John Kelly was born in the district of Rehy West, County Clare, and for over thirty years was a force in Irish music – he was a member of Seán Ó Riada’s Ceoltóirí Cualainn, of the Castle Ceilidh Band, and of Ceoltóirí Laighean, and regular musician at respected Dublin sessions.
John’s fiddling is in the relaxed Clare style and his concertina playing is spikier, with subtle variations of notes, the occasional harmonic effect, and again that off-beat emphasis.
John taught at the Willie Clancy Scoil Éigse, and supported the Tradition Club held on Wednesdays at Slattery’s, just a few doors away from his Dublin home: he was recorded by John Tams and Neil Wayne in January 1974 and by Tony Engle and Patrick Hayes in March & April 1975.

1 Paddy on the Turnpike – reel (concertina)
2 a The Bunch of Rushes – reel (fiddle), b The Bunch of Rushes – reel (concertina)
3 John Kelly’s Slide/ Tom Keane’s Reel (concertina)
4 a Blackberry Blossoms – reel (concertina), b The Spike Island Lasses – reel (double-reed concertina)
5 The Heathery Breeze – reel (concertina)
6 Delia Keane’s Jig (concertina)
7 The Blacksmith’s Charm – hornpipe (concertina)
8 We were drinking and kissing the Ladies/ Old Tipperary – jigs (fiddle)
9 Rocking the Baby to Sleep – air (fiddle)
10 Eddie Dunn’s – reel (concertina)
11 The Fishermen’s Hornpipe (concertina)
12 The Sister Reels – Carney’s / Gilbert Clancy’s Favourite / The Ravelled Hank of Yarn (fiddle)
13 The Crooked Road to Dublin and The Duke of Leinster’s Wife – reels (concertina)
14 The West Cork Reel (concertina)
15 a The Ivy Leaf – reel (concertina), b The Ivy Leaf – reel (fiddle)
16 The Flogging Reel (double-reed concertina)
17 Scattery Island Slide (double-reed concertina)
18 The Ebb Tide – hornpipe (concertina)
19 The Blackbird – air/hornpipe/set dance (fiddle)
20 The Bunch of Keys – reel (fiddle)
21 Lord Wellington’s Reel (concertina)

Produced by John Tams, Neil Wayne and Tony Engle.
First issued by Topic Records 1975.

Barry Dransfield recorded this unusual and exciting album of fiddle music for Topic in 1978.

A professional folk singer since 1965, Barry’s first recording success came with brother, Robin, in 1970 with their Melody maker Folk Album of the year, The Rout of the Blues. He made two more albums with his brother and collaborated with Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson, John Kirkpatrick and Shirley Collins on the seminal Morris On featuring his singing and fiddle playing.

1  Rattling Roaring Willie / Metal Man
2  Fiddler’s Progress
3  Who Knows Where the Time Goes? / My Lagan Love
4  Sheffield Hornpipe / Pet of the Pipers
5  Up the Aisle: Swedish Wedding March
Wedding Song / Bridie’s Wedding / Norwegian Wedding March / Wedding Morris
6  Sandy Bell’s
7  Obliged to Fiddle / Planxty Davy / Spanish Cloak
8  Bushes and Briars / Swedish Air
9  O’Carolan’s Concerto
10  Recitation upon a Gentleman Sitting on a Cremona Violin
11  Sally Gardens / Clonmel Races

Barry Dransfield : vocals, violin, cello, gimbri, bowed Appalachian dulcimer;
Robin Dransfield : vocals [2]

Recorded and produced by Nic Kinsey at Livingston Studios
First published by Topic 1978

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Irish traditional song runs the gamut between heroic and lyric. The great Donegal singer Paddy Tunney was a supremely lyrical singer and a master of intricate vocal ornament. The Flowery Vale was recorded in London in February 1975.

1    Tis Pretty to be in Ballinderry
2    Captain Coulson
3    Ta Me Mo Shui
4    What Brought the Blood
5    The Blighted Lover
6    The Twisting of the Rope
7    The Blackbird
8    Old Ardboe
9    The Old Man Rocking the Cradle
10   Siubhan Ni Dhuibhir
11   Dobbin’s Flowery Vale
12   Going to Mass Last Sunday

From the original LP notes:

On this present recording the singers are elderly and it is interesting to note what (E J) Moeran had to say on this subject. ‘One of the singers there was a man of about fifty who learned his songs from his father. The latter was also present, singing in the quavering and asthmatic tones of old age, but it was only recently that he had allowed the young man of fifty … to ‘perform in public’ for he was determined that he must acquire the true traditional style, uncontaminated by outside influences, before so doing.’

1 The Bold Princess Royal – Bob Hart
2 Seventeen Come Sunday – Bob Hart
3 The Faithful Sailor Boy – Percy Webb
4 Flash Company – Percy Webb
5 Wheel Your P’rambulator – Percy Webb
6 Go and Leave Me – Percy Webb
7 Rap-a-Tap-Tap – Bob Hart
8 The Song of the Thrush – Bob Hart
9 John Barleycorn – Ernest Austin
10 The Gipsy’s Warning – Bob Hart
11 Hares on the Mountain/The Knife in the Window – Ernest Austin
12 Barbara Allen – Bob Hart

Production by Tony Engle
First issued by Topic Records 1974

Len Graham of Antrim has been studying and performing the song tradition of Ireland, especially that of his native Ulster, for many years, and is well known and respected for both his scholarship and his singing. Wind and Water was his first solo recording.

“This is not a record of sea songs and shanties, so you may wonder why ‘Wind and Water’ for its title? It was wind and water that brought our ancestors to these shores, be they Celts, Norsemen, Normans or planters. It was also wind and water that propelled the missionaries, the ‘Wild Geese’ and the emigrants to foreign parts… These various comings and goings have left their mark
on the traditional songs of Ireland and, in particular, Ulster where forever history seems to stare one in the face. I hope the choice of songs on this record will in some way illustrate and reflect some of these influences.” Len Graham

1 My Parents Reared me Tenderly
2 Maggie Picken
3 Séan Ó Duibhir a’ Ghleanna
4 The County Mayo
5 The Star of Moville
6 The Green Fields of Amerikay
7 Western Winds
8 Paídín Ó Raibheartaigh
9 My Willie-O
10 Daniel O’Connell and his Steam Engine
11 The Rights of Man
12 One Morning in May
13 The Knight Templar’s Dream

Des and Vince O’Halloran are from the tiny Inishbofin Island, off the coast of Connemara. Though relatively young when these recordings were made and from a region not noted for a strongly maintained musical tradition, they play wonderfully close-knit and exciting music.
1  Reels: The Music in the Glen / The Green Fields of America
2  Jigs: The Lark in the Morning / The Connaughtman’s Rambles
3  The Lowlands of Holland
4  Barn Dances: Stack of Barley / Johnny, Will You Marry Me?
5  Jigs: Pat Burke’s / Fraher’s
6  Sweet Inniscarra
7  Waltz and Jigs: Martin Byrne’s Waltz / A Hundred Pipers / Dingle Regatta
8  Granuaile
9  Reels: The Sailor on the Rock / The Maid I Ne’er Forgot
10  Reel: The Limerick Lasses
11  Jig: The Lake Shore / The Exile’s Return
12  Reels: The Eel in the Sink / Larry Redigan’s
13  Moorlough Mary
14  The Bucks of Oranmore / The Wind that Shakes the Barley

Bob Smith’s Ideal Band was the cente of a group of Glasgow musicians, singers and omedians, who played dance music, sang popular songs and enacted sketches on the Beltona label in the 1930s. Their colourful and entertaining music is the sound not of a folklorist’s collection but of a genuinely popular regional idiom as it was recorded in its day. This 1977 collection was lovingly compiled from their finest 78rpm recordings.
1   Eightsome reel Part 1 (Fairy Dance / The Breakdown / De’il Among The Tailors)
2  Ashcroft’s Reel / Londonderry Air / Breakdown
3  Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
4  Liverpool and Highland Hornpipes (inc. Down Home Rag)
5  The International
6  Medley of Popular Waltzes (Let Me Call You Sweetheart / Smile Awhile / Down At The Old Bull and Bush / By The Side of the Zuyder Zee / Let Me Call You Sweetheart)
7  The Canal Cruise Parts 1 & 2 (incs. Life On The Ocean Wave / The Drunken Sailor / Miss MacLeod / A Man’s A Man for All That)
8  La Varsovienne
9  Big Reason Blues
10  The Boston Two-step
11  Horseguards Blue
12  Happy Hours
13  Woodland Voices
14  Eightsome reel Part 2 (Kate Dalrymple / Wind That Shakes The Barley / Soldier’s Joy / Miss MacLeod)
15  Ideal One-Step
16  The Middy March
17  Empress Tango
18  The Red Flag
19  Wull’s Wireless Wails Parts 1 & 2 (Flowers of Edinburgh / When You and I were Young, Maggie / Highland Laddie / Orange and Blue / Kafoozalum)
20  Medley of Irish Waltzes: The Irish Jaunting Car / Come Back To Erin / Eileen Alannah)
21  The Ideal Lancers: 1st. Fig: (Rakes of Mallow / My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose / The Girl I Left Behind Me) 2nd. Fig: (Lass of Gowrie / Kate Dalrymple / Loch Lomond) 3rd. Fig: (Blackthorn Stick / Irish Washerwoman) 4th Fig: (The Alma /Atholl Highlanders / Bonny Dundee) 5th Fig: (unidentified / Atholl Highlanders / Nora Creina / Biddy the Bowl Wife / Rakes of Kildare / Barren Rocks of Aden)
22  Dulcimer Tunes from An Old ‘National Hall’ Favourite parts 1 & 2: (The Favourite Hornpipe / Unidentified Barn Dance)
23  I Still Love You / Waltz Hesitation
24  The Call of the Pipes Part 1
25  Why Worry

Flute player Packie Duignan was a fine musician who had many of the tunes of the Leitrim player John McKenna, a distinguished and prolific figure in Irish-American recording circles of the 1920s and ’30s. He is joined on this splendid record by another Leitrim musician, fiddler Seamus Horan.

1 Jigs: The Shores of Lough Gowna / The Rose and the Heather (flute/fiddle)
2 Slip Jigs: Devero the Dancer / Connie the Soldier (flute)
3 Reels: The Tailor’s Thimble / The Red-haired Lass (flute/fiddle)
4 Hornpipe/Reel: Sean Ryan’s Hornpipe / The New Found Out Reel (fiddle)
5 Reels: Sporting Paddy / Packie Duignan’s Reel (flute/fiddle/whistle)
6 Jigs: The Trip To Athlone / The Hag with the Money / The Castlebar Jig (flute/fiddle)
7 Reels: Crowley’s (fiddle)
8 Reels: Jackie Coleman’s / The Sailor on the Rock (flute/fiddle)
9 Reels: Bridie Morley / Duignan’s Favourite (fiddle/flute)
10 Slip Jig: The Kid on the Mountain (flute/fiddle)
11 Highland Fling/Reel: Monymusk / Mrs. Smollen’s Reel (fiddle/flute)
12 Reel: The House On The Hill (flute)
13 Reel: The Duke of Leinster (flute/whistle)
14 Reels: Dinny Ryan’s Reels (fiddle)
15 Reels: Tom Ward’s Downfall / The Mullaghnavat Reel (flute/fiddle)
16 Jigs: The Geese in the Bog / Your Jig (fiddle)

Sean Wynne plays whistle on tracks 5 and 10.
Robin Morton plays bodhran on tracks 2, 9, 11, 12 & 13

First published by Topic 1978

The Stewarts are a family of Scots travellers who claimed descent from the Royal House of Stewart and have traditional music in their bones. Belle Stewart, a proud, dignified and a distinguished maintainer of noble traditions, ranks alongside Jeannie Robertson in the roll of the finest Scots ballad-singers. ‘Queen Among the Heather’ is the only full album of her work.
1  Queen Among the Heather
2  Here’s a Health to all True Lovers
3  Betsy Belle
4  The Berryfields of Blair
5  The Soft Country Chiel (The Toon o’ Dalry)
6  Whistlin’ at the Ploo’
7  The Bonnie Wee Lassie frae Gourock
8   The Overgate
9  Blooming Caroline o’ Edinburgh Toon
10  Busk, Busk, Bonnie Lassie
11  Late Last Night
12  The Twa Brothers
13  Leezie Lindsay

From  the original LP notes:

Like other folksingers, her repertoire encompasses a variety of emotions: anger at needless poverty and exploitation, affirmation of self-help as a way of life, pleasure in love, solace in religion, peace in death. Sarah’s prodigious talent has permitted her to fuse disparate radical elements with traditional forms to create a handful of significant songs beyond the legacy of well-known material left to her by her family.

1 I AM A GIRL OF CONSTANT SORROW
2 LOVING NANCY
3 OLD JACK FROST
4 MAY I GO WITH YOU JOHNNY?
5 THE HAND OF GOD ON THE WALL
6 DOWN ON THE PICKET LINE
7 I HATE THE COMPANY BOSSES
8 I’M GOING TO ORGANIZE
9 CHRIST WAS A WAYWORN TRAVELER
10 WHY DO YOU STAND THERE IN THE RAIN?
11 DREADFUL MEMORIES
12 OLD SOUTHERN TOWN
13 I HAVE LETTERS FROM MY FATHER
14 CAPTAIN DEVIN
15 GEE WHIZ WHAT THEY DONE TO ME
16 DAVY CROCKETT
17 BATTLE OF MILL SPRING
18 JUST THE SAME TODAY
19 SALLY
20 OH DEATH

First issued by Topic Records 1967.

‘In 1956 skiffle was going strong in London and Jack began to sing in pubs and create something of a name for himself. In 1957 he sent for his buddy Derroll Adams, banjo-picker from Portland, Oregon and together the two sang and made a Topic album billed as the Rambling Boys. This record is a release of material on JACK TAKES THE FLOOR, Topic 10T15, with additional songs.’

From the original sleevenotes

1 San Fancisco Bay Blues
2 Ol’ Riley
3 The Boll Weevil
4 Bed Bug Blues
5 New York Town
6 Old Blue
7 Grey Goose
8 Mule Skinner’s Blues
9 East Texas Talking Blues
10 Cocaine
11 Dink’s Song
12 Black Baby
13 Salty Dog

The Stewarts are a proud family of Scots travellers who claim descent from the Royal House of Stewart and who have music in their bones. Belle Stewart was one of the great traditional ballad singers and her daughters, Sheila and Cathie, inherited the family talent in full measure. Belle’s husband Alex Stewart was a fine exponent of the Highland warpipes. For The Travelling Stewarts album the family were joined by many of their relatives, including Jeannie Robertson, Lizzie Higgins and Davy Stewart.

‘You’ll never see me laughing or shouting at a Pakistani or anybody like that; no, never… Long, long years ago when I was a wee boy. My auld mother told me that all travellers came from the same place as these people. and so I never do anything that might offend them. Anyway, they`re having a hard time of it. just like the travellers…’
Davy Stewart, itinerant singer.

1    Johnnie, My Man  Lizzie Higgins
2    Willie’s Fatal Visit  Jeannie Robertson
3    The Battle’s O’er; Scotland the Brave; The 51st Division in Egypt  Played by Donald and Isaac Higgins, pipes
4    Bogie’s Bonnie Belle  Jane Stewart
5    McGinty’s Meal and Ale  Davy Stewart
6    My Bonnie Tammy  Christina Stewart
7    MacPherson’s Lament  Maggie McPhee
8    The Drunken Piper; Brig o’ Perth; Reel o’ Tulloch  Played by Alex Stewart, pipes
9    Loch Dhui  Belle Stewart acc. Alex Stewart, goose
10   The Dawning of the Day  Cathie Stewart, acc. Alex Stewart, goose
11   Donald’s Return to Glencoe  Sheila Stewart

Recorded in Scotland by Bill Leader, 1967
First Issued by Topic 1968

Until Topic Records featured Harry Boardman singing six Lancashire songs on the 1965 LP ‘New Voices’, available recordings of songs with their roots in the North West of England were scarce. The growing demand for such material led to the release of ‘Deep Lancashire’ in 1968 and then, in 1970, ‘Owdham Edge’, featuring Harry Boardman once again, as well as the first recordings by one Mike Harding.

1. Sam Shuttle and Betty Reedhook sung by Harry Boardman (banjo), acc. Lesley Boardman (mandolin) & Bob Diehl (fiddle)
2. Owdham Edge sung by John Howarth and The Oldham Tinkers (with banjo, mandolin and guitar)
3. Our Sarah’s Getten’ A Chap sung by John Howarth and The Oldham Tinkers (with banjo, mandolin and guitar)
4. The Miners’ Lock-Out sung by Harry Boardman (banjo); acc. Lesley Boardman (tenor banjo) & Mike Harding (Jews Harp)
5. Street Scene recited by Harvey Kershaw
6. Pounds, Shillings and Pence sung by Tim and Robin Boardman, leading into Down at our School sung by The Oldham Tinkers (with banjo, mandolin and guitar)
7. The Little Piecer sung by Dave Brooks (concertina)
8. Sammy Shuttleworth sung by Mike Harding (concertina), acc. Bernard Wrigley (bass concertina) & John Tenent (tenor horn)
9. Bowton’s Yard sung by Harry Boardman (banjo) acc. Lesley Boardman (tenor banjo) & Bob Diehl (fiddle)
10. Toddlin’ Whoam sung by Larry Kearns (guitar)
11. The Bard’s Reformation sung by Harry Boardman (banjo), acc. Lesley Boardman (tenor banjo) & Bob Diehl (fiddle)
12. Schoolyard Song sung by Harry Ogden (guitar), acc. Ian Hope (fiddle)
13. Nobbut a Cockstride Away sung by Mary Kershaw acc. Harvey Kershaw (piano)
14. Billy Suet’s Song sung by Harry Boardman (concertina)
15. Canute sung by The Oldham Tinkers (with banjo, tin whistle and guitar)
16. Our Bill sung by Bernard Wrigley (guitar)

Recorded by Sean Davies

First issued by Topic Records 1970

Second influential recording from the Exiles – three Scots musicians resident in London – again mixes a traditional and contemporary repertoire.

ENOCH KENT – vocal, whistle & guitar
BOBBY CAMPBELL – vocal, fiddle, mandolin, mandola & guitar
GORDON McCULLOCH – vocal, guitar & banjo
TIM LYONS – button accordion*

1    The Jolly Beggar
2    The Fair Flower of Northumberland
3    Reels: The Corner House / The Sally Gardens*
4    The Laird o’ the Windy Wa’
5    Dainty Davie
6    Le Reel du Pendu
7    Queen Eleanor’s Confession
8    The Poolan Laddie
9    The Shoals Of Herring
10  Airs, Slip Jig & Reel: The Coolin / I Walked Up To Her / Rocky Road To Dublin / The wee Weaver
11  The Battle of Harlaw
12  I Will Lay Ye Doon, Love
13  Planxty Davis*

There is a Scots saying that a Stewart is ‘either a tinker or sib to the King’. Nobody who knows the Stewarts of Blairgowrie, who spring from a long and famous line of Scots travelling folk, will feel like arguing the toss as to which of these possibilities confers the higher status. By general consent the Stewarts rank high among the singing ‘folk’ families of Europe and the world, and (as Robert Burns would have agreed) this and similar considerations of sense and merit confer the only patent of nobility worth a docken. The descendants of ‘auld Jimmy Stewart of Struan’, who crossed from Perthshire into Aberdeenshire via Glenshee and the Devil’s Elbow about the middle of the last century, are now scattered up and down the high roads and the low roads of Scotland, and there is a flourishing colony of them in Canada. There can be few more musically gifted clans or families in all Europe. Pipers, Fiddlers, melodeon players, tin whistlers can be counted among them in dozens, and you practically never encounter an indifferent performer. Alex’s father, old John Stewart, was one of the finest pipers in Scotland.

Alex, Belle, Cathie and Sheila Stewart recorded in 1965 by Bill Leader

1     Huntingtower
2     Caroline of Edinburgh Town
3     In London’s Fair City
4     Queen Amang the Heather
5     Dowie Dens o’ Yarrow
6     The Lakes o’ Shillin
7     Ower Yon Hill There Lives a Lassie
8     The Convict’s Song
9     Young Jamie Foyers
10    The Corncrake amang the Whinny Knowes
11    Busk, Busk, Bonnie Lassie
12    March; Strathspey; Reel

It is very appropriate that the artistry of William Hardie should be featured on this disc along with that of J. Scott Skinner, for many authorities believe him to be the finest living exponent of the Scott Skinner style.

William Hardie, accompanied on this record by his son, comes from a family with a long and honoured place in Scottish musical life – his great-great grandfather, Peter Hardie, (1775 – 1863), was a pupil of Niel Gow and a violin maker and composer of note; Peter’s cousin, Matthew Hardie (1755 – 1826), is widely regarded as the doyen of Scottish violin makers, and Charles Hardie (1849 – 1893), the grand-uncle of the present artist, was considered one of the best violinists in Scotland in his day, and held by Skinner to excel particularly in slow airs, light reels and hornpipes.

Bill Hardie / stereo

1 The Marquis of Huntly’s Snuff Mull/Mrs Chree/Carnie’s Canter
2 James F. Dickie’s Delight/The Laird o’ Drumblair/James F. Dickie’s reel
3 MacPherson’s Rant/Tullochgorum/The East Neuk o’ Fife
4 Master Francis Sitwell & variations/Newcastle Hornpipe]
5 Hornpipes: The North Shore/The Liverpool
6 The Dean Brig o’ Edinburgh/Banks Hornpipe

Bill Hardie is accompanied by his son, Alastair Hardie, on piano on tracks 1, 2, 4, 6 – tracks 3 and 5 are solo.

Scott Skinner / 78rpm discs / mono

7 The Laird o’ Drumblair (1683e) (Zonophone X-47905)
(The Laird o’ Drumblair/The Baker Reel/Will ye no come back Again?)
8 The Freebooter (Is Your War Pipe asleep) (26746) (Rena Double Face 1285) (MacPherson’s Rant/Tullochgorum & variations/The East Neuk of Fife & variations)
9 Birlin Reels (26749) (Rena Double Face 1283)
(The Auld Wheel/Spinning Wheel/Bride’s Reel/MacKenzie Frazer/Fairy Dance)
10 German Schottische (26760) (Rena Double Face 1286)
(Bohemian Melodies)
11 (a) Goodbye Gramin (b) Johnny Steele (strathspey) (c) James Hardie (reel) (73072) (Regal G8021)
12 Highland Schottische (26761) (Regal Zonophone G6617
Maggie Cameron/Athole Brose/The Devil in the Kitchen/Forbes Morrison
13 Sean Trews and Whistle o’er the Lave O’t, and Wha widna Fecht for Charlie? (Antique Dance) (26764) (Regal G6625)

Recorded and produced by Tony Engle.
First issued by Topic 1975.

The selections on this record reflect a certain affinity between Norwegian and Shetland musical traditions: a kind of musical bridge over the North Sea. These are conventional recordings, without gimmicks, intended to deepen the appreciation of this unique fiddle music from Northern Europe. This fiddling style is rich in tone-colours, original sounds and lively rhythms. Listeners with a good will and a sense of exploration will come across many fascinating finds.

1     HAUGELATTEN (The Tune from the Hills) Hauk and Knut Buen
2     SELJORD BRIDAL MARCH Tom Anderson with Hauk and Knut Buen
3     GRAVBAKKEN (The Grave Yard) Vidar Lande
4     FILLE-VERN (Ragged-Vern) – walking dance Vidar Lande
5     SORDALEN (Setesdalgangar) Vidar Lande
6     MAGGIE O’HAM (Foula Shaalds Dance) Tom Anderson and Knut Buen with Debbie Scott and Catriona MacDonald
7     PRESTEGANGAREN (The Parson’s Dance) Hauk Buen
8     FYKERUDEN (Homage to Fykerud) Hauk Buen
9     MARKENSMANDAGEN (The Market-Monday) Hauk Buen
10   KNUT LURASEN I (Hjerki Haukeland) Knut Buen
11   MARGIT HJUKSE (Listening Tune) Knut Buen
12   SIRI RUKAREN (Fiddler’s Wife) Hauk Buen
13   BOKKOEN (Dance tune by Bokko) Hauk Buen
14   UNST BRIDAL MARCH/DA BRIDE’S A BOANNIE TING Tom Anderson and Knut Buen
15   HOMSLIEN (Tune of the Goblins) Vidar Lande
16   SKRUBBEN (The Wolf) Vidar Lande
17   NORAFJELLS (North of the Mountains) Vidar Lande

Recorded in Edinburgh, Jondalen and Oslo

First issued by Topic Records 1983

Bob Davenport has one of the most distinctive styles and one of the widest repertoires of any singer performing in folk clubs. From the North East of England, he relished singing in the pubs of North London frequented by musicians from the Irish community – the Bedford Arms, The Laurel Tree and the Camden Stores. ‘Down The Long Road’ draws upon these two important strands in Bob’s repertoire, as well as the country music of Southern England. Mr. Davenport is variously accompanied by notable Irish musicians – Lucy Farr, Jimmy Power, Johnny Gorman, and by members of Webb’s Wonders, The Rakes and the Leeds Band.
1  Navvy Boots
2  Down the Long Road
3  The Rambling Man
4  Barn Dance Selection: Louis James’ Quadrille / The Dancing Dustman
5  When I Was Single
6  I’m a Poor Unhappy Married Man
7  Jig Selection: When There Isn’t a Girl About / Peggy Wood / Looking for a Partner
8  Wild Wild Whiskey
9  Whiskey in the Jar
10  Reels: The Steam Packet / The Sligo Maid
11  Herbert Smith’s Polka
12  One Day While in the North Country
13  A-Begging I Will Go
14  The Wealthy Squire
15  By Tyne’s Bonny Banks
16  Once I Had an Old Hen
17  Polka Medley: Jenny Lind / J B Milne / The Girl With the Blue Dress On
18  Bogie’s Bonnie Belle
19  Irish Molly Barn Dance
20  Toast / The Blarney Stone

One of Scotland’s best known traditional singers, Jimmy McBeath, was a former farm servant and traveller from Banffshire. He sang in a direct any authoritative style bothy ballads and songs learnt on the road. His 1967 album has long been regarded as a very important collection of traditional song.

1  The Bold English Navvy
2  Come A’ Ye Tramps an’ Hawkers
3  Johnny McIndoe
4  The Wind Blew The Bonnie Lassie’s Plaidie Awa’
5  The Merchant and the Beggar Maid
6  Nicky Tams
7  The Barnyards o’ Delgaty
8  I’m A Stranger in this Country
9  The Moss O’ Burreldale
10  The Highlandman’s Ball
11  McPherson’s Rant
12  Grat For Gruel
13  Drumdelgie
14  Wild Rover No More

First published by Topic 1967

From the original LP notes by Neil Wayne:

In this, the sixth Topic/Free Reed release, we present a sample of the playing of eight musicians from various parts of Ireland who play the Anglo concertina.

Today, the richest store of traditional concertina playing is to be found in County Clare, and indeed five of these musicians live and work in that county. However, the instrument’s popularity has been more widespread and Mrs. O’Dwyer, who learnt to play in County Limerick as a young girl, tells of many players in that county.

Also, the instrument is regaining popularity amongst the newer generation of musicians, and we feature on the recording items from two younger Dublin concertina players.

This record, then, surveys the Irish traditional concertina styles that can be heard in and around County Clare today, and includes selections from younger musicians, as well as some of the finest traditional players of the concertina in Ireland.

1 reel King of the Clans Sonny Murray
2 set tunes No Title/Behind the Bush in Parkhanna Mrs Ellen O’Dwyer
3 jig Kit O’Mahoney’s Paddy Murphy
4 reel The Mountain Road Gerald Haugh
5 Reels Solus Lillis/Tom Carey
6 slow air The Fairy Child Michael MacAogain
7 set dance The Argrume Set Mrs Ellen O’Dwyer
8 barn dance The Barn Dance Mrs Ellen O’Dwyer
9 reels Chancy Cheory/West along the Road Sonny Murray
10 reel The Morning Dew Sonny Murray
11 reel Spike Island Lasses Sean O’Dwyer
12 jigs Jigs incl. Jenny’s Beaver Hat Mrs Ellen O’Dwyer
13 reels Toss the Feathers/Drowsy Maggie Mrs Ellen O’Dwyer
14 reel The Mason’s Apron Paddy Murphy
15 flings Sean O’Dwyer’s Fling/The Kerry Hornpipe Sean O’Dwyer
16 jig Kesh Jig Gerald Haugh
17 jig The Clare Jig (Stack’s Favourite) Solus Lillis/Tom Carey
18 air Air from Thomas Moor Solus Lillis
19 hornpipe The Fairy Hornpipe Michael MacAogain
20 March  Mrs Ellen O’Dwyer
21 set dance Mrs O’Dwyer’s Fancy Mrs Ellen O’Dwyer
22 jigs Apples in Winter Solus Lillis/Tom Carey

Produced by John Tams, Neil Wayne and Tony Engle.
First issued by Topic Records 1977.

Onetime member of the esteemed High Level Ranters, Johnny Handle is also a solo performer of great charm, humour and a wonderful songwriter. The Collier Lad mirrors many aspects of life in the North-east, from the lore of the miner to the lure of the Geordie streets.

Johnny Handle guitar, accordeon & piano with Alistair Anderson English concertina, Tommy Gilfellon Guitar and Colin Ross fiddle.

In Bye
1   The Collier Lad *
2   Dust
3   The Durham Big Meetin’ Day
4   The Old Man of the Village
5   The New Spotlight
6   Farewell to the Monty
7   Stottin’ Doon the Waal *
On Bank
8   The Day we went to the Coast
9   Schooldays
10  Is there Owt Secure?
11  The Old Pubs ±
12  Decorating
13  The Fearless Mariner
14  Danny’s *
* ably assisted by the rest of the High Level Ranters
± with Alistair Anderson, chorus

The Wild Hills O’Wannie is a tremendous collection of some of the finest exponents of the Northumbrian Small Pipes – George Atkinson, Diana Blackett-Ord, Tommy Breckons, Colin Caisley, Forster Charlton, Joe Hutton and Billy Pigg.

The pipes have at various times been called seductive, wild, plaintive, lyrical, exciting, and sophisticated. These apparently contradictory descriptions result from the unusual versatility of the instrument as well as from differences in the tonal quality of individual sets of pipes. Thus, it is possible for each performer to develop his own characteristic style of playing and if you listen carefully to this record you will soon become able to identify the player from the sound of the first few notes of a tune.

1    The Morpeth Rant  BILLY PIGG
2    Skye Crofters/ The SwalIow’s Tail BILLY PIGG
3    Sir Sidney Smith’s March TOMMY BRECKONS
4    The Barrington Hornpipe GEORGE ATKINSON
5    Blow the Wind Southerly DIANA BLACKETT-ORD
6    Lovat Scouts / Roxburgh Castle / Bonny North Tyne / Alston Flower Show JOE HUTTON
7    The Navvy on the Line / The Friendly Visit / Remember Me / Biddv the Bold Wife / Lamb Skinnet /
De ‘il amang the Tailors GEORGE ATKINSON
8    Londonderrv Hornpipe / Boys of the Blue Hills / Corn Rigs / Harvest Home DIANA BLACKETT-ORD
9    The Blackthorn Stick / Biddv the Bold Wife JOE HUTTON
10   The Holey Ha’penny BILLY PIGG
11   The Humours of Bandon / Saddle the Pony JOE HUTTON
12   Noble Squire Dacre COLIN CAISLEY & FORSTER CHARLTON (duet)
13   Rowlev Burn Hornpipe JOE HUTTON
14   The Wild Hills o’Wannie BILLY PIGG
15   Westering Home DIANA BLACKETT~ORD
16   The Midlothian Pipe Band / Charlie Hunter JOE HUTTON
17   The Lark in the Clear Air BILLY PIGG
18   Fenwick o’ Bywell TOMMY BRECKONS
19   Variations on ‘Oh dear, what can the matter be’ GEORGE ATKINSON
20   The Gypsy’s Lullaby  / The Hawk  / Memories / Coates Hall BILLY PIGG
21   Salmon Tails up the Water / The Herd on the Hill / Sweet Hesleyside COLIN CAISLEY & FORSTER CHARLTON (duet)

Vera Aspey’s 1977 solo LP garnered lavish praise on release, Maurice Rosenbaum of the Daily Telegraph declaring it one of his albums of the year. A selection of mostly traditional material, with one Gary and Vera Aspey original and an Alfred Noyes poem set to the music of Phil Ochs, this album showcased Vera’s range and talent to stunning effect.

1. The Blackbird
2. Owd Betty Barlow
3. Ladybird
4. The Maypole Inn
5. The Pit Brow Lassies
6. My Johnny Was a Shoemaker
7. Coal Black Faces
8. The Highwayman
9. Shule Agra
10. Aggie Bell
11. The Sprig of Thyme

Produced by Tony Engle.

First issued by Topic Records 1977.

Ewan MacColl was one of the architects of the mid twentieth century British folk revival. A polemicst, writer and a singer of extraordinary dramatic power. His influence on the whole movement has been of the utmost importance. MacColl’s singing brings both the past alive and expresses the mood of his own times.
1  We Poor Labouring Men
2  Georgie
3  Barbara Allen
4  Sheepcrook and Black Dog
5  Bramble Briar (Strawberry Town)
6  One Night As I Lay On My Bed
7  The Grey Cock
8  To the Begging I Will Go
9  The Sheep-Stealer
10  The Manchester Angel
11  The Bold Richard
12  The Press Gang
13  Round Cape Horn
14  Through Moorfields
15  Homeward Bound

The Oldham Tinkers from Oldham in South Lancashire made their debut on the best selling ‘Deep Lancashire’ collection in 1968. Throughout the next decade they took their music to a wide international audience. Their fourth ‘solo’ album for the Topic label was a powerful mixture of Lancashire humour and pathos. Their songs are derived from the poems of local dialect writers, from Music Hall entertainers and from the traditional music of the North West.
1  The Maid in the Calico Dress
2  Elsie Bell
3  Pity Me My Darling
4  The Talking Dog
5  To Sarah
6  Tall Tales Medley
7  Sit Thee Down
8  John Willie’s Ferret
9  The Deserter
10  Poor Little Hauve-Timer
11  Dad’s Medals
12  Fishing
13  Jumping Jack
14  Jim’s Medley

Paddy Tunney of Donegal is a supremely gifted lyrical singer and a master of intricate vocal ornament. The songs he sings are as deeply and genuinely romantic as the green countryside and dark mountains of his native country. A Wild Bees’ Nest is one of his finest records.

1  The Rollicking Boys Around Tandaragee
2  The Colleen Rue
3  The Flower of Sweet Strabane
4  The Waterford Boys
5  Easter Snow
6  I Once Had a True Love
7 Sheela Nee Eyre
8  When a Man’s In Love
9  The Banks of Dunmore
10  Bonny Tavern Green
11  Castlehyde

The Coen brothers, Galwaymen by birth, were both resident in New York when this fine location recording was taped. Jack played the flute and Charlie the concertina, both were distinguished members of the New York Irish community when the folklorist Mick Moloney encouraged them to make this album.
1  Scatter the Mud / Larry Redican’s Jig
2  The Sailor’s Cravat / Repeal of the Union
3  John Conroy’s Jig / Jim Conroy’s Jig
4  The Peach Blossom / The Fiddler’s Contest
5  Jim Conroy’s Reel / The Pullet
6  Redican’s Mother / The Humours of Kilkenny
7  Mike Coen’s Polka / The Branch Line
8  Have a Drink with Me / The Blarney Pilgrim
9  Two Woodford Flings
10  The Waddling Gander / O’Connell’s Jig on Top of Mount Everest
11  Lads of Laois / Green Groves of Erin
12  The Tongs by the Fire / The Spinning Wheel
13  Whelan’s Reel / Jenny Dang the Weaver
14  Jack Coen’s Jig / Paddy O’Brien’s Jig

“In the course of singing these songs over the years I’ve probably altered them hugely from the way they came to me but I hope my informants won’t think them too much harmed. My thanks to them all anyway. However, dear listener, don’t run away with the idea that I spend my time singing nothing but songs such as these. After all, I have always loved singing and sung all the songs that were available to me. So, off-duty at least, these songs mix with the songs of Crosby, Jolson, Paul Robeson and Hank Williams, to name only four of my favourite singers. The real gift that the folk revival has given me is the knowledge of these traditional songs so that they can share a place in my affections with the radio songs I had known for years. I hope you will enjoy the songs here; if you want to learn any to sing yourself – go ahead!” Roy Harris from the original album sleevenotes.

1   As I Was Going to Banbury
2   The Knight and the Shepherd ‘s Daughter
3   The Baker of Colebrook
4   The 23rd of March
5   Go from My Window
6   Think on This (When You Smoke Tobacco)
7   The Dockyard Gate
8   The Lady of Carlisle
9   Robin Hood and Little John
10  Sandbank Fields
11  The Spithead Sailor
12  The Unhappy Parting

As a scion of the famous family of ‘singing coppers’,he irreplaceable Bob Copper grew up into a rich tradition of Southern song. In the 1950s he recorded many country singers for the BBC, an experience reflected in three best-selling books and partly documented in Songs & Southern Breezes (TSDL317). Sweet Rose In June presents his own beautifully sung versions of countryside songs from the South of England.

1   The Trooper
2   The Bold ‘Princess Royal’
3   The Farmer from Chester
4   The Mistletoe Bough
5   The Bold Dragoon
6   Young Johnnie
7   The Parson and The Sucking Pig
8   Lord Thomas
9   The Squire’s Lost Lady
10 Bold General Wolfe
11 Dick Turpin
12 The Fox
13 Dogs and Ferrets
14 The Fisherman
15 Rose in June

Bonny North Tyne is a splendid collection of Northumbrian Country Music played by John Armstrong fiddle, Billy Atkinson mouth organ, Billy Conran whistle, George Hepple fiddle, Joe Hutton small-pipes and Donald Ridley accordeon. These recordings were made in Northumberland by Tony Engle and Tony Wilson in the early 1970s.

1       Tell her I am / Teviot Brig  Billy Atkinson
2       Barrington Hornpipe / Rowley Bum  Joe Hutton
3       The Rowan Tree / Jock of Hazeldean  John Armstrong & Joe Hutton
4a     Green Castle / Spot On  Billy Conroy
4b     Corn Rigs  Billy Conroy
5       Sheffield Hornpipe / Untitled Hornpipe / Miss Thompson’s Hornpipe / Liddle’s Hompipe  George Hepple & Donald Ridley
6       Hexham Races / Stool of Repentance  Billy Atkinson
7       The Wonder Hornpipe / Navvie on the line  Joe Hutton
8       The Bum Divot  George Hepple & Donald Ridley
9       Horsley Lassies / Bellingham Boat / The Howlet and the Weasel  George Hepple & Donald Ridley
10      Sir Sidney Smith’s March  John Armstrong & Joe Hutton
11      Liverpool Hornpipe / Steamboat Hornpipe  Billy Conroy
12      J B Milne/The New High Level  Billy Atkinson
13      Bonny North Tyne/The Redesdale Hompipe  Joe Hutton
14      Drink to Me Only /Will Ye No Come Back Again  John Armstrong & Joe Hutton
15      Nancy / Whinshield’s Hompipe / Whinham’s Reel  George Hepple & Donald Ridley
16      Geordie’s Jig  George Hepple
17      Jenny Bell Polka  Billy Conroy
18      Napoleon’s Grand March / Untitled March  Billy Conroy
19      The Friendly Visit / Green Castle / Lass on the Strand  Billy Atkinson
20     The Girl with the Blue Dress On / The Big Ship  George Hepple & Donald Ridley

Paddy Tunney established himself as that rare thing a singer really in a class of his own. One of Paddy`s peculiarities is that he chooses a high proportion of songs that are hexatonic or pentatonic. ‘ln the present instance. these ‘gapped‘ scales. along with the decorated styles of his singing, produce a homogeneity of character which alone would make this a record for the connoisseur of traditional singing.’ Recorded in London in 1975 The Mountain Streams Where The Moorcocks Crow is a splendid collection of songs and ballads from Paddy’s large repertoire.

1     The Mountain Streams where the Moorcocks Crow
2     The Wee Weaver
3     The Boys of Mullaghbawn
4     The Old Petticoat
5     Coinleach Glas An Fhomhair
6     Donall Og
7     The Reaping of the Rushes Green
8     One Morning in June
9     Lady Margaret
10   Inis Dhun Ramha
11   The Old Oak Tree
12   Drinking Good Whiskey
13   Sweet Omagh Town
14   The Green Fields of Canada

Bob Davenport has one of the most distinctive styles and one of the widest repertoires among singers on the folkclub scene. A favourite at festivals and a regular guest at folk clubs throughout Britain, he is a staunch supporter of the traditional music of the working people. He is at his finest when accompanied by the Rakes, surely the best English country ensemble of them all.
1  Waltzes: With my Love on the Road / Wild Colonial Boy
2  The Ploughboy Lad
3  Single Jigs: Patsy Geary’s / The Peeler and the Goat
4  Princess Royal
5  Lake of Coolfin
6  The Man in the Moon / The Jealous Sailor / Jealous Heart
7  Keep Your Feet Still Geordie Hinnie
8  Three Men Went A-Hunting
9  Country Dance: Three Around Three
10  The Dowie Dens ofYarrow
11  Polkas: McCusker’s No. 1 / McCusker’s No. 2 / Jenny Lind
12  Slieve Gallion Braes
13  The Star of the County Down
14 Old Green River

Bob Hart, born 1892, belongs to the same grand company of East Anglian traditional singers as Harry Cox and Sam Larner, Jumbo Brightwell of Eastbridge and Bob Scarce of Blaxhall. Schooled in Southwold, Bob started farm work after a move to Trentham, but quickly left to work on a sailing trawler out of Lowestoft:

‘We used to travel as far as the Shetland Islands, from May to November, and work back to Grimsby. It was at Grimsby where I learned some of my songs, and where I first heard The Banks of Sweet Primroses. I learned As I Strolled out to Aylesbury from a man called Jack Harling, of Snape. Funny Little Place to Have One, Underneath her Apron, and The Female Cabin Boy are songs I seem to have always known. Broadside I learned from Bob Scarce of Blaxhall.’

1 Cod Banging
2 Australia
3 A Broadside
4 The Banks of Sweet Primroses
5 What a Funny Little Place to Have One
6 Bold General Wolfe
7 The Female Cabin Boy
8 As I Strolled out to Aylesbury
9 The Scarlet and the Blue
10 John Barleycorn
11 The Miner’s Dream of Home
12 The Young Sailor Cut Down
13 All Jolly Fellows that Follow the Plough
14 Underneath her Apron

Songs of the Jacobite Wars of 1715 and 1745 sung by Ewan MacColl with guitar and banjo accompaniments by Peggy Seeger.

‘These songs recall a social order which has long since passed away under the wheels of the locomotive, the arterial road, the factory, and the hydroelectric power station. They recall the bravery of men who died for a cause in which they believed. And above all, they recall the loyalty felt towards the young prince who, with grace and charm, came to lead the clansmen in his fathers’ cause; and who, though doomed to failure, won the hearts and devotion of men and women in his own generation and in those which have followed..

From the original sleevenotes by Angus Buchanan

1 Ye Jacobites by Name
2 Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation
3 Will Ye Go to Sherriffmuir
4 Wae’s Me for Prince Charlie
5 Charlie Is My Darling
6 The Haughs of Cromdale
7 The Bonnie Moorhen
8 Johnnie Cope
9 Came Ye O’er frae France
10 There’s Three, Brave Loyal Fellows
11 This is no My Ain House
12 The Piper O’ Dundee
13 Donald MacGillavry
14 Maclean’s Welcome
15 Will Ye No Come Back Again?

JEANNIE ROBERTSON comes of roving stock – on both her father’s and mother’s side, her ancestors belonged to the travelling clans (Stewarts and Robertsons) who roamed the North-East of Scotland. Jeannie herself, although born in the city, spent much of her youth travelling “up the Dee and down the Don” with her people, and learned many of her songs at their campfires.

1 The Bonny Wee Lassie Who Never Said No
2 What a Voice
3 My PIaidie’s Awa’
4 The Gipsy Laddies
5 When I Was No but Sweet Sixteen
6 MacCrimmon’s Lament
7 Roy’s Wife of Aldivalloch
8 Lord Lovat

Sarah Makem was one of the finest singers of Ulster singers. This recording made in 1967 is a fine portrait of the traditional Ulster repertoire – an area where Irish, English and Scots traditions to some extent converge. Sarah learnt her songs in the traditional way – “When I was young we used to have dances in the street to the music of a mouth organ, or if the mouth organ wasn’t available then someone had to lilt. Well, at these street dances anyone was likely to be asked for a song, so I always tried to have one or two ready and I kept learning as many as I could from my mother singing around the house.”
1  Farewell My Love, Remember Me
2  The Banks of Red Roses
3  It was in the Month of January
4  Robert Burns and His Highland Mary
5  The Factory Girl
6  The Jolly Thresher
7  Caroline and her Young Sailor Bold
8  The Wind that Shakes the Barley
9  I Courted A Wee Girl
10  A Servant Maid in Her Father’s Garden
11  Barbara Allen

Jesse Fuller, “The Lone Cat” (1896 – 1976) was one of the great blues troubadours. A remarkably expressive singer and fine 12-string guitarist, Fuller developed his unique one-man-band style around his fotdella (foot-operated bass) and harmonica/kazoo rig. This collection includes his earliest recordings, including the original version of his classic San Francisco Bay Blues, together with a session taped in London in 1965 for Topic Records.

This album is available on CD from Fledg’ling Records www.thebeesknees.com

1  Move On Down The Line
2  Stealing
3  Ninety-nine Years and One Dark Day
4  Animal Fair
5  Sleeping in the Midnight Cold
6  Stackolee
7  John Henry
8  Railroad Worksong
9  Lining up the Track
10  Hangin’ Round a Skin Game
11  Railroad Blues
12  San Francisco Bay Blues

Terry Teahan, of Kerry and Chicago, and Gene Kelly, of Kilkenny and Washington DC, were old-style Irish musicians in their 70s when this album was recorded. Both had been resident in the Us since the 1920s. Gene Kelly plays accordion, Terry Teahan melodeon and concertina. Though each had worked extensively in band settings, this record of solo performances concentrates on old-fashioned dance music.

1 Reels The Corner House / The Broomstlck Gene Kelly
2 Slide Tom Looney’s Terry Teahan
3 Slide Reagan’s Terry Teahan
4 Hornpipes The Sweep’s / Hennessey’s Gene Kelly
5 Barn Dance The Kerry Mills Terry Teahan
6 Polka Mike Howard’s Terry Teahan
7 Hornpipe The Bird’s Terry Teahan
8 Air Blind Mary Gene Kelly
9 Slide The Barrel Organ Terry Teahan
10 Slide The Evening I Spent With Mick Terry Teahan
11 Slide The Paper Plate Terry Teahan
12 Jigs Fahey’s / Gerry’s Beaver Hat Gene Kelly
13 Slide The Lonesome Road to Dingle Terry Teahan
14 Polka Mickey Chewing Bubble Gum Terry Teahan
15 Barn Dances Sean Hayes / If There Were’t Any Women In The World Gene Kelly
16 Hornplpe Tadgh’s Ailment Terry Teahan
17 Slide Going for Water Terry Teahan
18 Story and Air The Old Caubeen Gene Kelly
19 Waltz Tadgh and Buddy Terry Teahan
20 Fling Poll Hapenny Terry Teahan
21 Polka Paddy Kenny’s Terry Teahan
22 Jigs Father O Flynn’s / The Connaught Man’s Rambles Gene Kelly
23 Polka Jack Mitchell’s Terry Teahan
24 Sword Dance No Name Terry Teahan
25 Fling The Road to Glauntane Terry Teahan
26 Reels The Swallow’s Tail / Miss McLeod’s Gene Kelly

First published by Topic 1977

From the original LP notes:

‘… and there would be calls for old David’s ‘Outlandish Knight’; not because they wanted particularly to hear it – indeed, they had heard it so often they all knew it by heart – but because, as they said, ‘Poor old feller be eighty-three. Let ‘un sing while he can’.’
Flora Thompson perfectly described a village singsong of the 1880s when she wrote of her childhood in the book Lark Rise (1939). The village stood among wheatfields in a north east corner of Oxfordshire and Miss Thompson felt that she was describing a way of life that had passed for ever.
But certain values have remained, as the singers on this record attest, and in their own way these singers are the direct descendants and carriers of ‘old David’s’ past.

1 The Fox and the Grey Goose – Freda Palmer, Witney, Oxfordshire
2 The Wandering Girl – Freda Palmer
3 All For the Grog – George ‘Tom’ Newman, Clanfield, Oxfordshire
4 The Broken Down Gentleman – Bill Whiting, Longcot, Oxfordshire
5 I’m Going to the Woods – Bill Whiting
6 Sing Ovy and Sing Ivy – George ‘Tom’ Newman
7 The Warwickshire R.H.A. – Freda Palmer
8 Oxford City – Freda Palmer
9 The Galloway Man – Wisdom Smith, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
10 When Sheepshearing’s Done – Bob Blake, Horsham, Sussex
11 As I Was A-Walking – Freda Palmer
12 Up in the North – Freda Palmer
13 (a) The Life of a Man – Harry Holman, Copthorne, Sussex and
(b) Toast – Harry Holman
14 The Thrashing Machine – George Spicer, West Hoathly, Sussex
15 The Lily White Hand – George Spicer
16 The Grey Hawk – Bob Blake
17 The Bailiff’s Daughter of Islington – Freda Palmer
18 William and Mary – Freda Palmer
19 Maria Marten – Freda Palmer
20 Jolly Jarge – Bill Dore, Leafield, Oxfordshire

Produced by Mike Yates and Tony Engle
First issued by Topic Records 1975

HEDY WEST from North Georgia, at the southern end of the Appalachians. A L Lloyd regarded her as ‘far and away the of American girl singers in the revival.’ A sensitive and vibrant singer who accompanied herself in a distinctive style on the five-string banjo, her early recordings for the Topic label have had a remarkable influence on the folk song revival.

1    The House Carpenter
2    Pretty Saro
3    Old Smokey
4    Blow Ye Gentle Winds
5    My Soul’s Full Of Glory
6    Promised Land
7    Over There
8    Little Matty Groves
9    Rake And Rambling Boy
10  Joe Bowers
11  Whistle, Daughter, Whistle
12  I’m An Old Bachelor
13  Johnny Sands
14  My Good Old Man
15  Frankie Silvers
16  Lee Tharin’s Bar Room

Few could match the assurance and intensity of Frankie Armstrong’s singing. A committed feminist and radical, Frankie brought a refreshing energy to her performance of traditional and contemporary song. Songs and Ballads her debut album dates from 1975.

Frankie Armstrong vocals with Andrew Brown fiddle, Graham Goffee guitar, Susie Rothfield Appalachian dulcimer and voice, Heather Wood voice and Brian Pearson voice.

1    Little Duke Arthur’s Nurse (acc. fiddle, guitar, dulcimer)
2    The Pitmen’s Union (acc. guitar)
3    Lady Diamond (unacc.)
4    Lament for the Hull Trawlers (acc. fiddle and guitar)
5    The Month of January (duet with Heather Wood)
6    Three Drunken Maidens (vocal trio with Heather Wood and Susie Rothfield)
7    Jack the Lad (acc. fiddle and guitar)
8    The Whore’s Lament (acc. fiddle, with chorus)
9    Little Musgrave (acc. dulcimer)
10   The Collier Lass (unacc.)
11   The Female Drummer (acc. fiddle, guitar, dulcimer, with chorus)

John Kirkpatrick and Sue Harris play and sing English country music with a rare authority. John is a well known session musician, recording with Richard and Linda Thompson, Gerry Rafferty, Pere Ubu, Roy Bailey and many others. John and Sue were founder members of the Albion Country Band, and John has been a member of Steeleye Span and Brass Monkey. ‘The Rose Of Britain’s Isle’ was voted the record of the year 1974 by Folk Review.
1  The Rose of Britain’s Isle / Glorishears
2  Up in the North
3  Hunsden House and Whimbleton House
4  Queen of the May
5  Old Man Jones
6  Not for Joe
7  Weyhill Fair
8  The Milkmaid’s Song
9  Rising Sun and the Crown
10  Sweet Swansea
11  The Yellow Joak and The White Joak
12  The Lady and the Soldier
13  Fireside Polka / Down Sides and up the Middle

From Paddy Tunney’s notes in the 1965 issue of this classic Topic LP:

The songs he (Dominic Behan) has selected for this record number sixteen and all tell the story of the Irish Republican Army from the Easter Rising of 1916 to the present day. It is the story of hopes and aspirations, the heartbreaks and bitterness of a race that strove hard but stopped short of full nationhood.

1 Erin Go Brath
2 It’s a Grand Old Country
3 The Recruiting Sergeant
4 Slean Libh
5 Sergeant William Bailey
6 Barry’s Column
7 Roscarbery
8 The Boys of the County Cork
9 Johnston’s Motor Car
10 Sean Tracy
11 Take it Down from the Mast
12 The Castle of Drumboe
13 The Merry Ploughboy
14 Sean South
15 The Oul’ Alarm Clock
16 The Patriot Game

Recorded by Bill Leader 1958
First issued by Topic Records 1959

A colourful collection of ballads and songs from Australia. A L (Bert) Lloyd was a leading architect of the British folk song revival and spent an early part of his life working in the Australian outback. Lloyd learnt these songs in the usual manner of folk singers; that is by picking them up from the singing of his workmates – sheep shearers, cattle drovers, farm hands and so on – in the bush. He is accompanied by three fine instrumentalists – Peggy Seeger, Ralph Rinzler and John Cole.
1  Flash Jack From Gundagai
2  Lachlan Tigers
3  The Cockies Of Bungaree
4  South Australia
5  Banks Of The Condamine
6  Bluey Brink
7  The Overlanders
8  1,000 Miles Away
9  The Flash Stockman
10  The Wild Colonial Boy
11  Brisbane Ladies
12  Bold Jack Donahue
13  The Shearer’s Dream
14  The Derby Ram

SEAN McALOON from Co. Fermanagh and JOHN REA from Co. Antrim, were traditional musicians of choice quality. McAloon was a master of the fiddle and uilleann pipes, Rea the hammer dulcimer, and their duets on the latter two instruments are rare delights. These magnificent performances were recorded by Robin Morton (of the Boys of the Lough).

Sean McAloon Uillean Pipes & Fiddle
John Rea Dulcimer

1  Jigs: The Maid in the Meadow (dulcimer) / The Castlebar Races / Trip to the Cottage (dulcimer and concert pipes)
2  Reels: The Mountain Lark / Crooked Road to Dublin (concert pipes)
3  Jigs: Jackson’s Drum / Jackson’s Mistake / Jackson’s Coagy (dulcimer)
4  Air: Blind Mary (flat pipes)
5  Hornpipes: Madame Bonaparte / O’Dwyer’s Hornpipe (dulcimer)
6  Reels: Crowley’s No. 1 / Crowley’s No. 2 (fiddle)
7  Jigs: Moloney’s / Paddy O’Brien’s (concert pipes)
8  Reels: First House in Connaught (concert pipes ) / The Copperplate (dulcimer and concert pipes)
9  Air: An Buachaill Caol Dubh (The Dark Slender Boy) /  Slip Jig: Drops of Brandy (flat pipes)
10  Reels: Coil the Hawser / Lord McDonald’s (dulcimer)
11  Hornpipes: Alexandria’s / Higgin’s (flat pipes)
12  Reels: The Sligo Maid (fiddle) / Sheehan’s (fiddle and dulcimer)
13  Jigs: Wandering Minstrel / Katy is Waiting / The Basket of Shamrocks (dulcimer)
14  Hornpipes: Tim the Turncoat / The Quarrelsome Piper (concert pipes and dulcimer)
15  Jigs: The Old Siege of Valencia (dulcimer) / The Lark in the Morning (dulcimer, fiddle and bodhran)

“Alison McMorland and Peta Webb are two ladies of immense talent and can be counted among the handful, of either sex, who are supreme in their art. Individually they are well respected; together they make that rare blend that is only to be found in singing of this quality, complementing each other perfectly and, even more rare, each somehow adding to the other to come up with something which is more than the combination of two voices. It is only after listening to the whole record that one becomes aware that there is no instrumental accompaniment.” Dick Gaughan from the original 1980 sleeve notes.
1  Two Pretty Boys
2  What Can A Young Lassie?
3  Jogging Up To Claudy
4  In London So Fair
5  The Convict’s Song
6  Sailing’s A Weary Life
7  The Factory Girl
8  The May Morning Dew
9  The Green Banks Of Yarrow
10  The Dowie Dens Of Yarrow
11  Our Ship Is Ready

The recordings of Hugh Gillespie have a quite different ‘feel’ from other American-Irish fiddle music of the late 1930s period. The somewhat unusual choice of guitar rather than piano for accompaniment certainly contributes to this distinctiveness, but probably the decisive factors are Gillespie’s ‘singing’ style and highly personal technique. He learned from Coleman a device he calls ‘back trebling’, and also uses drones and fractional flattening or sharpening of notes to great effect. Such techniques are by no means peculiar to Coleman or Gillespie – indeed, most Irish musicians use them in some degree – but every musician stamps them with his own particular emphases. In these recordings of Hugh Gillespie at his peak, between 1937 and 1939, the sum of these various elements is a unique and outstanding series of performances.

1. Reel: Dowd’s Favorite
2. Hornpipes: McKenna’s Farewell (The Liverpool/Hennessey’s)
3. Reels: Master Crowley’s Reels
4. The Irish Mazurka
5. Reel: Jenny’s Welcome to Charlie
6. Jigs:   Master Crowley’s Favourites
7. Highland Flings: Finnea Lassies/Gurren’s Castle
8. Reels: The Girl that Broke my Heart/Dick Cosgrove’s Reel
9. Reels: Farewell to Leitrim/Tom Steele
10. Jigs: Jackson’s Favorite/Kips
11. Reels: Paddy Finley’s Fancy/Joe O’Connell’s Dream
12. Waltz: Versevanna
13. Reels: The Donegal Traveler/Miss Montgomery
14. Hornpipes: Mountain Stream/Parker’s Fancy
15. Jigs: Contentment is Wealth/Finley’s Jig
16. Reels: Dowd’s Number Nine/Jackson’s

Traveller, horse-dealer and uilleann piper, Felix Doran was also a great-grandson of the famous 19th-century piper John Cash of Wexford. Carrying on the tradition of that extraordinarily influential musician, Doran played all over Ireland for many years.

1 Air: Mary of Murroe / Reel: The Green Gates
2 Air: The Dear Irish Boy / Reel: The Primrose Lass
3 Reel: Rakish Paddy
4 Air: Rolandstown Churchyard
5 Reel: The Ash Plant
6 Jig: The Lark in the Morning
7 The Fox Hunt
8 Reels: George White’s Favourite / The Ivy Leaf
9 Air: The Coolin
10 Reel: Boys of the Lough
11 Reels: Pigeon on the Gate / Miss Monaghan

First published by Topic Records in 1976

John Rea and his five brothers were all taught to play the fiddle by their father, but in 1924 a dulcimer was made for John, and that became his instrument. His father was a big influence on John’s repertoire, and many of the tunes he played had Scottish roots, in common with much of the music played by Antrim traditional musicians.

1 Highlands: Whistle o’er the Lave o’t/The Braes of Tulimet and reel: Scudding Through the Whins
2 Jigs: Bundle and Go/The Jug o’ Punch
3 Reels: The Galway Reel/Dinny O’Brien’s Reel
4 Jigs: The Ladies of France/Jackson’s Trip to Aughrim/Jackson’s Return from Dover
5 Hornpipes: The Belfast Hornpipe/The Rights of Man
6 Reels: The Sailor on the Rope/The Bonny Bunch of Roses
7 Set Dance: The Three Sea Captains
8 Jig and Strathspey: Kitty’s Fancy/Lady Anne Hope
9 Reels: The Boys of Ballycastle/The Five Mile Heat
10 Hornpipes: The Mountain Hornpipe/ The Kingston Hornpipe
11 Jigs: The Kinnegad Slashers/The Tenpenny Bit
12 Hornpipe and Jig: The Plains of Boyle/Jackson’s Slippers
13 Reels: Roaring Mary/Tim Moloney
14 Set Dance and Highland: St. Patrick’s Day/Duncan Davidson

Produced and recorded by Robin Morton, August 1977.

First issued by Topic Records 1979.

Martin Simpson is justifiably regarded as one of the finest finger-style guitarists to have emerged from the British Isles. ‘Grinning In Your Face’ (1983) captures him at an early stage in his recording career, and is a remarkably assured and exuberant recording.
1  It Doesn’t Matter Anymore
2  Little Birdie
3  The First Cut is the Deepest
4  Roving Gambler
5  This War May Last for Years
6  Masters of War
7  Reuben’s Train
8  Your Cheatin’ Heart
9  Handsome Molly
10  Townships – Biko
11  Moonshine
12  Green Linnet / Grinning in your Face

Many of the finest traditional ballads from the British Isles were preserved by the families of settlers in the American South, where they existed alongside native American balladry. Hedy West, a native of North Georgia in the Appalachians, was one of the very few performers who were at home with the various manners of performing these ballad traditions. ‘Ballads’ is a splendid recording from 1967 which continues to influence contemporary musicians like Martin Simpson, three decades later.
1  The Foggy Dew
2  Girl I Left In Danville
3  The Unquiet Grave
4  Beaulampkin
5  Down In Adairsville
6  The Sheffield Apprentice
7  Lucy Wan
8  Little Sadie
9  The Cruel Mother
10  Love Henry
11  The Texan Rangers
12  George Collins

PACKIE BYRNE was born in Co. Donegal in 1917 into a community where traditional music and song were deeply imbedded, Packie could not help but continue this tradition. Throughout his life he was a notable singer, also becoming very well-known in the London area as a whistle player of great skill. This album shows a less well-known side of Packie – a carrier of fine traditional ballads, some of which were quite rare.

1   John and the Farmer
2   The Rich Man’s Daughter
3   The Holland Handkerchief
4   Molly Bawn
5   The Jolly Ploughboy
6   Young Alvin
7   Johnny o’ Hazelgreen
8   Lament to the Moon
9   The Creel

The debut recording from Dave and Toni Arthur has become a much sought after recording amongst collectors of the finest British folk music. The Arthurs were an influential pair on the club scene, particularly admired for their powerful harmony singing.
1  All Frolicking I’ll Give Over
2  The Death of Queen Jane
3  Creeping Jane
4  The Merchant’s Daughter of Bristol
5  The Bold Dragoon
6  Cold Blows the Winter’s Wind
7  The Lark in the Morning
8  Poor Old Horse
9  Hey John Barleycorn
10  Bedlam
11  Admiral Benbow
12  Father, Father Build Me A Boat
13  The Press Gang
14  Six Jolly Miners

‘Whether he is singing in Irish or English, Heaney is a remarkably discreet singer, not given to dramatic or comic effect, with an uneventful surface to his songs, but a world of secrets underneath. Outside a few settlements in his native West, it would be hard to find his equal.’

From the original sleevenotes by A. L. Lloyd

1 THE ROCKS OF BAWN
2 ONE MORNING IN JUNE
3 CASADH AN t-SUGAIN   The Twisting of the Rope
4 THE WIFE OF THE BOLD TENANT FARMER
5 THE TREES THEY GROW TALL
6 PEIGIN IS PEADAR   Peggy and Peter
7 CUNNLA
8 CAOINEADH NA TRI MHUIRE   The Lament of the Three Marys
9 AN TIGHEARNA RANDAL   Lord Randal
10 BEAN AN LEANNA   The Woman with the Beer
11 JOHN MITCHEL

From the original LP notes:

The British Labour Movement has a rich heritage of songs – songs that convey a sense of history, as well as imagery and emotion for present day industrial workers and their friends.

The force and tang of these songs proves irresistible to modern tastes, and many talented song-makers outside of industry as well as within it have been fired to imitate this kind of do-it-yourself workers’ song. Among the best of these is Ewan MacColl, who presents here a number of songs created by industrial workers, interspersed with songs on industrial themes made by himself.

1 The Wark of the Weavers
2 Droylsden Wakes
3 The Four Loom Weaver
4 The Calton Weaver
5 Oh, Dear Me
6 The Coal-Owner and the Pitman’s Wife
7 Fourpence a Day
8 The Gresford Disaster
9 Will Caird
10 The Iron Horse
11 Poor Paddy works on the Railway
12 Cannily Cannily
13 The Song of the Iron Road
14 The Blantyre Explosion
15 The Collier Laddie
16 Moses of the Mail

Recording by Bill Leader.
First issued by Topic Records 1964.

Scottish fiddle music arrived in Cape Breton Island with the Highland settlers over a century and a half ago, and the strongly Highland character of this region of Nova Scotia, in the Canadian Maritimes, remains to this day. Cape Breton with its harbours, heavily forested mountains and fertile valleys provided the Highlander with ample opportunity to exercise his old country skills in fishing, hunting and farming: the rural way of life of the Western Highland Gaels, together with their highly evolved oral and musical traditions, adapted easily to the new setting.

1    Strathspey, Hornpipe & Reel: The Sow’s Tail / Londonderry Hornpipe / Duncan on the Plainstones THERESA MacLELLAN (acc Marie MacLeIIan)
2    Strathspeys & Reels: The WarIock’s Strathspey/ Bog an Lochain (Athole Cummers) / The Nine Pint Coggie / Calum Fhionnlaidh / Prince Charlie / Tarbolton Lodge MIKE MacDOUGALL (acc Mary Jessie MacDonald)
3    March, Strathspeys & Reel: Donald MacLean’s Farewell to Oban / Cairistiona Chaimbeul (Christy Campbell) / Port ‘ic Artair (MacArthur’s Tune / Untitled JOHN WILLIE CAMPBELL (acc Kevin McCormick)
4    Strathspeys & Reels: Lucy Campbell / Calum Crùbach (Miss Drummond of Perth) / Untitled / Cota Mór Ealasaid (Elizabeth’s Big Coat) / Untitled MARY MacDONALD (acc Mary Jessie McDonald)
5    Slow Air, Strathspeys & Reels: Niel Gow’s Lamentation for Abercairney / Johnnie Pringle / Munlochie Bridge / The Duke of Gordon’s Birthday / Perrie Werrie / Peggie     Menzies / West Mabou Reel ALEX FRANCIS MacKAY (acc Fr John Angus Rankin)
6    Jigs: The Black Sporran / WaIking the Floor JOHN NEIL MacLEAN (acc Phyllis MacLeod)
7    March & Strathspey: A Sheana-bhean Bhochd (Glengarry’s March) / Donald MacMaster’s Strathspe DAN JOE and GEORGE MaclNNIS (acc Marie MacLe|Ian)
8    Strathspey & Reel: J Scott Skinner Strathspey / GiIlian’s Reel (Muir o’ Gellan) JOHN NEIL MacLEAN (acc Phyllis MacLeod)
9    Strathspeys & Reels: Unidentified / Calum Breugach /  The Duke of Athole / George the IV / The King’s / Miss Lyle’s Reel ALEX FRANCIS MacKAY (acc Fr John Angus Rankin)
10    Strathspey & Reels: Alex MacEachern’s Strathspey / Fear nan Casan Caola (The Rejected Suitor) / Untitled JOHN WILLIE CAMPBELL (acc Kevin McCormick)
11    Strathspeys & Reels: Miss Lyle’s Strathspey / The Highlanders’ Farewell to Ireland / King George / Tulloch Gorm (old setting with variations) / Lord MacDonald / Miss Johnstone MARY MacDONALD (acc Mary Jessie MacDonald)
12    Jigs: Untitled / Untitled / Dan the Cobbler JOE MacLEAN (acc Mary Jessie MacDonald)

Peggy Seeger and Tom Paley, both New York, are brilliant exponents of American instrumental traditions. Guitar, banjo, autoharp and dulcimer weave a delicate majesty on a great selection of traditional material. This stunning collection, recorded in London in 1964 by Bill Leader, is a powerful example of their musical accuity and has been an influence on many younger performers.
1  Who’s That Knocking at My Window
2  Love Henry
3  The Lass of Roch Royal
4  Who’s Going to Shoe your Pretty Little Foot?
5  Pretty Polly
6  Englewood Mine
7  Buck Dancer’s Choice
8  Just as the Tide Was Flowing
9  The Kicking Mule
10  The Heartless Lady
11  The Fiddling Soldier
12  Tittery Nan
13  Loving Reilly
14  The Cuckoo
15  If He’d Be a Buckaroo
16  The Girl on the Greenbriar Shore

Chris Foster was born in Somerset. It is there that he first heard and started singing traditional songs. He trained as an artist at the Norwich, then Chelsea Schools of Art. His professional “break” came in the early 1970s when a music agent spotted him singing at Dingles Folk Club in London. This led to eight years as a professional solo folk singer/guitarist.

He recorded two, highly regarded albums in the late 1970s: “Layers” (1977) and “All Things in Common” (1979), both on Topic Records. Both featured mainly traditional songs with often complex fingerstyle accompaniments on a Fylde acoustic guitar.

1. The Ranter
2. The Coast of Peru
3. Worcester City
4. Glastonbury Town
5. Lady Maisry
6. Jack the Sailor
7. The Golden Glove
8. When a Man’s in Love
9. The Buxom Lass
10. The Flower of Serving Men
11. The Banks of Newfoundland

Recorded and produced by Tony Engle

First issued by Topic Records 1977

Formed on New Year’s Day, 1974, The Gaugers comprised Peter Hall, Tom Spiers and Arthur Watson. The Gaugers dispensed a heady distillate of 100 per cent proof North-East spirit. So fundamental was their commitment to the rich yet underexploited wealth of song from Buchan and wider Aberdeenshire, that Arthur Watson, once declared in an interview that “anything from south of Stonehaven would be considered ‘World Music’.

1. Young Jackie Peter vocal/concertina, Tom fiddle, Arthur whistle
2. The Cruel Brother Tom vocal/fiddle, Arthur dulcimer, Peter vocal
3. Monymusk Lads Arthur vocal, Tom fiddle, Peter concertina
4. The Keys to the Cellar/Go to Berwick, Johnnie Tom fiddle, Arthur whistle/dulcimer, Peter concertina
5. The Lass o’ the Moorland Hills Peter vocal, Tom fiddle
6. The Bonny Lass o’ Anglesey Arthur vocal, Tom fiddle, Peter concertina
7. Sleep Sound in the Morning/Donald Blue Tom fiddle, Peter concertina, Arthur dulcimer/bodhran
8. The Aberdonian Tom vocal, Peter vocal/baritone concertina, Arthur vocal/whistle
9. Lochaber No More Tom fiddle, Arthur whistle, Peter concertina
10. The Minister’s Sheep Peter vocal, Arthur and Tom chorus
11. Bogie’s Bonnie Belle Tom vocal, Peter concertina, Arthur whistle
12. The Ewie wi’ the Crookit Horn/The Jolly Shepherd/Polly Stewart Tom fiddle, Arthur whistle, Peter concertina
13. The Scranky Black Farmer Arthur vocal, Tom fiddle, Peter concertina

Recorded by Tony Engle

First issued by Topic Records 1976

This album offers a collection of traditional song from Australia. The great folksong collector and singer, A L Lloyd is accompanied by Trevor Lucas, Martyn Wyndham-Reade, Dave Swarbrick & Alf Edwards.
1  Waltzing Matilda – A L Lloyd
2  Jim Jones at Botany Bay – A L Lloyd
3  The Wild Colonial Boy – A L Lloyd
4  The Streets of Forbes – Trevor Lucas
5  The Hold-up at Eugowra Rocks – A L Lloyd
6  The Flash Stockman – Martyn Wyndham-Reade
7  Five Miles from Gungadai – Trevor Lucas
8  The Lime Juice Tub – A L Lloyd & Martyn Wyndham-Reade
9  Euabalong Ball – A L Lloyd
10  Banks of the Condamine – Trevor Lucas
11  Click Go the Shears – Martyn Wyndham-Reade
12  Flash Jack from Gungadai – A L Lloyd
13  The Road to Gungadai – Martyn Wyndham-Reade
14  Hard Tack – Martyn Wyndham-Reade
15  On the Road with Liddy – A L Lloyd

Kevin Mitchell one of the finest singers of song from North Ulster was born in the city of Derry 36 years ago. In 1969 he settled in Glasgow where he worked as an industrial painter, and is married, with two children. When asked to describe his singing voice, words like distinctive, personal style, lyrical and even beautiful come to mind, but none of them are enough. One thing is certain, if you ever hear him singing you will remember it.

1    Free and Easy
2    The Lurgy Streams
3    The Mickey Dam
4    Nancy Bell
5    The Boys of MuIlaghbawn
6    Going to Mass Last Sunday
7    The Magherafelt May Fair
8    The Light Horse
9    The Moorlough Shore
10   Two Strings on a Bow
11   Seán Ó Duibhir (Sean O’ Dwyer)
12   The Oul’ Grey Man

A hugely popular act on the British folk scene, John Kirkpatrick and Sue Harris, made a series of fine records for the Topic label. John had also recorded with Ashley Hutchings’ Morris On band and with Richard Thompson; both were founder members of the Albion Country Band and John would later join Steeleye Span. Their duo records are cherished by aficionados of the finest English country music from the mid-20th century revival.
1  The Edgmond Men’s Souling Song
2  Artichokes and Cauliflowers
3  The Bricklayers / Double Change Sides
4  The Cherry Tree Carol
5  John of the Greeney Cheshire Way
6  A Shropshire Lad
7  I Wish, I Wish
8  Old Sir Simon the King
9  Adieu to Old England
10  The Blue Eyed Stranger / The Winster Morris Reel
11  Jim Jones
12  Blacksmith’s Morris / Charles’s Hornpipe
13  Cold Blows the Wind
14  Wilson’s Favourite / Shrewsbury Wakes

Harry Boardman sang both unaccompanied and accompanying himself on the anglo-concertina or banjo. He wasactive as a folk singer and collector of Lancashire folklore from the late 1950s with some collaboration from his wife Lesley. Dave Hillery appeared regularly with Harry at the Pack Horse Hotel in Bridge Street, Manchester in the early 1960s, developing his interest in Yorkshire regional material through their association.

Although most of the songs in this album represent well the character of their respective counties, there has been no attempt to create a definitive programme – they are simply the personal choice of two men from either side of the ‘backbone of England’.

1. Scarborough Sands
2. I’ll have a Collier for my Sweetheart
3. Forty Miles
4. Tommy Stroo’s Ghost
5. Cowd Stringy Pie
6. Tha’s Welcome, Little Bonny Brid
7. Nellie o’ Bob’s o’t’ Crowtrees
8. Weaver’s Song
9. Happy Sam
10. The Manchester Canal 
11. Instrumental Dance-Tunes T-auld Wife of Coverdill/Lass O’ Dallogil/My Love, My Love
12. The Cockfight
13. Haley Paley
14. With Henry Hunt We’ll Go
15. The Ensilver Song

Recorded by Dick Swettenham in Manchester
First issued by Topic Records 1971

The EXILES – Enoch Kent, Bobby Campbell and Gordon McCulloch – were an innovative group of Scots singers and instrumentalists, away from their native home, whose repertoire extended over both traditional and contemporary fields. Freedom, Come All Ye was their debut Topic recording from 1966 is acknowledged as a classic.

Enoch Kent – vocal & whistle
Bobby Campbell – vocal, fiddle, mandolin, mandola & guitar
Gordon McCulloch – vocal, guitar, banjo & harmonica
Paul Lenihan – vocal *

1     The Ballad of Accounting
2    The Moving-On song
3    We’re Only Over Here For Exploration*
4    Thank Christ for Christmas
5    The Pigeon
6    The Poud-a-Week Rise
7    Freedom, Come All Ye
8    For A’ That and A’ That
9    Arthur MacBride
10  Willie Brennan
11  Wae’s Me for Prince Charlie
12  La Pique
13  Van Dieman’s Land
14  Twa Recruiting Sergeants

An anthology of soldiers songs, ribald, cynical and occasionally sentimental. Performed in his inimitable style by Ewan MacColl with Peggy Seeger, Jimmy MacGregor and John Cole.
1  Any Complaints
2  The Fortress Songs
3  Farewell to Sicily
4  The Ballad of Wadi Maktilla
5  The Dying Soldier
6  The Ghost Army of Korea
7  Browned Off
8  When this Ruddy War is Over
9  Join the British Army
10  On the Move Tonight
11  The Second Front Song
12  Seven Years in the Sand
13  Hand Me Down Me Petticoat
14  The Young Trooper Cut Down In His Prime
15  Bless ‘Em All

“Many recordings of Ulster folk songs have been issued, but little or none from the Co. Tyrone. This record presents a sample from the repertory of a brother and sister, who come of a singing family within a singing region from which they have never moved. They are the carriers of a distinct and beautiful style. They are supported by their enthusiasm for songs which attract other singers who, with them, make a community within which an interchange of ideas is continually taking place. A delightful illustration of this is that Sarah Anne’s changes to John Reilly on track 9 are so pleasing to Brian Mullan, who gave her the song a year or so ago, that he plans to relearn it from her! Both these singers are intensely creative but in different ways. Geordie possesses the family style to a much higher degree than his sister. It entails a breaking up of the tune and words into short phrases delivered with great force. It is also distinct in the placing and shape of the decoration. This results from the shortness of the phrases and allows a highly meaningful performance without any overstatement. Sarah Anne’s ability to tidy up the words of a song or to lilt a tune to unsung verses complements Geordie’s skill and the two interact; they sing a large number of the same songs, share the same style and adopt one another’s changes. In short, these two singers represent the living tradition not its dying kicks.” from the original 1978 sleeve-notes.

GEORGE HANNA
1   Brockagh Brae
2   On Yonder Hill There Sits a Hare
3   The Blackbird of Sweet Avondale
4   Erin’s Lovely Home
5   Young Edmund in the Lowlands Low
6   Kate of Ballinamore

SARAH ANNE O’NElLL
7   The Rambler from Clare
8   A Fair Young Maid in Her Father’s Garden
9   John Reilly
10 Gosford’s Fair Demesne
11 Carrickmannon Lake
12 The Fisher’s Cot

A remarkable historical set, this record documents the recordings of a splendid early Irish-American dance band from Boston. Dan Sullivan was renowned in Boston as one of the finest fiddlers in the traditional style. The exhilarating ensemble that he led were in demand for dances in the area around Boston and made many recordings between 1926 and the mid-‘thirties. This collection includes some of their finest sides and recordings by individual members of the ensemble.
1  Irish Dance Set – Figure No.2
2  Dan Sullivan’s Favourite
3  Tickling Mary Jane
4  The Rabbit Catcher
5  Londonderry Hornpipe
6  Miller’s Reel / Duffy the Dancer
7  Bantry Bay
8  Billy Hanafin’s Reel
9  Green Grow the Rushes-O
10  Versouviana Dance
11  Boil the Kettle Early
12  Groves Hornpipe
13  Johnny Will You Marry Me?
14  Lord Longon’s Reel
15  Lanigan’s Ball
16  Blackberry Blossom / Bonnie Kate
17  I’m Leaving Tipperary
18  Silver Slipper / Jerry Daly’s Hornpipe

Gary & Vera Aspey’s 1979 album was their last for Topic, continuing the effective combination of sensitive instrumentation from Vera with well-matched vocals from them both.

1. Seeing Double
2. My Good-Looking Man
3. Miss Tickle Toby
4. The Dowie Dens of Yarrow
5. The Cruise of the Calibar
6. Hounds and Horn Together
7. The Bolinder Boatman
8. The Testimony of Patience Kershaw
9. July Wakes
10. Knocker-Upper Man
11. The Price of Coal
12. The Coal and Albert Berry

Produced by Tony Engle

First issued by Topic 1979.

Classic recordings of Traditional Music from the North-East of England
This record serves as a documentary of the thriving North-Eastern country music tradition in the second half of the 20th century. A tradition that continues to this day. Holey Ha’Penny is chiefly drawn from the 1954 field recordings by Peter Kennedy, with the addition of the only known record of the famous Northumbrian piper Tom Clough.

Tom Clough – Northumbrian Pipes        4.1.29
Jake Hutton – Fiddle, Bewcastle Fells, Cumberland 30.6.54
Tom Hunter – Fiddle, Bewcastle Fells, Cumberland 30.6.54
Billy Ballantine – Piccolo, Bewcastle Fells, Cumberland 30.6.54, Haydon Bridge, Northumberland 6.7.54 and Wark, Northumberland 29.6.54
Jimmy Hunter – Mouth organ, Haydon Bridge, Northumberland 6.7.54
Jim Rutherford – Fiddle, Otterburn, Northumberland 8.7.54
Ned Pearson – Fiddle, Cambo, Morpeth 16.6.54
Joe Hutton – Pipes, Stuart Shields, Otterburn, Northumberland 11.7.54
Adam Gray – Fiddle, Barden Mill, Northumberland 1.7.54
Willy Taylor – Melodeon, Warenford, Northumberland 7.6.54, Fiddle, Warenford, Northumberland 7.6.54
Bob Clark – Jews harp, Wltittingham, Northumberland 9.6.54
John Hepple – Pipes, Haltwhistle, Northumberland 1.7.54
George Hepple – Fiddle, Haltwhistle, Northumberland 1.7.54

1    Ho’ley Ha’Penny/Elsie Marley Tom Clough
2    The Gilsland Hornpipe Tom Hunter, Billy Ballantine
3    Morpeth Rant Jim Rutherford
4    Proudlocks Hompipe Billy Ballantine
5    Billy Ballantine’s Reel Billy Ballantine
6    Father’s Polka Ned Pearson
7    Schottische Ned Pearson
8    Varsoviana (Old and New) Ned Pearson
9    Highland Laddie  Ned Pearson
10   My Lodging is on Cold Ground/Bonnie Dundee Joe Hutton
11   Roxburgh Castle/Devil among the Tailors Joe Hutton
12   The Roman Wall Adam Gray
13   Tom Hepple’s Polka (The Girl with the Blue Dress On) Adam Gray
14   The Tow House Polka Adam Gray
15   The Kielder Schottische Jake Hutton, Tom Hunter, Billy Ballantine
16   The Keel Row (with variations) Tom Clough
17   Schottische Billy Ballantine, Jimmy Hunter
18   My Lodging’s on Cold Ground/Blow the Wind Southerly Billy Ballantine, Jimmy Hunter
19   Corn Rigs/The Manchester Hornpipe Bob Clark
20   The Linehope Lope Willy Taylor
21   Willy Taylor’s Polka Willy Taylor
22   Nae Good Luck – jig Willy Taylor
23   Whittingham Green Lane/Ward’s Brae John Hepple, George Hepple
24   Bonny North Tyne Billy Ballantine
25   Mosstrooper’s Polka Billy Ballantine
26   The Coquet Reel Billy Ballantine
27   Heel and Toe Polka Ned Pearson
28   The Pin Reel – jig Ned Pearson
29   Cambo March Ned Pearson
30   The Ferry Boat George Hepple
31   Malorca/Herd on the Hill/Devil among the Tailors John Hepple, George Hepple

Green Grow the Laurels is a representative anthology of songs from southern England. Some of these songs stem from long blackletter broadsides of the 16th and 17th centuries, whilst others are of very recent origin, reflecting the cosmopolitan taste of folksingers throughout the ages. Personal preference obviously plays its part in
the transmission of folksongs, but other factors are also involved. Recorded by Mike Yates between 1972-75.

1     Green Grow the Laurels Louise Fuller, Lingfield, Surrey
2    The Rich Lady Gay Harry Upton, Balcombe, Sussex
3    Wexford Town Mary Ann Haynes, Brighton, Sussex
4    The Aylesbury Girl Jack Goodban, St Margarets-at-Cliffe, Kent
5    The Tree in the Wood George ‘Tom’ Newman, Clanfield, Oxford Oxfordshire
6    I Am a Donkey Driver Harry Upton
7    The Molecatcher Louise Fuller
8    Hopping Down in Kent Louise Fuller
9    ‘The Shannon’ Frigate Jack Goodban
10   Young Maria Louise Fuller
11   The Colour of Amber Mary Ann Haynes
12   The Banks of the Sweet Dundee Harry Upton
13   A Single Life Harry Upton
14   A Woman’s Work is Never Done Harry Upton

I’m a stranger in this country,
From America I came.

Chris Willett

Well, not quite from America! But gypsies, or travellers to use a preferred term, were strangers when they first set foot in the British Isles over 400 years ago.   To this day many have remained apart from the rest of society. And yet, as this album attests, they have integrated sufficiently to pick up and retain much of the musical heritage that was once common to all. Paradoxically, much of the music performed here was originally the creation of the non-gypsy community. Today this music is often best remembered by the gypsies.

1 The American Stranger – CHRIS WILLETT
2 Bold Keeper – HARRY BRAZIL
3 Go From My Window – WISDOM SMITH
4 Little Footman Boy – ALICE PENFOLD
5 God Killed the Devil-O/Meeting the Devil/Yonder Comes the Devil – LEMMIE BRAZIL/JASPER SMITH/JOE JONES
6 Sally Monroe – HARRY BRAZIL
7 Pepper and Salt – JASPER SMITH
8 Lovely Johnny – MARY ANN HAYNES
9 The Loyal Lover – HARRY BRAZIL
10 Climbing Up the Apple Tree/Tuning/Bird Scaring Cry/Hacking Clover – JASPER SMITH
11 Step Dance Tune – BILL ELSON
12 Barbara Allen – DEBBIE & PENNY HARRIS
13 Hares in the Old Plantation – WIGGY SMITH
14 Rambling Irishman – HARRY BRAZIL
15 Down in the Meadow/Love is Pleasing – JASPER SMITH/BILL ELSON
16 A Blacksmith Courted Me – HARRY BRAZIL
17 Once I Was a Servant – CHRIS WILLETT
18 The Gown So Green – HARRY BRAZIL
19 The Flower Show – HARRY BRAZIL
20 Waxey Candles – JASPER SMITH
21 The Coachman/Bonny Black Hare/The Cuckoo’s Nest – JASPER SMITH/LEMMIE BRAZIL/JOE JONES
22 Hopping Down in Kent/My Lovely Hops – MARY ANN HAYNES
23 Swinging Down the Lane – CHRIS WILLETT
24 Will There Be Any Travellers In Heaven – DERBY SMITH

Production by Mike Yates and Tony Engle.
First issued by Topic 1985.

Martin Simpson has spoken of his early studio recordings as “scrapbooks of the millions of things that I was into at that time.” For most fans this 1986 album displays a young master developing a remarkable relationship with his guitar.
1  Jazzman
2  Shawnee Town
3  Moth
4  Living Without You
5  For Jessica, Sad or High Kicking / My Dearest Dear
6  Icarus
7  No Depression in Heaven
8  Let It Be Me
9  Stillness in Company
10  The Lakes of Ponchartrain

The Breeze From Erin
Irish Folk Music on Wind Instruments

A splendid collection of Irish instrumental music recorded by several generations of musicians.
“Vital recordings, real examples of a live, healthy tradition.”

Willie Clancy : bagpipes and whistle
Festy Conlan : whistle
Eddie Corcoran : whistle
Tim Lyons : accordion
Tony McMahon : accordion
Seamus Tansey : flute, whistle and tambourine
with Reg Hall : piano

1   The Choice Wife (slip jig) Clancy, bagpipes
2  Banish Misfortune (jig) Conlan, whistle
3  The Bag of Potatoes : Sligo Maid (reels) Conlan. whistle, Lyons, accordion
4  Róisin Dubh (air) Tansey, flute, Dublin Reel : The Steampacket (reels) Tansey, flute, Hall, piano
5  Boil the Breakfast Early (reel) Tansey and Corcoran, whistle
6  Bean Dubh an Ghleanna (air) : The Ewe (reel) McMahon, accordion
7  The Morning Dew : The Woman of the House (reels) Clancy, whistle
8 The Queen of the Rushes (jig) Conlan, whistle Lyons, accordion
9  Paddy Ryan’s Dream : Mamma’s Pet (reels) Tansey, flute, Hall, piano
10  An Raibh Tú Ar an gCarraig (air) Conlan, whistle
11 The First House in Connacht : Miss McLeod (reels) Conlan, whistle
12 Bonny Kate : Jenny’s Chickens (reels) Corcoran, whistle, Tansey, tambourine
13 Taimse im Chodladh (air) Clancy, bagpipes

Recorded by Bill Leader
First issued by Topic Records 1969

Bernard O’Sullivan was a farmer and concertina player of Country Clare, with an extensive repertoire of traditional tunes, when these recordings were made in 1975 by John Tams and Neil Wayne. His companion Tommy McMahon, a generation younger, learnt both from Bernard an from his wide contest experience, which included All-Ireland senior championship prizes in 1971, ’72 and ’73.

1   Polkas: The Babes in the Wood / Cooraclare Polka / Clare Dragoons Bernard O’Sullivan / Tommy McMahon
2   Jigs: The Shady Groves of Piedmont / The Humours of Ennistymon Bernard O’Sullivan / Tommy McMahon
3   Reels: The Old Torn Petticoat / Tommy People’s Favourite Tommy McMahon
4   Set dance: Mount Fabus Hunt Bernard O’Sullivan / Tommy McMahon
5   Reels: Ollie Conway’s Selection Tommy McMahon
6   Reels: Kilrush Races / The Clogher Reel / Burren Reel Tommy McMahon / Bernard O’Sullivan
7   Set dance: Bonaparte’s Retreat Tommy McMahon / Bernard O’Sullivan
8   March: Bonaparte’s March Bernard O’Sullivan
9   Jigs: Barron’s / Jackson’s / The Milltown Jig Tommy McMahon
10  Set dance: Rodney’s Glory Tommy McMahon / Bernard O’Sullivan
11  Reel: Tommy McMahon’s Reel Tommy McMahon
12  Waltz: Over The Waves Bernard O’Sullivan / Tommy McMahon
13  Polkas: Girl I Left Behind / Maggie in the Wood Bernard O’Sullivan
14  Jigs: Martin Talty’s / Thomas Friel’s / Joe Cunnean’s Tommy McMahon
15  Hornpipes: Sean Ryan’s / Danganella hornpipe Tommy McMahon
16  Set dance: Job O’ Journeywork Tommy McMahon / Bernard O’Sullivan
17  Reels: The Ash Plant / The Maid of Mount Cisco Bernard O’Sullivan / Tommy McMahon

Coming from a family of singers and musicians, of whom her father in particular was a well-known songster, Mary Ann Carolan was a splendid performer of ballads and songs in the style and tradition of County Louth, Eire. Mary had a repertoire of over sixty songs when this fine recording was made in 1978.

1  Bold Doherty
2  The Maid of Ballymore
3  Bob Riddley
4  The Old Oak Tree
5  The Tinker’s Old Budget
6  The Bonny Light Horseman
7  In London So Fair
8  My Father’s a Hedger and a Ditcher
9  Highland Mary
10  The Wedding at Baltray

‘Our ballads are well known in book versions, though it must be said that the great anthologies don’t always contain the best specimens. They are less well known in sung versions, though they were made to be sung, not read. In this connection, the poet Robert Frost has something pertinent to say: “Voice and ear are left at a loss what to do with the ballad until supplied with the tune it was written to go with… Unsung, it stays half-lacking.”   May this record do something to repair a lack.’

From the original sleevenotes by A. L. Lloyd

1. Henry Martin A. L. Lloyd
2. The Baron of Brackley Ewan MacColl
3. The Cruel Mother A. L. Lloyd
4. Lord Randal Ewan MacColl
5. The Bitter Withy A. L. Lloyd
6. The ‘Sweet Kumadie’ Ewan MacColl
7. The Demon Lover A. L. Lloyd
8. Hughie the Graeme Ewan MacColl
9. The Prickly Bush A. L. Lloyd
10. The Beggar Man Ewan MacColl

Genuine folk music as part of an old and lively national culture is still flourishing in Norway, a country with a wild nature, numerous valleys, snow-covered mountains, lakes, deep forests, glorious fjords, remote communities, dark and long winters and shining summer nights. Norway has a long and rich tradition of musical expression. Norwegian folk music has survived through many generations and historical changes. Old folk tunes have kept surprisingly well, better than in the neighbouring lands and in some of the other industrial countries. The selection on this record represents some of the main types and styles of living folk-playing and singing, with their special sound and moods, from south west and central parts of Norway. The players and singers are some of the most outstanding folk musicians of the younger generation who carry on the folk traditions of their districts.

1 Fanitullen (The Devil’s Tune) Knut Buen Hardanger fiddle
2 Kjerringa med staven (The Old Wife with the Staff) Hanne Kiersti Buen singing with Knut Buen Hardanger fiddle
3 Rotnheimsknut (hailing)
4 Gangar etter Myllarguten (walking dance) Knut Buen Hardanger fiddle
5 Moykjaeringsvise (spinster’s song)
6 Three stev about the hulder (cattle songs)
7 So er drengjen i uppvokstre (Boys in Their Youth)
8 BÃ¥nsu|ler (three lullabies) Hanne Kjersti Buen singing
9 Katt-Ola-Visa Edvard Ruud singing
10 Nordfjordingen (springar)
11 Ramsen (springar) Hauk Buen Hardanger fiddle
12 Bruremarsj (wedding march) Knut and Hauk Buen Hardanger fiddles
13 Hamburger-polka fra Hardanger
14 Springleik fra Jostedalen Vestlandsgruppa band
15 Springar fra Hardanger fiddlers of Vestlandsgruppa
16 Slåttestev (dance songs)
17 Haugebonden (ballad) Agnes Buen Garnås singing
18 Fanteladda (dance tune)
19 I Oletiadden (pastoral melody) Elizabeth Kvaerne langeleik
20 NÃ¥r mitt pie, trett av moie (When My Eye, Tired of Troubles) (hymn)
21 Store Store Gud (Great Great God) (hymn) Sondre Bratland singing
22 Myllarguten bruremarsj (bridal march by Myllarguten)
23 Fanitullen (The Devil’s Tune) (second version) Knut Buen Hardanger fiddle

A chance meeting with the Boys of the Lough in California led to Vincent Griffin making his first solo record in 1977. His playing has plenty of character and his repertoire is full of grand fiddle tunes.

*1 Reels: Fahey’s 1 & 2
*2 Jigs: Paddy Fahey’s / The Cliffs of Moher
3 Reels: Paddy Ryan’s Dream / Mammy’s Pet
*4 Reels: Martin Rocheford’s / The Sligo Maid
*5 Hornpipes: The New Century / The Cuckoo
6 Jigs: Coleman’s
7 Reels: Lord McDonaId’s / Ballinasloe Fair
*8 Reels: The Reefs/McFadden’s Favourite
*9 Reels: The New Year’s In / Youghal Quay
10 Air: Se Bhfath mo Bhfuartha (The Cause of my Sorrow)
11 Reel: Lord Gordon’s
*12 Reels: Dr. Gilbert / The Queen of May
*13 Jigs: The Trip to Sligo / Garrett Barry’s
14 Reels: The Night in Ennis / The Maid Behind the Bar
*15 Reels: Crow|ey’s
*16 Reels: Lady Anne Montgomery / Down the Broom /T he Gatehouse Maid

On tracks marked * Vincent is accompanied on piano and ** on harp by Geraldine Carrig.

Brass Monkey’s 1999 comeback album Sound & Rumour is an exhilarating blend of sea songs, Morris tunes, travellers’ songs and a pipe march. This album saw the band back on the road with Richard Cheetham taking over the trombone duties from Roger Williams.

Martin Carthy vocals [1, 4, 8b, 9, 11a], guitar, mandolin
John Kirkpatrick vocals [1, 3, 7, 9, 12], Anglo concertina, button accordion, single-row melodeon
Howard Evans trumpet
Richard Cheetham trombone
Martin Brinsford percussion and mouth-organ

1. The Flash Lad
2. Morris Tune / The Rose / Trunkles
3. An Acre of Land
4. Old Horse
5. The Heroes of St Valéry
6. The Charming Maid
7. The Roving Journeyman
8. Rodney / When I Was Young / The Quaker
9. The Old Virginia Lowlands
10. Auretti’s Dutch Skipper / An Adventure at Margate / The Spirit of the Dance
11. Soldier, Soldier  / The Flowers of Edinburgh
12. The Rambling Comber
13. Betty Fitchett’s Wedding / The German Schottische

John Kirkpatrick and Sue Harris play a beautiful blend of Kirkpatrick’s morris dance based accordion-driven music and Sue’s classically trained oboe arrangements. Throughout the 1970s they were a sought after act on the UK folk scene and recorded a number of fine albums for the Topic label. ‘Shreds and Patches’ is regarded by many aficionados as one of their finest.
1  Waterman’s Dance
2  The Gipsy Laddie
3  Apple Core / Nipper
4  The Tailor and the Louse
5  Peg Huglestone’s Hornpipe
6  Little Sir William
7  The Game of All Fours
8  Penny For Them
9  Whitefryer’s Hornpipe / Shreds and Patches
10  Johnny Sands
11  Oakham Poachers
12  Bread and Jam Waltzer / Mr Gubbin’s Bicycle

One generation thinks of the Ramblin’ Jack Elliott who brought the image and songs of Woody Guthrie to an eager Europe in the 1950s. Another knows him as a guiding hand behind Bob Dylan and all the singers after him. To others, again, he is a travelling songster in the great American tradition.
1  Talking Columbia Blues
2  Pretty Boy Floyd
3  Ludlow Massacre
4  Talking Miner Blues
5  Hard Travelling
6  So Long its Been Good to Know You
7  Talking Dustbowl Blues
8  1913 Massacre
9 Rambling Boys
10  Talking Sailor Blues

Uniting Davy Tulloch’s Shetland Reels and Veronique Nelson’s Wessex airs – with their differing techniques and oral traditions – provide dynamic two-part fiddle playing which combines with the jazzy ensembles of Dave Jackson’s guitar to create an exciting and original new sound. Curlew’s two fiddles adapt dance rhythms and songs, many from Shetland, Scandinavia and Galicia, with guitar and occasional string bass accompaniment. In some pieces a two-part invention or rhythmic counterpart is clearly discernible, making for an invigorating and distinctive style.
1  Shetland Reels: Tilley Plump / Auld Foula Reel / Oot and in da Harbour
2  Air & Hornpipe: Grenadier and his Lady / Eunyssagh Vana
3  Shetland Reels: Da Oyster / Yonder Hills / Fit da Gutter
4  Childgrove / Muiñeira de Cabanas
5  Hornpipe & Reels: Father Tom / Véronique’s Reel / Hamish’s Reel
6  Janne’s Reinlander / The Cambridge
7  Shetland Reels: Da Cauld Nights of Winter / Square da Mizzen / Da Ness of Sound
8  C’raad T’ou Goll my Veg Dhone / Ta Dick Veg Er Yannoo Mie / Nancy
9  Shetland Reels: Ramna Stacks / Da Spirit of Whisky / Gold for da Boannie Lasses
10  Two Norwegian Reinlanders
11  Alvadansur
12  Shetland Reels: Da Road to Houll / John Pottinger’s Compliments to Ronnie Cooper / Simon’s Wart

Ewan MacColl was one of the architects of the folksong revival. Whether as an interpreter of ancient ballads or as a writer of new songs, he influenced almost everyone involved in folk music in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. He brought the same skill and understanding to songs of Britain’s industrial cities, ballads of Scots history and lyrics from the English countryside. His own compositions, many of which have passed into the common currency of folk music, are featured both on his own albums and on The Radio-Ballads.
Chorus From The Gallows, first released in 1960, opens with the tale of Craig and Derek Bentley and closes with “Go Down Ye Murderers,” which relates the story of Timothy John Evans, convicted and executed for murders he did not commit, both true and awful stories from the annals of 20th century British justice. The repertoire ranges from the cattle-rusting border raiders of the Middle Ages and the 18th-century highwayman Dick Turpin to MacColl’s own compositions about controversial murder trials of the 1950s.
1  Derek Bentley
2  The Black Velvet Band
3  Jamie Raeburn’s Farewell
4  Johnny O
5  Hughie The Graeme
6  Minorie
7  The Treadmill Song
8  Turpin Hero
9  The Crafty Farmer
10  McKaffery
11  Jimmy Wilson
12  The Lag’s Song
13  Van Dieman’s Land
14  Go Down Ye Murderers

A revival musician with an unusual understanding of traditional music. John Wright is a fine singer and a performer on the fiddle and mouth-organ, an unquestionably one of the finest exponents of jew’s-harp playing.

1      Awake, Awake, You Drowsy Sleeper
2     Four-Hand Reel (mouth-organ)
3     Murphy’s Hornpipe (jew’s harp)
4     Gypsy Hornpipe (fiddle)
5     Henry Martin
6     Bridget Cruise Nos 2 & 3 (jew’s harp)
7     Tailor By My Trade
8     Dornoch Links / The Shepherd’s Crook / Lochiel’s Awa’ to France Scottish Pipe Tunes (jew’s harp)
9     Young Charlotte
10    The Varsoviana – Eng|and (mouth-organ)
11    La Valse Vienne – France (fiddle)
12    La Scottisch Anglaise – France (fiddle)
13    L’Angoise – France (fiddle)
14    Our Captain Cried All Hands / Country Dances (fiddle):
15   Ninepins
16   Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
17   The Punk’s Delight

This is the second Topic LP of the music of Tommy McMahon and Bernard O’Sullivan. Like the first record it illustrates the richness, depth and variety of Clare concertina music. The selection here is very varied and includes reels, jigs, hornpipes, set dances, polkas and waltzes. Anyone in search of good concertina music may find it in West Clare. This is really concertina country. Every village has a traditional musician and in many cases it is a concertina player. The concertina as a traditional instrument has been in Clare for well over a hundred years. With the decline of the pipes and fiddle the concertina was a practical replacement. It was ideal for playing the newly composed sets of the last century. Though it was not capable of the embellishments or expressiveness of the pipes it was nevertheless an excellent little reed instrument for playing for country dances.

1 Polkas: I Have a Bonnet Trimmed with Blue, The Rakes of Mallow  Tommy McMahon & Bernard O’Sullivan
2 Reels: Farmer Moroney’s and Mulvihill’s reel  Tommy McMahon & Bernard O’Sullivan
3 Reels: Maud Millar’s and Morrison’s  Tommy McMahon
4 Reel: The Bucks of Oranmore  Bernard O’Sullivan
5 Waltzes: My Heart’s in the Highlands and The Dewdrop  Bernard O’Sullivan
6 Jigs: The Blooming Meadows, Mullagh Jig, Ballinakill Jig  Tommy McMahon & Bernard O’Sullivan
7 Reels: The Merry Sisters, Quilty Reel  Tommy McMahon
8 Hornpipes: The Cliff, The Derry Hornpipe  Tommy McMahon & Bernard O’Sullivan
9 Jigs: The Rose in the Heather selection  Tommy McMahon
10 Reels: Flowery Mountains, Kiss the Maid Behind the Barrel, The Milliner’s Daughter  Tommy McMahon & Bernard O’Sullivan
11 Reel: A Trip to Durrow  Tommy McMahon
12 Polka: Stack Ryan’s Polka  Bernard O’Sullivan
13 Set Dance: The Garden of Daisies  Tommy McMahon & Bernard O’Sullivan
14 Jigs: Andy Keone’s, Saddle the Pony, Tulla Jig  Tommy McMahon
15 Set Dance: The Three Sea Captains  Tommy McMahon
16 Reels: The Boys of Ballysadare, The Five Mile Chase  Tommy McMahon & Bernard O’Sullivan

Produced by Tony Engle, John Tams and Neil Wayne
First issued by Topic Records 1976.

‘New Voices’ was a ground-breaking collection, one of the first albums to feature the younger generation singers of the mid 20th century British folk revival. The record featured the recording debuts of Maureen Craik and Harry Boardman alongside the Watersons’ first recordings for Topic records. Boardman was an important agent in the later ‘Deep Lancashire’ and ‘The Wide Midlands’ projects and made several solo albums for the label. The Watersons career has gone from strength to strength, at the time of writing the various members of the family have continued their recording relationship with Topic for over forty years.
1  Boston Harbour –The Watersons
2  To The Begging – Harry Boardman
3  The White Cockade – Maureen Craik
4  Owdham – Harry Boardman
5  The Greenland Whale Fishery – The Watersons
6  Hard Times – Harry Boardman
7  The Sandgate Girl’s Lament – Maureen Craik
8  Three Score And Ten – The Watersons
9  The Broom of Cowdenknowes – The Watersons
10  Bonny At Morn – Maureen Craik
11  The Hand-Loom Versus The Power-Loom – Harry Boardman
12  A U Hinny Burd – Maureen Craik
13  The Shurat Weaver – Harry Boardman
14  King Arthur’s Servants – The Watersons
15  The Weaver of Wellbrook – Harry Boardman

A collection of Country Singers from Hampshire and Sussex recorded by Bob Copper
In the summer of 1954, the singer and folksong collector Bob Copper went recording in the countryside of Sussex and Hampshire. He collected numerous fine songs from old country singers. This 1977 collection made those important recordings accessible for the first time.

1   The Bonny Bunch of Roses Noah Gillette
2   Epsom Races George Attrill
3   The Banks of The Mossem Jim Swain
4   False Lanky George Fosbury
5   Cruel Lincoln Ben Butcher
6   The Silver Pin Mrs Chapman
7   The ’Chiner’s Song Frank Bond
8   God Bless the Master Frank Bond
9   The Prickle-Holly Bush Fred Hewett
10  Three Maidens a-Milking Did Go Fred Hewett
11   Her Servant Man Gladys Stone
12   Rolling in the Dew Leslie Johnson
13   George Collins Enos White
14   In Sheffield Park Ben Butcher
15   The Streams of Lovely Nancy Victor ‘Turp’ Brown
16   As Broad As I Was Walking Victor ‘Turp’ Brown
17   Six Jolly Miners Victor ‘Turp’ Brown

Séamus Ennis was an inspiration to countless musicians around the world. He is numbered amongst the greatest Irish pipers of the twentieth century (as well as a tremendous storyteller and an inveterate folksong collector). His sole album for Topic records captured his pipe playing during a highpoint of his career and is regarded by many afficionados as one of his finest recordings.
1  The Wandering Minstrel / Jackson’s Morning Brush
2  The Boys of Bluehill / Dunphy’s Hornpipe
3  The Glen-Nephin Cuckoo / The Little Fair Cannavans
4  The Frieze Britches
5  The Flags of Dublin / The Wind that Shakes the Barley
6  The Little Stack of Barley / Cronin’s Horpipe
7  The New Demesne
8  The Blackbird
9  Gillan’s Apples / The Walls of Liscarroll / The Stone in the Field
10  Molly O’Malone
11  Kiss the Maid Behind the Barrel
12  Happy to Meet & Sorry to Part

JOHN LYONS of Crussa, County Clare, lived amidst the traditional music of his area of Ireland all of his life and was a very fine singer and melodeon player. This recording from 1974 manages to capture both the nuances and strengths of his music.

“The fervour and humour of these performances make attractive listening.” Ballymena Guardian.

1  The Maid on the Shore
2  The May Morning Dew
3  Morrison’s Jig / The Pipe on the Hob
4  The Tailor Bawn
5  After Aughrim
6  The Boys of Barna-shraide
7  Erin’s Lovely Lea
8  The Blackthorn / Unnamed reel
9  Farmer Michael Hayes
10  The Lambs on the Green Hills
11  Fiac an Madrarua
12  Kitty’s Wedding
13  Farewell, Lovely Mary

First published by Topic 1974

‘Cilla & Artie’ is a splendid album from Cilla Fisher (a member of the influential Fisher Family) and her husband Artie Trezise. The record was ‘The Melody Maker Folk Album of the Year – 1979′. Joining Cilla and Artie is an international collection of “session” musicians including Alistair Anderson, Johnny & Phil Cunningham, Rick Lee, Brian McNeill and Bob Zentz. The songs are mostly from the tradition with, “Blue Bleezin’ Blind Drunk” and “The Gypsy Laddies” but also include a grand version of Stan Rodgers’ “The Jeanie C” and the wildest ever arrangement of Ewan MacColl’s “Fisher Lassies”.
1  Norland Wind
2  The Beggar Man
3  What Can A Young Lassie
4  Fisher Lassies
5  Generations of Change
6  Fair Maid of London Town
7  The Wicked Wife
8  The Gypsie Laddies
9  Blue Bleezin’ Blind Drunk
10  John Grumlie
11  The Jeannie C

‘Together, they form a team, sometimes a little ragged, but never lacking in the fire which is essential to success.  Their joint travels around Europe taught them a great deal which home life could not have done and they came back to Britain, better than when they had first left it.  For a short time I was privileged to work with them on mandolin.  We had a ball as a trio and I learned more in a few weeks, more of the sheer pleasure of playing music, than I had done in several years of more serious attempts to progress.’

From the original sleevenotes by Alexis Korner

1          Rich and Rambling Boys  1,2
2          Buffalo Skinner  1
3          I wish I was a Rock  2
4          It’s Hard ain’t it Hard  1
5          All Around the Water Tank  1
6          Mother’s not Dead  1,2
7          East Virginia Blues  1,2
8          The Old Bachelor  2
9          Danville Girl  1
10       The State of Arkansas  1
11       The Death of Mr Garfield  2
12       Roll on Buddy  1,2

1  Jack Elliott
2  Derroll Adams

Accordion maestro John Kirkpatrick and the classically-trained oboist Sue Harris created a beautiful blend of English country dance tunes and songs with influences from Music Hall, Flaco Jimenez and Ry Cooder. Throughout the 1970s they were a sought after act on the UK folk scene and recorded a number of fine albums for the Topic label. 1989’s Stolen Ground, the duo’s final album for the Topic label, is undobtedly one of their finest records.
1  Arthur McBride
2  The Juggler
3  Clee Hill Tunes
4  Mother Earth
5  Black Deer
6  Must I Be Bound / Mrs Saggs
7  The Chickens They Are Crowing
8  Shepherd’s Branle
9  The Old Miner

The debut album from the mighty HIGH LEVEL RANTERS is a tremendous collection of dance and song from the North East of England. The Ranters were a group of Northeastern musicians whose regular meeting-place was the Bridge Inn under the shadow of Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s High Level Bridge (hence their, conceivably punning, name). They comprise Johnny Handle (accordion and sundry other sonorous engines), Colin Ross and Foster Charlton (both fiddlers doubling on small-pipes), Alistair Anderson (concertina), Tom Gilfellon (guitar);

1 Shew’s the way to Wallington /The Peacock Followed the Hen Band
2 The Sandgate Girl’s Lament / Elsie Marley Johnny Handle acc Band
3 Bellingham Boat / Lambskinnet Band
4 Adam Buckham Johnny Handle acc Band
5 Meggy’s Foot Concertina Guitar Jews Harp
6 The Lads of North Tyne / The Redesdale Hornpipe Band
7 The Hexhamshire Lass Tom Gilfellon acc Band
8 The Breakdown / Blanchland Races Band
9 The Lads of Alnwick / Lamshaw’s Fancy Band
10 Byker Hill Tom Gilfellon acc Band
11 Whinham’s Reel / Nancy Band
12 Because he was a Bonny Lad / Salmon Tails up the Water /
Sweet Hesleyside Small-pipe Duet
13 Dance to Your Daddy Band featuring fiddle duet
14 Billy Boy Tom Gilfellon acc Band
15 Nae Guid Luck Aboot the Hoose Concertina solo
16 Mi’ Laddie sits ower late up Johnny Handle acc Jews Harp
17 The Keel Row / Kafoozalum / The Washing Day Band

The traditional folk music of East Suffolk has probably been the best documented regional style in England over the past thirty years. Whereas much of the music and singing recorded in this period would appear to be indigenous to a general ‘East Anglian style’. It is possible. even within such a relatively small area. to detect various distinctive traditions often revolving around either a particular pub, village or influential musician. Basically during this period, there were four such quite separate local groupings in this area, with of course some interaction between them (primarily in the case of the travelling pub musician).
The best known of these was undoubtedly that centred around the singing pubs along the Aldeburgh coastal district, such as Blaxhall ‘Ship’ and the ‘Eel Foot Inn’ at Eastbridge. Here the music and singing was highly organised. generally as a Saturday night’s entertainment with chairmen introducing the singers and maintaining order. Secondly the nearby towns of Woodbridge and Wickham Market boasted a fair number of dance and string bands led by men such as Walter CIow, Fred Whent, Billy Hall and Lennie Pearce. A third tradition was active around the pubs in Halesworth and Yoxford area, revolving around the charismatic Seaman Family from Darsham. Finally_ the small villages between Framlingham and Debenham sported a great musical tradition dominated by melodeon players Walter Read and Alf Peachey and fiddlers Walter Gyford and Harkie Nesling. It is from the last two traditions and through four generations that this recording is drawn.

Harkie Nesling Fiddle
Reg Reeder Dulcimer
Font Whatling Melodeon
Fred Whiting Fiddle

1    Polkas (Harkie’s Polkas) Fred Whiting
2    Cat Among the Tails / Rakes of Mallow Reg Reeder
3    The Earl Soham Slog / Flowers of Edinburgh Fred Whiting
4    Mick’s Tune / Pigeon on the Gate Font Whatling
5    The Sultan’s Polka / Untitled Polka Harkie Nesling
6    Waltz Medley: Oscar Woods’ / Charlie Philpotts Reg Reeder
7    Jigs: The Maid at the Well / The Old Kerry Fiddler / The Priest and His Boots Fred Whiting
8    Come and Be My Little Teddy Bear Harkie Nesling
9    Polkas Font Whatling
10  Hornpipes: The Weaver’s / The Bristol Sailorman / Ballinalig in the Morning  Fred Whiting
11  Imprudence Schottische / Rakes of Mallow Harkie Nesling
12  Polka Medley : 1,2,3,4 5 / Jenny Lind / Joe, the  Boat is Going Over Reg Reeder
13  The Hurling Boys (‘Old Country Dance’)/ Jack Tar Hornpipe  Fred Whiting
14  Untitled Tunes Font Whatling
15  The Barn Dance Harkie Nesling
16  Off to California / Will the Waggoner (Gypsy Hornpipe ) Fred Whiting
17   Pigeon on the Gate Font Whatling

The brother and sister team of Ray and Archie Fisher first became known to a wider audience in 1961 when they appeared for a long run in the Scottish Television documentary ‘Here and Now’, and as regular guests on B.B.C. ‘Hootenanny’ and ‘Singalong’. But they were already well established among Scottish folk-enthusiasts.

Dolina Maclennan is a native of the island of Lewis. English is in fact her second language, although she makes light of its difficulties. Her Gaelic songs have been passed down to her through her family.

Robin Gray is of mixed Lewis and Shetland descent, but has lived most of his life in Edinburgh. His maternal grandmother was a well known Gaelic bard.

In Enoch Kent you will find a living synopsis of most of the best characteristics of the folk-song revival. He was ready and eager to learn from the great ethnic singers of Scotland like Jeannie Robertson and Jimmy Macbeath.

1. The Twa Corbies – Ray Fisher acc. Archie Fisher (guitar)
2. Fil U O Ru Hu O  – Dolina Maclennan unacc.
3. Gypsy Laddie – Robin Gray acc. himself (guitar)
4. Beggar Man – Enoch Kent unacc.
5. Hug O Ran O Ru – Dolina Maclennan unacc.
6. Donal Don – Enoch Kent acc. himself (guitar)
7. Kilbogie – Ray & Archie Fisher acc. Archie Fisher (guitar)
8. The Night Visiting Song – Ray & Archie Fisher acc. Archie Fisher (guitar)
9. Bonny Lass Come O’er the Burn – Enoch Kent unacc.
10. Far Over the Forth – Ray Fisher unacc.
11. The Butcher Boy – Enoch Kent acc. himself (guitar)
12. Port a Beul – Dolina Maclennan unacc.
13. Erin Go Brath – Enoch Kent unacc.
14. Bratach Bana – Dolina Maclennan acc. Robin Gray (guitar)

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Frank Harte (1933-2005) was a traditional Irish singer, song collector, architect and lecturer; a great exponent of the Dublin street ballad and widely known for his distinctive singing, his Dublin accent having a rich nasal quality complementing his often high register.

From the original LP notes:

The material is all his own, gathered from the abundant cornucopia of traditional Anglo-Irish folksong. He has been collecting since he was twelve years of age and his infallible ear and prodigious memory have recorded nearly a thousand songs, most of them unpublished, though many of the songs on this disc are in Colm O’Lochlainn’s Irish Street Ballads 1939 (C.O’L.,1) and More Irish Street Ballads 1965 (C.O’L.,2).

To explain in detail the history, the language, the music of these songs would require not a note which would fit on a record sleeve but a small book; but these are ballads of the Dublin streets, commonplace once, now remembered by a few. They were not all made in Dublin, but Dublin preserved their life.

1 The Traveller all over the World
2 The Shamrock Shore   acc
3 The Rag Man’s Ball   acc
4 Henry My Son   acc
5 The Bold Belfast Shoemaker
6 The Night That Larry was Stretched
7 The Twang Man   acc
8 The Finding of Moses
9 Father Murphy

Recorded by Bill Leader
First issued by Topic Records 1967

Irish music in the old ‘Sligo Style’ was carried far and wide by such migrant sons as Michael Coleman, Paddy Killoran and Michael Gorman. It was the tradition that two London based musicians – Tommy Healy (flute) and Johnny Duffy (fiddle) – grew up in. They continued adhering to the style playing at home in Ireland and later in London. Accompanied by pianist Reg Hall the two are beautifully captured on this intimate recording from the mid-1970s.
1  Reels: Tarbolton / The Longford Collector / The Sailor’s Bonnet
2  Jigs: The Wandering Minstrel / Fasten the Legging / The Smash
3  Hornpipes: The Rights of Man / The Honeysuckle
4  Reels: The Boys at the Lough / The Merry Blacksmith
5  Jigs: The Scotsman Over the Border / Tell Her I Am
6  Reels: The Montua / The Happy Days of Youth
7  Reel: Fred Finn’s Reel
8  Reel; The First Part of the Lancers
9  Jigs: The Gold Ring / Richard Brennan’s Favourite
10  Reels: Miss McLeod / The Wild Irishman
11  Jig: The Grey Goose
12  Reels: The Humours of Lissadel / Sweeney’s Dream
13  Jigs: Cavan Lasses / Rose of the Heather
14  Reels: The Enchanted Lady / The Holy Land
15  Waltz: Mrs Kenney
16  Reels: Martin Wynne’s No.1 & No.2

A collection of instrumental country music from the North-east of England. Of all the regions in England where traditional music exists, the North East is probably where it flourishes most strongly. Morpeth Rant is the second record of Northumbrian music to be published from a series of recording field trips made over the past three years. The first was Bonny North Tyne on Topic. The two records demonstrate some of the wide-ranging aspects of the music to be found in a variety of landscapes from the bleak, sheep-inhabited moorlands to the industrial and mining areas. The proximity of Scotland with its many well known country dance bands has had a great effect on local repertoires – as has the migration of Irish musicians to Tyneside. Northumbria has its own very strong tradition of indigenous music – often from the small-pipe repertoire – and concern and love for the local music has led to the composition of many tunes in the traditional form. The tunes on this record reflect the varied influences which have come to bear on the music of the North East.

1     Morpeth Rant / Miss Gayton’s Hompipe / Kathleen’s Fancy / Morpeth Rant Tommy Edmondson
2     Jig selection: AM Shinnie / The Hogmanay Jig / Elizabeth Adair Billy Atkinson
3     Strathspey Medley: Laird o’ Thrums / Iron Man / Laird o’ Drumblair Jimmy Pallister
4     Medley of Scott Skinner Waltzes including Our Highland Queen and Piper’s Wait Alan Coulson & Geoff Purvis
5     Kinclaven Brig / Bill Sutherland Martin Dunn
6     Hornpipes: The Glen Aln / The Redeside Billy Atkinson
7     The Crusaders March Billy Atkinson
8     Jig & hornpipe: Bill Charlton’s Fancy & Madam Bonaparte Geoff Purvis & Alan Coulson
9     Military Two Step: Doctor Angus Tommy Edmondson
10   The Beeswing with variations Martin Dunn
11   Jimmy Allen / The Girl with the Blue Dress On Jimmy Pallister
12   The Cheviot Hills Jimmy Pallister
13   Crossing The Minch / Banjo Breakdown Alan Coulson
14   Latham Ladies Alan Coulson & Geoff Purvis
15   Farewell to the Creeks Billy Atkinson
16   Longueval – waltz Billy Atkinson
17   The Farewell with variations Martin Dunn

A fine traditional singer from a bygone world. Bob Roberts was Dorset-born but grew up in Suffolk. He spent most of his working life on sailing barges carrying cargo round Britain or across the Channel to Europe. His repertoire was a treasury of bargemen’s songs, which he sang with a mellow grace to his own melodeon accompaniment. Roberts was active on the folk scene during the 1950s and 60s, but was seldom heard before these recordings made in 1977 returned him to clubs and festivals.
1  The Candlelight Fisherman
2  The Grey Hawk
3  Stormy Weather Boys
4  Waltz with Me
5  Haul Away Joe
6  The Oily Rig (recitation)
7   The Little Ball of Yarn
8   The Single Sailor
9   Young Collins
10  The Fish and Chip Ship
11  While Gamekeepers Lie Sleeping
12  Windy Old Weather
13  The London Waterman
14  Bob Robert’s Waltz
15  Whiskey Johnny
16  The Foggy Dew
17  Bell Bottom Trousers
18  The Black Shawl
19  Little Boy Billee
20  The Collier Brig
21  Leave Her, Johnny

Shanties and forebitters sung with zest and a feeling for authenticity. Ballads of shipwreck and disaster, songs of humour and love performed by a ‘who’s who’ of the English folk song revival – Louis Killen, Cyril Tawney and Ian Campbell, accompanied by master-fiddler Dave Swarbrick.

1  The Wild Goose – Louis Killen
2  Lovely Nancy – Ian Campbell
3  The Nightingale – Cyril Tawney
4  Heave Away My Johnny – Louis Killen
5  Row Bullies Row – Ian Campbell Group
6  The Fireship – Cyril Tawney
7  Tom’s Gone To Hilo – Bob Davenport
8  Ship in Distress – Louis Killen
9  Lowlands Low – Ian Campbell Group
10  One Morning In Spring – Cyril Tawney
11  Hilo Johnny Brown – Louis Killen
12  Poor Old Horse – Ian Campbell Group
13  Bold Princess Royal – Louis Killen
14  Billy Boy – Bob Davenport
15  Bold Benjamin – Cyril Tawney
16  The Hog Eye Man – Ian Campbell Group
17  Goodbye, Fare Thee Well – Louis Killen