Robyn Hitchcock

**Robyn Rowan Hitchcock** (born 3 March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar.

After leading the Soft Boys in the late 1970s and releasing the influential Underwater Moonlight, Hitchcock launched a prolific solo career with his band, **Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians** and later on himself as **Robyn Hitchcock**. His musical and lyrical styles have been influenced by Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Syd Barrett, Captain Beefheart, Bryan Ferry and Roger McGuinn. Hitchcock's lyrics tend to include surrealism, comedic elements, characterisations of English eccentrics, and melancholy depictions of everyday life.

He has recorded for two major American labels (A&M Records, then Warner Bros.) over the course of the 1980s and 1990s, and was the subject of a live performance/documentary film (Storefront Hitchcock) by major motion picture director Jonathan Demme in 1998, but despite this, mainstream success has been limited. He has earned strong critical reviews over a steady stream of album releases and live performances, and a "cult following" for his songs.

## Links to Kershaw

One of Andy Kershaw's favourite artists, the singer has done numerous sessions for his shows, including once recording at Andy's kitchen in his flat at Crouch End.

In Ken Garner's book, In Session Tonight (page 255), Andy Kershaw is quoted about Hitchcock's session recorded at his kitchen in the early 90's:

> *"Robyn used to live round the corner from me in Crouch End, and always thought my kitchen a good place to play; we'd had Baaba Maal and Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore in there before. That afternoon, Juliette was making this huge pile of sandwiches on the worktop right near the mikes, and had to try and cut the bread without making any noise."*
>
>

In 1994, Robyn Hitchcock released The Kershaw Sessions on the Strange Roots label, which featured mostly tracks recorded for Andy's programmes between 1985 and 1991.

## Sessions

1. Recorded: 1985-08-29. First Broadcast: 07 September 1985. Repeated: 21 September 1985, 03 October 1985

* Brenda's Iron Sledge / My Wife And My Dead Wife / Heaven / The Cars She Used To Drive (broadcast on 3rd October 1985)

2. Recorded: 1986-05-14. First Broadcast: 29 May 1986. Repeated: 10 July 1986

* Bass / 52 Stations / The President / Lady Waters And The Hooded One / Tell Me About Your Drugs / The Can Opener

3. Recorded: 1988-01-14. First Broadcast: 04 February 1988. Repeated: 17 March 1988

* Tropical Flesh Mandala / Devil Mask / Chinese Bones / Listening To The Higsons

4. Recorded: 1989-01-26. First Broadcast: 09 February 1989. Repeated: 30 March 1989

* Madonna Of The Wasps / Superman / Veins Of The Queen / One Long Pair Of Eyes

5. Recorded in Andy Kershaw's kitchen: 1991-11-02. First Broadcast: 19 January 1992. Repeated: 20 November 1993, Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 14

* Oceanside / So You Think You're In Love / Open The Door Richard / Birds In Perspex / Arms Of Love

6. Recorded: unknown. First Broadcast: 05 January 1997

* Let's Go Thundering / Where Do You Go When You Die / Polly On The Shore (session)

7. Recorded: unknown. First Broadcast: 15 December 1997

* I Saw Nick Drake / It Takes a Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry / If You Were A Priest / De Chirico Street

8. Recorded: unknown. First Broadcast: 04 November 1999

* Variation on Elizabeth Jade (Andy Kershaw Jingle) / Madonna Of The Wasps / Jewels For Sophia / The Cheese Alarm / Sally Was A Legend / Elizabeth Jade / Birds In Perspex

## Live

Recorded from the Dance Base in Edinburgh. First Broadcast: 24 August 2001

1. unknown set

Recorded at London's Scala and accompanied by The Minus Three, REM's Peter Buck, plus Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin. First Broadcast: 05 February 2006

1. If A Bird
2. Birdshead
3. Somewhere Apart
4. Radio
5. Television
6. The Queen Of Eyes

## Other Shows Played

   1985
* 27 May 1985 (John Peel): 'Strawberry Mind (LP-Fegmania!)' (Midnight Music)
* 28 May 1985 (John Peel): Heaven (album - Fegmania!) Midnight Music
* 28 September 1985: Kingdom Of Love (LP - Gotta Let This Hen Out!) Midnight Music
* 31 October 1985: Listening To The Higsons (LP - Gotta Let This Hen Out!) Midnight Music
* 05 December 1985: Uncorrected Personality Traits / Kingdom Of Love
* 26 December 1985: Kingdom Of Love (LP - Gotta Let This Hen Out!) Midnight Music

1986
* 20 March 1986: Only The Stones Remain (12" - Brenda's Iron Sledge) Midnight Music
* 20 October 1986 (John Peel): Winchester (LP - Element Of Light) Glass Fish
* 22 October 1986 (John Peel): If You Were A Priest (7") Glass Fish
* 03 November 1986 (John Peel): Airscape (LP - Element Of Light) Glass Fish
* 04 November 1986 (John Peel): Point It At Gran (LP - Invisible Hitchcock) Glass Fish

1987
* 01 January 1987: If You Were A Priest (7") Glass Fish
* 26 March 1987: Egyptian Cream
* 16 July 1987: The Bones In The Ground (CD - I Often Dream Of Trains) Midnight Music

1988
* 28 January 1988: Chinese Bones (LP - Globe Of Frogs) A&M

1991
* 13 October 1991: Oceanside (CD - Perspex Island) Go! Discs
* 27 October 1991: unknown
* 03 November 1991: Birds In Perspex (CD - Birds In Perspex) A&M
* 10 November 1991: Oceanside (CD - Perspex Island) Go! Discs
* 01 December 1991: Birds In Perspex (CD - Birds In Perspex) A&M
* 29 December 1991: Birds In Perspex (CD - Perspex Island) Go! Discs

1992
* 12 January 1992 (& Michael Stipe): Dark Green Energy (CD single - So You Think You're In Love) Go Discs!

1993
* 24 July 1993: When I Was Dead (CD - Spectre - Robyn Hitchcock Explains The Songs On "Respect") A&M
* 14 August 1993: The Live-In Years (CDS promo - The Yip Song) A&M 31458 8134 2

1995
* 05 March 1995: My Wife and My Dead Wife (EP) Sequel CDSEQ2

1996
* 07 July 1996: Speed Of Things
* 11 August 1996: Speed Of Things
* 29 September 1996: Sinister But She Was Happy

1997
* January 1997: Beautiful Queen (LP - Mossy Liquor) Warner Bros.

1998
* 03 December 1998: Let's Go Thundering (CD - Storefront Hitchcock) WEA

1999
* 09 September 1999: The Cheese Alarm (CD - Jewels For Sophia) WEA
* 23 September 1999: The Cheese Alarm (CD - Jewels For Sophia) WEA
* 21 October 1999: Viva Sea Tac (CD - Jewels For Sophia) WEA
* 30 December 1999: The Cheese Alarm (CD - Jewels For Sophia) Warner Bros.

2000
* 17 February 2000: I Saw Nick Drake (CD - A Star for Bram) Warner Bros.
* 24 February 2000: The Underneath (CD - A Star For Bram) Warner Bros.
* 06 April 2000: Daisy Bomb (CD - A Star For Bram) PAF

2003
* 07 February 2003: You Remind Me Of You

2004
* 18 April 2004: Are 'Friends' Electric? (2xCD - Terry Edwards Presents... Queer Street - No Fish Is Too Weird For Her Aquarium Vol. III) Sartorial
* 12 September 2004 (with Gillian Welch & David Rawlings): If You Know Time (CD - Spooked) Yep Roc
* 03 October 2004: We're Gonna Live In The Trees (CD - Spooked) Yep Roc
* 14 November 2004: Demons & Friends (CD - Spooked) Proper
* 05 December 2004: Heaven (CD - Gotta Let This Hen Out!) Midnight Music

2006
* 15 January 2006: The Cheese Alarm (CD - Jewels For Sophia) Warner Bros.
* 29 January 2006: Brenda's Iron Sledge (CD - Gotta Let This Hen Out!) Midnight Music
* 09 April 2006: Birds In Perspex (CD - This Is The BBC) Hux
* 16 April 2006: Madonna Of The Wasps (CD - Obliteration Pie) Oak Tree
* 10 September 2006: 'Cause It's Love (Saint Parallelogram) (CD - Olé! Tarantula) Proper

2021
* More Kershaw Tapes: Oceanside (November 1991, Andy Kershaw Kitchen Session, Crouch End, London)
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 2: Heaven (album - Gotta Let This Hen Out!) Midnight Music

2022
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 19: I Often Dream Of Trains (album - I Often Dream Of Trains) Midnight Music

## External Links

* Wikipedia
* Discogs
* Official Website