When I was in high school in the late 60's I was frequently invited to parties but told to leave my records at home. I was one of a select few in central New York who appreciated the Corries and The Clancy's.

They were certainly the intoduction I had to not just Scots and Irish folk music but a broader range of music in general. I already liked and enjoyed the Kingston Trio and The Chad Mitchell Trio. Because of the second folk revival they were what was available to 90% of the US at the time. Bluegrass was a regional style as was "Southern Mountain Folk". Because of Top Forty radio we were a nation of people geared to vocal music and not to instrumentals. "Telstar" and "More" being about the only instrumentals I recall as being popular and played on the radio. I was probably 22 before I knew a Reel was a dance as well as fishing impliment.

The Clancy's were the first Irish band I heard followed almost immediately by The Corries. Because of these bands I developed a taste for more "authentic" folk music. (I dare anyone to define authentic.) And not just more folk from the British Isles. I ate up folk music from every English speaking nation.

And if The Clancy's rewrote a few songs to make them relevent I don't mind. Scots dialect is fine if its meaning is understandble so if The Corries Englished up a few tunes thats fine too. Their job was to communicate in an understandable manner.

The Clancy's and The Corries need no defense at all. They were too influential in their time to be dismissed. Their music may be, if this is possible with trad music, dated now. But watch any of their videos if you want to learn what stage craft is. Knowing how to perform is half the battle.

Ask just about any performing folk act who is working today. You can't follow the trail of influence too far back before The Clancys and The Corries begin to show up.

Don