Meic Stevens
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Meic Stevens is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Meic Stevens is somewhat unknown outside of Wales, due chiefly to his insistence on singing in his native Welsh language. The psych-folk singer and guitarist is often referred to as "the 60s Welsh psych-Dylan" and compared favourably with fellow astral-travelers like Syd Barrett. He was discovered by Jimmy Savile, a DJ who saw Stevens (from Solva, on the west coast of Wales) performing at the Manchester University folk club in 1965. This discovery led to Meic Stevens recording his first single - with producer John Paul Jones (later of Led Zeppelin) - for Decca Records that same year.
Stevens continued to perform around Britain during the '60s, playing on recording sessions and even reportedly turning down a five-album, five-year record contract with Warner Bros. in 1970 - they wanted to turn him into the "Welsh Van Morrison" - in order to concentrate on recording in his own language. His 1970 album Outlander, which features sitar and tablas courtesy of Magic Carpet's Keshav Sathe, is today - like most of his albums - considered quite rare and highly collectible among psych-folk fans. His psych-folk influence can be heard in such contemporary Welsh groups as Super Furry Animals and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - His song Cwm y Pren Helyg was recently covered by Alun Tan Lan. Stevens was one of the first artistes to record for his country's first independent record company, the Sain label.
Stevens sang mostly in his native language. His one English-language album is 1970's Outlander. Meic composes most of the lyrics and music on his albums. He is a gifted guitarist, and can perform as a soloist as well as with his band. He was signed to Warner Brothers, but does not seem to have done much recording for WB. Today he is respected among Welsh musicians and has several Welsh CDs available from the Sain label in Caernarfon. His early Welsh songs, are Tryweryn (a Welsh village flooded to provide water for Liverpool) and Merch o'r Ffatri Wlan ("Girl from the wool factory").
Albums
- Ware’n Noeth - Bibopalwla’r Delyn Aur (1991 Sain SCD 4088)
- Er Cof Am Blant Y Cwm (1993 Crai CD036)
- Y Baledi - Dim Ond Cysgodion (1992 Sain SCD 2001)
- Mihangel (1998 Crai CD059)
- Ysbryd Solva (2002 Sain SCD 2364)
- Disgwyl Rhywbeth Gwell I Ddod (2002 Sain SCD 2345)
- Outlander (2003 Rhino Handmade RHM2 7839 re-release)
- Meic a'r Gerddorfa (2005 Sain SCD 2499)
External link
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