Peter Kennedy's Songs and Photos

Subject: RE: Peter Kennedy's Songs and Photos
From: Nick Dow
Date: 24 Jun 25 - 02:32 AM

I have had this thread going for some time, and I really should have mentioned that it was put together by Dr Reg Hall in 2017. A good number of the photo's are from his collection. There is also some excellent details upon the singers, and a list of other contributors, from the academic world. There is also an assessment of PK work as a collector. I hope this document is a valuable addition to your library, and that was my motive in posting it. I'm sure that if you only have a passing interest in Traditional Folk song, you will find something to interest you.

Subject: RE: Peter Kennedy's Songs and Photos
From: GUEST,Queen Victoria
Date: 24 Jun 25 - 02:08 AM

His antics were not amusing.

Subject: RE: Peter Kennedy's Songs and Photos
From: Nick Dow
Date: 18 Jun 25 - 09:03 AM

Lol

Subject: RE: Peter Kennedy's Songs and Photos
From: GUEST,Ewan McVicar
Date: 18 Jun 25 - 07:10 AM

Fascinating material.
My favourite bit of Peter Kennedy in action is on the video Lomax The Songhunter. Rogier Kappers asks Kennedy about Alan Lomax. Kennedy thinks he has selected Lomax alone, but plays a tape of a commercial recording by the group The Ramblers - Lomax singing lead, with MacColl, Seeger, etc.
Rather than say he has made an error, Kennedy says that Lomax was rather shy! about being recorded and had to be encouraged with some alcohol. A harmonica [I think] then starts to play along and Kennedy has to say this too is part of his encouragement for shy Lomax.
Rogier is too polite to query this nonsense.

Subject: RE: Peter Kennedy's Songs and Photos
From: Nick Dow
Date: 18 Jun 25 - 06:32 AM

There are also some rare photos of Caroline Hughes and the Stewarts. Well worth a look.

Subject: RE: Peter Kennedy's Songs and Photos
From: GUEST,Oriel Wynn-Dawe
Date: 18 Jun 25 - 04:59 AM

The Sandman is right. I knew Peter for a long time. I once asked him if he had any recordings of English fiddle players. He sent me (as a gift!!!) a tape with three albums bootlegged on it, all still commercially available and one recorded by one of my friends. I lent him some books which he sold. Oh, and there's dubbing his horrible banjo onto recordings of traditional players for financial reasons.

Subject: RE: Peter Kennedy's Songs and Photos
From: Nick Dow
Date: 16 Jun 25 - 01:24 PM

There is also a photo of Fred Crossman, son of Sharp's informant (also Fred) and a wonderful photo of Phoebe Smith Step dancing with Bob Roberts while Scan Tester plays. (Page 264) Also a picture of Margaret Barry sat on the front of her wagon. I can not get tired of looking through this document. Enjoy!

Subject: RE: Peter Kennedy's Songs and Photos
From: The Sandman
Date: 16 Jun 25 - 12:56 PM

Peter Kennedy was a Curates Egg, most source singers thought they were screwed over by him.
He seemed to regard the material he collected as his own property, for example i bought a book of songs, sang some of them and recorded them, and he then bootlegged a recording from folk on 2, and tried to sell copies of the recording without my permission .
Yes, we are indebted to him for his collecting, but he had an attitude problem

Subject: RE: Peter Kennedy's Songs and Photos
From: pattyClink
Date: 15 Jun 25 - 06:03 PM

What a document! Thanks for providing the link.

Subject: Peter Kennedy's Songs and Photos
From: Nick Dow
Date: 15 Jun 25 - 05:12 PM

All are listed here. There is a wonderful photo of Fred Jordan aged 31, and some of Charlie Wills I've never seen before and a couple of Pop Maynard. Worth a look. You may have to scroll up the document. My fault I copied the link when I had finished reading it.

https://www.efdss.org/images/VWMLASSETS/PDFs/peter-kennedy-discography.pdf