Editing John Martyn (section)

== Career ==

=== 1960s  and 1970s ===
Mentored by [[Hamish Imlach]], Martyn began his professional musical career when he was 17, playing a fusion of blues and folk resulting in a distinctive style which made him a key figure in the British folk scene during the mid-1960s.<ref name="all" /> He signed to [[Chris Blackwell]]'s [[Island Records]] in 1967 and released his first album, ''[[London Conversation]]'', the same year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.johnmartyn.com/1960s/london-conversation/|title=London Conversation (1967)|date=4 April 2013|website=The Official John Martyn Website|language=EN-US|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> Released in 1968, his second album, ''[[The Tumbler]]'', was moving towards [[jazz]].

{{listen
| filename     = John Martyn Eibhli.ogg
| title="Eibhli Ghail Chiuin Ni Chearbhail"
| description="Eibhli Ghail Chiuin Ni Chearbhail" (1973), built around a traditional tune, was featured on ''Inside Out''. It typifies Martyn's unique use of the [[echoplex]] effect, coupled with a [[Distortion (music)|fuzzbox]] and phase-shifter.}}

By 1970 Martyn had developed a wholly original and idiosyncratic sound: acoustic guitar run through a [[Distortion (music)|fuzzbox]], phase shifter and [[Echoplex]]. This sound was first apparent on ''[[Stormbringer! (John and Beverley Martyn album)|Stormbringer!]]'' released in February 1970.

''Stormbringer!'' was written and performed by Martyn and his then-wife Beverley, who had previously recorded solo as [[Beverley Martyn|Beverley Kutner]]. Their second duo album, ''[[The Road to Ruin (John and Beverley Martyn album)|The Road to Ruin]]'', was released in November 1970. Island Records felt that it would be more successful to market Martyn as a solo act and this was how subsequent albums were produced, although Beverley continued to make appearances as a backing singer as well as continuing as a solo artist herself.<ref name="timesobit" />

Released in 1971, ''[[Bless the Weather]]'' was Martyn's third solo album. In  February 1973, Martyn released the album ''[[Solid Air]]'', the title song a tribute to the singer-songwriter [[Nick Drake]], a close friend and label-mate who would die in 1974 from an overdose of [[antidepressants]]. In 2009, a double CD Deluxe edition of ''Solid Air'' was released featuring unreleased songs and out-takes, and sleeve notes by Record Collector's Daryl Easlea. On ''Bless the Weather'' and on ''Solid Air'' Martyn collaborated with jazz bassist [[Danny Thompson]], with whom he proceeded to have a musical partnership which continued until his death.

Following the commercial success of ''Solid Air'', later on in 1973 Martyn quickly recorded and released the experimental ''[[Inside Out (John Martyn album)|Inside Out]]'', an album with emphasis placed on feel and improvisation rather than song structure. In 1975, he followed this with ''[[Sunday's Child]]'', a more song-based collection that includes "My Baby Girl" and "Spencer the Rover", which are references to his young family. Martyn subsequently described this period as 'very happy'. In September 1975, he released a live album, ''[[Live at Leeds (John Martyn album)|Live at Leeds]]'' — Martyn had been unable to persuade Island to release the record, and resorted to selling individually signed copies by mail from his home in Hastings. ''Live at Leeds'' features Danny Thompson and drummer [[John Stevens (drummer)|John Stevens]]. In 2010, a 2CD Deluxe version of Live at Leeds was released, and it was discovered that not all of the songs on the original album were from the Leeds concert. After releasing ''Live at Leeds'', Martyn took a sabbatical, including a visit to Jamaica, spending time with reggae producer [[Lee "Scratch" Perry]].

In 1977, he released ''[[One World (John Martyn album)|One World]]'', which led some commentators to describe Martyn as the "Father of [[Trip-Hop]]".<ref>His obituary in ''The Times'' states that "The record's dubby, echoing soundscapes have been claimed as the forerunner of the 'trip-hop' style that emerged in the 1990s."</ref> It included tracks such as "Small Hours" and "Big Muff", a collaboration with Lee "Scratch" Perry. ''Small Hours'' was recorded outside; the microphones picked up ambient sounds, such as geese from a nearby lake.<ref name="munro" /> In 1978, he played guitar on the album ''Harmony of the Spheres'' by [[Neil Ardley]].

=== 1980s ===
Martyn's marriage broke down at the end of the 1970s and "John hit the self destruct button"<ref>{{Cite web|date=30 January 2009|title=The wild man of folk dies aged 60|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/the-wild-man-of-folk-dies-aged-60-1520400.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220613/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/the-wild-man-of-folk-dies-aged-60-1520400.html |archive-date=13 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=9 July 2020|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> (although other biographers, including ''The Times'' obituary writer, attribute the break-up of his marriage to his already being addicted to alcohol and drugs).<ref name="timesobit" /> In her autobiography, Beverley also alleges protracted domestic violence.<ref name="honesty">Beverley Martyn, Jacki Dacosta, ''Sweet Honesty – The Beverley Martyn Story''; {{ISBN|978-1-90721-188-1}}, Grosvenor, 2011</ref>  Out of this period, described by Martyn as "a very dark period in my life",<ref name="bio1980">{{cite web|url=http://www.johnmartyn.com/?location=/web/1980s|title=''John's Diary 1980s'' — Martyn's biography on his website|publisher=Johnmartyn.com|access-date=24 August 2012}}</ref> came the album ''[[Grace and Danger]]''. Released in October 1980, the album had been held up for a year by Chris Blackwell. He was a close friend of John and Beverley, and found the album too openly disturbing to release. Only after intense and sustained pressure from Martyn did Blackwell agree to release the album. Commenting on that period, Martyn said, "I was in a dreadful emotional state over that record. I was hardly in control of my own actions. The reason they finally released it was because I freaked: Please get it out! I don't give a damn about how sad it makes you feel—it's what I'm about: the direct communication of emotion. ''Grace and Danger'' was very cathartic, and it really hurt."<ref name="bio1980" />

In the late 1980s, Martyn cited ''Grace and Danger'' as his favourite album, and said that it was "probably the most specific piece of autobiography I've written. Some people keep diaries, I make records."<ref name="bio1980" /> The album has since become one of his highest-regarded, prompting a deluxe double-disc issue in 2007, containing the original album remastered.

[[Phil Collins]] played drums and sang backing vocals on ''Grace and Danger'' and subsequently played drums on and produced Martyn's next album, ''[[Glorious Fool]]'', in 1981. Martyn left Island records in 1981, and recorded ''Glorious Fool'' and ''[[Well Kept Secret (John Martyn album)|Well Kept Secret]]'' for [[Warner Music Group|WEA]] achieving his first Top 30 album.<ref name="timesobit" /> In 1983 Martyn released a live album, ''[[Philentropy]]'', and married Annie Furlong but the couple, who had lived in Scotland, later separated.<ref name="munro" /><ref name=":0" /> Returning to Island records, he recorded ''[[Sapphire (John Martyn album)|Sapphire]]'' (1984), ''[[Piece by Piece (John Martyn album)|Piece by Piece]]'' (1986) and the live ''[[Foundations (album)|Foundations]]'' (1987) before leaving the label in 1988.

=== 1990s and 2000s ===
[[File:John-Martyn-at-the-Barbican-Centre.JPG|thumb|upright|Martyn performing at the [[Barbican Centre]] in London, 2008]]
Martyn released ''[[The Apprentice (album)|The Apprentice]]'' in 1990 and ''[[Cooltide]]'' in 1991 for Permanent Records, and reunited with Phil Collins for ''[[No Little Boy]]'' (1993), which featured rerecorded versions of some of his classic tracks. The similar 1992 release ''[[Couldn't Love You More]]'' was unauthorised and disowned by Martyn. Material from these recordings and his two Permanent albums have been recycled on many releases. Permanent Records also released a live 2-CD set called "Live" in 1994. ''[[And (John Martyn album)|And]]'' (1996) came out on [[Go! Discs]] and saw Martyn draw heavily on trip-hop textures, a direction which saw more complete expression on 2000's ''[[Glasgow Walker]]''. ''[[The Church with One Bell]]'' (1998) is a covers album of blues classics, which draws on songs by other artists, including [[Portishead (band)|Portishead]] and [[Ben Harper]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 April 1998|title=The Church With One Bell (1998)|url=http://johnmartyn.com/discography/1990s/the-church-with-one-bell-1998/|access-date=19 July 2020|website=John Martyn|language=en-GB}}</ref> In 2001, Martyn appeared on the track "Deliver Me" by [[Faithless]] keyboard player and DJ [[Sister Bliss]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sister Bliss – Deliver Me|url=https://www.discogs.com/Sister-Bliss-Deliver-Me/release/137902|access-date=23 June 2020|website=Discogs.com|language=en}}</ref>

[[File:JohnMartyn.jpg|thumb|left|Martyn in 2006]]
In July 2006, the documentary ''Johnny Too Bad'' was screened by the BBC.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/music/features/john-martyn.shtml|title=Johnny Too Bad |publisher=Bbc.co.uk|date=1 January 1970|access-date=24 August 2012}}</ref> The programme documented the period surrounding the operation to amputate Martyn's right leg below the knee (the result of a burst [[cyst]] that had led to [[septicaemia]]<ref name=":0" />) and the writing and recording of ''[[On the Cobbles]]'' (2004), an album described by Peter Marsh on the BBC Music website as "the strongest, most consistent set he's come up with in years." Much of ''Cobbles'' was a revisiting of his acoustic-based sound.
Martyn's last concerts were in November 2008, reprising Grace and Danger.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Biography Part 5|url=https://johnmartyn.com/biography-part-5/|access-date=11 July 2020|website=Johnmartyn.com|language=en-GB}}</ref>

In collaboration with his keyboard player Spenser Cozens, Martyn wrote and performed the score for ''Strangebrew'' (Robert Wallace 2007), which won the Fortean Times Award at the London Short Film Festival in the same year.<ref>{{Citation|title=Strangebrew (2006) – IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3017202/fullcredits|access-date=9 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Robert Milton Wallace|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0908838/bio|access-date=9 July 2020|website=IMDb}}</ref> The film concept being a strong influence of the album design of Martyn's ''[[Heaven and Earth (John Martyn album)|Heaven and Earth]]'' (2011). On 4 February 2008, Martyn received the lifetime achievement award at the [[BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards]]. The award was presented by his friend Phil Collins. The BBC website stated Martyn's "heartfelt performances have either suggested or fully demonstrated an idiosyncratic genius." [[Eric Clapton]] was quoted saying that Martyn was "so far ahead of everything, it's almost inconceivable."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/events/folkawards2008/winners.shtml|title=Folk Awards 2008 – Winners and Nominees |publisher=Bbc.co.uk|access-date=13 December 2018}}</ref>

To mark Martyn's 60th birthday, Island released a 4 CD boxed set, ''[[Ain't No Saint (album)|Ain't No Saint]]'', on 1 September 2008. The set includes unreleased studio material and rare live recordings.

Martyn was appointed [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] in the 2009 New Year Honours and died a few weeks later.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=58929|date=31 December 2008|page=11 |supp=y}}</ref> His partner Theresa Walsh collected the award at Buckingham Palace.<ref>{{cite web |title=Partner collects folk singer John Martyn's OBE for services to music |url=https://johnmartyn.info/content/partner-collects-folk-singer-john-martyn%E2%80%99s-obe-services-music |website=Big Muff The John Martyn Pages |access-date=17 August 2021}}</ref> Martyn had recorded new material before he died and his final studio album, ''[[Heaven and Earth (John Martyn album)|Heaven and Earth]]'', was completed and released posthumously in May 2011. The sleeve note says, "all the tracks on this recording were kept as John wished — in their entirety".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Edwards|first=Mark|date=15 May 2011|title=John Martyn Heaven and Earth|language=en|work=The Sunday Times|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-rich-list/profile/article/john-martyn-heaven-and-earth-bk7q3d0h0cb|access-date=19 July 2020|issn=0140-0460}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=27 April 2011|title=John Martyn's final recordings to be released|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/apr/27/john-martyn-final-recordings|access-date=19 July 2020|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref>