Blog
Occasional observations, insights, ramblings and reporting
Banks of Green Willow – Tony Rose. Forgotten favourites #14
Folk song and Tony Rose met and fell for each other at Oxford University in the early 1960s, when he was reading modern languages and taking his turn as President of the Heritage Society, the university folk club. He moved to London to teach, but was offered so many...
Caution to the wind — Paul Metsers: Forgotten Favourites #13
Last Mothering Sunday, on a trip to the magnificent ruins of Fountains Abbey, I was ambushed by an ear-worm that went round and round in my head all day and simply wouldn’t stop: ‘And as I gazed in wonder the towering walls did humble me, and never growing weary...
Reasons briefly set down by th’author to perswade euery one to sing: Bill Caddick – Forgotten Favourites #12
I actually tried to buy Sunny Memories, Caddick’s second album, laboriously sending off a cheque to Folk News. Instead there came a letter: ‘Sorry, none left. I’ve sent you his latest LP and an extra one.’ The extra was Rough Music, his first; the latest was Reasons...
Derek and Dorothy Elliott – Forgotten Favourites #11
I thought they were better known. Derek was a weekly fixture at Barnsley Folk Club in the mid 1970s, instantly recognisable: egg-bald head, flamboyant beard and whiskers. Yet when I was thinking about writing this, looking for background info, there was little trace....
Eagle over blue mountain: Rosie Hardman – Forgotten favourites #10
Drop the stylus in the groove where it belongs, for the first time in years (and years and years), and the songs jump off the vinyl like old friends, instantly welcome and familiar. The lyrics come back effortlessly, and so do great stretches of stage patter. I’m...
Kelly Joe Phelps
Sad to learn that Kelly Joe’s died. More poignant because it was sudden and he was only 62 (same age as me, coincidentally, which makes the cold breeze blow across the back of my neck). He wasn’t a major influence for me, but I saw him play a mesmerising live show at...
Love Loneliness Laundry: Roy Bailey & Leon Rosselson – Forgotten Favourites #9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-piU4TSF3o&list=OLAK5uy_m5GqFYt0-7FPHoYzLSTF6yx1QEnPMvyjo This album lived only in memory until I was lucky enough to reacquire it last year. It’s long been out of print, and has never been released on CD but, fortunately,...
Match fit
It might be urban myth, or it might be a genuine quote from Paderewski the pianist. He claimed, ‘If I miss one day of practice, I notice it. If I miss two days, the critics notice it. If I miss three days, the audience notices it.’ I’m no Paderewski; I’ll never be a...
Swapping songs with Piers Cawley
The very estimable Piers Cawley runs an on-line song swap on Friday evenings. Huge fun, either to watch and listen or as a participant: chat that might amuse, enlighten or just meander, studded with half a dozen songs each. Here are edited highlights of my session...
Tossin’ a Wobbler: Vin Garbutt — Forgotten Favourites #8
The voice is true enough but not a thing of beauty. Harsh, even. The guitar playing is clumsy, staccato, full of snaps and rattles. The whistle playing, on the other hand, is supple and deft. The material’s a rag-bag: the album opens and closes with contemporary...