Discography (C. Fox Smith)

Subject: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Apr 08 - 08:55 AM

Jim Saville (Shantyfreak) and I have been working up a discography of recordings of Cicely Fox Smith poems adapted for singing, in connection with our forthcoming anthology of this poet's works. Note in this list there is no credit to whoever adapted the poem for singing; that information is provided in full with each poem in the Anthology. We would very much appreciate any suggestions for recordings we may have overlooked in our survey, or any corrections for what we have found. The list is sorted by CD publication date:

Breeze for a Bargeman, by Bob Roberts, © 1981

Race of Long Ago (Racing Clippers)


Port of Dreams, by William Pint & Felicia Dale, © 1991

Tow-Rope Girls


Making Waves, by Tom Lewis, William Pint & Felicia Dale, © 1992

Sou' Spain


Seaboot Duff & Handspike Gruel, by Pinch o' Salt, © 1995

Sou' Spain, Cooper Ore, Eight Bells, Hoodoo, The Tow-Rope Girls, Let Her Go (a Tramp Shanty), Lee Fore Brace, Shanghai Passage, The Cape Horner, Peaceable Mister M'Gee, Home for Christmas - Old Style, A Sailor's Delight, Follow the Sea, The Half Loaf, Merchantmen


Tinker Tailor Soldier Singer, by Tom Lewis, © 1995

150 Days Out from Vancouver


Round the Corner, by William Pint and Felicia Dale, © 1997

The Tow-Rope Girls, Blue Peter


Tomorrow's Tide, by Salt of the Earth, © 1998

A Wool Fleet Chorus, Copper Ore


Constant Lovers, by Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman, © 2000

Limehouse Reach


Bank Trollers, by Bob Webb, © 2000

150 Days Out from Vancouver


Never a Cross Word, by Danny & Joyce McLeod, © 2002

The Capehorner, Tryphena's Extra Hand, The Stately Blackwaller, Port o' Dreams, Lee Fore Brace, So Long


Away from It All, by Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman, © 2002

Race of Long Ago (Racing Clippers)


Full Sail: Inside the Lid, by Gordon Morris, © 2002

Port o' Dreams, Racing Clippers, Mainsail Haul, The Convalescent, Tom Pascoe (Told at the Pilchards), Sea Change, The Extra Hand, Admiral Dugout, Stately Blackwaller, Mariquita, The Shipkeeper, See You in Liverpool


Now & Then, by Johnny Collins, © 2002

Sailor Town


Around the Harbour Town, by Dick Miles and Friends, © 2003

Sailor Town


Tom Lewis 360º, by Tom Lewis, © 2003

Towrope Girls


Long Road Home, by Peter Massey and Gordon Morris, © 2005

Conversation Book, The Long Road Home, A Parting, Blue Anchor Lane


Uncommon Sailor Songs, by Charlie Ipcar, © 2004

Flying-Fish Sailor, Outward Bound, Shanghai Passage, Limehouse Reach, Port o' Dreams, Mariquita


More Uncommon Sailor Songs, by Charlie Ipcar, © 2005

Rio Grande, Lee Fore Brace, Lumber, Hastings Mill, Old Fiddle, Rosario, Pacific Coast, So Long


Rolling Down to Sailortown, by Roll & Go, © 2006

Outward Bound, So Long (All Coiled Down), Mariquita, Port o' Dreams


Sing the Sun into the Sky, by Two Black Sheep & a Stallion, © 2006

Homeward (Home, Boys, Home)


Closehauled on the Wind of a Dream, by Bob Zentz, © 2007

Ships & Folks, A Dog's Life, The Eternal feminine, The Blue Peter, Pictures, Sea Dream, Casey's Concertina, Ice: The Bosun's Story, The Tryphena's Extra Hand, The Portsmouth Road, Ships that Pass, The Red Duster, The Ballad of the Eatern Crown, Racing Clippers, The Tow-Rope Girls, Bill's Christmases, Eight Bells, Leave Her Johnny


Old Sailor-Poets, by Charlie Ipcar, © 2007

Sailor Town, Shipmates (1914), A Ship in a Bottle, The Long Road Home


Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: nutty
Date: 26 Apr 08 - 09:54 AM

There is a CD by Dogwatch from billingham UK that has some CFS songs on it

DOGWATCH

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Saro
Date: 26 Apr 08 - 10:27 AM

Charley Noble, just to save confusion with a traditional song, the song I created from "Homeward" is called Home Lads home, not Home Boys Home, so if you are printing anything, could you give it its correct title?
Thanks and good luck with the project
Saro

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Apr 08 - 07:20 PM

Nutty and Saro-

Thanks for the reminder and the correction.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Apr 08 - 09:37 PM

I'm thinking that the Harry Browns of Bristol have also recorded some C. Fox Smith poems. Ian "Nobby" Dye once send me his research notes of C. Fox Smith which were quite helpful. It's not clear from their website when their recording were made or what other recording they might have made previously. I've e-mailed them but if anyone else has information, it would be appreciated.

I've also sent an e-mail to the Swansea based sea music group Baggyrinkle who have recorded at least one C. Fox Smith poem.

And I've added The Keelers who recorded So Long and The North Sea Ground back in 1998.

Another one which I've overlooked is Bob Walser's recording of Shanghai Brown, as arranged by Alan Fitzsimmons.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: stallion
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 05:28 PM

Saro,
Charley didn't make the mistake, I did, it is called Home Boys Home on the cd , I had never heard of it before i had sung it and the cd was put out in a rush for an event and had a lot of mistakes in the "sleeve" notes which were entirely mine and for that I apologise.
Peter

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Saro
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 05:30 PM

Hi peter, I realise it was just an error, so no problems here - glad you like the song!
saro

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 09:04 PM

Peter and Saro-

There is that danger with all good traditional style songs that one hears, the assumption that they are traditional. I've heard rumors that my adaptation of Hamish Maclaren's "Yangste River Shanty" is cropping up in many strange and exotic corners of this world, and is considered a traditional shanty. Hamish would be amused!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Apr 08 - 09:12 AM

I've heard from Dave Robertson of the Swansea based sea music group Baggyrinkle. He confirms that they recorded "150 Days Out of Vancouver" on Old Swansea Town in 2000 and "Lee Fore Brace" on One More Pull in 2006.

I've also heard from Nobby Dye of The Harry Browns of Bristol that he is reviewing their CD's for C. Fox Smith songs.

I haven't heard back from Dogwatch yet to confirm the dates of their recordings.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: stallion
Date: 28 Apr 08 - 01:38 PM

John Conolly tells a story of being in Ireland when a band introduced Fiddlers Green as "that good old Irish traditional song", he said he felt that there were too many to argue with!

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Apr 08 - 03:48 PM

Here is the Harry Browns Discography via Nobby Dye:

Shipshape and Harry Fashion, © 2005

Tow Rope Girls (arrangement by Stephen Derrick)

Rolling Home to Bristol, © 2006

A Sea Burthen (tune by Jaqui Haigh)

Raising Wind with The Harry Browns, © 2007

Sacramento (tune by John Knowler)

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Apr 08 - 05:10 PM

Found another one:

Bung Up Bilge Free, by the Portsmouth Shantymen, © 2003

All Coiled Down (So Long), Tow-Rope Girls

Reviewing this list, I find it odd that so few women lead C. Fox Smith songs. I suppose that there are relatively few women in sea music groups period.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Apr 08 - 08:51 PM

Here's another important group that did an early recording of Sarah Morgan's adaptation of "Homeward":

Doin' the Manch, by Cockersdale, © 1988

Home Lads Home (Homeward)

There are probably a dozen or more other groups who have covered this particular song but Keith Marsden's group deserves special mention.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Saro
Date: 29 Apr 08 - 05:04 AM

I recorded it myself with Bread and Roses a few years earlier, but it is only on LP!
Saro

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Apr 08 - 03:40 PM

Saro-

Oh, I think we'll be sure credit you as a major contributor to the reviving of this old poem as a song, LP or CD. I think C. Fox Smith would be pleased as well.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 29 Apr 08 - 04:03 PM

Tall Stories (Ken Howard, Pat Ryan, Malcolm Gibbons) recorded Home, Lads, Home - on a cassette.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Apr 08 - 09:46 AM

Thanks, Kitty, for the additional reference. "Home, Lads, Home (Homeward" is the clear winner in this Discography so far. "The Tow-Rope Girls" is the runner-up.

We may need to revise the guidelines for this Discography so that we only include "primary" recordings. This could get sticky!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 May 08 - 10:36 AM

Here's another one which needs a little more information; I'm not sure what the title of the recording actually is:

Gerrans Churchtown

First adapted for singing by David Watts (UK) with collaboration from other members of Elsie's Band, © 2007.

I'm in correspondence with John Hills who says:

"The melody is an original idea by Dave Watts, just to suit the rhythm of the poem as he sees it. The arrangement you have on the mp3 is a collective effort on the part of all four of us, sharing the verses with my harmony, and the idea to include "Keep the Home Fires Burning" as a very apt instrumental break came from the imaginative Iris Bishop. We first completed it during the winter of 2007. We have not amended the poem in any way and, providing our memories behave during performances, stick to the original lines."

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: GUEST,John from Elsie`s Band
Date: 04 May 08 - 10:44 AM

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: GUEST,John from Elsie`s Band
Date: 04 May 08 - 10:49 AM

Dear Charley,
             Regarding "Gerrans Churchtown" it is to be found on our limited edition cd by "Elsie`s Band" called "Extra Rough Tracks".
                                                    Yours,
                                                      John

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: bradfordian
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 07:21 AM

Could someone confirm whether or not Martyn Wyndham-Reed (or anyone else)recorded a song based on CFS's Farewell to Anzac?

brad

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 11:46 AM

Martyn has recorded 'Farewell to Anzac' on his latest CD 'back to you', and very good it is too, even if it doesn't yet appear on his website. I doubt anyone has recorded it as the tune is Martyn's, and only dates from a little earlier this year.

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: The Doctor
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 12:11 PM

The above was me. I hadn't realised I wasn't logged in. That's what happens when you change your computer.

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 01:54 PM

Interesting! We'll be happy to update our information.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, currently in Greenwich, UK

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: NOMADMan
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 01:55 PM

Here's one that might be a bit obscure, from way back:

"From the North" - Gary and Vera Aspey on a 1975 Topic LP of the same name.

Regards,
John

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: bradfordian
Date: 05 Sep 10 - 08:25 AM

Martyn's CD BACK TO YOU is now listed on his website HERE
Farewell to Anzac is track 14.
I heard it sang at the FIRST FRIDAY IN THE MONTH FOLKNIGHT AT THE HARTSHEAD HOTEL GIGLESWICK (adjacent to Settle, North Yorks --for anyone in the area!)
That's two more to add to the discog Charlley!

brad

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: The Doctor
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 04:49 AM

That was me at The Harts Head too. I bought the CD at Whitby and started learning the song. Last Friday was the first time I'd sung it in public.

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: bradfordian
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 04:59 AM

Delighted to have met you Doc. Hope to be back at the Harts Head on bonfire night!

brad aka Barrie

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: bfdk
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 12:05 PM

Martyn sang the song at the Rifle Club in Whitby on 22nd August, I recorded it and have posted it (with Martyn's permission, I hasten to add) here: Farewell to Anzac. It's a very moving song.

Best wishes,

Bente

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Daniel Kelly
Date: 07 Apr 21 - 05:12 AM

I know I'm 11 years late to the party, but would it be possible to add my album?

        
Cicely Fox Smith Sung by Daniel Kelly, Daniel Kelly, 2020

link

Tracks:
Bewitched        
The Tow-Rope Girls        
The Oldest Thing in London        
The Fight of the Caroline        
The Ketch Ceres        
The Fair Hills of Ireland        
Deep Water        
The Anchor Watch        
The Loss of the Birkenhead        
Twelve Tree Barrow        
The Passing of Sail

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: r.padgett
Date: 07 Apr 21 - 08:58 AM

Pinch O'Salt ~ Alan Fitzsimmons, Peter Wood, and Danny McLeod had a compilation cassette Alan did the tunes ~
1 Sou'Spain
2 Copper Ore
3 Eight bells
4 Hoodoo
5 Tow Rope Girls
6 Let her go
7 Lee fore brace
8 Shanghai Passage
side 2
1 Cape Horner
2 Peaceable Mr M'Gee
3 Home for Christmas
4 A Sailor's Delight
5 Follow the sea
6 The half loaf
7 Merchantmen

Sea boot duff and Handspike Gruel 1995

Ray

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 07 Apr 21 - 01:16 PM

Daniel,

Never too late, and you've found some poems to adapt for singing that no one else has recorded.

We are now discussing a new downloadable edition of The Complete Poetry of Cicely Fox Smith, much more useful for singings who want to work on her poems.

Cheerily,
Charlie Ipcar, Co-editor

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: Reinhard
Date: 07 Apr 21 - 02:02 PM

On Mainly Norfolk I have these albums with tracks attributed to Cicely Fox Smith:

From the North, by Gary and Vera Aspey (1975)

From the North
The Parting

Beneath Our Changing Sky, by Test Valley Community Choirs (2001)

Home Lads, Home

A Little Bit Off the Top by Den Giddens (2003)

Home Lads Home

Liverpool Connexions by Hughie Jones and Friends (2005)

The Cape Horner
Shanghai Brown

Manchester Angel by Pete Wood (2007)

Shanghai Brown

Find the Lady by Belshazzar's Feast (2010)

Home Lads, Home

The Fox, the Hare and the Poacher's Fate by Danny Spooner, Duncan Brown (2011)

From the North

Only Remembered by Sarah Morgan (2013)

Home Lads, Home

A Day's Work by Mick Ryan (2014)

Home Lad, Home

Celebrating Cicely by Various Artists (2 CD, 2015)

A Celebration of the life and work of Cicely Fox Smith

Upward Onward by Peter & Barbara Snape (2016)

From the North

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: The Sandman
Date: 07 Apr 21 - 02:40 PM

Sailortown words Fox Smith, tune R Miles Around the Harbour Town Brewhouse 1988?

Subject: RE: Discography (C. Fox Smith)
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 Apr 21 - 08:55 AM

Sailortown words Fox Smith, tune R Miles Around the Harbour Town Brewhouse 2003