Don't be puposefully obtuse, Jim.

The point is obviously that it would ill behove any member of the Seeger family to sneer at the inauthenticity of another artist's version of a Leadbelly song, when one of their number had so thoroughly dismantled, reassembled and changed the character of Goodnight Irene. Then took the song to Number One in the charts.

That's what I take to be the point. I'm not sure I agree. However I can see that it is that sort of minding of other singers business that has reduced folkclubs in popularity. Too much backbiting - perhaps Ewan picked it up from Joan Littlewood and the theatrical crowd - none of whom seem to have a good word to say for each other, not til obituary time anyway.