Obit: Peter Kennedy (1922-2006)

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Kennedy (10 June 2006)
From: The Sandman
Date: 20 Jun 11 - 01:03 PM

Peter's Predicament was rather similiar to that of many a professional folk singer, and so to some extent I sympathise.
I remember doing a gig at Portland Bill, carefully calculating my cost of petrol and using my last money to fill the tank, only to run out of petrol in Weymouth, so I had no choice but to walk the last 4 miles to the gig.
on other occasions I would use public transport and then hitch back from gigs.
Sean Cannon used to hitch hike all the time.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Kennedy (10 June 2006)
From: Vic Smith
Date: 19 Sep 11 - 02:09 PM

The re-mastered, tidied up versions of the Peter Kennedy recordings that are being prepared for release by Topic in the Voice of the People 2 series are sounding really wonderful. I have been given access to them by Shirley Collins who has prepared the following three albums for the series:-

TSCD671 "You Never Heard So Sweet" - Traditional Singers of South-East England (Recordings by Peter Kennedy & Bob Copper)
TSCD672A Gypsy Singers of South-East England
TSCD672B Queen Carolyn Hughes and her family

I have been given access to them because I will be working with Shirley on her new multi-media show, "You Never Heard So Sweet". This was given its first abridged performance at the Stowmarket Traditional Music Day earlier this month, but its first full performance will be on Friday 7th October at Lewes Folk Festival (See http://www.lewesfolkfest.org/ )

If you have heard these songs, as I have on the Folktrax cassettes and CDrs, you will probably be as delighted as I am to hear these important recordings in their cleaned up form with proper booklet notebook etc.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Kennedy (10 June 2006)
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 19 Sep 11 - 04:12 PM

Looks good Vic - but still no albums dedicated to either Irish or Scots Travellers - despite the enormous amount of unpublished and extremely important material available - barmy!!
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Kennedy (10 June 2006)
From: Vic Smith
Date: 19 Sep 11 - 04:47 PM

I don't know the full datails but this particular series - the albums I mentioned above will only be the first batch of many - is dedicated to the collecting work that PK did (though Shirley has argued the inclusion of those of Bob Copper). There will be recordings that Peter made in the north of Ireland, but as far as I know, he did not record Irish Travellers - so these will be missing.

On the other hand, there will be the first decent release (forgetting the scrappy Folktrax ones) of Carolyn Hughes. Not the easiest of tastes for the newcomer to acquire, but when you do, you realise that she is a major, major singer.

The Scots Travellers? Well, Peter worked with Alan Lomax 1951-3 and between them they recorded masses of stuff from the finest singers, but a lot of those recordings - Jeannie Robertson, Davy Stewart, Jimmy MacBeath came out not so many years ago in the Lomax/Rounder series.
On my Folktrax FTX-058 - TRAMPS AND HAWKERS JIMMY MacBEATH -1- it says:-

Recorded 1951-3. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published by Folktrax 1975.

So "edited" by PK but recorded by...? possibly Lomax.

As I said, I don't know the full details of the new series - even if these have been finalised yet - but Steve Roud is compiling ballad albums for this series and when I interrupted a meeting of Mssrs Roud, Engle, Hall and Ms Collins, they were listening to Jeannie Robertson.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Kennedy (10 June 2006)
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 20 Sep 11 - 07:33 AM

"There will be recordings that Peter made in the north of Ireland, but as far as I know, he did not record Irish Travellers - so these will be missing."

Vic. There are three PRCs on Folktrax which are listed:-

Irish Tinker Singers Vol 1: Blackwaterside_Folktrax_FSA-60_166
Irish Tinker Singers Vol 2: When I was on Horseback_Folktrax_FSA-60_167
Irish Tinker Singers Vol 3; Puck Fair_Folktrax_FSA-60_168.

According to the blurb all three were recorded at a traveller's campsite in Belfast during a single session in July 1952 from perhaps 1/2 a dozen singers; Lal Smith, Paddy Doran, Mary Doran etc. The collectors are listed as Peter Kennedy and Sean O'Boyle.

Granted the fact that Kennedy credited himself probably doesn't amount to much. However, there is so much fabulous material in there that even if Topic isn't planning to release them now, they should be persuaded to at some time in then future.

BTW., before anyone accuses me of paying for Kennedy's grubby little rip off (performers as well as customers) cassettes, they are part of a large record collection which originally belonged to Keith Summers RIP and which Peta Webb passed on to me when he died.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Kennedy (10 June 2006)
From: Vic Smith
Date: 20 Sep 11 - 07:59 AM

Well, there are going to be Northern Irish releases in the new VotP so let's hope that the ones that Fred mentions are amongst them.

I seem to remember that when the Peter Kennedy tapes were passed over to Topic, there was some sort of statements that Topic would compile and release the material that there was a chance of recouping their investment in improving the sound quality, preparing booklets, bulk transfer to high quality CDs etc. - cherry picking I suppose - and that the remainder would be passed to Rod Stradling who would compile and release material in the smaller quantities that he usually caters for but which might not sell in the numbers that the Topic/VotP were looking at.

We must be honest and say that that number of people who are inspired by the majesty of these field recordings is not huge. If Topic recoup their investment, then it may inspire them to release more which will be great for all the enthusiasts of the hardcore traditon of these islands.

If not there will still be Musical Traditions and what those with an interest in this music consider the fascinating and vital work that Rod Stradling is doing with his releases.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Kennedy (10 June 2006)
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 20 Sep 11 - 09:33 AM

Tony Engle came down to a meeting of the Tradsong Forum when it was at C# House a couple of years ago. What he said was basically what Vic said. IE., that Topic would be looking to release the more economically viable material. Hopefully, and knowing Tony, that means anything which won't reduce Topic to the financial equivalent of a smoking ruin.

For the rest, I don't think Tony was thinking solely of Musical Traditions, although Rod is clearly a major candidate. It would be a case of anyone who was looking to release the stuff and was presumably willing to pay a modest price for the rights.

Just an afterhought. A number of tracks from the three cassettes I mentioned were included in the Caedmon-Topic Folksongs of Britain series. The original VOTP omitted anything which had gone out on Caedmon, presumably because the rights had been bought by Rounder, who were in the middle of their own massive Alan Lomax reissue programme.

Whether that would apply now with the new VOTP, I know not.