Entertainment For Lively Minds
Whatever happened to Beth Orton ..?
Posted by Tippy Wooder on 17 December 2009 - 2:46pm.
Shuffling on my iPod last night.
Delighted to hear Mount Washington and Paris Train by Beth Orton (from the Daybreaker album).
I know she released another one after that (Comfort Of Strangers), but I thought that had seen her go off the boil quite considerably.
Seems guitarist / co-writer Ted Barnes had a major part to play in building her career.
There have been sporadic appearances at charity / tribute gigs by Orton over the last five years, but I wondered if anyone knew any more about what's been going on...
- More from Tippy Wooder.
- Login or register to post comments
-
Saw her at Latitude in '08...
...and she was in fine form. I'm sure she played some new material but can't remember her mentioning when it may be coming out.
Now you've mentioned it it seems strange that more hasn't been heard from her since.
The pram in the hallway, perhaps?
I think she had a baby just after "Comfort Of Strangers" was released, which might explain her low-profile since (and why the album itself didn't seem to get much promotion.)
"Trailer Park" certainly got heavy rotation chez Mickey when it came out - I listened to it again for the first time in a while recently and it's still excellent.
And I was very impressed recently when she was one of the talking heads that pops up on More4 before some programmes!
Her best album was...
... for me, Central Reservation - one of those "start to finish" listens. But I think Mount Washington was her best song. The last couple of minutes, the instrumental build / release... astounding.
Trailer Park was great, though. Got turned on to that very early on when I bought the She Cries Your Name cd single on a whim in my local independent store bargain bucket the week after release. Sought out the album asap. Some of her b-sides were cracking, too - Pedestal was great, and she played a rocked-up version as the opening song when I saw her live in late 96 / early 97.
Top stuff. Much missed though, as I said, I thought Comfort Of Strangers was a clunker - aimless and virtually songless.
Agreed re 'Central Reservation'
Absolutely fantastic version of 'It's Not The Spotlight' too - maybe a B-side? Someone here will know.
I have had tickets to see her live at least twice (maybe three times) and every time she cancelled.
The Four Tet remix
of Carmella is a stunning piece of music. I also really liked her cover (as Spill on Guerrilla) of Don't Wanna Know About Evil by John Martyn.
Nick Drake tribute
Saw her at the Nick Drake tribute show earlier this year in Birmingham. She was on fine form and seemed very happy. I'd never seen her sing live and was really struck by the tone and quality of her voice.
Aaah...
the lovely Beth. Her being a Norfolk lass means I am automatically predisposed towars her. Thankfully she is great.
I enjoyed Comfort of Strangers, Shopping Trolley is a top notch track, and I like the way the rest of the album seems much looser than her other albums..as musch as I love them as well...
I saw her backing Martha Wainwright at the RFH alst year and she looked painfully thin. I think she may have/is suffering from Crohns.
New track can be found here
http://www.beth-orton.net/
Wow
Cheers for the tip-off there - that's a lovely song, that.
Oh cheers!
Absolutely agree re Comfort - I like the looseness and sparseness of it. And agree with the previous poster about the Carmella remix, can't recommend that enough. It has been an absolute staple of my pub DJ sets, and one of those ones that would get a "what's that???" from punters almost every time.
Huh...
I always thought she was from Bristol!
Until recently....
....there was a Yoga studio in the basement of our building. Beth Orton used to pop in occasionally.
*sigh*
I heart Beth Orton. That is all.
me too
fight?
Hey Sheev
I think I told you, I'm a lover not a fighter.
phew
- let's have a nice cup of tea and play a few Lisa Stansfield records instead
If only she sang..
..in tune.
Susan Boyle sings in tune
perhaps you should get her album.
Nah..Don't like her..
..just think that she should do something about the constant flat intonation.
The are are plenty of great artists around who manage to sing in tune, even if they're not bel canto.
Christine Collister sings in tune, maybe you should get her album.
Does she do a corking version of
Paris Train?
to answer the OP
she got stoned and she missed it
I've never heard her albums
but she appeared on Bert Jansch's recent Black Swan album where they dueted on a frankly underwhelming 'Watch The Stars', the only true weak track on a very good album. She sings on Katie Cruel as well, and to be honest, I find her vocals quiet dull. Maybe it's the material here. Mind you, Sandy Denny enthusiasts are notoriously diificult to please.
She was quoted..
..a while back saying she hated Sandy Denny.
So that's her...
What a preposterous
thing to say. A 'not my cup of tea' attitude I could understand, but that's just daft. I was going to consider checkling an album of hers out at the Library this afternnon, but I won't bother. I don't like her voice anyway, and she's obviously not my cup of tea. By the way, I didn't think they had Trailer Parks in Norfolk.