Musical Traditions Records - CD sets

Subject: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 03:49 PM

Take a look at the home page for Musical Traditions Records, a UK organisation that has been putting out some wonderful recordings. It looks like a number of the CD booklets are available online, complete with background notes and lyrics. I bought the Far in the Mountains sets from Dick Greenhaus at Camsco, and I've been enjoying them.
Anybody know more about Musical Traditions and their work? Even if you don't buy their recordings, it's worth reading their CD booklets online.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: greg stephens
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 04:14 PM

Run by the great Rod Stradling, melodeon player and authority on things folky. Seriously interesting information to be had in the CD booklets and online magazine.

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 04:29 PM

And there is an associated club at the King & Queen, Foley Street in London's West End which showcases traditional artists on a monthly basis.

There is an ongoing Musical Traditions project to reissue the long-deleted and lamented 70s vinyl of the band Oak together with some live material on CD later this year.

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: greg stephens
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 04:43 PM

One of the great treats of running a record company is you get to decide what records to re-issue. Now.let's see, who was the melodeon player in Oak?

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: GUEST,Ralphie at work
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 04:43 PM

Joe`....
Absolutely agree, and if you're in the mood why not check out John Howsons company "Veteran Records"....A massive archive of all things ancient....!!

But MT is a great start.

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 04:52 PM

As a matter of fact, my info came from a certain person at Topic who also just happened to be in Oak. So it's anybody's guess how they sorted out just who would do the reissue. Let's just be thankful it's being done.

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 08:06 AM

Good to see this thread. Musical Traditions and Veteran are rare gems. I can't recommend them too highly. Anyone professing an interest in traditional music and song should be aware of these two labels, labours of love as they are. Check 'em out, and give them your custom. Burl

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: Dita
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 08:35 AM

Also worth a look on the MT pages is the attempt at a complete Topic records catalogue.

There are still a few blanks that Rod is trying to fill in and you know how Mudcaters love a challenge.

Cheers, john

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 12:39 PM

And the entire MT catalog (as well as Veterans, Topic, Wild Goose, Sleepytown, Fellside, Fledg'ling and Springthyme) is available at CAMSCO. Some fine stuff!

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 01:20 PM

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: GUEST,Peter From Essex
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 01:27 PM

oops! try again

Countess Richard wrote:

And there is an associated club at the King & Queen, Foley Street in London's West End which showcases traditional artists on a monthly basis.


Just to go into pedant mode, Musical Traditions Folk Club is not associated with Rod Stradling or his business. The name was borrowed from the magazine in the period between the paper publication ceasing and the relaunch as an ezine. That doesn't stop it being a bloody good club of course.

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 01:39 PM

Sorry, my mistake. You will understand why I made the not quite accurate connection though. Please, Rod Stradling, don't take offence - I love Musical Traditions of both varieties.

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 10:18 AM

Hi-
Musical Traditions CDs (there are about 20 of them now, both singles and 2-CD sets) are the work of Rod Stradling. Mr Stradling is both knowledgeable and dedicated, which is an endearing combination--he produces recordings that are "conceived with the intention of bringing music which might never achieve commercial publication to the small audience which values it." IMO, he is succeeding magnificantly.

With the exception of a 2-CD set of Kevin and Ellen Mitchell (2 fine professional singers), MT has concentrated on what is variously known as "roots" or "field" recordings, almost entirely from the UK. THese are mostly single-performer CDs, though "Up in the North, Down in the South" and Just Another Saturday Night" are pub recordings f several singers.

There's a complete listing at the Musical TRaditions website; there's also one CD which is a sampler of MT's catalog. Particularly notable (again my opinion) are the Two 2-CD sets of "Far in the Mountains", a record of Mike Yate's retracing the footsteps of Cecil Sharp some 75 years after. They're brilliant reminders that this nmusic--American mountain music--is alive and well (or at least was in 1979-1982.)

FRankly, I'm a fervent MT enthuiast. THe recordings are top-quality, the artists are well worth listening to and the accompanying notes and booklets are superb.As I said before, CAMSCO is proud to help make these available in the US.

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: andymac
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 11:58 AM

For anyone with a love of traditional music, of any form, bearing in mind the many threads on this subject here, Have a look at the following website:
www.folktrax.org which I only discovered today in spite of having a few of their recordings already. Needless to say the bank balance will be taking pounding yet again...

Andy

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 07:02 PM

Folktrax has some very good music. Their CDs, though, are taken directly from older tapes without remastering, so the sound quality tends to be subpar. Packaging is virtually non-existant--the CDs have no real label, and they come in the kind of envelope that once housed 5-1/4 inch floppy disks. Notes are meager to none.

Nevertheless, Folktrax--Peter Kennedy's label--is a source for much music that's otherwise unavailable. CAMSCO Music, of course, carries the entire catalog. (Folktrax doesn't accept credit cards, so CAMSCO is apt to be the only realistic source for many.

CAMSCO Music
800/548-FOLK (3655)

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: John Routledge
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 07:08 PM

Joe - The Musical Traditions Site is superb with some quality recordings.

I have been intending to buy some such recordings for over a year and am now taking the plunge!!

Will let you know what the recordings are like.

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 07:54 PM

Meticulously researched and very good value, with a lot of effort put into optimising the sound quality (bear in mind that these are not studio recordings, but are made, as often as not, from tapes recorded under less than ideal -in technical terms- circumstances, and not necessarily with very sophisticated equipment).

The only possible problem is that they are CDRs, and may (though nobody really knows for sure as yet) not last as long as conventionally-mastered CDs. That apart, they are a marvellous resource if (as I do) you like the real thing. These are not polished commercial performers, but real, ordinary people like us, singing songs from their own, living, local and family traditions. That's not to say that they don't put the material over just as effectively as a professional might, though. There are some extremely compelling performances, not least from the East Anglian contingent. Be sure, also, to listen to Daisy Chapman of Aberdeenshire.

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 12:57 AM

Concerning durability of CDRs, I believe that MT CDRs (certainly those available from CAMSCO) carry a lifetime warranty; if a CDR goes bad, it will be replaced.

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: MartinRyan
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 06:28 AM

I'm another great fan of the MT site - surprised we haven't drawn attention to it before.

Regards

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 07:35 AM

Why mention it? Everybody who knows thinks that "everybody" knows.

My only problem with the MT recordings is the fact that I have to store the new ones with my DVDs rather than with my record collection.

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: John Routledge
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 07:10 AM

Superb service.

I posted a cheque on Tuesday morning and my CD's arrived 9am today - less than 48 hrs.

The booklets with each CD are very informative and the sound quality excellent. I will buy some more!!

Paying by cheque rather than credit card saves £1 per single CD and £1.50 per double CD.

Subject: RE: Musical Traditions Records - CD sets
From: trayton
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 10:45 AM

I agree that the MT CDs are well researched / produced and very good value I would recommend them (and often do) to anyone interested traditional singing. They also bring to the public fine recordings that would not be released through larger record companies.
As to the question of durability of CDR and pressed CDs here I can talk from experience not opinion. I was involved in an extensive life test of a wide range of audio storage types. The CDRs performed significantly better than pressed CDs