Ask me who the greatest singer was to ever come out of Derby and without a doubt my answer would be Kevin Coyne. An amazing blues singer but his talent went far and beyond that. Much loved by John Peel, he still seemed to languish in relative obscurity right up until his death a few years back. Even then there didn't seem to be quite the posthumous wave of interest that seems to wash over most artists when they pass away. I still find it hard to believe that we were born in the same city and grew up walking the same streets.
My favourite Coyne song by far was later covered by Bonnie Prince Billy on an obscure Spanish label (not a bad version but not a patch on the original) and is one of the most beautifully optimistic lyrics ever. It never fails to cheer me up.
Said, now smile everybody, don't you see it's gone
I'm surrounded by good spirits day and night time long
And when I walk, I walk like I've just been born
All because the lord let the sun shine down on me
Kevin Coyne - Sun Shines Down on Me
Another favourite, this one is much more obscure being self-released in 1984, lost amidst the mid-eighties musical landscape where singing cryptic songs about cycling were never going to hit the spot.
Kevin Coyne - Cycling
Much more Coyne to download on this dedicated blog offering bootlegs and more obscurities.
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