Produced by Nathan Joseph for Transatlantic Records in association with Hugh Mendl;
Recorded by Bill Leader;
Edited by Gus Dudgeon;
Liner notes by Eric Winter

Tracks

Side 1

1. Ian Campbell Folk Group: Tail Toddle (Roud 11275; G/D 8:1716)
   included in 1975 on the anthology Electric Muse
2. Archie Fisher: Highland Laddie (Roud 2330?)
3. Anne Briggs: She Moves Through the Fair (Roud 861; Henry H141)
   included in 1999 on Anne’s compilation CD A Collection
4. Ray and Archie Fisher: Whisky in the Jar (Roud 533; Laws L13A; Henry H792)
5. Owen Hand: One Dime Blues
6. Louis Killen: The Verdant Braes of Skreen (Roud 419; Henry H593)
7. Matt McGinn: Rap Tap Tap (Roud 792)

Side 2

8. Hamish Imlach: Johnny Cope (Roud 2315; G/D 1:125)
9. Ian Campbell Folk Group: The Devil and the Farmer’s Wife (Roud 160; Child 278; G/D 2:320)
10. Ray Fisher: My Donal
11. Nadia Cattouse: Hurricane Hattie
12. Clive Palmer & Robin Williamson: Jazz Bo’s Holiday
13. Dolina MacLennan: Gaelic Song
14. Ray and Archie Fisher: My Johnnie is a Shoemaker (Roud 1388; G/D 8:1848)
15. Ray and Archie Fisher: Glasgow Street Songs Medley: Queen Mary, Queen Mary (Roud 6281; G/D 8:1605; Henry H230) / It’s a Life / O’Hara

Liner Notes (excerpt)

Somewhere about the fringe of the fringe of the Edinburgh Festival there was a great deal of folk music going on. Officially, and in the “official fringe festival” there was quite a bit. But right at the outer edges of the festival there were always a lot of unannounced good things to be had, provided by people who no doubt believed that Edinburgh presents them with an ideal platform for their wares.

The difference between the 1963 festival and those of former years seems to be, as far as folk music is concerned, that a lot of Edinburgh folk got together with a fair number of Glasgow folk—there’s a very thriving folk scene in Clydeside and a fast road and diesel service link Glasgow to the Scottish capital.

And somewhere along the line other singers from all over Scotland and England heard on the folk grapevine that Edinburgh ’63 was a thing not to be missed. The result was something very much like a folk festival superimposed on the drama and classical music and exhibitions. Much of this folk festival took place in odd pubs and coffee bars and most of it was unadvertised, but those lucky enough to find it lapped it up.

The mobile recording van did not find it by luck, of course, but by design. The first fruits of their efforts are on this disc.

Tail Toddle

is a bit of Scottish nonsense that has grown into mouth music on the lips of many traditional singers. The nature of the words is such that it is not surprising that one version found its way into the famous collection of Burns’ bawdy verse, The Merry Muses of Caledonia.
The Ian Campbell Folk Group sings it here and the words are followed by a spirited instrumental passage played in the style that, together with the group’s fine singing, has made Ian Campbell a force to be reckoned with all over the folk scene. The group is Birmingham based though Ian and his sister Lorna are both Scots born. Dave Swarbrick (fiddle), John Dunkerley (banjo) and Brian Clark (guitar) wield the instruments.

She Moves Through the Fair

a familiar Irish song made even more familiar by the poem (based closely on the traditional words) by Padraic Colum. It is sung here by Anne Briggs, a girl from Nottingham who has one of the best voices to be found among young singers. It is very likely indeed that, as her voice matures, Anne will be one of Britain’s great traditional style singers.

The Devil and the Farmer’s Wife

is well known in many versions all over the English-speaking world. One version is called, understandably, The Women Are Worse Than the Men. Brian Clark sings the song backed by the rest of the Ian Campbell Folk Group.

Produced by Nathan Joseph for Transatlantic Records in association with Hugh Mendl;
Recorded by Bill Leader;
Edited by Gus Dudgeon;
Liner notes by Eric Winter

Tracks

Side 1

1. Nadia Cattouse: Back to Back
2. Ray Fisher: When I Was Noo But Sweet Sixteen (Roud 5138)
3. Louis Killen: My Husband’s Got No Courage in Him (Roud 870; G/D 7:1367)
4. Hamish Imlach: Johnny Remensky
5. Anne Briggs: Let No Man Steal Your Thyme (Roud 3; G/D 6:1180)
   included in 1999 on Anne’s compilation CD A Collection
6. Ian Campbell Folk Group: Fiddle Tunes
7. Jill Doyle: All the Week
8. Hamish Imlach: MacPherson’s Rant (Roud 2160; G/D 3:697)

Side 2

8. Matt McGinn: You Cannae Kick Around Here
9. Archie Fisher: I Loved a Lass (Roud 154; G/D 6:1198)
10. Jean Hart: Hamba Lilli
11. Ian Campbell Folk Group: Shoals of Herring (Roud 13642)
12. Dolina MacLennan: Mouth Music
13. Owen Hand: Inverey (The Baron of Brackley) (Roud 4017; Child 203; G/D 2:234)
14. Ray & Archie Fisher: Kishmul’s Galley (Henry H535(b))

All tracks traditional except
Track 7 Ewan MacColl;
Track 8 Matt McGinn;
Track 11 Ewan MacColl / Clancy;
Track 14 Kennedy-Fraser / MacLeod