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Beechwoods
28-08-2009, 22:02
OK chaps. I'm going through a bit of a folk revival with the old Swarbrick and Carthy stuff, and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for simple traditional English folk music recordings. I'm wondering if there's anything like the Smithsonian Folkways project for English folk music? I'm really not looking for folk-rock type stuff, but interested to explore the real roots and old songs...

Thanks in advance!

Barry
28-08-2009, 23:26
OK chaps. I'm going through a bit of a folk revival with the old Swarbrick and Carthy stuff, and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for simple traditional English folk music recordings. I'm wondering if there's anything like the Smithsonian Folkways project for English folk music? I'm really not looking for folk-rock type stuff, but interested to explore the real roots and old songs...

Thanks in advance!


Nick,
Have you thought about contacting the Cecil Sharpe House? They might be able to help.

There's 'The Waterstones' and I'm sure the Copper family have made recordings.

Regards

The Grand Wazoo
29-08-2009, 00:01
Yes, I've just been looking for a vinyl boxed set of Copper Family recordings I was given years ago by my Mother. I can't find it - if & when I do I'll record it for you. (if you're interested)

aquapiranha
29-08-2009, 00:05
Now this is more like it! my kind of thread, I will be watching intently. I am sure however I cannot add any artists that you do not already know about (in fact I am positive I can't)

Beechwoods
29-08-2009, 06:16
Yes, I've just been looking for a vinyl boxed set of Copper Family recordings I was given years ago by my Mother. I can't find it - if & when I do I'll record it for you. (if you're interested)

Thank you. If you do find it I would be extremely interested in hearing a copy! The Copper Family (http://www.thecopperfamily.com/) do appear to be a prolific bunch!

Joe
29-08-2009, 11:15
This thread might help, and the responses are quite comprehensive:

http://ask.metafilter.com/102214/Looking-for-British-Folk-Music

The Grand Wazoo
29-08-2009, 11:29
Nick,
This is the one:

http://www.thecopperfamily.com/books-recordings/recordings/song.html

Buggered if I know where it is though, maybe it's still back at base - I hope so, I think it's worth a bit.

If it turns up.........well I already said I would, didn't I?

Jason P
29-08-2009, 17:46
The Coppers are great. I was fortunate enough to make a documentary about them (well, Bob specifically) for BBC4 a few years back; he was a fascinating bloke and had a wealth of knowledge in his head about folk singers of the time. He was tasked with recording many of them in the 50s and 60s for the beeb, and travelled over the south to get the last of a dying breed on tape.

Hearing the stories of growing up in Sussex in a rural economy a world away from what we know today (but only a few generations ago) was a real priviledge. He passed away about a week after we'd finished filming; his funeral formed a coda to the finished documentary (it was called Coppersongs, btw). One of a kind, and I'm glad the new generation of Coppers are keeping the flame alight.

Shirley Collins was in it too; she's worth checking out, as a lot of stuff she did with sister Dolly is being re-issued now.

Jason

Barry
29-08-2009, 19:23
My sole recording by The Waterstones is

'Frost and Fire, A Calendar of Ceremonial Folk Songs', 1965, Topic 12T136.

Nick, if you like, I can make a recording for you: either a cassette on a Nakamichi BX-2, or open reel on a Nagra. You decide if interested.

I also have Ashley Hutchings, '5', a collection of stuff he did with Fairport Convention, The Sawdust Band and, of course, The Albion Country Band. Mostly electric, but if you are interested I could 'rip and burn' for you.

Regards

REM
30-08-2009, 11:16
Have a look at Mike Hardings' (http://www.mikeharding.co.uk/) website, interesting in itself but some great links as well.

Cheers:cool:

symon
01-09-2009, 19:06
Oooh! I just got back from Shrewsbury Festival and saw lots of things that are right up your street, Nick.

If you want real old traditional English stuff - go back to the last of the originals - The Copper Family, Harry Cox, Sam Larner, The Watersons, and so many more.

Check out Topic Records, they do loads of stuff. Also Sanctuary records put out a lot of stuff. They took over a label, but I can't remember which one right now.

There is a 20 disc set, the name of which escapes me right now. I'll post it here when I remember what it's called.

Alternatively, come round my house and take a look at what's on my CD shelves. I've got plenty here you might be interested in.

symon
01-09-2009, 19:27
I remembered now
The Voice of the People (http://www.topicrecords.co.uk/acatalog/index2.html)

Beechwoods
01-09-2009, 19:47
Alternatively, come round my house and take a look at what's on my CD shelves. I've got plenty here you might be interested in.

I will, and hopefully I should have a good excuse to soon (and about bloody time, you might say ;))

symon
01-09-2009, 19:58
;)

Excellent! I really do have quite a bit of folk stuff here. And, I started pretty much from where you are now - Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick. I'm sure we could have an entertaining evening listening to folk music old and new. I'd be glad of the chance to share this wonderful music. I might end up going on about a chap called Chris Wood a lot - simply because he's a genius!

Beechwoods
01-09-2009, 20:05
I would really like that. I have a lot to learn!

On a different tangent I've been reading about and listening to a lot of early (1920-1950's) American music and developing a similar fascination for the early stuff. It's interesting how some of 'our' songs made their way 'over there'. But that's a subject for a different thread some other time :)

symon
01-09-2009, 21:15
It's true. There are quite a few songs that have travelled the world. The Watersons/Carthys are good at following songs around and tracing their history.

symon
26-01-2010, 11:12
It's time to resurrect this thread, I think.

I was very lucky over Christmas to pick up two excellent trad folk type things. The first is a double disc set of Harry Cox. A proper traditional folk singer who has some great songs, plays fantastic melodeon and almost unbearable violin! Perfect.

And, the other was the Topic Records 70 years boxset. 7 CDs of pure joy. I haven't listened to all of it yet, but what I have heard spans from early cylinder recordings made by Vaughn Williams, through to the latest pie Martin Carthy has his fingers in. Great stuff and definitely recommended. The packaging (it's a book!) is excellent and I'm looking forward to properly reading through the history of the record label.