|
 Bill Caddick - I think he's still got that jumper!
|
|
Bill Caddick started singing in
the early 60s. He regularly organised
and appeared in festivals and folk clubs
until 1973 when he joined the innovative
puppet and street theatre group Magic
Lantern. He left in 1975 to concentrate
on solo performing and writing - releasing
two albums "Rough
Music" and "Sunny
Memories". The latter, a reflection on Edwardian Life was re-written
as a show and premiered at the Roundhouse
in London followed by an extensive tour.
In
1977 he joined the Albion band in the
National Theatre productions of 'Larkrise'
and 'The Passion'. A further solo album
'Reasons...' was released in 1979. He then
formed an occasional trio with Peter Bond
and Tim Laycock, collaborating on the show
and album 'A Duck on his Head' about circus
life, as well writing songs for local radio and Granada TV - for
whom he also wrote and performed music for a film on the Tolpuddle
Martyrs.
Bill was a founder member of the
legendary folk-rock band 'The Home Service',
whose first album has been re-released
on CD along with a CD of live material.
He continued to work at the National Theatre,
writing and appearing in : 'Don Quixote'
'A Country Calendar' 'The Passion' 'The Nativity' 'Doomsday' 'The
Mysteries' - the award winning trilogy performed at the National,
West End, TV and throughout Europe.
Bill left The Home Service in 1985 and
released a new solo album ' The Wild West
Show'
After a brief spell living in London, where
he recorded a limited edition cassette
'Urban Legend' with fiddler Neti Vaandrager
and bassist Bernard O'Neill, Bill moved
back to the Midlands and now lives in Shropshire. In 1996 he released
a new CD ' Winter with Flowers', backed by a number of local musicians,
including members of ceilidh band All Blacked Up which he has since
joined. He continues to work as a solo performer and with the local
band the Jackfield Riverbillies and the new Anne Lennox Martin
Band
In
between times he was Musical Director of
a new production of “Larkrise” by
the Shropshire Theatre Guild at Shrewsbury
Castle. He is currently working on a play “The Peat Bog Soldiers” and
has started work on a new CD “The Cloud Factory”
His
songs have been recorded by the likes of June Tabor, Chris Foster,
Alex Campbell, The Yetties, Christy Moore, Peter Rowan, John Kirkpatrick,
Artisan, Coope, Boyes and Simpson and many others throughout the
world.
|
|
|
 Bill Caddick |
|
It has been said about Bill
"The man's a wonder. Unique. Masterful. Magnificent. Enormous. Essential." John Kirkpatrick
"Holds your attention from first to last. He has hell of a voice and plays a mean guitar" fRoots
"Simply brilliant. English folksong delivered with passion and commitment." The Living Tradition
"Superb...proves beyond
doubt that he is one of the finest songwriters of his generation." Taplas
"It's an eye-opener to realise how many of those sngs are from Caddick's pen... True 'people songs', they'll be around as long as there are people to sing them." Mel McClellan, BBC Radio Two
These songs are by one of the best there is, both as a craftsman songwriter and a powerful performer with experience in so many disciplines he would have difficulty listing them
"The Content and Presentation of the songs
cannot fail to strike a long chord in all of us"
"Chaplinesque" |
|