Previously Appearing at Wickham was...
Slim Chance
After leaving the Faces, Ronnie Lane formed his own band, Slim Chance. The band members are Steve Simpson, guitar, mandolin, fiddle; Charlie Hart, accordion, fiddle, piano; Steve Bingham, bass; Geraint Watkins, piano, organ, accordion; John Lingwood, drums. The whole band sings!
Ronnie always jokingly claimed that he found the musicians for Slim Chance in the pages of Exchange and Mart. In 2010 Charlie Hart and Steve Simpson trawled the streets of South London and miraculously found three more ex-Slim Chancers who were all keen to sign up again to the quest for Ronnie’s musical holy grail. By gigging round the country the line-up has gelled into a fine band and become a powerful entity in its own right.
The aim is to create a show which celebrates the range of Ronnie’s later music: to take this show to people in village halls and clubs, festivals and theatres at home and abroad; and eventually, joined by numerous friends, to resurrect the Passing Show itself.
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This is an upbeat version of You’re So Right – originally released on the 'See Me' album in 1980 - a song which is essentially about abandonment and heartache, though the version Ronnie cooked up on the farm in the mid seventies had a typically sardonic twist. Charlie Hart played on the original and takes the lead vocal here, along with the current Slim Chance lineup, Messrs Bingham, Nicholls, O’Neill, Simpson and Watkins.
With the release of The Phoenix Tapes, Slim Chance hope to lift all our spirits in these troubled times. When Ronnie formed Slim Chance way back when, he stood for a unique approach to the making of music, which is just as valid now. The band looks forward to returning to the stage as soon as possible, and there are already dates in the book for 2021.
Our great friend and fellow Slim Chancer Alun Davies performs this lovely version of Stephen Foster's "Hard Times" Alun is of course famous for his work alongside Cat Stevens and his contribution to Slim Chance is immense. This track is the third offering in the Phoenix Tapes project and there are some great one's to come so stay tuned!! Love to you all from all of us Slim Chancers both past and present. xxx youtu.be/FNRh1FuEGE4
A fine rendition. Always an audience favourite.
Thank you Steve much love from Hurdley xx
Brilliant 👍🏻👍🏻
Track three from the Phoenix Tapes, entitled Hard Times, was written by Stephen Foster in response to the depression in the U.S. in the mid nineteenth century and is evidently just as relevant today. Alun Davies brought it to the table and is the vocalist here, accompanied by Steve Simpson (acoustic guitar along with Alun), Steve Bingham (bass), Jim Russell (drums), with Geraint Watkins contributing on harmonium, and Charlie Hart on accordion. Story has it that when Stephen Foster died penniless a copy of this fabulous song was found in his back pocket.
The Phoenix Tapes are a series of recordings made by the band when they were working on the three albums they made after reforming in 2010 (‘reformed but unrepentant’!). Details of these albums, as well as a wealth of material about the band and its illustrious founder, Ronnie Lane, can be found on the band’s website, www.slim-chance.uk.
Stephen Foster all lyrics can be found on the Internet. I went through them all several years ago.
Just love those violins!
