Roy Harper – When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease (1975)

Rain for most of the day at the Test Match today, so plenty of time to potter about sorting out the CD mountain and reading t’paper. Happily, I stumbled upon this.

A wonderfully poignant song; metaphors abounding.

One of John Peel’s favourite songs; he arranged for John Walters to play the song on air in the event of his (i.e., Peel’s) death. When John Walters died first, Peel played the song in the programme when he announced Walters’ death. Andy Kershaw fulfilled the original Peel request by playing the track at the end of his Tribute to Peel programme.

Yet another example of the perfection of the guitar + brass combination (other exhibits are here and here).

The original LP track and then a live version from Germany in 1978. Start with the LP track.