the trouble with Howards argument is that allows any modern song to be called a folk song providing its been processed,so little white bull,return to sender,we are all going on a summer holiday,catch a faling star,and other products of tin pan alley can be called folk.
that is bullshit,when I talk about style it is not just style of performance,it is style and content of lyrics,and style of melody.
So while folk process may play apart,ther are other ingredients that make it a FOLK SONG,and it is possible for a song to sound like a folk song despite its not being processed [ eg Recruited Collier]
Howard , do you consider Recruited Collier a folk song?
I do.
I do not accept TIN PAN ALLEY CRAP,even if it hasbeen folk processed.