Information about UK folk singer Chris Foster

Subject: Chris Foster Update
From:
Date: 09 Aug 97 - 04:13 AM

This is for all you kind souls who e-mailed me about Chris Foster. For those of you who don't know who he is, he was a folk singer who had two stellar LP's in the 1970's.

I learned that he has a new tape out, called "The Sting In The Tail." I wrote to order it and was surprised to get an e-mail from Chris himself. He told me:

1. His old stuff is deleted by Topic and he doesn't own the masters; 2. He doesn't know if he'd want to re-release them anyway even if he had a say; 3. He is working on a new Cd which includes some of the old traditional stuff off his old LP's.

Let me say that except for giving me pleasure for the past 20 years I have no connection with Chris Foster. I would not post the following, except for the fact that checking the folk newsgroups and from getting e-mail it is apparent he still has a lot of fans who don't know he still performs and has stuff out. So if you want to find out about his latest tape or just write to him to say hello snail:

Green Man Productions 11 Osborne Street BURTON-ON-TRENT, U.K. DE15 OJL Attention: Chris Foster

Thanks to all of you who e-mailed me about Chris Foster when I did the posting about "Coast of Peru." I didn't realize so many of us knew about him. Maybe he can make a comeback?

Subject: Chris Foster
From: Dr John
Date: 27 Jul 98 - 05:47 PM

Someone said to me if you like Nic Jones and Martin Carthy you'll like Chris Foster. Any information welcome please and what has he recorded: there's nothing current in the lists. Probably on "Trailer", mmm!

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: Susan of DT
Date: 27 Jul 98 - 07:40 PM

I agree with the if you like...
I have a record of his called All Things in Common on Topic. It has on it:
Black Fox
Low Down in the Broom
Grey Cock
Pigeon on the Gate
Unicorns
King John & Abbot of Canterbury
Working Chap
When Thei Old Hat Was New
World Turned Upside Down (Diggers)

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From:
Date: 29 Jul 98 - 07:55 PM

He has two LP's, both deleted. All Things In Common, which Susan mentions above, I have on tape. Layers I have on LP and not with me as I type this. Unlike All Things In Common, all songs on Layers are tradtional. If memory serves me right:

Banks of Newfoundland
The Flower of Serving Men
The Golden Glove
Lady Maisry
The Ranter
The Coast of Peru
Jack The Sailor

And at least one other song about a man poisoning his lover, the title of which escapes me.

Both are deleted and you'll have to search the used vinyl bins. One of the folk vinyl people who advertise in rec.music.folk had a copy of Layers but that was some time ago. I've been after All Things In Common on vinyl for some time.

He has a tape out, which when I bought it last year was 15 pounds for two shipped to Canada. The tape is called Sting In The Tale, and doesn't include the song of that name, and includes:

The Coast of Peru
Herring's Head
The Black Fox
The Fowler
Unicorns
The Grey Cock
The Neighbour's Cat
Flying High, Flying Free
Rufford Park Poachers
The Derby Ram
The False Knight (This isn't the usual False Knight On The Road, but another song about a lady outwitting a false knight by chucking him in the sea, and a cat and a parrot figure too.)
Wo Sind Die Elephanten?

It can be ordered from him at 11 Osborne Street, Burton Upon Trent, UK 0283 61473. (The songs on the tape that were on his earlier album were re-recorded)

I wrote to him by e-mail once, and he advised me that he was going to put out a new CD, but I don't know what became of that. It is possible that some of his songs are on the new series of CD's that Topic is releasing.

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From:
Date: 29 Jul 98 - 07:59 PM

Oops, that postal code is DE15 0JL. I assume the other must be his telephone number.

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From:
Date: 30 Jul 98 - 09:23 PM

BTW, who is the lady who sings on some of the songs on All Things In Common? I only have a tape and have been wondering.

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: rich-joy
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 05:37 AM

OK, so it's over 10 years ago .... but I think Graham & Eileen Pratt (Regal Slip) accompanied the very excellent and much underated Chris Foster on the All Things in Common L.P.

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: Folkiedave
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 06:04 AM

I can do no more than recommend "jewels" 2004 Tradition Bearers Label.

Presumably available from "Living Tradition".

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: red max
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 06:09 AM

Both the Topic albums were released on CD in Japan. Last time I saw Chris Foster he was selling them.

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 06:18 AM

After Jewels,, he released Outsiders[/i] last year.
Chris Foster has a UK tour in April.
MySpace

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 06:20 AM

Buggered html . . .

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: Vic Smith
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 01:30 PM

Diane said
Chris Foster has a UK tour in April.

And this includes a performance at the Royal Oak in Lewes on Thursday 23rd April.
For more details have a look at


http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tinvic/index.htm

or

http://www.myspace.com/royaloakfolklewes

or email

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: Bernard
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 02:07 PM

Well worth seeing... we once had Chris at an Open Door (Oldham, UK) Extravaganza - he blew us all away!

No airs and graces, just sheer brilliance.

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 02:40 PM

Chris hasn't yet posted the April dates but people might like to know what's arranged so far:

Sun 19 Loughborough
Mon 20 Birmingham Conservatoire or Devizes
Tues 21 Ringwood, Hants
Wed 22 Nottingham
Thur 23 Lewes
Fri 24 Court Sessions
Sat 25 Free
Sun 26 Walthamstow
Mon 27 Conservatoire or Devizes

See
MySpace for updates.

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: Reinhard
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 03:00 PM

You can find the order numbers of the Topic LP's Japan re-releases on my Chris Foster web page.

I can't say much about his newer CDs Traces and Outsiders yet. By chance I ordered them form the Living Tradition last weekend and hope to get them soon.

By the way, I stumbled on Chris Foster when I saw that he had "The Working Chap" on "All Things in Common", which I assumed to be a cover version of Mike Waterson's song. I was proved to be mistaken but found another fine singer.

Reinhard

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: Vic Smith
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 09:15 AM

I wrote an article on Chris Foster for The Living Tradition magazine some years ago and I have just been surprised to find that it is on the internet on their website at http://www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/inart637.htm along with, what was then, a complete discography.

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: Colin Randall
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 10:13 AM

Vic's piece is also there, in full I think, at the official Chris Foster site.

Much more recently, though also much more briefly, I wrote this review of Outsiders


http://www.salutlive.com/2008/10/chris-foster-ou.html

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: RTim
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 03:13 PM

Chris is a fine singer and I wish he toured in the USA.
I have known for some time that he recorded
The Flower of Serving Men - that is the Albert Doe version
NOT the version sung by Martin Carthy.

I too have recorded the Doe version - and was surprised to see
that Chris's recording is completed in LESS than 4 minutes!

I have not heard it - BUT: how can it be recorded in such
a relatively short time - mine took 5.26 minutes
and it was unaccompanied?

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: skarpi
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 05:55 PM

Hallo all , I have to ask Chris about this :>)
he is after all my guitar teacher ,

I collect his cd´s

All the best Skarpi

Subject: RE: Chris Foster
From: GUEST,Chris Foster - yes that's the Chris Foster!!
Date: 29 Jan 09 - 11:09 AM

I don't often look at Mudcat because I'm too busy with other stuff but this thread was brought to my attention by my guitar student Skarpi and I thought it worthwhile to fill in one or 2 bits of info for anyone who might be interested.

First, re the CD versions of my 2 Topic albums 'Layers' and 'All Things in Common'; a Japanese label called VIVID bought a licence from Topic to press 1,000 CD copies of each album. They were part of a series called The English folk paper sleeve collection. I can't remember exactly when but it was around 2002. I bought some copies, which were duly sent over and which have long since been sold. When I tried to order more copies, neither I nor Tony Engle at Topic could get any response from Vivid, leading me to conclude that they had ceased trading (maybe dragged down by foolhardy projects such as releasing CD's of long forgotten British vinyl folk albums). It remains a frustration that there may be boxes of CDs lying around in a Japanese warehouse that I could make good use of.

Just for the record (no pun intended) the female voice on 'All things…' is Eileen Pratt.

Second, Re 'Flower of Servingmen' my version is derived from the version collected by George Gardiner from Albert Doe of Bartley, Hampshire in1908, which appeared in the little song book The Constant Lovers compiled by Frank Purslow and published by the English Folk Dance and Song Society back in the 1970's. I always try to find and create new versions of the major ballads that I sing from original sources. In this case I was attracted by the rhythmic possibilities as well as the text, which I did not edit or shorten, the version simply gets on and tells the story in 12 verses and that's that.

Finally, re touring in the USA, under present immigration regulations it's not easy and some planned USA gigs in 2005 never happened because of them. But I have actually been in the States 3 times in the past 4 years albeit mostly teaching at the excellent Common Ground on the Hill in Westminster, Maryland. But I also did a handful of gigs in S. California and a house concert for the Folk Music Society of Greater Washington. I'd love to do more work in the USA, all it needs is for someone to take on the unenviable task of trying to set up a viable tour schedule.