Marrowbones - I really want it!

Subject: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Fay
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 10:46 AM

Not a call for blood or bone marrow donations, oh no..

But mi fella really wants a copy of Marrowbones for Christmas. I said he'd be lucky, but anyone know of a backstreet shop anywhere I might be able to get it from? I've trawled the internet to no avail.

Looks like he's getting socks again poor chap.

fay xx

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: IanC
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 11:09 AM

The books don't generall appear in bookshops. For one thing, the bind quality wasn't too good. For another, they were a fairly limited run by EFDSS.

You won't like it, but the information in this thread is pertinent.

:-(
Ian

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: webfolk
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 11:10 AM

i have a soemwhat battered one that i might sell to the highest bidder

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 11:11 AM

The binding was ok (sewn) for Marrow Bones, but the later books weren't well made (glued). Copies can be had; it was a bigger print run than some of the later ones.

Link to search routine:

Purslow Marrow Bones

One copy listed at present, via Alibris. Not especially cheap, but signed by Hamish Henderson.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Terry K
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 12:22 PM

That made me go and look at my copy and you're right Malcolm, mine is sewn and is in perfect condition, except that the print has become a lot smaller than it was when I bought it.

I see that I paid the princely sum of 5/- net in 1965. There'll be people who don't know what "5/- net" means. I sort of wish I was one of 'em really.

Sorry but it's not for sale - it's treasured.

cheers, Terry

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 12:25 PM

I had the same problem, Fay. I wanted that book for years, so I finally broke down and bought through bookfinder.com a few months ago. It cost me about $26 US, including shipping. Expensive - but it's a wonderful little book. Still, I sometimes wonder how I brought myself to spend $26 on such a tiny book.

Did Purslow do other songbooks like this one?

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: DMcG
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 12:31 PM

Yes, Joe, there are at least these:

Marrowbones
The Foggy Dew
The Constant Lovers
The Wanton Seed.

All roughly the same size.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: MartinRyan
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 02:44 PM

.. and I have 'em all, hee hee hee!

Regards

p.s. I occasionally see some of them in bookshops on this side of the water. If they're cheap, I'll pick 'em up and offer them here. For that matter, John Moulden of Ulstersongs (busy these days finishing a Ph.D.) may well have copies now and then.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Fay
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 06:23 PM

Thanks very much chasing them up... webfolk - I've pm'ed you xx

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 12:17 AM

Well, if anyone happens to come across copies of the other three, remember poor old Joe Offer, off all alone in the chilly foothills of the frigid Sierra, pining away for songbooks.
-Joe Offer, grovelingly-

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 01:36 AM

I'm still looking for a copy of The Foggy Dew. It was the last volume, and rather shoddily bound; most copies seem to have fallen to bits, and people who have survivors aren't parting with them.

EFDSS is having another think about reprinting some of the Hammond/Gardiner material, but there are various issues (quite complex) that need to be looked at first. We shall see.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: rich-joy
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 02:38 AM

Yes, I'm still looking for a copy of "The Foggy Dew" and also "The Wanton Seed" !!!

:-)))


Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: DMcG
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 04:06 AM

Like MartinRyan, I have them all (and I echo his hee, hee, hee!)) but they are, as Malcolm indicated, extremely fragile. It is almost impossible to open them without breaking the spine and having a section of the pages fall out. I find the only way to actually use them is to only open the book to about 90 degrees and carefully copy the relevant song out onto a separate piece of paper then use that instead. Even so, they are well worth having.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Stewie
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 05:54 AM

I have all four. 'Marrow Bones' and 'Constant Lovers' are sewn, but the other two are glued.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: the button
Date: 04 Aug 07 - 02:31 PM

Just been re-issued, completely re-edited, with a much-improved set of notes at the back. (See related thread).

Yay!

(A new edition of The Wanton Seed on the way too, apparently).

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Jul 18 - 01:44 AM

As I stated above, I bought the original Marrow Bones book sometime prior to December, 2004, for $26 US. This book was published in 1965, and it is still in good condition. And one very nice thing about this book is the illustrations by Maire Magee. All in all, this is a delightful book.

Later on, I got a copy of The Foggy Dew, which was published in 1974. As Malcolm said above, this book was shoddily bound - several pages of my copy are loose. It's still a very nice collection of well-annotated songs, but it's not illustrated.

Did The Constant Lovers and The Wanton Seed have illustrations?

I now have the revised and reissued editions of all four books (Constant Lovers and Foggy Dew were published together as a single volume titled Southern Harvest). None of these three new volumes have illustrations other than what's on the cover - but I'm sure glad to have them.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 30 Jul 18 - 02:30 AM

The copy of The Wanton seed I have doesn't have any illustrations other than the one on the cover. Not sure it's an original edition but I have had it since the mid seventies and it has not been opened much after that. It cost 75p according to the sticker on the cover.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: r.padgett
Date: 30 Jul 18 - 03:30 AM

Constant Lovers and Foggy Dew recently reissued and revised in one book ~ Southern Harvest ~

Ray

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jul 18 - 05:21 AM

I have the first three (not the Foggy Dew) which I bought as they were published. Marrow Bones was 5/-, The Wanton Seed was 9/6d and The Constant Lovers was 50p.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 30 Jul 18 - 11:58 AM

Are the re-issues still available at a sensible price?

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: r.padgett
Date: 30 Jul 18 - 12:58 PM

Check EFDSS shop I think Marrow bones still available

Ray

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 30 Jul 18 - 01:52 PM

I think EFDSS still have copies of Marrow Bones, but Wanton Seed is now sold out. There may be a few copies of Southern Harvest left from Ron Day in Sheffield. If enough interest can be gathered for another run of both of these I'm sure Clive Boutle could be persuaded to put out another run. I can let you have Ron Day's email if you PM me.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: JHW
Date: 30 Jul 18 - 04:12 PM

Mine says 5/-. I still have the cover but the spine is repaired with gaffer tape. My Seeds of Love spine is repaired with clear similar heavy tape (gorilla) which preserves the original spine writing.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 30 Jul 18 - 06:18 PM

All 3 of my first 3 vols are intact. My Foggy Dew fell apart fairly quickly though.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Jul 18 - 07:40 PM

I've often heard paperback books with glued-in pages described as having "perfect binding." Believe me, it's far from perfect. The pages inevitably fall out when the glue dries up.

My updated edition of Marrow Bones was published by EFDSS in 2007. Wanton Seed was published by Francis Boutle in 2015. Southern Harvest (Constant Lovers and Foggy Dew) was published by Francis Boutle in 2017. Malcolm Douglas and Steve Gardham did the revision of the first two books. Malcolm died in 2009, and Steve Gardham did the revision of Southern Harvest.

The revisions are real treasures, Steve. Thank you very much for the work you did on them.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: r.padgett
Date: 31 Jul 18 - 02:12 AM

Nic Dow has some Southern Harvest copies available I believe

Ray

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 31 Jul 18 - 10:10 AM

Thanks, Joe. It's good to know they are appreciated and getting used. Working on a 4th volume with Nick at the moment. He's chosen the songs and I've just started on the notes.

Nick has done some great collecting with travellers and I'm hoping that at some point in the future he'll be able to publish these or put out the recordings. It still amazes me how much material is still out there to be collected.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: GUEST,Harry
Date: 31 Jul 18 - 10:52 AM

From this period, I have the Purslow edited collections:

Foggy Dew
Constant Lovers
Marrowbones
Wanton Seed

and I also have:

Garners Gay: English Folk Songs Collected by Fred Hamer.

I am aware of (but don't have):

Green Groves: More English Folk Songs Collected by Fred Hamer.


Did the EFDS produce any similar collections of folk songs around this time?

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Anglo
Date: 01 Aug 18 - 10:31 PM

Yes, Ken Stubbs did a book called The Life Of A Man. My copy isn't on the shelf where it should be :-(

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Thompson
Date: 02 Aug 18 - 05:51 AM

abebooks.co.uk has a good few copies, not too dear.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 02 Aug 18 - 01:30 PM

They also produced a series of booklets with 10 or so songs in of a more popular nature.

Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: RTim
Date: 02 Aug 18 - 02:38 PM

Forty Long Miles by Tony Foxworthy

Twenty Three English Folk Songs from the Janet Heatley Blunt collection (Mainly Adderbury, Oxfordshire) - 1976 - Galliard & EFDSS

Tim Radford