01 Oct 1971
Unless you happen to frequent folk clubs, there are only two reasons for your having heard of John Martyn: Stormbringer and Road To Ruin. Both albums were made in conjunction with his wife Beverley. They were produced by Joe Boyd, arranged by Paul Harris and engineered by John Wood, which does little to explain their importance.
John is listed together with Groundhogs who did the second half of the session.
Whoever was responsible for organising the Michael Chapman/ Dando Shaft/ John Martyn concert at Twickenham College of Technology last week, made a damn fine job of doing so.
26 Dec 1970
JOHN MARTYN appears to be permanently on the edge of a holocaust. Without warning he can flare up into a Glaswegian explosion of words and opinions that sometimes seem to emerge before the thoughts and hang agonisingly in the air while reason catches up.
A far more ambitious work from John and Beverley but one which matches Stormbringer for quality
12 Dec 1970
Four years ago John Martyn came south from Scotland, and next February he will be moving back with his wife and family. Those four years have been a constant struggle against the oppression of the city, but considering his abject aversion to this kind of environment, he has succeeded in his task.
01 Nov 1970
Folk singers John and Beverley Martyn have had enough of London. They just don't like city life.
01 May 1970
JOE BOYD has been responsible for bringing to our attention a number of brilliant musicians. People don't talk much about 'discovering' artists these days, but that's what Boyd did for the Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention. His latest venture has been to produce the first album by John and Beverley Martyn, Stormbringer!, a record which has been hailed by the discerning as one of the best to emerge this year.
John & Beverley recorded two tracks from Stormbringer for Top Gear: Road To Ruin and Traffic-Light Lady.
The recording took place at the BBC Studio, London 23 March 1970 and the songs were broadcast on Top Gear on the 4th of April.
Both tracks were released on vinyl by the BBC Transcription Service: Top Of The Pops - 284 (week 18).
Road To Ruin lasts 3:21,
Traffic-Light Lady 3:15.
One week later, Traffic-Light Lady was included in another copy of the transcription series: Pick Of The Pops For Your D.J. - 284 (week 19).
In 2013 both tracks were included in The Island Years box set.
STORMBRINGER has not been conceived in the folk idiom nor does it bear much resemblance to anything John has done in the past.
