Keith Douglas "Midge" Marsden MNZM (born 1945) is a New Zealand blues and R&B guitarist, harmonica-player, and singer with a musical career spanning four decades. Marsden was born and brought up in New Plymouth, Taranaki, the son of Les and Elaine Marsden. His musical education started on the piano, and included singing in church, though his first musical love was rock and roll. As a teenager he took guitar lessons from a New Plymouth musician called Leo Davies, who also owned a recording studio in the town, and went on to further lessons with another musician, Johnny Williams.
Marsden's career spans four decades, and during that time he has played thousands of concerts in New Zealand and introduced several generations of New Zealanders to the blues. He was voted New Zealand Entertainer of the Year in 1990, and his 1991 album Burning Rain later went gold.
Marsden has toured the USA four times, and each time he has played with and befriended artists such as Little Willy Foster, Bobby Mack, Ronnie Taylor, and Australian Dave Boyle. He has encouraged all these artists to tour New Zealand, and thus broadened New Zealanders' appreciation of blues music. Marsden was a student at the University of Mississippi in 1996, from where he graduated with a Diploma in Southern Studies, and more recently he has tutored at Waikato Institute of Technology in "Bluesology".
In 2006 Marsden was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to music.
Marsden was a friend of Stevie Ray Vaughan; upon living in Texas at various times he would stay at Vaughan's house for months on end. He toured with Vaughan a few times, playing harmonica and recorded a Europa petrol advert with Vaughan in 1987 (pictured above).
Here in this episode, Darcy Perry pays tribute to Midge Marsden. Enjoy!
1. Midge Marsden - Little Ray
2. Midge Marsden - Struck Down by the Blues
3. Midge Marsden - I Wanna Be Loved
4. Midge Marsden with The Rodger Fox Big Band - Grit’s Ain’t Groceries
5. Midge Marsden with The Rodger Fox Big Band - Running Blues
6. Midge Marsden - Burning Rain
7. Midge Marsden with The Rodger Fox Big Band - Caledonia
8. Midge Marsden with Bullfrog Rata - Feel So Good
9. Midge Marsden with Bullfrog Rata - Pride and Joy
10. Midge Marsden - Waiting For Rain
11. Midge Marsden - Kokomo
12. Midge Marsden - Travellin’ On
13. Midge Marsden with Stevie Ray Vaughan - Europa TV Ad “Travellin’ On”
This episode first aired on
FreeFM89.0 in New Zealand.
The Midge Marsden Collection is a 28-track career retrospective, spanning 50 years in music from one of New Zealand's most revered musical entertainers and journeymen of the rhythm & blues.
For any Midge Marsden fan or music enthusiast, the double jewel case package includes a 12-page glossy booklet with track by track notes and accompanying photographs.
Track Listing:
DISC 1:
Baby Please Don't Go
O Fat Daddy
Rangitoto
Everything's Gonna Be Alright
Believe It's Over
Slow Walk, Jive Talk
Carry My Blues Away
I Wanna Be With You
Texas Blues
Another Man Done Gone
You're Gonna Need Me
Boogie Thing
Mystery Train
Travellin’ On (Europa Ad)
DISC 2:
Burning Rain
Little Ray
Struck Down By The Blues
Daylight Robbery
Travellin' On
Thru The Southern Moonlight
Trust My Baby
Sea Cruise
Move Up To The Country
Happy Birthday Blues
Smoke! Smoke! Smoke!
I'll Drown In My Own Tears
Down To The Bone
Growing Out Of The Blues
