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English Country Music

Walter and Daisy Bulwer, Billy Cooper, et al.: English Country Music (Record No. 1)

English Country Music
Record No. 1
Walter and Daisy Bulwer, Billy Cooper, et al.

private issue of 99 copies (LP, UK, September 1965)
Walter and Daisy Bulwer, Billy Cooper, et al.: English Country Music (Topic 12T296)

English Country Music
Walter and Daisy Bulwer, Billy Cooper, et al.

Topic Records 12T296 (LP, UK, 1976)
Topic Records TSCD607 (CD, UK, 2000)

 Walter and Daisy Bulwer, Billy Cooper, et al.: English Country Music (Topic TSCD607)

Billy Cooper (1883-1964), Walter Bulwer (1888-1968) and Daisy Bulwer (1892-1974) were active musicians in rural Norfolk for over half a century. These recordings, made together with visiting friends in the Bulwers’ cottage in the village of Shipdham, capture the style, vitality and robustness of the music they played for dancing in pubs and at Saturday night hops and wedding parties.

LP tracks recorded by Bill Leader in Shipdham, Norfolk, on August 4 (with Billy Cooper) and 5 August 1962;
Originally issued in September 1965 by Reg Hall and Bob Davenport with only 99 copies;
Original production by Reg Hall and Mervyn Plunkett;
Production for Topic by Tony Engle

Additional CD tracks recorded by Mervyn Plunkett (1959), Paul Carter (1960) and Bill Leader (1962);
Remastered by Tony Dixon;
Produced by Tony Engle and Reg Hall

Musical Traditions Review by Rod Stradling

Musicians

Walter Bulwer: fiddle, mandolin-banjo;
Billy Cooper: dulcimer;
Reg Hall: melodeon, fiddle;
Daisy Bulwer: piano;
Mervyn Plunkett: drums;
Russell Wortley: pipe-and-tabor

Mr Hawkins: banjo (1959);
Scan Tester: Anglo-German concertina (1966)

Tracks

LP Side 1

  1. The Bluebell Polka (3.07)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum, pipe-and-tabor
  2. Waltzes: The Foggy Dew / The Sailor Cut Down in His Prime (3.09)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum
  3. Untitled Polka (1.34)
    fiddle, piano
  4. Jig: Off She Goes (1.42)
    melodeon, mandolin-banjo, piano, snare- and bass-drums, pipe-and-tabor
  5. Polka: Red Wing (2.16)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum, pipe-and-tabor
  6. Waltzes: Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms / Johnny’s So Long at the Fair / The Wild Colonial Boy (3.31)
    fiddle, melodeon, piano, snare-drum, pipe-and-tabor
  7. Untitled Polka (0.00)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum, pipe-and-tabor

LP Side 2

  1. Polkas: Jenny Lind / The Girl I Left Behind Me (3.31)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum
  2. Peggy Wood / When There Isn’t a Girl About (2.27)
    melodeon, mandolin-banjo, piano, bass-drum
  3. Schottisches: Washing Day / Old Mrs Huddledee / The Keel Row (The Cat’s Got the Measles) (3.53)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum, pipe-and-tabor
  4. The Waltz Vienna (Varsoviana) (2.58)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, tambourine, snare-drum
  5. Hornpipes: The Four Hand Reel / Soldier’s Joy (3.53)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum
  6. Polka: Shepherd’s Hey (0.00)
    2 fiddles, piano, muted snare-drum, pipe-and-tabor

CD Tracks

  1. Polkas: Jenny Lind / The Girl I Left Behind Me (3.31)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum
  2. The Waltz Vienna (Varsoviana) (2.58)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, tambourine, snare-drum
  3. Jig: Off She Goes (1.15)
    fiddle
  4. Jig: Off She Goes (1.42)
    melodeon, mandolin-banjo, piano, snare- and bass-drums, pipe-and-tabor
  5. Polka: Red Wing (2.16)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum, pipe-and-tabor
  6. Untitled Polka (2.22)
    fiddle
  7. Dulcie Bell (3.24)
    dulcimer
  8. The Heel and Toe Polka (2.45)
    fiddle, concertina, melodeon, piano
  9. The Sailor’s Hornpipe / The Shipdham Hornpipe / Untitled Polka / The White Cockade / Untitled Polka (4.23)
    fiddle, piano
  10. Waltzes: Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms / Johnny’s So Long at the Fair / The Wild Colonial Boy (3.31)
    fiddle, melodeon, piano, snare-drum, pipe-and-tabor
  11. The Cliff Hornpipe (1.49)
    dulcimer, fiddle, piano
  12. The Bluebell Polka (3.07)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum, pipe-and-tabor
  13. Shave the Donkey (0.53)
    fiddle
  14. Shave the Donkey (1.41)
    2 fiddles, piano, drum
  15. Waltz Selection introducing: The Sailor Cut Down in His Prime (3.07)
    fiddle, piano, banjo
  16. The Yarmouth Hornpipe introducing: The Four-Hand Reel / The Sailor’s Hornpipe (2.04)
    dulcimer
  17. The Helston Furry Dance (2.05)
    melodeon, piano, drums, pipe-and-tabor
  18. The Irish Washerwoman / The Spirit of Shillelagh (1.42)
    fiddle
  19. Waltzes: The Foggy Dew / The Sailor Cut Down in His Prime (3.09)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum
  20. Peggy Wood / When There Isn’t a Girl About (2.27)
    melodeon, mandolin-banjo, piano, bass-drum
  21. Untitled Polka (1.09)
    fiddle, piano
  22. Wheels (1.42)
    dulcimer
  23. In and Out the Windows (1.39)
    concertina, melodeon, fiddle, piano
  24. Schottisches: Washing Day / Old Mrs Huddledee / The Keel Row (The Cat’s Got the Measles) (3.53)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum, pipe-and-tabor
  25. Untitled Polka (1.34)
    fiddle, piano
  26. The Irish Washerwoman / Garryowen / Rory O’More / St. Patrick’s Day (2.31)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum
  27. Hornpipes: The Four Hand Reel / Soldier’s Joy (3.53)
    fiddle, dulcimer, melodeon, piano, snare-drum

Tracks 13, 18, 21 recorded March 1959;
Track 6 recorded July 1959;
Tracks 3, 15 recorded August 1959;
Tracks 11 recorded 16 April 1960;
Tracks 1-2, 5, 7, 12, 16-17, 19, 22, 24, 26-27 recorded 4 August 1962;
Tracks 4, 9-10, 14, 20, 25 recorded 5 August 1962;
Tracks 8, 23 recorded 22 July 1966