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Marrowbones - I really want it!

02 Dec 04 - 10:46 AM (#1345451)
Subject: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Fay

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


02 Dec 04 - 11:09 AM (#1345474)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: IanC

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


02 Dec 04 - 11:10 AM (#1345475)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: webfolk

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


02 Dec 04 - 11:11 AM (#1345479)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Malcolm Douglas

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.


02 Dec 04 - 12:22 PM (#1345556)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Terry K

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


02 Dec 04 - 12:25 PM (#1345559)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Joe Offer

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-


02 Dec 04 - 12:31 PM (#1345566)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: DMcG

Yes, Joe, there are at least these:

Marrowbones
The Foggy Dew
The Constant Lovers
The Wanton Seed.

All roughly the same size.


02 Dec 04 - 02:44 PM (#1345614)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: MartinRyan

.. 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.


02 Dec 04 - 06:23 PM (#1345778)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Fay

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


03 Dec 04 - 12:17 AM (#1345984)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Joe Offer

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-


03 Dec 04 - 01:36 AM (#1346019)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Malcolm Douglas

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.


03 Dec 04 - 02:38 AM (#1346037)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: rich-joy

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

:-)))


Cheers! R-J


03 Dec 04 - 04:06 AM (#1346085)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: DMcG

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.


03 Dec 04 - 05:54 AM (#1346146)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Stewie

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

--Stewie.


04 Aug 07 - 02:31 PM (#2119097)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: the button

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).


30 Jul 18 - 01:44 AM (#3940330)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Joe Offer

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-


30 Jul 18 - 02:30 AM (#3940334)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: GUEST,Peter Laban

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.


30 Jul 18 - 03:30 AM (#3940340)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: r.padgett

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

Ray


30 Jul 18 - 05:21 AM (#3940363)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: GUEST

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.


30 Jul 18 - 11:58 AM (#3940448)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: GUEST,Guest

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


30 Jul 18 - 12:58 PM (#3940454)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: r.padgett

Check EFDSS shop I think Marrow bones still available

Ray


30 Jul 18 - 01:52 PM (#3940464)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Steve Gardham

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.


30 Jul 18 - 04:12 PM (#3940483)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: JHW

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.


30 Jul 18 - 06:18 PM (#3940514)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Steve Gardham

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


30 Jul 18 - 07:40 PM (#3940522)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Joe Offer

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-


31 Jul 18 - 02:12 AM (#3940542)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: r.padgett

Nic Dow has some Southern Harvest copies available I believe

Ray


31 Jul 18 - 10:10 AM (#3940610)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Steve Gardham

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.


31 Jul 18 - 10:52 AM (#3940620)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: GUEST,Harry

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?


01 Aug 18 - 10:31 PM (#3940950)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Anglo

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


02 Aug 18 - 05:51 AM (#3941018)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Thompson

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


02 Aug 18 - 01:30 PM (#3941114)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: Steve Gardham

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


02 Aug 18 - 02:38 PM (#3941122)
Subject: RE: Marrowbones - I really want it!
From: RTim

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