Bridget St.John — From There / To Here – UK/US Recordings 1974-1982

From Surrey in the Uk Bridget St. John is an artist whose sound sits somewhere between folk rock and female singer-songwriter fare. Her initially solo career ran between 1968 and 1976- releasing an impressive four albums in this short time, which were Ask Me No Questions(1969), Songs For The Gentle Man(1971), Thank You For…(1972), and Jumblequeen (1974)- the first three release appeared on John Peels Dandelion label, with the final album appearing major label Chrysalis. From Here/ To There is a three-disc CD box set focusing on the end of her initial career run- taking in her final album, as well as two CD’s worth of compilation/ unreleased tracks
 

The release appears on Cherry Red- with the three CD’s, each coming in their own card slips- these are presented in black and white flip side box, which features on its front cover a picture of Ms St John sat smiling, with a cuppa next to her acoustic guitar. The set also features a twenty-four-page inlay booklet- this takes in a write-up about her career/ material enclosed, her own personal reminiscings, pictures, flyer college, and studio paperwork.

Bridget grew up in a musical household- where both her mother and sisters were accomplished pianists. In her early years she took piano lessons but couldn’t along with her teacher- so gave up lessons at the age of eleven. Though she did go on to learn both the viola and the trumpet. At some point in her teen years, she bought a guitar with money from her grandmother. Her first performances were between 1964 & 65- where she largely played at Sheffield University between 1964–5, through her first "proper gig" was at a pub in Rotherham. In 1967, she spent three months in Aix-en-Provence as part of her French studies. During this period she met American singer-songwriter Robin Frederick. In 1968 the pair returned to London- and she played more shows- along the way befriending John Martyn. In time John Peel was made aware of her work- and she went on to record sessions with the DJ, going on to sign to his label Dandelion- releasing three albums on the label.
 
This boxset focuses on the tail end of her career with material here from between 1974 and 1982. With one officially released album Jumblequeen, and two compilations of unreleased work Take The 5ift, and The New York Sessions. Vocally she often had a more feminine Nick Drake-like baritone voice, which move between sprightly and rapid to more felt and at times emotionally lost.
 
Jumblequeen appeared in 1974, appearing on Chrysalis. It was a ten-track album, which highlighted her ability to pen felt but often memorable folk-rock/ singer-songwriter fare, which managed to blend in other genre's touches here & three in a very natural/ unforced manner.  We open in great form with the urgency of “Sparrowpit” which brought together rapidly strummed guitar and fine rousing bottleneck slide work. We have the mid-paced flowing piano key ornateness and light folk-rock climb of “Last Goodnight”. There’s lulling tip tap percussion, wavering lead/ backing vocals, acoustic wah-wah & slide, and hopeful of romance lyrics of “Curious and woolly”. We have a lightly darting ‘n’ jiving singer-songwriter strut of “Sweet Painting Lady” which features some great 70’s groovy synth embellishments.  It’s certainly a pleasing ride of an album. This disc adds on another five tracks from around the same period, and these are most worthy too- we have rapid picked acoustic folk meets slight blues-tinged flow of “Bumper To Bumper”, or the slow snap drums ‘n’  hazy bass fumbles “Just Like A Woman”.
 
Disc number two is Take the 5ifth, this is seventeen-track collection that originally appeared in 1995- taking in unreleased song work by St John from between 1975 and 1982.  And once again it highlights her as a talented, and gentle creative songwriter. We go from jiving organ and slightly blue rock soloing of “Chamile”. There’s the up-beat strummed guitar and glowing vibe dart of “Best I Can”, or country rock groove ‘n’ light electric guitar sear of “Safe Place”. Moving towards the end of the disc we have “Catch A Falling Star” with its gliding and strumming acoustic guitar, and  Ms St John lulling to wavering multi-channelled vocals. So a most worthy collection, which manages to stand well as a consistent/ flowing album.
 
The third and final disc in the set is entitled The New York Sessions- bringing together seventeen tracks she recorded in the city during the mid-’70s and ’80s. The CD is rather a odds and ends affair, with a different version of album tracks( we get two versions of "Curious and wholly" from  Jumblequeen), and just a few original tracks- these for the most part do sound a bit too typical of ’70s/ 80’s singer-songwriter come pop-rock fare. There are flashes of Ms St John song craft talent, and stand-out lyrical moments- but largely it lacks the consistency of the first two discs. I can see myself maybe returning to this down the line when I’m less recently familiar with the original tracks.
 
In finishing From There/ To Here nicely brings together the tail end of Ms St John career- and if you like well-written female folk rock/singer-song writer fare this will most certainly appeal. In 1999 Ms St John decided to pick up her guitar again- seemingly thus far I think she just been doing live shows…but who knows we might get some new material from her one day again.