Betty Thatcher - Renaissance - RIP
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Topic: Betty Thatcher - Renaissance - RIP
Posted By: njb0168
Subject: Betty Thatcher - Renaissance - RIP
Date Posted: August 22 2011 at 04:41
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it is with a regret that I only noticed this today Betty Thatcher I received the news this afternoon that Betty Thatcher Newsinger died of cancer on August 15. I remember the first time I spoke with Betty, I was looking for a writing partner and Jim McCarty suggested I call her as he wanted to write lyrics as well as the music. They had been working together for a while. After speaking we decided that I would put down a couple of songs I’d recently completed on cassette tape and send down to her. To my amazement in the mail three days later were the lyrics that were fantastic, she just knew what lyric would work with the music. That was the beginning of a wonderful partnership that lasted over fifteen years with songs that have become classics: Ashes are Burning, Carpet of the Sun, Mother Russia, and the hit single we had in the UK Northern Lights. These and more helped in the success of Renaissance. Although we haven’t worked together for a while we are still touring and performing these classic songs. Both Annie and I remember those early days of working together and in the studio recording our best known work. Her talent will be missed. Michael Dunford The link is here http://renaissancetouring.com/2011/08/betty-thatcher/" rel="nofollow - http://renaissancetouring.com/2011/08/betty-thatcher/ |
Replies:
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: August 22 2011 at 09:59
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Very sad news, she wrote some excellent lyrics. RIP.
------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: August 22 2011 at 10:21
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She was a great lyricist and the songs mentioned are all masterpieces, Mother Russia in particular means a lot to me. All us fans will miss her a lot. ------------- I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution |
Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: August 22 2011 at 13:20
| Her contribution to the superb Renaissance should not be under-estimated. A sad loss. |
Posted By: toroddfuglesteg
Date Posted: August 22 2011 at 13:30
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Renaissance was/is a brilliant band with some truly incredible albums. Betty Thatcher's contributions was very important to the success of this band and their albums. She will be sadly missed and her contributions to the mankind remembered through Renaissance's music. R.I.P and play the albums in her memory. |
Posted By: scepter
Date Posted: August 22 2011 at 14:12
| this isnt singer who died is it thought singer was haslam dont know who this lady is but anyways you shall be missed rip always loved yall guys music |
Posted By: njb0168
Date Posted: August 22 2011 at 17:23
| Betty Thatcher was a great lyricist. Her input to the band Renaissance was enormous and cannot be under estimated. She wrote a huge amount of the lyrics on various albums, including their only hit single 'Northern Lights' |
Posted By: Warthur
Date Posted: August 23 2011 at 04:35
To put it in context: Betty Thatcher was a friend of (IIRC) Jane Relf, who was the original vocalist in Renaissance before the lineup ended up changing completely between "Illusion" and "Prologue", so she ended up getting to know the band and started helping them by providing lyrics whilst the lineup was transforming. She wasn't a musician and didn't to my knowledge tour with Renaissance or appear onstage with them, she just lived her own life as a writer and would send in lyrics to fit their songs. For most of the classic Renaissance albums it's Anne Haslam singing, but the words themselves come from Betty Thatcher, if you see what I mean.
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scepter wrote:Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: August 23 2011 at 04:58
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If you look at the album's credits almost all the best Renaissance's songs are signed by Dunford-Thatcher at least up to Novella included. ------------- I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution |
Posted By: Prog Geo
Date Posted: August 23 2011 at 06:35
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R.I.P. Pity!
------------- Sonorous Meal show every Sunday at 20:00 (greek time) on http://www.justincaseradio.com |
Posted By: Formentera Lady
Date Posted: August 25 2011 at 11:04
RIP 
------------- http://theprogressiveweb.blogspot.de" rel="nofollow - Visit me in Second Life to talk about music. |
Posted By: Cesar Inca
Date Posted: August 25 2011 at 22:47
| After the ashes of your captive heart have burned away, your soul walks like an ocean gypsy under the Northern lights of Heaven - can you hear us from up there?Thank you for your words and their meanings, your poetry have provided us with beautiful moments amidst the turmoils and uncertainty of our daily lives. |
Posted By: moodyxadi
Date Posted: October 17 2011 at 19:20
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Meaningful and beautil, simple poetry aplied to great music. It's so rare to see this meeting in music but Thatcher/Dunford made this many times. Thank you Betty and my feelings to their loved ones.
------------- Bach, Ma, Bros, Déia, Dante. |