The sad truth behind ‘Do Lord’
We get into the car again because Larry Melton likes to show me Annapolis. We pass a horse race course where Eva worked for some time. Annapolis is a beautiful old city. It was founded by the puritans of Virginia as ‘Providence’ in 1649. Nowadays Annapolis is Maryland’s capital. Larry polishes his lunch off faster than I, which gives him the opportunity to withdraw with his telephone. Before I have emptied my plate he returns in an elated mood: ‘I have good news for you. Ned Judy likes to talk to you. He will visit us this afternoon. This will be his first interview in seven years. I told him he could trust you.’
We stroll through Annapolis and Larry points to the house where Eva lived. We visit some pubs and clubs where Eva performed like the Maryland Inn and Reynolds Tavern. The musical history is still visible in the shape of pictures on the wall of performing musicians like guitarist Charlie Byrd. On the way back to Bowie we drive along a school building where Eva attended pottery classes.
maryland-inn
Back in Bowie I meet Ned Judy. This tanned, talkative friend and talented piano player had an affair with Eva when he was nineteen. His optimistic cheerful way of talking changes abruptly when we discuss Eva’s Time after Time album: ‘After Eva died, a memorial service was planned,’ Ned tells me. ‘I was living in Los Angeles, and did not attend the service. I was with Eva during the final days of her life, but did not return for the memorial. When Eva’s parents told me about this service, they asked me if they could play some of my recordings, that included Eva. They wanted to play a variety of her songs at this service. I agreed, of course, and sent them an audio cassette tape with a few different things, including my recording of ‘Do Lord’, a different version, than the one you know. Larry also provided some recordings, on cassette tape, including his version of ‘Do Lord’. I don’t know if either version was played at the service, I wasn’t there, but our cassette tapes were obviously mixed up.’
Ned Judy
‘A few years later, I learned that my name appeared on an Eva Cassidy CD and I was credited as ‘engineer’ on one song that had by then the title ‘Way Beyond The Blue’! Of course, this was not my recording, it was Larry’s. Neither Larry nor I had been asked, or notified. We were both surprised. We would have corrected the error, if either of us had been asked. Larry contacted Hugh Cassidy and told him about the issue. My name was supposed to be removed from subsequent pressings. I don’t know if this ever happened. Larry and I were not happy. The recording was taken from a lousy cassette tape! If they would have asked us, Larry could have provided a clean, re-mastered digital version, but instead, an inferior version, copied from an old cassette tape was distributed, internationally, without his consent, or knowledge. Perhaps someone thought he was ripping me off, but I was not the injured party.’
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Waters and Barrett were childhood friends; Waters had often visited Barrett and watched him play guitar at Barrett’s mother’s house.