Anne Briggs biography?

Subject: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: InOBU
Date: 23 Mar 02 - 11:31 AM

Hi gang... as I said in the Richard Thompson post, I have been intreigued (and wish I could spell it!) by Anne Briggs. I looked up and ordered one of her CDs, wish I could afford a few others... but from the list of songs she recorded and when, she seems to have been a real kick start to the 60's and 70's british folk revival. To keep me from getting any more fidgety until the CD arrives... can anyone tell me more about her, what happened to her, etc? A little bio here please... Cheers, Larry

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 23 Mar 02 - 12:30 PM

Not much info I have, but there are these sites.

Slipcue.com Folk Guide: Ann Briggs

Selected English Folk Singers -- Ann Briggs

Ann Briggs (discographic search results)

~Masato

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: InOBU
Date: 23 Mar 02 - 01:47 PM

Thanks... that is about as much as I could find as well... I hope some folks have a story or two. Cheers, Larry

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 23 Mar 02 - 10:35 PM

She disappeared for a long time and got involved in market gardening, I think. She re-emerged at the National festival at Stoke Bonnington back in the late 1980s, nervous and with no singing voice left to speak of, but I'd like to hope that she got it back in time; I haven't heard her since.

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Mar 02 - 10:42 PM

InOBU as a man interested in Irish music you should be very interested in Anne Briggs, Her relationship to Johnny Moynihan(personal and musical) had an incalculable effect on the modern Irish scene, via his work at the time and subsequently with Sweeneys Men, Planxty etc. Check him out, I'm sure it's well documented somewhere accessible.

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: GUEST,Nerd
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 12:56 AM

Anne Briggs from Nottinghamshire was always a fan of traditional singing. She auditioned for a centre 42 concert (a touring cultural program put on by the trades union congress) in 1962 at the age of 17. She became a protetgee of Bert Lloyd, and influenced many people--among them June Tabor, Sandy Denny, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn and of course yer man Moynihan. She was at times romantically involved with Jansch and Moynihan as well. She was a great singer, good bouzouki player, wild spirit. She gave up pro singing in the early 1970s and lives today on a remote Scottish isle. She still enjoys lstening to folk music but doesn't sing that much. One gets the feeling that her wholehearted participation in the folk scene was partly the result of being a young runaway who found the vagabond lifestyle exciting. Once that wore off she moved on to other things.

If the CD you ordered was A Collection (and that's the best one to get if you like trad songs) there's a very complete bio in the notes.

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: InOBU
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 06:56 AM

Oh man oh man oh man! You know the feeling... I should have know this when! Johney Moynaghan is an old pal, I see rarely... had the great pleasure of driving him through the Katskills (with Charley Pigot Sabhan Peoples and the great great wonderful Sharon Shannon...) , spent a little time in his flat in Galway back in the early 80s, If I had run accross ... or taken heed of more likely... references to Anne Briggs before this, Well thanks gang, yer the best, any one know what island? From the discography it is clear we all owe a HUGE amount to her... at least a CD from a wee band in New York.
Cheers, Larry

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: fat B****rd
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 07:43 AM

Hello InOBU, I believe there was a feature on the lady in MOJO some time ago. I'll check it out and see what I can find. Hope this will be of some help. All the best from the fB

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: GUEST,The bloke in the corner
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 04:02 PM

Now I think that's the Anne Briggs/Anne Jeffreys whom I met while at university in Cardiff in the late sixties. She was a friend of our own folk group, the Cambrians, whoi performed regularly at the Uni folk club. I know show wrote 'The Time has come', which I first heard on a Bert Jansch LP. The name really took me back.

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: InOBU
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 05:45 PM

That is in deed the one, bloke in the corner! Hey, drop me an email at [e-mail] and I will send ya one of our CDs, you will see how much we owe here, as do any modern celtic band, eh? CHeers Larry

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: InOBU
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 08:54 PM

I'm not ashamed to tell ye's I'm sitting here wi' tears running down my cheeks listening to Anne Briggs! WHAT a huge debt we owe her! What a phenominon! What a tallent! I'm bowled over. Cheersm'dears, Larry
PS odd enough, though in the on line photos she looks a wee bit like Susan McKeown, on the back of the booklet in the colllection CD, she looks like my old friend Nan! (see Bee's wing post...)

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: fat B****rd
Date: 26 Mar 02 - 12:36 PM

Dear InOBU, If it's any good to you I contacted MOJO Magazine and they informed me that Anne Briggs was featured in their Issue of March 1998 No. 52. Good luck from the fB

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: InOBU
Date: 26 Mar 02 - 01:18 PM

Actually, a Sorcha Dorcha CD is on the way to her! From her bio, I was surprised at how many common aquaintances and friends we have. CHeers FB, all the best, Larry

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: Paddy Plastique
Date: 28 Mar 02 - 11:15 AM

Hello InOBU,

I keep on running into Anne Briggs too, figuratively speaking - on some June Tabor sleevenotes -
as the subject of 'Beeswing' (haven't seen the thread you speak of) - then again, right
on my doorstep in the Dublin folk scene of the 60s (the Jimmy Moynihan bit). The latter I picked up from Andy Irvine's
site where he has a nicely written mini-biography. Anne appears in it singing with them in the
Abbey Tavern, Howth - to the complete indifference of the late 60s rabble. Here's the link Andy Irvine
Apart from Anne, it's interesting reading - where we learn yet another reason to be grateful for Peter Sellar's
existence - he gave Andy Irvine his first guitar!!
Would love to hear some recordings of Anne - but not likely to run into any in the near future :-<

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: InOBU
Date: 28 Mar 02 - 12:57 PM

Hiya Paddy, get the Colection, from Topic, (tell em I sent ya there if your order it from them on line, nice folks) it is pure BRILLIANT! Just go to the topic page and check out what is on it, everyone else recorded HER versions after, and she was just great, just great, not to speak of her in the past tence, just that she was great in the 60s, Cheers Larry

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: InOBU
Date: 28 Mar 02 - 01:41 PM

http://www.topicdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Topic_Online_Shop_CLICK_HERE_FOR_THE_TOPIC_RECORDS_CD_CATALOGUE_A_Z_1.html

link to topic... I think...

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 28 Mar 02 - 05:07 PM

I ordered mine yesterday so hopefully by next week I shall be enjoying it!

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs Bio...?
From: InOBU
Date: 28 Mar 02 - 05:59 PM

You will, you will you will!!! Larry

---

Messages from multiple threads combined. Messages below are from a new thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Anne Briggs biography?
From: Fiddlegrrl
Date: 20 Nov 03 - 03:33 PM

Hello, everyone --

I recently obtained a copy of MOJO #52 (March 1998), with Colin Harper's long profile on Anne Briggs. At the end of the piece, a note about Colin Harper states that, at the time, he was working on a biography of Anne (he asks for pictures and information). Does anyone have any information as to the status of that project? Did it ever get finished? If not, I hope it's still in the works. I would gobble up an Anne Briggs bio, no doubt!

I don't read MOJO very often, and I have no idea if Colin Harper still writes pieces for them. A little Googling has failed to turn up any contact information for him or I'd ask him directly.

Thanks very much.

xo,
E. Bess

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: Peter T.
Date: 20 Nov 03 - 04:52 PM

I have just been reading the liner notes from Colin Harper to the Annie Briggs collection (mentioned it on Rick Fielding's radio show on Monday), which must be the same material. Colin has published a recent book (2002 I think) called Dazzling Stranger: Bert Jansch and the British Folk Revival, which I have not read, but I suspect a lot of it got plowed into that book. I have the book on order.

yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: okthen
Date: 20 Nov 03 - 05:57 PM

I wrote to Colin Harper at the time, as I have a letter from Anne Briggs from 1964, brief to say the least just saying that the offer of £4 10s was not enough as her friend Bert Jansch reckoned she was worth at least £5 and if that was O.K. then she'd come and sing at Colchester Folk Club. Her address was care of Colletts music shop.
I also sent him an amusing letter from Bert Jansch apologising for missing a gig.
I quote, "Dear Brian, I am terribly sorry I could not make it on Monday.I ran out of money and couldn't find anyone to borrow from, and I'm afraid I was in no condition to hitchhike, and there was also the problem of finding a guitar.Hoping this did not inconvenience you too much. Yours sincereley Bert Jansch"
Colin Harper wrote back thanking me for the info but Anne Briggs had pulled the plug on a biography tho' BJ had given the go ahead and he would be including the letter in it, I never got a complimentary copy tho'.

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: Fiddlegrrl
Date: 20 Nov 03 - 11:06 PM

Thank you both for your responses! Joe, I didn't think to put this in the other thread; I guess I didn't see how they were related but of course it's obvious now. I shall keep that in mind for the future; thanks.

Yes, the liner notes to the CD and the MOJO article duplicate each other quite a little bit. I've heard about the Jansch biography. I'll have to track down a copy.

okthen, it's nice to have such definitive info! I remember reading about that letter in the liner notes of the Anne Briggs CD, too.

Thanks again...

xo,
E. Bess

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: okthen
Date: 21 Nov 03 - 03:54 AM

Just to add a piece of trivia, in the late 60's there was a multi musical event at Essex University, I can't remember all the bands but Incredible string band, Stefan Grossman and Anne Briggs were there.
I don't remember how Stefan, Anne and I got to be in the same room, but I listened to what may have been the only performance these two gave. They were only trying stuff out and don't think it ever came to anything, like I said just a piece of trivia.

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 21 Nov 03 - 04:23 AM

I heard Anne sing on quite a few occasions in the 60s - she is always credited as being the inspiration for Richard Thompson's son "Beeswing".

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: VIN
Date: 21 Nov 03 - 05:00 AM

Got Anne's first two vinyl albums on Topic - great they are too. Thornymoor Woods, Blackwater side, The Snow it Melts The soonest being particular faves of mine. She had a superb natural voice in those days, great inspiration.

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: Greyeyes
Date: 24 Jan 07 - 11:29 AM

There's a reasonable biog of Anne Briggs on Wikipedia now.

Blicky

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 21 Mar 19 - 10:04 AM

Ever wondered if you missed your chance to be wild?

Sonya has been spinning a lot of plates recently; she’s really good at it but she’s definitely not the untamed woman she thought she’d be by now. Sometimes she feels like a feral beast backed into a corner. There’s no escaping social expectation and she fears she’s missed her chance.   

In September 2017 Sonya headed off on a hitchhiking mission to Oban to find 60’s folk legend and notorious wild child Anne Briggs. Sonya was drowning in domesticity and she thought Anne could swoop in and save her.

Feral asks why women are taking on more ‘mental load’ than ever before. Harnessing live music by The Greyhounds, storytelling and the odd party trick, Feral tells an intimate story with universal application, empowering audiences to make wilder choices.

FERAL by Sonya Moorhead and The Greyhounds

27th March 2019 – Aighton, Bailey and Chaigley Memorial Hall, Hurst Green, Clitheroe

March 28th 2019 Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate.

March 29th 2019 Barnsley Civic, Barnsley.

30th March 2019 – Tockholes Village Hall, Darwen, Lancashire.

31st March 2019- Garstang Library, between Preston and Lancaster

Recorded at Limefield Studio Supported by Arts Council England
Buy Digital Album released January 25, 2018
1. Willie O' Winsbury 05:24        
2. Lay Me Down 02:35        
3. The Cuckoo 04:30        
4. Ma Bonny Lad 04:08        
5. Let No Man Steal Your Thyme 03:09        

Sonya Moorhead - Vocals and Lyrics on "Lay Me Down"
John Ellis - Piano and Keys
Sarah Dale - Cello
Ian Fletcher - Guitar

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 21 Mar 19 - 10:58 AM

Recently looked at currently available Anne Briggs CDs..

I bought a bunch 10 to 15 years ago, thought I had her entire discography.
But the discs haved been boxed in storage for so long I can't remember what I have.

Now I don't know if new CDs are all repackages,
or if previously unavailable tracks have emerged...???

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: Reinhard
Date: 21 Mar 19 - 12:05 PM

Anne's eponymous 1971 album "Anne Briggs" is being reissued tomorrow as part of Topic's 80th birthday. Unfortunately it's just a repackaging of the original album on CD; there is nothing extra. Her 1999 CD "A Collection" with 12 additional tracks from five other albums was much more interesting.

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: Reinhard
Date: 21 Mar 19 - 12:10 PM

But Anne's 2016 7" EP "Four Songs" on the Fledg'ling label has four previously unreleased live recordings from 1965-6, three of them songs known from her older albums plus "The Verdant Braes of Skreen".

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 21 Mar 19 - 12:16 PM

Damn all vinyl only releases in the 21st Century...

..bloody hipster elitists...

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 21 Mar 19 - 12:38 PM

Ann Briggs Recordings up on YouTube , sorry I haven't got time to turn all the links in to blue clickies - you will have to cut and paste into your browser
SHE MOVED THROUGH THE FAIR (1963)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dyUsXgL7ow

Blackwaterside
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxOouYO5tY4

Willie O Winsbury
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr16W2wStXQ&index=6&list=RD3dyUsXgL7ow

Lowlands
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlObhhN1kkk&index=8&list=RD3dyUsXgL7ow

Fire And Wine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3ROTRFg08E&list=RD3dyUsXgL7ow&index=12

Tangled Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_d7WfDfEB4&index=15&list=RD3dyUsXgL7ow

The Time Has Come
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH9GQOwJhG8&index=19&list=RD3dyUsXgL7ow

Sandman's Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkLsPyl0-yQ&index=24&list=RD3dyUsXgL7ow

Go Your Way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS81zHrOB74&index=3&list=RD3dyUsXgL7ow

living by the water
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MUjHpoHUE0&index=4&list=RD3dyUsXgL7ow

Travelling's Easy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GPD4JxpSng&list=RD7MUjHpoHUE0&index=9

Folk Britannia: The Watersons & Anne Briggs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0oah-WCPwQ&index=12&list=RD7MUjHpoHUE0


Everytime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtflCgw82ek


Highlodge Hare
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4uM4wf79bg

Ride, Ride
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_BnL03VOyE

Standing On The Shore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1IIZIXDyW8

Fine Horseman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOkJcvg4Q9g

Anne Briggs (1971) (Full Album)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpgkx-OswJ8&t=49s

The Snow It Melts The Soonest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv_hasUk74Q&list=RDMv_hasUk74Q

Thorneymoor Woods
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTTaZSv27_k&list=PL2E3A5BEFE6EE0E22

The Cuckoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L33fO6oVeU

Gathering Rushes In The Month Of May
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXns0a1szMo

Bird in the Bush
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOdx4vSI7W0

Polly Vaughan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TyqdoZQhns

Rosemary Lane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGC0dczkkvU

My Bonny Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dZApX8FHBE

Young Tambling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6x2S8comEU

Reynardine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf4Va2Leutc

The Doffing Mistress
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDPEGTp9zVw

The Maid on the Shore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZHZOAGEXuc

The Recruited Collier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rKISrXhTWY

The Stonecutter Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC3Rji_GhSQ

Martinmas Time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c-3Ywyjby0


The Hills of Greenmore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FnQiEY3HT4

Sovay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7EaDGOsWVA

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 21 Mar 19 - 03:52 PM

Here are the rest of the Anne Briggs links now blue clicked and ready to enjoy.
Standing On The Shore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1IIZIXDyW8
Fine Horseman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOkJcvg4Q9g

Anne Briggs (1971) (Full Album)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpgkx-OswJ8&t=49s

The Snow It Melts The Soonest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv_hasUk74Q&list=RDMv_hasUk74Q

Thorneymoor Woods
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTTaZSv27_k&list=PL2E3A5BEFE6EE0E22

The Cuckoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L33fO6oVeU

Gathering Rushes In The Month Of May
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXns0a1szMo

Bird in the Bush
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOdx4vSI7W0

Polly Vaughan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TyqdoZQhns


Rosemary Lane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGC0dczkkvU

My Bonny Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dZApX8FHBE

Young Tambling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6x2S8comEU

Reynardine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf4Va2Leutc

The Doffing Mistress
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDPEGTp9zVw

The Maid on the Shore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZHZOAGEXuc

The Recruited Collier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rKISrXhTWY

The Stonecutter Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC3Rji_GhSQ

Martinmas Time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c-3Ywyjby0

The Hills of Greenmore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FnQiEY3HT4

Sovay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7EaDGOsWVA

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: GUEST,davidkiddnet
Date: 23 Mar 19 - 12:03 AM

In "Dazzling Stranger: Bert Jansch and the British Folk and Blues Revival" Colin Harper tells that Anne herself ascribes her characteristic singing style as a style learned from the gypsies, by which she meant their somewhat eastern styles of ornamentation, flourish, cut, turn etc., that differs for that of singers who live in houses. She said she spent time living with the gypsies.

The biography also says that Bert fathered a child by Anne but she owned it for herself and did not wish to stay together and neither did he, for as they demonstrated in their lives nothing could tie either down. But enough said; for isn't it the music were here for?

Subject: RE: Anne Briggs biography?
From: GUEST,GUEST David E.
Date: 23 Mar 19 - 11:50 AM

That would have been Gill Cook, not Anne Briggs.