Three decades
later 'Meet Me On The Corner' is a perennial favourite of the airwaves.
Rod Clements is one of the most widely respected figures in British folk
roots, both as an artist in his own right and through his associations
with such seminal figures as Bert Jansch and Thea Gilmore, topping the
charts with Ralph McTell and touring the world with Pentangle.
Rod's songs have
been covered by artists as diverse as Melanie, Joe Brown and Erin Rocha,
whose recording of 'Can't Do Right For Doing Wrong' was a widely-aired
top 40 hit at Christmas 2003.
Surprising many
who previously knew him only as a background figure in Lindisfarne,
Rod released his first solo album 'Stamping Ground' in 2000. His latest
album 'Odd Man Out' (2006), featuring additional vocals by Thea Gilmore,
consolidates BBC Radio Scotland's assessment of him as "…a
man emerging from the Lindisfarne years and carving his own unique furrow
in inimitable style" (BBC Radio Scotland).
Live, Clements performs
classic hits and compelling songs from his landmark new album 'Odd Man
Out' with wit, panache and spine-tingling slide guitar. His vocal delivery,
at once throwaway and passionate, is complimented by his expertise on
both dobro and acoustic six-string and his laid-back, conversational
presentation.
From the beginning
of Lindisfarne to his solo album 'Odd Man Out', the career of
Rod Clements reads like a who's who of contemporary British folk roots.
After three decades in the business spanning over thirty albums and
several chart hits, Rod's latest album shows him to be a consummate
artist who has never rested on his laurels, either as a songwriter or
as a live performer, and whose future is assured as "a cult artist
in the making." (Simon Jones) Produced and partly co-written by
Nigel Stonier, the songs reveal the strength of Rod's commitment to
his craft, an individual voice in an increasingly homogenised world,
and a readiness to meet the future on his own terms.
In 2008 Rod re-released his 1994 debut solo album 'One Track Mind' featuring 17 tracks of his solo versions of blues, folk and original classics, rare guitar instrumentals and new recordings of previously unheard early songs.
Rod is available
either as a solo artist and occasionally with his band, the
Ghosts of Electricity, featuring ex-Lindisfarne colleagues Dave
Hull-Denholm on guitar, Ian Thomson on bass, and 10cc drummer Paul Burgess.
In July/August/September 2010 Rod will be touring with Seattle country-soul sensation Rachel Harrington, the rising star of Americana who is being hailed as the new Gillian Welch. Rod's consummately sensitive and sympathetic dobro accompaniments add mood, depth and colour to her timeless material. This was a fresh and exciting collaboration that came together in the final week of her 2009 tour, culminating in an acclaimed headline appearance at Maverick Festival. Their special chemistry will be brought together again in 2010.
