J.P.BEAN – Singing From The Floor: A History of British Folk Clubs

SFTFFaber & Faber
ISBN 978-0-571-30545-2

Musical scenes are rich tapestries that many of us have added our own stitches to as well as sitting back to admire the work of all the people involved. As the folk boom of the 1960s is now a distant memory or even something that you missed out on, it’s good news that some writers are keen to get the stories of that scene down in writing before the memories fade away. You may have caught my earlier review of Dave Hadfield’s All The Wrong Notes which captures the folk scene in the North West of England through the eyes and ears of its folk loving author.

Here, J.P. Bean’s inspiration for ‘Singing From The Floor’ takes a less subjective view in its examination of the folk club and its growth through the sixties. Taking its source material from a vast array of interviews carried out by Bean, the book follows a timeline from the mid-1950s through the decades that follow. The interviewees are copious in number and offer a real depth to the writing including folk club organisers and musicians from Martin Carthy to Jon Boden. In doing so, it’s an extremely revealing read even for those who would consider themselves knowledgeable of the folk scene. You can see the progression of the musical flame as it moves from one generation to another. However, its main focus is on the folk club itself and nostalgia for a day that will never quite be the same is always close to the surface. Not that this is any kind of problem. Indeed, any folkie worth his/her salt will find this required reading. Those speculating on gifts, perhaps for Christmas, should look no further.

Steve Henderson

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