'Henry the Human Fly' (1972) was a version of the British traditional folk / rock & roll mix that he had begun to dabble with in his old band. This and other projects went largely unnoticed over the following few years, and 'Henry the Human Fly' gained the notable distinction of being the worst-selling album in the history of Warner Brothers Records.
Some of the gigs Thompson performed in 1972 featured Linda Peters, who would later become his wife, and together they recorded the classic album 'I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight' (1974). They released five more records together, ending with 'Shoot Out the Lights' in 1982. Between 1975 and 1978, the pair virtually disappeared from the music scene when they moved into a Muslim community outside of London. Their return to recording in 1978 with 'First Light' reflected these new influences, mixing Islamic and North African sounds with the usual folk and rock.
Back again as a solo artist, Thompson remained busy with his own albums as well as guesting on dozens of releases such as those by the Golden Palominos and Bob Mould, alongside more traditional folk artists.
Throughout the 80's his sound began reflecting more American influences, but he remained grounded by his traditional roots and utilised instruments such as the accordion, hurdy-gurdy, mandolin, etc to add colour to his entertaining and often amusing creations.
Two separate tribute albums appeared in the '90's, featuring admirers and collaborators alike such as R.E.M., Tom Robinson, Bob Mould, June Tabor, Martin Carthy and Dinosaur Jr. These albums helped to illustrate that Thompson's influence reaches far wider than most of his early contemporaries in the '70's folk scene.
IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU'LL LIKE RICHARD THOMPSON: Fairport Convention, John Martyn, Elvis Costello, Nick Drake, Loudon Wainwright III, Tom Waits, R.E.M., Bob Mould, Neil Young, John Hiatt, Bob Dylan.