Ivor Cutler

Ivor Cutler (born Isadore Cutler, 15 January 1923 – 3 March 2006) was a Scottish poet, singer, musician, songwriter, artist and humorist. He became known for his regular performances on BBC radio, and in particular his numerous sessions recorded for John Peel's influential eponymous late-night radio programme (on BBC Radio 1), and later for Andy Kershaw's programme. He appeared in the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour film in 1967, and on Neil Innes's television programmes. Cutler also wrote books for children and adults, and was a teacher at A. S. Neill's Summerhill School and for 30 years in inner-city schools in London.

In live performances Cutler would often accompany himself on a harmonium. Phyllis King appears on several of his records, and for several years was a part of his concerts. She usually read small phrases but also read a few short stories. The two starred in a BBC radio series, King Cutler, in which they performed their material jointly and singly. Cutler also collaborated with pianist Neil Ardley, singer Robert Wyatt, guitarist Fred Frith, and musicians David Toop and Steve Beresford.

Early life Ivor Cutler was born on 15 January 1923 at 3 Ralston Drive, Govan, Glasgow, into a middle-class Jewish family of Ashkenazi Jewish origins (of Romanian-Jewish descent). He was the second son and the third of five children. His father Jack Moris Cutler was a draper and jeweller. He cited his childhood as the source of his artistic temperament, recalling a sense of displacement when his younger brother was born: "Without that I would not have been so screwed up as I am, and therefore not as creative." He was educated at the Shawlands Academy. In 1939 Cutler was evacuated to Annan. He joined the Royal Air Force as a navigator in 1942 but was soon grounded for "dreaminess" and worked as a storeman. He moved to London where he was employed by the Inner London Education Authority to teach music, dance, drama and poetry to 7-to-11-year-olds. Cutler's deeply held views on humanity meant he disliked corporal punishment and on leaving a teaching job he held in the 1950s he cut up his tawse and handed the pieces to the class.

Musical career

Cutler began writing songs and poetry in the late 1950s, making the first of many appearances on BBC radio on the Home Service, where he featured on the Monday Night at Home programme on 38 occasions between 1959 and 1963. who becomes passionately attracted to Ringo Starr's Aunt Jessie. Following this film role, Cutler recorded an LP, Ludo (1967), produced by George Martin, and credited to the Ivor Cutler Trio, made up of Cutler with bassist Gill Lyons and percussionist Trevor Tomkins. The album, taking inspiration from trad jazz and boogie-woogie, sees Cutler playing the piano as well as his usual harmonium, and is considered the most traditionally musical of all his records.

In the 1970s, Neil Ardley had Cutler sing on his album A Symphony of Amaranths (1971), and former-Soft Machine drummer Robert Wyatt asked Cutler to play harmonium and sing on two of the tracks on his album Rock Bottom (1974). The collaboration with Wyatt led to Cutler being signed to Wyatt's record label Virgin Records, for whom Cutler recorded three albums in the mid-1970s: Dandruff (1974), Velvet Donkey (1975) and Jammy Smears (1976). Each of these discs intersperses Cutler's poems and songs with readings by his performing companion Phyllis King. Wyatt would later cover Cutler's song "Go and Sit upon the Grass".

During the decade Cutler used his sessions for John Peel to introduce numerous episodes of his Life in a Scotch Sitting Room series, culminating in the 1978 album Life in a Scotch Sitting Room, Vol. 2, regarded as a particularly autobiographical work, There were crossovers, where parts of the public performances, albums, and books had the same name; the most notable and regular favourite at performances was Life in a Scotch Sitting Room, Volume 2, combining the book with the album.

Reception and legacy Cutler was a noted eccentric, dressing in a distinctive style including plus-fours and hats adorned with many badges, travelling mainly by bicycle and often communicating by means of sticky labels printed with "Cutlerisms", one of which, "never knowingly understood" came to be applied by supporters and detractors alike (the latter phrase is a play on 'never knowingly undersold', which was for many years the slogan of the John Lewis Partnership). Others included "Kindly disregard", reserved for official correspondence, and "to remove this label take it off". The reception room of his home contained some pieces of ivory cutlery, a pun on his name. He was a member of the Noise Abatement Society and the Voluntary Euthanasia Society.

Composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Jim O'Rourke covered Cutler's 1983 song "Women of the World" on his album Eureka (1999). This song was also covered by Karine Polwart on her "Scottish Songbook" album. In October 2012 in Seattle, Washington, the Mark Morris Dance Group premiered a work entitled "Wooden Tree," featuring recordings of Cutler's renditions of his songs. In 2014 a new play, The Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler, a co-production by Vanishing Point and National Theatre of Scotland, was performed.

Cutler earned a faithful cult following. English radio host John Peel once remarked that Cutler was probably the only performer whose work had been featured on Radio 1, 2, 3 and 4.

He retired from performing in 2004, and died on 3 March 2006, from a stroke while in London.

Reflections upon his poetry, humour and legacy continued well after his death.

Discography

Albums and EPs

1959 Ivor Cutler of Y'Hup (EP, Decca) 1961 Who Tore Your Trousers? (Decca) 1961 Get Away from the Wall (EP, Decca) 1967 Ludo (EMI) 1974 Dandruff (Virgin) 1975 Velvet Donkey (Virgin) 1976 Jammy Smears (Virgin) 1978 Life in a Scotch Sitting Room, Vol. 2 (Harvest) 1983 Privilege (with Linda Hirst, Rough Trade) 1986 Prince Ivor (Rough Trade) 1986 Gruts (Rough Trade) 1989 Peel Sessions (EP, Strange Fruit, 1969 recordings) 1997 A Wet Handle (Creation) 1997 Ludo (Rev-Ola, 1967 recordings) 1998 A Flat Man (Creation) 2019 Singing While Dead (EP, Hoorgi House, 4 unreleased 1950s recordings)

Compilations 1980 Brooch Boat Ivor's contribution to Morgan Fisher's Miniatures LP. A compilation of 51 one minute masterpieces by 51 different artists (Cherry Red) 2005 An Elpee and Two Epees (the Decca recordings) 2012 Essential Masters 1959-1961 (Comedy Classics, the Decca recordings in a different order) 2017 Gruts For Tea Again (Coda)

Video 2005 Looking for Truth with a Pin, and Cutler's Last Stand documentary and live performance (Claptrap)