I remembered the song ‘Wild Places’ from Duncan Browne in a far away memory when seeing the recording of Toppop on tele last summer.

You can wach the video on: http://www.toppop.nl/yeah/node/232

Dirk, from Belgium

I happened to be working in a record store at the time, so had the great fortune of being among a ravenous bunch of music enthusiasts. One day, my manager put “Wild Places” on the in-store turntable. Being a guitarist of certain respect, I was easily under Duncan’s spell. Naturally, the LP made it on the air, as well as the Metro effort, especially Criminal World and Black Lace Shoulder. During my late night shifts, I played two copies of Camino Real, just slightly out of phase, which created a sweeping effect, augmenting an already majestic composition.

You can imagine my joy when my manager, grin on his face, handed me the promo-copy of Streets of Fire some months later. We were both fans of Duncan and he knew I’d be the only one in the region who would bring his new music to the airwaves. I bought another copy, and on my next show, played the whole thing, mixing each cut carefully together. Weeks after, I pulled off my out-of-phase trick with “Streets of Fire”, being respectful to parts of the song that would become over-burdened by the additional treatment. Since it would alter too much Duncan’s original vision, I was very careful, using my ears, my head and my heart to guide me. I usually played all his songs as they were intended to sound, but in playing two copies at once, it provided the listener with a “bigger” sound, a grander rendition, in the hope that I could get more people to buy it. My loyal audience eventually knew I was behind the mic when they heard “Fauvette”, or “American Heartbeat”, and soon began requesting his songs on a regular basis.

One day years later, I called Sire records in New York and asked when the new Duncan Browne record was coming out, but a snotty, gum-chewing female said he’d been dropped. It was the last I would hear of Duncan until recently, when I found this website. I sat, transfixed, reading Lin’s interview. I relished each of Mr. Magnus’s moves while compiling “Songs of Love and War” (I have spent a little time behind a mixing board myself). Most of all, I am elated that people from all over the world have posted their thoughts and praise of a talent I felt HAD to be heard, no matter what it took.

Twenty five years later, I still do a weekly radio show, and I still play Duncan’s music. Occasionally I get a call asking who it is, and I’ll say “How much time do you have to chat?”

Such fond memories.