Who is yer favourite male folk singer?

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Warwick Slade
Date: 06 Nov 16 - 04:17 AM

He may not be the best singer, or best guitarist, or even best song writer but he influenced and inspired me with songs I understood, both musical and vocally. Still going at 79
TOM PAXTON

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Lin
Date: 05 Nov 16 - 11:38 PM

Donovan - since I was 16 years old, ah so long, long ago. I even remember what I wore the first time I ever saw Donovan in concert in Los Angeles. I wore this cute pink mini dress with kind of puffy sleeves. I have been to see him many time over the years, the last time in Monterey, California about 6 years ago. I have just about all of his albums, vinyl, CD's Box sets and books he wrote and some movies he had a cameo role in like, "If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium" and some other movies too. In the British movie called, "Poor Cow" he sings during the opening, a song called "Be Not Too Hard, For Life Is Short and Nothing is Given to Man." (Donovan is not in the movie but sings in opening scene.)

I was just listening in the car the other day to his album called, Donovan Summer Day Reflection Songs with some great songs like:

Catch the Wind, Josie, To Sing For You, Donna Donna, Ramblin' Boy,
Colours, Universal Soldier, To Try For the Sun, Jersey Thursday,
Belated Forgiveness Plea, Ballad of Geraldine, Turquoise,
Little Tin Soldier and many other songs (2 CD set)

When I saw Donovan in Monterey, California he sang this beautiful sad song called, "The Promise" a song he indicated would not be released on an album but just performed for the concert. On Youtube I have seen him perform this song at other concerts around the world.
A sad and lovely song with these beautiful heartfelt lyrics.

Yes, I am a long time fan!

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 05 Nov 16 - 07:55 PM

What about the new batch of youngsters?
The lad in Granny's Attic with a double-barrel name has a great voice.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 05 Nov 16 - 07:35 PM

Was I not here in 2007?

Anyway, Luke.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Sandra Biggs neeMunro
Date: 05 Nov 16 - 06:50 PM

Bill Alldrick. Can anyone through any light on the afore mentioned folk singer from my my folk days in Inverness.?

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Sandra Biggs neeMunro
Date: 05 Nov 16 - 06:44 PM

BBill Alldrick

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,cliff
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 10:22 PM

Oh, and i keep seeing posts from Art Theme-- one of the very best. And from Chicago to boot

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 08:08 PM

Michael Cooney !!

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: 14fret
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 07:17 PM

James Keelaghan.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Sea Dew
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 05:24 PM

Christy Moore, who else ?

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 03:50 PM

I like an awful of these guys mentioned in all these messages - particularly Jack Hudson.

But the Eric Bibb thread (particularly Art Thieme's comments) has really made me think and turn the clock back to when I first heard folk music.

I was a schoolboy living in Lincolnshire. If I went for a bike ride to Woodhall, or somesuch beauty spot - I'd ride past airforce bases.

Sometimes you would see a Thor rocket pointing directly up at the sky. But you knew the H-bomb it carried was targetted on Moscow. There were red and white Bloodhound Interceptor missiles, which some optimist thought could bring down a Tupolev Bear, which carried the Ruskies' H-Bombs meant for us. And if you were lucky you might see a Vulcan bomber, incredibly beautiful - they gleamed for they had a sheen on the surface which they hoped would deflect the flash when they dropped their atom bomb on a Russian target.

We were kids and I remember several children suggesting when the Cuban missile crisis was at its height - lets not go to work and to school today - lets all just die together.

When I heard Where have All the Flowers Gone and Blowing in the wind, on the radio for the first time. I knew someone was singing a song about the world I lived in.

That was it - that was the vortex - that music that I now know was coming out of Washington Square seemed to me and millions like me - more universal than literature, less willfully obscure that modern art, less superficial than cinema or television. In other words folk music seemed like an important artistic movement.

Of course nothing lasts. Dylan fell off the motorbike. Ewan said that people wearing caps and using harmonica stands weren't necessarily folk music - and who can disagree?

Still for me, that was when folk music spoke to the world. I never wanted to be Sam Larner or Martin Carthy.

My nomination would be Pete Seeger.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Capo da Monty
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 12:38 PM

Well said "Guest"
(Jack was mentioned on 23 April posted at 07.59.)

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Travelling Audience
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 09:16 AM

How about Tanglefoot for lyrics and music (Mostly male) AND of course Alan Taylor AND our locals in Gainsborough.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 08:06 AM

only one man for the job, Jack Huson shame on you all!!!

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: guitar
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 07:07 AM

Paul Roboson and Harry Belefonte (spelling)

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Jim Lad
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 02:42 AM

Check out Dave Gravis for a few minutes, when you get the chance. He'd be one more on a very long list for me.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 01:02 PM

Harry Cox.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Frogette
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 11:29 AM

I go for Jim MacAdam and Bill Long (oh and Les Sullivan of course).

My Bill Long CD was stolen at Barnsley and I dont know how to get another copy. I'll have to Google.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 11:02 AM

Myself.http://www.dickmiles.com

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,cliff
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 08:57 AM

Fred Holstein
Séan O'Sé

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 08:42 PM

Guy who 'Did' Maidenhead Club last night - Dick Frost - he has been singing for longer than I have been aware of folk music . And has never been a 'PRO' singer and despite his advanced year ( He is older than ME !) he did a wonderful varied evening of unaccompanied Songs .

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Jim Lad
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 07:51 PM

I could give you a different answer with every round.
Cheers!
Jim

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Stringsinger
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 06:20 PM

Since there are many different styles and cultures of folk singers, it would be difficult to pin point one favorite.

As to singing in the folk style, Burl Ives comes to mind. He could really sing.

Paul Robeson was a great basso but not necessarilly the greatest that ever lived. There was Chaliapin and Cesare Siepi. And I never considered Robeson to be a folk singer per se.

One of the best phrasing singers was Louis Armstrong who sang all wrong but all right.
He is closer to a folk tradition of jazz and blues and New Orleans.

In every aspect of a culture-derived folk music, there is someone who will excel as a singer. For me it would be difficult to single anyone out.

In the Old Time Appalachian style of singing I am partial to Buel Kazee because he had a sweet tenor and accompanied himself so well on the banjo.

In the blues style, Big Bill Broonzy and Josh White. Leadbelly had a unique style as well.

Horton Barker was an amazing singer who didn't sing in the conventional trained-voice style but was hypnotic in his Appalachian style.

In the African-American gospel style, the Golden Gate Quartet is one of the best. Also Lou Rawls with the Pilgrim Travelers.

I love the singing of Hoagy Carmicheal who absorbed much of the blues tradition.

Iron Head Baker was one of the best African-American chain gang singing exponents.

Riley Puckett could really carry the Georgia string-band tradition.

I like Bob Atcher, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry for the cowboy styles. Also Vernon Dalhart,
Bradley Kinkaid and Carson Robison although these guys were probably not real cowboys, with the exception of Robison.

There are undoubtably a great many more. There are those who I admired as good singers although I never particularly cared for their styles of singing. Richard Dyer-
Bennett comes to mind.

Jimmy Rodgers, the "Singing Brakeman" had a unique sound as did A.P. Carter with the Family.

I think as Kendall has stated, it depends upon the environment, time of day or night or how you are feeling at the moment.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 05:58 PM

Thanks Van,

I found him on YouTube. Lots of 1970's stuff. And a great version of Arthur McBride, maybe the best I have heard. I'll look for those CDs.

Don

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,van lingle
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 05:48 PM

Don, If you invest in a recording by Paul Brady be aware that besides his traditional stuff he does a lot of Rock/Pop (I guess you'd call it). Some of his best traditional singing can be found on
"Welcome Here Kind Stranger", "Paul Brady/ Andy Irvine" (great album) and the more recently released "Liberty Tapes" a live mid- 70's recording which features a lot of his best known arrangements of traditional songs with great playing by a whole bunch of Irish heavyweights. "Nobody Knows" is a collection of his more modern self-penned tunes.vl

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Big Phil
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 06:27 AM

The Late Great Luke Kelly, no competition really.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Don Meixner
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 11:23 PM

Murray,

I just today discovered Paul Brady on YouTube. How in heavens name did he miss my radar?

Don

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: iancarterb
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 10:46 PM

Great voices (of various kinds) Jack Langstaff, Stan Rogers, Frank Warner, Larry Hanks, Louis Killen, Bill Monroe, Jody Stecher

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,richlmo
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 09:19 PM

Might not be my favorite and might not be a great voice, but I love to listen to John Gorka.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Will Drover
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 08:45 PM

must be the late great Hamish Imlach.

humorous songs, bawdy songs, traditional Scots ballads, Irish freedom songs, blues, and political songs - as a song interpreter no-one can beat him.   and he was hilarious !

listen to his rendition of Eric Bogle's 'Green Fields of France' on the Sporting Life live album and you will see what I mean.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: mrdux
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 01:54 PM

GUEST Martin asked a little bit ago (26 Apr 07 - 06:01 AM): "How do you get from "Who is yer favourite male folk singer?" that we are talking about "great" voices?"

Pretty easily. The original question was:

"all I want to know is, in your opinion, who has a really good VOICE - and why?"

michael

ps -- For what it may be worth, I know this only because just yesterday I was curious about the scope of the topic and went back and reread the original posting.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 10:24 AM

Robin Laing

sal

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: 3refs
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 09:45 AM

Sorry I missed you with Shirley and The Vultures guest.

I've seen three such duets. Hank Sr and Hank Jr, Nat and Natalie and this one with Elvis and Celine. I think the standing ovation for the entire song says something about technological shock factor.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Rog Peek
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 08:57 AM

Phil Ochs by a country mile

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 08:32 AM

3refs: you do realise that anyone can sing along to the television, CD, film etc.
I've duetted with Shirley Bassey and those three vultures off "Dumbo" so far this week.
It's not hard.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: 3refs
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 08:17 AM

Coming from Orillia, I guess it goes to Gordon Lightfoot(although don McLean's Starry Starry Night is my fav.

But did ya catch Elvis and Celine Dion on American Idol last night? I was stunned! Just imagine, to be on stage and sing with the King!

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,ME
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 06:01 AM

Reply to CET:
Are you sure you've read the original question correctly?
How do you get from "Who is yer favourite male folk singer?" that we are talking about "great" voices?
You don't have to have a "great" voice to be a good singer. A good folk singer is all about interpretation and communication.
And why should you run and hide after your "heretical" assertion. They may not be classified as having great voices (although this is very subjective) but they are great folk singers - you surely can't deny that.
Martin

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: concertina ceol
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 05:45 AM

John Kirkpatrick has a fantastic strong english voice, and doesn't hold back. I admire his talent greatly and can't understand why he doesn't get more recognition for his talent and his devotion to English traditional music. His solo albums are excellent as are the recordings he has done with Brass Monkey.

Barry Coope, Lester Simpson and Jim Boyes collectively make the finest unaccompanied English folk music at present. Their wonderful, surprising and complex harmonies are a joy. Love 'em!

Nic Jones also had a wonderful voice (I know he is still alive) and sang really beautifully. I've only recently bought "Penguin Eggs" and I just can't stop playing it, you hear somehing new each time.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Mark H.
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 05:38 AM

Ronnie Drew. He conveys a ballad like his side of a conversation, you hear the tragedy in his soul and the glint in his eye, he's the man.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 01:49 AM

How could anybody compare these lightweights with the great Doc Watson?

You must all be mad dogs or Englishmen.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Ythanside
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 08:23 PM

Luke Kelly, by light years; then Bill Alldrick, Stan Rogers, Cyril Tawney and Woody Guthrie, but I've only heard two or three thousand singers so far. Ask me again in thirty years. Cheers.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: CET
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 07:28 PM

There are definitely some people who haven't read the original question, which was about good "voices". Now, you can have all the respect in the world for Mike Waterson and Phil Tanner, their delivery, and style, and what they have done for folk music, but there's absolutely no way they could be considered to have great voices. Heresy alert: I would classify Martin Carthy and Ewan MacColl in that group too.

Running and hiding now.

Edmund

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,van lingle
Date: 23 Apr 07 - 08:50 PM

Richie Havens ...but also Andy Irvine, Ged Foley, Paul Brady,Dick Gaughan,the late Fred Neil and Shane MacGowan.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Anamika
Date: 23 Apr 07 - 06:20 PM

Jez Lowe & Chris Wood

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Apr 07 - 06:14 PM

Michael Jackson

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,Mucky Pup
Date: 23 Apr 07 - 05:00 PM

I think that Graham O'Callaghan is one of the finest voices I've ever heard but also an amazing interpreter of songs.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Mike Miller
Date: 23 Apr 07 - 04:54 PM

Alan Arkin was one of those Washington Square folksingers from the late 1950s. He recorded an album of children's songs with The Babysitters, a group that included Lee Hayes and Ronnie Gilbert. His brother, Steve, is a talented bluegrass banjo player who played with Bill Monroe for years. I saw Steve, recently, at a Washington Square reunion.
Quite a few well-known performers were into folk. Eddy Arnold, the Tennessee Plowboy, recorded an album of traditional songs that included the most beautiful version of "Wayfaring Stranger", and what a beautiful voice he had.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: Elettra
Date: 23 Apr 07 - 02:42 PM

Jim Malcolm, hands down. His Old Blind Dogs work was wonderful but have a listen to his solo stuff. Sublime, makes me weak in the knees! :~} Pure butterscotch. And a heck of a nice fellow.
E.

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Apr 07 - 01:24 PM

John Hiatt

Subject: RE: Who is yer favourite male folk singer?
From: GUEST,celticblues5
Date: 23 Apr 07 - 12:35 PM

Oops, should have said, in addition to Bok, Rogers, & Paterson, of course, Christy Moore & Nic Jones.


George -

Alan Arkin also recorded, with Ed McCurdy, at least two albums of "naughty" folksongs, the first called, if I recall, "When Dalliance was in Flower & Maidens Lost Their Heads." I believe the second was something like "When Dalliance was in Flower 2" - or something on that order. You might be able to find them (on vinyl) from a vintage outlet. Don't know if they were ever reissued on CD.