The Folk Music Thread

[Limehouse]

Ok - so here it is, as promised. A thread for the discussion and sharing of our favourite folk music.

My musical tastes are very wide, but I have always loved folk music. As a small child, I loved the music of Peter, Paul and Mary, Tim Hardin and Joan Baez and as a teenager and young adult I explored the genre further and of course, discovered Woody Guthrie and then realised I'd been singing his songs for years!

I have to admit that my folk taste are mostly 'mainstream' but I am always keen to discover new sounds and artists.

For the very first post of the thread, I am posting a song by one of my favourite female singers and songwriters - Janis Ian. It is mainstream, it's not quite pure folk, but it is a beautiful song that has been covered by other singers, including Joan Baez.

I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to this thread becoming a firm favourite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22KVpt6IuAs

[Limehouse]

Another of my favourite singers is Neil Young. Again, not strictly and completely folk, but a superb performer.

This song is a folk song, and one that inspired him greatly early in his career. I remember singing this as a teenager when we would just jam together at parties or church get-togethers. I taught myself to play the harmonica but coould never decide whether to play along or sing. It was a hard choice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfZes9fFmXc

[Limehouse]

Now, a real British folk singer and, again, a wonderful songwriter. MacColl's third wife, Peggy Seeger, is the half-sister of Pete Seeger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HusJQlsn_2M

[lynn cates]

British folk music

Hello Julie. For genuine folk music, perhaps you have seen this?

http://www.contemplator.com/folk.html

Cheers.
LC

[Cogidubnus]

For genuine English folk music you could do worse than consider a family that has preserved and passed down folksong (particularly Sussex folksong) for at least 7 generations...I refer to the Copper family of Rottingdean...an example below:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eOc2...feature=relmfu

For full details of the family:-

http://www.thecopperfamily.com/

Not being funny, this style of music may seem definitely alien to left-pond ears...It does grow on you though! (the non-Eastend side of my family all seem to be Sussex yeoman and we wunt be druv!)

All the best

Dave

[Hatchett]

Let's have something from one of the remaining living American Folk Legends,
Doc Watson.

A great singer, and a fabulous muscian.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5c1k949Zn4&feature=related

[Archaic]

'Hard Times Come Again No More'

One of the most poignant folk songs I've ever heard is 'Hard Times Come Again No More' by the great American songwriter Stephen Foster.

Written in 1854, 'Hard Times' was one of the most popular songs of the American Civil War (1861-1865). Soldiers on both sides sang it around their lonesome campfires, and the families they left behind sang it while anxiously waiting for word from their loved ones on the battlefield.

Hard Times Come Again No More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Ti..._Again_No_More

There have been many wonderful versions of this song over the last 158 years, but this version by the amazing Mavis Staples is the most moving rendition I know.

Mavis Staples, 'Hard Times Come Again No More': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZsO3...eature=related

Best regards,
Archaic

[Limehouse]

Thank you all so much for your comments and links. Some wonderful songs there which i will listen to again later today.

Here in the Uk, we haven't had much sunshine so far this spring or summer. However, the papers and Tv tell us better weather is just round the corner so here is a song to help it along.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9KvspjpKN8

[Rubyretro]

Another of my favourite singers is Neil Young. Again, not strictly and completely folk, but a superb performer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfZes9fFmXc

This song made me bright eyed with nostalgia.

In the late '70s I was living in Brighton with a great boke who was a guitarist (amongst other things). His top favourites were Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen -I didn't like either of them. I did sometimes 'accompany' him for the fun though (I enjoy singing).

I never did get to like Springsteen, but I got really into Neil Young via Kurt Cobain...and I discovered that I knew all the words to loads of his songs, that had just stayed with me.

I have always regretted that I could never tell the (by then) 'ex' that I suddenly was a great Neil Young fan.

My ex often used to go down to Churchill Square, to busk in what was an open square at the time (now a horrible Mall). Looking back, the musical level was excellent, and the acts used to queue for the pitch on a Saturday :

There was 'Boogie Jim' ( or 'Blues Jim'), a true eccentric loner in his fifties, missing his front teeth, who made me discover Leadbelly...Jim played with a real broken bottle neck, and banged the guitar alot to keep the rhythm...he did just the best version of 'Ol' Riley'.

I once sang 'St James Infirmery Blues' with him -I'm quite proud of it, in memory.

There was also Luke Cresswell and his gift for percussion (he has since made it into an international successful career with 'stomp').

Maybe Dave remembers some of this ?

(Great thread, Limehouse !)

[Scott Nelson]

What? Still no mention of Nick Drake???

[Rubyretro]

I loved Kirsty McColl, Limehouse -she was the daughter of Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger.

(a quick blast of Fairy Tale Of New York anyone ? RIP Kirsty
http://youtu.be/NrAwK9juhhY )

[Rubyretro]

[QUOTE]

For genuine English folk music you could do worse than consider a family that has preserved and passed down folksong (particularly Sussex folksong) for at least 7 generations...I refer to the Copper family of Rottingdean...an example below:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eOc2...feature=relmfu

OOOOOOOOOOh, Dave -did you ever see them ?

(I just sang along to Claudy Banks ! -I usually sing the Shirley Collins version to the taps in my shower).

I never did get up to Rottingdean. I used to go to the Springfield Arms, next to Preston Park station for my Folk nights.

I had a bit of green eyed envy watching your video...I have never dreamed of being born a millionaire's daughter, but I sure would have liked to have been born into the Copper family -or the Carthy/Watersons for that matter...

[Rubyretro]

This is a bit commercial -but I learn't to sing folk by singing along with Maddy
(I saw Steeleye Span live a few times).

Singing about May 1st brings to mind another love of mine -Morris Men
(I was probably the only female Punk Rocker that seriously tried to join the Morris Men. Quite rightly they turned me down -you can't have girls in the Morris Men, it's a heresy !).

http://youtu.be/aDaVedHnu6w (Every morning as true is the clock somebody hears the postman's knock..)

[Robert]

There's nowt so queer as folk music.

[Rubyretro]

Here's a few blasts from one of my favourite cds of all time -'Gallery of rogues'.
It's a collection of sea shanties, and was produced by Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski following their research for 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. It's got far more balls than your average versions of folk songs.

First off Baby Gramps ...does it come any better than this ?

http://youtu.be/11-psw-CjV8

Sting - "G'down You Blood Red Roses". I'm not a Sting fan at all...but this is the best version that I know of this song Sting is from Newcastle, so the accent is not fake. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_S5KjFuxhA

Nick Cave ' Fire Down Below' -this one should take the 'wet' out of folk music for good ! http://youtu.be/3lABZR3sAbo

Elisa Carthy 'Rollin' Sea' -another of my shower blasts...(I met her dad once !
-he's singing the chorus, I hear). http://www.chartsinfrance.net/Eliza/...3NtGyNoI4.html