I wanted the title of this thread to be "Name of Northern Ireland Folk Group Wanted" but it would only accept a shorter version.

Basically I am trying to find the name of, and as a result, an album (if available) of a probably short-lived folk music group whose members were from Northern Ireland. My brother actually once owned this album (which is where I heard it) but unfortunately (he says!) it got lost among with numerous other records during his many house moves until he finally settled down about 20 years ago (No, the police or bailiffs weren't after him!).

I can remember some points about the group which may help, assuming of course that my memory isn't faulty.

There were at least 3 members of the group. I think there was a husband and wife team, who were called Baillie (or possibly Bailey)and they may have been called Brian and Valerie, though I am more sure about the surname. I am pretty sure there was another member called Leslie "Jess" Harper (or perhaps Harpur)and there may have been a fourth. I also think some at least of the members were from Bangor, Co. Down, Northern Ireland.

The album was probably released in the early to mid-1970s; I lived with my brother or saw him very often for several years around 1974-1977 so I suspect it was around then that it was released (he was fairly well into folk music then, as I was.

I THINK one of the songs on the album was the relatively well-known "Doffin' Mistress", which originates from the Linen Industry. This was later recorded by Maddy Prior and the Girls (Maddy Priort, Rose Kemp, Abbie Lathe) on "Bib and Tuck" (Park Records 2002).

Another, which also has a nice tune which at least I can remember (a pity it is not so easy to put it down here) involved some speaking and singing. The few bits that I can remember involved a man speaking to his Mistress (this is not in the modern sense, but as a servant to his (female) Master, and the word "Mistress" I think may have been used at the end of a spoken part between each verse of the song - I can't remember whether the man asked the Mistress a Question or vice-versa.

What I can remember are the words ..."Tambo, Tambo" at the end of the first line of each verse sung by the Mistress, and "My heart, My Jo" (I think "Jo" here means "Joy" (as in the Scottish song "John Anderson, My Jo", or at least that is my interpretation - if you know of another explanation please let me know) at the end of the second line; there were 4 lines in each verse; I think possibly only the woman sung and the man spoke, but cannot be certain.

There were presumably a number of other songs or tunes on the album, which unfortunately I can't remember anything of. I presume that it was played with acoustic guitar at least, though there may have been the usual instruments accompanying folk music, i.e. fiddle, banjo, tin whistle, etc. There may have been instrumentals as well; I cant specifically remember although this was usually the case in those days.

If anyone knows anything about the group, the album, or the song mentioned above, I would be very keen to know - perhaps even if you don't know directly, you may know of a source of knowledge about the folk music scene (particularly recorded music) in Northern Ireland in the early to mid-1970s. Perhaps there is a recording studio in Bangor (or Belfast, etc) which specialised in folk music, etc.