name:kor newhouse
- where: scotland
- message:
- I hope you don't mind me writing to you like
this. I've been a big fan for over 20 years and to my utter amazement,
I've just discovered your web site and find you still making music.
Anyway here's my story. In 1980 I went to college in Dundee to study
architecture. I soon fell in with a bunch as sad hippy types listening
to Nick Drake, John Martyn etc - any mellow acoustic stuff. The local
second-hand record shop was a major part of our lives and around the
autumn of that year I came across your Pigmy album (sorry to say, in
the 50p section). Well, the bloke on the cover looked like me at that
time and I recognised the name Roger Kirby for his arrangement work
on Nick Drakes stuff, plus some other weird stuff I had at the time
- 'Shalom' to name but one.
- I also thought Adrian Shaw might have been associated
with Hawkwind at some point. Still, the name was a bit off putting and
it was several weeks before I decided to buy it. Buy it I did and I've
still got it. It's an album I love, especially side one, the arrangements
of travelling Down and the lovely Poem, and the fantastic choral Forest
& the Shore ending side two.
- Me and 'Keith Christmas' soon became
a bit of a local joke. At every opportunity I would mention your name
to the bafflement of other music nuts. Soon I had your '68 album
Tales form the Woods or something like that, featuring an early version
of travelling Down. Then followed several albums from the '70's,
always featuring really good musicians from the likes of King Crimson
etc. We (I and those who were prepared to put up with my rantings) could
never work out how you managed to get all these people to play, yet
never seemed to be well known yourself.
- Anyway, in the early 80's, through the summer
holidays I'd spend much of my time around Glastonbury at the festival,
at Worthy Farm at early Ecology Party conferences (any excuse to smoke
and get naked) and tagging onto the Peace Convoy at that time. By 1983
the Glastonbury festival had really got too big (more that 15,000 -
what the hell must it be like now), and that year an old flatmate of
mine went and to my disbelief saw you play in one of the fringe tents.
I couldn't believe it when he told me, mind you he was fairly amazed
to see that you actually existed and was not purely a figment of my
imagination. By '85 we had qualified and off we went to work.
- On going our separate ways, I gave each of my
closest friends, one of your albums to remind them of younger sillier
days, but keeping Pigmy to myself. I went off to the Lake District to
work as an architect for 10 years before getting fed up with politics
involved and returning to Scotland to run an environmental consulting/clean-up
business keeping the environment clean - which is rather nice. I've
even got my best friend in college working with me now and it was he
who last week suggested we try and find you on the internet. Your still
very much talked about within my circle of friends. It's been one
of the longest running jokes I hate to say it - this mythical Keith
Christmas figure, only we seemed to have heard of.
- My wife Julie, the oldest teenager in the world,
heavily into boy bands and still grieving over the split up of Take
That, takes delight in telling her friends that her husband is the worlds
only (her words) Keith Christmas fan. Well, obviously I am not alone.
I could not believe it when your web page came up and I am delighted
to see that you are both alive and well and, still doing something you
very much enjoy. My friends are not going to believe it when I tell
them about this - expect a large number of hits on your web page from
Scotland in the near future, it's great. So, I'd just like
to say thank you for the many years of pleasure I have derived from
listening to your music. I wish you and your wife good health and happiness,
and from now on I'll be keeping a close eye on your web site for
information. Regards from a big fan.
- date created:
- Mon Jul 10 22:17:35 2000
- name: Garnet Newton-Wade
-
- where:Neston, Wiltshire
-
-
-
message:
Hi, It's been some time since I last wrote here
and I have been bombarding trojan with emails and requests to release
some of the old material without much luck. This may be a dumb idea
but is it possible to buy the tapes back. My idea is that if everyone
who visits this site and wants to see the release of the old stuff made
a contribution it might be possible to get the tapes back for you. We
could then beg steal or borrow the equipment to cut them down to MP3s
or even CD. I guess trojan would wa (message truncated)
- date created:
- Tue Jun 6 16:52:06 2000
- name:Nigel Holt
where: Sharjah, The United Arab Emirates
- message:
- Hi keith, The rumours of your demise are obviously
overstated! I first heard Human Zoo and Brighter Day when a student
in the early eighties and was told that there may have been another
album but that you had died!! I'm delighted to see that not only did
you do several more albums but that you're alive and kicking! I can
now give my ill-informed Bristolian friend a kicking and your site address!
I'm teaching out here in the UAE and so use the internet to track down
records that are impossible to g (message truncated)
- date created:
- Tue Jun 6 15:32:49 2000
- reply
toTerry Martin:
- Hi Terry! you reminded me that Sandy Roberton
did in fact get Robin Head down on vinyl that night and it wound up
on the '49 Greek Street' sample.
- The place I was living in was Mells in Somerset,
and just down the road there was a fantastically deep quarry that the
foolish used to swim in. It used to claim about two lives a year but
is now fenced off with a very high chain link fence and is owned by
a company (Racal I think) who have pretty pictures of dolphins on the
main gate.
- It is a high security establishment doing secret
work - now what does deep, icy water with many changes in depth, and
sonar have in common? Well if you don't read up on submarine warfare
you won't know about inversion layers which hide the Soviet hunter killers
and ICBM platforms when they run the gap between the Shetlands and Greenland........
- cheers, Keith
- name: Terry Martin
where: Fortunately still on the planet , in Felsted,
Essex.
- message:
- Hi Keith! I understand you've been having some
dialogue with Tony (Kingsbury).It seems an age ago since I last saw
you, which if my memory serves me well, was when you were "doing
the macrobiotic thing" in Mells, Somerset? and I dropped in on
you on the way down to stay with Al Jones in Padstow.
- Re: Tony's email. I seem to remember recording
Roy Harper's "Another Day" the same night that you vinylised
"Robin Head" at Leyton High Was it done by some guy called
Peter Jenner? I also think it may have been "Wells" not "Mells"
when I "Dropped In" Regards. TMM
- Hope you and the family are well. Hear from you
maybe? Regards Terry. (Much the same but older and wiser!)
- date created:
- Mon Nov 8 14:59:46 1999
reply
to Tony Kingsbury:
- How very nice to remake your aquaintance after
so long Tony. I remember the gigs (2 I think?) quite clearly (a feat
in itself!) at Leyton Scool for 2 reasons:
- 1) I had the only out-of-body experience of my
life there - no seriously I am definitely not nuts and only realised
what had happened years later when reading a description of the phenomenon
in a book. I suddenly found myself about 3 ft up and slightly back from
my own head, can remember looking down at myself, and then looking out
over what was a packed house and thinking "why aren't they looking
at me?". I was playing something very fast and demanding and suddenly
a faint worry thought come to me as to who was in charge of the fingers.
As I looked at them I was suddenly back inside myself blasting away
at the guitar. No-one noticed and I have only ever mentioned this to
Julia!
- 2) Leyton School epitomised the early 70's to
me - it was free-spirited, kids had the power to put on events like
that, there was such a beautiful atmosphere of liberation and fun in
the air - maybe it was just too good to survive?
- Best wishes
- Keith
- name: Tony Kingsbury
where: Epping
- message:
- Remember me? I'm puzzled by all this discussion
about new songs like 'Robin Head',what about really old ones like 'The
Supermarket in Haverstock Hill' and @The Little temporary postman' -
I always thought that could have kept Cliff Richard off the top of the
festive charts I'm also pleased to see the cost of the early albums
as the proud owner of all three.Remember Pete Stowe,he's even got 'Robin
Head' on 49 Greek Street I chanced upon the new one too via a mail order
company called Blackmail - very good.
- I discovered your website via an Al Stewart site,that
we are still in touch with Hratch (remember him) - indeed my daughter
and his are penfriends. Finally the most spooky thing of all is that
only a few days ago my 81 year old father out of the blue was remarking
on how much he had enjoyed your playing of Cat's Squirrel when you did
my school in Leyton
- date created:
- Thu Nov 4 14:58:04 1999
- name: anita armeni
where: flamingo pool / arillas / corfu / greece,remember?
- message:
- hi guys, do you still remember me? i sure do
remember you hope you are all right just wanted to check your site and
hope you write me back have a great time all the best anita
- date created:
- Tue Oct 19 11:47:28 1999
- reply
to Phil Jones:
- Hi Phil, thanks for the message. I wrote this
further down the page, but in case you missed it, the man who holds
the rights to re release the first three albums is Peter Moody at trojan
records. You can reach him on 0181 509 2099 or drop into his site http://www.trojan-records.com
and give him an email.
- He says he is "getting round to it"
so any pressure that might make him see pounds signs is bound to help!
- To answer your other questions, I teach Technology
and ICT at a secondary school in Bristol, and we have played in Cardiff
at the Chapter Arts Centre, (but can't get another gig there), and a
great club the Rhibina (spelling?) sports centre which we always packed
out, was one of our 'banker' gigs in the year and shut down about a
year ago! it seems crazy that we can fill a gig in Cardiff on a regular
basis and now can't find anywhere to play there - it's like having an
audience and no gig to go to! We are, however, playing at a little folk
club in Pontardawe on Feb 25 and this has always been packed, and Jonkers
up in Llangollen on May 31 - a great club that and was sold-out the
last time.
- Best wishes, Keith
- name: phil jones
where: wales
- message:
- Hi keith, good to see you're up with the new
technology. Like the web site. I understand you're a teacher in Bristol
now. What do you teach? I too would like to be able to hear Pygmy and
Fable of the Wings again. Love beyond Deals, a fine album, and the first
I'd heard of you in a very long time. You're website mentions you both
being happy to hear about venues where fans can catch you live. So,
where if anywhere have you played in Wales? Cheerio, Phil
- date created:
- Fri Oct 15 22:26:06 1999
- reply
to Peter Sinfield:
- Peter, where would we be without pains in the
lower regions like you to goad us to higher endeavours - sitting there
in a puddle of mediocrity kidding ourselves we're rowing the Atlantic
is where.
- Many thanks for the good words regarding the
early Crimson gigs. I was straight out of Uni when I met you, Fripp,
Boz, Mel and Ian, and I can honestly say they were the best times I
ever had until now. As for Brighter Day I think you did a great job
of producing that record (considering my haphazard and unpredictable
approach to recording!!) and I wish you could see the number of emails
I've had from people who say how much they like it to this day. The
only thing seriously wrong with it was the cover, which I can honestly
say makes me cringe to this day , but that was nothing to do with you
old buddy!
- As for the patchwork leather suit, I loved it,
lived in it and can't remember at which point it gave up the ghost,
but I suspect certain parts of it simply rotted away - you can't dry
clean a leather suit if you know what I mean.........luckily they were
pretty smelly years the 60s and 70s, but it's a funny thing, I don't
remember it that way! Must have been masked by other things......
- luv and best, Keith, and for you Peter I will
play Robin Head, but only for you.....
- name: Peter Sinfield
-
-
-
-
where: Aldeburgh Suffolk UK
- message:
- Hi Keithmas, Ah what it is to be a pain in the
lower quarters catalyst type person. I am flattered to see the makeover
of your site has been a tad influenced by my prentious remarks about
erm, how it was and what you might consider to do to improve it. I didn't
know you had supported Beefheart ...BUT I do remember how many times
you made King Crimson work so much harder as a result of having not
only opened but near as dammit "stolen" the show!!
- I also fondly remember your leather patchwork
suit, a dab of GFP here and there, and doing my egocentric, but not
always successful, best while producing "Brighter Day", to
capture your extraordinary MAGIC ability to "HOLD" a room
. . .ah well... :-) I look forward to you visiting Chez Sinfield and
bribing you one last time to play "Robin Head". "Its
been along way down...." Love and a hug, Peter.
- date created:
- Mon Sep 20 16:56:13 1999
- name: Garnet D Newton-Wade
where: Neston Wiltshire
- message:
- Thanks for the reply. I shall bombard Peter Moody
with emails and telephone calls as I am very keen to get copies of 'Pygmy'
and 'Fable of the Wings' again. I remember many years ago you appeared
at the Old Cardiff Union with Jonathan Kelly around the time of his
'Once Around the Houses' Album and your 'Pygmy' Album.
- I was working at the VIP Garage on Newport Road
on and living in a Caravan outside Cardiff at the time. I was supposed
to work that night and I recall you coming into the garage in a Mini
driven by someone else, for petrol early that evening. Having served
the fuel and seen you drive off I suddenly decided 'B****CKS' and left
the job and travelled into town on the next bus.
- I got to the Old Union, met up with my friends
and we enjoyed what for us was the best show we had seen at that time.
The next day I was fired from my job and it was as a direct result of
being sacked that I went on to get myself an education and have now
held down several good jobs.
- I had copies of 'Fable of the Wings' and 'Pygmy'
and later found a copy of 'Stimulus' in a second hand record store.
Unfortunately, as happens to students, these were all stolen. Since
CDs became popular I have been trying to get some of the old stuff in
this new format. Things such as Donovan 'HMS Donovan', Jefferson Starship
'Blows Against the Empire' Arlo Guthrie 'Jefferson County' and many
others most of which I have found. However, 'Fable of the Wings' and
'Pygmy' still elude me but I live in hope. Loved the music and have
started to get into 'Love Beyond Deals'.
- Regards, Garnet
- date created:
- Mon Sep 13 15:20:54 1999
- reply
to Garnet Newton-Wade:
- Garnet, thanks for the message, you are one of
many who keep asking me about the old albums. Peter Moody at trojan
records has the back catalogue of the first three (Stimulus 1969, Fable
of the Wings 1970 and Pigmy, my personal favourite 1971). You can reach
him on 0181 509 2099 or drop into his site http://www.trojan-records.com
and give him an email.
- He has released Shelagh McDonald's 2nd album
and no-one even knows where she is!! so every bit of pressure will surely
help. As for Manticore, I'm still looking for them......
- Best wishes, Keith
- name: Garnet D Newton-Wade
where: Neston Wiltshire
- message:
- When will we see Fable Of The Wings (B &
C 1970) and Pygmy (B & C 1971) released again. I have been trying
for years to buy them in any format. Copies go in the states for £50-00
up
- date created:
- Thu Sep 9 13:58:43 1999
- reply
to Jon Garvey:
- Jon, thanks for the support! I remember doing
a gig at Cambridge supporting Capt Beefheart but the gigs have all rather
blurred together I'm afraid - there goes the memoires......
- As for Cat's Squirrel, the manic days are long
gone, and also I have ceased consuming the vast quantities of *****
and ******* I did in those days
- It is a wise man who knows when to quit certain
things!
- Best wishes, Keith
- name: Jon Garvey
where: Danbury, Essex
- message:
- Keith - VERY glad you're playing again - booked
you twice at Cambridge Uni Folk Club around 1971-2. What became of "Cat's
Squirrel"? Nice site, too.
- date created:
- Sat Aug 14 21:55:00 1999
- name: Pinkmoon
where:Italy
- message:
- well trojan has just reissued Shelagh McDonald
second Lp so....
- date created:
- Tue Aug 10 21:50:30 1999
- name: Don
-
-
-
-
where:Washington
- message:
- I liked your song "Words".
- date created:
- Thu Jul 1 03:48:14 1999
- name: Pat Coombs
-
-
where:Bristol, England
- message:
- Nice Page! See you in D1 next week
- date created:
- Tue Jun 15 16:29:42 1999
- name: Mike
where:Virgin Net
- message:
- I was invited so I came in to have a look round.
- date created:
- Tue Jun 15 11:50:07 1999
- reply
to Jon Green:
- Jon, a lot of people have asked me this year
about re-releasing the old albums. trojan records hold the first three
back catalogues and they are at http://www.trojan-records.com/
- Manticore Records had 'Brighter Day' and 'Stories
from the Human Zoo' Stuart Young was the MD but where they all are now
I don't know.
- cheers, Keith
- name: Jon Green
where: California Bay Area
- message:
- Hello Keith, It's great to see a full-fledged
Keith Christmas site up and running - and beautifully designed, too!
Is there any chance your back catalog will be released on CD? The recordings
in question include: Stimulus (RCA 1969) Fable Of The Wings (B &
C 1970) and Pygmy (B & C 1971)
- date created:
- Mon May 17 19:06:19 1999
- name: Spencer
where: Bristol
- message:
- Nice page Keith, like it alot
- date created:
- Thurs May 13 08:43:50 1999
- name: Jeff Elkins
where:Colorful Colorado
- message:
- I pride myself in being your biggest fan! I own
all of your recordings (except your self titled)--which I continue to
search for. The Magic samples offer simple elegance and I hope you enjoy
some US airplay.
- date created:
- Mon May 10 21:51:00 1999
name: Mike Kachalin
where: Mosow
message
Your music is very pretty, thanks for samples !
And I was very pleased you noticed our Fantasy Music project
date created: Mon May 10 12:57:41 1999
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