John Renbourn: Just Like Me

Electric Eden introduces us to John Renbourn:

Born in London in 1944, he was encouraged to explore the medieval and Elizabethan lute tradition by his classical guitar teacher. 

He was drawn, by way of skiffle, to the American blues picking of Elizabeth Cotten, Brownie McGhee and Ramblin' Jack Elliott while studying at Kingston College of Art, which at that moment was a breeding ground for as many upcoming musicians as artists - undergraduates included Eric Clapton, Sandy Denny and members of The Yardbirds.

Renbourn's beatnik credentials were as impeccable as his art-school grounding: in the early 1960s he lived in a barge on the Thames and followed the European busking trail, even writing a bluesy eulogy to the National 7 highway through France to St Tropez.

In 1967 he formed Pentangle with, among others, Bert Jansch and Danny Thompson. That band split at the start of 1973, and Renbourn recorded Just Like Me the same year.

It was intended for a solo album that was never completed and was not released until 1996 and his Lost Sessions LP.