Harbour Wall - Kenny Gilchrist

[Bobbie En Tejas]

Just heard Kenny Gilchrist's new song (downloaded and have played it about 20 times). Its called Harbour Wall. I didn't see any mention of it here, so hope you don't mind, Kenny. Its a great song and really thought it should be mentioned on the forum.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=115837228

Here is the explanation he gives for the song:

"when a fisherman dies, he can't face the prospect of leaving his love, so he waits in his boat by the quay until her time has come and they can cross the waters to heaven together."

Its a beautiful song, Kenny.

[general jack o'niell]

who is he? i've never heard of him, tho the name must sound familiar to me,i can't place the face.

the song is a tad over romanticising the life of a fisherman, but thats just 18yrs as a fisherman talking, i'm sure there more than a few who i could picture belting it out once they have a few in them.

make a change from the bonnie ship the diamond

all that aside, its an ok song, but must have been written about 100 yrs ago to be relevent

[jock the boat]

what a william, id like to hear some of ur stuff, oh thats rite i have. it was guff, it overromanticised the life of an amoeba

[Bobbie En Tejas]

Considering other lyrics that are out there today, in the order of "get over here biatch, take your clothes off, shake that a$$, you're done, get out of here, next!", it is really nice to hear lyrics like Kenny's. Maybe there isn't such thing as love, but it is really nice hearing a song like this and thinking maybe there really is.

But besides all that, I like the music and the way he sings it.

[general jack o'niell]

i've no idea wot kind of music you listen too? but i don't recognise the sentiment in my choice of listening.

i never said it was a bad song, i said it was an ok song, anybody with three chords and an imagination could come up with something as good, theres nothing special.

its like "bay of storms" i used to really like that song but after hearing it a hundred times it was like fingernails on a blackboard. this song just gets there quicker, after one listen.

i only commented because its about a subject i'm familiar with, had it been about farming? or some other local industry i'd have kept my opinion to myself.

ok so we know thats not true, i canna win!!!!

[KennyG]

Cheers again Bobbie! im not usually one for putting up many posts on this forum, I usually just surf and see whats going on, but I thought I should point out a few things here for the benifit of the Gen.

The song was mainly written over the last few months, and finished a couple of weeks ago. the main idea for the story came to me the day of my gran's funeral in 2000. I thought I would wait until I came up with a suitable tune that fitted the subject. The lyric is actually about her and my grandfather (my mothers side of my family) - Betty and John Campbell (hence the "Campbell" part of my name on my MySpace site) from waterfoot. That the song is about a fisherman is purely down to it being fact. This song was never written because it would be popular among ex fishermen to sing after a few drams (although, if this were ever to happen, i would be more than delighted) or because nostalgia for our past is fashionable (even though I have been more than guilty of it in the past). Im sure if my family were farmers, then they would probably drive away on a vintage tractor or a big horse or some other apt conveyance. What is important about the song - for me - is the story of their love for one another and her sadness after his death. Writing the song from his angle on the boat was, obviously, pure speculation (?), intended to illustrate his love for her and the lengths he would go to in denying his own happiness (not entering heaven for a very religious man is surely a great sacrifice).
I will always respect that people have their own tastes in music and I can be one of the most critical people I know, but I feel that your criticism of the song was partly down to a lack of understanding of the theme. I hope you can have another listen to it with this in mind, and, if it's still not to your taste, then I can respect that.

These photos might interest you as you are a fisherman, (if not in fact anymore, then in heart at least!)
This is the Dayspring, my Papa Campbell's first boat, before he had his new boat "Elizabeth Campbell" (named after my mother which she always insisted was bad luck) built. She is still afloat in the canal basin in Ardrishaig, though she has been sheathed in fibreglass and has had her deck raised. She's probably around 90 years old now. I have no idea who owns her, but she seems to be still used for something, which is a mercy. I'm sure her sisters have mostly rotted away now.
This is the boat I imagined him waiting on, although I fancied her with a varnished hull rather than the garish blue which she wears now.






Cheers,

Kenny

[general jack o'niell]

steady the buffs, i didn't say it was a bad song, just a bit sentimental for my taste, but since you've written it from a back history it puts a different slant to the back story, one that some might find apealing.

i'm not a one for the traditional ballads, tho i do admit i prefer singing that tempo of song to listening to it, don't know why?

i'm familiar with your family tree now you mention it as my father and two brothers all fishermen before me, all came from carradale, i'm sure others could fill you in on details, i canna be ersed, my sister is opposite of your mother, rather than having a boat named after her, she was named after a boat "maid of morven" they just call her the bairn on here

best of luck with your stuff, who knows you might be the next john martyn

oh and get that bloody hair cut, its a damned disgrace

[KennyG]

Nae bother Gen!
sorry bout the size o the pictures there, my camera must be better than i thought!

[general jack o'niell]

you should find out who the owner is and give him a good kicking, i've met the owner of our old nobles built boat a couple of times and he's very proud of the work he's done, doesn't stop me wanting to punch the eejit. he'd tell you about this bit he removed and that bit he painted and all you want to do is grab him by the throat and tell him "do you know how many hours i spent every year chipping and painting or sanding and varnishing that bit?"

bloody weekend sailors!!!!!

[king of kilcousland]

Just noticed this thread, bit late I know, obviously like the song, but cant help but feel there is something missing from the thread, maybe you can enlighten us Kenny!

[Bobbie En Tejas]

KOK.. did A New Hope provide the background? Listening again. I love this song...

[king of kilcousland]

No bobbie, but I did play bass and actually record the song, was just trying to wind up Kenny!

[Bobbie En Tejas]

Kenny! Give the bassist his due! (At least a free copy of the cd )

[Friend of Dorothy]

Being of a nosey disposition, I had to have a listen to hear what all the fuss was about.
I'm an unashamed romantic and love the song, especially after reading a bit of the background. Unfortunately I am very short sighted and have a hearing problem but thank God I wasn't born with blinkers. Well done Kenny

[KennyG]

not been on this for a wee while,
got ur message bobbie, i should have done this at the start....

On the recording (done at stow college glasgow)
Keith (Buffa) Gillies - production / bass
Ross Macinnes - Drums
Les Moffat - Lead Guitar.

Happy now buffty boy?