Hear Deni Sing (click here)

Subject: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Alice
Date: 06 May 01 - 05:27 PM

I just listened to a song by Den and her duo with spouse Ned, "Mad Rush". I tried to leave a feedback vote, but for some reason it would not show the form - maybe because I have Netscape and a Mac? Anyway, here is an original tune sung and played well by a Mudcat member in Devon:

Den and Ned, "When The Fire Died".

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Hawker
Date: 06 May 01 - 05:39 PM

Thanks for the birthday pressie Deni, (new CD 'How Well I Remember' by Your good selves under the name of MAD RUSH)
Had a listen today, sounds great, Well Done, I am pig sick!
Lucy

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Deni
Date: 06 May 01 - 05:49 PM

Thanks guys. I've spent the entire day trying to get connected to the Mudcat. my son says I have an obsession. I said, doesn't everybody. Happy days everyone.

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Hawker
Date: 06 May 01 - 06:04 PM

Me too, Whats yours??!!! *LOL* (Lunatic on the Loose!)
Lucy

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: hesperis
Date: 06 May 01 - 07:43 PM

I think you should have kept the beard... j/k

Downloading now.

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Deni
Date: 07 May 01 - 01:41 AM

Thanks for asking,Lucy, my obsession is tapping away at a keyboard and communicating with the world at large. Did you hear our folkbabies singing on Fairisle?

Cheers deni

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: hesperis
Date: 07 May 01 - 12:24 PM

Hey! Not bad.

The mandolin(?) could have been more in tune, but the voice and flute work together beautifully, and the lyrics are interesting.

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Alice
Date: 07 May 01 - 02:56 PM

Den, I really liked it. I hope you get more attention from that interview. I'd like to hear more of your songs.

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: catspaw49
Date: 07 May 01 - 03:02 PM

I'm with Alice.....and I wish there was some way to call more attention to this thread. Good work Deni!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Hawker
Date: 07 May 01 - 06:06 PM

Folk babies sound great, Tam (aged 10 for those of you who don't know) has resolved today to learn some songs that she can sing at sessions!!!!
Had a great day today, playing on the seafront at Si Ives, Cornwall, 'the day it was hot and the sun it was warm......'
Maybe we'll get round to making a CD this year! Got asked for one again today, we could have made a few bob if we had one!
Lucy

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 May 01 - 06:32 PM

Den, well done. I found the song very lovely and posted a comment to that effect. Your description of Devon amkes me want to be there! Lovely song!

Thanks, Alice for this thread.

kat

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Deni
Date: 08 May 01 - 04:43 AM

thanks for all the encouraging comments. I'm thrilled. As I told Alice, most of our live material is traditional,but for the purposes of this feature, we had to have an origial track. They picked one about Devon, hoping the local Devon listeners would like it, I suppose. We're working on a second album. It's written and read to be demo-ed.

Love to all you kind people.

Hesperis. I feel choked if an instrument sounds out of tune. Why oh why didn't someone mention it when we first sent the demo in? chalk it up to experience, I suppose!!!

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: KingBrilliant
Date: 08 May 01 - 06:01 AM

Deni its great!!! Really lovely voice. Nice gentle tune.

Kris

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Alice
Date: 08 May 01 - 09:16 AM

Deni, your song reminded me of the many people who have moved to rural areas with a fantasy in mind about "country life" - this happens all over the world. We've had lots of new arrivals in Montana in the last 20 years, thinking they could live out the image they see in movies or go "back to the land", ill equipped for the difficulty. I really liked the idea behind your song, as well as how it all fit together, tune and lyrics. I think the classic example of this "back to the wilderness" movement, was the true story of a couple who moved to a remote area of Alaska. They were snowed in, and finally the first person they saw was a man who arrived at their cabin only to break in and rob them at gunpoint... the couple eventually divorced and both ended up in corporate jobs in large cities (warm climates).

Alice

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Alice
Date: 08 May 01 - 09:19 AM

Deni, would you like to post the lyrics to your song on this thread?

Alice

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Deni
Date: 08 May 01 - 10:05 AM

Does a bee sting? I have to go out now, but I'll do it later, when I've read the bit about HTML. I have never learnt how to do that. Sad story about the gunpoint. country living eh? I'm guilty of having the same fataises myself, the countryside is all around us, but Ned wants to live somewhere really isolated. Hmm. Except I haven't got a car...

Thanks for your support everyone and the terrific quotes you put on the BBC site.

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Deni
Date: 08 May 01 - 05:23 PM

Her it is Alice. Hope the line breaks work. My very first line breaks! I'll remember them like I remember my first kiss. (I was only five!)

WHEN THE FIRE DIED
Ned & Den Couch

AS THE SUMMER SUN PALED
AND THE SHADES OF WINTER WERE FALLING
THE FADING BLUE SKIES SEEMED TO CRY AND TURN INTO GREY
WHEN THE GOOD LIFE TURNED BAD,
THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY WERE CALLING WE WERE RUNNING RIGHT BACK
TO THE THINGS THAT FIRST DROVE US AWAY
WHEN THE FIRE DIED OUT,
WHEN THE FIRE DIED OUT,FOR THE LAST TIME
THAT WINTER

AS THE DAY FELL TO DUSK
AND THE DARKNESS CAME DOWN FROM THE HILLSIDE
THE COLD WINTER WIND SENT A CHILL IN THE AIR,
RAINS WERE FREEZING
AS WE LIT ONE LAST FIRE IN THE HEARTH,
WE WERE GRIEVING
REMEMBERING TIMES WHEN TROUBLE WAS SOMETHING WE SHARED

CHORUS: WHEN THE FIRE DIED...

SMOKE FROM THE FIRE DRIFTED UP
AND LAID IN THE VALLEY
I LOOKED THROUGH THE WINDOW
AND CAPTURED THE MIST-LADEN FIELDS
THE VIRGIN SNOW FELL,
NOT A FOOTPRINT HAD BROKEN ITS COVER
NOTHING HAD MOVED THROUGH THE MORNING
OR DOWN FROM THE HILLS

CHORUS
AS WE MADE FOR THE STATION TO PICK UP OUR TRAIN WE WERE LAUGHING
FOOLING OURSELVES
OF HOW BETTER OUR LIVES WOULD BE
BUT AS WE PULLED OUT ON THE TRACK
OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS
LOOKING BACK DOWN THE VALLEY
OUR DREAM WAS ALL WE COULD SEE.
WHEN THE FIRE DIED OUT,
WHEN THE FIRE DIED OUT,
WHEN THE FIRE DIED OUT
FOR THE LAST TIME
THAT WINTER
THAT WINTER

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Alice
Date: 08 May 01 - 06:24 PM

Thanks, Den. Upper and lower case type would be easier to read instead of all caps, but thank you. I hope I copied this over without mistakes.

WHEN THE FIRE DIED
Ned & Den Couch

As the summer sun paled
And the shades of winter were falling
The fading blue skies seemed to cry and turn into grey
When the good life turned bad,
The lights of the city were calling
We were running right back
To the things that first drove us away

CHORUS:
When the fire died out,
When the fire died out,
for the last time that winter.

As the day fell to dusk
And the darkness came down from the hillside
The cold winter wind sent a chill in the air,
Rains were freezing
As we lit one last fire in the hearth,
We were grieving
Remembering times when trouble was something we shared

CHORUS:

Smoke from the fire drifted up
And laid in the valley
I looked through the window
And captured the mist-laden fields
The virgin snow fell,
Not a footprint had broken its cover
Nothing had moved through the morning
Or down from the hills.

CHORUS:

As we made for the station to pick up our train
we were laughing
Fooling ourselves
Of how better our lives would be
But as we pulled out on the track
Of different directions
Looking back down the valley
Our dream was all we could see.

When the fire died out,
When the fire died out,
When the fire died out
for the last time
That winter
That winter.

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Deni
Date: 09 May 01 - 04:11 PM

Thanks a lot Alice. I am just in the process of setting up our MP3.com page. My son offered to make some MP3s from the CD and his computer keeps clicking off while its at the business. Very frustrating this technical stuff. I went and had a look at your T shirts just now, beautiful art, and I was listening to paddy's Lamentation over and over meanwhile...this promotion stuff really works. none of us should rest until we've got an Alice Flynn Celtic T shirt, with Folk motto!

I bet Lucy would love one...How about it Lucy?

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: hesperis
Date: 09 May 01 - 04:17 PM

DO NOT POST YOUR MUSIC ON MP3.CON!!!!!

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=33989

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?ThreadID=32069

http://msg.mp3.com/msg/

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Deni
Date: 10 May 01 - 04:25 AM

Too late, I'm afraid. I knew some people here had some doubts and grumbles, but I had no idea things had reached this peak. I uploaded stuff last night with considerable difficulty. i don't know where to go. All I want to do is get our music on a site. It's all I have wanted for over a year, since I first started visiting Mudcat. then, it seemed all the rage. Now? Time to think again, obviously. But it will take me time to find an alternative, so in the meantime...

Alice, I see your site is still up. Can we have your words of wisdom too, to balance things?

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Alice
Date: 10 May 01 - 09:21 AM

This is the first I've seen of those threads. I rarely have time to check my email or look at what is happening regarding mp3.com and their policies. I'll have to read it all this weekend when I have more time.

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: hesperis
Date: 10 May 01 - 11:00 AM

Well, if you didn't pay them $20 already, then your songs won't be approved for a couple of days at least, and possibly as long as a month from now, depending if there's someone there who likes your stuff.

If you did pay, well...

There is more disturbing news, too.

I found this thread on their message boards: "Washed up acts to sure mp3.com"

I went to reply, and received this:

"Topic Not Active Sign Out You have reached a topic that either doesn't exist or is not active at this time. Click here to return to the message board."

They deleted the thread. Censored it. It had a few replies, but I didn't see who was on it... as I just hit "reply"... I should have copied the info first, I guess.

The first message (there were a few replies, but I didn't count how many,) concerned the report that Geoff the Duck posted on the Class Action thread. I was going to reply and say that as usual, the people who it doesn't benefit can see the drawbacks much more clearly than the people it does benefit - or who THINK it benefits them.

This is getting even more scary than it was already...

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Roger in Sheffield
Date: 10 May 01 - 01:18 PM

I just listened, and I am really envious about the flute playing !

Roger

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Hawker
Date: 10 May 01 - 02:07 PM

Deni, Yep love a T shirt! Going out for tea...............
Lucy

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Deni
Date: 10 May 01 - 03:34 PM

Thanks Roger from Sheffield. still working on the Breton tunes.

Hesperis. of course I had to go and pay up front, didn't I. It was approved in an hour or two. A fool and her money are soon parted. Pig sick doesn't begin to cover it.

Hawker. We'll put the hat around to supply westcountry folk singers with Alice Flynn's Celtic T Shirts. Better looking than festival shirts, nice though they are. Better yet. Get alice to design more subtle festival T Shirts....

See you soon. i'm going to weep about being sold a pup with MP3 com and try to do some damage limitation. Goodnight all. A drop of strong beer wouldn't do us any harm...

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: hesperis
Date: 10 May 01 - 09:20 PM

Deni, YOU are not the fool here, they are. Anyone who does business that is unethical, is an incredible fool, even if they laugh all the way to the bank.

Because if they act like that, they lose out on much more important things than money, such as respect, warmth, caring... things that tend to lead to greater LONG-TERM moneymaking for companies anyway.

I just mourn because mp3.com used to be the greatest. I have found so much good music there... I have gotten to know some people on their message boards... total strangers have written to me who honestly love my music... and now they are throwing all that away.

"Pig sick" is a good description. That's how any human being reacts to injustice.

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 May 01 - 09:12 PM

I think this thread still has some life in it, and it's dropping off the page...So hey presto...REFRESH

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Alice
Date: 14 May 01 - 09:21 AM

Regarding changes at mp3.com, I added my comments on the "Mudcatters on mp3.com" thread, after John/Celtic Ways.click here

Deni, do you have a page yet where we can hear more of the traditional songs you do?

Alice

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Alice
Date: 15 May 01 - 09:03 AM

I was pleased to open my email this morning and find a review of Mad Rush (Deni's duo) from John at Celtic Ways.

---------quote--------
"Mad Rush" are based in Plymouth, Devon, UK - same place as our grassers, "The Blackfoot Brothers" http://celticways.com/blackfootbros so its great to have two artists from one city.

"Mad Rush"s heart seems to be in Dartmoor, though, and their CD has a nice Dartmoor photo - Haytor Rock?

Folk who visit Britain from the USA should extend their Bath visits to go to Dartmoor and Exmoor. I find Exmoor the most enchanting but Dartmoor has its magic, its tales, its headless horsemen, goblin, gnome and pixie lucky charms - and you'll be singing Widdecombe Fair all the way back to London on the bus or on the train.

Anyway, Mad Rush's music is not a travel brochure for Dartmoor, though maybe their follow up should be :-) Their first album largely explore the harsh challenges historically experienced in war and marriage. Ned is fascinated by historic war stories and Den seems to be fascinated by the dark side of rural folk life - and together this forms most of folk music history.

For your downloading pleasure the following are now available

"There I Must Lie"

Here you'll right away recognize Den's voice as being a real English folk ladies voice so fans of June Tabor and Shirley Collins are in for a treat.

This is a fascinating story song through the eyes of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's 2nd wife.

What a great opener!

"Lisbon"

One of Mad Rush's war songs but the highlight is Den's singing here. It shows that girls don't have to sound like Connie Dover and Maire Brennan to be beautiful. Wonderful melody and so beautifully sung and phrased. Instruments are kept right in the back while Den lets it all out. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful .....

"The Trees They Do Grow High"

One of my favorites from their album. its a popular folk song in England. Martin Carthy made it fairly popular, but Den does a great job singing it here.

"Soldiers Of Britain"

is a showcase for the other half, Ned, who does a great job with this upbeat patriotic song. He does a kind of English Woodie Guthrie, Pete Seeger folk song. Should be popular.

All of the above are from Mad Rush's album "How Well I Remember" and I would like to say a few words about tracks not available for download.

"Fairisle" a fascinating song about how Fair Isle women knitted unique patterns for their men's sweaters so they would be identified if they were ever recovered from drowning after a fishing trip. In the chorus are a couple of the young Couch children.

"When The Fire Died" about a couple who's dream is to live on Dartmoor

"Lonely In The Crowd" quite a touching Elvis Costello/Elton John style reflective song touchingly done by Den.

...... and there's a lot more.

The Couch's sound as if they have been in folk music all of their lives but it appears this is new. Most of their musical past has been in rock and pop music.

Was the name "Mad Rush" inspired by getting all 7 kids off to school in the morning each day ????

I gather the Couch's even have their own folk club in Plymouth now.

Anyway for some great new family made folk music do pop along to http://celticways.com/madrush
--------end quote------------

Deni, I really enjoyed reading this review of your music, and now I'm off to listen to the tracks!

Alice Flynn

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Alice
Date: 15 May 01 - 09:38 AM

WOW! Deni, you sound great... I'm in a "mad rush" to get to work this morning, because I had to listen to all the trad songs you have on your page. Wonderful! -alice

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Deni
Date: 15 May 01 - 03:07 PM

Thanks Alice. There has been a great response so far and we're thrilled. We will be setting up more trad stuff. Today I went to Tavistock in Devon and picked up a book called the Oxford Book of Ballads. All the old English and Celtic Ballads. 847 pages! I can't wait to set them to tunes and get started. Thanks for your help and support, every man and woman Jack of you. Because of help from the Mudcat we'll be adding Manx and Breton music to the playlist. If I don't make sense It'll be because I had a celebratory glass or three.

Subject: RE: Hear Deni Sing (click here)
From: Alice
Date: 15 May 01 - 03:55 PM

Hi, Deni, I have added tracks from your page to three stations: Mudcat Music II, The Queen of Argyll, and Warm and Wonderful World Music... they haven't shown up yet on your "stations playing" page, but if you go to them, your music is there. Good job. I look forward to hearing more from you and Ned.