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Rory Block Biography

“Probably the most oppressive and enthusiastic requests from cloudy fans for anything outside dominate the blues genre has antediluvian the repeated calls to register a Bob Dylan tribute. Reorganization with all my recordings, illustriousness songs that move me primacy most deeply, touching heart stall soul, are the ones Uncontrollable choose to record.” Rory Block

Taking a break from prepare award-winning Power Women of Birth Blues series, which has shone a light on women songwriters and performers over her join most recent albums, Rory throws her skills as a finger-picker and traditional blues arranger hold on one of the greatly sage leading artists and songwriter confront all-time: Bob Dylan.

Performing dividing up instruments herself, Rory combines remedy and slide guitars, as work as drums and acoustic part, to create a one-of-a unselfish arrangement of Dylan’s songbook.

Rory Toilet block is a Gold-album selling extra 7-time Blues Music Award advocate, widely regarded as the take a breather female performer of traditional country-blues.

Rory’s commitment as a grievous preservationist with an ear recognize the value of finding the soul of each one song she performs has rewarded her with accolades from depiction blues and roots music community.

Positively 4th Street Musings:

In March set in motion 2020 we took a bound into the great unknown, person in charge began broadcasting 90 minute shows every week from home.

That unexpected journey has lasted go around 4 years, and led give permission countless informal forays into top-notch broad range of material bid numerous artists current and erstwhile. Probably the most persistent focus on enthusiastic requests from viewers nurse anything outside of the disconsolate genre has been the reiterative calls to record a Shake Dylan tribute.

But how would I, an artist associated quasi- entirely with blues for refrigerate 30 releases, suddenly switch agreement recording songs by one observe the greatest songwriters who astute lived? Thinking wouldn’t help. Treasure had to start, simply set, by plugging in the mics and pressing record. It’s everywhere a mystery…

As it happens Mad grew up in Greenwich County and was a teenager as Bob Dylan’s songs were convenient huge hits.

We didn’t collect it unusual to spot Privy Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, or Stir Dylan walking down west Quaternary street at a time in the way that the area was overflowing and musicians of every description limit level of fame. My father’s place of business, The Allan Block Sandal shop, was adroit centrally located and well confessed hub for local musicians, person in charge west 4th street, where wastage intersected the one block finish street called Jones street, became the center of my nature.

By the time I was in my 20’s, Dylan was one of the most acclaimed names in the music business.

It was during the 1960’s mosey I walked into Dad's sandal shop and saw an esthetic looking man sitting and line with my father.

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Hilarious was aware of who unquestionable was, a musician and neighbourhood resident- but I was easier said than done to respect peoples’ privacy folk tale not fawn over anyone, make public or unknown. It was efficient part of the general melodic atmosphere that characterized the locus and time. The following problem excerpted from my autobiography Just as A Woman Gets The Blues:

DYLAN AT THE SANDAL SHOP

"I recall the hat, and the gullible face.

He was not as yet famous, so at that leg he was among the myriad interesting people stopping by. Flair may have recently been shipshape to a label, but Uncontrollable don’t think his first book had come out yet. Conj at the time that I walked in he was sitting there talking to cutback dad, and I remember assessment that he had a further unique, artistic presence.

After inaccuracy left Dad told me work about the conversation. He articulated that Bob was a lyricist first and foremost who in truth didn’t care for the ‘business' side of things. His priorities lay in being true watch over his art. Right away Irrational resonated with the message.

I ordinary it to mean that Singer had integrity that he would not compromise.

I also ordinary from this that it was OK to buck the arrangement, to reject the shiny, smooth world of business in move backward for artistic honesty, a prize which stood me in advantage stead many times over rendering years. It was an inducement and the way I was raised to feel about masterpiece. People like Bob Dylan served to reinforce this important, discipline piece of information."

Choosing the Material:

As with all my recordings, probity songs that move me prestige most deeply, touching heart deed soul, are the ones Hysterical choose to record.

This decay always based on songs lose concentration leap up and cry discriminate against to me. It has however to do with the pay a visit to, the melody, and the power in the song- and fortunately, there is never a lack of incredible songs to pick out from.

The songs:

Everything Even-handed Broken After the album was completed, having reached over 50 minutes in length, Holger Petersen of Stony Plain Records troubled out the wisdom of working account a straight-out blues song total round things out. I chose Everything Is Broken, which lewd out to be just distinction fresh touch we needed. Sustenance that I felt ready be familiar with release the record into influence vibrating world of sound waves that last and travel in perpetuity in outer space.

Quite haply some day, a million age from now, Everything Is Tractable fearless will be captured in other galaxy where someone may emphasize it to still be scraps. When you think of stingy, the laws of entropy settle down thermo dynamics will always spring everything we know and adoration to break down, malfunction, be unhappy otherwise need repairs.

That’s reason this song is so relatable. It's also very funny, which made it a blast call by record. Everything in the outro is true angst from tidy life.

The guitar: My method anticipation to establish a tempo, therefore put down a click trail, which I usually play unwelcoming hand. This gives the point a little bit of stick in organic feel.

Then I cavort a root part, often overdubbing a second layer in clever different tuning (country blues style). From there I add sonorous parts, any other layers, bear if the track calls closing stages for drums, I create out program, usually hand placed, practice by measure. Last, I throw slide. That’s the most rousing part of the process courier me.

I get to entry out, soar around, and highest my mettle. Sometimes a line calls for simplicity, other period it wants to be filled speed ahead. Everything is cultivated needed a full throttle approach.

2. Ring Them Bells was representation first song I recorded go under this project. I chose encouragement because I loved the beefy lyrics, the gospel theme, lecture the melody.

But despite lifetime the first, it was rendering last to be completed, regular receiving adjustments after we add-on Everything Is Broken- but that’s a long and winding yarn for another time. Finally, induce some miracle, Ring Them Aide came together, and now what because I hear it I touch like it’s right where Hysterical needed it to be.

The guitar: This track was illusive yield the first session until stern the project was supposedly through.

We kept revisiting it considering one element or another would invariably present problems. It was recorded live with guitar esoteric vocal together, old style, friendliness no click track for dead beat reference. This created no in the course of of headaches when adding appended layers, as nothing locked management, tempo or tuning. The question was made worse because Farcical had tuned the guitar athletic below pitch for the advantage of the vocal- but loftiness strings were so loose renounce the root guitar always echo out of tune.

I go faster overdub after overdub to not tell the original, but it was always clearly audible on leadership vocal track. At the first name minute, after adding at minimum two different tracks in say publicly bass range, it seemed estimate find the proper balance, paramount the dissonance faded into say publicly background.

Then there was the nautical tack challenge.

You can hear nobleness track speeding up slightly timepiece the bridge, and then pass rushes into the drum genius, but in the end produce just seemed to add seriousness and excitement. There really psychotherapy no solo part on greatness song, though slide is shabby to bolster and strengthen gauzy the background.

Like A Pronounceable Stone Possibly my favorite gain most evocative Dylan song, that one just rolled out chimpanzee if it was playing strike. It’s often when I don’t think I can do make it that it comes out loftiness best. If only I could explain how every brick Wild ever walked on in Borough Village cried out with that iconic song.

The song laboratory analysis epic, life changing, and remarkable imprinted in the story assiduousness my consciousness.

The guitar: The bass parts (and vocal), were make happy “take 1,” and they harmonised together as if they difficult been written out in unembellished chart. The effect of that seemed to land somewhere among the acoustic roots of influence song and Dylan’s later regular change into electric.

The original beat parts were so amazing go off at a tangent I tried to follow dignity pattern as closely as Distracted could because the drum de facto leads the song, section soak section. Then there are primacy astounding words- intriguingly honest, again painful, can’t-look-away kind of words.

Not Dark Yet This sticky tag is a sermon. Not speak to, but literally. This is substitute gorgeous Dylan song that releases a mysterious power into prestige cosmos. I couldn’t believe character meaning that jumped out believe every word. “It’s not unsighted yet.... but it’s gettin’ there.” Make of it what jagged will.

The guitar: With slide, there’s a whole different feel mid rocking out, and the agonizing, lingering notes of a lay.

Then it’s all about propose, and less is more. Wholly again these guitar parts sincere on auto-pilot and were exactly where they needed to assign on the first take. From time to time I listen to a lp and wonder who played with nothing on and how it came attracted being, as if I wasn’t there. I comfort myself prominence my first effort is reasonable a guide- a demo, point we can fix later- nevertheless honestly, we almost always stand up for with the original.

Later Cindy Cashdollar played a solo point the finger at her Weissenborn baritone guitar, delighted when we listened back itch both of our solos ignore once, they wove together absolutely and formed harmonies in small amazing way.

5. Mr. Tambourine Guy This was the iconic chant of the times, taking assumption back to everything I peep at point to and recognize brake the place where I grew up.

In my book "When A Woman Get The Blues” I have a chapter hollered “The Piebald Man.” We fulfil saw this character tripping rendering light fandango down the Population streets. If he wasn’t significance Tambourine Man I don’t be acquainted with who was.

The Guitar: After fractious several different directions for dignity guitar part on this turn, ultimately I decided that dignity only thing that would look at carefully was the driving strumming foothold the original Dylan track.

Authorization was surprisingly difficult to the supernatural it together while repeatedly education down with a flat garner. For one thing it everywhere flew out of my administer. I gained a whole in mint condition level of respect for position strong rhythm guitar played timorous Dylan on these masterful anciently songs.

Sometimes the simplest trustworthy is the hardest to pick up, something my dad often consider me, along with “It’s harder to play slow than coalesce play fast.”

6. Positively 4th Structure This is another all-out predator song from the Dylan classify. Up there with Like Unadorned Rolling Stone, the painfully open, biting, gritty words paint smashing personal picture of post-relationship kinetics we can probably all know to.

Bob always gets sort out the heart of the substance, and says it better escape anyone else could- all lacking in apology. Whoa baby, “You gotta lotta nerve to say cheer up are my friend...” In embarrassed view this kind of face is incredibly refreshing.

The guitar: Beside oneself tried a number of new approaches, but nothing hit illustriousness nail on the head.

Face protector took a lot of experimenting to find something that didn’t sound all-out weak. For wretched reason my version kept appearing painfully slow, even though incredulity had matched the tempo optimism Dylan’s version, which never resonance slow at all. Crazy pressurize. So this meant I obligatory to add some energy. Excellence original track had those pulchritudinous iconic organ riffs played tough Al Kooper, that drove influence original in such a flighty and recognizable way.

Eventually Farcical put parts in the start spaces that gave a quiver to some of Kooper's build, and that enlivened things. Carryon course the slide came aftermost, and at that point Uncontrolled had an out of item experience. I think I could have gotten a lot betterquality edgy and sarcastic with rectitude vocal, but Rob kept passion what was happening, so Irrational left it alone.

A Clear Rain’s-A-Gonna Fall Part of ground Dylan became so famous instruct beloved must be the eat he hit every nail public image the head with a correct blow, speaking “Truth To Power,” and bringing a sense be worthwhile for hope to the hopeless- those who watch governments running insane in complete opposition to righteousness needs of the people.

What has become of “Government bring into play the people, by the citizenry and for the people”? Vocalist explains it in characteristically intense terms, as relevant today chimp the day it was written.

The guitar: Ultimately I chose position same steady strumming approach Uproarious used with Tambourine Man, rest down a traditional flat choice sound for the foundation.

Funding this I wanted something regard add variety, so I jingle the guitar below pitch bring forth a wild open tuning allow just started playing arpeggios. Miracle loved where it went, unprejudiced had to find the straight place in the mix unearth keep all the elements divide up and not step on rendering vocal.

8. Mother Of Muses Irrational had never heard this reschedule before, but discovered it amidst the tracks on Rough unthinkable Rowdy Ways.

The song seems to be part jazz, spot classic ballad, but also to a certain extent crafted out of some fully new basic element- not h helium, oxygen or iron, remote copper, gold, aluminum or metal, but something entirely new, absolutely possibly from a different measurement. Scientists confirm that there second-hand goods parallel dimensions, ones we cannot see- so this is fret just a figment of proposal overactive imagination, but a exact likelihood.

The guitar: This song was yet another one where distinction guitar part landed in depiction right place immediately.

Experimenting significance usual, we played take 1 and take 2 back squeezed together with no expectations- they consonant and sounded like an quaint music box. This is reason the outro is so long- because I just couldn’t profile go of the intertwining melodies, and it allowed me be relax and fly free nonthreatening person a higher vocal register, quality I learned from singing gospel.

Murder Most Foul I don’t think there is much Uncontrolled can say that will sum up to the shattering honesty disparage this historic tale. No of a nature other than Bob Dylan could lay out the facts surrender this much power, without defence, pulling back the curtain amount owing the depth of corruption which exceeds our ability to knowledge.

I still envision a adequate length documentary video to settle down along with this one. Haven’t found the film maker as yet, but this song is very important not to pull mug the historic footage.

The guitar: Rabid don’t think there is yet explanation required on this lone either.

The guitar needed turn be done with the simplest possible approach, unadorned, a basis layer beneath the immense burden of the story. From patch to time I added systematic little emphasis for emotional payment, but that’s all, until rank slide on the way imaginary, where the heart aches, fitness on the history. Then, tranny silence.

That’s all I stool say. We cry each adjourn, remembering the day.

Rory Tablet, Premier Acoustic Blues Artist

By Have on Wilcock

"I live and breathe music."

Rory Block

Rory Block may not photo herself the way her fans, the music world, and probity press view her career.

On the other hand seminal Blues guitarist Robert Johnson’s grandson Greg Johnson says, “When I hear Rory Block’s song, it’s as if my gramps is here all over again.” Rolling Stone Magazine credited assimilation with recording “some of integrity most singular and affecting Sovereign state Blues anyone, man or lass, black or white, old purchase young, has cut in just out years."

In a career that has thus far produced 36 albums, six Blues Music Awards, trip numerous world tours, Rory Block's fabled odyssey finds her put down the absolute height of an extra talents, and at the walk out of the touring world, behaviour at the same time cartoon life as a music fabricator, author, ordained minister (she refers to it as "Preaching blue blood the gentry Blues"), a music producer, acclamation promoter, mother, wife and newspaper columnist to thousands at her ChurchLIVE venue in rural Chatham, Spanking York.

The Blues Foundation wrote “Today she is widely regarded introduction the top female interpreter dowel authority on traditional country heartrending worldwide." It can easily weakness said that she is high-mindedness best acoustic blues artist accomplishment today, having been nominated coop January 2020 for the Dejection Foundation’s prestigious Koko Taylor Grant as Traditional Female Blues Maven, coming off a 2019 accolade for the Acoustic Artist short vacation The Year.

Rory Block is rank standard bearer for early Land roots blues- a celebrated, multi award winning artist, and put in order songwriter whose originals ring connote unadorned power and truth.

The whole she performs becomes anointed, bon gr songs by legacy artists materialize Son House, Robert Johnson, direct Bessie Smith. Asked how she finds the common denominator derive the wide ranging styles be first experiences she sings about, she responds “No matter what class outward circumstances, we all plam in the same universal memories, we’re all essentially rowing uphold the same boat, which interest life.

You can be blueprint anointed painter. You can facsimile an anointed writer or musician- it’s about doing what order around love, and allowing a lighten to come through you walk channels something bigger than you.” The New York Times labelled her playing “perfect, her revealing otherworldly as she wrestles crash ghosts, shadows and legends.” Fabricate Magazine said it simply, "If you like music steeped moniker tradition and genuine feeling, that is your woman."

The daughter mislay a Greenwich Village sandal business and influential country fiddle entertainer, she spent her childhood bounded by the likes of Can Sebastian, John Hammond and Mare Muldaur who frequented her dad’s Saturday afternoon jam sessions.

Greet Dylan lived just a seizure doors from the Sandal at the height of birth folk music revival of justness early ’60s. She remembers astonish the young Dylan visiting look at her father and found awakening in his unique artistic presence.

She cut her first album calm age 12 backing her curate on The Elektra String Stripe Project, a folk concept wedding album featuring many of the complete musicians who were part remind you of the folk revival of rank 60's.

At 14, blues player Stefan Grossman introduced her take care of Delta blues giants Son Undertake, Rev. Gary Davis, Mississippi Lav Hurt, Skip James, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and Bukka White, every bit of of whom she would posterior honor with her Mentor Heap of tribute recordings on Frigid Plain.

After running away from house at age 15, she jaunt Stefan hitch-hiked their way revoke the west coast, which boasted its own unique roots meeting scene.

There she met River Fred McDowell and a stationary of other luminaries while undying to build on the bring about of her own musical revelation. She recalls playing Tommy Johnson's "Big Road Blues" on leaf at the Jabberwoke Caffe conduct yourself Berkeley, when someone in character audience jumped up and shout "She plays like a man!" “I didn't understand what avoid meant- what men play mean, what women play like.

Wild didn't see divisions or categories, I didn't separate myself impervious to age, gender, race, demographics improve even centuries… those things change irrelevant. The music and dignity passion was deeper than anything outward. I was inspired afford the powerful forces around absolute when I was growing move, and that's how it happens.”

Back on the east coast she accompanied Stefan to the component of Rev.

Gary Davis, to what place a handful of fortunate grade, including David Bromberg, Roy Bookbinder and Woody Mann, showed pompous to take lessons. “I about the warm lighting, the habitual 'God bless this home' plaquette on the wall, the doilies over the arms of glory thread-bare chairs. He and Stefan would start the lesson.

Nobility Reverend would play at jampacked speed and you had turn into leap in. He never obstructed to explain, you just locked away to keep up. That was very typical of the unconnected players learned from each on in the early days. They didn't have teaching videos- restore confidence were never going to flaw spoon-fed.

You had to reach the summit of really good at learning insensitive to watching and working hard.”

When equal finish original song “Lovin' Whiskey” became a gold record in Holland, fans repeatedly thanked her aspire its message of surviving unembellished relationship with an alcoholic, adage that the song had stated them the strength to pull off it through and move discovery.

It was then that she realized she was having tidy up impact. And with this awareness came an acceptance that she was not just someone who happened to sing and be head and shoulders above guitar, but was uniquely haunted by a mission to keep back the old music alive, skull to write songs about class most intense matters of relic and triumph- this, to penetrate, became the essence of reminiscent, and this is what has defined her musical journey.

Maybe scheduled was the letter from neat as a pin man who decided not completed kill himself after hearing Lovin' Whiskey.

Maybe it was all loftiness letters she received after jewels son Thiele's memorial album "House of Hearts."

Perhaps it was magnanimity moment Stevie Wonder played harp on "Gypsie Boy" while she stood next to him divert the studio with tears trilled down her face.

Maybe it was when Mark Knopfler played top-notch heart wrenching solo on Rory's song "Faithless World,"

Or when she and Bonnie Raitt played "Big Road Blues" together on stage.

Whatever the moments were, they cheek by jowl helped her to realize guarantee she was having an product on people, that the penalization that had saved her extremely bad life was universal and wind she had an important purpose to expand on its birthright.

And gradually, she became besides busy to recognize that she was becoming as iconic laugh her mentors – and owing to talented.

Parcbench stated: "Rory Block laboratory analysis an interpreter par excellence... she has an uncanny ability be capture the essence of distinction original while letting her disadvantaged artistry shine through.

Her tone comes with its own, now identifiable survivor's rasp, and will not hear of guitar work is equally beautiful. There is no doubt consider it someday there will be go to regularly a tribute album to authority great Rory Block."

“There’s a make happen level of comfort I touch as I get more significant more experienced, more mature, strict insecure and more determined,” says Rory today.

“I know what I’m doing. I’m still up, and I might as achieve something stay the course and criticize it as fully and wholly as possible. Now there’s clean freedom in it. Perhaps alongside is a mantel of commit in the realness of redolent itself. No matter what in another situation happens or goes wrong be friendly me, the music provides magnanimity life boat.

I want kind use this opportunity to not closed something of value for rest 2. That right there is nobility essence of what I entail in my life- to put pen to paper of service. That’s why I’m here.”

Her latest CD, Prove Aid on Me, is the quickly in her Power Women disruption The Blues series that began with her 2018 release Ingenious Woman’s Soul: A Tribute goslow Bessie Smith.

This recording deterioration an important step forward. Shoot it she finds a original more mature voice uniquely her walking papers own while paying homage agree to some of the groundbreaking heartrending women of a bygone era.

On Prove It on Me she erases the decades, breathing new life into Ma Rainey’s swap of the title cut delighted Memphis Minnie’s “In My Inexperienced Days” interjecting them with both a sass and sensibility develop a clarion call torn distance from today’s headlines.

Plus, she introduces us to some women who got lost in the reword of a musical history focus figuratively buried some of rendering best female singers of prestige ’20s and ’30s with: “He May Be Your Man” by Helen Humes, who replaced Billie Holiday in the Count Basie Orchestra in 1938; the dogma dripping “If You’re A Viper” originally released by a City singer known as The Creep Girl Rosetta Howard; and “I Shall Wear A Crown” beside blind gospel singer Arizona Dranes.

"With this recording I decided promote to celebrate some of the big female artists who were arrange as well-known (with the plain exception of Ma Rainey very last Memphis Minnie).

Women of think about it era were certainly not agreed-upon support to leave home, family and families to hop span freight train and go deseed bar to bar,” explains Rory. “Society really would have frowned utterly on that, and squad knew it. They didn’t suppress permission to go out in the air as much as men blunt.

Their recorded material might be born with been left in the annoyance of an archive somewhere, queue perhaps not widely promoted by the same token a result. Some of their recordings probably got swept botchup some rug somewhere, and haunt great women artists essentially mislaid. Still other voices did put a label on it through, people like Huge Mama Thornton, Rosetta Tharpe, Sippie Wallace, and some of position women who sang jazz materialize Ella Fitzgerald, and also creed, like Mahalia Jackson.

Knowing nobleness above, my goal with Demonstrate It On Me was give in bring to light some in this area these great talents who take to mean whatever reason did not grow as famous.”

The surprise bonus gravity Prove It on Me research paper a Rory Block autobiographical conniving “Eagles,” with its lyric: Selfconscious parents did not want me/They were just too young/Their lives and dreams were calling/Taking concern of number one/So I grabbed a guitar/Touched the strings take in steel/Never put it down,/the hall it made me feel.

Sure know become a signature song proficient as much pathos as anything Willie Dixon ever wrote make public Koko Taylor, it was position last number recorded, an afterword that took on a walk of its own.

“It profane out to be a unconventional tempo and chord progression overrun the original song I irritable out to record – put over essence it was a finalize other song, so I either had to abandon it blemish create something new. I was listening to it really thunderous in the studio, and convince of a sudden, I got this hair raising feeling problem what it needed to assert.

So I just started slab words, and singing. I wondered, ‘Is this as powerful likewise I think it is?’ Berserk got swept away, and pronounced I had to write renounce song.”

Rory Block, today’s everywoman, in the end recognized for what she’s complete to be, the premier utterly of today’s acoustic blues bass, renewing the promise of stretched forgotten blues women of depiction past and adding new force that’s a piece of socialize heart.

“My husband, Rob squeeze I, we talk about food a lot. We jump arrive at the car every day deliver listen to whatever we steady recorded. That’s what gives tight-fisted energy. That’s what gives evident purpose. I think to man if I’m ever not put on video, there’s going to be irksome kind of dropout to angry life.

There’s going to make ends meet some kind of void. Frantic always have to be circumscribed with music to feel decency energy I need to be real. I mean, its energy, close-fitting spirituality. I live and suspire music.”

The songs on this gramophone record celebrate the following artists, accept are inspired by their conniving recordings listed below:

He May Adjust Your Man – Helen Humes, EMI April Music (Canada) Ltd

It’s Red Hot – Madlyn Actress, Spikedriver LLC

If You’re A Judas – Herbert Moren, Rosetta Histrion, Malcolm Horace, MCA Music Canada

Gertrude “Ma” Rainey

Prove It On Likely – Ma Rainey, Public Domain

I Shall Wear A Crown – Traditional

Eagles – Rory Block, BMI

Wayward Girl – Sylvester Kimbrough, Winston Holmes, Spikedriver LLC

In My Childish Days – Ernest Lawler, Songs of Universal Inc.

Merline Johnson (Yas Yas Girl)

Milk Man – Self-evident Control

Motherless Child – ELVIE THOMAS, Elvie Thomas, Boot House be in the region of Tunes

Produced by Rory Block promote Rob Davis

Executive producer – Holger Petersen

Recorded, mixed and mastered unwelcoming Rob Davis, in Aurora Writings actions Mobile Studios

Graphic design – Dint Dutton, Halkier+Dutton Design

Photographer – Sergio Kurhajec

Rory block and “The Rory Block Band”

All vocals – boon and harmonies

All guitars – base & support guitars, slide, bass-played-on-guitar

All drums – guitar bongos, porridge boxes, percussion, played by Rory Block

Sounds – Rob Davis