Frankie did a whole album entitled TAM LIN where, as well as singing the ballad, she (with Brian Pearson and Jon Gillaspie) wrote songs and music around the ballad and the stories of the characters within -a 1984 LP on Plant Life label, featuring Frankie Armstrong, Brian Pearson, Jon Gillaspie, Blowzabella :

// tam lin / fanfare : tam lin / the four seasons / danse du printemps / lady margaret / andante from the "vilnius suite" / christmas lady / menschenverachter - tango / song of the second serving maid / the ride / in the garden / owl / the queen of air and darkness / holding song / parting / earth, air, fire and water //



Her 1972 Topic LP "Lovely on the Water" tracks are :
// tarry trousers / the green valley / low down in the broom / the cruel mother / the crafty maid's policy / the maid on the shore / the frog and the mouse / lovely on the water / the brown girl / the young girl cut down in her prime / the unquiet grave / the saucy sailor / the two sisters //


Her Bay records LP (c.1970) " ... Out of Love, Hope and Suffering" tracks are :
// william taylor / the female transport / too much of a good thing / prince heathen / the bedmaking / anti-carol / lord bateman / nine times a night / doors to my mind / bridget and the pill / the cuckoo / i'm gonna be an engineer //


Her Sierra Briar LP (c.1980) " and the Music Played So Grand" tracks are :
// the outlandish knight / boys will be boys / the factory girl / winnie and sam / the moving on song / the devil and the farmer's wife / the banks of green willow / nothing to say / a woman's work / the doffing mistress / the bosses darling / the female drummer //

I can furnish more if anyone wants!

Frankie's repertoire has equally, traditional songs and contemporary social comment (and many of which are regarded as "definitive versions"). She also did a CD of Bertold Brecht songs with the late Dave van Ronk. I think there is even a jazz-influenced? one with Ken Hyder?, but I've never been able to source this recording (I think I have most of her others!)

She has had a huge recorded output over her considerable number of years "in the business" (since about age 15) - has many, many tracks on compilation records (The Critics Group esp) - all this and travelling the world regularly, giving workshops and concerts.
So HOW can it be that so many people have not heard of her - or are barely aware of her - and of her importance to The Folk Revival?????

There is no justice in this world!!!


Cheers! R-J