Richard Thompson

Upstreeter

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Non-VOC Member
Many of you will know the Richard Thompson song 'Vincent Black Lightning 1952'. Those of you fortunate enough to buy the RT boxed set thingy by Free Reed will find a facsimile Vincent brochure therein. Sadly it's the best designed part of the whole production. Luckily the music is great enough to overcome this disappointment. 'VBL 1952' still remains one of his most requested songs at gigs.
 

nkt267

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How many people have picked up on the reference to Vincent motor sickle(deliberate spelling)in Reasons to be Cheerful by Ian Drury and the Blockheads?
 

Upstreeter

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OK, any more references? musical or in literature? BTW, at the time of the release of Rumour and Sigh, RT gave an interview to the BBC and he clearly knew that most Black Lightnings wouldn't have had a key! He put this in for poetic and lyrical effect ('and he passed her the keys, saying I'll have no further use for these' or something like that). As all you experts know there were instance(s) of BLs being road-equipped (as there were of The Grey Flash) in which case presumably a key would have been provided.

Hunter S. Thompson - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, mentions The Vincent I think.
 

tonythecat

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Mmmmmmmmmm, I am on my 6th Vin and have never owned or even seen a one with a key, or do the Princes & Knights have one on their pretty "dashboard"?.
 

Upstreeter

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OK, sorry, I have one on my Shadow...but it's not standard. You're demonstrably correct, especially after such a long 'Mmmmmmmm'. The point really was that the guy realised that a Lightning wasn't specifically a road bike as would have been suggested by the reference to a key. I must really learn to be more careful!
 

nkt267

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Black Shadow of the Vincent falling on the T*****h line.
This is England by The Clash.:cool:
 

timetraveller

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Yes Tonythecat. Knights and Princes do have a key as standard and it is not up to the standard of the rest of the bike.

Meeeooowww :)
 

daveinnola

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richard thompson knows as much about vbls( sounds like a burger ) as my ex wife and she,s from porto rico , now dickie is a great fan of mg b gt,s he even knows what gear boxes they have , and how fast they will go and its a better song , but to aline him with vincents, hes a mg ? man :cool:
 
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