Tag: The Seekers

The latest in the label’s terrific compilation of 60s folk music, this three CD set follows its predecessors in an archive trawl of 1965 that throws up both familiar and ultra obscure names. It should be pointed out though that the UK and Irish of the title is rather loose referring more to the releases than the nationalities of the artist, The Seekers, who hit big with ‘A World Of Our Own’, were of course from Australia. They’re one of several well-known names who enjoyed success to varying degrees on both the pop and the folk scenes, others here represented with tracks both familiar and less so being Paul Simon (‘Sound Of Silence’), Bert Jansch (the still chilling ‘Needle Of Death’), The Ian Campbell Folk Group (‘Geordie Black’), Davy Graham (‘Maajun (A Taste of Tangier)’), The Dubliners (‘McAlpine’s Fusiliers’), Marianne Faithful (a cover of Donovan’s ‘The Most Of What Is Least’), Peter and Gordon (‘I Told You So’, the B-side of their ‘To Know You Is To Love You’ hit), Donovan (‘Universal Soldier’), Lonnie Donegan (‘Farewell’), Nico (the Gordon Lightwood-penned ‘I’m Not Sayin’’), Vashti Bunyan (‘I Want To Be Alone’), Julie Felix (‘Someday Soon’), Martin Carthy (‘Scarborough Fair’), Mick Softley (‘I’m So Confused) and the inevitable ‘Blues Run The Game’ from Jackson C. Frank.

However, it’s those lost to the mist of time and artists you’d not expect to find in a folk collection that are the real delights. Disc One, for example, features the instrumental ‘Colour Him Folky’ from Bert Weedon, perhaps best known for his Play In A Day instruction books. Hidden treasures elsewhere on the disc, which opens with Shirley Collins & Davy Graham’s’ reading of ‘Reynardine’, include the traditional ‘The Wife Of Usher’s Well’ given an Appalachian banjo reading by vising American Hedy West from her 1965 UK folk revival sessions captured, an unaccompanied ‘Hard Times’ from Harry Boardman from a Topic compilation that also included Maureen Craik (her a capella debut and seemingly only recording ‘Bonny At Morn’) and The Watersons, both also featured here. Chad & Jeremy had a brief flirtation with popularity, represented here by the traditional ‘Donna’ Donna’, as did The Wedgwoods, a UK close harmony attempt at The Seekers, whose ‘Peace’ is a sweetly bland protest song. Not all quite hit the mark (‘Long Black Veil’ by The Mark Harrison Trio, David H. Lee’s Irish pub country ‘The Road That Carries Me Home’, Dave Helling’s anodyne ‘It Ain’t Me Babe’), but you really should at least get acquainted with ‘Ballad Of A Teenage Queen’ one of only two releases by Hamilton Folk 4 and, though the sound quality’s not great, Irish folk icon Dominic Behan’s tale of legendary greyhound ‘Master McGrath’.

Moving to Disc Two, there’s an unexpected inclusion from Unit Four Plus Two, best known for their pop hit ‘Concrete & Clay’, with ‘Wild Is The Wind’ representing their less successful foray into folk, while a real obscurity, the bluesy jug band shuffle ‘Wild About My Loving’ by The Levee Breakers (from their only single) features vocals from Beverly Martyn. Enjoying 80s success with ‘The Oldest Swinger In Town’ a much younger Fred Wedlock can be found here in more traditional sounding form with ‘Franklin’, while (poor echoey sound notwithstanding) ears should also be directed to ‘The Leaves That Are Green’, a single by Dorris Henderson and musical partner John Renbourn, a pre Mr Fox Bob and Carole Pegg with ‘Ballad Of The Five Continents’ from Transatlantic sampler ‘Second Wave’, that self-same album also featuring the debut of Birmingham’s Harvey Andrews with the otherwise impossible to find ‘Harvest Of Hate’.

Several tracks are the only recordings the artists ever made before vanishing into obscurity, among them ‘Pretty Polly’ by Dave Sless from the same sampler and Anne Mavius’s version of the evergreen ‘She Moves Through The Fair’ originally released on the Saydisc album ‘Bristol Folks’. Anther for trivia fans is Barbara Ann’s piano-led blues take of ‘Black Is The Colour Of My True Love’s Hair’, she becoming the mother of Dire Straits’ keyboardist Guy Fletcher.

Finally, Disc Three offers more familiar names with The Watersons (‘Hal-an-Tow’), ‘Room Enough For You And Me’ by The Overlanders who would prove one-hit wonders with their cover of ‘Michelle’, Dana Gillespie with piano blues ‘You’re A Heartbreak Man’, Birmingham’s The Settlers with the anti-war ‘Woman Called Freedom’ (they’d hit big in 1971 with ‘Lightning Tree’), and, something of a surprise, Justin Hayward who, as the scuffling ‘London Is Behind Me’ was an aspirant folk pop singer before The Moody Blues came along.

On the obscurantists side, well worth unearthing are American folk duo Sandy & Jeanie (‘Honey Babe Blues’), ‘Baron James McPhait’, the final release by Scottish folk singer Josh MacRae, the much recorded ‘The Gallows Pole’ by Steve Benbow who would become a pivotal figure in promoting the emerging Martin Carthy, Ramblers Two (‘Mountains And The Sea’) an Irish duo featuring Johnny McEvoy who would go on to become a massive Irish country star, and, if only for their name, jug band outfit Vernon Haddock’s Jubilee Lovelies (‘Stealin’’). Arguably though worth the price of the collection alone, is the final track, saucy TV comic Benny Hill’s spot-on Dylan parody ‘What A World’. Roll on 1966.

Mike Davies

Label website: www.cherryred.co.uk

The Seekers – ‘A World Of Our Own’: