ songwriter Vashti Bunyan album for the film, but acetates of sets the mood of effortless lyricism throughout the 1960s resonate other songs recorded at these that informs the whole record, with the spirit of that decade in a sessions have crumbled in dusty celebrating days where fields were way that makes them a valuable closets, and may be difficult to ploughed and seed sown so that addition to the our understanding recover. Thankfully, a superior her children could eat – days that of its psychedelic tumult. Her recording of 'Winter Is Blue' did must have been harder than this small body of work is at last survive, and was 7 song’s lightness of touch suggests. becoming a little more accessible The hippie/pagan theme of the through reissue of the 'Just After the lack of progress became transforming power of nature is Another Diamond Day' LP on too much, she left it all, following also established early, in the Spinney Records, its eloquent the hippie dream up and down stunning ‘Glow Worms’, as words mysteries left for us to unravel like the length of Britain in a horse like “dawn-time mist begins an enigmatic set of verses left in a and cart with partner and child reflecting light/waking sun will time capsule. Originally released and some visions, and nothing soon forget our night” are readily by Phillips in 1970 with no much else. A non-specific journey accepted - carried under your publicity, 'Just Another Diamond for meaning and place, trapping guard by a deceptively simple Day' is now one of the iconic the decade within the prism of its melody and one of the simplest major-label rarities of the period, nomadic isolation, luckily arrangements here - just acoustic fashioned by angels and utterly producing a travelogue of songs guitar and close-miked vocal. The unattainable in its original issue. for posterity. In “Just Another distance between the artist and But it didn't come from nowhere. Diamond Day” we can hear her life is virtually non-existent Typically, Vashti’s journey started Vashti orchestrating the slow throughout, but especially on with the discovery of Dylan’s early turning wheel of the seasons ‘Timothy Grub’, which tells the work, his lyrics putting cross-hairs accompanied by a shifting palette story of the beginning of the on her angst as it did for many of fields and villages, towns and journey with preternatural others at the time. In turn, she cities, projecting songs into the vividness. Skilled folk-blues was discovered by Rolling Stones corners to tame the deepest of the songwriting elevates on ‘Where I manager and pop-impresario shadows, or to celebrate moments Like to Stand’ to a higher plane, Andrew Loog Oldham, who took of clarity. These songs so Swarbrick’s violin a perfect her on board the unstable paisley impressed the legendary Joe Boyd counterpoint to Vashti’s vocals. dirigible of his Immediate label. that he left her a standing She was given the Jagger-Richards invitation to record them for his composition 'Some Things Just Witchseason production company Stick In Your Mind' to record for when she came to rest. In 1968, a a first single in 1965, an brilliant selection of musicians infuriating impost for someone was assembled to record 'Just who thought herself primarily a Another Diamond Day'. Robin songwriter. Her song, ‘I Want to Williamson from the Incredible be Alone’ was consigned to the String Band, Dave Swarbrick and flipside. The single sank without Simon Nicol from Fairport trace, as did a subsequent, but Convention, and especially superior single recorded for Robert Kirby, arranger of Nick Columbia in 1966. At least for Drake’s ‘Five Leaves Left’ and the second single, both sides, ‘Bryter Layter’, and contributor of 1 ‘Window on the Bay’ deserves to VB. My father had a large My musical side did not go down be rated with Denny’s best, or collection of classical records and well with an incoming principal of even Anne Briggs’ ‘The Time Has played Handel, Bach and the art school. In an argument, I Come’, as does the staggering Mendelssohn very loudly every said “art is art whatever medium”, ‘Rose Hip November’, arguably Sunday. I wanted to be the and he said “well go and do your the song that projects everything choirboy who sang 'O For the art somewhere else - here you that works about this record like a Wings of a Dove'. asked for piano Paint and Draw”. The previous perfectly formed hologram you lessons but it didn't happen, so I principal had been more of a can carry around with you like a watched other kids. When I mind to let me stay as long as I spirit lantern. With an visited my grandmother who had shaped up and did the work arrangement that is Byzantine in a piano I played what they had required of me, but the new guy - its complexity, the more you listen played. I learned to play by ear. sweeping clean with new broom to ‘Rose Hip November’ the more Eventually I got violin lessons but no doubt - said I hadn't done the righteous it’s cornucopia of string I didn't exactly take to it. I work in the previous year and so resonances and recorder couldn't learn how to read music. must go, which was fine by me. exhalations and vocal whispers Then I went to art school, and seems. And whether desperately there I met a friend – Jenny Lewis When my brother sat me down envisioning a utopian destination - who taught me to play guitar. for a talk about my future - at the as in ‘Hebridean Sun’, or painting This I loved. We played and sang request of my parents who didn't an iridescent word-painting as in together, Everly Brothers, Buddy know what to do with me as I ‘Rainbow River’, these songs glow Holly, Carol King and the like. hadn't come home with the like stained glass backlit by the We also wrote songs. I was thrown expected undergraduate wanting setting sun. out of college. to marry me and take me off their hands - he ‘Just Another Diamond Day’ said what should have come out in 1968, do you want when it was recorded and made to do? I said perfect sense, rather than in the “I want to 1970; a giant existential hangover be a pop- of a year with Altamont fresher in singer”. He people’s minds than Woodstock, laughed so and the technical flash of much that progressive rock in the ascendant. he sealed Few cared, and Vashti had already my fate. moved on. In the end recognising Nothing that there were most fruitful was going to avenues to pursue than wrestling stop me with a recalcitrant music industry after that. to get her voice heard, Vashti left the making of music to What did concentrate on living a normal you do next? life, with all of the tangled strands of love, children, work and Went to New York for the general floating down time's great How did you manage that? summer, bought “The and meandering river that is the Freewheelin' Bob Dylan” and lot of most of us. Thanks to that Painting took a back seat after thought I'd discovered the answer other great and meandering river, about a year at art school - once I to everything. I was 19 at the time. the Internet, Vashti Bunyan is had learned to play guitar. I I wanted to blur the join between now somewhat accessible again, skipped days on end, and also got 'folk' music and pop music. I and we were luck enough to be a little involved in the wanted to be just me and guitar, able to conduct this interview experimental theatre which was but I was not at home in folk with her earlier this year. evolving in Oxford at the time. clubs or amongst folk musicians. I The originators of Monty Python loved pop music, I was fascinated PT. Can I start by asking you where were amongst my friends then. It by pop songs, but I didn't want to your interest in music came from? I'm was a good time for invention and be like all other girl singers interested in people’s early influences creativity in Oxford those years, seemed to be, I just wanted to be and musical experiences and from 1963 to 1965.