Harry Boardman CD

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Llanfair
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 05:49 PM

I think I need to order a CD, Mark, I'll E-Mail you for a copy. I remember Harry well, and used to love his music.

I used to go to the MSG, Yvonne, and everyone sang Harry's songs!!!!

Cheers, Bron.

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Yvonne
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 05:54 AM

Mark, it is indeed a wonderful CD.

I was supprised to find I knew a lot of the songs and can only think I heard them many years ago when I used to attend the MSG in Manchester. I might even have heard Harry Boardman sing them but would not have had a clue who he was!

You and Chris have done a brilliant job.

Hope to see you soon.

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 05:37 PM

Mark, congratulations to you and Chris for producing this CD of Lancashire songs. Harry Boardman (and others) did a great service in discovering and presenting these songs, but somehow they've got sort of mislaid and it is wonderful to hear them sung again.
John of Grimshaw's Handloom Weaver's Lament is one of the most powerful protest songs I've ever heard, with a real bite and vigour that carries the song really well.
The CD has a delightful mix of songs that is attractive and intriguing; lots of good songs that I'd want to sing again and again. I personally like Frolicsome Kate, but I find that a lot of the other songs are sinking in as well. I have to agree with Mary that Henry Hunt makes a brilliant rousing chorus song!

(PS. Lovely to see you at the Open Door last Sunday. I think it made a great night for Harry's 50th.)

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Harry Basnett
Date: 27 Jan 04 - 03:06 PM

Got my copy on Sunday when Mark came and performed at my surprise Birthday Bash ( thanks to all who came and to Sara for organising it...) - - the CD is excellent with great interpretations of some wonderful material.

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Barb'ry
Date: 26 Jan 04 - 05:58 PM

Fantastic CD with lots of songs that I haven't heard for years - I like Bonny Brid best too. You've done a great job Mark! Everyone else - go and buy it!!
See you soon
Barb'ry

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 26 Jan 04 - 08:18 AM

The whistlestop tour of Local Radio stations to promote this CD arrives at BBC Radio Shropshire next Sunday on Genevieve Tudor's Folk show from 8-00 till 10-00pm. Chris Harvey and myself will be on from around 8-30 to 9-00pm
I hope some of you will be able to listen in.
BBC Radio Shropshire 96.0FM
BBC Radio Stoke 94.6FM
BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester 94.7FM

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Harry Basnett
Date: 20 Jan 04 - 09:18 AM

Nice to see that this CD and Harry Boardman are both getting the attention and recognition they so widely deserve!! Well done, Mark and save me a copy!!

All the very best......Harry.

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 20 Jan 04 - 04:26 AM

Thanks Barb'ry. Hope you had a good birthday as well on the 17th - and I hope you liked the CD that Andy bought for you!

Thanks for the kind comments Mary. Harry's performances have obviously influenced the way I sing the songs but it wasn't the intention to do a "Stars in their eyes" with this but we did want to capture the spirit of the original recordings. I do a double take when I hear our version of "Merry Little Doffer" - Jenny Shotliff's fiddle is very similar to what Bob Diehl did. Les Bond had a similar reaction when he played "Hand Loom Weavers' Lament" on Lancashire Drift a few weeks ago. Listen in to Radio Lancashire at 8:00pm on Thursday to hear myself and Chris Harvey talking to Les about this project.

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Barb'ry
Date: 16 Jan 04 - 07:13 AM

Happy birthday Mark! Happy CD launch - I want one
love Barb'ry

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Mary Humphreys
Date: 09 Jan 04 - 10:37 AM

I have just received my copy of Mark's CD and have listened to it through already.
When I first put it on I thought - 'He's put a track of Harry's on the CD to start with'. But no - it was Mark. And I couldn't tell the difference at first.Having listened closely I can just about do so now. It's uncanny how similar Mark and Harry sound.
The choice of material is superb. My favourite is Bonny Brid, sung with tenderness and love.And I must learn Henry Hunt - I liked it when Harry sang it and like it just as much with the current line-up.Smashing chorus song.
The whole CD is a delight and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to hear the best of North-West singing and musicianship.
Well done, Mark.
Mary Humphreys

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 09 Jan 04 - 03:15 AM

Just to let you know that the CD is now available from me by post @ £11 incl p+p.
Email for more details - [e-mail]

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 06 Jan 04 - 06:47 PM

If you've nothing to do on Sunday night (11th) between 7 and 8pm and you can receive BBC Radio Merseyside, Stan Ambrose is featuring Chris Harvey and myself talking about the CD and Harry and Lancashire music in general and if you miss that then Ali is having the pair of us on BBC GMR on Monday 12th between 8 and 9pm on Sounds of Folk to talk about the CD and Harry ...well you get the drift. Talking about the drift, Les Bond is having us on Lancashire Drift on BBC Radio Lancashire on 22nd Jan to talk about....and if you haven't had enough or didn't catch any of those progs then Genevieve is featuring us on her show on BBC Shropshire/Stoke/Hereford on Feb 1st between 8-30 and 9-00pm ish.

Bard's Reformation - not on this one but definitely on the next one.

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: GUEST,Les in Chorlton
Date: 31 Dec 03 - 01:28 PM

Sorry Mark, my mistake. But still great to know those songs are alive and well.

All ways time for a Bards Reformation!

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 31 Dec 03 - 11:37 AM

With regard to reissuing stuff, it's interesting to note that the Oldham Tinkers, who have lined the pockets of Topic records in the past, had to have their stuff reissued under licence from Topic by Pier Records thanks to help from long time Tinkers' fan Andy Kershaw. As is the case with some other reissues, odd tracks from 'Deep Lancashire' and 'Owdham Edge' have been included on these CDs as well as tracks from their first solo LP 'Owdham's Burning Sands' The reissue of all the Tinkers' tracks are due for completion next year with 'For Owd Time's Sake' presumably with the remaining tracks from 'Owdham's Burning Sands' as this LP doesn't seem to be getting a release in its own right.

Incidentally Les, and just to make things clear to everybody, it's not new stuff of Harry, it's me singing the songs that Harry used to sing that are on the CD.

Have a good New Year's Eve wherever you are and raise a glass to the friends that we've lost this year.

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 31 Dec 03 - 07:38 AM

I we a small and diminishing market? I went to see Waterson Carthy and Ashley doing Sharp, they were all selling and signing like mad. Loved it and bought some, but would they have bothered years ago? Looks like the Albions have packed it in, not enough interest?

Sorry didn't mean to be pessimistic, especially with new Harry CDs on the way.

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: red max
Date: 30 Dec 03 - 07:57 AM

It's a shame that Topic have no plans to reissue "A Lancashire Mon", as it was a remarkable LP. Its otter hunting song makes uncomfortable listening, but Harry acknowledged this in his sleevenotes

How much does it cost to reissue old albums, anyway? I can understand Topic being reluctant to dredge up each and every item from its vaults, but there are some superb albums gathering just as much dust as those on the Trailer label. Is the potential demand for Roy Harris, John Kirkpatrick & Sue Harris reissues really so small?

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Alio
Date: 30 Dec 03 - 06:47 AM

Oh...right! I have played a couple of tracks from their Sharp Practice album, which is great! Not sure if Mike has, as I don't often get chance to listen to his show. I'd quite like to do an interview with Mary actually.
Looking forward to the one with Mark and Chris in January.

Ali

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 30 Dec 03 - 06:42 AM

Ali,
I thought I heard Mary Humphries and Anahata on Mike Harding but maybe it was on your programme?

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Alio
Date: 29 Dec 03 - 01:54 PM

What about Mike Harding? And what did I say on the 'Sounds of Folk' programme?

Ali

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 29 Dec 03 - 11:38 AM

Just checked out the links provided by Mark, above. Thanks a lot, really interesting

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 26 Dec 03 - 12:46 PM

Well I was sure, but now you mention it maybe it was The GMR Folk programme. Sorry for the confusion.

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Dec 03 - 07:45 PM

Les - What's all this about Mike Harding? Nobody told us... are you SURE?

Anahata (and Mary)

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: GUEST,Les in Chorlton
Date: 25 Dec 03 - 07:18 PM

Mary,
a Folk Club runs at the South West Manchester Cricket Club, Ellesmere Road, Chorlton, every Thursday. It was started and managed by Jozeph Roberts, who runs a great club. Maybe people wont sing in the Unicorn again but Harry and lots of people from that generation made something happen that keeps reappearing?

My wife Liz sends her best wishes, she was on Oakwood Governors, when you were chair. The school has been demolished and a state of the art school ahs been built in its place. It has Performing Arts status complete with theatre and ampitheater. It was good to hear you on Mike Harding the other week, maybe you will sing at Chorlton High School?

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Mary Humphreys
Date: 25 Dec 03 - 05:41 PM

We carried on running the club for some years after Harry's death.But the audiences went down and the new landlord of the pub wanted to use the room for big-screen football, so we were gently persuaded to find somewhere else.
Martin ( the taxi) Rosmarin organised a 'special' night in November 2002 at the Unicorn, where Terry Whelan MC'd the night, Anahata and I did the main guest spot and all the old crowd came to join in. It was a magic night, and great to see Chris & Jan Cole, Barbara, Catrin, Dave Bishop and lots of others there who had been regulars in the past. It was also very sad to think that we probably would not have nights like that again in that room.
Les in Chorlton,if you are thinking of starting up a club there again, please let Mudcatters know.

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: GUEST,Les in Chorlton
Date: 25 Dec 03 - 04:04 PM

Do people still sing at the Unicorn?

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 23 Dec 03 - 08:45 PM

More information about this HERE
and you may like to look HERE if you haven't already for more information about what Harry left us.

The CD is called "A Mon Like Harry" and is planned to come out on 16th January. Published by Cock Robin Music - Catalogue No CRM 097

Chris Harvey of Cock Robin and myself have got a couple of radio shows lined up in January to talk about this and give you a listen to some of the tracks.
Sounds of Folk on BBC GMR (95.1 FM & 104.6 FM) on Jan 12th and Lancashire Drift on Jan 22nd
Stan Ambrose is interested in doing something for BBC Radio Merseyside and we're hoping to get down to BBC Radio Shropshire for Genevieve's programme sometime in February (if she'll have us!).

This is something that I've wanted to do for a while as I've been singing the songs since the mid 70's when someone lent me a copy of "Deep Lancashire" for some songs to perform at a school concert. I was going to put half a dozen of the songs on my previous CD, "Brown Photographs", but when I made a list out, there were the songs that eventually got onto that CD plus another 20 songs (at least) of Harry's, so Chris and myself decided to do the Lancashire stuff as a separate project for Cock Robin Music. Of course what has happened is that people have said "Are you putting that song on" or "I hope you've put that one on" and I have to say no but we've put such and such on. Volume 2 is already looming on the horizon.

When I was at the Unicorn on Saturday nights in the early 80's as one of the resident singers (along with Mary, Steve Mayne, Bob Morton, Brian Peters, Joe Kerrins, Chris Manners, Chris Cole and a few other regular singers such as Tony Hill and the late Paul Connor - I was the only one I'd never heard of!), I used to ask Harry to sing these songs as he never used to do them as part of his current repertoire - maybe the odd one - but it was a treat to hear him sing the songs that I'd only heard on records up to that point - "The Weaver of Wellbrook", "Shurat Weaver's song", "Handloom v Powerloom", etc. I hope I've done them justice. The banjo that I'm playing belonged to Harry at one time - I bought it off him when he got another one. It's still got the old tie on it that he used as a strap!

I'm preaching to the converted here but the sad thing is that many people who have joined the folk circuit since Harry passed on don't know his legacy and it's because of people like him that we are here today with a folk scene - maybe not as vibrant as it was but at least we're still here. I believe that very few people now sing these songs of Harry's. Please prove me wrong.

May you all enjoy Christmas and if your neighbour is on his or her own, go and invite them in for a drink.

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 23 Dec 03 - 07:27 PM

Hey folks--
When you announce a new (or forthcoming) CD, coiuld you also identify the publisher? It would make it a helluva lot easier for CAMSCO to keep up (and possibly cut prices.)

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: GUEST,Les in Chorlton
Date: 23 Dec 03 - 07:01 PM

I just don't know what to say.

I first saw Harry about the time of Deep Lancashire. He did a guest spot at the Traveller's Rest in Ellesmere Port. I thought he was just so original, so unassuming and so inspiring. Saw him on and off at Whitby and such places.

When we moved to Manchester in '78 we went to the Unicorn and met amongst many others Chris Cole, Gorton Morris, Gorton tank but most of all Harry and Lesley and much enjoyed the Unicorn.

The saddest and most moving was Southern Cemetery and the Southern Hotel when Harry left us.

Great, Great man, great family, great legacy. So many songs and which one would we choose to sing for him tomorrow?

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Harry Basnett
Date: 23 Dec 03 - 05:47 PM

Quite agree, Mary..and Merry Christmas in advance....

Subject: RE: Harry Boardman CD
From: Mary Humphreys
Date: 23 Dec 03 - 05:44 PM

I have already ordered mine.
Mark says it will be with us in early new year.
Let's keep this thread at the top of the list!
Mary

Subject: Harry Boardman CD
From: Harry Basnett
Date: 23 Dec 03 - 05:41 PM

Looking at the Lancashire folk song thread has reminded me that Mark Dowdings CD of Harry Boardman material is due to be released fairly soon. Should definitely be one to watch out for...