R.I.P. Ivor Cutler

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Not unexpected--he was 83--but sad. The guy was a treasure.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,1725211,00.html

If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing his stuff, go to http://www.ivorcutler.org/sessions.html and listen to "Sharks" posthaste.

― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 02:53 (nineteen years ago)

He and Peel never could stand to be apart long.

― Ryan Pitchfork (Ryan Pitchfork), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 03:21 (nineteen years ago)

A true, one of a kind artist. Life In A Scotch Sitting Room, Volume Two is a joy to listen to.

― Jeff K (jeff k), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 03:21 (nineteen years ago)

A bit of a legend by all accounts. Good innings and all that though.

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 03:29 (nineteen years ago)

oh man! rip.

― geeta (geeta), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 04:00 (nineteen years ago)

very sad news... I was playing Ludo at work last week, much to the annoyance of my collegues..

Interesting to note, that there has been no mentioned on the BBC news page at all...

RIP Mr Cutler.

― Jack Battery-Pack (Jack Battery-Pack), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 07:28 (nineteen years ago)

v sad news

he was old but always seemed older

one of my biggest favs

RIP

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 07:50 (nineteen years ago)

"when I'm gone, you can feel the lumps upon your head, and think about what I said"

― milton parker (Jon L), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 08:06 (nineteen years ago)

go and sit upon the grass

― milton parker (Jon L), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 08:06 (nineteen years ago)

this should be on I love everything, really

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 08:14 (nineteen years ago)

douglas, would you mind if I asked for it to be moved?

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 08:18 (nineteen years ago)

oh, you're probably sound asleep

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 08:19 (nineteen years ago)

OH NO! NO!

This is really sad news... I will be listening to Ludo and Scotch Sitting Room today.

:-(

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 08:27 (nineteen years ago)

Listening to "I'm Going In A Field" now.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 08:46 (nineteen years ago)

Oh no. Farewell Ivor!

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 09:23 (nineteen years ago)

Bummer. This doesn't feel right at all :(

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 09:42 (nineteen years ago)

Oh! A sad loss though I suppose not unexpected given his age. Off to listen to Fremsley and I Believe in Bugs

"Lying in the silken ground one day
I shall sense the little buggies as they eat me away
Singing 'I believe in bugs'"

― mms (mms), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 09:44 (nineteen years ago)

― robster (robster), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 09:45 (nineteen years ago)

This morning was the first time ever I have innocently turned to the obituaries page in the paper and said 'oh no!'. Out loud. On the tube.

Soon after moving to London I saw him on his bicycle in Kentish Town. It was as much of a shock to see him alive then, in the flesh, as it is to learn of his death now. Genuinely irreplaceable.

― bham, Tuesday, 7 March 2006 09:47 (nineteen years ago)

I guess it's too early for the BBC news to be on just yet.

I'm also assuming the BBC4 tribute repeat showing of "Looking for truth with a pin" will be forthcoming.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 09:51 (nineteen years ago)

RIP Prince Ivor *sobs*

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 10:14 (nineteen years ago)

Oddly, John Junkin died today as well.

Point in common: Beatles films.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 10:20 (nineteen years ago)

I´m playing "Deedle, deedly, I pass" all day. R.I.P

― teen riot structure, Tuesday, 7 March 2006 10:21 (nineteen years ago)

Oh that's one of my all time favourite songs

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 10:22 (nineteen years ago)

We've had The Fall Peel sessions boxset, when are we going to have the Ivor Cutler one - so people can hear the wonders of "Pellets", "The Man With the Trembly Nose", "Who's That Not Knocking At My Door?" et al?

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 10:24 (nineteen years ago)

Aw no, one of those inspirational one off talents, I thought would live forever, now gone. I'll celebrate his life by having a plate of gruts for tea tonight.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 10:26 (nineteen years ago)

Terrible loss. RIP Ivor.

― stew!, Tuesday, 7 March 2006 10:28 (nineteen years ago)

Oh dear, awful news. He lasted a day longer than my grandpa who was a year older.

― leigh (leigh), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 10:33 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LddPuhzt0F4&search=cutler

Nice clip from Whistle Test..

― Jack Battery-Pack (Jack Battery-Pack), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 10:37 (nineteen years ago)

Went the same was as gramps i see...

― leigh (leigh), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 10:41 (nineteen years ago)

It's going to take some adjusting to that him and Peel are no more, so bound together are their voices in my memory.
I once interviewed Ivor at his flat in Dartmouth Park, north London. I banged on his door about 11am and he eventually peered down at me in an old fashioned nightcap, having forgotten I was coming. He managed to be both grouchy and charming at once, as you'd expect. The flat was full of curious homemade art objects. Recalling his time as a schoolteacher, he once got the kids to mime sniffing a tramps bottom. Normally I dreaded interviewing self-regarding actors and writers - even ones I'd previously admired - but Ivor CUtler was a joy.

― dr x o'skeleton, Tuesday, 7 March 2006 10:43 (nineteen years ago)

Awwww. It was on R4 news bundle at 10.

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 10:54 (nineteen years ago)

Sounds like Allen Ginsburg, but with humour and charm. Lovely man.

― Daniel Giraffe (Daniel Giraffe), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 11:04 (nineteen years ago)

R.I.P. Mr Cutler.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 11:23 (nineteen years ago)

The voice, a gentle burr -
Defying the bistro clatter
Of the knives in Ivor's sur
name;
And there isn't a birder anywhere
Who could spish more beguilingly
Than his harmonium.

― Rogan Whitenails, Tuesday, 7 March 2006 11:37 (nineteen years ago)

Sad.

He told Jerry the Nipper off once, I seem to recall. What an honour for Jerry.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 11:45 (nineteen years ago)

They seem to allude to that story in the Guardian obit! I guess he did it a lot :/

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 11:47 (nineteen years ago)

farewell then ivor. r.i.p

― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 12:02 (nineteen years ago)

Aw. What a shame. Again, not entirely surprising, but... AW. A true genius.

― emil.y (emil.y), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 12:04 (nineteen years ago)

Small piece on the BBC...

Hopefully they'll be more.

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 12:05 (nineteen years ago)

In our house we call the cutlery "the ivors" in his honour

― dr x o'skeleton, Tuesday, 7 March 2006 12:09 (nineteen years ago)

r.i.p.

i sort of expected him to be around forever like jeremy bentham

― amateurist0, Tuesday, 7 March 2006 12:11 (nineteen years ago)

You don't mean we should embalm him and then steal his head, do you, amateurist?

― emil.y (emil.y), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 12:12 (nineteen years ago)

I think he deserves a better posthumous fate than Alistair Cooke.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 12:14 (nineteen years ago)

I saw him a few times but one time in particular stays with me. He came to perform at our polytechnic at the invitation of some students. It was basically him in a classroom with 20 or so students. I was actually slightly dreading it because I'd seen him before and on those occasions he was his usual somewhat forthright self, threatening to leave if people kept rustling papers or whispering, albeit all done in a very charming way. Anyway 'the gig' got off to a bad start when he didn't like the water he asked for and just sort of stood staring at everyone. In such a small space it was quite uncomfortable, for him as well as us probably. However once he started reading his poems everything came right and in the end he stayed much longer than he said he would, chatted with everyone, signed books, answered questions and, amazingly, did most of this with a cheeky grin. As far as I know he got nothing but a train fare out of it but maybe it reminded him of his teacher days or maybe he just liked arts students (sounds unlikely) or maybe that was what he was normally like, for whatever reason he was fantastic and warm and, very, very funny.

I don't often shed a public tear but to-day in Costa Coffee in Melton Mowbray (of all places) I did.

RIP

"Women of the world take over, because if you don't the world will come to an end.
And we haven't got long..."

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 12:23 (nineteen years ago)

Ivor Cutler - Eggmeat (with John Peel introduction)

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 12:28 (nineteen years ago)

"The waiter and the chef are enjoying life
The waiter is the husband and the chef is his wife"
*twiddly piano music*

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 12:29 (nineteen years ago)

He was great. This is sad.

― beanz (beanz), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 12:43 (nineteen years ago)

Fuck.

RIP Ivor.

― TRG (TRG), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 12:48 (nineteen years ago)

damm what w/ derek bailey and now ivor cutler, we're losing all our best genius crusty grumpsters

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 13:46 (nineteen years ago)

http://imomus.livejournal.com/178552.html

― Momus (Momus), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 13:47 (nineteen years ago)

Ah, I didn't realise Kafka was his favourite writer! Every time I read Kafka, I imagine Ivor Cutler reading it in my head!

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 13:50 (nineteen years ago)

damm what w/ derek bailey and now ivor cutler, we're losing all our best genius crusty grumpsters

And Elton Dean last month, as well :-(

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 13:56 (nineteen years ago)

I assumed Ivor would live forever. :(

― Raw, Uncompromising, and Noodly (noodle vague), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

I assumed Ivor would live forever. :(

Seconded. It's really sad...and Gruts! - I never got to see him live.

― Jez (Jez), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 14:28 (nineteen years ago)

Saw him live twice. Genius both times. And he had so many great songs and poems that have never been released. That song about the mouse whose house collapsed, for instance - "I pulled him out by his face/ The poor wee mouse" (or something like that)

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 14:31 (nineteen years ago)

ahhh, a singular and brilliant individual...he has served us well

― bb (bbrz), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 14:37 (nineteen years ago)

One of those names I kept hearing about and now all these posts -- and Momus's excellent remembrance in particular -- have me intrigued. I will yet investigate more -- and it seems apt that Rogan Whitenails would post a tribute. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 15:14 (nineteen years ago)

I fight with the handle of my little brown broom
I pull out the wires of the telephone
I hurt in the head and
I hurt in the acting bone
Now I smash up the telly with remains of the broken phone
I fighting for the crust of the little brown loaf
I want it I want it I want it give it to me
(I give it you back when I finish the lunchtea)
I lie in the road try to trip up the passing cars
Yes me and the hedgehog
We bursting the tyres all day
As we roll down the highway towards the setting sun
I reflect on the life of the Highwayman yum yum
Now I smash up the telly and what's left of
The broken phone

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 15:18 (nineteen years ago)

Actually written by Robert Wyatt, that, but only Cutler could have spoken it.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 15:19 (nineteen years ago)

right - just my first exposure to him

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 15:22 (nineteen years ago)

a grade A 100% hero, and one of my favourite songwriters.
heres an episode from his "king cutler" radio series.
http://s38.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=20KYMHPC8F7Q52XRYSK99WQ3NM

― zappi (joni), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 15:54 (nineteen years ago)

http://ivorcutler.org/sessions.html

Too Sad.

― danny boy, Tuesday, 7 March 2006 16:10 (nineteen years ago)

He's Going In a Field, To Lie Down

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 16:12 (nineteen years ago)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4783226.stm

News of tribute progs, and A.Kershaw.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 16:20 (nineteen years ago)

No way!!!!

Ludo and friends children when they first hear Cockledoodledon't is worth videoing every time

This is sad news

RIP

― sonicred (sonicred), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 18:20 (nineteen years ago)

It's worth videoing anyone of any age's reaction to first hearing "Good Morning. How Are You? Shut Up!"

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 18:23 (nineteen years ago)

A million million and six.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 19:31 (nineteen years ago)

I think my very very favourite of his is "I'm Happy".

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 20:12 (nineteen years ago)

I may speak and sing in his voice henceforth.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 20:13 (nineteen years ago)

Elephants, elephants I love that big talk give me some more

― sonicred (sonicred), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 09:06 (nineteen years ago)

.. no.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 09:19 (nineteen years ago)

BBC Radio 3
Andy Kershaw
Sunday 12th March 2006
22:15-00:00
"In tribute to the late Ivor Cutler, Andy repeats a classic session from February 1979, together with tracks from Ali Farka Toure, who also died this week."

BBC Four Television
Ivor Cutler: Looking for Truth With a Pin
Friday 24th March 2006
21:00 - 22:00

From http://johnpeeleveryday.blogspot.com/

― harmonium jim, Friday, 10 March 2006 17:01 (nineteen years ago)

I miss him.

http://www.electromancer.com/showTrack.php?id=1142468173

― Owen, Wednesday, 15 March 2006 23:14 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.benbecula.com/archive/ivor_cutler.shtml

Solid bio

― Pistro, Thursday, 16 March 2006 00:21 (nineteen years ago)

http://living.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=427012006

― 70 per cent, Saturday, 18 March 2006 22:14 (nineteen years ago)

I love his music. He was a great musician. "Shoplifters" is one of my favourite Cutler' songs. R.I.P.

― antonio, Sunday, 19 March 2006 01:04 (nineteen years ago)

oh i'm so sad about this. listening to "beautiful cosmos" now.

sometimes i open my mouth
...
then shut it.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 19 March 2006 03:13 (nineteen years ago)

"Canada!?" he'd shout,
in a restrained manner,
playing for time.

...

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Sunday, 19 March 2006 23:05 (nineteen years ago)

stuart maconie mentioned there will be a tribute to ivor cutler on the freak zone show

http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/freakzone/
we pay tribute to musician, poet, philosopher and eccentric, Ivor Cutler.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Sunday, 26 March 2006 15:16 (nineteen years ago)

it's on...now

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Sunday, 26 March 2006 15:38 (nineteen years ago)

They repeated a documentary about him on BBC4 Friday night. I never knew he was Jewish. The 60s TV footage was great.

― Why does the birds always shitting on me? (noodle vague), Sunday, 26 March 2006 17:58 (nineteen years ago)

The Radio Clash Cutler tribute podcast was good: http://www.mutantpop.net/radioclash/archives/2006/03/09/rc_67/

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Sunday, 26 March 2006 18:10 (nineteen years ago)

Favourite bit of the BBC4 doc - "offer me less"

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Sunday, 26 March 2006 18:21 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I chuckled. And I think there was a bit onstage where he almost laffed at himself in the middle of a song that was sweet.

― Why does the birds always shitting on me? (noodle vague), Sunday, 26 March 2006 18:44 (nineteen years ago)

BBC Radio 4 repeated a documentary about him earlier this evening, "Glasgow Dreamer". Should be online for the next week:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/pip/q82gp/

It complements the BBC Four documentary rather well.

I was lucky enough to see Mr Cutler perform three times.

A true genius.

Robbie

― Lord Bongo (bongoboy), Sunday, 26 March 2006 20:26 (nineteen years ago)

I met Ivor at an art school at Kentish Town in the 60's. I was modeling there and he was a student. The first thing he ever said to me was "I could never have an affair with you." Taken aback, i asked him why. He said, "I could never have an affair with someone more neurotic than I." As an American, I had no idea of his fame. I used to wonder why all the students tried to talk to him. But, during breaks he would only talk to me. We had many wonderful lunches together. Although old to me (I was 21), I thought he was very cool. He disappeared for a time during the semester. He showed up at the end of term Christmas party. I missed him and told my boyfriend at the time about him. He recognized him and showed me the Magical Mystery Tour Book (which had just come out). He pointed to his picture and asked if it was him. I was very surpries. At the Christmas party, I walked up to him and said, "You've been in Cornwall with the Beatles, haven't you" He very nonchantly and shyly said yes. I said, "You are a famous person, aren't you? Why didn't you tell me?" He replied, "Because it was nice to have someone like me for myself." I will always treasure my time with him. Too bad we never had that affair. I was a silly girl then.

― Chandelle, Sunday, 2 April 2006 17:24 (nineteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

What a wonderful story - Thanks for posting it!

Ivor Cutler was definately my hero and the one person I most wanted to meet in the world... but my wish was unfortunately not fulfilled so I have to make do by engrossing myself in accounts (like Chandelle's) of people who did... The conditions weren't good for me - I'm only 15 and hail from Brisbane, Australia... I was in London at the end of last year but, sadly, Mr Cutler was already in bad health and unable to be contacted.

Oh well - his words live on. Education is a chair!

― Rob_muso, Tuesday, 18 April 2006 10:55 (nineteen years ago)

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