by Manila #6

Dave Burland "Songs & Buttered Haycocks" 1975







Manila said...
I didn't rip this. In fact, I can't remember how I came by it. I toyed with the idea of cleaning it up a little (it's a bit crackly) but decided against it. A lot of the 'clean up' programmes knock off too much of the top end for my liking. Anyway, it's still a beautiful album, with a great version of Lal and Mike Waterson's 'Bright Phoebus'.
Enjoy!

PS. I have only a poor scan of the cover. Can anyone help?


Dick Gaughan, Tony Capstick & Dave Burland
"The songs of Ewan MacColl" 1978

Manila said...
Whatever you might think about Ewan MacColl (his views on how folk music should be performed seem, at least to me, ridiculous now) he wrote some wonderful songs. Here's an album of some of them, including the brilliant Dave Burland performing 'The First Time Ever I saw Your face' (a hit for Roberta Flack) and the sublime 'Sweet Thames Flow Softly.'


With thanks to Lizardson for this great blog, without which much of this music would probably be lost forever.

To Nadir21. Here is...
Johnson & Knight - The King Of Elfland's Daughter

Business Trip

See you in August 30th...

Presented by Zalasso

"Folk Festival" 1964





















Zalasso said...
Hi. Thanks for Ray Fisher and Imlach.
As a return I will like to offer you a great rare recording. A live lp called Folk festival, recorded at Edinburgh`s Usher hall in 1963. The artists are The Dubliners, Ray & Archie Fisher, Nadia Cattouse.

Download

Nice LP... Thanks!

Bill Fay - Bill Fay
Bill Fay - Time of the Last Persecution
Ramases - Glass Top Coffin

by Manila #5

Gryphon "Gryphon" 1973





















Manila said...
Gryphon albums are quite often posted on prog/rock blogs these days. This one, however - their first - is very much in the folk/early music vein. The tracks are mostly traditional or 'anonymous'...and one was apparently written by King Henry VIII.
More than 30 years after first seeing them at The Cambridge Folk Festival, I wonder which modern label would give a band playing krumhorns, bassoon and recorders a deal? And yet they were great. Quirky, highly skilled, imaginative.
In these days of Simon Cowell it's nice to remember a time when the blessed (British radio presenter) John Peel would slap on some folk/medieval/prog-rock music and rave about it. For me, at least. If you're 20 years old and live in Dusseldorf, perhaps not so much. :-)

Personnel:
Brian Gulland - bassoon, krumhorns, recorders, keyboards, vocals
Richard Harvey - recorders, krumhorns, keyboards, mandolin, guitar, vocals
David Oberlé - drums, percussion, vocals
Graeme Taylor - guitars,keyboards, recorder, vocals

Archie Fisher

"Will Ye Gang, Love" 1976


















This album was originally released on the Topic label in 1976 and suffers occasionally from a rather hollow production quality, but the singing and the songs are more than strong enough to make up for any sonic limitations. Though Archie Fisher is an excellent and influential songwriter, here he focuses primarily on traditional Scots songs both familiar ("Mally Lee," "Will Ye Gang, Love") and obscure ("Looly, Looly," "The Flower of France and England, O"). But the album's emotional and musical high point is Fisher's own "Men o'Worth," a starkly beautiful lamentation over the changes brought to the northeast of Scotland by the North Sea oil boom. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide

Ray Fisher

"The Bonny Birdy" 1972





















Trailer LER2038 (LP, UK, 1972)
Trailer/Leader LERCD2038 (CD, UK, October 2000)

This is more or less the 1971 Steeleye Span line-up with Ray Fisher replacing Maddy Prior.

Musicians
Ray Fisher, Colin Ross, Alistair Anderson, Liz & Stefan Sobell, Tim Hart, Peter Knight, Ashley Hutchings, Bobby Campbell, Martin Carthy

1. Johnnie Sangster
2. Mill O'Tifty's Annie
3. Botty at Morn
4. The Forfar Sodger
5. The Pride of Glencoe
6. The Silkie of Sul Skerry
7. The Shipyard Apprentice
8. The Bonny Birdy

Hamish Imlach

"Before and After" 1967





















This 1967 release collects some of the best songs and interpretations by the influential Irish folksinger, whose career from the '60s to the '90s was dedicated equally to sincere traditional song interpretation, political satire, and self-effacing humor. Not devoid of sincerity, some of the ballads interpreted in his frail voice are at times sublime in the highest authentic folk fashion. ~ Skip Jansen, All Music Guide

Bothy Band

"Old Hag You Have Killed Me" 1976


On their 1975 self-titled debut, the Bothy Band single-handedly reinvented traditional Celtic music for the post-Industrial Age. The ferocious fiddling of Tommy Peoples, the lucid piping of Paddy Keenan, the peerless flute playing of Chieftain Matt Malloy, and the percussive, clock-like precision of Donal Lunny's bouzouki made for an intoxicating brew, one that would not only retain its effects on the next album, but would surpass it. Like lightening in a bottle, Old Hag You Have Killed Me remains a benchmark for the genre, a reverent yet forward-thinking collection of traditional Irish music kissed by the contemporary wand of the late '70s. Joining Keenan and Lunny this time around are vocalist/clavinet player Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill and an up-and-coming fiddler named Kevin Burke -- a master of the ornamental Sligo style of Irish fiddling, Burke would go on to great success with Patrick Street, Open House, and as a member of the lauded Celtic Fiddle Festival. The seamless incorporation of these instruments into the mix -- the clavinet is the percussive keyboard that fueled Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and "You Haven't Done Nothing" -- along with the group's penchant for picking tunes that few at the time were performing helped the Bothy Band rise to the top of burgeoning Celtic revival scene. While subsequent albums maintain a high level of quality, Old Hag You Have Killed Me remains not only the pinnacle of the band's career, but one of the genre's most important and beloved recordings. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide

Leo O'Kelly

Leo O'Kelly said...
aptecHi There, Leo O'Kelly here. My website was nabbed by pirates in USA(who want to sell it back to me for $1,000!). So while I organize a new site, I've set up in MySpace...In fact, I find the new one a lot more fun, and much more interactive...Find me under leo okelly. There's a thriving Tir na nOg MySpace too...you'll find it quick under tirnanogduo. Looking forward to hearing from you. Leo.

"Northern Sky" covered by Leo O'Kelly


Tir na nOg

Dave Burland

"Willin' " 1989, live recordings





















Kate Rusby:
I listen a lot to Dave Burland ... I remember one birthday my mum and dad were away at a festival and bought me a copy of his album Willin', and he signed it and it was the best thing that I'd ever had. I played it to bits and wore it out. And I still do listen to a lot of really old stuff, we've got lots of old Topic albums that are just fantastic. I've been listening to a bloke called John Maguire, this man in Ireland that's full of music and songs. And recently, I've been tramming up and down the country listening to Peter Bellamy songs.

Side A:
Lousiana
Barbara Ellen - If I Had a Boat
Here's the Tender Coming - Withered & Died
Big Muff

Side B:
Willin
The Great Silkie
Shaky Nancy
I Don't Like Mondays - Rosie Anderson
Brisk Young Widow - Dimming of the Day

Pyewackett

"The Man in the Moon Drinks Claret" 1982

It's easy to see why this group was so popular and still packs 'em in for their annual reunions. This 1982 album sparkles with a playful sense of fun, delivered by a skillful quartet who like to surprise. Hey We to the Other World starts off very trad English acapella but quickly devolves into a burlesque reggae stew that somehow suits it perfectly. Other tracks retain trad politeness while interwoven with singular invention. Pyewackett specialized in very old material which they made current and very much alive. Check out one of the jazziest versions of Tam Lin ever recorded, followed immediately by an entirely loopy Merry-go-round Broke Down. Weird and wonderful. Andy Cronshaw ably handled the highly-textured production.

by Manila #4

Stan Rogers "Between The Breaks....Live!" 1979





















Manila said...
Here's another album from Canada's finest, Stan Rogers. Much has been said of Stan in a previous post, so I'll just say listen to the rousing live version of 'Barrett's Privateers' and you'll be left in no doubt that this man was one of the true greats. Brilliant stuff!
With thanks, as always, for all the great music on this blog.

Personnel:

Stan Rogers: six string and twelve string acoustic guitars, vocals.
Garnet Rogers: violin, flute, vocals.
David Alan Eadie: electric bass, pennywhistle, vocals.
Grit Laskin: long-necked mandolin, concertina, Northumbrian smallpipes, vocals.
Curly Boy Stubbs: acoustic guitar, vocals

by bluenorther #2

Steve Gillette / Cindy Mangsen "A Sense of Place" 2001





















Stewart Levett:
A splendid mix of guitar, and concertina/accordion, a hint of oboe and bass with a sprinkling of piano and fiddle, Cindy and Steve offer us twelve songs in fine traditional fashion. Their instrumental work is particularly inspiring with “Reel Beatrice” and “Shenandoah Falls/Cincinnati Rag” a joy to listen with Cindy’s splendid concertina work. Of the original songs penned by these two, “Sunrise,” written by Cindy and “When The First Leaves Fall” by Steve are real standouts. “Sunrise” tells the story of a father taking his child out in the early morning through the fields to see the sunrise. The importance of the occasion is remembered by the grown child years after the father has passed away but the images are vivid with her fathers words, “Isn’t that a sight to see, child? It’s a dawning you’ll remember all your days.” What is striking about “When The First Leaves Fall” is how well Steve has constructed his melody, with its lovely chord changes, around such a tender moving love song. The only song that seems out of place is the John Ims’ “The Architecture Song” which, in its long narrative about what makes a good house and the collaboration between artist and client just didn’t do anything for me. Still, the rest of the CD is a delight to listen to and has found its way willingly into my CD player many times.

Swan Arcade

"Together Forever" 1983

Renowned for their potent a capella vocals and intricate close harmonies, Swan Arcade was a leading light of the British folk revival, drawing upon gospel, blues, and pop music traditions to create a unique bridge between past and present. Swan Arcade was led by Yorkshire native Dave Brady, who began singing traditional folk songs in local pubs while still in his teens. After losing an arm in a motorcycle accident at age 19, he was forced to abandon the guitar but was still able to play the concertina. At a Leeds folk club Brady met his future wife, Heather, and together they began performing as a duo. With the 1970 addition of bass Jim Boyes, the couple launched Swan Arcade, taking the name from a Bradford-area shopping district recently demolished per the order of city officials. Considered direct descendants of the unaccompanied close-harmony approach of mid-'60s acts like the Young Tradition and the Watersons, Swan Arcade nevertheless presented an eccentric and confrontational interpretation of folk traditions, including in their repertoire such rock & roll hits as the Beatles' "Paperback Writer" and the Kinks' "Lola" alongside more conventional protest anthems. Upon signing to the Trailer label, Swan Arcade issued their self-titled debut LP in 1971. Despite critical acclaim the record fared poorly, and when relocation forced Boyes to resign, the group's continued future looked dim. Instead, former Young Tradition bass Royston Wood agreed to assume Boyes' position, exiting a year later to make way for Brian Miller. Despite the admiration of the influential BBC Radio DJ John Peel, who played Swan Arcade regularly and hosted three live broadcast sessions, their sophomore album, Matchless, was not released until 1976, by which time Boyes had returned to active duty. The trio split two years later. The Bradys next relocated to the Seascale area, opening their own hotel. While Heather oversaw kitchen duties, Dave served as maître d', often adopting a different costume for each successive course of dinner and regaling guests with folk songs after dessert. At this time Brady also emerged as a leading opponent of nuclear energy, and for a time served as the electoral agent for the Carlisle faction of the Labour party. Swan Arcade reunited in 1983, releasing Together Forever to critical favor and commercial shrugs. The trio nevertheless remained a fixture of the folk festival circuit, and during an August 1986 appearance at Whitby Folk Week teamed with members of the Watersons as the Boggle Hole Chorale, delivering an impromptu charity performance for a local school. The gig proved such a success that in 1987 the Bradys and Boyes agreed to revisit the experience, teaming with the Watersons and Martin Carthy to form the folk revival supergroup Blue Murder. However, upon releasing the LP Diving for Pearls later that year, Swan Arcade dissolved for good, and as the Bradys began channeling more of their time and energy into politics, they did not contribute to subsequent Blue Murder performances and recordings. Dave Brady also worked as transport manager for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, a position he maintained for close to two decades; he also returned to singing with Mr. McFall's Chamber, an experimental cabaret project led by SCO violinist Robert McFall. The Bradys ended their marriage in 1998. Shortly after retiring from the SCO, Brady died of a chest infection in London on May 29, 2006. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Presented by bluenorther

bluenorther said...
Hello, Lizardson,
In case, you should accept...Here's two albums by the singer/songwriters Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen.I intentionally ripped these CDs to 128 Kbps, because those who will like the music will order the CDs anyway!The Music Is worth it.
To order directly from the artists:
http://www.compassrosemusic.com/
And finally, keep on blogging for you are the best folk blogger around.(Despite your strong psych.folk and trad. preferences...:).
bluenorther.


Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen

Steve Gillette is best known as a songwriter, with songs recorded by artists from Ian & Sylvia to Garth Brooks, from Jiminy Cricket to John Denver. His song Darcy Farrow alone has been recorded by more than one hundred artists since 1966, most recently by Jimmy Dale Gilmore and Nanci Griffith. Quite literally, he wrote the book on songwriting: Songwriting and the Creative Process (Sing Out Press) is a standard text in songwriting classes across the country. Steve sings in a rich baritone and is a virtuoso on guitar, using a unique fingerpicking style with a flat-pick and two fingers. Cindy Mangsen, who married Gillette in 1989, is also a songwriter, but her focus has been on songkeeping. Cindy is a master interpreter of traditional ballads, rich in myth and legend. She plays guitar, concertina, and banjo, and is renowned for her compelling voice, described by one critic as a voice that can warm a New England winter. As Steve comments, "Cindy has brought me back to my roots, and I think I've influenced her in terms of ensemble playing, rhythmic development, arrangement and performing. We're very fortunate to play for people who really listen and who come to a concert with a certain sense of history. There's a strong feeling of community about this music." Steve and Cindy have been featured on National Public Radio's All Things Considered and Mountain Stage, and have delighted audiences across North America and Europe with their music, warmth, and humor. They have recorded three duet albums: Live in Concert (1991), The Light of the Day (named Best Folk Album of 1996 by WFMT and WDET), and A Sense of Place (2001, Redwing Music). $16, $14 members.


"Live in Concert" 1991

wvfest.com:
Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen express a deep affection for traditional and contemporary folk music on this live recording. Whether the song is a 500-year-old ballad, an early blues, or an original composition, the two singers combine respect and intuition into a captivating performance. You can also feel the enjoyment they share in performing this treasure trove of varied material together. Although Gillette is a talented songwriter, only nine fo the CD’s nineteen selections (the cassette has fourteen) are originals. The rest range from Mark Graham’s funny "Their Brains Were Small and They Died," to Elizabeth Cotten’s "Shake Sugaree," to the epic traditional ballad, "Annachie Gordon" (Child 239). The latter is given a definitive performance by Mangsen (CD only). Of the four versions in my library, hers is the most effectively delivered narrative. It brings a tear to the eye even after scores of hearings, without histrionics or melodrama. Mangsen also delivers a haunting, knowing a cappella version of the traditional "When I Was in My Prime." Gillette’s original compositions sneak up on you. You’ll enjoy them the first time around, then suddenly find yourself singing them later. "The River" and "Grapes on the Vine," co-authored with Charles John Quarto, and "Heartland," co-authored with Rex Benson, are particularly memorable as is Gillette’s best-known song from the ‘60s, "Darcy Farrow," co-authored with Tom Campbell. Gillette’s guitar picking throughout is also a treat. The album is also technically impressive. Recorded digitally at the Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan, it retains the feel of the live performance, while editing out the nonmusical elements.


"The Light of the Day" 1996

Kerry Dexter:
"Even if you only have time for a brief visit, we hope you enjoy it," say Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen of their first duet album in four years, The Light of the Day. If your visit is brief, you'll want to sample Cindy's fine songwriting on Dark of the Moon, and Steve and Charles John Quarto's tribute to folksinger/storyteller Gamble Rogers, Song for Gamble. The duo also present serious and not so serious songs from the folk ballad tradition (En Montant la Riviere, from Quebec, and the Child Ballad Get Up and Bar the Door, for example)as well as a Swedish-Finnish medley, and a medley of the traditional hornpipe The Coast of France with a contemporary song by Pete Jung, Far Away. Steve and Cindy's subtle harmonies and their sense of humor are on display in Right Says Fred, and on Johnny Appleseed, where they are joined for vocals by Anne Hills, with Mark Schatz on bass and banjo and George Wilson on Fiddle. The Restless Wind, Hole in My Shoe, The Bonny Light Horseman, 1800 Hundred and Froze to Death (a song about a very frosty Vermont summer), and the Unicorn continue the balance of composed and traditional folk music on the disc. Steve plays guitar on most tracks, while Cindy adds concertina, dulcimer, and keyboards on selected cuts, and there are a number of well chosen guest artists. Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen are excellent storytellers, and it's easy to imagine them sitting around a campfire sharing and teaching these songs, passing on - and continuing to create - folk tradition.

Presented by Anonymous

Witthuser & Westrupp "Trips Und Traume"



















Anonymous said...
Hello people, I have just read all the comments and way back on March the 13th some dude was asking for Withuser And Westrupp, hope your still watching and waiting mate coz here it comes!!!!!

Link

Ora - "Ora": Prog Not Frog

Ray Fisher

"Traditional Songs Of Scotland" 1991

As one of the early members of the Scottish folk revival, Archie Fisher's sister Ray must be given her due... Still, that being said, this later album is a bit dry. Fisher's voice in middle-age is not quite as fluid or evocative as it was in the '60s, reducing her to a more Spartan, craggy presentation, similar to Gordeanna McCullough's or Jean Ritchie's approach to traditional material. Great song material, including "Wark O' The Weavers," which is a grand old song, and accompaniment by no less than John Kirkpatrick and Martin Carthy, but it still didn't really grab me. But a devoted fan of Scottish song may find this disc to be a cultural treasure trove.

Martin Carthy; Guitar
Ray Fisher; Guitar, Arranger, Vocals
John Kirkpatrick; Anglo Concertina, Button Accordion, Melodeon
Colin Ross; Fiddle, Scottish Small Pipes
Produced by Gef Lucena & David Wilkins

5 Hand Reel

"For A' That" 1977
"Earl O' Moray" 1978





















The second album, "For A' That", was recorded now in courtesy of RCA Records in July 1977, at the height of the punk summer of discontent. The opening "Bratach Bana" was the first Gaelic song recorded using rock elements. As Dick Gaughan says in his notes to the album:"It seems odd in these days when it is now perfectly normal to sing Gaelic songs in a contemporary fashion that this was regarded as extremely daring and adventurous in 1977. We've come a long, long way since those days."

Much of Five Hand Reel's live work was on club, college, and Folk festivals of England and Northern Europe. They were very popular in Scandinavia and recorded an album of traditional Danish songs "Ebbe, Dagmar, Svend og Alan" with Danish folk singer and radio presenter Alan Kiltgaard. In England they were rather unpopular, though appreciated in the Punk clubs as a live act.

In 1978, Five Hand Reel's third RCA album, "Earl O'Moray", was recorded in Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales. It was rather different to the two previous LPs: a darker sounding, more seriously minded album with a rich passionate undercurrent.Creatively speaking, it was probabely their finest album.

Dick Gaughan

"Gaughan" 1978























Larry L. Looney:
This early album by Dick Gaughan contains some of his best work, and is a nice mixture of his self-penned political songs and more traditional selections, including works by Robert Burns as well as songs dealing with the work and plight of coal miners, a cause near and dear to his heart (He released an entire album of mining-related songs to benefit the miners strike in the UK during the Thatcher years). Gaughan is (as usual) in fine voice here, and his guitar work shines nicely as well. 'Bonnie Jeannie o' Bethelnie' is a classic example of the sheer beauty of traditional Scots song. This album is a classic of the Scottish folk revival -- it's nice to know that it's still available. Those who are interested should also seek out his 'Handful of earth' album -- that and 'A different kind of love song' are must-haves for anyone who enjoys his work.

Krysia

Robert Haber said...
Hi, I'm Krysia's husband, Rob.There have been a number of very kind and thoughtful posts over the past several months relating to Krysia's life, her music and the fact that she died this past February. She was only 53 years old when she passed.

I've been having difficulty posting to this blog (I think it was me, not the blog), so this morning I started a blog for Krysia.

Krysia was variously a folk singer, a singer songwriter, and something of a rocker who had an absolutely amazing voice. She grew up in Scotland outside of Glasgow and was one of the original founding members of the Natural Acoustic Band. She also put out one eponymously titled solo album in the early 70s and did a lot of recording and touring with Al Stewart. In her musical career, she was variously known as Krysia Kocjan and Krysia Kristianne, and her married name was Krysia Kocjan-Haber. I have seen posts and searches under all of these three names.

She was a strong and beautiful spirit, and her music and lyrics were often infused with a sense of the mystical. This mystical sensibility was always beautifully counterbalanced by her sense of humor and mischief. She had a sense of what is sacred in life and a deep fascination with what lies underneath things, but she never fell into the trap that a lot of people can fall into of taking herself too seriously. Combined with her intelligence, her charm, her beauty, and her amazing singing voice and musical talent, she was really quite something in my opinion.

I wanted to let people know that I have been going through her music over the past few months, and I would like to make some of it available to those of you who have been looking for it. Her solo album from the early 70s has long been out of print, and due to a number of health problems, Krysia never recorded or performed as much as her talent warranted.

I would eventually like to do a small website related to her life and music and also a compilation CD. I'd like to sell the CD for whatever the fair price for a CD is these days -- $15 or $20 -- and put all the proceeds towards one of the causes that Krysia supported while she was alive. She had a lifelong interest in Tibetan Buddhism among other things, and she always donated whatever she could to helping Tibetan refugees, Tibetan nuns, etc. I think Krysia would really like that her music was somehow still going out into the world and having a positive effect like that.

The number of people who are looking for Krysia's music is small, so such a venture probably wouldn't raise a ton of money, but that's okay too, I guess. I'd also really just like to put her music out there. She was damn good in my opinion, and her music and voice deserve to be heard.

So... if anyone has any ideas about where/how I could post a couple of MP3 files for people, that would be a good start. I have some MP3 versions of songs from the Krysia album, which I would like to make available for free to whoever is interested. My stepbrother found a copy of the LP on the internet. He played it on a turntable and digitized the output. In other words, you will hear a lot of the pops, etc. from the record on these versions, but Krysia's voice shines through.

I know some of you would really like to have some of her music, and I don't see why that shouldn't be made available to people.

So write with suggestions please. I'll try to post some photos on this blogsite soon.

Thanks,

Rob

Krysia Kocjan (by Rob)
Krysia Kocjan (on time-has-told-me)

Presented by discus

discus said...
Hello everybody and thank you all for great music posted here in the past. I've decided to join the marathon and to bring everybody the pleasure of Ed MCcurdy's beautiful renderings of 34 of the older American folk songs. They are divided here into 4 parts (sides): "New England", "The South", "O Pioneers!" and, finally, "A Song For Occupations". Highly recommended for all fans of 50's/60's folk music!

ED McCURDY & ERIK DARLING
"A TREASURE CHEST OF AMERICAN FOLK SONG" (Elektra, 1961)

This glorious (and somewhat legendary) two-disc set was released on the old-labelled Elektra in 1961. Sadly, it was never re-issued on CD. Well, these tracks were ripped from vinyls by myself and I've done my best to restore the original sound afterwards. MP3 encoding is @ 256. The bigger cover and the tracklist scan are included in the archive. Enjoy.

PS ...and let's hope the oficial CD version is comin' soon, too. =)

Ed McCurdy: Wikipedia
-------------------------------
The Artist photo: Click
-------------------------------
The Cover: Click
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The Tracklist: Click
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Shirley Collins

"False True Lovers" 1960















As a key figure in the British folk revival, this recording originally produced for Folkways in 1959 presents Shirley Collins at a tender age of 23 recording under the eye of legendary Folkways producer and then partner Alan Lomax assisted by pragmatic engineer Peter Kennedy. Recorded in London in a two-day marathon, the most distinctive voice in British folk song interpretation recorded this album of a cappella renditions of British and Irish tunes. Inflecting the collection with Appalachian gems she and Lomax had discovered in one of their legendary research jaunts the same year, False True Lovers is as vital a collection of this astonishing singer that exhibits the full spectrum of her interest and research into folk music tradition. As with the Sweet England collection re-issued in 2000 on Topic, her voice is captured in intimacy and naïveté that carried through her '60s landmarks Love, Death and the Lady and Anthems in Eden. This album is as striking as either masterpiece, a work of profound beauty. ~ Skip Jansen, All Music Guide

Peter Bellamy

"Both Sides Then" 1979





















Produced by Peter Bellamy, much guided by Nic Kinsey, who was also the engineer.
Recorded at Livingston Studios, London.
Front Cover: "The Snuff Taker" by Peter van de Bellman, courtesy of the Victoria Street Gallery, Norwich
Back cover photograph by Valerie Grosvenor Myer
Sleeve layout by Tony Engle
Notes by Peter Bellamy
The CD re-issue notes contain a Peter Bellamy obituary by Martin Carthy

Musicians
Peter Bellamy: vocals, concertina;
Bill Shute: guitar;
Dave Swarbrick: fiddle;
Anthea Bellamy, Lous Killen, Lisa Null, The Watersons, Royston Wood & Heather Wood, vocal harmonies and chorus

Tracks:
01. Barbaree (3:20)
Peter Bellamy: vocals, concertina; Dave Swarbrick: fiddles
02. The Trees They Do Grow High (4:43)
Peter Bellamy: vocals, concertina
03. The Lord Will Provide (2:10)
Peter Bellamy: lead vocals; The Watersons and Anthea Bellamy: chorus
04. The Gallant Frigate Amphitrite (3:48)
Peter Bellamy: vocals; Dave Swarbrick: fiddles
05. A-Roving on a Winter's Night (3:28)
Peter Bellamy: lead vocals, concertina; Lisa Null: vocal harmony; Bill Shute: guitar;
06. Derry Gaol (4:40)
Peter Bellamy: vocals, concertina
07. Long Time Travelling (2:40)
Peter Bellamy: lead vocals; The Watersons and Anthea Bellamy: vocal harmonies
08. The Maid of Australia (3:45)
Peter Bellamy: vocals; Dave Swarbrick: fiddlefrom the Both Sides Then recording sessions, but first released on Flash Company
09. The Shepherd of the Downs (3:40)
Peter Bellamy: lead vocals, concertina; Louis Killen: vocal harmony
10. The House Carpenter (4:42)
Peter Bellamy: vocals, concertina
11. When I Die (2:45)
Peter Bellamy: lead vocals; The Watersons, Peter Bellamy, Royston Wood & Heather Wood: vocal harmonies
12. Edmund in the Lowlands (4:50)
Peter Bellamy: vocals
13. Around Cape Horn (2:30)
Peter Bellamy: vocals, concertina; Dave Swarbrick: fiddle, chorus
14. The Turfman from Ardee (2:55)
Peter Bellamy: vocals, guitar
15. Amazing Grace (4:40)
Peter Bellamy: lead vocals; The Watersons and Anthea Bellamy: vocal harmonies

Presented by Zalasso

Dave Swarbrick & Simon Nicol "Live in Sweden 1983"

Zalasso said...
Hi. When I saw you had put out Swarbrick & Nicol - Live at White Bear, I came to think that I have a great recording from Sweden in 1983. It's probably from radio since the sound quality is excellent.
So much thanks, Zalasso!

Michael Chapman - Fully Qualified Survivor
Michael Chapman - Rainmaker
Michael Chapman - BBC Sessions 69-75

Keith Christmas

"Pigmy" 1971

1. Travelling Down
2. Timeless and Strange
3. Evensong
4. Spanky
5. Poem
6. The Waiting Grounds
7. Song for a Survivar
8. Forest and the Shore

Catherine Howe

"What A Beautiful Place" 1971

A beautiful early 70s debut LP from a then 20-year-old, Halifax reared Catherine Howe -- produced and arranged by US jazz pianist Bobby Scott in a mode that manages to feel lush and opulent while never belying Catherine's warmth, intimacy and maturity -- and quite possibly the best unearthed singer-songwriter folk gem we've heard in years! The sound is warmly baroque, and Catherine's lovely vocals and evocative songwriting style is sheerly natural -- recorded in a fairly stripped down setting and fleshed out with strings by the London Symphony Orchestra. The mix of intimacy and grandeur makes the record a bit of stylistic cousin to Nick Drake's Bryter Layter -- we take our Drake seriously and we don't throw that comparison out lightly! Released by a doomed Reflection Records, which closed up shop the same year, it was pretty much automatically relegated to obscurity. Now, thankfully is a fertile time for the rediscovery post 60s folkish gems -- and this one is at the very top of the line. Would you expect anything less from the Numero Group? Titles include "Up North", "On A Misty Morning", "Nothing More Than Strangers", "My Child", "The Innocence Of A Child", "It Comes With The Breezes" and more -- plus the bonus demo "In The Hot Summer" -- which led to the next phase of Catherine's career at RCA.

Archie Fisher, Barbara Dickson & John MacKinnon

"The Fate O' Charlie" 1969

















01. Cam Ye O'er Frae France
02. The Three Healths
03. Wha Wadna Fight For Charlie
04. The White Cockade
05. My Bonny Hieland Laddie
06. The Highland Widow's Lament
07. Prestonpans
08. The Battle Of Prestonpans, Killicrankie
09. O'er The Water To Charlie
10. Prince Charlie
11. Highland Harry
12. The Fate O' Charlie
13. The Highlander's Lament
14. O'er The Water
15. The Flowers O' The Forest

Archie Fisher (vocals, guitar, concertina, dulcimer, mandolin)
Barbara Dickson (vocals, guitar, bodhran)
John MacKinnon (vocals, violin, mandolin)

Link

by request

Christy Moore - Time Has Come: The Celtic Circle
De Dannen - The Mist Covered Mountain: The Celtic Circle

Ron Sexsmith

Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto [w Orchestra] June 4th, 2005















HOWARD DRUCKMAN:
You're playing four songs this Saturday as part of the Sonic Bloom concert with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. How'd that come about?

RON:
They've done it for a few years, and I remember thinking, "Oh, that'd be nice to do. I wish someone would ask me." This year, I got an email about it. So it was kind of a no-brainer. On my last tour in the US, I was trying to maybe put on some shows with the actual string section from my record but there's always all these financial constraints. So here's a chance to do it. And I've never played at Roy Thomson Hall.


Daryll (fan of Ron) in Toronto:
I haven't been to Roy Thomson Hall, home of the Toronto Symphony, in about twenty years. My Mom used to take me and my brothers on Saturday afternoons in a series of concerts designed to introduce kids to classical music. I preferred reading Mad magazine and my baseball magazines during the performance. Tonight was a charity event with some very high ticket prices. I scalped a balcony seat for $20 five minutes before the show started. The guy who sold it to me was a middle aged guy from Littletown, Colorado in town for a conference. I wanted to ask him if his kids went to Columbine High but it didn't seem appropriate.

I sat down and noticed the orchestra warming up and Don, Tim and a guy I didn't recognize on bass tuning up. Ron was introduced and came out in a jacket and converse shoes. Tim was wearing his trademark Huck Finn cap. The conductor was wearing a tuxedo. This past Monday I was sitting in my office pretending to work watching Ron and Don perform live in Amtserdam on my computer. Tonight I was sitting up high in the balcony watching Ron playing with an orchestra comprised of about 45 people. Weird

"Former Glory" started up. The sound wasn't very good where I was sitting (hey, what to do want for $20) so all I really heard was Don's drums. The vocals came through pretty good though. "The Less I Know" is great to see live because I always like seeing Ron nail the vocals; which he did tonight. Ron announced that he was going to attempt to rock out as the orchestra waltzed into "Not About to Lose" (I could hear the orchestra better at this point). Ron sat down at the piano to sing "Gold in Them Hills" which was a goose bump performance.

And that was it. Ron got a lot of applause. The band broke down quickly as a couple of on stage annoucements were made and Estero came on and did three songs. It was good. She flew up Sean Lennon to play piano on one of the songs. With long wavy hair and a full beard, the guy looks pretty much exactly like his old man did in the early '70's.

At intermission, I was walking through the lobby and spotted former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretian hanging out. I didn't know he was a fan; I was going to ask him what his favourite song off "Retriever" was but he seemed deep in conversation. I made my way to the exit and headed home which I guess is pretty silly considering I was skipping Oscar Peterson. I skipped out on Coldplay a couple of years ago after Ron's set as well and its going to be a nice day tomorrow and I'm getting up early to ride my bike. Hope to see some of you in a couple of weeks at the Rosedale show.

01. Introduction
02. Former Glory
03. The Less I Know
04. Not About To Lose
05. Gold In Them Hills

Download link in comments.

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Thanks
Lizz

Nick Drake

"Time Has Told Me Volume Two"
















01) Betty & Dupree
02) At The Chime Of A City Clock (Instrumental)
03) Strange Meeting (Second Take)
04) Joey (First Take)
05) Leaving Me Behind
06) Saturday Sun (First Take)
07) Saturday Sun (Second Take)
08) Saturday Sun (Third Take)
09) Day Is Done
10) Three Hours
11) Mayfair (First Take)
12) Mayfair (Second Take)
13) Mayfair (Third Take)
14) Place To Be (First Take)
15) Fly (First Take)
16) Time Of No Reply (John Peel Session)
17) Three Hours (John Peel Session)

01 Home Recordings, recorded at Music Room, Far Leys, Tanworth in Arden, 1967.
02-08 Work Tapes, recorded at Music Room, Far Leys, Tanworth in Arden, 1967.
09-15 Brian Wells tape, recorded at Hampstead, London, 1968.
16-17 John Peel session, recorded at Yalding House, London, August 5th, 1969.

see here: 4:14 PM

No new materials for most of you
But quality sound...

Tom Paxton

"New Songs For Old Friends" 1973

Mary Hopkin; Vocals
Chris Karan; Percussion
Ralph McTell; Guitar, Harmonica; Vocals
Jennifer Paxton; Vocals
Katy Paxton; Vocals
Tom Paxton; Vocals, Guitar
Danny Thompson; Bass
Tony Visconti; Guitar
Dave Willis; Bass

01. Hobo In My Mind
02. When We Were Good
03. Who's Been Passing Dreams Around?
04. When Annie Took Me Home
05. Katy
06. Fred
07. Wasn't That A Party?
08. Faces And Places
09. When You Shook Your Long Hair Down
10. Silent Night
11. When Princes Meet

Dave Swarbrick & Simon Nicol

"Live at the White Bear" 1981

After Fairport Convention "split up" in 1979 (later to re-form of course), the individual members went their separate ways. Dave Pegg went straight into Jethro Tull, Simon Nicol re-joined the Albion Band as well becoming a regular part of Richard & Linda Thompson's band, and Dave Swarbrick decided to retire to a cottage in Scotland. At least that was the plan....

But only a year or so later, amongst the occasional Fairport re-union gigs, Simon & Swarb decided to join forces and tour the folk clubs as an acoustic duo. Swarb was an old hand at this after his highly acclaimed work with Martin Carthy a decade previously and the new combination was to prove just as effective. The duo spent the next five years playing hundreds of gigs throughout the UK and the USA and went down a storm everywhere they played. In the process they recorded three albums - 1982's 'In The Club', a limited issue tape sold at the club gigs (& now reissued, extended & available from us); later that year the live album 'Live At The White Bear', and in 1984 a studio album 'Close To The Wind'.

Vin Garbutt

"King Gooden" (Trailer 1976)



01. The Road To Youghal
02. Paddy Row Beck ~ Pretty Meggy Morrissey
03. The Green Mossy Banks Of The Lea
04. O'dwyer's Hornpipe
05. Parkin Raine ~ King Gooden
06. The Bantry Girls Lament
07. The Ballad Of Cissy Lee
08. The Hermit Of Eskdaleside
09. Unknown Reel ~ Imelda Roland's Reel ~ Doon Reel
10. We May Or Might Never All Meet Here Again

Shibusashirazu Orchestra

"Shiburyu" (Recorded live 1998)



(written by Teruto Soejima, Jazz Critic)
Shibusashirazu Orchestra, which is at the forefront of contemporary jazz, was formed by bassist Daisuke Fuwa in 1989 as a free jazz orchestra.

The orchestra is, so to speak, a multimedia jazz performance group consisting of over twenty musicians, including many well known Japanese performers such as Hiroaki Katayama (ts) and Takeshi Shibuya (p), as well as Butoh dancers, modern dancers, theater actors, and artists.

All of the works played by Shibusashirazu Orchestra are Japanese jazz works composed or arranged by Daisuke Fuwa. The orchestra gives exciting stage performances, with its dynamic sound and lively dancing and acting. Large moving objects made by stage artists make the audiences even more enthusiastic. (A twenty-meter-long dragon danced in the air over the audience in their 1998 European tour.)

It can be said that Shibusashirazu Orchestra is not only a jazz orchestra but also a group that brings together various aspects of contemporary Japanese culture. Some of its performances show the course of Japanese music from the Middle Ages to the present, as the group includes musicians playing traditional Japanese instruments such as shamisen, shakuhachi, and ryuteki (a bamboo flute).

Shiburyu:
Produced by Shibusashirazu Orchestra
Recorded live at Shinjuku Pit Inn in Tokyo on April 1, 1998 (3, 7); and Buddy in Ekoda, Tokyo on April 9, 1998 (1-2, 4-6, 8)
Recorded and mixed by Atsushi Tanaka
Mastered by Yoshio Kobayashi at Hi Brite
Artwork: Koji Suzuki
Design: Erica Tanabe
Photography: Yoko Hiramatsu and Mitsutoshi Yoshida
Includes liner notes in Japanese by Teruto Soejima

Presented by Titus Lux #2

Udo Lindenberg "No Panic On The Titanic" 1976





















Titus Lux:
In 1976 I saw Udo Lindenberg perform two tracks from this album on the Old Grey Whistle test. I was impressed.
A couple of weeks later I saw a copy in my local store. I didn't buy it and thus began a 20 year quest which ended at a second hand stall at the Glastonbury festival.
A fantastic collection of witty/touching songs. This is to the best of my knowledge Udo's sole English language LP. Only the last track is sung in his native German. (there is a completely German version of this album)
The sleeve notes credit Michael Chapman as having translated the lyrics. I feel his contribution must have had a huge bearing on the finished product, as direct translations would obviously not have rhymed.
And the music? Good rock 'n' roll with strings & horns!
Reminds me of Bob Ezrin's early work with the Alice Cooper Band.

Ely Folk Festival

Karl Bedingfield said...

Hi there,

Just wanted to say how much I have been enjoying your website. So much
wonderfuk music.

I run a community website fot the City of Ely in Cambridgeshire, UK
and every year there is a folk festival and I do the occasional mp3
mix on my site to serve as a warm-up to the festival.

I thouht you might be interested in the mixes. Here are the links:

Sample 2007 Folk Festival
Folkin' Hell V1
Folkin' Hell V2

Keep up the good work.
--
Regards
Karl Bedingfield

Karl,
Thanks for the info.
We all must check the web site!

Corrie Folk Trio and Paddie Bell

An album with the same title and similar track list was released in the US in 1965 on the Elektra label. Apparently the songs that appear on both the Waverly (LP and EPs) and Elektra releases werererecorded for the said Elektra albums. The above mentioned "Itinerant Cobbler" is a prime example—this song was recorded 3 times with 2 different arrangements. The same arrangement (but different recordings) appear on the "Burds" EP and the self-titled Elektra album, while the arrangement on their above self-tiled Waverly album is totally different.

Link

9 John Martyn albums: Deviants Board

The Mathews Brothers

"A Kiss in the Morning Early" 1978

01. The Boys Of Kilkenny
02. Bucks Of Oranmore
03. The Banks Of the Lea
04. Men From Mallow
05. The Lover's Ghost
06. Step It Out Mary
07. A Kiss In the Morning Early
08. Paddy Ryan's Dream/Skiberdeen Lassies
09. Curragh Of Kildare
10. The West Wind
11. The Galbally Farmer
12. As I Roved Out

John & Beverly Martyn

"The Road To Ruin" 1970





















Much more of a collaboration here than on their previous effort, John & Beverly Martyn continue on their way through the British folk/jazz of the seventies. Flowing with a subtle improvisation that incorporated a greater ethnic feeling, Road to Ruin makes for enjoyable listening indeed. The track, "Give Us a Ring," was written for Nick Drake. Good singing and playing make this a great album to sit back and reflect upon. ~ James Chrispell, All Music Guide

Dirk, dear Dirk....

What a sad news.
He is one of my best friend on the net.

Dirk, it was too fast
but Dirk, take relax and enjoy your next trip.
We know you are still out here...

......R.I.P.

............&

........see you again...

Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll

Gordon Haskell

"Sail In My Boat" 1969





















Gordon Haskell is usually thought of as a footnote in the history of King Crimson--the only lead singer in the group's long list of personnel who never played a single live date with the band, though he was with them long enough to cut most of an album (Lizard) and get one performance ("Cadence And Cascade") onto its predecessor. Otherwise, he's been an enigma even to many Crimson fans. Haskell's history with Robert Fripp goes back to the days they spent together in the mid-1960's as members of the League of Gentlemen, a band that backed various American r&b stars on tour and cut a couple of singles.

Haskell was also a member of a Liverpool band called the Quotations, formed by ex-Big Three bassist Johnny Gustafson (before he joined the Merseybeats), who recorded for English Decca ("Alright Baby" b/w "Love You All Over Again") in 1964. His main group affiliation for most of the mid-1960's was the Fleur de Lys, a somewhat lightweight psychedelic band who recorded at least once under the pseudonym of Shyster. Haskell passed through the line-ups of Rupert's People and Cupid's Inspiration, and, as a member of the Fleur de Lys, also played on records by Bill Kimber, John Bromley, Sharon Tandy, and Terry Durham. By the end of the 1960's, he was a solo act, trying to establish himself as a singer-songwriter, and released a pair of singles in 1969 and 1970, "Boat Trip" and "Oh-La-Di-Doo-Da-Day," and one LP, Sail In My Boat, all for British CBS.

Presented by hermanthegerman

"Bumpers... Island Sampler"

In the late sixties British record labels started to release a selection of their artists’ material on records known as samplers. These were not intended as anthologies or compilations – the purpose was to allow listeners the opportunity to sample a range of acts at a reduced price, showcasing in particular those for whom there was not a conventional singles market and hence little opportunity for radio airplay in the UK. Columbia’s “The Rock Machine Turns You On” and Liberty Records “Gutbucket” started the trend, but Island Records produced a series of gems from “Nice Enough to Eat” and “You Can All Join In” in 1969, to “Bumpers” in 1970 and “El Pea” in 1971. “Bumpers” was, as it’s name would suggest, the pick of the crop, with an eclectic yet cohesive collection of music across two 33rpm vinyl discs. It was also the first album I ever bought, me a pennywise 14 year old thumbing through the new releases in a record shop in Aberdeen with the 30 shillings (actually 29/11) cover price burning a hole in my pocket. The album came out in two pressings, one with the pink label and "i" logo, the other with the label displaying a palm motif on a white background and a pink rim. There are subtle differences between the recordings (as noted by Dave Sanderson), although the variations on overseas versions were much more fundamental, with a wholly different selection of tracks for the Antipodes (see here). In addition the sleeve notes and label information are shoddily compiled - to the numerous errors recorded by Bob McBeath at The ProgArchives add that John & Beverley Martyn are simply called "John & Beverley" on the back of the album. Incidentally, I have little idea what the motif on the back of the album represents, nor where the picture inside the album was taken, but I can tell you why there is the choice of artwork on the front - it is because those distinctive basketball-style shoes, popular in Britain at the time, were known as "Bumpers".

1970 was the year that 18 year olds got the vote, and women got equal pay. The first transatlantic Boeing 747 flight arrived at Heathrow and Britons got a taste of the new decimal currency ahead of decimalization in 1971. Ted Heath led a Conservative victory in the General Elections in a decade which would end with Margaret Thatcher in power. Tonga and Fiji gained independence from Great Britain, signaling the last small death throes of the British Empire, whilst white Rhodesians and the IRA initiated their own brands of independence movements. Across the pond, Americans protested for and against their invasion of Vietnam and Cambodia, and the National Guard shot unarmed students on the campus of Kent State University. A dazzling Brazilian team led by Pele won and retained the Jules Rimet Trophy, football’s World Cup trophy won by England four years earlier at Wembley stadium.

Simon & Garfunkel, the Rolling Stones, Andy Williams, the Beatles and Led Zeppelin has the biggest album successes of the year, and Elvis Presley topped a singles chart which had Rolf Harris’s “Two Little Boys” heading up the chart at the start of the year. This was the year of the Isle Of Wight festival that featured Jimi Hendrix, who was to die in London in September and achieve a posthumous number one single with “Voodoo Chile”. The Beatles split up and Janis Joplin died. Mariah Carey was born.

The music scene appeared remarkably vibrant, and Island Records was arguably the most innovative and diverse label around, and easily the most successful independent label before its founder, Chris Blackwell, sold it to A&M (PolyGram) in 1989. Blackwell had started in the record industry in 1958 in his native Jamaica, promoting the emerging bluebeat and ska sounds. He had a crossover hit with “My Boy Lollipop” from Millie Small in 1964, by which time he had moved his Island Records label to Notting Hill Gate in London. The label would expand to include a diverse range of pop, rock, folk, jazz, blues, reggae, progressive, underground and experimental acts that included the Spencer Davis Group, ELP, Bob Marley, Robert Palmer and U2. Along the way it developed a reputation for originality that attracted maverick and talented producers such as Joe Boyd and Guy Stevens. And, of course, the artists featured on Bumpers. Incidentally the pink label period releases are lovingly documented in a series of articles in "Record Collector" magazine between September and December 1996. I once read that Chris Salewicz was going to write a history of Island Records but I guess it is still a work in progress - should be a good read when it finally comes out. And Joe Boyd has written an outstanding book on the music industry called "White Bicycles" which co-incides with the time he was associated with Island.

I’m not going to say too much about my own recollections of Bumpers – that job has been done far more eloquently than I could dare by Dave Sanderson (see his page at flowerbedmusic.com). If you have something to add, know of corrections, wish to be acknowledged or just want to say hello, please click on the button at the foot of the page to get in touch.