3 Essential Songs by Richard Thompson

Richard Thompson may not be a household name. But he’s the kind of songwriter and guitarist revered by many music legends.

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He played a pivotal role in Britain’s late 1960s folk music revival. After four years with Fairport Convention, Thompson’s decade-long partnership with his first wife Linda helped further pioneer folk-rock.

His songs have been covered by R.E.M., Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, and many others. Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, who produced Thompson’s 2015 album Still, called him the “ultimate triple threat.” It’s the rare, combined abilities of a virtuoso guitarist (electric and acoustic), emotive singer, and profound songwriter.

Without a string of hit singles, Thompson has remained on the road. A working musician in an old tradition. Slowly whittling away at a timeless and lengthy catalog of music.

It’s impossible to distill Thompson’s importance in only three songs. But, if you are new to his music, hopefully, the tracks below will send you drifting into a deep Brit-folk journey.

“1952 Vincent Black Lightning” from Rumor and Sigh (1991)

This narrative song wasn’t a single, but it remains Thompson’s most-played on Spotify. His prolific guitar playing provides an urgent backdrop to a tragic love story. It begins with Red Molly spotting James and his motorcycle, a 1952 Vincent Black Lightning. They fall in love, speed away, and James tells Red Molly he’s been breaking the law since age 17. Says he might make it to 22. It embodies Thompson’s British folk roots. At the same time, he sounds unbound by the genre’s traditions.

Oh, says Red Molly to James, “That’s a fine motorbike
A girl could feel special on any such like.”
Says James to Red Molly, “My hat’s off to you
It’s a Vincent Black Lightning 1952.”

“The Calvary Cross” with Linda Thompson from I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974)

Guitarist Nick McCabe used Thompson’s guitar intro to “The Calvary Cross” as the blueprint for his contribution to The Verve’s hit “Lucky Man.” He called Thompson’s playing “spindly” and “ecstatic.” Thompson’s second solo album was his first with then-wife Linda and is still widely considered his masterpiece. Moreover, you probably don’t get to Jason Molina’s plaintive and epic “Farewell Transmission” without this “spindly” and “ecstatic” tune.

You scuff your heels, and you spit on your shoes
You do nothing with reason
One day, you catch a train
Never leaves the station

“Dimming of the Day” with Linda Thompson from Pour Down Like Silver (1975)

In 1974, the Thompsons began practicing Islam, and Pour Down Like Silver reflects the duo’s newly adopted faith. “Dimming of the Day” may sound like a hymn, but the lyrics seem to expose the kind of love bound by human and earthly concerns. With sparse instrumentation and Linda’s soft delivery, there’s palpable desperation in the line: I’m living for the night we steal away / I need you at the dimming of the day. It’s also been covered by the likes of Bonnie Raitt, David Gilmour, and Alison Krauss & Union Station.

This old house is falling down around my ears
I’m drowning in the river of my tears
When all my will is gone, you hold me sway
I need you at the dimming of the day

Photo by Gus Stewart/Redferns