I got an email yesterday from someone trying to contact Manchester folksinger Stan Table to get permission to use recordings of Stan's performances. If you know how to contact Stan, please contact me by personal message - or by email at joe@mudcat.org.
Here's the email:I am trying to trace a folk singer from the past. In the1960's, the social club of the firm I worked for in London used to hold occasional evenings of traditional music of various kinds. One of our regulars was a lad from Manchester called Stan Table. He seemed to be of no fixed address and we used to send a message to Manchester via jungle telegraph in the hope that it would find him. If we were lucky, he would hitch down beforehand, sleep on someone's floor , then turn up for the event. He sang a mixture of traditional songs together with some of his own. He played a battered old guitar in a percussive style, sometimes hitting it with his fingers to add to the effect. (I'm sure there is a technical term for this) I have some live recordings of him from that time. They were on reel-to-reel but I have transferred them to CD and they have come out rather well despite their age. It was a long time ago but I was wondering if any of your older members might remember him. If so, is he still around and is he still performing?
If it's any help, I can give these further details. My workplace was BISRA, a now defunct organisation, in Battersea Park Road. As a member of our social club committee, I helped to organise occasional "folk evenings". Our definition was fairly broad and performers included anyone who recommended, willing and cheap or free. Two names who are still going were Dave Kelly (bottlleneck blues) and Mike Absolom (bawdy ballads). We got Stan through a friend of a friend of a friend.. . We called him Black Stan. This in no way referred to his ethnicity but to the fact that his hands looked like he had been working under a car all day and had not managed to remove all traces of grease. I hasten to add that, apart from that, he seemed pretty hygenic.I don't know whether he brought that name with him from Manchester or it was just our warped humour. I have tape recordings of 3 events, in 1968 (poor mono), 1969 and 1970 (both quite good stereo). All of these have been transferred to CDs. Stan is on the last two. Thanks again All the best Dave
|