Known globally for his international, timeless music, Bap’s legacy is being beautifully revived by his wife and musical partner, Brenda Kennedy. To honour his memory, Brenda is launching a comprehensive online archive alongside a brand-new album of completely unreleased tracks. We caught up with Brenda to get the exclusive story behind the project, what fans can expect from the new album, and the enduring power of Bap's music.
FT: It’s been ten years since Bap passed away, but you’ve been busy with putting together a new album of unreleased material and building a new web-based archive. Has that been a bittersweet thing to do?
BK: Yes. Bittersweet is a good way to describe it. Bitter because Bap is no longer with us, and sweet because his music is reaching more listeners as time goes by – which is exactly what he would have wanted. And it’s very heart-warming to see how well-loved Bap was.
There’s been a great response to the web-based archive and people have been sending us some great material for it. We’re aiming to have it launched, or at least well underway, by his tenth anniversary in November.
FT: The new record is made up of unreleased material, was it just sitting in the archive unfinished?
BK: Not all of it was unfinished. Some of the songs were already completed, mixed and mastered, while others needed varying amounts of work to bring them to a stage where they could be released.
The album brings together ten tracks from different points in Bap’s career, and each one has its own story. Some were recorded quite recently, shortly before he died, while others go back much further. In some cases I knew the songs well and understood why they had remained unreleased. In others, I was coming to them almost as a listener, trying to piece together their history from the recordings and notes that were left behind. The challenge was to stay true to what Bap would have wanted while making sure the songs were presented in the best possible way.
FT: Why didn’t he release it at the time?
BK: I only know the answer to that for some of the more recent tracks where it was usually a matter of him dropping a song at the last moment because he didn’t think it fitted the album. Then it might end up just being forgotten about. Bap was always writing and recording, and some good songs just didn’t find their way onto the albums.
FT: Are the songs from a particular era of Bap’s work, or do they cover his entire career?
BK: The most recent tracks were written shortly before he died, while others date back much earlier in his career.
FT: Over the years Bap worked with the likes of Steve Earle and Mark Knopfler, was there anyone he wanted to work with, but just never got the chance?
BK: I know he loved working with Steve Earle and Mark Knopfler, and his friendship with Steve was especially close. And he enjoyed the experience of writing the song “Milky Way” with Van Morrison. Towards the end of his time in London, he was close to Shane MacGowan. The two of them used to enjoy playing together in The Boogaloo, and Shane ended up singing the last verse on the recorded version of Bap’s “On the Mighty Ocean Alcohol.” But I don’t remember him mentioning anyone else he wanted to work with.
FT: You were always onstage beside him anchoring both him and the music, what was he like to share a stage with?
BK: Two things stand out. First, he was an absolute perfectionist when it came to the music. He had decades of experience on stage and knew instinctively how to put on a great show. He was incredibly tuned in to the audience, and a natural band leader.
The second thing was that he could be wonderfully unpredictable. Most musicians like to have a set list, and I was certainly one of them. I would usually take responsibility for printing one before every gig. But Bap didn’t always stick to it and would often change the running order on the spot and take the band somewhere different. That spontaneity kept you on your toes – but it also made his shows special.
FT: You’ve asked the public to contribute to the new archive project. Has there been a good response and has some exciting material turned up?
BK: Yes, and that has been one of the really lovely things about it. People have kept photographs, recordings, posters, tickets and memories, sometimes for decades, and have been very generous about sharing them. You realise that little pieces of Bap’s history are scattered through people’s homes and collections. Bringing some of that together is really what the archive is about.
It’s a big job, though, and we’re still very much in the process of gathering and cataloguing material. Our aim is to have the archive well underway by November to coincide with the tenth anniversary.
FT: There’s a sold out tribute show in The Belfast Empire in August hosted by Bap’s former band Energy Orchard. Were you surprised by how quickly it sold out?
BK: Yes and no. I was obviously delighted to see so many people wanting to come, but you never take a sold-out gig for granted. The fact that it sold out so quickly was very telling. Energy Orchard is an important part of Bap’s story, and Belfast was hugely important to him, so there’s something very fitting about it happening there. I think it also shows that people still have a real affection for the music and want opportunities to celebrate it together.
FT: Ten years on it appears his music is still as relevant as ever, do you find new fans discovering his work?
BK: Yes, very much so, and that’s probably the thing that makes it all worthwhile. Of course there are people who have followed Bap since Energy Orchard or through his solo records, and they’ve been incredibly loyal. But increasingly there are people coming across the music who never knew him or never saw him play. That matters to me because ultimately I don’t want the music simply to be remembered – I want it to be discovered. As long as new people keep finding something meaningful in those songs, Bap’s music will continue to live on.
FT: Thanks for your time and good luck with the new album.
BK: Thanks for all your support.
‘Above all, Love’ will be released on 28th August and is available to pre-order now.