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Ian Clarke
singer/songwriter from Plymouth
When
did the songwriting begin?
I started songwriting in 1982 whilst in the Merchant Navy. I served on
a ship in the Falklands war and the experience altered my perception of
life. It gave me the inspiration and the material to start writing.
How
many songs have you written since?
Over fifty! I've also played in several bands and performed as a solo
artist. I have recorded a number of demos with lots of different musicians
and have recently brought them together to form a compilation CD which
I've entitled "Sea Stories".
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Ian
can't keep away from the sea
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Do
you still go to sea then? Yes, mainly when
the money gets tight! In between performing and recording
sessions I work away for a
few months and try to save as much as possible. Then when I return I can
continue my recording.
So
being at sea gives you the inspiration for your songs?
A lot of my songs are written onboard.
Is
that where you wrote this song - "Gale"?
Gale was written
at a time of my life when I seemed to be at a standstill with my music.
Like the lyrics say "I was in limbo, nowhere to go, waiting for the
wind of change to blow..." then I got some work on a ship.
Go
on......
Well the day I joined the ship I was feeling more than a little down and
depressed at having to leave home for three months, but the thought of
being able to make enough money to carry on recording made it seem worthwhile.
The cabin I was allocated was no bigger than a coffin!
It was very bare except for a picture of a girl that I'd torn from a magazine
and stuck to the bulkhead with gum.
And
that's what you decided to write a song about?
Not exactly - A few hours after we'd sailed
the sea began to get really rough and violent. To take my mind off the
storm I wedged myself between my bunk and small desk and started to play
my guitar. As I played I noticed the girl's name on the poster was "Gale"
and everything seemed so apt for that moment in time. The song just seemed
to flow through me as though it were writing itself.
Whose records are in your record collection?
The Beatles, Neil Young, Bob Marley, Lynyrd
Skynyrd.
Can we see you performing locally?
I'm supporting "Mutual Friends" at
the Kings Arms, Oreston, Plymouth, on the 18th November, 2000.
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