Jackson C Frank - Golden Mirror (1968) - Lost Song Found!
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- In 1968, Jackson C. Frank returned to England to try and revive his musical career. Although he had some success, including a gig opening for Fairport Convention at the prestigious Royal Festival Hall and appearing on John Peel's BBC radio show "Nightride," Jackson couldn't find much work and didn't stay long. His deteriorating mental health didn't help any. Jackson's new material failed to win over old fans including his buddy Al Stewart who said "He started doing things that were completely impenetrable. They were basically about psychological angst played at full volume with lots of thrashing. I don't remember a single word of them, but it just did not work."
Up until the Fall of 2017, no recordings of this 1968 material has ever surfaced. However, a previously unknown stash of the BBC radio show "My Kind of Folk" has recently been recovered and restored by a collector and audiologist who have released these radio shows into the wild of the internet. Jackson hosted Episode 37 where he was joined by the a cappella folk vocal group The Young Tradition and Chris Hardy, a whizz kid guitar player from a nearby college who accompanies the host. Jackson sings five songs including the previously unknown "Golden Mirror," obviously an original from 1968. While it indeed is filled with psychological angst, it is considerably more tuneful and moving than what Al Stewart gave credit to. As with nearly all Jackson C. Frank songs, it is deeply haunting and unforgettable.
Enjoy this historic recording from one of the all-time greats, even though very, very few people have ever heard of him. Thanks to Jim Abbott for the back story on Jackson's time in England circa 1968. Be sure to check out his definitive JCF biography, "The Clear, Hard Light of Genius."
Video by Francis Hickory (aka Steve Peck). JCF photos courtesy of Jim Abbott.
I wish I had a way of showing JCF how many lives he has touched and how appreciated he is. It makes me sad when people leave before they get the recognition they deserve. We live in a terribly fast world, it's important to slow down and take things in before they're just memories - Peace from Egypt
yup, i ask u when your favourite food is in the makin 4 35 min and so and so on..... hypocrite
It's sad how many great musicians and songwriter's work are lost forever. Most of the best one's we've never even heard of. I know I'll have to die before my own music will ever enjoy any kind of success. Luckily I have the means to record and document it somehow. So many others didn't. In my short lifetime I've met a half dozen amazing albeit unsuccessful musicians who's work will never be heard because it died with them. It's a great reminder to document what we have, even if it doesn't seem important now... RIP Jackson C Frank.
“What happened Sophie?”
Well, good to know I’m not alone.
imagine this in a studio with production. JCF was and will always be a genius ... lets hope his estate get their dues.....x
GOLDEN MIRROR
Sleeping in the velvet
Of the golden mirror shine
I am mine
Most of the time
So I sail my ship of dreams
Somewhere else it seems
And I anchored her on an ocean
Of brittle silver schemes
Impossible promises
To the life machine
To find a safe harbour
To find me a home
To raise a family
And Oh God
Even my children will
Probably grow up wrong
Somehow I have forgotten the ways
Of flying back to you again
As I search the sky along the waves
And I catch the last London train
I see the wolves upon the snow
And the beaches at low tide
I've been to France and offered thanks
As on my own two feet I die
And I slept by your naked body
With my mind all on the scene
And I touched your lips of violet
And your hair of barbary
Oh what the hell is wrong with me
Sleeping in the velvet
Of the golden mirror shine
I am mine
Most of the time
Thanks to L Lawrie for a couple of corrections.
You have made few mistakes, here is a correct version:
Sleeping in the velvet
Of the golden mirror shine
I am mine
Most of the time (dada da dam)
So I sailed my ship of dreams
Somewhere else it seems
And I anchored her on an ocean
Of brittle silver schemes
Impossible promises
To the life machine
Find the safe harbour
Find me a home
To raise a family
And Oh God
Even my children will
Probably grow up wrong
Somehow I have forgotten the ways
Of flying back to you again
'Cause I searched the sky along the waves
And I catch the last London train
I see the wolves upon the snow
And the beaches at low tide
I've been to France and offered thanks
'Cause on my own two feet I died
I slept by your naked body
My mind all on the scene
I touched your lips of violet
And your hair of barbery
Oh what the hell is wrong with me?
Sleeping in the velvet
Of the golden mirror shine
I am mine
Most of the time
Guys I'm still not sure about one word: "Impossible promises, To the life machine". Word "life machine" - I don't know what he means - maybe it should be "live machine" as living machine, for example "one-armed bandit" in casino (living machine, which gives him promises to be rich again), or "live machine" could be a human, who behave as robot (without emotions), or maybe it should be "life machine" - as life-support machine in hospital? That song was done in 1968. From Wikipedia we know that in 1966 his mental health start goes very bad, and he has to go to mental hospital - maybe he was connected there to the life support machine and he was afraid about his life and starts made the promises (in his mind) to that machine (promises for example as: I will try to be a better person now, no alcohol, etc.).
What do you think? What word should be three "Impossible promises, To the life machine" or "live" machine?
This one is special...
The best music never gets heard at all !
Wow, thanks for posting this. This was clearly one of the songs Al Stewart heard on Jackson's 1968 visit, about which he later commented, "He started doing things that were completely impenetrable. They were basically about psychological angst, played at full volume with lots of thrashing. I don't remember a single word of them; it just did not work.”
I don't agree with Al, though, this is great; raw, confessional songwriting that was ahead of its time.
I can understand Stewart's misgivings. Sounds like a Tim Buckley song. But a lot of folkies were frustrated with the limits of traditional folk and unapologetically experimented with obscure imagery back then..Even the commercially successful Jimmy Webb said as much in regards to his beautiful, but mostly incomprehensible "Macarthers Park."
Even before I read your post I was reminded of Tim Buckley and a similar sound after hearing this song.
Who knows how many songs Jackson created that we'll never hear because "it just didn't work"...
Yeah. One the one hand, I think there's potential for some songs to get heavy-handed and distorted because in order to stay relevant, you had to go into a more experimental kind of acid rock like Janis Joplin, Donovan or the Jefferson Airplane. I'm sure a lot of folk artists started to do that moving towards the late 60's. On the other hand, this is a great piece and could be ranked with some of the best that any of those groups wrote. Al Stewart probably wasn't thinking that people would be hungry for just about anything from Jackson Frank decades later, posthumously.
it sounds very similar to Tim Buckley’s middle period, around Blue Afternoon and Lorca
Thank you so much for uploading this! I've been listening to Jackson C. Frank for more than seven years now and I consider him to be one of the most genius artists in the history of this planet. I'm writing this as I've just heard this song for a first time and I already know that I'm gonna listen to it again and again and again and again... I would love to read Jim Abbott's book about Jackson (I have it at home for almost two years now) but unfortunately I am 99% of time unable to read anything - I'm suffering from social phobia and paranoid schizophrenia - and that prevents me from doing lots of things I would normally do, for example reading this book... Jackson's music is helping me to don't give up - "To be free, hopeful and strong." By the way, "The Visit" is my second favorite song of all time.
Hi Michael, thanks for checking this out. It saddens me that some of Jackson's music has been lost to time. I am so glad this song survived somehow. I appreciate the comments about your struggles. I was at a *very* low point in my life when I first heard Jackson. Even though his music can be quite sad, I found it powerful and in it's own way uplifting. Hang in there and take care, there are strangers pulling for you! I too absolutely love "The Visit." It has such evocative imagery. Very unique.
@@francishickory287 Hi Francis, thank you for your reply. It sure is very sad that not all of Jackson's music survived. But what's even sadder is the fact that he didn't have a chance to create and release more music than he did. If circumstances weren't so horrendous as they were in his life and he had an option to record and release more music, an option he certainly deserved to have, then I truly believe that he would be appraised today as much as the folk stars like for example Bob Dylan or Neil Young. But hey, I am grateful for all of his music that DID survive and therefore helped me many times while being in darkness. I agree with you that his music is both sad and uplifting, to that I would add that many of his songs I find even transcendent. I love Golden Mirror and I hope to be able to read Jim Abbott's book as soon as possible. I wish you well.
@@michaelsmolik1468 I also like The Visit, what is your favorite song?
0:10 here Jackson C Frank is speaking during a BBC radio show "Nightride", which he hosted. He explains what his Golder Mirror means.
,love this gem
I really love his vocals! His 1965 album shows his versatility because you would think there was another singer on it but i know it was him only. Such genius. So sad.
Ty for posting ❤
this is priceless
*Safety in pills, Sophie.*
Incredible!!!!! Jaw dropping!!! I did a cover of his "Just like Anything" song on my channel. He is one of my favorite songwriters!
Walten Files be like
it really hits hard with the trauma, that series
Thank you for that amazing written description included with your video. I have been attempting to research Jackson as much as possible online, and kept wondering about this mysterious 'angsty, thrashy' music. I just could not accept that it would have been distasteful or altogether lousy. Wikipedia and various articles make it out as if Jackson was absolutely falling apart when he returned to England a second time. Be that as it may, he sounded wonderful during that radio special - articulate, present, professional, considerate. It's just so disappointing that we can't hear the rest of the material. I expect it would have aged beautifully. I suspect that Al Stewart's perspective is very limited overall.
the weakest element is this so-called "whiz kid" noodling terribly throughout the entire performance. The songs got three chords and he never can seem to just lock into something that serves the song.
It's a shame the clueless second guitarist had to be there, but it's amazing to hear a "new" JCF song. Thank you.
Right? He ruined it with his noodling.
"...Sophie?"
What happened Sophie?
Just... wow. This is genius.
I watched this on psychedelics… and it felt like exactly this was your intention. :-D
❤️
🖤 it's as if kurt and jackson c. frank were made of the same star dust
The full "My Kind of Folk" show with Jackson C. Frank can be found at: ua-cam.com/video/EMNQjvoxdOc/v-deo.html
"Sophie"
...
Would you by any chance have all the footage of Jackson and his then at the time wife
said footage is not public yet. patience.
Jim Abbott any plans to release it any time soon?
Are there any plans to release "Golden Mirror" on a CD? Are there possibly any more songs that are in the vaults somewhere that were never released before? I have Jackson's album from 1965 but it would be great to discover more songs that were recorded after 1965 and now being discovered. It would be great if there were enough unknown but discovered songs from 1968.
Suzanne, yes Jackson did record more original music after 1965, although none of it was released during his lifetime. There were several sessions in the 1972-1975 time frame, as well as in 1993 and 1997 after he was rescued from homelessness. At that point his voice changed dramatically from all the hard living. However, in the '70s and '90s, anytime Jackson was well enough to write, he continued to write incredible songs, although they're not exactly in the same style as his 1965 album. All of these additional recordings have been reissued numerous times and are easily found on UA-cam. If you want some recommendations of compilation albums, I'd be glad to give you some. As for 1968, no other song has surfaced except for Golden Mirror. We know he had other new songs written then, but there is no record of them in any shape or form. Maybe someday something will show up. I sure hope so. Jackson's 1965 is just one chapter in his musical story. There's not a lot of material from these other time periods, but they prove that his genius wasn't a one-time fluke.
Here's a beautiful song from 1972, one of my all-time favorites. ua-cam.com/video/3zBm1UAAzTs/v-deo.html
Here's a classic from 1997, not long before he died. The sound quality is crude as it was recorded on a small cassette deck. His voice may be a shock, but this song is as good as any he's ever written. ua-cam.com/video/A_4N05coN2g/v-deo.html
The Walten Files.
Could you please tell me what year "Stitch in Time" is from.
"Stitch in Time" was recorded on May 9, 1974 in Woodstock, New York.
does anyone have the lyrics on this one?
Sleeping in the velvet
Of the golden mirror shine
I am mine
Most of the time (dada da dam)
So I sailed my ship of dreams
Somewhere else it seems
And I anchored her on an ocean
Of brittle silver schemes
Impossible promises
To the life machine
Find the safe harbour
Find me a home
To raise a family
And Oh God
Even my children will
Probably grow up wrong
Somehow I have forgotten the ways
Of flying back to you again
'Cause I searched the sky along the waves
And I catch the last London train
I see the wolves upon the snow
And the beaches at low tide
I've been to France and offered thanks
'Cause on my own two feet I died
I slept by your naked body
My mind all on the scene
I touched your lips of violet
And your hair of barbery
Oh what the hell is wrong with me?
Sleeping in the velvet
Of the golden mirror shine
I am mine
Most of the time
@@Radek__ thanks :)
What was that song played in the intro???
Fast version of Blues run the game
Who's speaking in the beginning?
Jackson. This song was taken from a radio show he hosted.
0:29
sometime they'll give a war and nobody will come, because everyone likes to listen to music and love peace and animal's.
Mother's Friendship 5 X 5
Mother's Friendship 5 5 5 5 5
Fran Records Costa Rica, USA and Germany
I have created a video for Chris Hardy's "Richmond Walking Song" from the same radio show. It can be found at: ua-cam.com/video/1NkY-w_N1eE/v-deo.html
Sounds like a Charles Manson tune.