Editing Richard Thompson (musician) (section)

==1980s==
[[File:Richard Thompson on stage at Leeds Folk Festival, UK, 1982 (photograph by Tony Rees).jpg|thumb|Thompson performing solo on stage at the [[Reading and Leeds Festivals|Leeds Folk Festival]], 1982]]
[[Gerry Rafferty]] had booked the Thompsons as the support act for his 1980 tour, and had also used Richard as a session player on his ''[[Night Owl (album)|Night Owl]]'' (1979) album. Rafferty offered to finance the recording of a new Richard and Linda Thompson album which he would then use to secure a contract for the Thompsons.{{sfn|Humphries|1997|p=194|ps=}} Richard Thompson fell out with Rafferty during this project and was not happy with the finished product.{{sfn|Humphries|1997|p=196|ps=}} Nevertheless, Rafferty kept his side of the bargain and presented the album to several record companies – none of which expressed interest in signing the Thompsons. Rafferty did not recover his investment.{{sfn|Humphries|1997|pp=196–197|ps=}}

About a year later, [[Joe Boyd]] signed the Thompsons to his small [[Hannibal Records|Hannibal]] label and a new album was recorded. ''[[Shoot Out the Lights]]'' included new recordings of many of the songs recorded in 1980. Linda Thompson was pregnant at the time of the recording, so the album's release was delayed until they could tour behind the album.  Breathing problems arising from her pregnancy also meant that Linda could not sing the lead part on some of these songs as she had done on demo tapes and the Rafferty-produced recordings.

As an interim measure, Richard Thompson agreed to a short (5-day), low-key solo tour of the U.S. This tour was set up by Nancy Covey, then concert director for McCabe's Guitar Shop in [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]].{{sfn|Humphries|1997|p=207|ps=}} Covey, who had been in the UK in 1981 trying to sign Thompson to play at McCabe's, arranged for Thompson well-received 5 and 6 December shows. It was during this tour that Thompson and Covey developed an intimate relationship, and during that month, Richard and Linda Thompson separated.{{sfn|Humphries|1997|pp=210–211|ps=}}

Upon its release in 1982, ''Shoot Out the Lights'' was lauded by critics and sold quite well – especially in the U.S.{{sfn|Humphries|1997|pp=207–208|ps=}}<ref name="TimeSOTL">{{cite magazine|url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,921277-1,00.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091125155440/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,921277-1,00.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 25 November 2009 |title = Songs of Sad Experience |first = Jay |last=Cocks |date = 30 August 1982 |magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]]  |access-date = 13 September 2010}}</ref>

The Thompsons, now a couple for professional purposes only, toured the United States in support of the album, their only American tour together. Both the album and their live shows were well received by the American media,{{sfn|Humphries|1997|pp=207–208|ps=}}<ref name = "TimeSOTL"/> and ''Shoot Out the Lights'' effectively relaunched their career – just as their marriage was falling apart. The performances, with a backing band including both [[Simon Nicol]] and [[Dave Mattacks]] of Fairport Convention, were seen as strong,<ref name = "TimeSOTL"/>{{sfn|Humphries|1997|pp=213–213|ps=}} but the tension between Richard and Linda was all too obvious. For this reason, the Thompsons' fans often refer to the ''Shoot Out the Lights'' tour as "The Tour from Hell".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/match-made-in-hell-linda-thompson-and-her-husband-created-british-folk-rock-and-almost-destroyed-463614.html|title=Match made in hell: Linda Thompson and her husband created British|website=Independent.co.uk|date=2 September 2007|access-date=14 September 2018}}</ref> Upon returning home, Richard and Linda went their separate ways.

Richard Thompson continued recording as a solo artist. His 1983 album ''[[Hand of Kindness]]'' saw him working with [[Joe Boyd|Boyd]] again, but with a revised backing band and a more extroverted and up-tempo song selection.

With his separation from Linda finalized, Richard Thompson began to commute between twin bases in London and Los Angeles and to tour regularly in the USA. Encouraged by the success of his solo shows in late 1981 and early 1982, he began to perform solo with increasing frequency and continued to tour with a band. In 1983 and 1984, he toured the US and Europe with the Richard Thompson Big Band, which included two saxophone players in addition to the more usual rhythm section, second guitar and [[accordion]]. Set lists included covers of classic rock 'n roll songs and jazz standards such as "[[Tuxedo Junction]]".

In 1985, Thompson signed with [[PolyGram]] and received a sizeable advance.{{sfn|Humphries|1997|p=229|ps=}} He and Nancy Covey married at an alcohol-free wedding that included a who's who of roots-music performers who Covey knew well from McCabe's and the Los Angeles music scene, and had introduced to Thompson. After their wedding, Thompson moved his home and working base to California. As part of the settlement that allowed Thompson to leave Boyd's Hannibal label for Polygram, the live album ''[[Small Town Romance]]'' was released. This comprised recordings made during Thompson's solo shows in the US in late 1981 and early 1982. ''[[Across a Crowded Room]]'' (1985) was his last album to be recorded in England and the last to have [[Joe Boyd|Boyd]] as producer.{{sfn|Humphries|1997|pp=242–244|ps=}}{{sfn|Smith|2004|p=280|ps=}} Thompson put together a new look backing band for the tour to promote this album, and some shows were filmed for a live video release (see [[Richard Thompson discography]]).

In 1986, he released ''[[Daring Adventures]]'', which was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by [[Mitchell Froom]]. ''Daring Adventures'', with a rich sound, markedly different production and use of American [[session musician|session players]], was perceived by some as evidence of Thompson's increasing "Americanisation". Perhaps more significantly, the album continued the trend, begun with ''Across A Crowded Room,'' of Thompson's songs moving away from the seemingly personal material and towards the character sketches and narratives for which he has since become famous. Froom and PolyGram had plans to target college and the growing "alternative" markets with ''Daring Adventures''. Sales improved, but not substantially. Polygram declined an option to renew the contract.{{sfn|Humphries|1997|p=253|ps=}} Thompson's management negotiated a new deal with [[Capitol Records]].

In 1985, Fairport Convention reformed and recorded the album ''[[Gladys' Leap]]''. Thompson did not rejoin Fairport, but he did contribute a song to the project and played guitar on another track on the album.

1988 saw the release of Thompson's first album for Capitol, ''[[Amnesia (Richard Thompson album)|Amnesia]]''. Froom was retained as producer, and once again the album was recorded in Los Angeles with many of the same players that Froom had called upon for the ''Daring Adventures'' sessions.