Songs of the Seven (Blake's 7 filk tape)

Filk Album
Album Title:	Songs of the Seven
Producer:
Type:
Date:	1983
Medium:	cassette
Fandom:	Blake's 7
Performer(s):	Linda Short
Other:
External Links:	Youtube
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Songs of the Seven is a filk tape of Blake's 7 filk songs written and sung by Linda Short.

It is NOT related to Songs of the Seven published by Xenon Press.

Contents

cassette tape cover and insert

• Children of Auron
• I Never Wanted to Come!
• Reflections of Me
• Here's the Job for You
• Franton's Song
• Dreaming Again....
• Last Words
• Child of the Auronar
• Vila's kids
• Elegy

Reactions and Reviews

Generally folky in flavour, I enjoy this tape, although I prefer "Ditties from the Edge of the World", which is also by Linda Short."

Linda Short’s first album, “Songs Of The Seven”, was all original music, but people complained because they couldn’t just sing them with the words, so she did another, “Ditties From the Edge of The World,” with existing tunes for her original words. There’s something very special - magical! - about sitting around late at night during a con, singing songs related to your passion, some about novels you’ve read, others about novels you might then decide to read as a result.

Linda wrote, sang, played the guitar and actually produced a Tape Cassette of her songs entitled "Songs of the Seven." One of my favourites was 'Reflections of Me', about Avon and his view of Blake, another was 'Children of Auron', (Cally) and,' I Never Wanted to be a Hero', (Vila). I'm currently trying to transfer the cassette onto a computer...well, I'm not, daughter no. 2 is. Hopefully she can then save the music onto disc (which wasn't around back then!) Linda passed away several years ago, but I think she would be thrilled that B7 is still as avidly loved now as we all loved it back then.

Practical notes first, the tape arrived safely, well packed in a padded envelope and the recording was clear. Linda has a fine natural singing voice and plays the guitar extremely well.

There are 10 songs with moods that range from the very funny to the very sad, and each shows perception and insight into B7 and the B7 characters. Not surprisingly, 3 of the 4 humourous songs centre on Vila; I particularly liked 'Dreaming Again' and 'Vila's Kids' but all the comic songs manage to put me in a good mood - even after thinking about the 4th series! They are light-hearted, cheerful and delightful. Far more sad and serious are 'Reflections of Me' and 'Last Words' - the first concerns Avon and the second Jenna, and deal with where their relationships with Blake led them. Probably the saddest song of the tape, 'Elegy', is about Gauda Prime, naturally it is a lament but for who and by who everyone must choose for themselves. Anyway, it's a beautiful song and even three years on brings back the desolation of the 'Blake' episode. Three of the songs are about the Auronar and they capture the 'feel' of Cally's people, the importance to them of 'the sharing mind' which non-telepaths (most of us) can't truly understand. There is a sadness in these songs too, but also hope as in both 'Child of The Auronar' and 'Franton's Song' the promise that the Children of Auron will return is remembered. Perhaps there is a possibility there for some next-generation stories?

Highly recommended, if you haven't heard the tape - do so as soon as possible.

"SOT7 is all by one British female artist named Linda M. Short. Linda has a very lovely voice and plays fine guitar accompaniment. The album was done in 1983 and contains ten songs. Many songs are tender and/or melancholy - beautiful. Favorites include:

"Reflections of Me" - Avon sings to Blake (or his memory of Blake), pondering what it was which drew and held him to the "burly rebel".

Blake, I don't understand what you did

Or what was your hold over me

Why, when sometimes, I looked in your eyes

Did I see a reflection of me

You dragged me along, though I shouted, "You're wrong!"

And I fought you each step of the way

You gave me a choice, with a smile in your voice

For you knew, all the time, I'd stay

Blake, I don't understand what you did

Or what was your hold over me

Why, when sometimes, I looked in your eyes

Did I see a reflection of me

I'd laugh, and deride you, then fight at your side

Unsure of which part I should choose

Though it may not be true, being with you

Was like being every which way but loose

I don't understand what you did

Or what was your hold over me

Why, when sometimes, I looked in your eyes

Did I see a reflection of me

Now, your shadow's still here, though you're no longer near

And there's whispers that run round my head

Though I push them aside, they won't be denied, Blake

I'll never be free till you're dead

I don't understand what you did

_How_ could _you_ hold _me_

Why, whenever I looked in your eyes

Did I see a reflection of me

"Franton's Song" - Franton sings a lullaby to the Auronar clone children (remember episode "Children of Auron"?), probably post-GP. I love this song because it reminds me of a zine story I read once where a team of the firstborn clone children _know_ that GP has happened, and set out to find Avon, restore him to physical and mental health through Auron mind-healing techniques, then join him to help him bring down Servalan and the Federation once and for all.

Be still, my children, each and every one

Close your minds, and let the Dreamtime come

And as you slumber, softly, I will sing

To speed the morning and the daylight bring

This song I'll sing you oft times while you grow

For each and every child the truth must know

Must learn the story and remember well

So that in time to your own children tell

How evil men by evil woman led

Upon our lovely world, Death's seeds they spread

And how the People of the Sharing Mind

Shared every death of every Auronar

And how those whispers of a dying world

Within the mind of one lost Child were heard

And how she brought The Seven from the stars

To find five thousand, and see you all on Kaarn

So sleep, my children, and your blessings give

Unto The Seven who gave you chance to live

And ever keep their memory in your hearts

Safe within the Soul of Auronar

Be still, my children, each and every one

Close your minds and let the Dreamtime come

And as you slumber, softly, I will sing

To speed the morning and the daylight bring

"Last Words" - Avon's last thoughts before he pulls the trigger on GP are, of course, of Blake. Sigh.

It's easy to read all the data that shows on my screens

Easy to work it all out, to know what it means

There all around on the inside I'm stuck

I've run out of chances, run out of luck

Easy to see, this is the end, for me

I never imagined that it would all end this way

That I'd have to face this all on my own, so afraid

I'd clung to the hope that you and I

Would find someplace to live and to die

I hope you know the words I don't have time to say

Now as I wait for Eternity's knock at my door

I'm asking myself, what has it really been for

So much we have lost, so little we gained

Nothing we won without sorrow and pain

And yet, I don't think that anyone could have done more

So here with my fingers poised ready I'm waiting until

I can close both my eyes, blank out my mind, then I'll kill

Maybe I never quite shared all your dreams

But you gave me a glimpse of how good life should be

I hope you make it, but Blake, I don't think you will

I hope you make it, but Blake, I don't think you will

"Here's the Job for You" - The Six advertize for a "Blake" post Star One. Told from the point of view of someone who "interviewed" for Tarrant's job, and was turned down. Very peppy and funny song.

The other day my credit flow had nearly ebbed away

So I punched for the want-ads on the visual display

I was looking for employment, I'd give anything a try

When an entry in the "Spacer's" happened to catch my eye

Come and make our number up to 7, if you can

We've only got 6, we need another man

We've got two men, two lovely girls and two computers, too

And if you can keep them all in line, well, here's the job for you!

It said, "We need a leader for our galant little band

A Captain for our Starship that never needs to land

You must be brave, you must be good, honest, loyal, strong

We don't want any cowards, we've already got one

So, come and make our number up to 7, if you can

We've only got 6, we need another man

We've got two men, two lovely girls and two computers, too

And if you can keep them all in line, well, here's the job for you!

We really would appreciate a stubborn kind of man

Oblivious to danger, full of reckless plans

And it doesn't really matter if your schemes go up the spout

Cause we've a genius on board who'll always pull you out

So, come and make our number up to 7, if you can

We've only got 6, we need another man

We've got two men, two lovely girls and two computers, too

And if you can keep them all in line, well, here's the job for you!

So I went to the audition, sorry, interview, I mean

I polished up my high knee boots, made sure the (something) were clean

I tried to hide my accent, for it doesn't do at all

If you sound like a Jones Boy, (something something, apparent Welsh accent)

So, come and make the number up to 7, if you can

They've only got 6, they need another man

They've got two men, two lovely girls and two computers, too

And if you can keep them all in line, well, here's the job for you!

They looked me up, they looked me down, one gave me half a smile (Avon!)

The dark girl in the corner twirled her guns round all the while

And then I heard, inside my head, I'm sure of this, I'll swear

A little voice said, "He's no good! He hasn't got curly hair!"

Come and make the number up to 7, if you can

They've only got 6, they need another man

They've got two men, two lovely girls and two computers, too

And if you can keep them all in line, well, here's the job for you!

Quite despondent then, I wandered home, I really felt quite sad

Especially when I heard they chose a lusty English lad

I thought I'd missed my chance, look you, when I saw Series 3

But, by the end of Series 4, I was glad they hadn't picked me!

To come and make the number up to 7, if you can

We've only got 6, we need another man

We've got two men, two lovely girls and two computers, too

And if you can keep them all in line, well, here's the job for you!

Other songs are just as beautiful or just as fun. I like "Vila's Kids" - a post-GP happy ending story with everyone growing old together . . . Avon, Tarrant, Dayna, and Soolin amusing Vila's kids at a get-together. Fur flies when the kids loose Orac's key. Very cute.

What is filk music? For the most part, it’s science fiction and fantasy-related music written to existing tunes, which makes them easier for people to sing, as long as they have the words. But there is a lot of original music too - Linda Short’s first album, “Songs Of The Seven”, was all original music, but people complained because they couldn’t just sing them with the words, so she did another, “Ditties From the Edge of The World,” with existing tunes for her original words.

[...]

Linda’s voice was a sweet folk soprano along the lines of Joan Baez, if you can imagine Joan Baez with a northern British accent. Leslie Fish, an American, was more like Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary, though huskier, possibly due to her chain smoking. She can sing in a very cheeky style for the humorous songs or powerfully for the serious ones.

Linda Short was a wonderful British filk singer whom I met through “Blake’s Seven” fandom some time in the 1980s. Well, we never actually met, even when I went to England - she was ill at the time and lived, anyway, so far to the north it was just too far to travel. She was a pen pal. I do regret never having met her, especially since she passed away a few years ago, from a breast cancer she assured me had been caught in time.

Over the years, she recorded three tapes. I bought the generally available ones, but one she made for me at Christmas one year when she thought it was the only way to be sure she gave me something I didn’t have. What a treasure it was, too! Several of the songs came from the Westerfilk collection, some were her own, including two with words by Rudyard Kipling, one with words by a very funny British fan writer called Val Douglas and - wince! - my tribbles song. Tonight I got out the tape and, with a lot of messing around, finally managed to get it on to iTunes through Garage band and burn it on to CD, so that I never again have to worry about my precious personal Linda Short filk tape degrading and snapping. Now that she is gone, it is all the more important to make sure her voice stays alive, at least.