Mick Softley "Street Singer" 1971

"Street Singer" followed in 1971 and, despite (or maybe because of?) featuring even richer and more expansive production values to "Sunrise", it's a patchy album in comparison – helped in no small part to my mind by the inclusion of some good-timey jazz and ragtime pieces, enormously clever and probably hilarious in the studio when performed by the musos present but not really bearing repeated listenings. There's a few nice moments of Softley uplugged though, particularly "Gypsy" which features some tasty harmonica playing from Steve Hayton (of Daddy Longlegs!) and the Donovon-esque "Water Sister Water Brother". The closing "New Day, New Way" gives the album a rousing climax – one of my own favourite pieces on here with some striking backing vocals from Doris Troy.

After one more album, "Any Mother Doesn't Grumble", Softley once again drifted away from the scene for ten years or so – eventually recording three now extremely hard to find solo acoustic albums for Doll Records of Switzerland, and subsequently retiring to Ireland.

Mick Softley: guitar, keyboards, vocals Richard Thompson: guitar Tony Cox: keyboards Steve Hayton: guitar, Harmonica Jerry Donahue: guitar David Horowitz: keyboards Frank Ricotti: percussion Tony Carr: percussion Gerry Conway: drums Pat Donaldson: bass Dudu Pukwana: saxophone Karl Jenkins: saxophone Doris Troy: vocals Liza Strike: vocals Jimmy Thomas: vocals

01. Goin' Down the Road 02. Ragtime Mama 03. Water Sister, Water Brother 04. Just Flew in Out a Jet Plane 05. Shucks Blues 06. I Seen Good Times, I Seen Bad 07. People Talkin' 'Bout Hardtimes 08. Hope 09. Hey Mama 10. Gypsy 11. Gold Watch Blues 12. Went Down to the Sea 13. New Day, New Way