Archie has recently released the compilation album Creation which features remastered versions of his first four albums (Charcoal Lane, Jamu Dreaming, Looking For Butter Boy and Sensual Being) plus over a dozen unreleased bonus songs. As you can imagine, this significant document of the highly respected singer-songwriter’s work is jam-packed with classic and much-loved tracks such as Charcoal Lane, the ARIA-award winning Took The Children Away and Down City Streets.
Throughout the Creation project Archie has found it to be an interesting experience revisiting his own songs. “Some of them I haven’t performed for a while” he said. “It’s really good because the songs have grown in time. You have a better idea of how to perform and sing them.”
For the Creation concerts Archie is joined on stage by a ten-piece musical ensemble featuring a string quartet and the vocal prowess of Lou Bennett, Emma Donovan and Deline Briscoe. Archie pointed out that working with this large group “gives the songs a depth…it’s a real joy.”
Archie’s ARIA-award winning album, Looking For Butter Boy was recorded in 1997 on his traditional land at Port Fairy in South-Western Victoria. With Archie playing at the mighty Port Fairy Folk Festival in March 2014, I was interested to discover how he felt about performing in a place that is so important and significant to him. Archie said, “I think being able to sing in country is probably one of the greatest things…the country inspires certain songs…songs come from everywhere but when they come from country it’s pretty special.”
Archie, who has toured with an incredible array of famous artists including Joan Armatrading, Bob Dylan, Billy Bragg, Tracy Chapman, Crowded House, Suzanne Vega and Patti Smith, chatted about his experiences on the road. “Bob Dylan came down to hear one song that I was singing in Sydney. That was Took The Children Away” Archie said. “I looked to the side of stage and he was standing there listening to that particular song.”
Archie spoke about the acts of kindness that help to make life on the road a memorable and happy experience. “We were in America and were supporting Joan Armatrading” he recalled. “On the first night it was me and my late partner Ruby singing to this packed audience. We were playing and it sounded a bit funny, you know the foldback and everything, so I was uncomfortable with the sound. I think it was in our third song that something changed. It [suddenly] sounded really good, and we looked across at the guy who had been doing the foldback and he wasn’t there [any more] but Joan was there at the desk [instead]. She was actually doing our foldback. I thought that was pretty amazing! We had a great relationship.”
Patti Smith also displayed a natural and down-to-earth warmth and openness that Archie remembers fondly. “We were in the band room ready to go on” Archie said. “We heard a voice calling from the doorway, ‘how are you?’ We looked up and it was Patti Smith. She was there on her own. She took it upon herself to come down and meet the support band, that was great.”
Archie pointed out that, “You can’t take away the love of what you do. It’s important that you always love what you do in music. That’s why you did it in the first place. When you meet people [that appreciate that, even] the big-name artists, it just comes down to one thing: that we all love music and we are all part of this greater community.”
BY GRAHAM BLACKLEY
