Jackie Leven's 'Greatest Hits' collection

The occasion is Ian Rankin's Guardian piece of 20 July 2021 on the compilation Straight Outta Caledonia. The thread (about 35 posts, 21–27 July 2021) first clears up the confusion between the compilation (Leven recordings only, ten tracks, track list posted) and the tribute album The Wanderer, announced at the same time; SteveT reports that Michael Weston King had spoken on Facebook of three Leven releases. Several users praise the free CD given away by The Word magazine after Leven's death as their way in.

The question of Leven's best-selling record leads to reminiscences: Kaisfatdad tells (as a retelling of Leven's stage anecdote) of an uninterested US marketing woman in New York and of concerts in Sweden before tiny audiences; retropath2 heard “I Say A Little Prayer” in 1994 on Janice Long's show on Radio Glastonbury. Jaygee links Neil McCormick's Telegraph blog about Leven and Ralph McTell meeting Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street. Baron Harkonnen describes his path from “Main Travelled Roads” on the radio, via Mike Scott's thanks on Fisherman's Blues, to chancing upon The Mystery of Love in Rhyl in 1994; SteveT reads Scott's thanks as encouragement in a crisis.

The most personal contribution is Artery's: a fan since about 1995, he says he saw Leven over a hundred times in 15 years and knew him well, though he found him somewhat reserved in conversation; Leven played two sets at his 50th birthday party in 2005 (rider: one bottle of Smirnoff Black Label, untouched), and he was at the funeral – a deeply spiritual experience. SteveT tells the Midlands Arts Centre anecdote: during the interval he requested “Wrapped Up In Blue”, and Leven announced the song crudely as an audience request; Artery and retropath2 were at the same concert (audience about twelve). Artery also remembers a woman in the audience demanding her money back over his language while Leven was supporting the Oyster Band.