An intersting sub-branch of the 'colapse of folk clubs' thread has led me to start this.

On the one hand we have people saying that ALL live work is worth collecting - No matter what or how bad. On the other there are those, like me, who feel that there is some stuff just not worth recording.

The days of the Copper family have of course long gone but occasionaly we do get a performer or writer (A local chap called Tom Sydall, rest his soul, springs to mind) who it would be a crime to leave unrecorded. There are the grey areas - Rugby songs, football chants, kids playground rhymes and the such that I also think should go on record. But what about the pub singer? What about the floor singer?

Is it realy necessary to have every version of 'My Way' accompanied by the pub Yamaha on record? Do we realy want to preserve Owd Bert's rendition of "Seven Drunken Nights" with three missing verses and in four different keys? Will young Waynes broken heart accompanied by two cords on an out of tune Woolworths guitar get better if a man with a minidisk captures it? I think not myself but I am willing to be convinced otherwise.

Let the discourse begin...

Cheers

Dave