Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs

Subject: RE: Folklore: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 25 Oct 22 - 01:53 PM

I can remember the bloke who did the Nottingham Country Music Club radio programme saying ....bluegrass, I don't call that country music!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Oct 22 - 02:46 PM

Wander8ing a little off topic:
The Transatlantic sessions started around 1996 and had a mix of folk, country and bluegrass. Performers featured include Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Nancy Griffith, Iris Dement, Joan Osborne, James Taylor, Guy Clark, Ricky Skaggs, Paul Brady and John Martyn.For those that do not like bluegrass try listening to 14 year old Marty Stuart with Lester Flack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12-HO8e9T6I

Subject: RE: Folklore: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 25 Oct 22 - 03:44 PM

One of my favourite lines in any film is from the Blues Brothers

We do both kinds of music. Country AND Western

:-D

Subject: RE: Folklore: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 26 Oct 22 - 01:51 PM

I was musing and remembered something of relevance. Back in 1970 my mate Mike and I got tickets for a live recording of a radio show at the Apollo in Ardwick, Manchester. All I can recall is that it was hosted by Wally Whyton so I looked him up and it seems his show was "Country meets Folk". It ran from 1967 to the mid 70s so it certainly seems that there was a mass market for this crossover. If I can find any more details, I shall post them :-)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 26 Oct 22 - 02:05 PM

Couldn't find any more details but I think I was wrong about 1970 as there were no genome listings for that year. Probably 71 or 72.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: Tony Rees
Date: 26 Oct 22 - 02:29 PM

RE "We do both kinds of music. Country AND Western" ... is funny in today's context, however appropriate once upon a time, since "country music" arguably came from the mountains / hillbilly territory (Carter Family etc.) and originally had little to do with "western" music (singing cowboys etc.). The blend probably occurring when both moved to the cities and a new marketing genre developed incorporating elements of both... you could argue (if you wanted) that the "western" element persists in persons wanting to dress up like cowboys, fire pretend guns, and say "yee hah!" a lot, while the "country" element is closer to the still-current folk music of the Appalachians etc. The more "modern"/sentimental country/Nashville music (1940s onwards) having departed from both quite a bit...

Subject: RE: Folklore: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST,North CountryPrimitive
Date: 26 Oct 22 - 03:38 PM

I think Tony you make a good point above- you only have to listen to the hillbilly/folk/old timey contributions to Harry Smith’s mighty Anthology of American Folk Music to see where a huge part of the roots of country lie, and there’s not much ‘western’ involved. Meanwhile I could totally get why some pimply youth in the Northampton or Carlisle (say) of 1971 might want to pop down their local folk club trying to emulate the music of Dock Boggs or Roscoe Holcomb.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST,Roger
Date: 26 Oct 22 - 04:09 PM

We don't have a folk club up here in Carlisle now, mores the pity.
I can assure you that the average pimply youth round here thinks a banjo is a pizza with a handle!!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 26 Oct 22 - 06:34 PM

Country Meets Folk was a weekly broadcast which if my memory is correct was broadcast live. It was hosted by Wally Whyton and Jim Lloyd. It took pace at the Playhouse Theatre in London close to the embankment. Resident bass player was session man Brian Brocklehurst. I went along several times usually when Malcolm Price was appearing. Malcolm of course performed a mixture of American folk songs, bluegrass and country eg. Long Black Veil and Money Marbles and Chalk. He also did current songs by American singer songwriters.
Steve Benbow was another performer of Folk material English, Irish and American who appeared.

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 27 Oct 22 - 02:37 AM

I wonder if it was 1970 after all and the show I went to is not listed in the archives because it was not recorded at the Playhouse? It was definitely at the Apollo, Manchester and it was definitely Wally Whyton. Anyone know if they did a series of road shows?

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 27 Oct 22 - 02:16 PM

Was that the one where Cliff Aungier used to play this fast tricky instrumental at the start? If so, twas the first time I heard Sandy Denny. She sang Jackson C. Frank's Blues Run the Game.

A long time ago now. I must have been 16, I'm 73 now.

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 30 Oct 22 - 06:45 AM

For anyone curious to know about Country Music in UK Folk Clubs here are three examples from the programme mentioned above. Many of the clubs at the time used and enjoyed music such as this. Country music to be sure but a long way from the way Nashville treated it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDygRBnc5CMdA&v=hnv3meMv1gU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY7904B6lI8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo1r-bxzJ-g

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Oct 22 - 08:19 AM

On that LP that Isla St Clair did for kids TV - famous folk songs, she does this fabulous treatment of Take this Yellow Handkerchief (in remembrance of me - some times called Flash Company.

Very country.

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 30 Oct 22 - 08:39 AM

I discovered Sara Jory last night, who is an excellent English pedal steel player, who plays like a usaian country player, I wonder if she ever played in folk clubs at the start of her career?

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST,Derrick
Date: 30 Oct 22 - 10:54 AM

Sarah Jory did start her career early,she joined her first group at 9 years old after receiving a steel guitar at 5 years old.

See here
               https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Jory

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Oct 22 - 11:53 AM

Sarah Jory was one of those who played Country clubs and festivals by the score. The UK country club, and festival scene was really big in the 70's-90's

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Oct 22 - 06:32 PM

The question was about British folk clubs.

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Oct 22 - 11:45 PM

Wales has always loved country music. Charlie Pride's voice was very like a Welsh tenor. Royston Jones could do that sort of stuff excellently.
The Welsh singer song/writer Amy Wadge did folk clubs. Though I would imagine her successes as a songwriter has made her - well a bit too prosperous to bother with pub gigs.

Speaking of the colonies. I used to work for an agent called John Wall. During the 1960's he had a folk club in Leeds (this was years before I ever set foot in that city, but he told me about it). The club was called the Nashville. And apparently both Johnny MacEvoy and Christy Moore used to do it quite regularly.
He told me the deal was that Christy used to dig his garden and do the gig for a fiver.

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 31 Oct 22 - 10:52 AM

My recollection of UK “folk” clubs back in the 70s is that there were basically three types. The first two were run in the back rooms of pubs; one with a distinct bias towards traditional music and the other towards contemporary music although you wouldn’t get dragged off stage if you sang a traditional song as you might by singing a contemporary in the former.

The third type was the larger club which tended to have guests every week of whatever genre the organisers thought their usual cliantelle would pay to see.

I don’t recall anything overtly “country” but I think you need to differentiate between “country” and “country and western” music and suspect that the latter might be what the o/p is referring to.

I do remember a certain band called Hunter Muskett apologising for introducing an electric guitar into one song! Those were the days!

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 06 Nov 22 - 05:16 PM

"Sarah Jory was one of those who played Country clubs and festivals by the score. The UK country club, and festival scene was really big in the 70's-90's"

I should remember the Hank Wangford Band, wonderful band!!

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 08 Nov 22 - 05:06 AM

Ah, Hank Wangford, the singing gynecologist!

Going back to the original subject, I've just been reading "Beware of the Bull"; the biography of the late Jake Thackray. A poster is reproduced on page 429 from the "Boggery" folk club - run I recall by Jasper Carrot - which clearly states that "Blues and Country music will also be featured regularly."

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 08 Nov 22 - 08:52 AM

Funky Moped !

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST,Ian clarke
Date: 15 Sep 23 - 12:20 PM

Anyone remember The band called Freightliners, freightliner, or Freightline special

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 15 Sep 23 - 01:07 PM

No!

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 15 Sep 23 - 11:07 PM

Freightliners....?
Isn't that a haulage business?

Perhaps they were a works band, or maybe freightliner paid them to use the name...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freightliner_Trucks

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Sep 23 - 12:47 AM

2023 Obit: Vale Chris Sullivan (folklorist - Oz)
href="mailto:[e-mail]">[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST,Ian clarke
Date: 15 Sep 23 - 12:20 PM

Anyone remember The band called Freightliners, freightliner, or Freightline special

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 15 Sep 23 - 01:07 PM

No!

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Sep 23 - 12:47 AM

2023 Obit: Vale Chris Sullivan (folklorist - Oz)
href="mailto:[e-mail]">[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Country music in 1970s UK folk clubs
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 15 Sep 23 - 11:07 PM

Freightliners....?
Isn't that a haulage business?

Perhaps they were a works band, or maybe freightliner paid them to use the name...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freightliner_Trucks