American folksingers who toured England

Subject: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Sep 01 - 06:49 PM

Does anybody remember Marc Sullivan who toured England in the 1960's - ace banjo picker and guitarist, I saw him do two gigs in Exmouth

Does anyone remeber Brian Roberts who I saw do a gig in Reading folk club in 1965

I think he was support act to the New Lost City Ramblers

My email is [e-mail]

I would love to hear from anybody who remembers these guys or knows what they are doing now

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: bill\sables
Date: 13 Sep 01 - 07:20 PM

Can,t remember those two Alan but I remember Michael Cooney doing a non paid tour in the sixties, nobody had ever heard of him then but last year at Old Songs festival in Albany NY he was a well known favourate. I also recall booking Stephan Grossman for about £10. but that was in the days when I booked Christie Moore for £5 and The Dubliners for £20. There was also a Canadian singer called Vera Johnson.
Bill

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 14 Sep 01 - 03:49 PM

Didn't some young bloke called Simon do a tour in the 60's? Wrote a song about going home while sitting in Widness railway station? Collected a song about some herbs and a Yorkshire seaside place off Martin Carthy and then copyrighted it? Dunno what became of him though. These Yanks, Flighty lot. Never will come to much....;-)

Cheers

Dave the Gnome
(Feeling much happier after a recent low and now running for cover)

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: Lanfranc
Date: 14 Sep 01 - 06:23 PM

And then there was this little guy called Bob Dylon, or some such. Came over to appear in a BBC TV program, stuck around long enough for me to see him at the Troubadour, then went back to the US with the same song as that Simon bloke, and another one about a chap called Franklin. At least he had the decency to modify the words before he copyrighted them.

Then there were the likes of Amory Kane, Chris Rohmann and Colin Scot who sort of took up residence for a while.

Apparently Phil Ochs passed through, but I missed him (so did most - I've never met anyone who claimed to have seen him over here).

There was this nice fellow called Tom Paxton who came, came back and stayed awhile, and still visits from time to time. He's my favourite.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: okthen
Date: 15 Sep 01 - 04:21 AM

I saw Marc Sullivan on 3 occasions. 1st in Preston (uk),he was very good, recomended him to the organisers of my local(Colchester)who booked him, his performance was possibly a little marred by an extraneous substance other than alcohol. Later I saw him at les cousins with john martyn (he was still with Beverly)and was priviliged to have the piss taken out of me (by both of them) for wearing a U.S. army jacket.

I think he went to Scotland to renovate a castle,tho' I could be thinking of someone else?

cheers

bill

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: breezy
Date: 15 Sep 01 - 01:44 PM

pete seeger, peter, p and m, and the kingston trio all gigged at the london palladium ,were televised and enthused a whole generation of young people in the 60s.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Oct 12 - 11:20 AM

Marc Sullivan features in this Danish documentary from '67.
http://youtu.be/sjEsRWGxVLM

He played in a band called 'Proof Spirit' with John Bidwell and others. Sadly he died a while back. I'd also be interested in any further news anyone has about him, or any recordings. John Bidwell last saw him in the early '90s and has said this about him "Marc just didn't realise how brilliant he was. Remember how he used to stay up all night at our gaff, and in the morning he'd have half a dozen songs written. Beautiful guitar arrangements and all"

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 21 Oct 12 - 11:30 AM

I remember the Michael Cooney tour. He came to the Liverpool Folk Club, which used to meet in the Mitre in Dale Street, did an extended spot and went down an absolute storm.

Good to hear he's still around.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: Anne Neilson
Date: 21 Oct 12 - 02:44 PM

A bit off topic, but by the mid-sixties in Glasgow we had seen concerts by Pete Seeger, The Weavers, Cisco Houston, Ramblin' Jack Elliot.

Does the concert format make any difference to the original post?

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Oct 12 - 03:15 PM

Didn't Joan Baez do a tour in the mid 60s? I'm sure I remember her doing an appearance in Edinburgh.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: sheila
Date: 21 Oct 12 - 03:16 PM

The above post was mine - I lost my cookie..

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: number 6
Date: 21 Oct 12 - 06:06 PM

Gordon Lightfoot toured Britain in 1963. Did some BBC shows

Oooops .... Lightfoot is Canadian, therefore non-specific to this thread.

My apologies.

biLL

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: Splott Man
Date: 21 Oct 12 - 06:22 PM

Okthen, you're thinking of Marc Ellington, another American who took up residence here.
There's a bit about him here regarding his Scottish castle. He did become the Laird of Gardenstown.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: scouse
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 03:41 AM

And I think Derroll Adams was virtually declared "Persona non Gracia!!" for insulting, I think, the Lord Mayor of Manchester. Memory on the wane!!

As Aye,

Phil.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: bubblyrat
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 06:34 AM

Julie Felix ? Where's she from ??

And I saw Paul Simon at the Half Moon in Yeovil in 1965 ; I remember thinking how short he was ! He said "Fuck you " ( no, not me !) ,which was pretty daring in those days ; I was impressed .

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST,GIbsonboy
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 07:08 AM

I heard a story about Paul Simon and the Jug of Punch Folk Club in B'ham. He was booked to play but got his dates wrong and turned up a week late. He was in such state virtually in tears, that the organiser who was quite indignant about being let down the previous week agreed after a few of his colleagues said oh go on let him do a couple at least if only to cheer him up a bit. Paul Simon duly performed a couple of songs, and the the Organiser said the thing that really annoyed him was that the audience loved him!

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: greg stephens
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 08:08 AM

I saw Phil Ochs. Can't remember which club, possibly the Heritage in Oxford? Or maybe somewhere in London.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GMGough
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 09:06 AM

Greg, Ochs' appearance at The St Pancreas Town Hall, London, is documented; as are his appearances in Birmingham and Manchester in late 1965. I've not read of an appearance at Oxford. If you remember more details, do please send a PM - thanks.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GMGough
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 10:25 AM

Ochs' appearance at St Pancras Town Hall is documented

- and usually spelt correctly - sorry.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST,Eddie1 continuing sans cookie
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 01:48 PM

Why should we forget St Pancreas - patron saint of sufferers from cirrhosis!

Eddie

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 04:29 PM

I also booked Stefan Grossman, and the lovely Hedy West. Bill Munro toured in the 60s, as did Rev Gary Davis. I drove Derroll around to a few gigs too. Lovely man. Remember Spider John Koerner doing a floor spot at Les Cosins too.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: reggie miles
Date: 23 Oct 12 - 01:02 AM

I'd be happy for the opportunity to tour England today!

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: Bugsy
Date: 23 Oct 12 - 01:48 AM

I remember seeing Derroll Adams at the Lyon's Den Folk Club in Stevenage in the early 60's. He was a great mate of Derek Brimstone's. I also saw Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys, Tom Paxton, Paul Simon, Bill Clifton,(with the Echo Mountain Boys) and Rick Norcross(Canadian but close enough?)

Such times.....


Bugsy

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 23 Oct 12 - 02:44 AM

Michael Cooney played the Bothy Club, in Southport.
I remember him doing lots of banjo stuff ( including The Arkanas Traveller) and a Leadbelly tune on guitar.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST,John from "Elsie`s Band"
Date: 23 Oct 12 - 04:51 AM

To add to the list, Sandy & Jeannie.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST,Guest - Jim Younger
Date: 23 Oct 12 - 02:12 PM

I saw and heard Jackson C Frank at Rutherford College, University of Kent, some time in 1969.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 23 Oct 12 - 06:43 PM

Bill Clifton seemed to do quite a lot around Sevenoaks - was he living in the area, perhaps? Also Keith Nelson, the US banjo player.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: pdq
Date: 23 Oct 12 - 06:59 PM

Bill Clifton moved to England in 1963.

Not sure when he moved back to the US but 1978 is my best guess.

He did a novelty song called "Beatle Crazy" but usually did something close to Bluegrass.

Also worked with Hedy West, Red Rector and Mike Seeger in duets and Folk trios.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 24 Oct 12 - 05:22 AM

Bill played at Surbiton Assembly Rooms in the 60's and 70's, I seem to remember. Could be wrong, but many American artistes played there in those days. Somewhere there is a website with loads of pics from the old days of Surbiton club, and there are many US players on it.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 24 Oct 12 - 06:42 AM

A quick trawl through the Assmbly Rooms pics, reveal the following.
Carolyn Hester
Malcolm Price
Julie Felix
Doc Watson
Ralph Rinzler
Sugar Bill Robinson
Bill Clifton
Rev Gary Davis
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
Rick Norcross.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 24 Oct 12 - 08:07 AM

Bill Clifton toured several times with Red Rector and, I think, Bill Keith. The latter also toured with the likes of Peter Rowan.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST,Guest TF
Date: 24 Oct 12 - 03:38 PM

John Mac, Malcolm Price may be pleased that you think him American but he's as English as you.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST,Gibsonboy
Date: 24 Oct 12 - 04:10 PM

Saw the Dillards at Coventry mid seventies no Doug had Billy Ray Latham on Banjo. Phil Ochs at B'ham Town Hall can't remember exact date. Kenny Rodgers and the First Edition, PP&M regular visitors, also Seals and Crofts.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST,Orson Trap
Date: 25 Oct 12 - 03:15 AM

Saw Paul Simon in The Packhorse (or The Bridge) on Bridge Street in Manchester. An American girl was with him that night, she wore a beret, polo neck sweater, a full skirt and a pair of boots. She sang songs like "Mr Frog would a courtin' ride" and the like. She was excellent, I can't remember her name, would love to know who she was. There was only a handful of us in the room that night.
Also saw Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup at one of the blues night's at MSG and Stephan Grossman in the folk club upstairs.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 25 Oct 12 - 03:59 AM

Bill Clifton used to have this young guitar singer/guitarist/banjo player with him - Pete Roberts. I saw him alluded to in Sing Out once - otherwise I haven't heard him. Is he still around stateside?

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 25 Oct 12 - 05:17 AM

Thanks fo putting me right Guest TF. I never had the pleasure of hearing Malcolm play, and in the photo he's wearing one of those string ties, so beloved of our western US cuzzins. So he looked sorta C&W to me.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: bill\sables
Date: 25 Oct 12 - 07:08 AM

Sandy & Caroline Paton played over here in the 50s

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Oct 12 - 07:21 AM

Nobody seems to have mentioned the two most influential of all when they came over here in the late 1950's, Rambling Jack Elliot and Big Bill Broonzy. I don't know if you can see Facebook pictures if you're not a "friend" of the person but this one has a long discussion thread on it about how they had a big effect on English guitar styles afterwards.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: Nicholas Waller
Date: 25 Oct 12 - 07:02 PM

The Topic Folk Club in Bradford has a good listing of people who have ever appeared on stage there, especially since the mid-60s (info a bit thinner before 1964, but in those days there were fewer paid guest acts and more singarounds).

We are pretty sure Ramblin' Jack Elliott (mentioned above) appeared at the Topic some time in 1958. We know for sure that Michael Cooney (mentioned further above) appeared on 22nd May 1970. (Incidentally, and I started another thread to mention it, next Thursday, 1st November, is a Tribute Singers and Musicians night for Alex Eaton, who founded the Topic in 1956 and who died this year at 88.)

Go to the Topic site and click on the A to Z of Past Guests for an alpha listing of all of them, and click on the Gigs List 1960-On for a calendar of weekly club nights split into years and see what Americans you recognise - it might be a useful guide to who was touring.

Here, for instance, is 1970 and Cooney. Peggy Seeger appeared on 6th February (with Ewan MacColl). The following week local bluesman Roger Sutcliffe made his second headline appearance (he'd been on in 1969). He played every year since, the last time 12th July 2012.

1970

2nd January - Singers and Musicians Night
9th January - Roger Knowles and Nick Strutt
16th January - Hamish Imlach
23rd January - Bernard Wrigley
30th January - Roy Bailey

6th February - Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger
13th February - Roger Sutcliffe
27th February - Martin Carthy

6th March - Johnny Handle
13th March - Dave Shannon and Sam Bracken
20th March - Tony Capstick
27th March - Old Richmond String Band

3rd April - Mary Asquith
10th April - Jon Rennard
17th April - Dave Burland
24th April - Jon Raven

1st May - Stefan Sobell
8th May - Robin and Barry Dransfield
15th May - Jugular Vein
22nd May - Michael Cooney
29th May - Tony Rose

5th June - Archie Fisher
12th June - Roy Harris
19th June - Dave Campbell
26th June - Gerry Lockran

3rd July - Louis Killen
10th July - Nic Jones
17th July - Roger Watson and Colin Cater

21st August - The Cutlers
30th October - Marie Little

6th November - Mick Hipkiss & Dave Jones.
13th November - Leon Rosselson
20th November - Dill Davis
27th November - Roger Knowles & Nick Strutt

4th December - Jimmy Hutchison
11th December -
18th December - Jon Rennard
25th December - Club Closed for Christmas Day

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST,Graham Bradshaw
Date: 26 Oct 12 - 09:39 AM

Interesting to hear John Mackenzie talking about the days at Surbiton Assembly Rooms. Malcolm Price was a regular at the club from the early days, and if I remember, lived in somewhere like Croydon.

I believe there are photos on Derek Sarjeant's website of some of these people, and Bill Clifton did it several times, along with many other American visitors.

Whilst going through some old folders, I found some of the old Surbiton Newsletters. These were published every week, and consisted of a bit of blurb about that weeks' guest, and gossip about Derek and the various club regulars. On the reverse side was always a song, usually something topical, with words and guitar chords.

And with them I have a catalogue of ALL the newsletters from the start of the club in 1962 up till sometime in 1967. 292 weeks in total. Not sure what happened to the list after that as the club continued until the 1970s, and I was still going up until 1970. I am sure Derek will have the complete list somewhere - he never threw anything away either!!

The important thing is that this makes very interesting reading, and is an amazing record of the songs that were being sung in the clubs back then. One thing that also struck me was the frequency that artists were booked - often every 6 or 8 weeks, whilst they were popular. None of this once a year, or even once every 2 years, that you see nowadays. They were really able to build an audience that way.

Somebody mentioned that Bill Clifton lived in the UK for some years. I didn't know that - presumably why he appearred at Surbiton so often - but I would guess it was draft-dodging from the Vietnam war. That was certainly the reason why Keith Nelson (the banjo player) was over here. I was good friends with Keith for a period, but lost contact with him. Last time I saw him was on telly on a C&W prog a good few years ago. I guess he's back in the USA these days. Anybody have any info?

I've had contact with Rick Norcross in recent times. He's still performing over there.

This is obviously not a unique thing as the Topic Folk Club also had these records - see above. Many clubs did. An invaluable bit of social history.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: pdq
Date: 28 Oct 12 - 03:12 PM

"Somebody mentioned that Bill Clifton lived in the UK for some years. I didn't know that - presumably why he appearred at Surbiton so often - but I would guess it was draft-dodging from the Vietnam war. That was certainly the reason why Keith Nelson (the banjo player) was over here..."

Wrong.

Bill Clifton was an officer in the US Marine Corps in the mid 1950s (he was born in 1931) and was always available if asked to serve again.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: GUEST,Brian Ainley
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:32 AM

Hi, I saw Marc Sullivan in Bristol in the late 60's. A great banjo/guitar picker I thought at the time, though I've no idea what became of him. The next week the club had Spider John Koerner. Fred Wedlock was resident at the club and ferried Marc Sullivan to his next gig in London.

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: The Sandman
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 03:43 PM

Wrong.

Bill Clifton was an officer in the US Marine Corps in the mid 1950s (he was born in 1931) and was always available if asked to serve again."
I understood that Bill Cifton was also in what is often euphimstically called the diplomatic service, in other words watching possible subsversives, which might explain why he was in england a lot

Subject: RE: American folksingers who toured England
From: MikeL2
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 03:55 PM

hi

I well remember seeing Tom Paxton at the Two Brewers in Salford.....brilliant.

Cheers

MikeL2