Chris Barber Skiffle Group

Subject: RE: Chris Barber Skiffle Group
From: GUEST,Doc John
Date: 06 Jan 11 - 10:44 AM

Thanks Roger

Subject: RE: Chris Barber Skiffle Group
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 06 Jan 11 - 06:40 AM

OK:
Great British Skiffle- as good as it gets SCCD1122 has:
Where could I go & Doin' my time Chris Barber featuring Johnny Duncan (other compilations have "featuring JD & Dickie Bishop" for these 2 titles)
Gypsy Davy featuring DB
Can't you line 'em featuring DB (other compilations have "& JD")
Vol 4 (SCCD 1192) has:
Blowin' down this old Dusty Road (CB featuring JD & DB)
and
Whoop it up CB's Washboard wonders of 1951 (described as CB's first recorded skiffle number)
Skiffle as good as it gets vol 2 DO250522 has:
Lowland blues CB featuring JD & Otillie Paterson

Other compilations have some or all of these tracks.

RtS

Subject: RE: Chris Barber Skiffle Group
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 06 Jan 11 - 05:07 AM

Last I heard Dickie Bishop was in Germany. He has played and recorded with Lurz Eikelmann who sometimes contributes to the Mudcat. There are a lot of skiffle compilation records (as well as those under Barber's name)but they tend to have the same Barber tracks on. If I get a spare hour I'll look through mine.

RtS

Subject: RE: Chris Barber Skiffle Group
From: GUEST,Doc John
Date: 05 Jan 11 - 04:16 PM

Seaching has indicated that there was a sixth title recorded by this group but I haven't been able to gather futher information. Possibly by Johnny Duncan. Somebody must know! Is Dick Bishop out there? Or any old time skifflers, discographers or those of a ocd tendency like me?

Subject: RE: Chris Barber Skiffle Group
From: GUEST,Doc John
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 01:28 PM

Yes there is another title from the Chris Barber Skiffle Group. 'Blowing Down This Old Dusty Road' - sung by Dick Bishop with Johnny Duncan, who unfortunaetly doesn't sing, on mandolin. It's on one of the 'Great British Skiffle' albums; each track is available as a MP3 download. It's only taken me 50 odd years....

Subject: RE: Chris Barber Skiffle Group
From: Darowyn
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 03:42 PM

I still have two EP's by Chris Barber and Ottilie Patterson, featuring Lonnie Donegan.
I inherited them from my elder sister.
Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: Chris Barber Skiffle Group
From: Rifleman (inactive)
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 02:10 PM

just found this little item that maybe of interest.

Can't You Line 'Em - Dickie Bishop & Chris Barber's Skiffle Group

Subject: RE: Chris Barber Skiffle Group
From: Rifleman (inactive)
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 01:14 PM

from the Official Chris Barber website

Johnny Duncan

Subject: RE: Chris Barber Skiffle Group
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 12:59 PM

Johnny Duncan wasn't with the Barber band for very long- somewhat less than year- and I think that any unreleased tracks would have come to light long before now, particularly as Johnny had a big hit not long after with "Last Train". Thus I strongly suspect that the four on the e.p. were the only ones cut. Pity, they were excellent.

Subject: RE: Chris Barber Skiffle Group
From: Dave Illingworth
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 12:58 PM

The very first Lp I bought ( a ten inch one - Nixa NJT 515) was of Sonny & Brownie with the Barber Band. It was re-issued some time ago as part of a CD.

Tracks:-

Betty & Dupree
No worries on my mind
This little light of mine
Glory
Custard pie
Key to the highway
If I could only hear my mother pray

(recorded London 2nd May, 1958)

I think there may be some live recordings from the same period, recently issued on Chis Barber's own label.

I also had the EP that Doc John refers to. Good stuff. I am sure mention of this has also been made on another thread, ref. Dick Bishop.

Subject: RE: Chris Barber Skiffle Group
From: greg stephens
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 12:44 PM

Terry and McGhee did an EP with the Barber Band. Custard Pie , If I could only Hear My Mother Pray Again and I'm Going to Walk and Talk with Jesus were three of the excellent tracks. Alas, can't bring the last to mind.
I think the Barber Skiffle Group(the Johnny Duncan/Dick Bishop line-up) just issued the one EP, though maybe there were others recorded and lying in the vaults. Doing My Time was my favourite off that EP.

Subject: RE: Chris Barber Skiffle Group
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 12:07 PM

Check Lake Records http://www.fellside.com/ . They are engaged on an extensive reissue of British trad bands. In particular, there's CHRIS BARBER'S JAZZ BAND with LONNIE DONEGAN'S SKIFFLE GROUP & OTTILIE PATTERSON. CHRIS BARBER 1955. LACB235. Presumably it became the Chris Barber Skiffle Group after Donegan left the band.

Also, they have in the pipeline a CD of recordings, originally made in London for Denis Preston's Lansdowne Jazz presumably, of Barber with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Dunno whether that means M & T are playing with the Barber band. As far as I have always understood, the only recordings which McGhee and Terry made in Britain featured just the two of them. We shall see.

Subject: Chris Barber Skiffle Group
From: GUEST,Doc John
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 09:17 AM

The four tracks of this group, which I used to have on a long gone EP half a century ago now and which I hadn't heard for decades, have turned up on a CD I recently bought. They still sound superb to me, even having been exposed to all kinds of folk music over the years: Dick Bishop's and Johnny Duncan's voices go together perfectly, there's no electricity but rather a mandolin, the drums are unobtrusive and Chris Barber's string base provides an excellent back ground rhythm. Nothing else was ever released but surely other tracks must have been recorded. Do any of you Old Time Skifflers or Mouldy Figs know?

Doc John