James Yorkston and the Athletes are -
james yorkston - guitar/banjo/etc -
doogie paul - double bass/etc -
faisal rahman - percussion/etc -
reuben taylor - accordion/concertina/etc -
with -
Emma Smith - fiddle -
Sarah Scutt - Clarinet -
Nancy Elizabeth - Harp -
and -
jon bews - fiddle -
wendy chan - vocals & fiddle -
holly taylor - low whistle & small pipes -
Influences
.. Linton Kwesi Johnson - Tings an' Times
.. Michael Hurley - Sweetkorn
.. Jacques Brel - Brel
.. Leo Ferre - Le Temps De Roses Rouges
.. Anne Briggs - Classic
.. D'Gary - Mbo Loza
.. Can - Tago Mago
.. Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight - Once In A Blue Moon
.. Nic Jones - Penguin Eggs
.. John Strachan - Songs From Aberdeenshire
guitar player/singer from the east neuk of fife, signed to domino records. also playing with the fence collective and unpoc.
in bands for years, gave up, wrote some songs at home, sent a copy to John Peel, he played one (moving up country, roaring the gospel), got a phone call from a wee label called bad jazz, who'd heard peel play it, they released it on 7", sent a copy to local promoter asking for local john martyn support, got told to sling my hook, sent a copy to john martyn, got offered the entire tour, got involved with a budding young record label in london, didn't work out due to lack of funds, bumped into head of domino records at a show in edinburgh, drank until 4am playing gram parsons tunes, swapped email addresses, he sent me everydominoreleaseever, i felt guilty and sent him one cd full of FENCE artists - kingcreosote/ lonepigeon/ pipdylan/ unpoc/ billypilgrim/ jamesyorkston, got offered a contract by domino, signed said contract, released 3 'official' albums, moving up country (2002) & just beyond the river (2004), 'The Year Of The Leopard' (2006) on Domino Records, plus a few other things on Fence Records.
still releasing music on other labels, especially www.fencerecords.com & www.houstonpartyrecords.com
In 2007 Domino Records released 'Roaring The Gospel' - a compilation of Fence / b-sides / eps, etc.
In September 2008, Domino released James' album - When The Haar Rolls In
In August 2009, Domino will release 'Folk Songs' by James Yorkston & The Big Eyes Family Players
Thank you for the musical connection dear James. You are a wonderful artist with a heartbreaking and very rare melodic sensitive. I am in total admiration in front of your breathtaking guitar playing ! With all my gratitude and my respect. paul
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