Love Goes On
Grant McLennan, originally uploaded by alister.So I'm sitting in a deli in San Francisco having some lunch, waiting until it's time to get my bus to the airport. To my surprise my phone beeps, it's a message from my friend in Edinburgh. Grant McLennan has died.
I am still stunned by the news. I was a huge fan of Grant and the band he had with Robert Forster, the Go-Betweens. He wrote melodic, stirring and unforgettable songs, 'that striped sunlight sound'. They worked brilliantly with Robert's more edgy material. 16 Lovers Lane would be in my top ten albums any day of the year.
I can't believe I won't see Grant perform on stage again. I travelled to see the Go-Betweens several times, most recently in Bilbao. On the occasions I met Grant he was very kind and generous, stopping to chat and for photo's when I'm sure he had better things to do than talk to a drunk Scotsman.
Read more tributes at the Go-Betweens website, including this from Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake who toured with them when I saw them in Bibao:
"Francis called me earlier, and I'm still trying to take it in. It's terrible news. I am absolutely shocked. Grant was a wonderful person. Fantastic songwriter. Some of you may know that we were friendly with the Go Betweens, having played a number of shows with them over the years.
They were fantastic. Great music, lovely people. On the last night of the last tour that we did with them, only last year, Grant prepared us the legendary "go between" cocktail, basically taking whatever alcohol was near to hand, and mixing it together (that's how it appeared to me anyway) He was a sweetheart, a lovely, lovely guy. Always bright and engaging. Absolutely the life and soul of the party.
I'll be playing his music tonight, and thinking fondly of him and his beautiful smile.
He will be sadly missed. One of my heroes. Love you Grant."
Obit: Sydney Morning Herald and lots of other places.
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2 Comments:
Powerful heartfelt post.
By
Frank Partisan, at 3:32 am
Steve Kilbey of The Church, who worked with Grant on the Jack Frost albums, wrote several really touching pieces about Grant on his blog.
http://stevekilbey.blogspot.com/2006/05/teenage-rasputin-takes-sting-from-gin_07.html
http://stevekilbey.blogspot.com/2006/05/you-can-sing-that-everything-takes.html
http://stevekilbey.blogspot.com/2006/05/wouldnt-ya-know-it-thats-how-life-ends.html
The second two posts also give some insights into the making of the Jack Frost cds.
(I've never been able to figure out to make clickable links in comments. Sorry.)
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