Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: The Shambles
Date: 14 Jan 99 - 06:43 PM

Thanks for the clips, Dale.

Dry and Dusty it wasn't. Great stuff.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 14 Jan 99 - 06:53 PM

If the objections to Lomax are based on his questionable ethics, the same must be applied to Dylan. Does anyone have time to list all of the the various tunes claimed as "words and music by Bob Dylan" for which he may have made new words, but he certainly had no right to claim the tunes? I'll start the ball rolling with "Nottamun Town," "Patriot Game," and "Leaving of Liverpool." Using a traditional tune for a new set of words is one thing, and quite a traditional activity. Guthrie did it all the time. Claiming ownership of melodies one did not compose, as Dylan did, is, simply put, lying for personal advantage. I find it offensive.

I'm sure this must have been the subject of an earlier thread. Am I right, Joe?

Sandy, the curmudgeon.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: rick fielding
Date: 14 Jan 99 - 08:53 PM

After reading your posting on Dylan's "lying for personal gain", Sandy, I thought I'd take a quick look through some of my vinyl (them's records, youngsters) and hoo-boy! An AWFUL lot of folkies have been doing exactly the same kind of lying! And since the only ones I bothered checking on are folks with "legit" reputations, I've come to the conclusion that Dylan fits right into the tradition. What I doubt I'll be able to find however, is the admition in print that Dylan gave in an early 60s "Sing Out". Roughly quoted he declared to Irwin Silber, "...the tunes have already been out there for a long while...I just pull 'em in..." or something along those lines. My point is, that the record companies and/or publishers did the "claiming". Oh, and the only other folkie to have said in print that he definitely used existing tunes (that I've heard of) was Woody Guthrie. The one song book that I just looked at with Guthrie stuff, said "words and music, Woody Guthrie".

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From:
Date: 14 Jan 99 - 09:04 PM

Re: appropriating melodies---it seems to me that there was a lot of that going around in 50s & 60s. Performers and groups would make a slight change in the melody, almost imperceptably, or rearrange or reword stanzas of P.D. songs and take credit for the song. I believe that many of the top acts often did so. I know that when I cross- refence the songs from my collection (I have 6 - 8 versions of some songs) that the performing group took a credit. His being in the biz, Sandy Paton could probably explain it better than I.

John

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 15 Jan 99 - 12:24 AM

I may be "in the game," but I've never tried to own folk music. Even when Frank Proffitt recorded for me, we only obtained copyrights on songs he had actually written. The traditional stuff was credited to "trad."

Rick is right, however, when he observes that a lot of the big-time folk acts of the great folk-scare era who were recording for major labels were encouraged to claim authorship or, at the least, "arrangement" rights in order to protect the label from lawsuit. Someone once told me how many claims to copyright existed in the Library of Congress' Copyright Office on the ballad of Barbara Allen, but I've forgotten the figure. There are a lot of 'em!

I do recall looking through one of Oscar Brand's books and reading at the bottom of every page that copyright was claimed for "new words and music by Oscar Brand" on such songs as "Yankee Doodle," only I couldn't spot any of the new words and, while I'm not a musical expert, neither could I see much change in the melody. Publisher's choice of self-protection, I assume.

I will admit to having obtained a copyright on a number of Sara Cleveland's versions of her lovely traditional ballads and songs. They were grouped into an "Opus" and filed under one copyright claim. This was done to avoid their being exploited by commercial performers who might perceive their beauty and record them without giving credit to their source. This, of course, after the "Tom Dula" experience of Frank Warner and Frank Proffitt. Proffitt didn't write the song, of course, but the version performed by the Kingston Trio (for which Dave Gard claimed authorship -- and he didn't write it either!) was based on the version Warner had collected from Proffitt in 1938. I was determined that nothing of that sort would happen to Sara Cleveland, if I could do something to avoid it. The decision to do that has never bothered me, since I had no intention of exploiting the material commercially, but was determined that no one else should either.

Here's another interesting example. Jim Waters wrote the tune for "The Great Silkie" that almost everyone knows while he was a student at MIT. Most people have assumed it was a traditional tune, as Pete Seeger did when he put the words to "I Come and Stand at Every Door" to that tune. When Pete learned that Jim had written the tune and assigned the copyright to Folk-Legacy, he immediately arranged for royalties to come to us. No one could have been more honorable! On the other hand, not a penny was ever forthcoming for the Joan Baez recording, even though the introduction to the ballad in her Ballad Book (is that the title?) states that the tune is by a James Waters. Different strokes, folks. That's the way it is in the world of "music as commodity."

Sandy

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 15 Jan 99 - 03:40 AM

I remember hearing a story about Francis McPeake, who wrote 'Will ye go lassie go'. Joan Baez recorded it, and every year after that he got a royalty cheque. Then one year the cheques stopped. When he queried this, he was told that someone had found an old recording of the McPeakes sinigin the song, which was credited to 'Trad', so - no royalties. (At least they didn't ask for their money back!) He had to explain that he wrote it at a time when it wasn't fashionable to write your own folk songs.

Dave Campbell(Ian Campbell's father) had a similar tale. Alex Campbell (no relation!) heard him sing 'The Dark' and asked him for the words. After Alex recorded the song, Dave got a cheque every year. He said he always meant to tell Alex it was a Trad song and he hadn't actually written it himself, but could never seem to get around to it!

Then there was Al Jolson, who claimed that his performance was just as much a part of the creative process as writing and composing: he always insisted on being included in the credits (and the royalties!). Sounds suspiciously like the folk process to me ...

Steve (just the once)

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Jan 99 - 07:32 AM

Thread is still entertainin' !!!

Writing credit debate also results in tie.

Jack who's Jack...nicely put without offense.

Next...................catspaw

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From:
Date: 15 Jan 99 - 05:09 PM

There can't be just one "most significant folkie": that's antithetical to the folk process, which remains largely an ongoing collaborative effort from time immemorial to the present.

With that said, and thinking about musicians, how about Robert Johnson, Jimmie Rodgers, and Hank Williams. How to measure their infulence on those who followed?

Not to offend Pete Seegar fans, but I consider him more of an academic than a folksinger. I respect him and like him, but I respect and like Mr. Rodgers too: they're both elite Ivy Leaguers.

Mrs. Gurthrie and Dylan both came up in the way more traditional folkies do and in a straight up vote I'd put the odds in favor of Mr. Dylan winning this vote.

But each of us must have one "most significant" and that would be the one who opened the door the widest to this world and made us feel the most. When I was just a wee one, my father would sit with me in the dark, and we'd listen to a folk music show on the radio; we didn't yet have a TV. It was Pete Seegar and the Weavers,at that time, that I remember. My older brother let me play his 78's and he had many of Hank Williams hits, and my favorites were "Howling at the Moon, and "Lonesome Whistle". Later I loved the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary, but I kept seeing the name Bob Dylan as author of some of their best songs. When I bought "The Freewheeling Bob Dylan" that was it for me. This was living folk music that trancended anything I'd heard before. He still does it for me. I'm sorry for those who don't get it. It's like not being able to appreciate Picasso in all his various stages and mediums.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Dave T
Date: 15 Jan 99 - 09:44 PM

The first names that sprang to mind were Woody Guthrie & Alan Lomax. That being said, I have to agree with all the others who have argued that there isn't any ONE most significant "folkie". After my first gut reaction, I thought of so many others; some have even been mentioned. I admit to being influenced by American "folkies", so in addition to Wooody & Alan and all the rest...
Doc Watson - just for being Doc Watson
Rev. Gary Davis - preaching, singing, playing... ya gotta love it!!!

Dave T

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Susan A-R
Date: 15 Jan 99 - 11:52 PM

Pete, Lomax, Woody, Victor, Ewan, Jean, Malvena, . . .

As for Dylan, I like some of his more straightforward stuff, but, for the most part, I guess I'm just not that introspective, and he's always sounded a tad too much like bullwinkle moose for me to manage it well.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Sep 01 - 01:20 AM

Maybe this thread will be of interest to now, what with all the Obits and the requests for 50's-60's folk "hits."

~S~

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 01 Sep 01 - 02:07 AM

Well now, and so let me see
With most of you I might agree
Except of course you Dylan fans
He was commercial in his plans

Lomax found the real thing
which got our hero Pete to sing
Brought obscurity to our vision
Let the meanings speak tradition

Ewan found the auld free songs
Full of lively rights and wrongs
Wrote a few, collected many
Sang with Peggy See... aplenty

But cast my vote now if you will
For Charles Seegar loud and shrill
For had he not encouraged singing
His kids might be as bells not ringing...

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Sep 01 - 11:20 AM

Good Grief...

Can you spell

C-A-R-T-H-Y???????

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: DMcG
Date: 01 Sep 01 - 11:57 AM

I'd certainly put Martin Carthy in my list (and, quite separately of course Norma Waterson) but I've a sinking feeling that their influence outside the UK may be fairly limited. A lot depends on how 'significant' fits with 'well-known'. I would expect a survey of the-man-in-the-street would show thousands of times as many people recognise Dylan's name than Carthy's, and you can't influence people too easily if they don't know who you are. But in my case, the vote would be Carthy rather than Dylan.

I would have to include the fairly anonymous radio broadcasters in the 50's who made people like the Copper family well-known (again in the UK!) if we were talking about pure significance ...

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: chip a
Date: 01 Sep 01 - 03:10 PM

Bob, Pete & Alan/John

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: GUEST,Les/ Manchester uk
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 04:49 AM

An earlier contribution made a good point about individuals being important but not essential. Whatever folk is it has lasted because people like it, sing it and play it. In a century of mass communication Guthrie, Lomax, Sharpe, McCall, Seeger, Moore and all those other people have made important contributions.

I would like to two anothers because they have shown how much more life and diversity exists in the music. The man who with all his fellow musicians created Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, The Etchigham Steam Band, various Albion Bands and lots of other projects not least of which the mighty 'Morris On' - Ashley Hutchins, and by the same argument through Planxty, etc. etc. Christie Moore

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Mr Red
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 09:59 AM

How long is a piece of string? Well the answer (by comparison) is a lot easier - "from one end t' t'other"
As Newton said in the context of science - (I'm sure I will be corrected) "if I stand out it is merely because I am standing on the shoulders of others"
Folkies have more than one dimension, we have breadth and density and can take the macro and the micro view.
who is most significant in all dimensions? First define your dimensions - and allow me to argue about them.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 10:14 AM

"Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?"

No one alone!!

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 10:27 AM

One might just as well ask which is the single most significant grain of sand on the beaches of this spinning globe ??!!

It just, simply, does not matter !

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 12:16 PM

Stan Rogers and Me.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: John P
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 01:01 PM

John Twomey said earlier in this thread, "There can't be just one "most significant folkie": that's antithetical to the folk process, which remains largely an ongoing collaborative effort from time immemorial to the present." A couple of other people have said similar things since. I was amazed that this thread went through 50-some posts before anyone brought this up. One of the things I like about the folk music scene is its essential noncompetitiveness. We don't really have to worry about who is the best, or the first, or the most influential, or what the definitive version of any song is. Those sorts of things don't really apply to basic nature of folk music.

If the question was about who influenced you the most, it would show us where different people came from and would be interesting. But trying to decide who was the most influential in general is, again, "antithetical to the folk process".

If anyone is interested in who influenced me the most, I'd have to say Martin Carthy, Gabriel Yacoub, Alan Stivell, John Renbourn, and lots of Appalachian and blues musicians.

John Peekstok

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: marty D
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 01:15 PM

Maybe not the best, or the most trustworthy (the HUAC stuff) but who was more widely heard than Burl Ives? I think that's pretty significant.

marty

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 01:39 PM

The men of yon forest, they ask it o' me
How many strawberries grow in the salt sea?
I answer them back, with a tear in me ee
How many ships sail in the forest?

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: GUEST,chrisj
Date: 02 Sep 01 - 11:57 PM

Everywhere I've travelled in the English-speaking world I have found that among the best-loved folkies are The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. Their significance I am sure, is acknowledged outside the Irish diaspora as well as inside. Anyone who had the thrill of attending one of their live performances was never to forget it.

Its true that some traditional music people in Irish circles looked askance at their tendency to up the tempo on some songs but they were a huge influence on the vigorous expansion of Irish music and the next generation of Clancys is continuing the trend.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 11:12 AM

I have to reiterrate to some extent.

Cecil Sharpe, Alan Lomax, Frank and Anne Warner.

Don

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Biskit
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 12:54 PM

Joe was right on the money Pete Seegar is deffinatly the thread that wound around them all and brought it all together. Though Woody Guthrie, and Ramblin' Jack Elliot are still my favorites. ~Biskit~

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Big Tim
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 03:41 PM

"All these people that you mention, yes I know them they're quite lame, I had to rearrange their faces and give them all another name". Bob Dylan's the man.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 05:42 PM

Amazing thread to the extent that this little islands contribution to folk music, seems to have been overlooked. OK, i`m being parochial and why not, Ireland with a population of around 5 million people has been by far way ahead of any other country when it come to folk music.-- Let that cat among the pigeons. Slan Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: toadfrog
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 07:29 PM

I was about to quietly agree that it had to be Pete Seeger, shut up and let people more knowledgeable than me hold forth. But query: To what extent are popularizers more "significant" than collectors or sources of genuine songs. Suppose someone is a real crowd pleaser, and attracts a gazillion fans. Why is he/she more "significant" than someone who leaves a significant legacy for the future? How can anyone say that (say) Bob Dylan or Judy Collins are more "significant" "folkies" (whatever that means) than Leadbelly or Ewan McColl.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: pastorpest
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 07:59 PM

I find myself agreeing with people's choices to the many "greatest". I would like to add another name for the quality of her work in collecting and describing background and context for song after song. I think not just of her Canadian work but also beyond her own country with books like "Songs of Work and Protest". So I add the name of Edith Fowke. I often go to her books looking for material or refreshing myself with material I have not looked at for awhile or simply finding out "What did Edith Fowke say about this song?"

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From:
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 07:39 PM

I have read all these. I think you are all wrong. The most significant is the people -the millions who sing and play and provide the platform for a few remarkable performers who would be nothing without the many ordinary 'folkies'. Folk music is not about star performers - it is about people who live music about living.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 08:20 PM

Bob Schwarer, I was just scrolling down the thread, looking for the opportunity to nominate Moses Asch, when I say you had forestalled me. Well, anyway, "me too".

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 05:31 AM

Whilst I would agree with the comment made by many in this thread that it's difficult/pointless to narrow in one individual, I think a member of the "Hall Of Fame" who deserves a mention is Captain Francis O'Neill who, in the "1001" and the "1850" and other works, "saved the harvest". Irish traditional musicians, even yet, owe the man a huge debt!

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: English Jon
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 06:02 AM

Some nominations:

Bela Bartok. A.L.Lloyd. Maud Karpeles. Cecil Sharpe. George Butterworth.

Rising to obvious bait:

"Ireland with a population of around 5 million people has been by far way ahead of any other country when it come to folk music.-- Let that cat among the pigeons."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! you need a holiday mate.

EJ

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 06:52 AM

EJ ...

Care to elaborate?

Ard mhacha's comment may contain more than a grain of truth in the context in which it was delivered, just as your riposte might also have had more than a grain of truth given the context in which you delivered it.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: English Jon
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 07:08 AM

O.K. Every country has highly developed musical traditions. A week in say, Hungary with a tape recorder can produce interesting results. I think it's a bit daft to say "x is far and away better than y,z or any other letter". Yes, Irish music is great. So is English, Scots, Welsh, Scandinavian, Baltic etc etc.

All due repect to Ard Mhacha for feeling passionate about his heritage, but if I went round saying, for example "English Music is better than anything else ever", I'd get similar comments from other people who like different things.

The people who I know with the best tune repetoires are the ones who aren't fussy about country of origin, but play stuff from all over the world.

Cheers, EJ

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 07:24 AM

Agreed ... I think even ard mhacha might have difficulty not seeing eye to eye with you on your reply!

I tend to think from time to time that what I like is "important" and it probably is to me and to others who like what I like. But the Hearsay and Tweenies fans couldn't give a monkeys (and fans of those dayglo Muppets on angel dust can, and regularly do, fill stadia.)

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: GeorgeH
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 11:42 AM

It does, of course, depend on the what area you're looking at . . however I have to go for Lomax, because we'd almost certainly have been so much the poorer (in the music we know) without him. What really impresses is the breadth of his tastes . . Some of the European musics he loved (amongst the rest of collecting) still have only a tiny following in the UK, and a miniscule one in the US.

Of course, having recently heard Shirley Collins describe the recording trip she took with him through Southern USA in 1959/60 does rather underline this impression.

As for Irish music - the tragedy is that the world's image of Irish music (the boring "diddly-diddly" stuff) is such an apalling misrepresntation of that islands musical tradition . . but it's ridiculous to claim Ireland as some how apart from any other Folk tradition - although it may be distinguished by its folk revival starting earlier and having a greater political impetus that that of most of the rest of Europe (although, as is universally acknowledged, current Irish music actually had its birth in London . . )

Now - sort out the serious from the semi-serious in THAT lot!

G.

Subject: charles ives
From: GUEST,Andrea Heinz
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 12:02 PM

When did Charles Ives start composing. Who hired him to compose. What influenced him musically. What musical form is used.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 01:09 PM

Been reading back through all these old posts, and apart from the question, 'Where have most of these posters gone?' There's been a lot of good and erudite stuff been posted.
The problem is the question in the title, which is unanswerable with a single name, especially when it comes to performers, as personal tastes bias us on that one.
I think that the collectors are the people for which we have the most to thank, and they often did different things in different countries. So I've got to go for, Cecil Sharp, and Ralph Vaughan Williams for the English side of the pond, Francis Childs, and Marjorie Kennedy Fraser for Scottish stuff. Lomax and Moses Asch spring to mind for US stuff, but I don't know enough about that side to be dogmatic about it.
Interesting thread though.
Giok

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 02:20 PM

When I spotted this thread's subject, my first thought was "Why Dylan of course, hands down!" For "significance" to the wide outside world, Bob had to be it. (For me, anyway.)

After reading the many contributions, though, I'm willing to revise my vote. There'd be no Bob without Woody and Leadbelly and others before him, we wouldn't have known about them except for Mr. Lomax, etc., etc.

As someone who served both as a repository for past folklore and also as a performer who himself represented folk music to a large public, you have to go with Pete Seeger.

Of course, more than one or two individuals deserve credit, and I am glad that this thread revealed a few new (really, old) names to me I hadn't known before.

I can think of one significant omission from the world of Irish music: while several correspondants gave a nod to Christy Moore, don't believe anyone has mentioned Donal Lunny yet. Lunny has been involved in so many different projects, and almost every one has been a success in bringing the music he loves to the attention of a wider public. I suppose that, to some, this has been an effort at "modernization" or "commercialization," and therefore anathema, but I think the guy deserves all the credit in the world.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 03:11 PM

I'm from England.

I think a case might be made for Bert Lloyd or for Hugill, or maybe for Bob Copper, or Mike Waterson, but at the end of the day there is really only one possible answer. And I mean that most sincerely, folks. For an in depth knowledge of and devotion to folk music correctly so-called, an inspirational performer, and a guitarist who exemplifies a genre more typically than any other (and a damn nice intelligent well informed bloke too), it simply has to be Martin Carthy.

I really am genuinely amazed to see only one nomination of him above. Quite simply, he is "the Man".

He is also the most significant Folkie of the 21st Century.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Cool Beans
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 03:16 PM

George Burns.
Oh wait, did you say Folkie? I thought you said Fogey.
Never mind.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Frankham
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 04:37 PM

If you think of folk music as being a movement, then my ol' buddy Pete has to figure mightilly. If you think of folk music as being collectable and dispersed to the public, then Pete and Alan both figure. If you think of folk music as being all over the world, then, there are too many to count. If you think of folk music as the popularization of Appalachia then Doc and Jean.

One thing about Pete ya' gotta' know. He promoted many of the people through tireless energy such as Leadbelly, Woody, and Dylan. Pete championed Dylan when nobody much thought he was anything.

Alan, Ewan, A.L. Loyd, and many unsung heroes of folklore such as Archie Green, Kenny Goldstein, Roger Abrams, John Cohen and the beat goes on. This in addition to Sharp, Child and those who Sandy mentioned.

What about the record companies? Moe Asch. Sandy. The Solomans. Tom Clancy at Riverside.

Popularity? The K.T., Bud and Trav, P.P.and M and the folks who started all that....Weavers.

If you think of songwriting as being part of folk music, well then Woody because he was one of the first Singer/songwriters in this genre.

Blues? Where does it start and end? Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon, Lead, and yes IMV blues is folk music.

i think all these people should be recognized for their service
and inspiration and many more from other places.....

In short, there is no one Folkie that is more significant than others but the process is about people coming together to create a sum greater than it's parts.

Frank

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 03:35 AM

Richard as a fellow admirer of Martin Carthy, I must ask. Apart from singing and rearranging many good traditional tunes, and doing wonders with open tunings, what else has Martin done? He's very erudite and knowledgeable on the subject of folk music, a wonderful performer, and he's become an institution in his field. But compared to some of the giants mentioned before in this thread I don't think he qualifies for Folkie of the 20th Century.
Giok

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 04:51 AM

We are talking folk music here.

Who knows more traditional (ie folk) songs? No-one.
Who knows more traditional (ie folk) tunes? No-one.
Who has done more to show how to use the guitar (not a traditional folk instrument) in traditional folk music and song? No-one.
Who better understands or conveys the meaning of traditional (ie folk) music and song? No-one.

What else could he do? Are you asking if he is a singer-songwriter, I simply say that many may write in the style of folk music, but contemporary music, however excellent, is not folk. In what way may your so-called "giants" compare to him - in folk music?

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 05:17 AM

Mike Harding.

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 08:08 AM

Rolf Harris
Jake the Peg (with the extra leg)
Sun Arise
Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport
Two Little Boys
Stairway to Heaven

the stylophone, the wobbleboard, the digeridoo

the beard

the drawings

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 08:16 AM

Well thanks guys for your unintelligent contributions to an otherwise sensible thread.
Giok

Subject: RE: Most significant Folkie of 20th Century?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 08:50 AM

There are so many people that I have thought of since I first posted, it's just impossible to answer.
Giok