Joan Armatrading
The Song Writer's Song Writer (The Bus 4.19)
Welcome aboard The Bus!
The Stop
Joan Armatrading (born 9 December 1950) is a British singer-songwriter who was the first British woman to make an international impact performing her own compositions. A critical success from her debut in the early 1970s, throughout a long and distinguished career she has maintained ‘widespread and … consistent critical acclaim,’ and a ‘devoted’ audience. A true artisan, Armatrading’s ‘distinctive vocals and consummate musicianship’,1 has led her to craft a truly eclectic career with a sound that has ‘ranged from jazz to soul to sophisticated pop, all driven by her passionate guitar.’
Born in St Kitts, Armatrading emigrated to Birmingham, England as a young child. At seven, she started playing her mother’s piano and soon she wanted to learn guitar. Though her father had one, she was not allowed to use it so she badgered her mother into bartering two old prams the family no longer needed in exchange for a £3 guitar she had seen in a pawn shop window. Teaching herself to play, Armatrading soon discovered her unique talent and at 14 began to write her own songs.
In her late teens, Armatrading was accepted in the touring production of the musical Hair where she met another West Indian immigrant - Pam Nestor - and the two began composing songs. After releasing a collaboration with Nestor2 in 1972, Armatrading decided to go solo, winning critical acclaim with Joan Armatrading (1976), which entered the British Top 20 and featured the Top 10 single ‘Love and Affection.’ The combination of ‘romantic, bittersweet lyrics’ sung in her ‘rounded, expressive voice’ against a blend of jazz, rock, folk and reggae, led to a number of best-selling albums, including Show Some Emotion (1977), To the Limit (1978), Me Myself I (1980), and Walk Under Ladders (1981). The Scotsman described her songs as ‘some of the most deeply personal and emotionally naked ... of our times,’ perhaps explaining her enduring appeal.
Although her sales declined in the mid-80s as popular musical tastes changed, she nevertheless continued to remain a ‘critic’s darling, an unwavering favourite with her dedicated listeners … and an important influence on other singer-songwriters.’ Three Grammy nominations, two Brit Award nominations, the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection in 1996 and becoming a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2001, have joined with numerous honorary degrees - including an honorary doctorate from St Andrews University in 2022. In 2016, Armatrading wrote the music for Phyllida Lloyd’s all-woman production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, which was staged in London and New York City, and as of last Friday she released her first foray into classical music with the production of her Symphony No. 1 at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Of course, to really get a picture of this musical chameleon, you need to listen to her, so today’s Playlist is a taster of five of my favourite Joan Armatrading tracks.
The Detour
Today’s Detour is to Paint & Pitchfork, a profile (9:28) from the New Yorker about artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald. Having been selected to paint portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama respectively, this is a fascinating exploration of their interest in the history - and importance - of painting Black people, the political nature of portraiture and a philosophical exploration of the role of the medium. Absolutely worth a watch.
The Recommendation
Today’s Recommendation is Schitt’s Creek. A Canadian sitcom that ran for six seasons from 2015-2020, it follows the trials and tribulations of the Rose family after they lose their extreme fortune and are forced to relocate to Schitt's Creek, a rural backwater they once purchased as a joke. Now forced to live in a motel, the family - Johnny, Moira and their spoilt adult children David and Alexis - have to adjust to life without wealth. And discover themselves along the way.
Starring Eugene Levy, Daniel Levy, Catherine O’Hara and Annie Murphy, the show debuted to mixed reviews, but as the seasons progressed it gained its footing and a release on Netflix boosted its popularity. It is a slow burner - it took us a few episodes to get into it - but once we did, my wife Karen and I loved it and when it ended, it felt like some friends had moved away. It’s very well written, impeccably acted and - most importantly - very, very funny. It’s worth watching for Moira’s unique pronunciation alone.
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is a selection of five great songs by Joan Armatrading: ‘Love and Affection’ (Joan Armatrading, 1976), ‘Me Myself I’ (Me Myself I, 1980), ‘Rosie’ (Track Record, 1983), ‘All The Way From America’ (Me Myself I, 1980) and ‘The Weakness in Me’ (Walk Under Ladders, 1981). Enjoy!
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from Joan Armatrading:
‘You don't have to be rich and famous. You just have to be an ordinary person, doing extraordinary things.’
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this Stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!
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Until the next Stop …
She arranges and plays nearly every instrument on her albums. I had never really heard of her until - not long after arriving in England - ‘Love and Affection’ started playing on the Hop Blossom pub’s jukebox (this was around 2003) and I loved it. I went out and bought a double-CD greatest hits collection a few days later and while I listened to it occasionally, over the year’s she’s slipped my mind until the other night when I saw an ITV news interview with her about her composition of a symphony. Sources for today’s Stop include: Joan Armatrading (Britannica) and joanarmatrading.com.
For more about Pam Nestor, see: Pam Nestor (Wikipedia).
"Willow" is another great song from Joan. :).
Loved reading this piece and being reminded of Joan’s music. It’s been a while since I’ve listened to her and I have several of her albums. A girlfriend in college turned me on to her.