Who has done the most for folk music?

Subject: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,linwil
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 12:12 PM

After reading a thread about the best folkies to come from Greater Manchester it set me thinking.
Who has done the most to improve/keep alive/advance (etc) british folk music over the last 40 years?
And who has done the least?
3 to start
Mike Harding
Malcolm Storey
Steeleye span

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 12:25 PM

"least" is probably easier and more fun to answer than "most"...😜

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 01:00 PM

folk.....?

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,#
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 01:01 PM

Just the UK?

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 01:03 PM

The title says "folk music"... then you want to limit it to only British? Sheesh...

Well, I suppose that does limit the choices to only a few hundred... *grin*

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,Mary Katherine
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 02:36 PM

That's like apples and oranges, though, isn't it? One might say that Martin Carthy has done a great deal via his performances and recordings to help spread the word. But then there are the non-performers, who do so much to help perpetuate the music in a different way via their writing and radio shows.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,padgett
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 02:38 PM

Most~ last 40 years, say 1974 on~

Jim LLoyd
Martin Carthy
Nic Jones
Shirley Collins
Peter Bellamy
Ewan MacColl
Bert Lloyd
Keith Marsden
Harry Boardman
Maddy Prior


Ray

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,Bert
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 02:39 PM

Lonnie Donnegan.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 03:15 PM

That's a good start.

Add Roy Palmer - and song and music collectors.

And Doc Rowe - and other folklorists.

And Ian Russell and his Christmas carols.

And Dave Mallinson - and song and music publishers.

And Ian Anderson - and folk magazine editors, staff and contributors.

And folk club and festival organisers and their audiences.

And all performers who keep the songs and music alive.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: The Sandman
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 03:29 PM

woody guthrie.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 03:33 PM

Alan Lomax, Séamus Ennis, Tom Munnelly, Frank Harte

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 03:52 PM

Aston Dunbottom from Wiltonhampshire. He's a true lad and can always be counted on for some right jolly folking.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 03:59 PM

I'll go with Woody too. And Planxty.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Raggytash
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 05:02 PM

The Spinners deserve a mention

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 05:20 PM

Good Soldier Schweik

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: olddude
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 06:17 PM

Seeger

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,allan conn
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 06:44 PM

You know as someone about the age of 55 in my youth in Scotland if I thought of folk music, well at least songs, then I thought of the Corries.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 06:56 PM

Yeah, the Corries. Wonderful. I could get really controversial here and turn the thread on its head, suggesting who has done folk music a disservice. I can't really listen to English folk music at all, bar a few shining exceptions like Nic Jones and Shirley Collins. Chris Wood and Andy Cutting, marvellous. A lot of Northumbrian music is wonderful. Dick Gaughan, so good, and Scottish fiddle music. I exclude Irish traditional music, which, in an odd way that I can't quite put my finger on, I can't call folk music. I can't think of any English family band or supergroup that has ever done it for me at all. Which is my opinion only, so I'll stop right there!

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: BanjoRay
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 07:55 PM

English? The Watersons and the Coppers

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 08:36 PM

Bit of a conundrum here. If you've "done the most", it must mean that your music has been very widely disseminated, not just stayed local or "niche'". The trouble with that is that you are then more likely than not to have become commercial. Which means you may risk being put on a pedestal or lionised. Which may mean that you have to put "commercial" at the top of your agenda and stray somewhat away "from your roots". Your CDs will be professionally mastered with snazzy packaging and sell for fourteen or fifteen quid.

Don't you think that the people who have done most for folk music are the thousands of ordinary people who turn up of a Friday night at local pub back-rooms to have a go and endure everyone else who turns up to have a go? And the hard-working buggers who run the clubs or sessions, getting the best guests they can and putting them up on their sofas? Kudos to them, say I!

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 20 Sep 15 - 10:01 PM

Francis James child

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 02:31 AM

All the unsung folk club promoters and festival organisers who for no reward publicise folk music for the love of it.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 02:38 AM

good job there isn't a prize for it.

all the same if there was a folkie god, and he made sure we all got our deserts. you wouldn't really want to be floating around on a cloud with some of these people.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: theleveller
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 04:05 AM

Don't know what's meant by 'most' but if you mean increasing its popularity in Britain, I'd have to say Bellowhead, Kate Rusby and Seth Lakeman. And probably Oysterband and Show of Hands.

I expect we'll now have the usual 'what is folk?' debate.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 04:52 AM

Yeah, we might!

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 04:57 AM

Ashley Hutchings without a doubt.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 05:39 AM

What is Folk? does it include improvisation and when it does does it become Jazz?

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Kampervan
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 05:42 AM

I know that they're pushing for independence in the North East, but The Wilsons still count as English and they've done a lot for folk music.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: BobKnight
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 06:33 AM

How about all the travelling people - especially those from the North East of Scotland - Jeannie, Lizzie, Stanley, Lucy, Elizabeth, and the Stewarts of Blair.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 06:42 AM

Tom Anderson and his Shetland fiddlers

Tony Engle and the Topic record label

Bill Leader and his Leader and Trailer record labels

Paul Adams and the Fellside record label

Nic Jones for everything

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Vic Smith
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 07:19 AM

Bob Knight wrote:-
"How about all the travelling people - especially those from the North East of Scotland - Jeannie, Lizzie, Stanley, Lucy, Elizabeth, and the Stewarts of Blair. 

Then there's Jane Turriff, Davey Stewart, Blin. Robin Hutchison, Betsy White. Charlotte Higgins, Andra Stewart, Big Willie McPhee. Sheila Stewart, Bella Higgins, Jess Smith, Duncan McPhee, Toby Stewart, Christine Stewart, Harry Duffy, Isaac Higgins, Duncan Williamson, Jimmy MacBeath, Stop me somebody.... Cathie Higgins, Jock Higgins, Maggie Stewart, Geordie Robertson, Bryce Whyte, It's your fault, Bob, you get me started Jean Stewart, Ned Stewart, Gabrielle Robertson, Anthony Robertson.....

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Stu
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 07:27 AM

Someone most of us have never heard of, in a pub playing and singing.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: BobKnight
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 07:39 AM

Sorry Vic, Hey you forgot to mention me, but then I haven't done much yet. ;) Thanks for mentioning the rest - a lot of them I didn't know, although many are/were relatives.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,Robin Hunt
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 07:50 AM

As individuals they are too numerous to list but the real heroes are the people who hav promoted folk music over the years, running folk clubs, festivals & the like. without these people many performers wolud not have had the chance to show thier talents. I think it`s a real shame that the folk clubs have greately deminished over the years. I & many others served our aprenticeship in these places. Nowadays young hopefuls have to go on X factor & look what that produces. No substitute for the folk background.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 08:24 AM

At least so far as England is concerned, EFDSS's gold badges are a fair indication.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 10:19 AM

How come ain't nobody but Ray Padgett giving it out for Ewan MaColl? Yes I know he could be tiresome and dictatorial, to say nothing of argumentative. And I'm also aware of just how far away my ideas on folk music have moved from MacColl's since the days when I used to imbibe every single word he said without question.

But he was a true pioneer with a list of achievements which would dwarf those of practically everyone else in folk music. Plus it's in the nature of the present to argue with the past. If MacColl hadn't made such bold pronouncements in the first place, where would that have left those of us who came after him?

Plus, there's Bert Lloyd of course, and Alan Lomax and Hamish Henderson and many many more.

Then there's that tall stringy fella with the adam's apple. Oh yeahh, Pete Seeger. Now where would any of us be without him?

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,R oger Knowles
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 10:38 AM

America? Mike Seeger!

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 10:38 AM

I endorse all those named in Fred's post above; and would add Alan Lomax's father John, and Pete Seeger's stepmother Ruth, upon whose influences they built.

≈M≈

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 10:42 AM

But is enough credit being given here to the early collectors and compilers? What of Baring-Gould, Sharp, the Hammonds, Gardiner, Gavin Greig...?

≈M≈

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 10:52 AM

Or compilers of even earlier collections: Pepys, Percy, Roxburghe, Douce, Madden, Scott, Harley, D'Urfey...?

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 11:03 AM

The intellectual and political problems I have with MacColl pale into insignificance compared with the problems which the early collectors throw up.

There's no point in going into them here, or to take issue with the elitism and nationalism and neo-Darwinism which many of these collectors displayed. But, as with MacColl, their pronunciations were products of their time. That doesn't mean we should reject everything they said out of hand. But neither does it mean we shouldn't be critical. The point is, not to destroy the past, but to critically analyse it and to come up with new and better explanations.

And it's worth remembering that, without the pioneering efforts of these people, we would have virtually no idea of the extraordinary crock of riches which their efforts garnered.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,Rockaday Johnny
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 11:18 AM

tom Paley, Mike Seeger, Ralph Rinzler, John Cohen Pete Seeger

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 11:30 AM

somebody very kindly mentioned me, and unusually,i must show some humility, mentioning me is truly ridiculous.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 12:04 PM

Find above no specific mention of Bob Copper, tho one ref to the family. But surely his must be one of the pre-eminent claims?

≈M≈

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 12:31 PM

The Watersons, Martin Carthy, Frankie Armstrong and those three wonderful folk rock bands who brought folk to a younger generation at the time, Fairport, Steeleye and Pentangle. June Tabor also deserves a mention. In A,erica, Joan Baez, she brought folk and ballads into the mainstream and many others followed.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 01:31 PM

Toodle Edmundsson
Jockie McMasters
Skip Rangle
Marcia Featherbum (Strops)
Lloyd Benwhittle (Jr.)

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 02:18 PM

I gotta be loyal: Max Spiegel and Dick Greenhaus.


I have an aversion to what I call "superlatives threads." We have a lot of threads about the best or worst this or that, and there's never an answer. There a lots of bests and lots of worsts - and no doubt, some deserving person will be forgotten.

I'd rather see whom people would recommend, and why.

But in the meantime, I'll stick with Max and Dick.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 02:20 PM

The bloke who invented the electronic guitar tuner.

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Mr Red
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 02:51 PM

Flatt & Scruggs for popularising the Banjo
Sean Ó Riada for making the bodhran so acceptable that people really really believe has been around since before the 1950s

(:-)

(Wiki cites the known documents as effectively tambourines and it was still a tambourine in the 1940s it implies, though method of playing was fingers and then cipin)

Subject: RE: Who has done the most for folk music?
From: Andy7
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 03:13 PM

My friend 'A' (and many others like him).

Some years ago, he introduced me to folk clubs and festivals, and inspired me to pick up the guitar and start singing again. He's done the most for folk music in my life!