The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger

Subject: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Chris Amos
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 02:57 AM

Hi,

I have, thanks to Mary Humphries, got three of the albums of this work. I would like to hear the rest, anyone know if thee are any plans to republish the set?.

Chris

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: banjomad (inactive)
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 05:37 PM

no.
Dave

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 06:02 PM

Hi, Chris - check the catalogue at Smithsonian Folkways under maccoll. There are several albums listed that look like they may have been part of the Long Harvest serices. There's quite a bit of information about the Long Harvest in this thread: Child Ballads: Anybody Recorded the Lot?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Chris Amos
Date: 01 Dec 02 - 03:41 AM

Joe,

Many thanks, The Smithsonian sit is great, with downloads too.

Regards

Chris

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 01 Dec 02 - 05:39 AM

There's a complete set for sale on Ebay right now.

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Phillip
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 05:59 AM

Anyone know what was planned for the un-released volumes?

And if Topic might ever release this on CD?

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 09:48 AM

I've got a complete set of the LPs - but I'm not selling them. I've tried to transfer them to CD but not been very successful (partly due to my record deck and stylus being knackered?).

In my opinion this set is well overdue for re-issue in CD form. It is a masterpice - as important in its way as Child or Bronson. This was my introduction to British and American balladry - and the older I get the more I think how lucky I was to have access to works like this during my formative years. Much is made of MacColl's songwriting and, brilliant as that was, it was as a ballad singer that he really shone. If you think you are anti-MacColl don't pass judgement until you have heard him sing 'Sir Patrick Spens' or 'The Swan Swims sae Bonny' etc., etc.

The other (somewhat flawed) masterpiece of this period (late 60s/early 70s) was the Topic re-issue of the Caedmon 'Folk Songs of Britain' set - again long overdue for re-issue. Some of it has appeared on the 'Rounder' label and some tracks have been duplicated on Topic's 'Songs of the People' set but a full set, without the truncated tracks of the original LPs would be fantastic.

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 12:01 PM

If you have an interest in Long Harvest, E-mail me at:
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 04:46 PM

Hope somebody releases 'Blood and Roses'; better performances in my opinion
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 07:45 PM

Mr. Carroll-
CAMSCO Music has recently released Blood and Roses (5 CDs-$55 per set, or $15 per individual CD). Call 800/548-FOLK <3655> or E-mail me at [e-mail]

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: johnross
Date: 24 Mar 07 - 12:37 AM

The Long Harvest and the rest of the Argo catalogue seems to be in some kind of limbo. Does anybody know who owns the rights and/or the masters for the Argo folk music records?

Phillip, what have you heard about "un-released volumes?" There's nothing in my copy of Ewan 's or Peggy's own discography notes about this. Given that it does list a couple of "never released" LPs on other labels, and possibly one on Argo, I would have thought that one or more additional "Long Harvest" volumes would appear on those lists.

The earlier set of Child Ballads recorded by Ewan MacColl and Bert Lloyd, produced by Kenny Goldstein and released in the US on Riverside is another story. It's my understanding that Topic will reissue some of those recordings (as a two-CD set?) later this year. Of course, that's not the same as the original ten-LP Riverside set, but it's better than nothing.

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Phillip
Date: 24 Mar 07 - 02:31 AM

Peggy's discography on her website has these two intriguing entries:

BALLADS RESIDENT and MIGRANT / Ewan and Peggy / British and American traditional ballads / (Long Harvest Vol 11) / 12" disc never issued / ZDA 76

SECOND CROP / Ewan and Peggy / British and American traditional ballads / (Long Harvest Vol 12) / 12" disc never issued / ZDA 77

Maybe someone in touch with Peggy might see if she has more info?

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Mar 07 - 04:51 AM

The two extra 'Long Harvest' were recorded but never issued - I have the listings somewhere if I can lay my hands on it.
Peggy tried to find out what happened to them - don't know how successful she was.
There was also a short talk by Ewan in front of an audience, on the Ballads, which was recorded by Argo, but also never released.
There were murmurs of Topic re-issuing some of the Argo catalogue - including the Critics Group's 2 London albums. Does anybody know how that idea stands at present.
As important as they were at the time, I can't think for the life of me why anybody should want to re-issue the Riverside series. It certainly didn't show Ewan at his best and he often said he couldn't bear to listen to them.
Does anybody have any information about the album Ewan and Peggy made in Australia (Larrikin???) - would love to own a copy.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Phillip
Date: 24 Mar 07 - 09:58 AM

There were some ballads on the Riverside series, though, which never appeared again elsewhere - The Heir o' Linne, for example, which is marvellous. I would love to have a non-scratchy version of that, and if modern engineers could improve the sound quality that would be a bonus.

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Phillip
Date: 24 Mar 07 - 01:51 PM

I think the following ballads by MacColl were unique to the Riverside series -

Rob Roy McGregor
The Heir of Linne
The Earl of Aboyne
Hind Horn
The Jolly Beggar
My Son David

I hope Topic are planning on putting all of these on any re-issue!

By Bert Lloyd I believe that 22 ballads were not recorded for any other albums.

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Susan of DT
Date: 24 Mar 07 - 07:27 PM

Are you saying that the MacColl recordings were not released on CD or that no one has recorded them? Most of the ballads on the list in the previous posting are available by other singers. A good resource for recordings of the Child ballads is Child Ballad Project Hind Horn is available from Peggy Seeger on Blood and Roses, newly released by CAMSCO

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Phillip
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 01:51 AM

I am saying that EwanMacColl (or Bert Lloyd) didn't record them again.

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: johnross
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 07:29 PM

As far as I have been able to discover, all three of the Larrikin LPs were licensed Australian re-issues of UK originals: two from Blackthorne and one from EMI:

BR 1059 Hot Blast (orig. Blackthorne 1059)
BR 1061 Different Therefore Equal (orig. Blackthorne 1061)
EM 2556 No Thyme Lyke the Present (Also issued by EMI)

The earlier Australian Wattle LPs are something of a mystery to me. Were they taken from the material that Kenny Goldstein recorded and packaged for Topic, Stinson and Riverside, or were they separate sessions?

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 10:33 PM

G'day johnross,

My memory is that the Wattle Recordings LPs were re-releases, not Australian-recorded sessions. Wattle started out recording Australian artists doing Australian-collected material ... but probably opted for local releases of OS material to keep up some turnover and stay in business a bit longer.

Warren Fahey's Larrikin releases did include a number of local re-releases. If you are specifically interested, I can ask Warren. I'll see him at the (Australian) National Folk Festival, in Canberra over Easter, but he's only a local (Sydney) call away.

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: GUEST,redmax
Date: 26 Mar 07 - 05:26 AM

"There were murmurs of Topic re-issuing some of the Argo catalogue - including the Critics Group's 2 London albums. Does anybody know how that idea stands at present"

Sweet Thames Flow Softly is available on CD courtesy of the Dutton Vocalion label. No sign of Merry Progress to London, which is a shame, as I thought that was the better of the two


http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDSML8424

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Mar 07 - 03:05 AM

Johnross and Bob Bolton,
Thanks for your response.
After their Australian tour (Ewan said if he was 20 years younger he'd move there), they told us that they had recorded tracks for an album - I was under the impression that it was a studio session and not a live performance. Warren Fahey's name was mentioned.
One of the songs that was mentioned was 'Virginia Lags', which I'm pretty certain was not recorded elsewhere.
Would very much appreciate any further info,
Thanks,
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 Mar 07 - 08:57 AM

I sent this thread to Warren.

sandra

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Mar 07 - 02:48 PM

Thanks for that Sandra,
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: GUEST, Australian connection
Date: 27 Mar 07 - 05:14 PM

Howdy, Warren Fahey here (ex Larrikin). The two Blackthorne LPs were licensed and the third was compiled especially for Larrikin by Ewan/Peggy from Blackthorne (Ewan/Peg's own label) to coincide with a tour I coordinated. All three had a relatively short life and have been deleted for decades. I imagine Ebay is your only hope of collecting these issues.

Everyone should buy the 5 CD set reissued through Camsco (I have mine) - they are a valuable series for any ballad fan.

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Phillip
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 03:30 PM

Message for Jim Carroll -

You were going to have a look for the track listings of the 2 unissued volumes - did you manage to find them?

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 02:46 AM

Not yet-will have another go, but I suspect it was in an e-mail from Peggy which went awol after a lightning strike.
I know for certain that one of the songs was 'John Thomson - The Scottish Goalkeeper' (who died between the posts during the match).
The projected title for the two albums was 'Second Crop'.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Phillip
Date: 07 May 07 - 06:40 AM

I emailed Peggy Seeger and asked her about the two unissued albums. She was able to supply the list of songs that she sang on them:

ZDA 76    Argo       12â€쳌          THE LONG HARVEST
          (unreleased)          Record 11 - Ballads Resident and Migrant
                         1.    Henry Lee
                         2.      Fair Annie
                         3.      Half-Hitch
                         4.      Matty Grove

ZRG 3029/    Argo       12"    THE LONG HARVEST   
ZDA 77    (unreleased)    Record 12 - Second Crop   
                         1.      The Ballad of Springhill
                            2.      Omi Wise
                            3.      Tyburn Hill
                              4.      Hiram Hubbard
                         5.    Floyd Collins
                         6.    Lolly Tudum
                         7.    Wicked Polly
                         8.      John J. Curtis

She also suggested that the Long Harvest might be issued on CD, but recorded from vinyl rather than tape as the current owners of the tapes (Polygram) say they are lost. That's a great pity, but at least a re-issue from vinyl would be good for people who can't do the same themselves. Plus they would, I hope, be proper CDs not CD-Rs. (Some of the first CR-Rs I made for myself years ago have now stopped playing on my hi-fi, although they still work in my car and on PCs. (So you just burn another!))

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 07 May 07 - 11:01 AM

Please see my note earlier in the thread. (the one dated March 23, 2007)

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: cshurtz
Date: 08 May 07 - 12:07 AM

I have just recently discovered this whole "Lost Harvest" project, but I would have to say that I might just sell my soul for a copy of the whole set on CD (even if it were copies of vinyl recordings). I wish someone would copy their records and post them somewhere. I would be more than happy to send Peggy Seeger a royalty check. I'm thinking about using my library privileges as a college student to hunt down the old records and digitalize them myself....seems like a good productive project for next semester, of course I'll have to buy a record player :)

Subject: Long Harvest
From: Viracocha
Date: 30 Jul 07 - 09:05 AM

The Child Ballad Project says Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger have recorded something FILLED with Child Ballad versions called "The Long Harvest", which seems to have at least 7 volumes, but is impossible to find. I tried Google, Froogle (yes, I know it's much the same), amazon and ebay - the only one that had anything was Google, and the pages that were actually relevant were only selling one volume, as an LP record.

So, what I'm asking is: Does anyone have any idea where I could buy the complete cds of "the Long Harvest"? Preferably not TOO expensive (I'm considering putting it on a birthday list, as I have a birthday soon, but I don't want people to baulk at the price).

Thanks,

-Viracocha

---

I combined your new thread with this one. I hope it helps.

Subject: RE: Long Harvest
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 Jul 07 - 09:13 AM

Check this out. (click me)

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: curmudgeon
Date: 30 Jul 07 - 09:37 AM

Better yet, read the messages on this thread and your questions will be answered - Tom

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Viracocha
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 05:22 AM

Sorry, thanks. I looked for a thread like this, but none came up. Thanks for combining them ^_^

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: GUEST,Jeff Sokolow
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 03:56 PM

The complete set is available on reissued CDs from Peggy Seeger here: http://www.pegseeger.com/html/order.html. $110 includes postage in US, $125 elsewhere.

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: GUEST,Neill MacColl
Date: 09 Jan 11 - 10:10 PM

I've just unearthed a test pressing of Long Harvest Vol. 12 (Second Crop). Here is a definitive track listing.

Side 1

1. Ballad Of Springhill
2. The Overgate
3. Omie Wise
4. Alan MacLean
5. Tyburn Hill
6. Van Dieman's Land
7. Hiram Hubbard

Side 2

1. Thacker's Horses
2. Floyd Collins
3. Sheffield Apprentice
4. Lolly Tudum
5. Wicked Polly
6. The Ballad Of Jock Thompson
7. John J Curtis
8. Johnny Andrews

My brother Calum and I are digitising all of the vinyl and are hoping to make some of it more widely available in digital form at some point. If anyone hears of a test pressing of Long Harvest Vol.11 please let us know. To Jim Carroll, how are you doing?

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 10 Jan 11 - 03:52 AM

Hi Neil - wonderful work; you've just made half of a lifelong dream come true. Have you tried Harley Usill for the second one?
I once tried to unearth the two albums - also a lecture Ewan did on the ballad in front of an audience at the Decca Studio in Hampstead; it was intended to go out as an Argo album.
We're doing well - best to all.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 10 Jan 11 - 07:45 AM

Hi Neil - if you're still there.
Would recommend you follow up this contact - he was doing a great deal of research on the Argo Catalogue; his website mantions the two albums.
Quentin Kean, www.folkcatalogue.wordpress.com   00 34 956 44 1629, 00 34 659 330 680
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: GUEST,freebornman
Date: 11 Jan 11 - 02:51 PM

Hello Neill!

These are great news. I hope this record will be available sooner or later in whatever format - CD, flac or mp3 files. Be sure, there are people who are willing to buy it - no matter what the price is.

Sorry, I have no information about Vol.11

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 11 Jan 11 - 08:26 PM

For some reason, this doesn't seem to have been noted in this thread:
The complete set of "Long Harvest" (10 CDs + 1 CD containing all the notes in searchable PDF format)has been released by CAMSCO Music. $100 the set; $5.00 S&H to the US and Canada; $10 to the UK.

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 14 Jan 11 - 02:27 PM

Just found a letter from Peggy dated April 2001 with a track list of the two unreleased albums,
Jim Carroll

You asked about Vols. 11 and 12 of Long Harvest. Here are my notes:
Long Harvest, Vol 11 (to be named "Ballads Resident and Migrant") Argo ZDA 76
sung by Peggy:
Henry Lee, Fair Annie, Half Hitch and Matty Grove
sung by Ewan:   
Gil Morice, Andrew Lammie, Bessie Bell & Mary Gray, Duke of Athol's Nurse, Kilbogie

Long Harvest, Vol 12 (to be named "Second Crop") Argo ZDA 77
sung by Ewan:   
Alan MacLean, Ballad of Jock Thompson, Ballad of Johnny Andrews, The Overgate, Sheffield Apprentice (I think sung by Ewan, not sure),
Van Dieman's Land, Thacker's Horses
sung by Peggy:
Floyd Collins, Hiram Hubbard, John J. Curtis, Lolly Tudum, Omi Wise,
Tyburn Hill, Wicked Polly,
sung by both:   
The Ballad of Springhill

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: The Sandman
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 02:02 PM

re

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 06:35 PM

The Australian MacColl/Seeger recordings I issued on Larrikin have been out of print for years and there is no plan to reissue. What I would recommend is the free streamed concert they made in Australia in 1976 - it is a history of songs of struggle and is fantastic listening - just like having Ewan and Peggy in your own home. It is available, along with the equally brilliant Joe Heaney concert recorded at the Sydney Opera House. Both available on my site www.warrenfahey.com under podcast/concerts. Enjoy.

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 09:47 PM

Wonderful.... thank you Warren. Quite a treasure..

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 09:55 PM

By the way...I didn't seem to find the links to 'podcasts' directly, but I found that there was a 'site map' at http://warrenfahey.com/map.htm, and near the bottom were the links to the Seeger-McColl concert.

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Phillip
Date: 09 Apr 20 - 07:56 AM

Volumes 11 and 12 are now available as Digital downloads from Calum MacColl's website. For me that's three out of four MacColl Holy Grails I have managed to get this year - the other being Merry Muses. Now all that's left is the 78 on Topic of Jamie Foyers...

Go to calummaccoll.com and then click on the link on the left of the screen to Ewan MacColl, then to shop.

Phillip

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 09 Apr 20 - 08:09 AM

If anybody is interested, I have done some notes based on Ewan and Peggy's previous writings elsewhere
I have also desighned covers based on the designs used for the series, using characters of the Coomedia del Arte which they used as
bookmarks
These are not comprehensive and are meant as a background ro some of the songs
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Phillip
Date: 09 Apr 20 - 08:12 AM

Slight correction to the way to get these - go to Calum's website, then click on "links", then "Ewan MacColl".

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 09 Apr 20 - 09:06 AM

Incidentally
I wasd forst told about the additions by Ewan shortly after I moved to London
When he died I searched high an low, including writing to Harvey Usill, trying to find out if they survived during which time I asked Peggy about them - she didn't know
I like to think it was my efforts which eventually led to their discovery - this groundbreaking series is a must-have for any ballad buff as is Blood and Roses

In 1969, the yeAR I moved to London I and others were invited to Argo's Hampstead studio to form an audience for a lecture Ewan gave on The Ballad, the intention being that it should be released, with more examples as a companion to this series
I never managed to find that either - shame - it would have made a perfect ending to the series
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Hagman
Date: 10 Apr 20 - 08:33 PM

Direct link to the Bandcamp MacColl shop:

https://ewanmaccoll.bandcamp.com/

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 11 Apr 20 - 01:37 PM

The 1976 podcast referred to above seems to have vanished from the current incarnation of Warren Fahey's website (unless they've been cunningly hidden!) - does anyone have the correct working link?

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: cnd
Date: 11 Apr 20 - 05:08 PM

Try this link: http://www.warrenfahey.com.au/songs-of-struggle/ - you will have to enable Adobe

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Anglo
Date: 12 Apr 20 - 12:19 AM

What a surprise! I had no idea there were more volumes of Long Harvest. I digitized my set some time ago, and gave a copy to Dick Greenhaus (Camsco & Digitrad), I think he used it to make copies for Peggy.

And I had no idea that the Bandcamp site existed. Well, good news there. The main gap seems to be the Muse series, Angry, Amorous and Wanton, on Argo. I only have really old lo-fi reel-to-reel versions of those.

Jim Carroll, I'd love to see your covers for the series.

Thanks to all posting here - you've cheered up my day.

JR

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 12 Apr 20 - 02:58 AM

Anglo
PM me an e-mail address and I'll send you it/them
If anybody is having trouble finding these recordings - do likewise

I'm topping and tailing Ewan's album outlet at present and have just about finished - one LP (Songs against the Bomb (wih others) and all the 78s to go
Any help would be appreciated
I don't know if people are aware of the magnificent series of 14 entitled 'Poetry and Song' Ewan, Peg, Tom Paley and the Critics did with a number of prominent actors reading the poetry excellently - a production aimed at schools
I've recently completed them if anybody is interested
There was a further series of 8 similar entitled 'Voices' - I have one only
If anybody has or knows who has them I'd marry them and have their babies
Keep well all
Jim

Subject: RE: The Long Harvest by MacColl & Seeger
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 12 Apr 20 - 03:51 AM

"outlet" Output
Jim