Pete Smith ('Deep Lancashire')

Subject: RE: Pete Smith ('Deep Lancashire')
From: GUEST,BlackAcornUK
Date: 30 May 25 - 05:31 PM

Thank you for sharing this Paul, lovely to build a broader picture of the man whose voice is so engaging on Deep Lancashire

The selections also strongly resonate for me, as I grew up in Wigan, and studied in Lancaster with a view overlooking Heysham

Subject: RE: Pete Smith ('Deep Lancashire')
From: Paul Reade
Date: 29 May 25 - 03:23 PM

I remember Pete from the 60s / early Manchester 70s folk scene - he was a friend and regular at the club I ran in Sale.

He was a fine singer and also, as reflected in his tracks on "Deep Lancashire", a committed socialist and trade unionist. This commitment was such that he moved from Manchester to the North East in 1973 as one of the founder members of the "Sunderlandia" building co-operative.

We maintained a relationship with Pete and Marie over the years since then, and with Marie after his death. In fact Marie sang at my 80th birthday party bash a few weeks ago!

Subject: RE: Pete Smith ('Deep Lancashire')
From: GUEST,BlackAcornUK
Date: 27 May 25 - 03:51 AM

Thank you for this information, all. Robin - very sorry to hear of Pete's passing, and condolences for this. Good to hear that Marie is still going strong.

Subject: RE: Pete Smith ('Deep Lancashire')
From: Reinhard
Date: 26 May 25 - 03:33 PM

The Deep Lancashire sleeve noted said:

Pete Smith has been a collaborator of Mike Harding in running
the Blackley Club. Also in his twenties, he has a wide interest in
traditional songs generally, but always includes Lancashire
songs in any performance. Pete is a process controller in a
petroleum plant.

Subject: RE: Pete Smith ('Deep Lancashire')
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 26 May 25 - 02:55 PM

Deep Lancashire is one of my favourite albums, and from it I learned Rawtenstall Annual Fair and Hop Hop Hop. Still singing them all these years later.

Subject: RE: Pete Smith ('Deep Lancashire')
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 26 May 25 - 02:49 PM

Pete Smith died a couple of years back. He was Marie Little's husband, who is still with us and going strong.

Robin

Subject: RE: Pete Smith ('Deep Lancashire')
From: GUEST,BlackAcornUK
Date: 26 May 25 - 12:55 PM

Apologies if some of that info is in the sleeve notes - I leant my copies of 'Deep Lancashire' and 'Owdham Edge' to Manchester's Portico Library for an exhibition last year, and now can't lay my hands on them - think my wife may have indiscriminately shuffled them back into my vinyl shelves, so it may take a while for them to resurface!

Subject: Pete Smith ('Deep Lancashire')
From: GUEST,BlackAcornUK
Date: 26 May 25 - 12:53 PM

A singer called Pete Smith contributes two of the finest tracks to the classic 1968 Topic LP compilation 'Deep Lancashire' -

'Beg Your Leave', a version of the Heysham Pace Egging song;
https://youtu.be/mP_7SvPICkQ?si=Q7ZHZsikkGiVgOoo

...And 'Ten Per Cent', and industrial ballad written by Mary Thomasen from Leigh, nr Wigan, in 1938:
https://youtu.be/IpyJ2TjlLNE?si=JN43ycntSiYrYuXL

As far as I can tell, Pete Smith never recorded anything else - but does anyone know anything about him? Which part of Lancashire is/was he from? Was he active on the sessions and festivals scene? Is he still about?

Many thanks for any and all intel!