Recorded in Hampstead, London by Bill Leader and Paul Carter
(except Cyril Tawney recorded in Plymouth);
Sleeve notes by A.L. Lloyd

All tracks were reissued in 1993 on the CD Blow the Man Down except Ian Campbell’s Poor Old Horse which was included in 2004 on the Highpoint CD Sailors’ Songs & Sea Shanties.

Musicians

Louis Killen: vocals [1, 4, 8, 11, 13, 17], chorus, concertina [5, 14];
Ian Campbell: vocals [2, 5, 9, 12, 16], chorus;
Cyril Tawney: vocals [3, 6, 10, 15], chorus;
Bob Davenport: vocals [7, 14], chorus;
Redd Sullivan: chorus;
Dave Swarbrick: fiddle [2, 5, 9, 14, 16, 17]

Tracks

Side 1

1. [LK & group] The Wild Goose (Roud 328) (1.45)
2. [IC] Lovely Nancy (Roud 527; Laws K14; Henry H755) (2.04)
3. [CT] The Nightingale (Roud 1093; Laws M37; G/D 1:18; Henry H75a) (2.22)
4. [LK & group] Heave Away My Johnny (Roud 616) (1.44)
5. [IC & group] Row, Bullies, Row (Roud 928) (3.10)
6. [CT] The Fireship (Roud 4841) (2.39)
7. [BD & group] Tom’s Gone to Hilo (Roud 481; Henry H53d) (1.47)
8. [LK] The Ship in Distress (Roud 807) (2.52)

Side 2

9. [IC & group] Lowlands Low (Roud 8286) (1.26)
10. [CT] One Morning in the Spring (Roud 152; Laws M1; G/D 1:51) (3.06)
11. [LK & group] Hilo Johnny Brown (Roud 8229) (1.01)
12. [IC] Poor Old Horse (Roud 3724) (0.53)
13. [LK] The Bold Princess Royal (Roud 528; Laws K29; G/D 1:47) (4.37)
14. [BD] Billy Boy (Roud 326) (1.28)
15. [CT] The Bold Benjamin (Roud 2632) (1.58)
16. [IC & group] The Hog-Eye Man (Roud 331) (1.32)
17. [LK & group] Good Bye, Fare Thee Well (Roud 927; G/D 1:5; Henry H53a) (1.45)

Compiled and produced by Tony Engle;
Design by Tony Engle

Musicians

Louis Killen: vocals [1, 6, 9, 13, 17, 19, 24], chorus [1, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 23-24], concertina [8, 20];
Ian Campbell: vocals [2, 8, 14, 23], chorus [1, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 23-24];
Cyril Tawney: vocals [4, 10, 16, 22], chorus [1, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 23-24];
Bob Davenport: vocals [11, 20], chorus [1, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 23-24];
Redd Sullivan: chorus [1, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 23-24];
Ewan MacColl: vocals [3];
Harry H. Corbett: vocals [5];
Sam Larner: vocals [7];
The Watersons: vocals [12];
Bob Hart: vocals [15];
A.L. Lloyd: vocals [18];
Bob Roberts: vocals [21];
Martin Carthy: mandolin [18];
Alf Edwards: concertina [18];
Dave Swarbrick: fiddle [2, 8, 14, 18, 20, 23, 24]

Tracks

1. [LK & group] The Wild Goose (Roud 328) (1.45)
2. [IC] Lovely Nancy (Roud 527; Laws K14; Henry H755) (2.04)
3. [EM & chorus] The Black Ball Line (Roud 2623) (1.09)
4. [CT] The Nightingale (Roud 1093; Laws M37; G/D 1:18; Henry H75a) (2.22)
5. [HHC] Blow the Man Down (Roud 2624) (2.55)
6. [LK & group] Heave Away My Johnny (Roud 616) (1.44)
7. [SL] The Lofty Tall Ship (Roud 104; Child 250) (3.12)
8. [IC & group] Row, Bullies, Row (Roud 928) (3.10)
9. [LK] The Flying Cloud (Roud 1802; Laws K28; G/D 1:44) (7.05)
10. [CT] The Fireship (Roud 4841) (2.39)
11. [BD & group] Tom’s Gone to Hilo (Roud 481; Henry H53d) (1.47)
12. [W] The Greenland Whale Fishery (Roud 347) (2.31)
13. [LK] The Ship in Distress (Roud 807) (2.52)
14. [IC & group] Lowlands Low (Roud 8286) (1.26)
15. [BH] Cod Banging (Roud 1747) (1.20)
16. [CT] One Morning in Spring (Roud 152; Laws M1; G/D 1:51) (3.06)
17. [LK & group] Hilo Johnny Brown (Roud 8229) (1.01)
18. [ALL] The Bonny Ship the “Diamond” (Roud 2172; G/D 1:11) (2.33)
19. [LK] The Bold Princess Royal (Roud 528; Laws K29; G/D 1:47) (4.37)
20. [BD] Billy Boy (Roud 326) (1.28)
21. [BR] Windy Old Weather (Roud 472) (1.54)
22. [CT] The Bold Benjamin (Roud 2632) (1.58)
23. [IC & group] The Hog-Eye Man (Roud 331) (1.32)
24. [LK & group] Good Bye, Fare Thee Well (Roud 927; G/D 1:5; Henry H53a) (1.45)

All tracks are from Various Artists: Farewell Nancy: Sea Songs and Shanties (12T110, 1964), except
Track 3 is from A.L. Lloyd & Ewan MacColl: The Black Ball Line: Sea Songs and Shanties (8T8, 1957)
Track 5 is from Ewan MacColl, A.L. Lloyd, Harry H. Corbett: The Singing Sailor (TRL3, 1956)
Track 7 is from Sam Larner: A Garland for Sam (12T244, 1974)
Track 9 is from Louis Killen: Ballads & Broadsides (12T126, 1965)
Track 12 is from The Watersons et al.: New Voices (12T125, 1965)
Track 15 is from Bob Hart: Songs From Suffolk (12TS225, 1973?)
Track 18 is from A.L. Lloyd: Leviathan! Ballads and Songs of the Whaling Trade (12T175, 1967)
Track 21 is from Bob Roberts: Songs From the Sailing Barges (12TS361, 1978)

Note: I got the most probable track sources from the wonderful Complete Topic Records Discography by Mike Brocken, Alistair Banfield & Rod Stradling. In cases of doubt I took the oldest recording I could find. Of course, all remaining errors are mine.

Sleeve Notes

This album is drawn from the vaults of Topic Records, Britain’s oldest record label recording folk music. The body of the album is drawn from the landmark 1964 release Farewell Nancy, but with the longer playing time afforded by the compact disc format, extra tracks have been added to produce this definitive collection. The singers on that original record were among the best of the time, and their skill is undiminished. To these recordings have been added performances of a similarly high standard, not only from the folk-song singers of the time, but also from traditional folk singers Sam Larner, Bob Roberts and Bob Hart. All three have not only worked at sea for a large part of their lives, and, therefore, know these songs from their own experience, but have also been recognised as outstanding carriers of the singing tradition in England.