Tim Hart

Tim Hart is also the name of the original Theory of a Deadman drummer.

Tim Hart (born 9 January 1948, Lincoln, England) is a retired English folk singer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of electric folk band, Steeleye Span.

Early years

Tim Hart's father, Rev. Canon Dennis Hart, was the vicar of St Saviour's in St Albans. Hart began his life as a musician performing with the Rattfinks, St Albans School's second band, the first being The Zombies. In 1966, he began performing with the Blackpool born Maddy Prior, touring English folk clubs. In 1968 and 1969 the duo recorded two albums: Folk Songs of Olde England, (Volumes One and Two).

Steeleye Span

From 1970 to 1982, Hart and Prior were the backbone of Steeleye Span. In 1971, as well as recording two albums as part of Steeleye Span, they recorded Summer Solstice - a much more professional recording than their first two albums, including a string arrangement by Robert Kirby, better known for his work with Nick Drake. Almost every song that Hart sang was traditional. Steeleye Span's commercial success peaked in 1975. They toured in the United States and Australia and used electric instruments more frequently. However, further hits eluded them. They announced that their 1978 tour of the United Kingdom would be their farewell.

The fragmentation

Hart took this opportunity to release a solo album, Tim Hart, in 1979. Several Steeleye Span members such as Maddy Prior and Rick Kemp contributed on vocals and instruments.^[1] Bob Johnson and Peter Knight recorded a narrative project in 1977. Maddy outdid them all by producing two solo albums in 1978, including her own compositions. Hart appeared on one more Steeleye Span record, Sails of Silver, before resigning in 1982. The last gig for him was at the Theatre Royal, Norwich.

In 1981 Hart released two albums of nursery rhymes originally written for his own children on the Music for Pleasure label. He used most of Steeleye Span, and other musicians who had small children and could take the project seriously. Also, in a bold move, he became a record producer for a rock band, The Monochrome Set. Their album Eligible Bachelors was a whimsical cynical view of relations between the sexes.

Hart's health seriously declined, and in 1988 he emigrated to La Gomera, a small island in the Canary Islands. Abandoning music altogether, he became full time writer and photographer, married again, built himself a house on the side of a mountain, and restored his health. As there was no guidebook to La Gomera available in English, Hart wrote, and took most of the photographs for, La Gomera: A Guide to the Unspoiled Canary Island (2004).

In December 2008 Hart was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, and returned to England with his wife to seek continuing medical treatment.^[2] During Steeleye Span's 2009 winter tour, it was announced that Park Records would be reissuing Hart's recordings.

The Journey

In 1995, Hart was persuaded to return to the United Kingdom for a five-hour marathon performance. It was a concert in aid of the charity War Child, and featured almost every member of Steeleye Span. A recording of the concert, The Journey did not appear until 1999. For many years he did not perform outside of La Gomera. However, Hart performed with Maddy Prior as part of the BBC Electric Proms on 23 October 2008.^[3]

Discography

Tim Hart

• Tim Hart (1979)

Tim Hart and Maddy Prior

• Folk Songs of Olde England Vol. 1 (1968)
• Folk Songs of Olde England Vol. 2 (1968)
• Summer Solstice (1971)

Tim Hart and Friends

• My Very Favourite Nursery Rhymes (1981)
• The Drunken Sailor and other Kids Favourites (1983)

References