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Guitar God Richard Thompson Plays 'Electric,' Acoustic

Richard Thompson.
Pamela Littky
/
Courtesy of the artist
Richard Thompson.

Richard Thompson started playing in "The British Byrds," Fairport Convention, when he was only 17. Here, he talks about the band's youthful ambition and his subsequent work as a guitarist-for-hire for the likes of Nick Drake — all before the remarkable solo career that leads us to his new album, Electric, recorded in Nashville with guitarist Buddy Miller producing.

We hear the story behind "The Snow Goose," a ballad made more stark played on acoustic guitar. We and our World Cafe studio audience never tire of Thompson's playing, as his World Cafe visits hit double digits.

This World Cafe segment originally aired on Feb. 26, 2013.

Copyright 2021 XPN. To see more, visit XPN.

David Dye is a longtime Philadelphia radio personality whose music enthusiasm has captivated listeners of World Cafe® since 1991. World Cafe is produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania.