Singers and songs which stunned me .

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: ranger1
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 07:02 PM

- George Papavgeris singing Empty-handed at the first FSGS Getaway I went to.

- CMR singing Peppers and Tomatoes at SINSULL's.

- Barry Finn singing Juliana at the Press Room on my first visit.

- Richard Thompson singing Vincent Black Lightning in concert.

- Davey Steele (and the rest of The Battlefield Band) singing The Beaches of St. Valery.

That's just a few that I can think of off the top of my head.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Mrs Scarecrow
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 03:49 PM

Bill Caddick singing the Cloud Factory comes top of my list of many,

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Tiger
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 01:00 PM

Guy Clark - The Randall Knife

Planxty - True Love Knows No Season (Norman Blake's Billy Gray)

Kate Smith - God Bless America (original)

Dave Van Ronk - Another Time and Place

Jerry Jeff Walker - David and Me

John McDermott - The Faded Coat of Blue

Steve Earle - Fort Worth Blues

Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Hard Times, Come Again No More

Greenbriar Boys - I Heard the Bluebirds Sing

Paddy O'Reilly - The Dublin Minstrel

Eric Andersen - Just a Country Dream

Roger Whittaker - The Last Farewell

Nina and Frederik - Listen to the Ocean

Kate Wolf - The Trumpet Vine

Ian & Sylvia - Summer Wages

Burl Ives - Old Uncle Ned

Bluegrass Roy - Only a Bum

"The Fantastiks" - Plant a Radish

Bette Midler - The Rose

Dry Branch Fire Squad - Someone Play Dixie for Me

Garrison Brothers - Song for the Mira

Townes Van Zandt - Tecumseh Valley

Gordon Bok - Turning Toward the Morning

Johnny Cash - Ways of a Woman in Love

Clancy Brothers - The Wind that Shakes the Barley


plus, a number of the aforementioned.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Musket
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 12:53 PM

Vin Garbutt singing "Believe me if all those endearing young charms."
Tony Capstick singing "The bonny bunch of roses."
Harvey Andrews singing "Boothferry Bridge."
Dave Burland singing "I don't like Mondays."
Jake Thackray singing "on again on again."
Bernard Wrigley singing it too..
Cilla Fisher singing "Westling Winds."
Dick Gaughan playing reels

The thing in common? All remembered from the folk club in Worksop I was part of up till about thirty years ago. After it folded, I have enjoyed my folk music but the nostalgia element for me was upstairs at The Boundary, lighting the candles and most guests did actually stun me. Stunned that I could spend a pound, (zero if I did a floor turn..) and hear music that I got as much enjoyment out of as when I spent huge amounts at large concerts.

That's what kept me interested in folk clubs. Up until joining Mudcat, I hadn't even heard of the 1954 nonsense mentioned in the OP, and frankly, it is as irrelevant to me as the rule book on stamp collecting. I enjoy what I call folk and many acts have stunned me with their talent, depth of character and dedication to their art.

Long may this tradition continue, whether it is a tradition or indeed traditional (!)

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Edthefolkie
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 12:42 PM

Since this thread has popped up again, I forgot a stunner:

The Copper Family ages ago, somewhere in/near London, when dear Bob was still with us - I know Jill and John were there too, but I can't remember who else. To coin a phrase, Absolutely Fabulous. I was reminded of this because last night I was reading Vic Smith's wonderful 1970 interview with Bob on MUSTRAD.

And yes Diane, I was at the Clive Woolf benefit. Marvellous evening, even though a friend got a verbal smacking from June Tabor!

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 11:01 AM

So many songs, so little time!

Claudia Nygaard ~ his left side.

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Bill Winsbury
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 10:02 AM

So many..
Anne Briggs, Reynardine 1963?
Martin Carthy, Lord Franklin, Stockport 1963
Joan Baez, Pretty Boy Floyd
Nic Jones, The Drowned Lovers, Thelwall 1973?
June Tabor, The Shearing's Not For You, Hungerford 1972?
Dick Gaughan, The Green Linnet, Hungerford 197?
Tony Rose - Just as the Tide Was Flowing, Reeading, 1971?
The Young Tradition, Chicken on a Raft, Kingston, 1969 - fair made the hairs stand up on the back of your neck when they went into the chorus

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: olddude
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 05:36 PM

Kendall Morse "Ashes on the Sea"
Bruce Murdoch "Fool like Me"
Art Thieme "Lone Prairie"
Jerry Rasmussen "Hand Full of Songs"
Frank Hamilton "Blue Mountain"
Ron Bankley "Jambalaya in Jamalia"

Harry Chapin "Taxi"

not in any order, just some off hand

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 05:25 PM

Chris Wood singing Hollow Point-simply staggering

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Graham_Pirt
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 05:10 PM

Louis Killen singing Bold Princess Royal
Ray Fisher - anything at all
Jim Sharpe - Auld Fishers fareweel te the Coquet
John Kirkpatrick - Little bit of yarn
Hissyfit - Luckiest Sailor (Brilliantly written by Linda Kelly)
Keith Marsden - I remember Morley

Amongst many

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Rev. Dan
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 10:53 AM

A few easily come to mind, first time I saw them I was agape:

Jim Lauderdale (1994, opening solo for Nick Lowe)
Fred Eaglesmith (1996, with trio, opening for Cowboy Junkies)
John Wesley Harding (1994-present)

Jill Sobule.

and lately, Bronwen Exter.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: SqueezeMe
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 10:20 AM

Far to many to list....but stand outs include:

Bernard Wrigley singing falsetto 'The Girl from Ipanema" at, I think, Trowbridge Festival, c1974.

Peter Bellamy playing what must have been the complete works of blues legend Robert Johnson at a party in Sydney c1980.

Canadian Vera Johnson playing at the Troubadour Club in Bristol c1970.

Garstang Morris Men, the first "non-Cotswold" side I'd ever seen, somewhere around 1972, dancing a processional after nightfall by torchlight, somewhere on the Fylde coast. Amazing!

First time I saw and heard the somewhat offbeat harmonies of The Songwainers, c1971.

Listening to the Copper Family's "A Song for Every Season" for the first time on vinyl, c1971.

First time I ever heard "Dancing at Whitsun", probably Tim Hart on the Summer Solstice LP. One of my all-time favorite songs.

Recently? Hmmm. Sadly, a little less "stunnable" as I've got older....

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: AnneMC
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 09:25 PM

Rik Baron singing "No Place for Children"
Archie Roach singing " Christmas Eve"

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 08:34 PM

Forgive me if I may weigh in.


The "year 2525"..."Secret Agent Man" were my modern day favorites.

However, I always looked forward to the family meetings. Those songs played may never well be played again.

In my humble opinion: The flags have passed....the musicians have passed. That only means one thing. The Armies are coming.

Thank you for your time and your forum.

With Respect,

Lowell Lee

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Mike Yates
Date: 18 Nov 10 - 05:30 AM

Two singing memories stand out for me. The first was being taken by Fred Jordan to a pub in Ludlow to hear the gypsy singer May Bradley. It was a busy Saturday night, with a lot of singing, but then May was asked to sing and she gave us "The Leaves of Life". Talk about a spine-tingling moment! It was incredible. The second was also in a pub, this time in Suffolk. Again, there was quite a bit of singing going on and, during a lull, Fred Whiting began to sing his poaching song "Who Owns the Game?". To say that I was knocked out is, if anything, an understatement.

One final memory. This time from a singer, though not about singing. I was in Virginia at a place called Fancy Gap and was talking to the singer Dan Tate. Dan started talking about "the war" and people he knew who had fought there. I thought that he was talking about the 1st World War, but then he mentioned the battle of Shiloh and I realised that Dan was talking about people he had known who had fought in the American Civil War.I just could not believe that I was talking to a man who had known people who had fought in that war. I still shake my head in wonderment when I recall that conversation!

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: tritoneman
Date: 18 Nov 10 - 03:14 AM

I still find myself quite overwhelmed when I listen to Packie Byrne singing the Holland Handkerchief.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,`seth from Olympia
Date: 18 Nov 10 - 02:31 AM

Rev Gary Davis at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania in 1963 or 4. Din't know who he was, didin't know anything about his music came out of there felt as if I was in a Waring blender for about three weeks-like some of the stuff on here the thread just kept unravekin' and here I am and it's 2010 and I've got 6000 blues, jazz and folk albums I don't know what to do with.....

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Vicki Kelsey
Date: 17 Nov 10 - 08:07 PM

This is from Fox Hollow days, in the late 60's because she chose the venues in which to sing it carefully. Jean Redpath, doing "The Seal Song" in the natural ampitheater. The hair still stands up on my arms, and I can hear the seal call going on forever across the audience and into the surrounding countryside.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Midchuck
Date: 17 Nov 10 - 09:52 AM

Dunno whether this belongs on this thread or the "Folk Music in the Internet Age" thread - probably both. But I recently got a link, on another list, to Youtube videos of Paul Brady, back in the '70s, doing "Lakes of Ponchartrain" and "Arthur McBride," and I says to myself, says I, "Holy S***, how can I have been involved with folk and quasi-folk music for 50 years and never heard or seen this guy?"

I guess he does mostly rock, so these are a relatively well-kept secret.

Peter

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 17 Nov 10 - 07:54 AM

Interviewing the Late Townes Van Zandy at the old Robin R&B club Dudley in 1994, then watching his siperb 2 hour concert and sang For The Sake Of The song which I'd requested. Lovely gentle person

Gilly Derby at the Olde White Rose in Bilston 2003 a wo0nderful version of Feel My Love

Mick Cambell,then with Scartaglen singing Greenfields Of France, first time I'd hear the song and bringing the house down as very few others hard heard it then (1981 ish)

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Nobodys bard
Date: 17 Nov 10 - 06:39 AM

Martyn Wyndham Read has a wonderful voice & style. I was totally blown away when I first heard Martin Carthy & likewise Nic Jones - High Level Ranters version of Long Lankin still does it for me - in a non folk vein - Solitude
&
I Got It Bad

And anything else from this great album

I could list many others

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Elmore
Date: 16 Nov 10 - 12:12 PM

Thirty odd years ago, Martyn Wyndham-Read singing "the Rose", Priscilla Herdman singing "do You Think that I Do Not Know?"

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,schlimmerkerl
Date: 15 Nov 10 - 05:20 PM

WFMT in Chicago used to run a (mostly folk) program called "The Midnight Special" (still on, i think) on Saturday night from 10 to 12 (or so). Late summer evening 1963, breeze wafting into the dark bedroom. Norm introduces a "young singer from Greenwich Village"— or something like that. On comes Bob Dylan with "Blowin' in the Wind". Sitting in stunned silence. Wow. What the heck was THAT!? And so the 60s began.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: David C. Carter
Date: 15 Nov 10 - 06:07 AM

I go with SINSULL on this one (Dylan-Hard Rain)

Much later my wife took me home to the familly house in Croatia.
It was Christmas,my father in law came back to the house with several of his friends.They sat at the table and sang just about every Dalmatian song they could think of.I had to leave the room.
He's gone now,but I can still hear him singing.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: I don't know
Date: 15 Nov 10 - 05:49 AM

Dougie Mclean - Caledonia
Richard Shindell - Are you happy now
John Wright - What's the use of wings, Ragland road, Naked to the eye, Sand & water, Reconciliation.
Eric Bogle - Waltzing Matilda
Jackie Leven - Autumn song
Sylvia Kelly (Stained Glass)- Winter traveling man
Mundy-Turner - Markham Main
Show of Hands - Widecombe fair

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 15 Nov 10 - 05:15 AM

Steeleye Span... Somewhere Along The Road.

The High Kings...The Parting Glass.    Watch this one all the way through to se how they finish a show... Live it is enthralling.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 09 Jun 10 - 07:15 PM

bseed(charleskratz)

The above gentleman posted around May of 2009 and asked the whereabouts of one Jon Adams, from whom both of us had learned a number of songs in the late 1950's and early 1960's in Fresno, California. In case you are still out there, Jon is still alive (or was as of a couple of months ago). I believe he worked for some time at the Lemoore Naval Air Station in some capacity. He recently lost his mother in an accident near Sacramento, I believe, but promised to get back in touch once things settled a bit. He has made appearances (rarely) in San Diego for a roots festival hereabouts. That was where we reconnected a few years back. The coffee house you probably recall was The Renaissance, on Blackstone Avenue. Dave Barber, a chiropractor from L.A. moved to Fresno and opened it. We must have entered service not too far apart - I was inducted in Jan. 1961.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Big Ballad Singer
Date: 09 Jun 10 - 01:23 PM

Tommy Makem singing "Four Green Fields"

Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers singing "The Leaving Of Liverpool"

Stan Rogers singing "Mary Ellen Carter" and "Northwest Passage"

Pete Seeger singing "Where Have All the Flowers Gone"

Woody Guthrie singing "This Land Is Your Land"

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Essex girl
Date: 09 Jun 10 - 10:47 AM

The late John Wright singing anything was truely mindblowing. The first time I saw him was Chippenham Folk Festival & the standing ovation was unbeliveable.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Fyldeplayer
Date: 09 Jun 10 - 09:00 AM

First time I heard Ann Wiseman. Went with party from Dingles to Cornwall. Cocky young gun with guitar wondering how quiet small lady with guitar was going to be. First pub stop she sang - power, passion, presence and great songs. Glad to read she's still performing. Hope Ann gets up our way (Berks).

Steve Turner - performing St Elena and Lorry Ride

Sam Lee - seen at Chippenham concert 2010, not my usual fayre but crickey what a delivery.

Sylvia Barnes in Scotch Measure.

My other half - still delivering 'pin-drop' moments.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Terry Kemp
Date: 09 Jun 10 - 06:53 AM

The 'Count House' at Bottalack 1964:-
1) John the Fish singing 'San Francisco Bay Blues'
2) Brenda Wootton and John , with great audience in the chorus' of 'Wild Mountain Thyme' & 'Way down to Tremorna'
3) Ralph Mc Tell singing 'Streets of London' in public for the first time.

1965 Yeovil Folk Club @ The Yetties' and Paul Simon before he became famous singing 'Sparrow'.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Kampervan
Date: 09 Jun 10 - 03:53 AM

Billy Joel Downeaster Alexa

Don't knock if you've never heard it (preferably played VERY loud).

K/van

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,happylassie
Date: 09 Jun 10 - 03:49 AM

Seeing Matt Shenks outside Orlando House of Blues when visiting Florida 2 years ago.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: kendall
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 07:27 PM

I believe it is, Jeri. It's a real heart breaker for anyone who ever loved a boat. No potato farmer would ever understand.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 05:56 PM

Judy Dyble singing "See Emily Play". Nice one Judy!

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Alan Squires
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 03:21 PM

Seeing Paul Brady in a small folk club in Nottingham playing solo, before his career exploded and he played superb mandolin and guitar. All his songs were brilliant

Seeing Nic Jones at the Bamalouka Folk Club in Ockbrook, Derby when he was singing his songs off Penguin Eggs crockery Chair etc - priceless. He was(still is) one of my best ever singers.

Seeing Waterson Carthy at derby Folk festival two years ago and hearing Norma singing Black Muddy River(Grateful Dead song) that had me in bits it was so great.

Hearing Martin Carthy's version of Heatbreak Hotel

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Tootler
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 03:04 PM

At the Black Bull Bender this weekend just past, a lass of about 14/15 yrs stood up and sang "When Fishes Fly" with poise and assurance. She had a lovely voice and it was a superb performance.

Definitely a singer which stunned me.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,From York
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 07:53 AM

Stan Rogers' Lockkeeper sung by Dan McKinnon.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: banksie
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 07:42 AM

If tune playing is allowed as well I'd nominate the band (name now I can't remember) that featured Ralph Jordan and the late Nigel Chippendale. Simply stunning stuff and the sort of musicianship that was strangely encouraging. I have often heard a musican and thought `that was so good I think I'll give up trying' but Nigel and Ralph together made me think `if I can get to be 10% as good as them I'll be bloody amazing'. Haven't got there yet, of course, but had a lot of fun on the way.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: mg
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 02:06 AM

Here's a brand new..young Newfoundland girl..

Watch her over the years..what a voice..and a great piano player. Some wedding song..

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=kaylamallay#p/u/17/O20TVHC9YFE

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Bert
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 09:32 PM

Ruby Murray - Softly, softly
Norman Wisdom - Don't laugh at me 'cos I'm a fool
Patsy Peters - anything she cares to sing
Vance Gilbert - King of Rome
katlaughing - That's not My Colorado
McGrath of Harlow - Blue clicky thing

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Jeri
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 07:50 PM

Kendall, the Sean Gagnier song?

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: kendall
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 07:42 PM

The Wheel house door sung by Gordon Bok.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 07:09 PM

Oh, and a few years back, hearing Tarja Turunen do "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan". I only recognised the work "keiitos" ("thank you") right at the end, but the song still made me well up:

Tarja Turunen

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 07:06 PM

I'm glad someone mentioned the "Sons of the Pioneers." As a youngster growing up in ranch country in the late 1940's, "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," among others, were like folk songs to me. Their arrangements seemed haunting at times. Bob Nolan had quite a run as a composer. Oh, and Leonard Slye(Better known as Roy Rogers)was one of the founders. After his departure, another cowboy actor, Ken Curtis (Festus on TV's Gunsmoke) was with them for some time. The comedy musical group, "Riders in the Sky," has long paid homage to their legacy.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 04:27 PM

Happily, there are just so many songs and times to choose from....but for my money Niamh Parsons' CD "The Old Simplicity" does it for me every time. Even better when you see her performing the songs live! Just recently Si Kahn's 'Custodian' from his CD "Courage".

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Larry The Radio Guy
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 04:23 PM

Tony Kosinec: two songs of his. Listen to the Hukilau, and Heart of a Small Business.

Also when I first heard Peggy Lee sing the Leiber and Stoller composition of "Is That All There Is"? (with Randy Newman on piano). I was in my car at the time and almost drove off the road.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: DonMeixner
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 03:17 PM

Andy Cohen singing "I Come and Stand At Everydoor>"
Billy Edd Wheeler singing "Coal Tattoo" " The Coming of The Road"
Jed Marum singing "Prayer from Little Round Top"
Anne Byrne singing "Crooked Jack"
The Sons of The Pioneers singing "Blue Bonnett Girl"
Ewan Macoll singing "The Lags Song"

Don

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,folkyfan
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 03:10 PM

Jackie Oates singing a new song to her repertoire called "The Nightingale" - just beautiful. All of Lal Waterson's "Once in a Blue Moon" album. Cara Dillon's "Bonnie Bonnie".

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Art Thieme
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 03:09 PM

re: No More Cane On The Brazos

The arrangement that the Mitchell Trio did was taken from Bob Gibson. It was a fav of mine too, but by Bob.

Art

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: MikeL2
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 02:47 PM

hi

Many of the songs and singers that moved me have been suggested above...so I will not dwell on them.

Like other members here I have been mostly moved by live performances more than recordings or TV.

Some "non-folk" renderings that have moved me were.....

1. Chet Baker singing My Funny Valentine - the man was a master of trumpet, cornet and flugal horn and I didn't know that he sang !!

2. Frank Sinatra - Nancy With The laughing Face - the master at work

3. Nana Miscouri singing Attic Toys - she stopped a noisy audience dead in their tracks and you could hear a pin drop.

4. Gordon Lightfoot singing Canadian Railroad Trilogy - more folky but when I watched him I was blown out....great

Many more I could add to this very interesting thread.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,CAPT
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 01:09 PM

The first folk song in the first folk club I went to in 1975(Applegate Folk Club) was by Stained Glass & called "Kiss the Day Goodbye" followed by there excallent version of "Lord Franklin" then I think it was another self penned "Winter Travelling Man" & the guest that night was (the late) Alex Atterson. As a 16 year old that didn't know what to expect as I had never been to a club or listened to anything like these songs before I was blow away. Since then I have been stunned by many artist including this last saturday night by Rich Wood of Elbow Jane sounding so like James Taylor. There are so many artists & songs to recall, but what lovely memories to have.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 12:37 PM

The Weavers - "Good Night Irene" - on the radio in 1951 or '52.
Merle Travis - "Dark as a Dungeon" - on the radio in 1954
Josh White & Sam Gary - "Gonna Raise a Ruckus Tonight" - 1958
The Chad Mitchell Trio - "Ain't No More Cane on the Brazos" - 1961
Nancy Quense - "Mary Hamilton" - 1962 in Tacoma, WA
The New Lost City Ramblers and Sam Hinton on stage at the Ash Grove, circa 1963.

Too many others to recall.

And for a small coda on all that, Tom Paxton and Mike Seeger at University of California San Diego - 2005 or so.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Sam
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 11:10 AM

'The Wilson Family' - 'Close The Coal House Door'

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: melodeonboy
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 09:38 AM

Well, I always feel stunned every time I see Tone Deaf Leopard (and am sometimes unable to speak for some time afterwards), but I don't think that's quite what was meant in the thread title! :)

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,MadAuntieCat
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 09:22 AM

'The Easter Tree', at the Plume of Feathers Folk Festival last year (unsure of the singer but he had a Big Bushy Beard...like that narrows it down..)

'Coal Hole Cavalry' as sung by Jackie Phillips has me in tears without fail.

'Tom Of Bedlam', to the point that I've made it one of my signature tunes.

'Helas Outremer' (a lament), sung by Paescod.

'It was a Lover' and his Lass...my dad sung that to me from when I was ver' young.

'Ratcatcher's Daughter'- again the Paescod version. Energetic and fun and clever.

The last one I can only describe- by a group of Irish Re-enactors at an event somewhere in the south of England about 13 years ago...a girl with a voice like a ripe peach sung a haunting counterpoint to the rhythmic bass chanting of the men in her group . The men were repeating goddess names over and over like a dirge, and her voice...all rather like port and stilton...

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 07 Jun 10 - 08:30 AM

My earliest memories of being "stunned" by a song are:

- Who Knows Where The Time Goes - The Fairport/ Sandy Denny version with Richard Thompson's guitar providing a superb background.

- A guy at a singaround in either the Fox & Goose at Illston-on-the-Hill or a pub whose name I've forgotten in Shearsby (just can't remember which village it was...they had regular singarounds though) in around 1974. He sang "Feel Like I'm Fixing To Die Rag" with such feeling that it made the hairs on my arms stand up!

- Coming right off folk, Velvet Underground/ Nico's "All Tomorrow's Parties" did the same when I first heard it.

And more recerntly, Flossie Malavialle's rendition of "John Condon" rocked me right back in my seat...SO much more powerful and emotional than the Mary Dillon version I'd heard previously. So much so that it inspired me to sing it myself...my first ever unaccompanied public rendition of anything. Nowhere near as good as Flossie, but the fact that *anything* could inspire me enough to sing unaccompanied is something I would never have credited a few months ago.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Smokey.
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 07:46 PM

Dave Goulder singing 'January Man'. Or anything else, come to think.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: ollaimh
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 07:26 PM

i was at the may celebrations at the cecil sharpe house this year and saw mathew ord, everything he sand and played i the best guitar playing i've heard in years was stunning, i bought his cd ad every track is equally stunning.

he's a real traditional gem

of course in the past i had many such moments.

first hearing omar blondel sing canadian folk songs as a child, the the clancy brothers sing the songs of revolution and rebellion, and then doc watson's album with the "cat came back"

i was given these three as my forst albums by some one i can't remember and they were all so different and so fiecely true to themselves i was stunned.

we heard local nova scotia folk but it was put down and made fun of back then, these albums made me realize that there was a world of traditionally bases music , and that we might actually be part of it and not just country bumpkins.

then of course, john allan cameron, figgy duff and stan roigers

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Judy Dyble
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 03:40 PM

we all have those Betsy... what was I saying? :-)

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Betsy
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 03:30 PM

I stand corrected Judy - I think it's called a Senior moment .
Cheers
Betsy

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 09:19 AM

Lots of good stuff here - One that grabbed me was Alex Campbell singing Band Played Waltzing Matilda in High Wycombe - I found a VERY bad cassette of J T singing it and learnt it straight away .
George Papavgeris doing Flowers and the Guns had a similar effect eight years ago .

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: gnu
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 09:13 AM

Could ya hum a few bars, T?

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: mauvepink
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 09:01 AM

"My wonderful friend mauvepink(on this forum) singing Reg Meuross's Until I Hold You Once Again, especially the time when I looked round and there were several people crying."

Apologies: My singing can be TERRIBLE some nights! ;-)

The first time I ever saw Johnny Cash sing "Hurt" and the video that accompanied it ripped me apart. It still can if my mood is low. Tragic :-(

So many songs touch me deeply that it would take a small book to put them all in. Suffice it to say that since I was introduced to folk music my tear ducts get regular exercise. I would not have it any other way.

mp

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Judy Dyble
Date: 06 Jun 10 - 08:10 AM

Ummm do you mean Gay Woods? Original member of Steeleye Span with her husband Terry Woods, Ashley Hutchings, Tim Hart and Maddy Prior

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Betsy
Date: 05 Jun 10 - 08:25 PM

Hiya Lighter, whether they're Traditional songs /singers or not matters very little , it was just a thread so people could remember (almost) life-changing songs and singers.
The listing is in one's own head and ones own time - it's probably endless . Apart from what has been and I know as I type that Gale Woods singing of Dark Eyed Sailor was a great inspiration to a well known Irish singer and I think it stunned him to sort of extent.
My daughter around 12 years old (18 years ago) was moved to tears by June Tabor singing the Unicorn.
Different strokes for different folks - it's only a talk shop after all.
"mg" I cannot fault your comments re:- Luke Kelly - fabulous distictive singer and performer , sadly missed .
Cheers Betsy

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: mike gouthro
Date: 05 Jun 10 - 08:00 PM

The whole Dylan Freewheelin' album when I first heard it in Apr 64.

But the real signature stun moment for me was in Montreal in Dec 1964 at the then waning Fifth Amendment, Gary Eisenkraft's first venue. The moment consisted of Bruce Murdoch teaching me and a friend the rudiments of Travis picking (Dylan picking) which he had acquired on his first trip to NYC in late 1964.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 05 Jun 10 - 07:40 PM

Another one who had IT was Bob Kotta..often mentioned at mudcat. He is on our tugboat CD singing with Mariide...and people just kept coming up to me at folklife and saying how great it was to hear him again (because he died a number of years ago). Now, if you hear him on the CD and didn't know him, I don't know if this will come across or not..you will hear a very good singer of course, and a great jaunty song..but there was just so much more..sheer delight in singing is one factor. I don't know what the others are...mg

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: mg
Date: 05 Jun 10 - 06:06 PM

I am really starting to be stunned by Luke Kelly...to me he doesn't have the best voice in the world, although many people would disagree...and he seemed to sing and record the same songs over and over, but if you really go through You Tube you will find that is not exactly so. But there is SOMETHING about him when you not just listen to him but watch him on you tube...some sort of spirit that framed him almost..especially in the very latest videos or recordings of him shortly before he died..Song for Ireland and Night Visitors Song. I can't think of too many people who have that indefinable quality...mg

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Art Thieme
Date: 04 Jun 10 - 10:00 PM

REFISH

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: raredance
Date: 24 May 09 - 01:46 AM

1950s
Wings Over Jordan Choir singing "Rock My Soul In the Bosom of Abraham"
Pete Seeger recording of "Mary Don't You Weep"

1960s
Judy Collins and whales recording of "Farewell to Tarwaithe"
Phil Ochs recording "Crucifixion"
John Denver doing "Bells of Rhymney" live at a Mitchell Trio concert
original version of "Sounds of Silence"

1970s
Doc Watson live in concert
Stan Rogers in general and "Northwest Passage" in particular

1990s
Tamarack recording of "Frobisher Bay"
Garnet Rogers doing "Night Drive" solo in concert

2000s
Tom Russell's recording of "Blood Oranges" I was stunned in the sense that it gave me the shivers and totally creeped me out.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 24 May 09 - 01:20 AM

Guest, I remember Jon Adams--I learned "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye" from him, along with
"Moonshiner." A fine singer and guitarist...anyone know what happened to him? I think he came to the Bay Area from Fresno, either just before I went into the Peace Corps in 1963 or just after I came home in "65.

Charles

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Padre
Date: 24 May 09 - 12:46 AM

Helen Schneyer singing "Sheath and Knife"

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Max
Date: 23 May 09 - 09:14 PM

I am writing this now as Joel Mabus is getting a standing ovation. Great show.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 11:09 AM

Apologies to the webmaster - I hit the "send" key inadvertently. The immediately preceding message was mine.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 11:08 AM

Ronan Tynan performing "The Town I Loved So Well"
Arlo Guthrie - "City of New Orleans"
Willie Nelson, et al - "Pancho & Lefty"

While none are likely considered folk songs, each has a haunting, evocative quality that I happen to like and lyrics and imagery that play on your mind.

I recall the first time I ever heard "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye," done by a local singer named Jon Adams in a coffee house in Fresno, CA in around 1959-60. You could have heard a pin drop.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 11:01 AM

There are SO many it's hard to chose.

Lady P sing Bold Sir Rilus (sp)
Micca's song Theipval (sp)
Morticia singing St James Imfirmary.

Sorry about the spelling.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Lighter
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 10:31 AM

FWIW, rather more than half of the titles mentioned in this thread were composed within the last generation by known authors, and the lyrics rarely vary.

In other words, more than half are "singer-songwriter" compositions rather than "traditional" songs.

I'm not criticizing. I just think it's interesting and maybe surprising.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Murphy
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 08:02 AM

So how did Susan Boyle stun the world? BEAUTY. The inner beauty of this woman exploded like a supernova and obliterated the sham of a million "superstars" cloned from a size zero clingfilm bag with no soul.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Skipper Jack
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 07:14 AM

"Can We Go Home Now" The title track of the 1995 album produced and performed by The Roches.

I played it on my folk programme on local radio and was amazed by the feedback from my listeners.

One particular, who was a district nurse, said she had to stop the car and pull into a layby to listen to the track.

Needless to say all those "fans" wanted full details of the album.

It is certainly one of my favourites.

Dave R. Swansea.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Maggie Holland
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 03:30 AM

"...Maggie Holland, singing The Death Of Blair Peach...." is mentioned above.

The title of the song is 'The Water of Dreams' and it was written by Ralph McTell - I learned it from an album of the same name he recorded in the early eighties.

Maggie

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 07:05 AM

Last Wednesday, Dave Bishop, I live not where I love. One of those performances that make you fall in love with traditional song all over again.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Betsy
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 05:55 AM

I am in total agreement with Diane's last sentence above it is almost criminal that these recordings are being held in this way.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Bainbo
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 05:44 AM

A comparatively recent "takes-your-breath-away" moment was hearing Mary Gauthier sing I Drink, on the Theme Time Radio Hour CD.

As a result, I went to see her at the Little Theatre, in Gateshead - and every song was pretty much as good as that one.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 04:36 AM

I do so wish this upstart Zimmerperson (surely he - must be a HE - knows the name is taken?) would leave the room. It's boring having to overhear him make an arse of himself.

Ed: So you too were at the YT gig for Clive Woolf and at the Howff just down the road for that memorable Sandy Denny night. I wish I still had all those Leader/Trailer LPs from 5 North Villas just a bit further down the road. My dubbed tapes have disintegrated. Or, better still, that they should be released from the clutches of their current keeper and reissued on CD with the artists getting their dues.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,Edthefolkie
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 04:19 AM

Joseph Taylor "Brigg Fair" on the Leader album
Billy Pigg "Biddleston Hornpipe" on another Leader album
Richard Thompson "Neasden Hornpipe" live 36 years ago
Young Tradition I think at Clive Woolf's benefit
Pete Bellamy debuting some of the songs from "The Transports"
Mr Gladstone's Bag (Oh my Gawd!)
Sandy Denny performing "Solo" at the Howff
June Tabor performing "and The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" at the Enterprise
Bob Dylan performing "It's All Right Ma I'm Only Bleeding" on the BBC
Fairport performing "The Deserter" on "Liege and Lief" purchased Dec 1969, drove my Dad and Mum mad right through Christmas!
Sorry can't think of recent ones, right hemisphere of brain shut down because of triple leaving party last night......

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 03 Apr 09 - 12:35 AM

Strathclyde University Folk Club in the late sixties was run by Brian Miller and friends. Usually took place in the Glasgow Folk Club premises, a top-floor tenement flat across George Street from the old Anderson College buildings. Guests I remember - Davy Stewart, Barbara Dickson, Alan Tall, Rab Noakes.

This night for some reason we were in a big, bare classroom in the newer part of the University. Guests were Glasgow group the Clutha, who were managing to overcome the unhelpful atmosphere of the room with some great traditional music and song. There must have been other floor-singers there that evening, but one stands out in my mind. Even for those days, his appearance was bizarre. His bear-like size was augmented by a huge great-coat. That and his bushy beard and hair gave the impression of a survivor from Napoleon's Russian campaign. When he stood up to sing, he had everybody's attention.

The song he sang was "Cam' Ye O'er fae France", which I thought I knew fairly well. But the venom that he put into his delivery made me see it in a different light. It was as though he knew all the characters in the song personally, and as if their actions were personal insults which he had kept bottled up right to the point when he began to sing.

It's that sort of passion, a complete dedication to the song, that has kept me involved with this music for more than forty years. It's not always there, but it crops up often enough to keep things interesting.

Ross

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: gnu
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 09:23 PM

I could agree with many above... and add many.

For me, it would be what I witnessed live that stunned me...

Tops.... Tommy Makem singing "Four Green Fields" thirty feet away from me and making my chest reverberate... his voice was SO powerful.

Second... Joey Kitson (Rawlins Cross) singin "Long Night" and hitting that note that he held forever and beyond.

Third... when I was about six months old... my old man singing my Come'all'ye.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Zimmerman
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 09:10 PM

Diane muttering darkly again

See, there you go again - starting a fight in an empty room, with your idiocies and your benighted.

Chill out - spring is here, Obama's in town, things can only get better.

My theory is that you and L*zz** C*rn*sh, with your asterisks and parentheses, (blimey it's contagious) just ought to pour yourselves a cup of tea and calm yourselves down and think what you're going to say before you start bashing your keyboard in that inchoate way of yours.

OK, you and her have slightly different agendas, but the effect is similar.

See what I did there with that slightly?

Anyway, to stay on topic, you took the words out of my mouth with your evocation of those songs by Dick Gaughan, Leon Rosselson and Billy Bragg. Next time there's another positive thread like this one I'm going to try and stay ahead of you.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Betsy
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 07:18 PM

Although I adore anything that Maddy Prior sings I and another nameless person were knocked out by Dark Eyed Sailor - by Steeleye Span which I believe was sang by Gail (spelling? perhaps Gale ) Woods

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Amos
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 02:57 PM

OF late, Kendall Morse's rendition of "Palace So Grand", "Haying Time", and "Rolling Home to Old New England".

Earlier, Gordon Boks "Schooners" album, most everything in it.

Bruce Murdoch's "Jericho".

Kate Wolfe's "Nobody Lives Here Anymore".

Christine Lavin's "The Kind Of Love You Never Recover From".

Jed Marum's "Sweet Wyoming Home".

Mick Lane's "Parting Glass".

Rick Fielding's "Patrick Spencer".

Much earlier, the Almanac Singers, the Weavers, Frank and Huddie and Bobbie and Sonny and Brownie and others each in their moment.

A

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: alanabit
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 02:22 PM

Downes and Beer singing Leon Rosselson's "Across The Hills" in the seventies and Steve Ashley's "The Rough With the Smooth" in about 1980. Bill Boazman singing "Bless These Children" sometime in the seventies. Cyril Tawney singing "Diesel and Shale" and "The Grey Funnel Line" in a small club in Stoke on Trent in the early eighties. Paul Emery and Anni McCann singing John Martyn's "Head and Heart" in Amsterdam's Last Waterhole in 1981.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,jim mac farland
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 12:01 PM

Paddy Tunney singing "THE MOUNTAIN STREAMS" in a pub in Buncrana Co. Donegal

Corney McDaid singing "FALSE LOVER JOHN" back in the late sixties

and further back

my grandmother when we were kids singing to us "MAGGIE PICKINS" as she bounced us on her knee.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: DebC
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 11:50 AM

Steeleye Span's "King Henry" first heard when I was about 14 years old.

Deb Cowan

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 11:23 AM

At a long defunct coffee house called "The End," on South Tacoma Way in Tacoma, Washington in 1962 - Nancy Quense singing "A la Claire Fontaine." For some reason, that memory lingers even now.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 11:14 AM

no dark wintry mutterings

I know lots of dark wintry songs and tunes.
And I will mutter (or even shout) misanthropically at idiocies uttered or perpetrated against the art forms I love.

In this thread I have mostly commented on what others have said and filled in gaps.
Not a lot of scope for anyone to find anything "inexplicably" incomprehensible.
But you never know.
Or perhaps said sunshine has let a little clarity into some benighted heads.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 10:45 AM

Back in the late 80's I was enthralled by a concert given by Joel Mabus. There was not a song out of place. There was not a bad song in the bunch. I was floating. Around that same time I saw the trio of Anne Hills, Cindy Mangsen, and Phyllis Herdman. Wonderfully simple arrangements of great songs with three wonderful voices shining.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,OldNicKilby
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 08:55 AM

Cathy Cowan singing "If from the deep deep floor of ocean"
Geoff Halford Maid of Australia
Brian Dawson Horkstow Grange and almost anything else
Jeff Wesley just singing
Will Noble for his consumate mastery of the art
Vic Simpson for singing Kens Song variously known as Borneo
Steve Thomason for singing Child Ballads
These are my kind of singers

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Zimmerman
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 07:13 AM

The Songwainers, circa 1963, with the Copper Family's version of Spencer The Rover. It was the first time I'd heard a capella harmony singing and changed my musical tastes forever.

PS And what a pleasant surprise to log on this sunny spring morning and fine Diane Easby's contributions matching the weather - no dark wintry mutterings, just a rare glimpse of her love of the music which she all too often champions with an inexplicable misanthropy.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Betsy
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 07:09 AM

Hi Cap'n - Dick's a great songwriter an' all !!!

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Apr 09 - 05:21 AM

Richard Grainger singing BornToday

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 03:11 PM

Art, we won't mention the fish jokes. Another song and singer that stunned me occasion was when Louis Killen came with us to a singing/playing session at the Malone's house in Wilmette one of the years he was playing Fox Valley. He'd asked me to play an arrangement Kate Early and I had worked up of Salisbury Plain, because he wasn't quite sure he approved of the "Flamenco guitar riff" I did between a couple of the verses.

After I played that, and got his approval, I asked him if he could sing me "The Flying Cloud," which he did. Sure quieted the room down fast. I think it may have been one of the last times I saw Gerri Armstrong, as she was there, too.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: MartinRyan
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 09:53 AM

Two very different examples:

First hearing the recording of John Reilly singing The Well Below the Valleyand realising that the man singing this song as old as time and sounding that way himself, had died in poverty aged about forty.

At a festival in Wexford, hearing Paddy Berry sing a modern sporting ballad called Cuchulainn's Sons about the Rackard brothers who had played hurling for Wexford in the 1950's. I think one of them had died shortly before and the electric atmosphere was astonishing. As it happens, the last of the brothers died recently - and a new verse was added to the song.

Regards

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Art Thieme
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 09:04 AM

Phil, Thanks! That song of Don Lange's means a lot to me--as does your mentioning it.

I was in the Club De Wash in Madison, Wisconsin--where Peter and Lou Berryman hold court, in the 1970s, when a fellow came up to me and told me, with tears in his eyes, that my record of "Here's To You Rounders" saved his marriage!

I was stunned then, and it still makes everything -- even the hard roads -- worthwhile -- to this day.

Art

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Bruce MacNeill
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 07:13 AM

With appologies for being American, Harry Chapin, "Cats in the Cradle". I was on the road a lot at the time. The really sad thing being that he grew up pretty much just like me.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Simon G
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 05:01 AM

My wonderful friend mauvepink(on this forum) singing Reg Meuross's Until I Hold You Once Again, especially the time when I looked round and there were several people crying.

Geroge Papavgeris - Memory

Mick Ryan - The Man I Killed

For me the single most stunning performance is Cloudstreet - King Willy. I love watching an audience that isn't expecting the Witch's voice.

But most of all I'm stunned when people react emotionally to my feeble attempts to sing a song. I'm always amazed at the power of a song to break through an at best average performance and touch people's hearts.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 10:46 PM

Art Thieme singing Here's to you Rounders at juicy john pink's in 1977.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Betsy
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 08:47 PM

Agreed Kampervan - no mawkisheness here.Is that a word ?
How about when Planxty did Raggle Taggle Gypsies and the moved on to effortlessly to the fabulous "Give me you hand ".
I saw them do it at Redcar Folk club and was knocked out.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Art Thieme
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 08:39 PM

Here are some off the top o' my head. Hearing these performances made everything else go away. It was not possible to give anything but complete attention.

Jim Ringer--"California Joe (just the best)

Pete Seeger singing "Bells Of Rhymney" at Newport (After hearing this I knew what I wanted to devote my life to.)

Paddy Tunny's "Lowlands Of Holland"

David Jones' live at a festival version of "Arthur McBride" as broadcast on NPR's Folk Festival USA radio broadcast--1970s.

Lou Killen--"The Flying Cloud"

Jack Elliott singing "Old Shep" - "912 Greens" - "1913 Massacre" - "Tom Joad" at University of Chicago Folk Festival 1961 or '62.

Geoff Muldour---"Brazil" with the Kweskin Band and in the film.

Bukka White--"Panama Limited" for me alone in an alcove of the 2nd floor at Ida Noyes Hall at University Of Chicago Fest.

Roscoe Holcomb in that same alcove a different year tuning my guitar to an open chord, taking out his knife, and fretting with it while singing

Bob Gibson singing "No More Cane On The Brazos"

Paul Clayton singing "The Shanty Boy On The Big Eau Claire" in a guest set at the Sunday afternoon hootenanny at Chicago's Gate Of Horn---and later telling me where to find it. 1959

Bob Atcher singing "tying Knots In The Devil's Tail" at the first U. of Chicago Folk Festival in '61.

Odetta and Larry Mohr's duet version of "Santy Ano"

The blind singer Emery Denoyer singing any of his ballads of the American lumber camps in the early 20th century.

Wade Hemsworth singing "The Land Of The Shining Birch Tree"

Cisco Houston singing "East Texas Red" - "Doby Bill" - "The Colorado Trail" - "The Girl In The Wood"

Vivian Richman singing "The Captain On The Coast Of Maine" on a Folkways album. BUT there was no mention of the song in the notes, on the jacket, on the disc label, or anywhere else. After all the songs were done, there was this song -- to end the LP.

Horton Barker singing "The City Four Square" and "At he Foot Of Yonders Mountain" on his Folkways LP that Sandy Paton recorded.

Leadbelly doing "Fannin Street" (unbelievable!)

Tom Paley singing and picking "Railroad Blues" at the 1962 U. of Chicago Folk Fest - 1962 I think

Marc Silber sitting on a table and singin "San Francisco Bay Blues" in Ida Noyes Hall at the first U. of Chi. Folk Festival.

93 year old Paul Durst singing his hobo and Wobbly songs, and telling of his life into my tape recorder at Pete Laibundguth's Fret Shop on 57th Street in Chicago--in the old Artist Colony.--(These were cold water store fronts left over from The World's Colombian Exposition.) December 12, 1961

Blind street singer Lee O.B. Quiggins singing "You Take Care Of The Bumble Bee" into my tape machine in his Evansville, Indiana hotel room--1962.

prisoner Charlie Butler singing "Diamond Joe" for Library of Congress Archive Of Folk Song collector Duncan Emrich in 1937.

Those are a few of 'em that come to mind now.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Kampervan
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 06:56 PM

Some enterprising entrepreneur could make some money by putting together a boxed set of 100 (?) tracks selected from this thread.

Reading through from start to finish it's a catalogue of intense but mainly down-to-earth emotion that generally manages to avoid the mawkish.

Good thread!!

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Ref
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 06:16 PM

Stan Rogers - Mary Ellen Carter

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: kendall
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 04:49 PM

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Gordon Lightfoot.
The Jeannie C by Stan Rogers

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: kendall
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 04:40 PM

On the road from Srebrenica by Tom Paxton
The horrors of war and the massacre of unarmed civilians.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: breezy
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 04:28 PM

The correct title is 'The Old Man's Tale'

the subtle change from 'fight ' to 'hunt' was based around the word 'boer' that also sounds like 'boar'. Clever eh?

Night night

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Folkiedave
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 04:21 PM

There has been a huge number of them - too many to name.

Lal Waterson - Stow Brow on the stage at the Bluebell and every time she sang solo.

Mike Waterson - first time he sang Tam Lin.

Jeanie Robertson, Joe Heaney, Lizzie Higgins, Willie Scott.

Great voices like Roy Bailey, Bob Fox.

Kathryn Roberts (first singer to win BBC Young Folk Award)

Maz O' Connor - Constant Lovers. There is the future.

And finally melodeon and saxophone player Matt Crum.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: breezy
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 04:08 PM

Artisan doing Stan's 'raising of the M E C'

Bogle doing Stans 'Lock-keeper'

Stan 'House of Orange'

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: breezy
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 04:07 PM

John Denver singing Tom Paxton's '[Get up] Jimmy Newman'

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: breezy
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 04:05 PM

pre college days '64 Harvey's 'Kid's Colour Bar'

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: breezy
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 04:04 PM

Just been reminded,

1994 Roy Bailey singing the 'Testamony of Patience Kershaw'

Vin Garbut 'City of Angels'

There are some really great songs out there

June Tabor's version of 'Willie MacBride'

and 'The King of Rome'

shit this is heavy

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 04:02 PM

Oh yeah. I believe the one time Tony Rose played in Chicago in 1982 I liked Young Hunting so much I spent years trying to track it down. Also, around that time seeing Stan Rogers singing almost anything.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 03:53 PM

When I was fourteen my dad took me to see Gordon Lightfoot. The encore was The Canadian Railroad Trilogy. When I was in college I was on an exchange program and went to a lot of London folk clubs and was floored by Nic Jones singing Annachie Gordon. I also recall being spellbound by the 13 minute version of Calvary Cross that Richard and Linda Thompson performed at the Theatre Royal in November of 1975. Also, hearing Vin Garbutt singing Cissy Lee (I may have the title incorrect) brought tears to my eyes.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 03:37 PM

well I tried twice to send the click

click here

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 03:27 PM

Anne Byrne singing the Croppy Boy..which I think is on You Tube and I will post if I can. Pat's People in Vancouver B.C. singing the Boys of the Old Brigade. The wife of an Army officer heading for Vietnam the next day who sang America the Beautiful. Gordon Quinton playing guitar in Newfoundland...mg

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: folkypaul
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 03:00 PM

Old Man's song/tale/lament we'll have to think about that?

But at the turning of the century he was a lad of five.   That's why his father never came back alive.

PaulO

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 02:46 PM

OK, I was a year out in the age of the character in Old Man's Lament (depends I suppose on whether you think a new century starts at 0 or at 1), but I got the title and author right.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: folkypaul
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 02:31 PM

As we attended most of thesame clubs at the time I have to agree with some of Betsy's choice's

Jim Sharp - The Old Man's Song/Tale?
Tony Capstick - But I preferred Captain Grant (Brillient guitar)

Others -
Christy Moore doing most things.
&
The emergent Hedgehog Pie simply enjoying themselves.

PaulO

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Mark Ross
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 01:23 PM

Rev. Gary Davis singing DEATH DON'T HAVE NO MERCY at an anti-war demonstration in NYC c.'65
Jerry Merrick doing FOLLOW

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Betsy
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 12:33 PM

stunned me ....or actaully my daughter ....wept as a 10 / 12 yearold on hearing June Tabor sing the Unicorn at the Redcar Festival about 18 Years ago.
Thanks Bobad for Jimmy Clay and Patrick Sky

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Sleepy Rosie
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 12:16 PM

I've never been a 'folk consumer' as I've heard it termed elsewhere. So I guess I'm still in that space covered by those who are describing events of fourty years ago...
Though having dipping my toes into folk waters, I have recently heard one or two things which have struck me as being fecking brilliant!
And err, I've considered giving both a go for myself, even though the chorus on the latter is well tough going...!
The Easter Tree
Blood and Gold
The last was posted on another thread, but deserves to be posted here too.. ;-):
Water Boy

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 12:09 PM

Steeleye Span..King Henry
Fairport Convention...Matty Groves
Joan Baez.. Mary Hamilton
Frankie Armstrong...The Two Sisters (The Bonnie Swan)
June Tabor..Clerk Sanders & Reynardine and most of what she has done Since
Martin Carthy..Famous Flower of serving Men and all of what he has done since
COB..Skranky Black Farmer
Nic Jones...Miles Weatherhill and Saea Bell
Norma Waterson..Caledonia
The Watersons..Swarthfell Rocks, To name but a few.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: bobad
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 11:35 AM

"....Tony Capstick performing Jimmy Clay (writer unknown to me)."

That writer would be Patrick Sky.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 11:14 AM

1972 - Martin Carthy singing "Skewball"
1972 - Maddy Prior singing "Wee Weaver"
1974 - The Songwainers singing "Bright Phoebus" and "Holland's Leaguer"
.....
1997 - June Tabor singing Bogle's "And The Band Played Waltzing matilda". My skull and face went numb, I nearly had a stroke. Later I just cried uncontrollably. No better song and no better singer in my book.
2001 - Bob Fox singing "From Clare to Here" and "Big River"

Nutty, thanks for the accolade. But time doesn't flow as fast as that - The Flowers & The Guns was written in August 2002, so you must have heard it at "your" Song & Ale the following winter.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 10:48 AM

Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick "Two Butchers" Birtley Folk Club 1966

Martyn Wyndham-Read "The Overlanders" Royal Turf, Felling 1968

Ewan MacColl "James Herries" South Tyne Folk & Blues,County Hotel, South Shields 1970

A.L.Lloyd "Tam Lin" Newcastle Festival 1971

Nic Jones "Lakes of Shilin" The Barleycorn, Rose & Crown, Newcastle upon Tyne 1973

Louis Killen "The Sheffield Apprentice" Robin Hood Folk Club, Stapleford, Notts 2004

Mary Humphreys "Sheath and Knife" Traditions at the Tiger, Long Eaton 2008
among many others

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 10:45 AM

All my folk epiphanies are about 30 years apart, mid-70s or mid-00s - what can I say, I was listening to the Desperate Bicycles when I could have been listening to Nic Jones.

On TV: bah-dap-ba-doo-da, bah-dap-ba-doo-da-dum... Opening credits of a long-forgotten programme called Take three girls, performed by Pentangle and subsequently worked up into Light Flight, the first track on Basket of light. Impressed me deeply - it was like the Swingle Singers only cool. My sister got the LP shortly after the programme had been on, & that impressed me even deeperly. All acoustic, and a fantastic production (Shel Talmy).

On TV (more recently): the Coppers (shortly before Bob's death) doing Thousands or more. It was the first time I'd heard that song, and I was transfixed - I didn't want to listen to anything else ever again.

On record: Pentangle again, When I was in my prime; planted the idea that you could sing songs unaccompanied in my mind.

Live (more recently): I won't embarrass him by going on about it, but John Kelly.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: matt milton
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 10:44 AM

An unknown singer in Cuba last year. She was in her 60s or 70s. She was talking to a younger singer, about 20 years or so younger (her daughter?) who had just finished playing a set in a bar. The younger woman was describing something that was upsetting her, because she started to cry. The older woman picked up her guitar (which as it happens was badly out of tune) and sang a couple of verses of a song. The younger woman stopped crying.

It was the most direct and moving demonstration of what the point of music is I've ever experienced. I like to think that whatever the problem was, the words of the song offered a solution to it.

I'd seen the same old lady singing on the street two days before. Wish I'd spoken Spanish, because she was, with no exaggeration, the most interesting son singer I've heard. She sounded like Elizabeth Cotten, but croaky and Hispanic.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Art Thieme
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 10:35 AM

The Talkin' Taser Blues

I've yet to write this. One o' these days...

But I WILL BE stunned by it, I'm certain.

Art

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: topical tom
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 10:11 AM

1.And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda by Eric Bogle at the Golem Coffeehouse in the 80s
2.No Man's Land, same venue and era (by Eric Bogle)
3.Natalie MacMaster in Lasalle, Quebec circa 2000 (a blowaway concert!)
4.A Reason for it All, again by Eric Bogle, Champlain Valley Folk Festival
5.Odetta singing Oh Freedom

But, oh, so many more!

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Betsy
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 09:59 AM

Breezy thanks for correcting Diane's post 06:17 AM - I was flummoxed - I assumed she was correct and that I had forgotten / was having a Senior moment .
In your reply , Father went to fight the Boer ( as in Boer war ) not to hunt the boer , still we can't get everything right can we?
Thanks for everyone for giving my memory banks a good waking-up, loads of top singers and songs mentioned, and Kampervan's note re Bob Fox is reassuring that we can still get stunned these days - we don't need to go back "years" .

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: greg stephens
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 09:57 AM

(The title, and the first posts, are amBiguous; is it confined to singers heard in folk clubs, or is it more general? I have taken it to mean people singing folk songs anywhere)
Aubrey Cantwell singing the Nightingale in the Bell in Standlake, c1966.
Seamus Begley singing in Dingle, c 2000.
Gary Davis, Cambridge c 1966.
Martin Cummins singing the Flying Cloud, several places, 60's.
The Watersons, some pub in London 64ish.
Jim Parkin singing Joe Bowman and Follow the Plough, Highwayman, Burro, Kirkby Lonsdale c 1975.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 09:49 AM

Late 1960s - Martin Carthy singing and playing "Brown Adam".

The accompaniment was a masterpiece of understatement.

Janis Ian - "At Seventeen", and "Tea and Sympathy".

June Tabor - "Hugh the Graeme".

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 09:07 AM

Another one that grabbed me was Pete Seeger singing ' Little Boxes ' on Sunday Night At The London Palladium, long long time ago, then two Paul Robeson songs, ' Joe Hill ' and ' No More Auction Block '

Dave H

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: SINSULL
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 09:06 AM

46 years ago - Dylan singing Hard Rain's Gonna Fall after Joan Baez dragged him onstage at a concert in NY.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: breezy
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 09:01 AM

Harvey Andrews 'The Soldier'

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: breezy
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 09:00 AM

Hello Diane Easy

At the turning of the century
Wasnt he
a lad of Five
Me father went to hunt the boer
and never came back alive

'69 ish Tony Capstick singing that and Grey October at the Rising Sun Catford

Hi Will yes it was Stefan Sobell who also sang 'The Black Velvet' and I think 'Johnny Cope' or 'Lowlands'Low' 1964-7

Then there was PP M singing 'Blowing In the Wind' at S N at the london palladium

'72/3 ish Mary from Sheffield singing Bogles 'The Band Played Waltzing Matilda' from the recording by June Tabor at the stable loft in Wadebridge. Same voice range great delivery Mary see ya at the ringers.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: nutty
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 08:56 AM

Over 40 years ago .... Vatican Rag and Rickety Tickety Tin -- Tom Lehrer

35 years ago ... Barbara Dickson ... The Witch of the Westmorland (Archie Fisher)? and Firebird .... Rosie Hardman


30 ish years ..... Bedlam Boys ..... Nic Jones
Crazy Man Michael .... Fairport Convention .... Richard Thompson


25 Years ago (approx) Dick Gaughan .... Stand up for Judas ... Leon Rossleson and Rosa's Lovely Daughters .... Roy Bailey


15+ years The Drover's Boy   .... Ted Egan and The Easter Tree .... Brian McNeil


10 years approx Flowers and Guns ... George Papavgaris

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 08:45 AM

Norma Waterson singing her solo version of ' Coal Not Dole ' this is one powerful song.

Ian Campbells song is ' The Old Mans Tale, ' dated now but a powerful song nonetheless.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 08:44 AM

I was at that farewell YT gig in 1969 too, but they did reform once or twice during the 70s, so maybe Kampervan rolled up at on one of these occasions. Especially memorable was the benefit for Clive Woolf (former Assistant Librarian at VWML) at Hampstead Town Hall in (probably) 1977.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 08:36 AM

The first time I heard Ian Campbell's The Sun Is Burning it was by The Three City Four (Leon Rosselson/Roy Bailey/Marian McKenzie/Martin Carthy (or possibly Ralph Trainer had already replaced MC). It was one of those moments.

Dick Gaughan doing his Sail On / Why Old Men Cry and Bran McNeill's No Gods And Precious Few Heroes.

And as he's coming soon on tour, I'll mention Chris Foster doing Leon Rosselson's The Olive Tree in a dreary, dusty Oxford room. It was the first time I'd heard it but for him it was the first time he'd got through it without crying.

Most recently, seeing Jon Boden do Blue Dress live for the first time during the launch for his 2nd solo CD a couple of weeks ago.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Harmonium Hero
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 08:33 AM

Ooo, er....let's see....
Somewhere about 1966, Joan Baez singing 'The Great Silkie'.
Bit eaarlier, and onwards...Bob Dylan, singing Bob Dylan stuff.
Must have been 1967ish, on Julie Felix show (British TV), The Corries, with 28-string guitar and enormous bodhran (played with a bone) singing 'Kishmul's Galley'.
Sometime in the 70s, on a TV broadcast of a Scottish concert (the significance of which I can't now recall) which featured all the usual crowd then beloved of British TV - who shall remain nameless, but who Billy Connolly likes to refer to as 'singin' shortbread tins', all doing their 10 minute spots and getting together for the Scottish Old Pals act; then the Corries came on - no tartan - and sang one song - 'Liberty'. Stirring stuff. Makes you think you're Scottish when you're not. Or is that just me?
In the opening sequence (if memory serves) of a black and white film on telly in the 70s (?). Somebody - possibly Bert Lloyd - singing 'Searching for Lambs.
At a folk festival in St George's Hall, Liverpool, 1968/9?. Lizzie Higgins singing McCrimmon's Lament.
Just looking at this list.... there seems to be a preponderance of Scottish stuff. I love it!
John Kelly.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,George Henderson
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 08:32 AM

Sorry to upset you Kampervan but the Young Tradition broke up in 1969 (I was at their darewell gig in Cecil Sharpe House). That was 40 years ago.

Inluences for me were a group of singers who never made fame. They sang as The Reivers in the 7 Stars in Ponteland Northunberland singing all the popular folk of the time. These songs included The Wild Rover, The Black Velvet Band, Home boys home and we often heard Jim Sharpe singing Paddy Lay Back.

Great days and what an introduction.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to have lunch
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 08:18 AM

Um..... how can I put this....









Mozart's 'Coronation Mass', sung by the Dorchester Choral Society, August bank holiday, 1989. took me 9 days to come down from that high and was worth missing Towersey for. Got me totally hooked on Mozart, and was seconded only by another Mozart moment - singing the 'Requiem' in St Martin-in-the-Field, London with East London Chorus, in 2004.

Can't remember the first folk song, my granfer was always humming tunes, many of which I now recognise as folk songs.

LTS

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: jacqui.c
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 07:59 AM

All Around My Hat - Steeleye Span - thirty-five years ago.
Ellen Vannin - The Spinners - thirty-five years ago.
The Bloody Gardener - Martin Carthy - nine years ago.
Miners Lullaby - four years ago.
Oystershell Road - Gordon Bok - three years ago.
The Lockkeeper - Kendall Morse - one year ago.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Banjiman
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 07:51 AM

4 days ago..... a new (to me) song by The Young'uns I think written by Sean Cooney (Plastic Cod'ead on here) about the bombardment of Hartlepool during WW1 ... from a Childs point of view. Hopefully he'll pop along and tell me what it is called. Simply Stunning!

2 Years ago: Southern Girls Reply (anon) sung by Jeff Warner & collected by his parents. Love it!

3 Years ago: Down In Mississipi (J.B. Lenoir)as sung by Sara Grey. Powerful song and great banjo playing.

Nearly 2 years ago: First time the Mrs sang me "The Visitor". I just knew she had written a great song. Still raises the hairs on the back of my neck.

40 years ago (when I was about 4): Fiddlers Green/ Three Score & Ten as done by The Broadside. Still remember singing them with the rest of the family in the back of my Dad's Morris 1000 Traveller while going (slowly) over the road to Applecross.

I could go on..........

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Will Fly
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 07:49 AM

Kendall, I'm lucky enough to have got a ticket for one of the dates (in July) on Eric Bogle's last UK tour. I first saw him in a country pub (the Laughing Fish) in a village in Sussex (Isfield) in 1982, I think. He sang "The Band played Waltzing Matilda" then - and I'm sure he'll play it when I see him in July - 27 years later!

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: kendall
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 07:44 AM

The sun is burning. It's about a nuclear explosion. Powerful message.

...twisted sightless wrecks of men go groping on their knees and cry in pain...(Ian Campbell)


And, of course, The Band played Waltzing Matilda; one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard.(Eric Bogle)

No Man's Land (Eric Bogle) ...for Willy McBride it all happened again, and again, and again and again..

And my favorite poem...home they go up the windy streets; they're thinking their men are homeward bound with anchors hungry for English ground; but the bloody fun of it is, they've all drowned... (The Loch Arcray by John Masefield)

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Kampervan
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 07:43 AM

30 years ago, Young Tradition singing Ratcliffe Highway
40 years ago Messrs Carthy and Swarbrick with Broomfield Hill
15 years ago Rosie Stewart and Moutains of Pomeroy
Quite recently, Bob Fox singing Trimden Grange.

That's what's so fantastic about this music, the greats are not all in the past.

K/van

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: The Sandman
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 07:26 AM

Maggie Holland,singing The Death Of Blair Peach.
Nic Jones singing Canadeeio,TheJuke box as she Turned.
Jeannie Robertson singing My Son David.
Lou Killen,Flying Cloud.
Sara Carter singing the golden vanity, RoscoeHolcomb across the rocky mountains
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=roscoe+holcomb&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=Vf3RSb39KN7PjAf8mM3UDw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Will Fly
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 07:14 AM

Diane - I think you've just solved a 40-year old mystery. All I knew was that he was indeed called Stefan and that he played what was then, to me, this wonderful fingerstyle guitar, and that his singing of the "Golden Vanity" was assured and captivating. I was just 20 at the time, but I can still see him at Leeds University Folk Club - and wishing I had a camera to capture his playing!

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 06:28 AM

I wonder if the "unknown" singer in Leeds was Stefan Sobell?

A truly sparkling moment was hearing a then unknown Jim Moray in a radio interview (c 2003?) singing Early One Morning over a counterpoint of Young Collins. I went to his website to post congratulations and within minutes rather a lot of others had done the same.

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Will Fly
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 06:20 AM

40-odd years ago - the Dransfield brothers in York: "The Rout Of The Blues" and their version of "Scarborough Fair" - and the rest!

40-odd years ago - Davy Graham at the Cousins: "Better Git It In Your Soul" and "Angi" - and the rest!

40-odd years ago - Rev. Gary Davis in Manchester: "Buck Dance" - and the rest!

50 years ago - Big Bill Broonzy in Bristol: "Guitar Shuffle", etc...

40-odd years ago - unknown singer in Leeds: "The Golden Vanity"

40-odd years ago - Dave Swarbrick in Lancaster: "The Cuckoo's Nest"

Subject: RE: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 06:17 AM

At the turning of the century I was a lad of six

This is Old Man's Lament by Ian Campbell.
I'd bracket it with Billy Bragg's Between The Wars.

Subject: Singers and songs which stunned me .
From: Betsy
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 06:10 AM

As a part release from the 1954 definition Thread I thought I would like to recall the Singers and songs which got me going to and kept me going to Folk Clubs.
I emphasise the FIRST time, as some of these songs may have been hammered to death by now
40-odd years ago Vin Garbutt Black Velvet Band
40-odd years ago - Jim Sharp singing " At the turning of the Century .........." It may be called the Old man's song - (writer unknown to me).
30-Odd years ago an unbelievable R.McTell song performed by Dave Burland - Streets of London.
30-Odd years ago Tony Capstick performing Jimmy Clay (writer unknown to me).
Happy formative years for me.
I still remember the pleasure and anarchy of singing the Wild Rover 45 years ago but unfortunately it doesn't arouse the same sentiment these days.
Have you got any to mention ?