Singer-songwriter Bridget St John in rare 1960s photos
Bridget St John and the John Peel show
I first discovered Bridget St John back in the late Sixties when I heard her on the late great John Peel's show Top Gear.
I was lucky enough to see her live in concert a couple of times too. One of these occasions was when she was playing support to Kevin Ayers with whom she was later to record when she was a special guest on his album Shooting At The Moon .
Old photos of Bridget St John from the late 1960s
John Peel's Dandelion label
.I was instantly hooked by Bridget's distinctive husky vocals, evocative lyrics and innovative acoustic guitar-work, and she quickly became, and has remained, one of my all-time favourite woman singer-songwriters.
She was signed to Peel's Dandelion label and, of course, I rushed out to buy her first album Ask Me No Questions in 1969. The title track of which I feel is one of her finest songs ever. I also got her single To B Without a Hitch.
John Peel produced the album and pioneering guitarist John Martyn played on some of the tracks. Her second album Songs For The Gentle Man tried out some different production styles and arrangements by Ron Geesin, although once again released on Dandelion, as was her third record entitled Thank You For.
Bridget St John eventually signed to Chrysalis and Jumblequeen was released as her fourth album in 1974. Then she moved to America in 1976 and dropped out of the music scene for many years. I remember seeing a Where Are They Now feature in Q magazine that explained where Bridget had gone.
In 1996, a fifth album Take the 5ifth was released on Road Goes on Forever, and in 2007, she recorded again as a guest act on Kevin Ayers' comeback album The Unfairground . Bridget and Kevin duet on the love song Baby Come Home .
In the late Eighties I worked for a while as Robin Williamson's secretary and it was at that time I became friendly with Tommy Totten who was one of his fans. Tommy shared my love for Bridget St John's music and as a fan he had advertised in the music press for any recordings or other items of interest to do with her.
Tommy had managed to get hold of some unreleased demos that had been on taped sessions that a collector was willing to sell to him as well as rare photos and he very kindly sent me some prints of these pictures which I have reproduced here.
I am afraid I don't have any more details about them so am unable to say what year they were taken or where but I hope you will agree that they are very beautiful photos of a very under-rated British songstress.
STOP PRESS - Bridget is now on Twitter - https://twitter.com/BridgetStJohn1
Kevin Ayers "Baby Come Home"
Bridget St John links
Bridget St John Acoustic Session
© 2009 Steve Andrews