Jackie Leven at 70 - A celebration of his life & work.

A video of a good 85 minutes, compiled for Leven's 70th birthday from contributions the participants recorded at home (Covid period). The opening is spoken by a woman in Leven's music room in a house built around 1700 in Botley, Hampshire, with Leven's Morgan guitar – from context Deborah Greenwood; she sings “Universal Blue” and tells how the song came about in the kitchen of friendly hosts after a long walk up the Cheviot. Ian Rankin reads song lyrics (“My Spanish Dad”, later “The Innocent Railway” from “Lovers at the Gun Club” and a piece from “Forbidden Songs of the Dying West”). Iona of the Doghouse Roses remembers seeing Leven as a guest of Willard Grant Conspiracy and plays “Elegy for Johnny Cash”. Henry Priestman (The Yachts) reads from his diary of 12 April 1979 about a Doll by Doll concert at Eric's in Liverpool, tells of keyboard recordings in Bryn Derwen with producer David Wrench and of Leven crediting him on later albums for instruments he never played, and plays “Paris Blues”. Further contributions: “Revenge of Memory” in Leven's tuning, a reading of “The Dent in the Fender and the Wheel of Fate”, “Main Travelled Roads”, a poem, Rachel Taylor-Beales with a song of her own about Leven, a duo with Kevin Foster from Cricklewood with a song Leven wrote at 16, a contribution on “Silver Blaze” and, at the end, a song by the host with Jinder as backing voice. Tenor: loving, private memorial event of the inner circle.