Fourth String, Third Fret

Matt:
Awsome blog, you have singlehandedly re-awakened my love of psychedelic music. I had a music blog a few months ago, but didnt have much interest so I let it go. But in the last two weeks I got all kinds of emails, so Im bringing it back. Its a focus on old acoustic blues and folk, but pretty much anything I like may find its way on there. I was wondering if you could possibly link to me, I'm at
Fourth String, Third Fret

Wellcome back to the community!!
Keep goin'!!

"Bill Fay" (UK SSW 1970)

Songwriter Bill Fay's self-titled debut album was issued on Decca in the aftermath of his "Some Good Advice"/ "Screams in the Ears" single in 1970. It is a startling but uneven collection of unusual folk-pop songs that stand the test of time for their idiosyncratic vision and unique, if at times overblown, nearly Baroque arrangements by Mike Gibbs. The album sold poorly, but well enough for the label to invest in a further offering, the stripped-down Time of the Last Persecution issued in 1971, before releasing him from his contract. Bill Fay is very much a product of its time; more lushly orchestrated than Nick Drake's Bryter Layter, it was recorded in one day. Gibbs had taken a cassette of Fay's demos of the songs and worked on them for a few weeks beforehand, showing up to meet the songwriter in the studio on the day of recording with a 27-piece orchestra. The small band that backed Fay included guitarist Ray Russell and drummer John Marshall. This was Gibbs' first set of arrangements for a full album, and it shows. Fay's songs are delicate, spiritually dense, and searching -- particularly the searing "Garden Song" and the sprawling "The Room." Gibbs' use of brass and strings can sometimes overshadow the stark, personal intimacy of these songs, with their arcane lyrics and elementary melodies. But it's a small complaint because of the striking originality of Fay's vision. "Good Night Stan," with its jazzed-up horn charts, stands in marked contrast to Fay's minor-key minimalist melody, and the juxtaposition is a poignant one. "Cannons Plain" is a poetic exhortation to an unnamed other. The phrasing melds folk and Anglicized country as Gibbs winds up the horns in the center of the song, turning it into an arrangement that would be fitting on Richard Harris' A Tramp Shining had Townes Van Zandt been British; another case in point is "Be Not So Fearful." Fay's unusual lyric schemes and canny spiritual insights have been chided in the past for their pretension, but 35 years later they sound fresh, innocent, mysterious, and compelling. The Eclectic Discs reissue is fully remastered from the original tapes and includes the aforementioned first single as a bonus. The package contains complete notes written by Fay as well as photos and lyrics. While Time of the Last Persecution is Fay's mythic "classic" album, this outing is essential for anyone interested in the British folk-pop songwriting scene of the time. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Sample pic: Click

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"The Fallen Angels" (US Psych 1968)

The first album (entitled simply "The Fallen Angels") received a very favorable response but had no top ten hits due in large part to a sub-par production effort by the recording studio and an ill-conceived promotional strategy aimed at the conventional tastes of AM listeners.

Needless to say, their music was too "far out" for the "straight" audience and received very limited exposure to the burgeoning "underground" music scene associated with west coast bands such as the Doors, Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead. Despite playing to wildly enthusiastic crowds at venues all along the east coast, The Fallen Angels had not been able to establish their identity nationwide

Even with all the problems concurrent with it's release, the first album contains some real gems that reflect the attitudes of both hope and cynicism which prevailed during the psychedelic era. Listen carefully to songs like "Introspective Looking Glass", "Your Mother's Homesick, Too" and the album's tour de force, "No Way Out".
More about The Fallen Angels here: Click

HONEYBEAN

honeybean did the great works again. Especially, The Watersons' legendary film "Travelling For A Living" (1965 BBC) is really amazing!

honeybean:
You can look for Anne Briggs in this document!! Please enjoy!! HONEYBEAN

"Appaloosa" (US Folk-Rock 1969)

By Richie Unterberger:
Although the term somehow didn't stick as part of standard rock criticism vocabulary, for a while in the late 1960s, there was a vogue of sorts for music that was described in the press as "folk-baroque." Artists such as Judy Collins, Donovan, Tim Hardin, and Tom Rush were all arranging folk-oriented material with classical-influenced orchestration. While there weren't many others who dipped as heavily into the folk-baroque bag, the mating of rock with classical could be heard at times in the work of many significant groups and singer-songwriters, including Tim Buckley, Phil Ochs, the Bee Gees, the Beatles, and even the Rolling Stones. Others unveiled a knack for a style without, unfortunately, reaching nearly as wide an audience.

One of the most talented such acts was Appaloosa, whose self-titled 1969 LP matched singer/acoustic guitarist John Parker Compton's thoughtful, melodic compositions to sympathetic arrangements featuring fellow band members Robin Batteau on violin, Eugene Rosov on cello, and David Reiser on electric bass. In both its combination of instruments and the absence of a drummer, it was a most unusual instrumental lineup for a rock band, even at a time when boundaries and restrictions were routinely bent. The core quartet were bolstered by top session players (including members of Blood, Sweat & Tears) and, above all, producer Al Kooper, who also added a lot of his own keyboards and guitar to the album.
Review continues here: Click

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John Compton "To Luna" (US SSW 1972)

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist John Parker Compton co-founded the acoustic band Appaloosa with violinist Robin Batteau in the late '60s. Both musicians had been heavily influenced by the folk scene in their hometown, Cambridge, MA. Compton got his start singing in a Cambridge church choir before he and Batteau began playing the coffeehouse circuit together.

As the 1972 press release for Compton's solo album, To Luna, tells it, John Compton showed up at producer Al Kooper's Columbia Records office in late 1968, hoping to show Kooper his songs. Uninterested, Kooper told the kid (Compton was 18) to come back some other time. But a little while later, Kooper came in on Compton and Batteau performing for the office secretaries. Won over, Kooper recorded their demo, and within a year the newly signed musicians had an album out, the self-titled debut from their group Appaloosa. Also including bassist David Reiser and cellist Eugene Rosov, Appaloosa was joined in the studios by members of Blood, Sweat & Tears, and by Kooper himself.

A year after Appaloosa's 1969 release (which was produced by Al Kooper) on Columbia Records, a 19-year-old John Compton got to take the stage at Fillmore East the last weekend of December, along with the Allman Brothers, and Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Appaloosa soon gave way to a duo project of Compton & Batteau, and the two musicians recorded Compton & Batteau in California for Columbia. By 1971, Compton was on his own with a new LP, To Luna, but after this, it would be over 20 years before he returned to the studios. His return was marked by 1995's Mother of Mercy, which was followed by a six-song self-released recording of Compton on a Vermont radio station. ~ Joslyn Layne, All Music Guide

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Jan Duindam "Thoughts" (Dutch Folk 1978)

Dutch private pressing on the tiny Munich label from 1978 of this highly recommended dreamy Psychedelic Folk LP. Beautiful, atmospheric songs with english, very soft, but a delicate male vocals. Experimental finger picking guitar style. Different grouping of instruments. Fantastic album for each acid folk collection.

Jan Duindam (Vocals, Guitars Cister, Banjo, Portative); Guus Willemse (Bass, Drums, Synthesizer, Backing Vocals); Jose Janmaat (Backing Vocals on "Words"); Jan Kranendonk (Engineer); Ron Van De Marle (Pen-Drawings); Huib Trautwein (, Jeroen Wuindam, Job Zomer (Photogrphy); Betsy Maas (Letters); Job Zomer (Production)

01. Happines And Tears 02. A Dream 03. Jonas Duyadams Favourite 04. Birds 05. A Nightmare 06. The Loner

07. The Point Of Life 08. The Flowers Of Alienation 09. Words (Aka Like Leaves) 10. Comp 11. What Did You Feel 12. Litany

Listen first track "Happines And Tears" here: Click

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Marie Celeste "And Then Perhaps" (UK Folk 1971)

Ultra rare album by legendary psych/folk band. Mystic dark and beautiful. Like most musically strong private pressings, this is ultra-rare and changes hands for vast sums of money. 200 copies were pressed originally and the album blends cover versions (Gershwin's Summertime, Paul Simon's I Am A Rock and Joni Mitchell and Tom Paxton compositions), traditional material and some originals with Prisoner the best of the small crop. Most tracks have an acoustic backing with twin female vocals. The band were from the Midlands.
A must for lovers of esoteric underground UK folk in a similar vein to the style and mood of Oberon, Tickawinda etc..."

01. Prisoner 02. When Morning Breakes 03. Sally Free And Easy 04. And Then Perhaps 05. Theme Based On Greensleeves 06. On The Other Side Of The Hill

07. Night In The City 08. I Am A Rock 09. Summertime 10. The Swallow Song 11. Ruby Tuesday 12. A Slice Of Peace

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Alun Davies "Daydo" (UK Folk-Rock 1972)

Alun Davies is one of the most highly respected session guitarists in the United Kingdom. A founding member, along with childhood friend Jon Marks and Nicky Hopkins, of pop-jazz group, Sweet Tuesday, in the late-1960s, Davies made his greatest mark as accompanist for British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens from 1970 until Stevens's conversion to Islam and retirement from music in 1977. Davies subsequently collaborated with ex-Small Faces vocalist, Ronnie Lane, co-writing the opening track, "One Step", and a second tune, "She's Leaving", on Lane's 1979 album, See Me.

Davies launched his musical career with a duo that he shared with Marks (then known as: Michael Burchell) in 1963. The duo's sole album, Relax Your Mind, was produced by American producer Shel Talmy, best known for his work with the Who, the Kinks, Manfred Mann, Chad and Jeremy and Ralph McTell. After busking in Paris and the south of France, in 1964, the two musicians returned to England and signed with an agent, who secured them a gig on a Cunard Line ship.

After sixteen voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, Davies and Mark went their separate ways. Davies, who had gone on to work as a session musician for Fontana Records and tour with Marianne Faithful, Spencer Davis and Jeremy Taylor, reunited with Mark to form Sweet Tuesday in 1968. Although they recorded one memorable album, the group disbanded after Fontana declared bankruptcy and went out of business.

Returning to session work, Davies was recruited to perform on Cat Stevens's album, Mona Bone Jakon, in 1970. The session proved so successful that Stevens invited Davies to join him on tour following the recording of his groundbreaking album, Tea For The Tillerman.

Davies's involvement with Stevens was reciprocated when he recorded his debut solo album, Waste Of Time in 1972. The album, which showcased seven tunes written or co-written by Davies, featured Stevens on piano and was co-produced by Stevens and Paul Samwell Smith. Davies's second solo effort, Daydo followed two years later. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide

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"Poet and The One Man Band" (UK Folk-Rock 1969)

A couple of years ago, See for Miles records has issued a CD By Head, Hands & Feet, called 'Home from Home- The Missing album'. The Compiler claims it is a long-shelved, never-issued album of 1968 by Head, Hands & Feet, but if you pay attention to the Line Up: Tony Colton, Albert Lee, Pat Donaldson, Ray Smith, Pete Gavin, Mike O'Neill and Jerry Donahue, you realise it is not an early Head Hands & Feet, but actually a Poet & the One man Band album.

Poet and the One Man Band was Donaldson & Donahue's (& Albert Lee) Pre-Fotheringay Band. They made an album on the Paramount Label in the sixties, which has its good moments. Pete Frame writes that the label folded right after that. This might be the reason why these recordings were not released before 95. Poet & the O.M.B. became Head, H & F when Donaldson & initially Albert Lee, then Donahue left to start Fotheringay with Sandy, Trevor & Gerry Conway.

Tony Colton (vocals)
Ray Smith (guitar)
Jerry Donahue (guitar)
Pat Donaldson (bass)
Mike O'Neill (keyboards)
Pete Gavin (drums)
Albert Lee (guitar)
Nicky Hopkins (piano)

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Jimmy Campbell "Son of Anastasia" (UK Folk 1969)

Jimmy is one of the great, undiscovered talents of the Mersey scene. A singer songwriter Merseyside can be proud of and an artist to compare with singer songwriters such as James Taylor.

Jimmy joined a group called the Tuxedos in the late 1950s and in 1961 they changed their name to the Panthers. During 1963 they were appearing regularly at the Cavern and compere Bob Wooler suggested they change their name to the Kirbys, which was the area of Liverpool they came from. The group decided to turn professional in 1964 and at one time were managed by Brian Epstein's former secretary, Beryl Adams. The group had their first single, 'It's A Crime' c/w 'I've Never Been So Much In Love' (RCA (E) 11 66), penned by Jimmy, issued in Finland in 1966, a country in which they had a large following. During the same year they provided backing for the Merseys (the duo of Tony Crane and Billy Kinsley, former members of the Merseybeats). During 1968 they changed their name to the 23rd Turn Off.

Jimmy penned 'Michelangelo c/w 'Leave Me Here I Want To Stay Forever' as the group's single, which was issued on Deram. Following its lack of success Jimmy left the music business for six months, then returned to record an album for Fontana, 'Son Of Anastasia' (Fontana STL 5508), which was issued in 1969. The tracks were: 'When I Sit Down To Reason'/ 'Mother's Boy'/ 'Another Vincent Van Gogh'/ 'Penny In My Pocket'/ 'Bright Side Of The Hill'/ 'Dear Marge'/Lyanna'/ 'They All Came Marching Home'/ 'On A Monday'/ 'Lovely Elisa Cope Is Dead'/ 'You'll Break My Heart In Two'/ 'Tremendous Commercial Potential'/ 'Adrian Henri's Party Night'/ 'Another Springtime's Passed Me By'/ 'Michelangelo'/ 'Painting A Song'. A single 'On A Monday' c/w 'Dear Marge' (Fontana TF 1009) was also released that year. Two further singles, 'Lyanna' c/w 'Frankie Joe' (Fontana TF 1076) and 'Don't Leave Me Now' c/w 'So Lonely Without You' (Fontana 6007 025) were issued the following year. ~Mersey Beat

Downlaod

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Assagai "Zimbabwe" (Afro Rock 1971/72)

The second Assagai album has an interesting and somewhat schizophrenic history. It was initially released in late 1971 under the name Zimbabwe - a test pressing was made on the Vertigo "swirl" label (#6360 058) but the actual release of the album took place on the Philips label. The album's cover and sleeve were designed and draw by noted album-artist Roger Dean. All musicians are credited on the back cover; Jade Warrior members Tony Duhig, Jon Field, and Glyn Havard are credited for both performance and song-writing.

Jade Warrior had some interesting interactions with fellow Vertigo band Assagai during this time. Assagai was anchored by respected African musicians Louis Moholo, Mongezi Feza, and Dudu Pukwana, and was signed by Vertigo in the label's attempt to capitalize on the popularity of Afro-rock bands such as Osibisa.
Assagai released two albums; the first (self-titled) contained their cover version of Jade Warrior's "Telephone Girl", and a song "Irin Ajolawa" co-written by Tony Duhig. The second album (released originally as "Zimbabwe", and re-issued by a different label under the name "AfroRock") contains covers of Jade Warrior's "Barazinbar" (from "Released") and "Sanga" (from "Eclipse"), and a song "Kinzambi" written by Tony Duhig.

Duhig, Field, and Havard are credited with performances on the second Assagai album. They recorded one session together with several of the members of Assagai, under the band name of "Simba". Two songs from this session were released on a 45 single, and later issued on a multi-band collection LP entitled "Afro Rock Festival". The songs: "Movin' On" and "Louie Louie"!

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"Justine" (UK Psychedelic Folk-Rock 1970)

by Mark Coyle:
Justine were a band of five vocalists and two guitarists augmented in recording by orchestra and further musicians. They sit between the psychedelic folk-rock sound of LA (Mamas & Papas, Loving Spoonful, Byrds), UK (S F Sorrow or Piper At The Gates of Dawn) and progressive rock. The five vocalists weave in harmony providing a rich sound and it is this that binds the album. The songs are soft early folk rock like Donovan's 'Gift From A Garden To A Flower' with psychedelic electric guitar and effects. The first track 'Flying' lives up to it's title with flute fluttering, swooning strings and tight harmonies. The songs mix the innocent, quirky and strange to heady effect. The songs are fairly unique in folk as they mix in horns which expands the mix giving a warmth that folk sometimes finds hard to achieve. In the last track they create a classic that lives up literally to it's title of 'Amazing Journey'. It starts with folk guitar, introduces fuzz guitar then wah wah builds to a crescendo and drops back to a delicate folk ballad within the first minute. It builds up introducing 'A Day In The Life' style strings and massed vocals. Towards the end it explodes with a staggeirng number of layers that Roy Wood in The Move was expert at. Strange effects come in, wild guitars solo, flutes, horn and strings abound and a propulsive rhythm section drives the whole thing explosively as the singer moves from folk whispers into Robert Plant style wails. An excellent track on a most enjoyable album which shows the link between the earlier psychedelic sound and the later musical indulgence of progressive rock.

Original - UNI UNLS 111 (UK 1970)
Reissue - Elegy E6401 (UK 2004)

Keith Trowsdale: vo, g
John McBurnie: vo, g
Valerie Cope: vo
Bethlyn Bates: vo
Laurette Stivers: vo
Dougie Wright: ds

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Wizz Jones "Magical Flight" 1977

In folk collectors circles, the original LP of this album fetches a three-figure price tag. Reissued on CD it is, thankfully, more financially possible to hear the magnificent work of this English singer/songwriter. The obscure British folk revival artist's friends and fans may include Ralph McTell and the Incredible String Band, the most prominent buddy being one Burt Jansch, and the pair have often tipped hats to each other throughout their long careers. On this '70s LP, Jones followed a similar direction to Jansch by including small band backing, when he was previously a dogmatic voice/guitar performer. This adds a little lushness to his sound, and a gentle rhythmic propulsion that brings to mind the Pentangle. Like Jansch and John Renbourn, he maintains a cathartic edginess even in the most gentle songs — deceptively heavy listening. "See How the Time Is Flying" is absolutely Ralph McTell, but, incidentally, Wizz Jones was pioneering this folk revival sound as early as 1958, and on hearing his astonishing guitar technique and vocal delivery, his students certainly included Roy Harper and Ralph McTell. Not until the late '90s would his stunning albums, the rocky Right Now and stripped-back solo acoustic collection Dazzling Stranger, appear in the U.S.A., thanks to Massachusetts independent Scenescoff. Magical Flight is an exquisite production from the '70s that may have slid under the carpet at the time, but it is no less than a vital chapter in the British folk scene. ~Skip Jansen, All Muaic Guide

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Martin Carthy with Dave Swarbrick "Byker Hill" 1967

Byker Hill was the first album on which Carthy and Swarbrick had more than two or three hours' studio time, and, as a result, which was actually rehearsed and programmed weeks in advance. The results are less spontaneous than their earlier work, but also show a level of professionalism that few folk albums of the era ever demonstrated. The differences lie in the careful nuances, and the sophistication of the paired voice and instruments, which are much more studied than anything previously heard. The music is glorious in its own unassuming way--Carthy's acapella performance on the haunting "Brigg Fair" (a Lincolnshire tune originally collected by Percy Grainger, and which was the basis for a classical piece by Frederick Delius), the interweaving of Carthy's voice and Swarbrick's violin on "The Bloody Gardener," the dazzling title track, and maybe the best version of "John Barleycorn" ever recorded, are among 14 of the most prized songs in their careers. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

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"Sounds of Salvation" (UK Christian Psych Folk 1974)

Freak Emporium:
Compilation of various Christian hyms, songs, prayers and meditations - all with some cool rock music backing. Whether you use this for devotional purposes or just to enjoy some good rock music in unusual settings you'll certainly enjoy this one.





Record seller 1:
Reissue of rare British religious psychedelic folk album from the 70's most sought after by folk-collectors. A fine mixture of Folk, rock and psychedelica.

Record seller 2:
A christian psych-folk masterpiece of the highest order, with gorgeous female/male vocals, weird & challenging arrangements and fantastic compositions throughout…
A true cult item in all respects and surely a must have for the psych-folk collector.

The Wooden O "A Handful Of Pleasant Delites" 1969

Recorded and released in 1969, A Handeful of Pleasant Delites (sic), on the Middle Earth label, is the only known album by England's Wooden O. While critics at the time reviewed it as a kind of progressive folk music, the tunes here were more deeply influenced by progressive jazz and Baroque music than anything else. Led by recorder player James Harpham, the rest of the ensemble played mandolin (Hugo Dalton), double bass (Arthur Watts), harp (David Snell), and second recorder (Christopher Taylor). Italy's fine Akarma label has reissued this lost bit of '60s lore in an LP-like package with a gatefold sleeve. Remastered sound and the sheer unusual sound of this ensemble make the album a perfect post-psychedelic head-scratcher in the 21st century. There are 14 cuts here, all of them gorgeously played and arranged -- most notable is the opener, "Toye Tune," in which the recorder melodies play a sort of head and then go forth to melodically improvise like crazy. "Dance Tune" is a lush combination of Italian Renaissance melody and jazz improvisation. Watts' double bass is the perfect ground for this music because he swings no matter what he plays. There is also a Bach concerto here, entitled simply "Concerto," arranged by the band to weave British theater music, salon music, and jazz into the heart of pre-classical music. The second side is just as astonishing as the first, beginning with Watts' driven double bass on "Maypole." The two recorders play in harmonic counterpoint and offer a sense of true flight before the improvisation begins in a call-and-response way between the bass and the recorders. The jazzy backwoods stroll of "Sweet-Bedded" is a deeply reflective and moving piece as Snell's harp creates a countermelody that bridges the recorders. The bottom line on A Handeful of Pleasant Delites is that freak folk fans may be interested in this because of the craft and gentleness of the tunes, but those interested in chamber jazz will find this both eye-opening and utterly enjoyable. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

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"Storyteller" (UK Folk-Rock 1970)

Reviewer: A music fan
The melodies in this album seemed, at the time of its original issue, to be at the cutting edge of the peaceful folksy pop idiom which it so well represented, and thirty years later this genre is still clearly defined by Storyteller.The moods and sympathies which are portrayed and the stories which are concisely and captivatingly related are timeless. The tunes themselves seemed then to have an easy familiarity which ensured an entertaining first hearing; and now, for me at least, summon up everything that was cool in this evocative vein - the voices are downhome and unaffected, the harmonisation is empathetic, and the items are individually gems of their era. Whilst the whole album is an irresistible mingle of fact and fancy. The addition of half-a-dozen bonus tracks to the original album will give a pleasant jolt to hard-core Storyteller fans who've got it down, and can now just groove a little further.

Caroline Attard: vocals
Terry Durham: vocals
Mike Rogers: vocals, guitar
Roger Moon: vocals, guitar
Rod Clark: bass

Produced by Peter Frampton & Andy Bown

Sample pic: 1, 2

Marc Ellington "Rains/Reins Of Change" 1971















By Ralph M. Chapman "dwwashburn" (toronto, ontario Canada):
A must own for Richard Thompson/Sandy Denny/Iain Matthews completists recorded in '71. RT's lead guitar dominates the record while Sandy and Iain do some wonderful harmony work. Dave Mattacks is also there as well, so this is fascinating for Fairport fans (it was for me anyway!). All the songs are excellent, with a southern California country rock feel (no doubt due to the presence also of Chris Hillman, Sneaky Pete, and Rick Roberts) that seeps in. Forgetting the star studded back up, Ellington's sweet voice, great songs, and uncluttered, sympathetic arrangements and production make this a very nice addition.
Nicely put together package with lyrics, full credits and great remastered sound . The disc is on a fairly obscure label (talking elephant), so I HIGHLY suggest you get it while you can.

Marc Ellington, voices, accoustic guitar, Highland bagpipes;
Richard Thompson, electric guitar;
Gordon Huntley, steel guitar;
Sneaky Pete, steel guitar;
Mike Deghan, acoustic guitar;
Karen Ellington, banjo;
Chris Hillman, mandolin, backing vocals;
Tony Cox, piano;
Steve Rye, harmonica;
Gerry Field, fiddle;
Mick French, fiddle;
Pat Donaldson, bass guitar;
Mark Griffiths, bass guitar;
Dave Pegg, bass guitar;
Gerry Conway, drums;
Roy Duffy, drums;
Dave Mattacks, drums;
Sandy Denny, backing vocals on I'm Leaving (America) and Alligator Man;
Fritz Fryer, backing vocals;
Trevor Lucas, backing vocals on Alligator Man;
Ian Mattews, backing vocals;
Rick Roberts, backing vocals;
U.S. Marine Corp. & Young Friends, backing vocals

Sample pic: Click

Keith Christmas "Stimulus" 1969

Originally released in 1969 this is a lost treasure on which Keith was backed by members of Mighty Baby who together created a late 60's "laid back Dylan, John St. Field/early John Martyn/Mick Softley/Roy Harper" styled album.
The emphasis is on long tracks "Trial & Judgement" & "I know You Can't Loose" showing great songwriting and impressive overlapping guitar parts.
Keith Christmas also appeared at the first Glastonbury Festival. ~Freak Emporium

Keith's first album was reissued on CD in a limited amount on a small English label. First two tracks still are somewhat times-typical lightweight pop. The guitar instrumental "Roundabout" shows that Keith masters a certain guitar creativity. A song like "Ice Man" shows that he has even more in his pocket. It has a great performance and a convincing guitar and arrangements.
At those days Keith was one of the persons to stimulate the beautiful voice and s/sw-folksinger Shelagh McDonald (with "Stargazer" from 1971 as her future highlight). She even sketched a portrait of Keith which appeared on the LP. Both artists appeared along with Synasthesia (another great acid folkrock band which album luckily also found reissues), on a compilation called "49 Greek Street".
The following track, "I know you can't loose" has in fact a nicer version by Shelagh McDonald on her debut album. Last tracks "Metropolis" and "Trial and Judgement" might still be influenced by American folk and songwriters. The album shows potentional, but does not show his best side yet.

Kazuki Tomokawa

Inu (Dog): Akita Concert Live 1979

01. Circus
02. Jakumetsu (Nirvana)
03. Shinizokonai no Uta
(Song for the man who escaped death)
04. Dojyokko Funakko*
05. Kondo no Niku wa Tegowai
(The next meat is tough)
06. Aiueo** Kyouka***
07. Kojo (On the lake)
08. Dagazuku****
09. Ikiterutte Ittemiro (Say, I'm living)
10. Akarui Yoru (Bright night)
11. Boya (Little boy)

*Dojyokko Funakko (Dojyo & Funa): Japanese freshwater fish
**Aiueo: Roman alphabet equivalents using for Japanese Hiragana and Katakana
***Kyoka: Humorous Tanka
****Dagazugu: no meaning, same as "Na Na Na" "Da Da Da"


Muzan no Bi (Beauty without Mercy) 1986

01. Kare ga Ita "Souda! Tako Hachiro ga Ita"
(He was there. "Yes!, Tako Hachiro* was there.")
02. Umi Mitai na Sora da (The sky looks like the sea)
03. Muzan no Bi (Beauty without Mercy)
04. Ido no Naka de Kamisama ga Naite Ita (God was crying in the Ido**)
05. Dododon
06. Waltz
07. Sora (Sky)
08. Eien -Fukushima Yasuki-shi ni Sasagu-
(Forever -Dedicate to Yasuki Fukushima***-)
09. Hitotsu no Marchen (One Marchen)
10. Hanabi (Fireworks)
11. Boya (Little boy)

*Tako Hachiro=Seisaku Saito (1940-1985): Japanese pro-boxer, comedian, actor
**Ido: Click
***Yasuki Fukushima: Jyushoku (Master of Japanese temple), poet


Pistol: Shibuya Apia Live 2003 (Video)

Sins We Can't Absolve:
Here's the complete show of Tomokawa at Shibuya Apia, in 2003. This is a DVD-Rip of Pistol, the DVD he released in 2004. These files were uploaded by ark80, my YouTube friend. The three videos he uploaded last time were from this show.

01 Pistol
02 Circus
03 Kuwana no Eki (Station of Kuwana)
04 Ayakashi no Tsuki (Strange Moon)
05 Erise no Me (The Eyes of Elise)
06 Niatta Seishun (Suitable Youth)
07 Wake no Wakaran Kimochi (Strange Feeling)
08 *Medaka Zanmai (Complete Absorption in *Medaka)
09 Konoyo o Odore (To Dance This World)
10 Jean Gene ni Kike (Ask for Jean Gene)
11 **Shishamo
12 Satoru
13 Natsu no Hi no Uta (Summer Day Song)
14 Shinizokonai no Uta (Song For The Man Who Has Escaped Death)
15 Waltz
16 Mata kon Haru (Spring Has Come Again)
17 Deracine
18 Ikite Shinu to iu (Living Die)

* Medaka: Japanese freshwater fish
** Shishamo: Japanese sea fish

Stone Angel

"The Holy Rood of Bromholm" 1975
"East of the Sun" 2001

After the demise of their folk group Midwinter, Corrick, Burroughes and Saul formed Stone Angel and gave their first public performance on December 20, 1974 at the Great Yarmouth Folk Club, bringing in Joan Bartle on vocals and Dave Lambert on fiddle. Because many fans already knew them in their prior incarnation, Stone Angel quickly developed a following and gave numerous concerts throughout the U.K. In February 1975 the band decided to record a demo, which was privately released under the title Stone Angel. The band continued touring, until Corrick and Burroughes left for university in the fall of 1975. The group, now a trio, began to play more traditional and acoustic material, due to the departure of Corrick on electric guitar. Their 1976 concert in a Filby church was recorded, but not released until 1994. Around 1977, Dave Lambert left to work with various other groups before ending up in Australia working with The Legends, while Bartle and Saul married and settled down in Filby.

Now down to just two members, Stone Angel took a long hiatus, though Bartle and Saul remained involved in various projects involving early and antique music. Finally, around 1985, a new lineup was assembled, and the band began touring again, at first under the name The Village Band, then Arkenstone (reflecting the prevalence of Tolkienesque elements in their compositions), but soon reverting to Stone Angel for the sake of convenience and reputation. After various delays and work in theatre groups, the group was surprised when, after an article in the magazine Record Collector, they were approached in 1993 by indie label Kissing Spell to release their only recordings: the original Stone Angel LP and the live recording The Holy Rood of Bromholm, as well as the earlier Midwinter album The Waters of Sweet Sorrow.

With public interest and renewed critical attention (inexplicably, much of it in Japan and Korea), the band recorded their first new material in 2000, releasing East of the Sun with a slightly modified lineup. A new vocalist and drummer, Jane Denny, joined them in 2002 for the release of Lonely Waters.

More informations here: Psychedelic Folk

honeybean

Finaly, honeybean opend own blog site "HONEYBEAN"!
His/Her current post is:

Meic Stevens - Ghost Town (1968- 1969)

Welcome!!

Bob Pegg

Bob Pegg "Ancient Maps" is updated.
Now you can download whole album.
Click

And also, following titles are re-posted.
Ian Matthews "Valley Hi": Click
Ian Matthews "Some Days You Eat the Bear...": Click
Honeybus "She Flies Like A Bird": Click

by honeybean...
Hamish Imlach "The Definitive Transatlantic Collection" 1966-72

This collection culls the best of the best from the seven albums the Scottish satirist and folksinger made for the influential folk revival label Transatlantic between 1966-1972. His trademark tune, "Beer Is Best," "Anthony Riley," and "37 Bus Medley" display his best upbeat scatological humor which won him hundreds of hysterical, giggling fans during the '60s. "McPherson's Farewell," "Calton Weaver," and "Foggy Dew" display some of the most heart-wrenching and desolate folk tunes he ever recorded, and "If It Wasn't for the Unions" is a self-explanatory political rave which equally popularized the singer in his homeland. For fans of Irish folk this collection is worth the price of admission for its versions of "Kilbogie" and "Johnny O'Breadislee" alone. ~ Skip Jansen, All Music Guide

Music Saves Lives

Let's welcome Vlasdance and his blog "Music Saves Lives"
His current post is...

Dave Van Ronk "Ragtime Jug Stompers" 1964

Thanks for the info, Joe.

The Boys of the Lough

"III: Recorded Live" (aka. "Live at Passim")
Recorded at the Passim Club, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA on 17-19th, November 1974

The Boys of the Lough influenced countless other traditional Irish groups in the early '70s, and the reissue of their classic live album (recorded in 1974 at the legendary Passim club in Harvard Square) is cause for rejoicing. At that time, the quartet consisted of mandolinist Dave Richardson, flutist Cathal McDonnell, the legendary fiddler Aly Bain and Robin Morton on bodhran and concertina. Apart from the raw-edged but sprightly jigs and reels that one would expect, the set also includes a couple of hilarious songs and an interesting number called "The Hound and the Hare," a tone poem complete with baying dogs and the rabbit's screaming death. One wonders whether there might not have been some outtakes available to lengthen the CD program (this is a 20-year-old recording, after all, being reissued at full price), but it's still a wise investment. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide

Robin Williamson

Hymns & Haws (1963-64)
with Owen Hand & Cive Palmer





















This is bootleg copy.
I have no informations about this recordings. Please let me know if you have any info.

Palmer and Williamson first came together during the British folk revival of the early '60s. In 1963, several tracks from their performance at the Edinburgh Folk Festival were featured on a multi-artist compilation issued by Decca. ~part from All Music Guide

Tracks:
01. The Mole Catcher (Robin & Owen)
02. The Holy Ground (Robin & Owen)
03. The Boys Of Wexford (Robin & Owen)
04. East Colorado (Robin & Owen)
05. Johnny Cope (Robin & Clive)
06. Johnny Lad (Robin & Clive)
07. The Working Chap (Robin & Clive)
08. Do You Think I'm A Liar (Robin & Clive)
09. Jazz Bo's Holiday (Robin & Clive)

DL


Wolfgang:
The last track is from the '63 folk festival and was on a compilation Lp. Tracks 1-4 are from the St Andrews Folk Club Oct. 63, tracks 5-8 from the same club from Nov 64.

Thanks again, Wolfgang!!

Recommended by honeybean...
Hamish Imlach "Live!" (Scottish Folk 1967)
Paisley Folk Song Club. February 24th, 1967

Hamish Imlach (1940-1996) was a folksinger from Glasgow, Scotland. Despite being little-known in the US and outside of the folk community, he influenced many other artists, including most notably John Martyn and Billy Connolly.
He had his biggest hit in the late 1960s with "Cod Liver Oil and the Orange Juice," a scurrilous and hilarious take on the American gospel standard "Virgin Mary Had a Little Baby" written by Ron Clark and Carl MacDougall. The song was banned by the BBC as it was assumed to be full of double meanings, but at one point became the most requested song on British Forces Radio.
He was described by Ewan McVicar, the scottish storyteller and singer, as "a raconteur who taught Billy Connolly, a singer who taught Christy Moore, a blues guitarist who taught John Martyn". ~Wikipedia

Hamish Imlach had a multi-layered performing career, as an anti-nuclear activist, comedian, folk-singer, and political satirist. A native of Scotland, he began his recording career in 1966 on Transatlantic Records' XTRA label and ultimately cut eight popular LPs for the company over the next seven years. He loved traditional folk songs, but was a performer of many parts, with a topical political bent to his work--relfected in his performances of Scottish and Irish political songs--but it was his comical songs about various bodily functions that found Imlach his widest audience. Imlach's mixture of folk music and comedy, which made him resemble a kind of politicized, scatological Scottish version of Allan Sherman, had a profound influence on an entire generation of up-and-coming performers in England, and can be felt even in the work of Monty Python's Flying Circus. His 300 pound physique, and his enjoyment of smoking and drinking took a toll on his health, and during the last years of his life, Imlach's performing career was severely curtailed, although he did contribute vocals and arrangement expertise to Sinead O'Connor's 1990 album Lion In A Cage. In 1992, he wrote and published an autobiography, Cod Liver Oil And The Orange Juice - Reminiscences Of A Fat Folk Singer. The first part of the book title was also the name of one of his most popular songs, and other Imlach numbers that fans especially enjoyed were "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair, "This Sporting Life," and "Sonny's Dream." ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

More about Hamish Imlach here: TheBalladeers.com
Personally, I can feel similar atmosphere as Vin Garbutt's live album
"The Young Tin Whistle Pest".

Linda Hoyle "Pieces of Me" 1971

This rare 1971 album, features the amazing vocals of Linda Hoyle (of Affinity and Nucleus renown), often referred to as 'the British Grace Slick'. Includes a cover of Nina Simone's "Backlash Blues" and Laura Nyro's "Lonely Woman". The album's line-up includes guitarist Chris Spedding, drummer John Marshall and bassist Karl Jenkins. ~Freak Emporium

It probably isn't surprising to learn that Hoyle's solo debut, cut following the final dissolution of Affinity in 1971, does not deviate too far from that band's jazz-rock modus operandi. However, in seeking to trim the instrumental fat from Affinity's sometimes gruelling work-outs, and concentrate the attention on the songs (and lyrics) themselves, it rises far above its role model, to showcase Hoyle as a far more exciting figure than her footnotes in history would have you believe.

Reminiscent in places of the best of Julie Driscoll's late 1960s work - a role model that Hoyle was singularly well-placed to succeed - Pieces Of Me likewise borrows from several of Driscoll's own influences. The Nina Simone and Laura Nyro songbooks both contribute to the proceedings, with the latter's "Lonely Woman" standing among the best tracks on the entire album. But Hoyle's own work, largely written in tandem with keyboard player Karl Jenkins, is equally powerful, with the eerie "Hymn To Valerie Solanis" (titled for, but never mentioning the woman who shot Andy Warhol), and the regretful "Journey's End" ranking among the other highlights. The intriguing "Ballad Of Marty Mole", meanwhile, reads like a cross between Bob Dylan and Beatrix Potter, and could well give children nightmares for days. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide

Gerry Goffin "It Ain't Exactly Entertainment" 1973

Seventeen songs on a double LP released in 1973 are not what fans of Gerry Goffin and Carole King's '60s pop would expect. Two recording studios in Muscle Shoals, AL, gave birth to this earthy and energetic statement. The comparison to Bob Dylan is inevitable, especially on "Reverend Bottom's Tojo Saloon," a five-minute-and-16-second party which sounds like Gerry is stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues. But the tongue-in-cheek protest of "Cherokee Medicine" is much too quaint to be as boastful as Zimmerman, Al Lester's fiddle venturing off in its own direction as the song concludes. Longtime Carole King bassist Charles Larkey co-wrote the first tune, "Down on the Street," though he's not credited as a performer here. "Chicago (You)" has a funky barroom attitude with keyboard fills that supplement Goffin's lecture. "Chicago You" is a coded message that is hard to decipher, but fun just the same, making the title of this album rather misleading. It is very entertaining to hear the guy behind so many Top 40 hits laying back and jamming on tunes that are as short as the minute-and-21 second "Sail Away Ladies (P.D.)" to the 12-minute-31-second groove of "Set Job." There are revelations all over these four sides, a semi-gospel flavor on "Maryland Again" and Goffin sounding like a very drunk Ian Hunter in a setting that Ian has yet to visit. The musicianship sparkles with a carefree spirit -- it's not like any of these tunes are shooting for chart action. "The Last Cha Cha on Jackson Highway," co-written by Russ Titelman, Barry Goldberg, and Goffin, is like a great, lost Jimmy Buffet tune. "It's Not the Spotlight" is perhaps the most commercial and uplifting song on this collection, a beautiful chorus, the musicianship more serious and precise. Things fall apart in a good way with the George Harrison-sounding guitar bursts that evolve into "It's Alright to Be Alive." Just when you think it is going to become Beatlesque, it dissolves into a boogie-woogie celebration. "Sister Henry," the second of the two Titelman/Goldberg/Goffin compositions, is a Rolling Stones-gone-country-flavored chorus. Gerry replaces the Dylan sounds with the folksy, preachy "Honorable Peace," a protest song. "Rainy Day Flying" continues the sentiment -- Arlo Guthrie take note -- as the backing vocalists keep a Dixie/gospel melody in the rhythm. Goffin raps about shrapnel exploding, very Vietnam. There is a tremendous chorus mixed with witty vocals to enhance "Zebulon Pike," the story of an explorer who keeps ending up in the wrong place. May be a subliminal autobiographical song with first-rate production and a band that works hard. This music really is a treasure worth seeking out. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide

Presented by honeybean...
Meic Stevens "September 1965: The Tony Pike Session"

'60's Welsh folk rock/singer songwriter legend Meic Stevens should be a national treasure and these long lost reel to reel tapes have been found by one of his old drinking partners, still containing that crystal clear melodic voice. This LP consists of eleven original, previously unheard songs like 'Winter of the Clan', 'Not For Me Mr MP' and 'It Ain't For Me To Ask The Reason Why'. This is a valuble addition to the Meic Stevens back catalogue. As with all Tenth Planet releases, this 200 gram vinyl pressing, which includes liner notes from Meic, is limited to 1000 numbered copies. ~Freak Emporium

The Incredible String Band "The Balmore Hoard"
Home recordings 1966-67

After returning from Morocco, Robin and Licorice lived at the home of Mary Stewart in Balmore, a few miles north of Glasgow. During renovations in 1996, a hoard of reel-to-reel tapes from that period were discovered, along with a water-colour painting and home-made fiddle, both created by Robin. Among the tapes were ones labelled 'Robin', 'Mike' and 'Robin and Mike', featuring home recordings of Robin and Mike rehearsing (both solo and together), Jamming, and even, what seems to be, planning the set for their November 1966 concert at the Royal Albert Hall, complete with introductions! The original tapes were fairly fragile and the recording quality was pretty rough, so they were subsequently electronically 'cleaned-up' by Tom Barwood.

01. Relax Your Mind 02. When The Music Starts 03. Good As Gone 04. Chinese White 05. First Girl I Loved 06. As I Walked Out 07. Likys Melodies

08. Every Time I Hear A Sweet Bird 09. Alice Is A Long Time Gone 10. Mad Hatters Song 11. Join The Band 12. The Eyes Of Fate 13. Bleerers Street Blues 14. No Sleep Blues

Cover: Front
Cover: Back

Important:
This copy is not containing whole sessions (3CD, 59 tracks).
And as you know, this is bootleg copy. So please don't suggest about sound quality.

Download (re-uped by woodstock69)

Wolfgang:
Only an info to the ISB: I made a webpage for the band, which tries to be different to the other existing pages. Here
You can find the whole tracklist for the Balmore Tapes.

Thanks, Wolfgang!!

Requested...
Bobbie Gentry "Ode to Billie Joe" 1967

Gentry's debut LP, which went to number one on the pop charts, was a promising but not wholly satisfying disc, with the singer penning all but one of the songs. Inevitably, the title track dwarfed everything else by comparison, but a greater problem was that several of the other tunes recycled variations of the "Ode to Billie Joe" riff. On the other hand, "Mississippi Delta" is gloriously tough, throaty swamp rock; few other women pop singers have sounded as raw. Other good cuts were "I Saw an Angel Die," an effective mating of Gentry's country-blues guitar riffs and low-key orchestration, and the jazz waltz-timed "Papa, Woncha Let Me Go to Town With You." Her vocals are poised and husky throughout the record, on which she was definitely on the right track -- one that she was quickly diverted from, into more MOR-oriented sounds. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Ben

"Ben" 1971





















Ben's self-titled debut has the dubious honour of being widely rated as one of the weakest albums released on the Vertigo-swirl label. Although I can think of even more obvious candidates for that claim (especially Daddy Longlegs' utterly dreadful "Oakdown Farm" comes to mind), Ben's album had indeed serious flaws. But things sounds actually quite promising at first listen. Here are lengthy multi-part suites, excellent musicianship and an overall very appealing early 70's, very jazzy progressive rock sound with lots of flute, sax, keyboards and guitar. But closer inspection of the material on the album reveals that you've been cheated. All of the four tracks are made up of tiresome extended jams and solos that are built around themes and melodies that are all too simple and barely half-written at best. The closer "Gismo" demonstrates this problem best, and goes on for nearly 12 minutes without ever coming close to a good or memorable idea. "Gibbon" is probably the best track on the album, but even this one is also hampered by the same problems as the rest, although to a less extent. The opener "The Influence" is pointlessly divided into seven movements that all sounds the same, and "Christmas Execution" is made up of repetitive, unimaginative and uninspired riffs that goes nowhere. Too bad such good musicians with a sound like this would waste it all on such weak material as this album offers. ~vintageprog.com

Lighthouse "One Fine Morning" (Canadian Jazz-Rock 1971)


Alan Niester, Rolling Stone, 11/11/71:
Following the pop music scene in Canada teaches one many and myriad virtues, not the least of which is patience. Canadian groups, no matter how highly touted at the offset, seem to require a considerably longer period of time to mature than their English and American counterparts. You will almost never find a Canadian artist coming out with a commendable album the first time around, and Lighthouse was certainly no exception.

One Fine Morning is Lighthouse's fourth album, and their first since their split from RCA. For those unfamiliar with the group's history, I now humbly offer a rundown of efforts one through three.

1. Lighthouse (RCA) Their first, a hideous disaster. Horrible production meets bland material, and everybody loses. The Young Canadian Rock Fan's expectations are crushed into the hardy Tundra.

2. Suite Feeling (RCA) A considerable improvement, with one lengthy satisfying jam on it. Still no great shakes, but it caused Y.C.R.F. to wipe the mud off and take heart for number three.

3. Peacing It All Together (RCA) A fair album by anyone's standards. The writing team of Skip Prokop and Paul Hoffert is by now starting to write interesting and original material. Unfortunately, the album has flaws, and just doesn't hold the listener's attention as a really good record should.

Now, after considerable personnel changes, which have seen the group shrink to 11 members from 13 (with only five of the originals still with us), the now slightly older Y.C.R.F. is happy to announce that Lighthouse's new effort, One Fine Morning, is everything he hoped and expected the first one to be.

The reasons for the new-found success are many. First off, the group now boasts a new lead singer in the person of Bob McBride, who shows considerably more flexibility and vocal power than his predecessor Pinky Dauvin could ever muster. Secondly, Skip Prokop and Paul Hoffert have now matured as writers to the point where they seem incapable of writing a song which isn't both highly original and moving. Their more up-tempo numbers ("Love of a Woman" and "One Fine Morning" being the best examples), shake you as well, if not better, than anything ever written by any of their competitors in the neo-big band field to date. At the same time, their "production" type numbers, ("Step Out on the Sea," and particularly "1849""), display a singular power and mood that almost makes you want to stand up and salute something (a tree, a telephone pole, the mailman, anything).

But probably the most important advancement the group has made is in its new tendency to allow every song to run to its logical conclusion. Previously, the group tended to make shorter two- and three-minute songs, and still attempt to crush all 13 members into each song. Thus, even a number like "The Country Song" from the third album would have horns strings squeezed into its 2:26. On One Fine Morning however, each song is allowed to have their own say without having to compete with the regular rock instruments for the listener's ear. The result is not only that the record buyer gets and album that runs over 25 minutes on one side and 22 on the other, but also one in which each song has a power and sense of completeness that the previous efforts lacked.

I really can't conceive of Lighthouse getting much better than this. They've been around long enough by now so that they've found their own relative level of the ozone, and will probably settle there, sending out music of an equal caliber to One Fine Morning for at least another year or so. But that's plenty good enough, believe me. I can recommend this album to anyone without fear of getting it thrown back at me.

"Skara Brae" (Irish Folk 1971)

Wikipedia:
Skara Brae was a traditional Irish music group with origins in Rannafast, County Donegal, Ireland. The group consisted of three siblings, Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill with Dáithí Sproule. Though brought up in County Meath, the Uí Dhomhnaill siblings had their roots in Rannafast (Rann na Feirste), where their father's family originated. Mícheál and Tríona came together with Dáithí when they went to University College Dublin in the late 1960s. They played gigs around Dublin and Mícheál and Dáithí spent a summer as the house band at Teach Hiúdaí Bhig in Gaoth Dobhair (Gweedore), Donegal. Around 1970, the three siblings -Mícheál, Tríona and Maighréad - teamed up with Dáithi Sproule to form Skara Brae. Skara Brae produced one album and broke up in 1972, but re-grouped in 1998 for a concert in Gweedore, County Donegal.

Steve Winick, All Music Guide:
Michael and Triona went on to form the Bothy Band, and Daithi became a fine solo artist and a member of groups like Altan, but this was their first recorded effort (made in the early '70s) of beautifully performed Gaelic songs. The four vocalists are skillfully backed by guitar from Micheal and Daithi and harpsichord from Triona.

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Jan & Lorraine "Gypsy People" (UK Folk-Psych 1969)

Bad Cat Records:
Can't say I've uncovered much about this short-lived duo composed of singer/guitarists Jan Hendin and Lorraine LeFevre. What little information out there is contradictory. Even the basic facts are hazy with some references saying they were American, others indicating they were British and still other works saying they were Canadian.

Regardless, their sole album 1969's "Gypsy" was recorded in London's IBC Studios with Anthony Browne producing and with backing from a rather impressive collection of UK musicians. With both Hendin and LeFevre contributing material the album offered up an engaging mix of folk, psych and world music moves. Dealers continually drop the term 'acid-folk when trying to unload lame folk crap on unsuspecting collectors, but if you want to hear a true acid-folk LP, then this may well set the benchmark for such comparisons. By themselves Hendin and LeFevre both had attractive voices and on material such as 'Bird of Passage', the title track and '' they turned in some gorgeous harmony work that had a distinctive English folk-rock feel which occasionally recalled the likes of Sandy Denny, June Tabor, etc.. Actually, because of the distinctive middle eastern flavors found throughout the album, a better comparison might be to Magic Carpet's Alisha Sufit (interesting to note that tabla player Kaeshav Sathe played with Magic Carpet). The pair also had pretty interesting tastes in outside music with the album including a pair of Perth County Conspiracy covers (Richard Keelan's rocking 'Break Out the Wine' and 'Don't You Feel Fine'). While there wasn't anything particularly commercial here (which is one of the attractions for me), the duo's willingness to experiment and take some substantial risks gave the set a unique appeal that should be of interest to a wide spectrum of collectors. Personal favorites included the funky raga-influenced title track, the extended 'The Assignmnet Song-Sequence' and ''. Perhaps intended as their stab at commerciality, to my ears the only real mis-steps were 'Snow Roses' which was a little too operatic for my ears, 'Space 33' which featured a young girl on lead vocals, and the goofy music hall-styled 'Old Tyme Move'. Ray Davies and Paul McCartney could get away with it on occasion, but not this pair. Excluding those couple of minor let downs, it's surprising that this album isn't commanding much more attraction for collectors (and similar prices).

Nazir Jair Azbhoy -- tamboura
Clem Cattini -- drums
Terry Cox -- percussion
Jan Hendin -- vocals, guitar, keyboards, kazoo
Takie Hendin -- backing vocals
Lorraine LeFevre -- vocals, guitar
Rod Mirfield -- percussion
Brian Odgers -- bass
Kaeshav Sathe -- tabla

Albion Country Band "Battle of the Field" 1973
Released in 1976

After leaving Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span, bass player Ashley Hutchings dreamt of a band that would play traditional British folk and Morris dance tunes with the energy and instrumental virtuosity of rock & roll continued with the Albion Country Band. Although the original group, featuring Royston Wood, Sue Draheim, and Steve Ashley, in addition to Hutchings, was together for less than two years, the ripples they brought to British folk music have continued to be felt. Their sole album, Battle of the Field, released three years after they disbanded, remains a much-cherished classic. With the band's resurrection as the Albion Dance Band in 1975, and later, as the Albion Band, Hutchings' dreams have continued to yield fruit. Hutchings initially assembled the group that became the Albion Country Band to accompany his then-wife, Shirley Collins, on her 1971 album No Roses. Inspired by the results, the musicians agreed to continue pooling their resources as the Albion Country Band. After providing accompaniment for Ashley on his album, Stroll On, and Richard Thompson on two tracks that were released on his 1991 cassette-only album, Doom and Gloom From the Tomb, Vol. 2, Hutchings and the Albion Country Band, joined by such top-notch British folk musicians as John Kirkpatrick, Martin Carthy, and Simon Nicol, recorded heir first band album in 1973. Financial difficulties caused Hutchings to disband the group before the album's release. With no band to promote the recording, Island held back the album's release until 1976. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide

"Blackthorn" (Irish Folk 1977)

This obscured Irish electric folk rock band has released two excellent albums in 1977 and 1979 on WHM Records and both are now quite sought after in the collectors market. Their first album is full of cover versions of major artists and famous traditional numbers such as "Rick Rack" (Gerry Rafferty), "After The Goldrush" (Neil Young), "That's No Way To Say Goodbye" (Leonard Cohen) and "In A Song" (Jim Croce). It indeed is a beautiful album and truly worth exploring the talented folk bands of the mid/late 70s. Nina Szifris, the band's lead singer is truly a gem. A must for the fans of Fairport Convention, Caedmon, Pentangle and Mellow Candle.
Ian Campbell played Bodhran as a guest musician.

Tracks:
01. Rick Rack
02. Can't Hold A Candle To You
03. After The Goldrush
04. That's Noway To Say Goodbye
05. Blackthorn Instrumental No.1
06. Yellow Haired Laddie
07. Band 'o'shearers
08. Steve Bayes - Lily's Song
09. Owen Hand - My Donal
10. Blackthorn Instrumental No.2
11. In A Song
12. Broom Besoms Incorporating Mrs Mcleods Reel

Sample pic: Click

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Magna Carta

"In Concert"
Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Thursday 4th November 1971 at 8:30

This was Magna Carta's fourth album, and their first live concert recording, recorded in Amsterdam in 1971. It features Chris Simpson on Guitar and Vocals; Davey Johnstone on Guitar and Vocals; and Glen Stuart on Vocals.

By Kenneth Johnston:
I originally bought this album as an LP, in a buy 1 get 2 free deal. I had never heard of Magna Carta, but closing my eyes I pointed at the list...and as they say, the rest is history!
I now have most albums that Magna Carta have produced, certainly as far as their live one's are concerned, but this is still my favourite and I have now replaced my original LP with this CD . From my favourite ever Magna track, Sea and Sand, which is so hauntingly beautiful and never been played as well as in this concert with the sitar as the lead instrument to 7 O'Clock Hymn/Midwinter and ending in an encore of the magificent epic, Ring of Stones, this is live music at its very best. Listen and I guarantee you will be buying more Magna Carta albums.

By Sonu Charles:
I was fortunate enough to have this album during the seventies on vinyl. those were trusting times. predictably enough, it was borrowed by someone who joined the growing list of "anonymous" acquaintances one had. since then, for over 20 years i have searched for this album in some form or the other. i guess one does get lucky.
I doubt if there has been as magnificient performance of 'time for the leaving' as on this album. Davey Johnson's guitar delivers one of the most inspired solos at the end of the song. Other gems are '7 O'Clock Hymn', 'Boatman' and 'Ring of Stones'. The pastoral harmony of 'Seasons' is very much here, much magnified by a rare electricity this album posseses. I guess that is the magic that comes once in a long while to a live performance. This, undoubtedly is the show of magna carta's life.

Tracks:
01. Airport Song
02. Time for the Leaving
03. The Boatman
04. Sea and Sand
05. Banjo
06. Old John Parker
07. Seven O'Clock Hymn / Midwinter
08. Country Jam
09. Ring of Stones

Sample pic: 1, 2, 3

Download (re-post)


"Live at the BBC" (1969, 71 & 87)

Although released in 1995, all but the last four of the tracks on this album were orignally live recordings made by the BBC in 1969 and 1971 featuring Chris Simpson, Glen Stuart, and Davey Johnstone.
This selection dates from 1969 (three tracks) 1971 (11 tracks) and 1987 (four tracks) Includes all the hits such as "Airport Song" and "Time For the Leaving" as well as versions album of classics including "Parliament Hill", "Sea and Sand" and "Elizabethan".

Tracks:

01. Sea & Sand 02. Shades Of Grey 03. Daughter Daughter 04. Wayfaring 05. Home Groan 06. Emily 07. Airport Song 08. Old John Parker 09. Parliament Hill 10. Sea & Sand (Reprise)

11. Beyond The Isle Of Skye 12. Sponge 13. White Snow Dove 14. Time For The Leaving 15. Cajun Canonball 16. They Call Me The Breeze 17. Elizabethan 18. Livin' With A Woman Like You 19. Airport Song 20.#

Spriguns "Time Will Pass" 1977

This is Spriguns' follow-up to Revel Weird and Wild, and it is much more pop-oriented than that 1976 offering. All but one song was composed by lead singer Mandy Morton, and fiddler Tom Ling, who was a full-time member on Revel Weird and Wild, was relegated to guest musician here; so the traditional or folk elements were noticeably reduced. Robert Kirby's lush orchestration adorns three selections in a manner similar to Sandy Denny's Like an Old Fashioned Waltz. Sandy Roberton, who produced Steeleye Span's early folk albums, opted for a more pop and rock sound, as the implementation of electric keyboards and rock guitar demonstrates. This would be the last album for this band under the name Spriguns, but Morton would resurface in 1979 in another folk-leaning recording, Magic Lady, with her revamped band Mandy Morton and Spriguns. ~ Dave Sleger, All Music Guide

Requested...
"Spike Drivers" 1965-68
Folkrocking psychedelic innovation from the Motor City in the mid 60s

With such a descriptive title, perfectly capturing the general mood of this Detroit band, this collection almost needs no review at all. You'll be assured to this fact as soon as you hear the opening lines of their '66 debut single's b-side (the longest single track at the time) "Often I wonder" or (appropriately titled) "Strange Mysterious Sounds", both with a doze of US "Kaleidoscopic" darkness combined with Eastern influenced folk-psych. Even when they get a bit more conventional musically, like in the 'Spoonfulish "Baby won't you let me tell you how I lost my mind" or the Hendrix-gone-folky "Blue Law Sunday", the lyrical concept is still a bit moody. Though they've never reached the commercial hights proportional to their possibilities, the one that should've taken them to the toppermost of the poppermost is their super-jangly a-side of their debut called "High Time", and besides all of these, there's also an unexpected goofy, Bonzo-Doggish take on the Californian saga, "Baby can I wear your clothes". The Spike-Drivers' second edition was a bit "wilder and freer" though not necessarily "stranger and funnier" as band member Sid Brown puts it in the liner notes. "Portland Town" continues the eerie folk-psych sound of the early singles in a kinda Slick-y, way with an addition of almost classical string arrangement, to be followed with a couple of classic psych tracks, with an omnipresent middle eight fuzzed-out rave-up, like in "Everybody's got that feeling", the spiritual "I know" or "Time will never die", and you'll even find a bit of a honky tonk finger pickin' in "Grocery store". The third segment of the CD is made of two folk-rockin' '65 demos, "Can't stand the pain" and the Holly-ish "I'm so glad".
By the way: Sid Brown was the guy who told Mike Bloomfield of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band who to play an "Eastern" guitar; the result can be heard on "East-West", their second album on Elektra in 1966! ~ CD Baby

"Martin Carthy" 1965

Carthy's debut album rates a place alongside the album by Bob Dylan, as the debut work of a man who ultimately revolutionized folk music performance in England (Carthy is mentioned as an influence on the notes to Dylan's Freewheelin' album). This is Carthy's purest and simplest folk effort, an all-acoustic recording done in barely an afternoon that includes his version of "Scarborough Fair," awhich Paul Simon learned from Carthy (including the chords and changes from Carthy's arrangement) and transformed into a hit of his own. Also here is "Two Magicians," a song that later entered the repertory Steeleye Span, and "Lovely Joan," a folk song that is most familiar to classical listeners as the source of the counter-melody to Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on Greensleeves." The playing and the interpretations are somewhat less ambitious and rather rougher than subsequent efforts, with Dave Swarbrick guesting on fiddle on about half the tracks, and Carthy's guitar covering all but the acapella tracks. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

"Tranquility" (UK Pop-Rock, Folk-Rock 1972)

The band was formed in 1971 by Ashley Kozak, formerly Donovan's manager, and built around the song writing abilities of Terry Shaddick. Kozak had long wished for a "...gentle tranquil band that could create its own hybrid of pop, rock and English folk music" (CBS Inner Sleeve Issue III, 1973), and in Shaddick, he saw the focal point for creation of just such a band.
The LP was released in the UK with an extra two tracks, "Black Currant Betty", and a snippet of "Saying Goodbye" played backwards as an introduction to "Try Again". To promote the album, the single "Thank You" / "Saying Goodbye" was released with a production credit of 1971, despite being issued in early 1972. This was followed up in late 1972 by a special single re-recording of "Saying Goodbye", coupled with "Happy Is the Man".

The Galley

The Galley "Joke and Push About the Pitcher" 1975?















Seller's comment on eBay:
A fantastic copy of this super rare folk lp is one of the rarest stoof label lp's, if not the rarest. In a beautifull condition. english band with frank singleton, Paul bellamy, Lynn Bellamy and graham thomas. All singing and playing instruments.

Tracks:
01. Hail Smiling Song
02. Rout Of The Blues
03. All Amongst The Barley
04. The Recruited Collier
05. Why, Soldiers, Why
06. Morris Tunes
07. Cannons Are Roaring
08. Wat Tyler And Jack Straw
09. Oxplough Song
10. Horkstow Grange
11. Farewell Thou Fair Day
12. The Girls I Left Behind Me
13. Joke And Push About The Pitcher
14. Shanties - Blood Red Roses - One More Day

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Frankie Armstrong
"...Out of Love, Hope and Suffering" (UK Folk 1974)

Frankie Armstrong (born January 13, 1941 in Workington, Cumbria, England) is a singer and voice teacher. She began singing during the United Kingdom folk revival of the early 1960s, initially with the Ceilidh Singers, a skiffle group. In 1965, Armstrong sang at the Edinburgh Festival "Poets In Public", with John Betjeman, Stevie Smith and Ted Hughes. She first recorded with A.L.'Bert' Lloyd, Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger and the Critics Group during the mid-60s. In the mid-1970s Armstrong pioneered workshops based on traditional styles of singing. She worked as a singer in the folk scene and the women's movement, and she was a trainer in social and youth work. Involved with folk and political songs starting in the 1950s, she has also recorded with, amongst others, the Mike Westbrook Band, Henry Cow, Talisker, John Kirkpatrick, Brian Pearson, Leon Rosselson and Maddy Prior.

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Mike Cooper "Oh Really!?" 1969

Mike Cooper web site:
For the past thirty years Mike Cooper has performed and recorded, in a variety of genres, both solo and in a number of inspired groupings. Initially a blues guitarist and singer-songwriter, his work has diversified to include avant-garde, rock, improvised and electronic musics. He is also a music journalist, writing features for magazines such as fROOTS (formerly Folk Roots) on a variety of performers, in particular Pacific musicians.

Cooper stands out as the man who truly made something of his own out of the country-blues... (The Guardian)
Starting in the mid sixties, a solo country blues singer and slide guitar player, he was one of the handful of acoustic players who pioneered the British Blues Boom, playing with and alongside such blues legends as Son House, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Bukka White, Howlin Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Jimmy Reed. His 1969 l.p. Oh Really!? is widely acclaimed as one of the best acoustic blues albums of the period.

Tea and Symphony "Jo Sago" (UK Prog-Folk 1970)

A progressive outfit from Birmingham who played some of the most esoteric and experimental music released on the Harvest label. They had some similarities with Principal Edwards Magic Theatre insofar as their act was a sort of travelling theatre incorporating music, drama and mime. They followed the above 45 with an album of interesting material which utilised a diverse range of instruments and some attractive vocal harmonies. They were assisted on this effort by members of Bakerloo and Locomotive. This is a pandemonium of wilful, oblique and obscure tunes, all filled with a manic musical magic that will either appall or take you by storm. Improbable instrumental combinations and unexpected barbed-wire dissonances are treated with excellent musical craftmanship. There is no sloppiness like Dr. Strangely Strange, nor any tendency to get mystical like The Incredible String Band. Instead the madness is musically and lyrically defined, which makes this album obligatory to anyone into this kind of style. A title like "Maybe My Mind (With Egg)" speaks for itself.

The follow-up, "Jo Sago", was every bit as adventurous as their debut. The side-long title cut was an interesting attempt to relate the problems of a young Caribbean jazz musician living in Birmingham, but it pales in the company of the short tracks on the other side. These are more in the vein of the first album, but even better - ranking as among the best British acid-folk cuts. Sadly it was a bit too esoteric for wide public consumption and only sold a few hundred copies. It is now one of the label's rarest and most sought-after items. Both albums are recommended. The group split not long after its release but vocalist James Langston later resurfaced in the short-lived heavy rock outfit Mean Street Dealer in 1979.

Kazuki Tomokawa

"Yatto 1 maime" 1975 (1st album)

Tracks:
01. Seishun
02. Tamashii
03. Yumiko no Haru
04. Koku-ka
05. Haka
06. NamMyoHouRenGeKyo
07. Denwa
08. Rancho Akita Ondo
09. Chikyu Gakko
10. 23sai no Teikou
11. Ishimori-san
12. Niibon
13. Dorobou-neko Yoru Hashiru
14. Akarui Yoru

Personnels:
Kazuki Tomokawa: acoustic guitar, superior-pipe
Kazuo Suguro / Ikutaro Fukuda: acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Takashi Maeda: bass
Takeshi Yagishita / Toshio Hagiwara: drums
Toshiaki Ishizuka: percussion, fuurin
Toyofuji / Toyoshizu: shamisen
Iroha Sisters: ohayashi
Katada-Keiki-Shachu: taiko, Chanchiki, transverse flute
Hiromi Yoshida / Katsumi Choshu: acoustic guitar, chorus
Kyoko Furuie: piano, organ
Santa Yamakawa: poetry reading
Hisayo Fukida / Chikako Honda / Reiko Komine / Akiko Moriyama
Masayuki Nakai / Hisao Iwase / Santa Yamakawa: backing chorus

Arrangements:
Kazuki Tomokawa (T1, 8, 13)
Kazuo Suguro (T2, 3, 4, 6, 12)
Hiromi Yoshida (T5, 9, 11)
Ryudo Uzaki / Katsumi Choshu (T10, 14)

Produced by Kazuki Tomokawa



"Ore no Uchi de Nari-yamanai Mono" 1978
(Poems that won't stop crying from with me: Nakahara Chuya collection)

It is certainly not unheard of for non-classical musicians to record poetry of Chuya Nakahara (1907-1937), but an entire album? Unprecedented. Tomokawa's style is generally described as edgy, underground folk, which emerged from a Japanese folk revival in the 70s. This studio album, however, features crooning vocals and a rather dated sound, like a hybrid between light disco and traditional Japanese ballad (enka). The original 1970s recording is rare, but a 2000 release is readily available.

If you want to know more about Chuya Nakahara, please check here:
Nakahara Chuya Forum

Personnels:
Tsuneo Ogaki: drums
Shinichi Takemura / Keiko Niwa: bass
Takeshi Mori: guitar
Kyoko Furuie: piano
Yoshinobu Hiraiwa: organ, keyboard
Toshiaki Ishizuka: percussion
Hirokazu Ishii: tuba
Shoji Maeda: flute, sax, piccolo
Sakae Yamada: french horn
Takashi Kato / Yoshinori Tada / Sadaji Okubo / Yoichiro Kobayashi: violin
Hiroo Horiguchi: cornet violin
Sachio Eto: ocarina
Ikuo Morimoto: harmonica
Manjyushage: chorus

Lyrics: Chuya Nakahara
Music: Kazuki Tomokawa
Arrangement: J.A. Caesar
Produced by Yasuyuki Koike

Tracks:

01. Circus 02. Rinjyu 03. Kojyo 04. Kikyo 05. Kuwana no Eki

06. Natsu no Hi no Uta 07. Yogore-chimatta Kanashimi ni 08. Haru no Hi no Yuugure 09. Rokugatsu no Ame 10. Boya

"Sora no Sakana" (Sky Fish) 1999
Uploaded by Sins we can't absolve

01. Mata Kon Haru
02. Yume no Machi no Hitobito
03. Kokoro Yasashiki Rokudenashi
04. Jidai o Ninau Kodomo-tachi
05. Ikutsu ni Natte mo Asobitai
06. Sora to Te o Tsunaida Otoko
07. Machigai Darake no Jinsei
08. Sora no Sakana

Cover: Front, Back


"Kenshin no Ichigeki" 2002
Uploaded by Sins we can't absolve

01. Ayakashi no Tsuki
02. Ureshii Hinamatsuri
03. Sora no Caravan
04. Aki no Yozora
05. Nyonin Bosatsu
06. Sendai
07. 303 goushitsu no Shonen
08. Chance
09. Futsukayoi
10. Kenshin no Ichigeki

Thank you very much, Sins we can't absolve!

"Mourning Phase" (UK Acid-Folk 1971)

Virtually nothing is known about Mourning Phase, who put out an extremely rare, privately pressed, self-titled British folk-rock LP in 1971. From the sound of things, they were a male-female duo, recording for the most part with just one electric guitar and one acoustic guitar. Though many would find the record under-produced, it's a well-written and exceptionally haunting album, built around strong minor folky melodies, the pair's close harmony vocals, and lyrics that are unusually piercing and combative in their stormy, romantic fencing matches. It was reissued on CD in the mid-1990s, though in such a limited quantity that even the reissue quickly became hard to obtain. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Psychedelic & Acid Folk Music:
Comments of Greyhound Records : This is the "cd reissue of 'supposed' 'test pressing' from '71. cover alludes to contributions from sandy denny & eric clapton! combines electric & acoustic instrumentation with male & female vocals."
According to Rockinworld this is an "Issue of another fascinating UK acoustic & electric acid folk acetate of original songs. Tired of smiling upsidedown indeed!"

Kissing Spell:
"The Mourning Phase demo-LP was discovered in 1992 and later sold for a 4-figure sum to a 'collector'. It appeared to be a test pressing, dated 1971, with a hand-made cover. Lyrically interesting, the densely layered acoustic/electric music seems merely to serve as a vehicle for the love/hate relationship of, speculatively, the male and female vocalists. Cynical, misanthropic, (with and occasional cello), and a cover based on an impressionist painting. Mourning Phase is surely the archetypal home-made art-student LP"

Another review:
I have a vinyl reissue put out by Steve Smith in 1991. I think he was the original Kissing Spell owner. Anyway, there's very little info. No names/instrumentation, etc on this vinyl release. It's a man, a woman, and acoustic guitars, though. As I recall, there was some scepticism back in the early 90s that this was actually a 'lost' recording from 1971, due to the lack of info. The back cover places it from Summer 1971. It rates highly and rightly so, because the songs are well written, well performed, and goes from somewhat dreamy through to aggressive. Well, as aggressive as an acoustic guitar can get, anyway.Here's the flowery blurb off the lyric sheet:
"Mourning Phase is the lament of two star cross'd lovers, committed to vinyl during a short stay in Eden during July, maybe August, the summer of 1971...Only one copy of their record has survived, complete with a rather beautiful sleeve hand-drawn in coloured pencils by the Girl, thrown to the four winds during the winter of their discontent, the time of Mourning Phase's parting..For deeper insight into this sorrowful tale, listeners are advised to contemplate these lyric-sheets, wherein lines of revealing ambiguity await, manifesting the love/hate of our two protagonists. Their ambivalence toward one another may explain the occasional Freudian slip twixt singers, charmingly transcribed to vinyl for eternity...and never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo..."

*Album cover:
1. Original
2. Kissing Spell CD reissue
3. Shadocks LP reissue

Gordon Waller "Gordon" 1972
Vertigo Spiral LP Cat No. 6360 069


Released in 1972 by Gordon Waller of the Sixties duo Peter & Gordon.

While Peter Asher went on to A&R at Apple, signing James Taylor amongst others, Gordon started a solo career in 1968 but little came of it.
By 1972, with longer hair and armed with guitar, living the hippie dream in a caravan and busking in country pubs, it was time for an ill fated comeback.
This record really needs no introduction for Vertigo connoisseurs and experienced record collectors. This, Gordon, the most elusive of all Vertigo LP's, is believed to be one of only 23 copies ever sold.

This album is in the "Top of the Rarest" of all Vertigo Spiral Lable.

Sample pic: Click

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The Ian Campbell Folk Group
"This is The Ian Campbell Folk Group" 1963

The Ian Campbell Group were probably the most well known and respected folk music group to come out of Birmingham. Ian Campbell was born June 10, 1933 in Aberdeen, Scotland and his family moved to Birmingham in 1946. He formed the Clarion Skiffle Group in the mid 1950s along with his sister Lorna who was also the singer. They were later joined by guitarist Dave Phillips and banjo player Gordon McCulloch, and by 1958 were known as the Ian Campbell Four.

By 1960, McCulloch had been replaced by John Dunkerley and the group was also joined by violinist Dave Swarbrick (born April 5, 1941 in London). The group became well known on the local folk music scene and played regularly around Birmingham, often appearing at The Crown Pub on Station Street. It was there that they played on a live recording that was released as Ceilidh At The Crown in 1962. The following year, the group was signed to Transatlantic Records and released their first album entitled This Is The Ian Campbell Folk Group. At around this time, Dave Phillips left and was replaced by Brian Clark.

Sleeve Notes:
The first thing that strikes you when you listen to the Ian Campbell Folk Group is the rich texture and blend of vocal and instrumental sound. The Campbells are no three-chord City-billies, busking their way through a few favourite songs. The second thing that strikes you is that you haven't heard any songs about the Chain Gang, the Dust Bowl, or any of those other subjects close to the heart of the Coffee Bar Cowboy. In fact you are listening to a programme of British songs—and liking it.
The Campbells live in Birmingham where they run their phenomenally successful "Jug of Punch" Folk Club, but Ian and Lorna come from Aberdeen and it is from Scotland and the Border country that they draw much of their material. "TWA Recruiting Sergeants" a favourite of the great traditional singer Jeannie Robertson of Aberdeen; the classic ballad "The Unquiet Grave"; "Johnny Lad" and "The Wee Cooper O' Fyfe" come from Scotland. "The Keel Row" and "The Waters Of Tyne" come from the north-east of England.
The Campbell Group's repertoire reflects the growing interest in songs from the town as well as the country. "Down In The Coal Mine" is sung to one of the jauntiest of Irish tunes. The moving "The Jute Mill Song" is a recently composed song by Mrs. Mary Brookbank of Dundee, and "The Apprentice's Song" is Ian's own composition. The other recent song is Pete Seeger's setting of the Idris Davies poem "The Bells of Rhymney".
Older, but still on the theme of work, we have the sea song "Homeward Bound" and the shanty "Blow Boys Blow". From Australia come the fantasy "The Drover's Dream", and the wry but realistic "Rockin' The Cradle"; from England the pastoral "To Hear The Nightingale Sing".
Vocally and instrumentally, the Campbells possess a rich and remarkable variety of talents. They are fast establishing themselves in the top flight of international folk entertainers. It is hoped that this album will be another major step in that direction.

Personnels:
Ian Campbell—lead vocals
Lorna Campbell—lead vocals
Brian Clark—lead vocals and guitar
Dave Swarbrick—fiddle and mandolin
John Dunkerley—banjo and melodica
with the additional participation of:
Dave Phillips—bass
Brian Brocklehurst—bass

Note:
This album was released in the US (on the Elektra label) as The Ian Campbell Folk Group. The song order is slightly different with 2 having been omitted—"The Jute Mill Song " and "Homeward Bound'. The Elektra release also contains short biographies of the band members and more extensive Sleeve Notes by Ian Campbell. This is... was also re-released (in full) on the Contour label, as Presenting the Ian Campbell Folk Group, with still different Sleeve Notes (see back cover: click).

Sample pic: 1, 2

Davy Graham "Folk, Blues & Beyond..." 1965

















This was Graham's most groundbreaking and consistent album. More than his solo debut The Guitar Player (which was pretty jazzy) or his previous collaboration with folk singer Shirley Collins, Folk Roots, New Routes, this established his mixture of folk, jazz, blues, and Middle Eastern music, the use of a bassist and drummer also hinting at (though not quite reaching) folk-rock. "Leavin' Blues," "Skillet (Good'n'Greasy)," and "Moanin'" are all among his very best folk-blues-rock performances, while on "Maajun" he goes full-bore into Middle Eastern music on one of his most haunting and memorable pieces. Covers of traditional folk standards like "Black Is the Colour of My True Love's Hair" and "Seven Gypsies" combine with interpretations of compositions by Bob Dylan ("Don't Think Twice, It's Alright"), Willie Dixon ("My Babe"), Charles Mingus ("Better Git in Your Soul"), and Reverend Gary Davis ("Cocaine") for an eclecticism of repertoire that wasn't matched by many musicians of any sort in the mid-'60s. If there is one aspect of the recording to criticize, it is, as was usually the case with Graham, the thin, colorless vocals. The guitar playing is the main attraction, though; it's so stellar that it makes the less impressive singing easy to overlook. Ten of the 16 songs were included on the compilation Folk Blues and All Points in Between, but Graham fans should get this anyway, as the level of material and musicianship is pretty high throughout most of the disc. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Masterpiece...
Mountain Ash Band "The Hermit" (UK Folk 1975)

Reviewed by pOoTer:
Its been a long time tracking this legendary recording down (thanks Pete!). Possibly one of the rarest UK folk gems from 1975, as rare as life itself?. Awesome electric violin and disturbingly haunting vocals tell the depressing story of a Yorkshire hermit named Job Senior. "Birth" sets the scene for what is a profoundly sad album that will leave you deep in thought every time you hear it. "Journeys" a fine piece of violin work runs into "Stone on Stone" which is almost Incredible String Band in vocal style. "A long Winter" tells of the latter stages of Job's life after his wife dies and he is living alone on the moors of Ilkley. "Who Knows" is a sorry lament as Job ends up living in the remains of his dead wifes house which has been pulled down by her family in an attempt to evict him. "The Outcast/Rebirth" ends the albums tragic story. Hear it and weep................

Sample pic: click

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Faraway Folk "Seasonal Man" 1975

British folk trio that released 3 albums in the years from 1972-1975, this one being the best. An excellent example of british underground folk rock with some progressive touches. Like many british folk bands of the 70s they disappeared without much attention.

www.peterice.com:
Faraway Folk's finest hour (well, 40 minutes anyway). The tracks for this album were assembled with recordings made over a period of 10 months. As studio time was not an issue regarding cost, being as John, etc could use it at anytime for free when it was not in use, it was decided to assemble and release a studio album.

The cover art is by John, who had a disagreement with Tony Waldron over what should be on the front. Tony did not want to have this painting on the front sleeve, and was quite adamant that a photograph, most probably the one that is within the gatefold of the Folk, to be used. However, John stuck to his guns, and in the end got his way, but not entirely. The original painting was quite large, and was to fill the complete 12" x 12" area, but Tony had it reduced somewhat. By the way, in case anyone is wondering, the original painting was thrown out (don't ask) sometime ago!

Important: some examples of this title were mis-pressed. (actually, the first 100). Side 1 or side 2 banding is off-centre, and on playing will be evident, especially as the stylus draws nearer to the end tracks ~ ouch! This fault can be identified by observing the varying width of the run-in at opposite ends. Do not compare the gap between the run-off to label area, as sometimes it is just the label that is not dead centre.

Personnels:
John Turk = guitars (incl. Gibson SR with Fuzz pedal), mandolin, vocal
Adrian Morris = rhythm guitars, harmonica, vocal
Shirley Turk = percussion, vocal
Bryony Smith = bass, banjo, vocal

Tracks:
01. Seasonal Man
02. The Yule Log
03. Coming Back To Brixham
04. Patterned Moon
05. Summer's End
06. Crow On A Cradle
07. Sparrow
08. Portland Town
09. Cherry Tree Carol
10. Bonny Black Hair

Sample pic: click

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Evensong (1973)

Subtle lovely acoustic rural, slightly baroque folkpsych record.
This is one of the long forgotten british folky albums, originally released in 1973. This duo's first and only release has been much sought after among the folk/folkrock collectors for years. A perfect mix of smooth folk and typical british folk-rock.
Must for who likes Heron etc...

01. Dodos And Dinosaurs
02. I Was Her Cowboy
03. Store Of Time
04. Gypsy
05. Smallest Man In The World
06. Take Your Son To Church Mother
07. Borderline
08. Firefly
09. Rum Runner
10. Sweetbriar Road

CD Cover: Front
CD Cover: Back
Picture of original LP: Click


Mick Lawson (Evensong) said...

Thank you everyone for your lovely comments about our album Evensong.
The record is due for release shortly on Poppydisc records. (Joe Foster.) (little.nemo77@ntlworld.com). It has been remastered from vinyl and it includes 3 bonus tracks - Romeo, Dance Dance Dance and Wooden Wheels. If you would like me to update you on Evensong news please use my Email which is emmitttill@hotmail.com Love and Peace for Christmas and the New Year. Mick Lawson (Evensong)

Dave Evans "Sad Pig Dance" (UK Folk 1974)

The British guitarist Dave Evans, a real dazzler of a fingerpicker, has been recording since the early '70s. His first entirely instrumental album was released in 1974. Entitled Sad Pig Dance, it might have attracted only farmers and policemen's ball attendees, but nonetheless managed to do a great deal to set up Evans' reputation in a somewhat crowded genre. This player's compositions, particularly his harmonic frameworks, are quite different than better-known players such as John Renbourn or Bert Jansch; he sometimes sounds as if he is playing all of their guitars at once. What he is actually playing is a guitar he built himself, so any and all compliments for this unmistakably cavernous sound should go to Evans himself.

His great instrumental talents -- including techniques involving alternate tunings and percussion-like sound effects -- have continued to be an obsession among guitarists from the new age crowd to free improv noise guitar deviates; this fact tends to overshadow Evans' work as a singer/songwriter. It was in this mode that he first presented himself to the listening public on the 1971 album entitled The Words in Between. It has been correctly pointed out by several critics that those were the days when a songwriter armed with a guitar was expected to really be able to play, not just to be a strum and humbum. It was Evans' picking, not his singing, that attracted fellow guitarist and record label manager Stefan Grossman who, in the late '70s, began documenting a variety of guitarists including Evans on the Kicking Mule label. Most of Evans' best music from the '70s has been reissued.

If you consider yourself an expert on folk but aren't familiar with Dave Evans, it isn't surprising. The acoustic guitarist never became well known, although not because of a lack of talent--Evans' talent is obvious on 1974's Sad Pig Dance, his first session for Kicking Mule. On this unaccompanied solo guitar outing (which was produced by Stefan Grossman), Evans' focus is instrumental folk that incorporates elements of rock and Mississippi Delta blues. The British guitarist plays with a lot of warmth and feeling on such reflective, earthy originals as "Sun and Moon," "Morocco John" and "Raining Cats and Dogs," and he is equally appealing on Bert Jansch's "Veronica" and jazz improviser Jimmy Giuffre's "The Train and the River," which lends itself nicely to a folk setting. Sad Pig Dance was out of print for many years, but in 1999, Fantasy reissued it on CD and added nine bonus tracks from 1976-78--four of them were originally heard on 1976's Take A Bite out of Life. Unfortunately, recording albums wasn't how Evans would end up earning a living; the 1980s and 1990s found him paying the bills by building and repairing instruments in Belgium. But the fact remains: Evans brings a lot of charisma to Sad Pig Dance. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Bob Downes "Electric City" (UK Jazz-Rock 1970)

Once one of England's top avant-garde jazz flautists, Bob Downes (born: Robert George Downes) has maintained a low profile since relocating to Europe in the late-1980s. Although he released a series of impressive albums in the mid-1970s, he has recorded very little since. Able to play more than twenty-five instruments, Downes has focused primarily on flute, piano and percussion. His albums featured a wide -array of supportive players. His first three albums -- Open Music, Electric City and Deep Down Heavy -- featured the accompaniment of rock guitarist, Chris Spedding, while his subsequent efforts -- Diversions in 1973, Episodes At 4 AM in 1974 and Hells Angels in 1975 -- were marked by the synthesizer playing of Laurie Baker. Downes composed several pieces for Ballet Rambert (now: Rambert Dance Company), the oldest dance company in England. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide

Electric City was one of the earliest releases on the Vertigo label (catalogue number 6360 005). Bob Downes was a flautist/sax player, who assembled other players under the name Bob Downes Open Music. The LP features many well-known jazz players of the era: Kenny Wheeler, Ian Carr and the ubiquitous Chris Spedding.

by nidgely:
This was the second album I heard. The first, only it seems available on 12 inch (Deep down Heavy) had a raw live studio quality that is seldom heard on unlive albums. Electric City is a complete yet refreshing contrast. It takes a couple of tracks from the former album and gives them a highly polished, accomplished sound. These musicians were obviously commited to music regardless of commercial success. It never gets boring and is very tight and rocking. Basically Downes' leadership and unique voice makes this album and his band a recipe of British jazz fused with creative expression and fundamental musicianship. I would recommend it if you like jazz, rock or English eccentrics! It rocks.

Personnels:
Bob Downes : vocals / sax / flute
Chris Spedding : guitars
Herbie Flowers : bass
Harry Miller : bass
Alan Rushton : drums
Clem Cattini : drums
Kenny Wheeler : trumpet
Ian Carr : trumpet / flugelhorn
Bud Parks : trumpet / flugelhorn
Harold Beckett : trumpet / flugelhorn

The Watersons

"Frost and Fire" 1965
"A Yorkshire Garland" 1966

The Watersons were one of England's premier singing families. Their early albums played an influential role in the revival of British folk music in the 1960s. British folklorist A.L. Lloyd recalled the group's "hand-crafted harmonies, an immediately recognizable and uniquely distinctive group sound which is uninhibited, spontaneous seeming, and rich in texture," while www.singers.com praised their mastery of "stark melodic scales, stunning polyphonic harmonies, and outstanding song selection." The Watersons represented the combined efforts of sisters Norma (born August 15, 1939) and Elaine "Lal" Waterson (born February 15, 1943), their brother Mike (born January 6, 1941), and their second cousin, John Harrison. Natives of Hull, a large village in East Yorkshire County, the Watersons were orphaned at an early age and raised by their Irish/Gypsy grandmother, who often sang at informal sessions. The group operated a folk club, Folk Union One, in Hull, where they established their early reputation.

Initially known as the Mariners and then the Folksons, the Watersons adapted their family name before recording their debut album, Frost and Fire, which Melody Maker named as "Best Folk Album of 1965." The same year, Derrick Knight filmed the group for a video, Travelling for a Living, produced for the BBC. The original lineup recorded two more albums -- The Watersons and A Yorkshire Garland -- before the departure of Harrison, who moved to London in 1966. The Watersons disbanded two years later, with Norma going on to host a radio show in the West Indies and Lal living with an extended family on a folk commune on the Yorkshire Moors. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide

Buy: Frost and Fire

A Yorkshire Garland:
Ten of the fourteen tracks on this record were re-released in 1994 on the Topic CD Early Days. The Pretty Drummer Boy was re-released in 1999 on Lal & Norma Waterson's CD A True Hearted Girl. Sorry the Day I Was Married and The Yorkshire Tup were re-released in 1999 on the CD Mike Waterson. The remaining track, The Morning Looks Charming, was finally reissued in 2004 on the Watersons' 4CD anthology Mighty River of Song.

The Chieftains

Here is links to "22 albums" of
Irish Celtic folk group, The Chieftains.

Part 1 the 60's
Part 2 the 70's
Part 3 the 80's and 90's

All links from www.avaxhome.ru

"Pidgeon" (US Psych Rock/Folk 1969)

There is very little info available on Pidgeon. The listed personnel includes 3 musicians/vocalists and one poet. All songs were written by Jobriath Salisbury & poet Richard T. Marshall . A blonde lass named Cheri Gage is credited with lead vocals & autoharp. Bill Strong Smith plays drums & percussion. The legendary Jobriath is credited with keyboards, guitar & lead vocals. (This LP is probably the controversial solo artist's recording debut.) The self-titled Pidgeon album has a lot of musical variety including wild Psych guitar & harpsichord on "Milk & Honey" and "Irene". Vocal harmonies abound. Some tracks are more folky/moody /introspective, while others rock. Jobriath's vocals are very distinctive throughout.

jobriath.org:
In mid-1968, Jobriath, now age 22, quit the L.A. cast of HAIR to form the band Pidgeon. With lyricist Richard T. Marshall, he had just composed a batch of songs. Stan Farber, a noted session singer in the area, found them & agreed to produce. He got them signed to Decca and set up the band members (which included singer Cheri Gage and teenage drummer Bill Strong Smith) in a house for six months to rehearse. By December they were in studio, and finished in about a month. The LP was to be titled Pidgeon: First Flight From the Forest, but was retitled by Decca.
Days after finishing the first, the band set to work on a second LP. On January 21, they recorded "Tasting of the Caramel", "Pine Trees," and "Life at the First National." The following April 22, they recorded "Rubber Bricks" and "Prison Walls" These two songs were released on a 45".

Album credits:
Bill Strong Smith - Drums, Percussion, Vocal
Cheri Gage - Autoharp, Lead Vocal
Jobriath Salisbury - Keyboards, Guitar, Lead Vocal
Richard T. Marshall - Poetry
Published by Far-Fitz Music - BMI
Produced by Stan Farber for Farber for Farber-Fitzpatrick Productions
Recorded at American Recording, Studio City, Calif.
Engineers: Bill Cooper, Richard Polodor
All songs by Jobriath Salisbury, Richard T. Marshall
Photography by: Gene Brownell
Group Photography by: John LeProvost and Bill Gordon
Decca Records, A Division of MCA Inc., New York, N.Y., U.S.A.

Tracks:

01. Of The Time When I Was Young 02. Milk And Honey 03. When She Arrives 04. Dark Bird 05. Irene 06. The Wind Blows Cold 07. Penny's Magic Bell

08. The Main Line 09. Springtime Girl 10. The Dancer 11. House On A Hill Among Trees 12. Rubber Bricks (45 Single) 13. Prison Walls (45 Single) 00.

Sample Pics: 1, 2, 3

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Requested...
The Greatest Show On Earth "The Going's Easy"
(UK Prog-Rock 1970)

The Greatest Show On Earth were originally formed in 1968 by guitarist Garth-Roy and his bass-playing brother Norman. The original line-up included organist Mick Deacon, drummer Ron Prudence and three horns players, Dick Hanson, Tex Phillpotts and Ian Aitcheson. The band's first vocalist was black American Ozzie Lane but he returned to his native New Orleans a year later and was replaced by Colin Horton-Jennings, not only a strong gravel-voiced singer but also quite adept on the guitar, bongos and flute. The group's mixture of R&B soul, jazz and prog rock brought them to the attention of EMI's progressive label Harvest Records, who signed the band and issued, in february 1970, the single, "Real Cool World"/"Again And Again" which, though not a hit in the UK, gave the band a medium-sized hit across Europe where they were also an in-demand live attraction. Both tracks featured on their March 1970 debut LP, "Horizons" which was housed in a distinctive sleeve designed by Hipgnosis and coincided with a Radio One session for Mike Harding on which they played three new songs: "Borderline", "Mountain Song" and "Time". A second session for Harding, in November 1970, featured "The Leader" and "Check Me Into Your Life", the latter of which has never officially been released. "Tell The Story"/"The Mountain Song" had failed to chart when released in September 1970, and the same fate awaited the band's second album "The Going's Easy" though one track from the LP, "Magic Woman Touch" was later released by The Hollies.

The lack of chart success contributed to the band splitting in mid-1971. Ron Prudence, Ian Aitcheson and Tex Phillpotts quit music altogether, whilst Horton-Jennings joined Chaser and later turned up in Tagget releasing one self-titled album for EMI in 1974. Dick Hanson turned to session work and recorded with the likes of The Blues Band, Graham Parker, Dave Edmunds, Kirsty McColl and Shakin' Stevens. Mike Deacon joined Vinegar Joe and then became a member of both the Suzi Quatro Band and Darts. Norman Watt-Roy formed Glencoe releasing two albums for Epic, "Glencoe" and "The Spirit Of Glencoe". He then formed Loving Awareness, releasing one self-titled LP in 1976 for More Love Records, before the band eventually evolved into The Blockheads, the backing band for Ian Dury. Today he is a member of the Wilko Johnson Band. Garth Watt-Roy joined Fuzzy Duck before undertaking session work for the likes of East of Eden, Limey and Bonnie Tyler as well as being a member of Marmelade, The Q-Tips and The Barron Knights. ~Prog Archives

To arbor:
Please don't forget to check other great blog sites.
All of your requests are here...

Shirley Collins "Folk Routes, New Routes": grown so ugly 1
Shirley Collins "The Power of the True Love Knot": grown so ugly 2
Donovan "A Gift from a Flower To a Garden": Link
Mr. Fox "Join Us in Our Game": The CGR Site
Lal and Mike Waterson "Bright Phoebus": Fat Pam
Steve Tilston "An Acoustic Confusion": grown so ugly 3

Clive Palmer "Banjoland" 1967
with Wizz Jones & Mike Gibbs

Although he was part of the Incredible String Band when they recorded their debut album in 1966, Clive Palmer left the group after its release, largely vanishing into obscurity. He did keep recording and performing, however, and in late 1967, he recorded this solo album, produced by Peter Eden (who had been involved in Donovan's early management and production). Eden couldn't find a label to release it, and the material didn't come out until it was rescued for this 2005 CD reissue. Though its archaic, acoustic folk was, as Eden states in the liner notes, "wonderfully at odds with what the rest of the world was preoccupied with at the time," it's a surprisingly good listen. While all of the songs were traditional tunes (sometimes from quite ancient sources), it's not at all a stodgy revivalist exercise. It's hard to finger why this projects more charm and liveliness than many a similar folk revival recording, but it certainly does. There's a droll irreverence to Palmer's arrangements, banjo playing, and dry vocals, even though he apparently didn't bother to change the gender for passages that seem intended to have been sung by women. He also invests some songs, such as "Ma-Koush-La," "I Hear You Calling Me," and "Smiling Through," with an inviting bittersweet melancholy. There are virtually no nods to rock or pop in the production, but it's not solely Palmer and his banjo; Wizz Jones adds guitar occasionally, and "Stories of Jesus," far less expectedly, is graced with a string quartet. While this isn't incredibly similar to the Incredible String Band's work, it should appeal to many ISB fans, and isn't really that far removed from the ISB's more traditional folk-based stuff, which was heard more on the sole album they did with Palmer in the lineup than on anything else they recorded. The CD adds four quite tasty bonus tracks, two of them being country-swing-oriented Palmer-Jones duets from a late-'60s BBC radio program, the others recorded by the pair at Jones' house in late 1967. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Personnel include: Clive Palmer (banjo), Wizz Jones (guitar), & Mike Gibbs

Bridget St. John

Jumblequeen (1974)

In 1974, Bridget signed to Chrysalis Records and released her 4th album, Jumblequeen. This was a great folk-rock album, produced by Leo Lyons of the band Ten Years After. The album includes support from excellent musicians including the folk guitarist Stefan Grossman, Chick Churchill (Ten Years After) and Mike Giles (King Crimson). It also features harmony vocals from Beverley Martin.


Interview in 1995:
It seemed like you weren't going anywhere career-wise in the UK when you moved there. Two years between albums...
Definitely. I remember saying to people that I felt creatively as if I was walking down a cul-de-sac. I could go on doing college gigs and it was all lovely, but I didn't feel I was being stretched at all. I need something to stretch me, it’s hard to motivate myself constantly. And New York definitely stretches me. All the time. Plus it was very hard with the Chrysalis thing. It was very clear they didn't care about that album ["Jumblequeen"].

Were you still signed to Chrysalis?
Yeah. What happened was, they didn't pick up the option for another album, but they had my publishing for five years, so that was really frustrating. Everything I wrote would be theirs and they weren't doing anything with it. But when I came to the States, Mark Goodman, who was then running the Chrysalis office, was much more open to letting me go and make demoes.

So that's how you got to record those four tracks that were added to the BGO reissue of "Jumblequeen"?
No, not all of them. "Curious & Wooly" I paid for. That was done at Right Track with Steve Burg who did Steve Forbert's first album. "Easy Come, Easy Go" Chrysalis did pay for.

How quickly did you assimilate yourself into the New York scene?
In terms of playing gigs? My first gig was in June of 1977 so it took me almost a year - 10 months. Having said that, I was in Canada for three and a half months of those. I'd been talking to Island Records, they'd heard "Moody" and really liked it and they were half thinking of doing something with me, but then I left for Canada. When I got back, my first gig was at Kenny's Castaway opening for John Martyn. From there it was relatively easy to get gigs.

Buy

Bob Pegg "Ancient Maps" 1975

Bob studied traditional music at Leeds University, where he also ran the folk club, and in the early seventies founded the cult folk/rock band Mr. Fox. The band made two albums for Transatlantic Records, and soon developed a substantial following in the burgeoning folk/rock scene of the time. With Bob's then wife Carol on fiddle and vocals and the bass/drum partnership that was later to provide the rhythm section for Dick Gaughan's Five Hand Reel, Mr Fox were renowned for their live show, which veered between the unbelievably good and the unbelievably awful!

When Mr. Fox foundered, Bob made two L.P.'s (as they were known then) with Nick Strutt and released his solo album 'Ancient Maps' in 1975. Since then Bob's work has found a broad base in education and the arts. Song cycles were commissioned by the Hebden Bridge and Ilkley Literature Festivals, he published two books on folklore and took part in many schools projects. He was Oral Historian at the Arvon Foundation in Heptonstall in 1976/7 and writer in residence in Cleveland from 1982-4. For the next three years he organised the Legal and General nationwide songsearch competition whilst writing music for T.V. and film, including the score for the Ken Loach feature 'Black Jack'.

01. The One-Eyed Merchant
02. The Map
03. In The Wood
04. The Woman On The Road
05. Darkrider's Song
06. In The Land Of The Snow Queen
07. The River
08. Gipsies Song
09. Love Song
10. The Wild Man Appears
11. The Wild Man Of The Hills (cut after 0:47)
12. The Beacon
13. The Keeper Of The Fire (cut after 0:46)
14. The Waste Land
15. The Golden Valley (cut after 2:24)

Requested...
Lindisfarne "Roll on Ruby" 1973

This was the first album under the 'new' Lindisfarne lineup following the split of the original lineup in 1973. Alan Hull and Ray Jackson were joined by Ken Craddock on guitar, keyboards, and vocals, Charlie Harcourt on guitars, Tommy Duffy on bass and vocals, and Paul Nichols on drums.

Review by Michael Clayton:
There has been a long silence from Lindisfarne. Not an album since Dingly Dell (unless you count the Lindisfarne Live one) and apart from vague reports of faraway gigs, little else. But the silence is soon to be broken. We are at last to hear some positive proof that Lindisfarne did not die when three of their members left more than a year ago.

The proof is an album called Roll On, Ruby. "Unfortunately we had to do it in a rush," ray Jackson says. "We crammed it in-between one lot of gigs and another. We're quite pleased with the final result - the only problem is we know it could have been better. When we went back and listened to the tape again there was a lot we thought could be improved. We did go back and do some again. Country Boy for example. That now sounds completely different from the way it was originally recorded. We'd have liked to re-do some more of the stuff but there just isn't a chance if we're going to get the record out on time."

Although the album may not reach the standards of perfection Jacka would like to have achieved, it should be some indication of what the new band's direction will be. There certainly is an audible difference between Ruby and Dingly Dell.
...Review continues

Requested....
The Asylum Choir "Asylum Choir II" (US Rock 1971)

The Asylum Choir was the late-'60s duo of session keyboard player Leon Russell (b. April 2, 1942) and guitarist Marc Benno (b.July 1, 1947). They made two albums, 1968's Look Inside the Asylum Choir and Asylum Choir II. Though the latter was recorded in April 1969, it was not released until November 1971, due to contractual difficulties. By that time, Russell was an established solo star.
Of all Russell's early work as an artist, this record is perhaps the least essential; in particular, songs like "Tryin' to Stay Live" and "When You Wish Upon a Fag" feel dated. Nevertheless, Asylum Choir II is still a pretty nice record. Especially noteworthy is Russell's own version of "Hello, Little Friend"; Joe Cocker would later record the definitive version of the song. (The 1995 CD reissue features five bonus tracks). ~ Jim Worbois, All Music Guide

01. Sweet Home Chicago 02. Down on the Base 03. Hello Little Friend 04. Salty Candy 05. Tryin' to Stay 'Live 06. ...Intro to Rita... 07. Straight Brother 08. Learn How to Boogie

09. Ballad for a Soldier 10. When You Wish upon a Fag 11. Lady in Waiting 12. Welcome to Hollywood * 13. Death of the Flowers * 14. Icicle Star Tree * 15. Mr. Henri the Clown * 16. Soul Food *

Laura Nyro "Spread Your Wings And Fly" (US SSW 1971)
Live At The Fillmore East-May 30, 1971

While a couple of the medleys of soul covers have shown up as bonus tracks on the expanded edition of Laura Nyro's Gonna Take a Miracle, everything else from this 1971 show was previously unreleased. In fact two of the songs, the lengthy Nyro originals "American Dove" and "Mother Earth" (the latter clocking in at eight minutes), appear here for the first time anywhere. It's just Nyro and her piano on this recording, and while the sleeve note apologizes for the sound quality due to deterioration of the tape, actually it sounds pretty good, though not pristine. There are both positive and negative ways of viewing this archival find. On one hand the set list, oddly, contained none of her best-known songs ("Wedding Bell Blues," "Stoned Soul Picnic," "Sweet Blindness," "Blowin' Away," and "And When I Die" are all missing for starters), which might disappoint some fans. Also, the unplugged reliance on nothing but piano backup makes this less varied and, in some ways, less interesting than the full arrangements she used on her early studio releases. On the other hand the emphasis on lesser-known songs and soul covers -- as well as, for that matter, the use of solo piano arrangements -- means that both the material and the setting provide a glimpse of different sides of the singer/songwriter than are apparent in her more familiar studio albums. Nyro sings in a beautifully high range and her piano accompaniment is sensitive, though whether due to the recording flaws or the way she presented herself in live performance, the words aren't always wholly distinct. It's not on par with her early studio releases, and neither "American Dove" nor "Mother Earth" are great songs; they're okay and certainly in her soulful singer/songwriting vein, but a little meandering. But fans will treasure this as a document of Nyro in a more intimate setting than her early official releases allowed. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

01. American Dove
02. Medley:
02. Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing/(You Make Me Feel Like) A Nat [Gerry Goffin]
03. Spanish Harlem [Jerry Leiber, Phil Spector]
04. I Am the Blues
05. Medley: Walk on By/Dancing in the Street [Burt Bacharach, W.S. Stevenson]
06. Emmie
07. Map to the Treasure
08. Christmas in My Soul
09. Save the Country
10. Medley: Timer/O-O-H Child/Up on the Roof [Laura Nyro, Gerry Goffin]
11. Medley: Lu/Flim Flam Man
12. Mother Earth

The Druids "Pastime with Good Company" 1972

Sleeve notes:
This album of Druid music. represents. every source on which the group calls: popular songs. published material, documentary work. modern writers, favourite singers and many impromptu singarounds and instrumental sessions.
Two songs here are common to most clubs in the country.
MARROWBONES and THE WHITE COCKADE never seem to fade in popularity. This version of Marrowbones comes from the late Harry Cox.
TO DRIVE THE COLD WINTER AWAY originated for us as a song from Chappell's 'Popular Music of the Olden Time' as did THREE MERRY MEN OF KENT. THREE JOLLY SPORTSMEN was traced to the E.F.D.S.S. publication 'Marrowbones' after a brief hearing in a Bromyard pub during the 1970 festival.
Work on a B.B.C. radio documentary programme entitled "The Long March of Everyman" provided words for ALL'S DEAR BUT POOR MEN'S LABOUR and THE DIGGER'S SONG. The latter conveniently matched up with the tune usually associated with "Ye jacobite by name" the former needed a new tune.
CONGLETON BEAR was written by Derbyshire folklorist John Tans to an original idea by Peter Coe. THE PICK AND THE MALTSHOVEL was written by Roger Watson shortly after seeing a Nottinghamshire pub of the same.
THE LEAVES OF LIFE and THE IRISH GIRL arrived via several singers of traditional song altho' the tune to the latter is new. The instrumental tracks come from the most enjoyable part of group life – the instrumental sessions in the pub. All the best tunes seen to come out under the influence of alcohol.
We would like to thank Derek Hale for playing the concertina on 'All's Dear But Poor Men's Labour', Derek Pearce for playing the mandolin on 'The Pick and the Maltshovel', the chorus of singers (including the two who probably only came to read the gas meter) and in particular Ron Curtis, for his great help during the recording sessions and for his seemingly endless cups of tea

KEITH KENDRICK: English Concertina, guitar and vocal.
JOHN ADAMS: Accordion, fiddle, bells, vocal.
JUDI LONGDEN: Drum, guitar, recorder, vocal.
MICK HENNESSY: Bass, vocal.
DAVE BROUGHTON: Fiddle, chorus vocal.

Side One: 1. To Drive Cold Winter Away 1. --Father Kelly's Jig 1. --The Rollicking Irishman 2. Congleton Bear 3. Three Merry Men Of Kent 4. All's Dear But Poor Men's Labour 5. Marquis Of Lorne 5. --Locomotive Hornpipe 6. The Digger's Song 7. The Leaves Of Life (The Seven Virgins)

Side Two: 1. Oddjob's Polka 1. --Sally Gardens 2. Three Jolly Sportsmen 3. The Pick And The Maltshovel 4. The Irish Girl 5. The White Cockade 6. Marrowbones 7. Flowers Of Edinburgh 7. --Come Let Us Dance And Sing 7. --Kate Dalrymple

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Nancy Priddy "You've Come This Way Before"
(US Psych Pop Folk/Rock/Soul 1968)

Nancy Priddy's sole, obscure solo album is the kind of idiosyncratically weird effort that could have only been made in the late '60s, when all sorts of pop and underground influences were combining with a naïveté unreplicated ever since. In some ways it's an off-the-wall singer/songwriter album drawing from both folk-rock and psychedelia. The trippy lyrics are often Through the Looking Glass-like dreamy jottings from a woman who's just gone to the other side of reality, overawed and only slightly intimidated. The sense of a child let loose to romp in the fields is amplified by Priddy's oft-girlish vocals, as heard on cuts like "Ebony Glass," and trendy psychedelic-style echo and high-pitch modulations are added to some of the instruments and vocals on various tracks. Structurally, the songs -- written by Priddy with several collaborators, including John Simon, Manny Albam, and Everett Gordon, all of whom contributed arrangements to the album -- zigzag all over the map, shifting tunes, meters, and moods unpredictably, and sometimes with little rhyme or reason. Yet at the same time, it's sometimes dressed up in unabashedly late-'60s commercial pop/rock and pop-soul production and orchestration, even to the point of employing trumpets that sound fresh off a Dionne Warwick session. It's often as if the creator and her coconspirators couldn't quite decide whether they were aiming for the pop market or the freaks. Sometimes the result's haunting and enticing, yet on the whole it's an uneasy mix that doesn't cohere, the songwriting not being quite up to the apparent far-out ambitions of the project. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Requested...
Narnia "Aslan Is Not A Tame Lion" (UK Prog-Folk 1974)

Narnia were a one-shot female-fronted UK outfit, operating in the lightweight, folky end of the progressive spectrum, with a Christian bent to a few tracks, notably Miracle Of Birth and In The Forest; hardly surprising, given their whole C.S.Lewis thing, I suppose. I don't personally find the music especially enthralling, but if you like the quieter, simpler type of '70s stuff, you may be into it.

Keyboard man Peter Banks (no relation to the ex-Yes/Flash guitarist) plays Mellotron on four tracks, with solid strings throughout their cover of Tom Paxton's You'd Better Believe It and Muddy Ground, with flutes and strings on Agapé and To A Fountain, making this quite a 'Tron album, on the quiet. As I said, don't expect anything wildly exciting, but it's all competent enough, and the Mellotron stuff's worth hearing.

F.J. McMahon "Spirit Of The Golden Juice" (US Folk 1969)

Recently discovered obscurity on the Accent label, otherwise known for a number of great 45s. Late-stage beatnik/coffee house-folk which reminds of Fred Neil; worldweary, introspective sound with an early Viet Vet vibe. He has a good voice somewhat similar to Dr Hooker, and plays nice guitar figures throughout the LP, which has a light folkrock backing. Not bad, though the arrangements would have benefited from some variation. McMahon recorded this coming out of the air force, and "The Golden Juice" refers to a brand of bourbon popular among enlisted men. The album features Accent colleague Jon Uzonyi (Peace Pipe) on bass.

More informations here: Click

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Kazuki Tomokawa

"Shibuya APIA Document" (Live 1993-95)

Tomokawa's seventh release for PSF consists of live performances recorded in 1993-95 at Shibuya Apia. He plays acoustic guitar and sings throughout, with only minor backing on piano or accordion. The power of musical performance demonstrated here is typically staggering; Tomokawa's guitar playing is purely invigorating and intense (as physical as acoustic playing can get), and his voice is a towering outlet; an emotional songform beyond all international limits.

01. Mizuniwa Utsuranai (It doesn't reflect in water)
02. Natsu no Akane (Akane in Summer)
03. Korawa Mina Chio Naguru Tameni Umare (All children were born to hit the blood)
04. Hanabi (Fireworks)
05. Haru (Spring)
06. Cosmos to Oni (Cosmos and Devil)
07. Yume no Wrap Mouittyou (Wrap the Dreams One More Time)
08. Morobito no Mujyou (Cruelty of People)
09. Dorobou-Neko Yoru Hashiru (Sneaky Thief Runs at Night)
10. Chiisana Uta (Tiny Song)
11. Midare Don-Pan Bushi (Don-Pan Song)
12. Sasurai (Wandering)


[Video] Live at Shibuya Apia













1. Circus
2. Ask for Jean-Gene
3. Waltz

This video is uploaded by ark80 (YouTube: ark80).

Joy Of A Toy

Let's welcome Konnrad and his new blog site "Joy Of A Toy".
Progressive, Psychedelic and Folk gems from the late 60's and early 70's...

Another & final post by Tony
"Paul Pena" 1972 (Folk-Soul-R&B)

Tony:
Here's one more fine album, from 1972, and today is the first anniversary of the artist's death. Paul Pena wrote the Steve Miller hit "Jet Airliner", and only his second album is available today (New Train) and he only made 2 albums. This is the first, very rare, it did not sell well. I also included a quicktime movie of him on Conan O'Brien in 2001. I call him folk-soul-r&b.
Paul was also the star of the movie "Genghis Blues".

All Music Guide:
Pena came from a Cape Verdean background and learned the Afro-Portuguese music of those islands, including morna. His musician father also sent him to Spain and Portugal to study flamenco. He began to get interested in blues, though. Through the folk movement in the Sixties, he managed to work his way up and sideways, starting to play with T-bone Walker and John Lee Hooker. He released a solo album on Capitol in 1972 which did fairly well critically if not commercially. He moved to San Francisco and began opening gigs for the Grateful Dead. All the while, Pena was impressing many of the musicians with whom he came in contact. He began work on a second album in 1973, but mismanagement conspired to keep it from ever being released. Through the musicians grapevine, one of the tracks caught the ear of Steve Miller. "Jet Airliner" became a big hit for the Steve Miller Band and its royalties provided a modicum of income for Pena. Although Pena was keeping himself busy, the next time he came to public attention was as a result of his learning Tuvan throat singing. He was listening to shortwave radio and caught a Soviet broadcast of Tuvan music. He did a bit of research to track information down as Tuvan music was highly unknown in the US at that time. When the first recordings of Tuvan throat singing began to be available, he taught himself how to throat sing by listening to recordings. When Kongar-ol Ondar made an appearance in San Francisco, Pena met him and sang for him. Ondar invited him to visit Tuva and participate in a throat singing contest. Pena did and his trip to Tuva is documented in the award-winning film Genghis Blues. Pena won the contest in his category and so impressed the Tuvans that they dubbed him "Earthquake" after his low and resonant kargyraa throat singing style. He has developed a close friendship with Kongar-ol Ondar and has worked with him in developing a hybrid Tuvan blues style. ~ Spidra Webster

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Thanks again, Tony!

Presented by a visitor, Tony.
Tortilla "Little Heroes" (Dutch Folk-Rock 1971)

The group Tortilla from Bergen was founded in 1970 by Emile den Tex (v, g, ex-Panda, later solo and in Electric Tear), Jan-Piet den Tex (v, g, p, ex-Turquoise, in 1971 in the session group Circle, to Electric Tear), Henk Haanraads (g, ex-SQ'66 and Sinckapace Galliard, to Shane), Gerard Groothuys (dr, ex-Zoo and Orange Bicycle, to Parnassus and Electric Tear) and Willem Schoone (b, ex-Rob Hoeke). In 1971, right after the LP's release, Willem left for to Country Fair; he was succeeded by, respectively, Jaap van der Sluis (b, ex-Flat Country, to Electric Tear) and in 1972 - Piet Dekker (b, ex-SQ'66, to Slumberland Band). Also playing along in 1972, the year that Tortilla disbanded, was Thé Lau (g, ex-Turquoise, to Music Garden).

English Lyrics.

Hedgehog Pie "Just Act Normal" (UK Folk-Rock 1978)

Hedgehog Pie were at the fore-front of the electric folk movement, weaving jazz and rock grooves into their arrangements of traditional and self-composed songs and tunes. Their studio albums always topped the Folk Album charts of the day, and they toured with the likes of John Martyn, Richard Thompson and as headliners throughout the 70s.
From their first release in 1974 to their demise was a very short but intensely creative six years.
The first line-up, a full-blooded 6-piece band, features Martin Jenkins (later Whippersnapper, Bert Jansch Band) alongside the core members Mick Doonan, Jed Grimes and Stu and Margi Luckley. The band's embracing of Bulgarian cross-rhythms, jazz grooves and almost metal attack marked them out as unique.

"Just Act Normal" is final work by this outstanding folkrock band, with a more introspective, acoustic based sound, features Jed's electric guitar, Mick's uillean pipes and flutes with the vocal and guitar talents of the mighty Dave Burland. Their knack for blending electric guitar and pipes, and Jed's patent 'pipes guitar' sound, caused Karl Dallas among others to view them as the new direction for amplified folk.

*My friend said "Is this Michael Stipe(R.E.M.)?" when she listend 1st track. Funny episode, but I know how she felt.

This is one of my favorite album.

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Requested...
"Ted Lucas" (US Psych-Folk 1975)

Burnout downer folk from ex-Spikedrivers guy who must have gone through a lot to end up with this world-weary escapist testimony. High points include a very good raga-folk workout recorded live, while "It's So Nice To Be Stoned" manages to be both funny and scary. Should appeal to downer/loner folk fans, although a far cry from the spellbinding 1960s folkrockpsych of the Spikedrivers. Some copies come with a bonus 45. Housed in a beautiful Mouse Studios cover that features the abstract bird logo made famous by AOR band Journey shortly after this LP. Lucas passed away in the 1990s. He also appeared on a local MI sampler of folk artists from around the same time, titled "The Detroit Folk Scene vol 1" (CLS Archive Records).
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One side of this album consists of solo voice-and-guitar loner folk, some of which is very good. The other side is made up of Eastern-themed guitar improvisations which aren't bad, but kind of overstay their welcome. Not really what a Spike-Drivers fan would hope for, but a reasonably interesting album if you don't set your hopes too high. The album cover would soon be stolen and used by Journey. It's pretty weird to think that a stoner folk album would start a major mainstream prog rock trend, but since you can trace Journey back to Frumious Bandersnatch, everything eventually integrates.