nah the smothers bros glory days were late 60's early 70's. they came over did Parkinson. they even tried one series on the bbc, but it was too bland for England. Tom Smothers did some acting. but they were a stateside thing. the sort of act that had its genesis in nightclubs in the days when Josh White played alongside Lenny Bruce.

they were pretty good musically as i remember - sharp. and like i say - they featured folk artists on their show and folksongs in their act. they introduced people to folk music - someone has to -otherwise it never gets away from behind the haystack.

but the thing is Jim. i look at it as an artist, and i understand the source of Ewan's angst -perhaps better than you do. everyone says he worked he worked like a demon on that ship of fools project - and so many other things.
of course it would have pissed him off seeing Donovan and Dylan and all the rest of that circus pissing away creative opportunities, publishing deals - god knows what. he'd been promoting and writing folk music before most of them were born. Ewan on the Parkinson Show, interviewed by Playboy, Esquire....it would have made his work so much easier. he must have been incandescent. its the lot of all artists!

being nasty about other very talented performers won't make people like MacColl any more. i admire your loyalty. i don't like the nastiness that comes with it - i don't believe Ewan would want it. he was more of a positive person than a negative one.