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The Carthy Chronicles

Martin Carthy: The Carthy Chronicles (Free Reed FRQCD 60)

The Carthy Chronicles
Martin Carthy

Free Reed FRQCD 60 (4+1 CD, UK, 2001)

 Martin Carthy: The Carthy Chronicles (Book of Free Reed FRQCD 60)

This is a comprehensive 4 CD overview over Martin Carthy’s career of 30+ years.

Produced by Neil Wayne

Tracks

CD 1: Classic Carthy (FRCD 61)

Seventeen Rare, Live and Classic tracks including ten previously unreleased songs plus seven hard-to-find Martin Carthy performances, with Dave Swarbrick, Steeleye Span, Wilson Wood Carthy, Brass Monkey, The Watersons, Albion Band, John Kirkpatrick, Howard Evans and Richard Thompson—a choice and rare selection of those crucial Carthy songs most closely associated with him down the years. His earliest vinyl rarities, $lsquo;big’ ballads he gave to Dylan and Paul Simon newly-found concert tracks, ‘lost’ John Peel Show archives, and live recordings from Britain, France & the USA; each song has been weaving in and out Martin’s repertoire throughout the past 40 years, and now deserves its place in this hour or so of—‘Crucial Carthy’!

  1. Scarborough Fair (Roud 12; Child 2; G/D 2:329)
    Wood Wilson Carthy, from Wood Wilson Carthy (RUF, 1998)
  2. Byker Hill (Roud 3488)
    with Dave Swarbrick, from Byker Hill (Fontana, 1967)
  3. Cold Haily Windy Night (Roud 135; G/D 4:778)
    Steeleye Span, from The Journey (Park, 1999)
  4. Skewbald (Roud 456; Laws Q22)
    live recording from the Kertalg Festival 1974 (Barclay, 1974)
  5. Creeping Jane (Roud 1012; Laws Q23)
    live at Memphis Folk Club, Leeds (BBC, 1973)
  6. Old Horse (Roud 513)
    with Richard Thompson, John Kirkpatrick and Howard Evans, from Feed the Folk (Temple 1985)
  7. A Question of Sport
    with Dave Swarbrick, from Life and Limb (Special Delivery, 1990)
  8. Lovely Joan (Roud 592)
    with John Kirkpatrick and Howard Evans, previously unreleased live recording at Folk City, New York (1983)
  9. The Maid and the Palmer (Roud 2335; Child 21)
    Brass Monkey, from Brass Monkey (Topic, 1983)
  10. Begging Song (Roud 286; G/D 3:488)
    with Dave Swarbrick live on Folk on 2: Dave Swarbrick’s 50th Birthday Concert (BBC, 1996)
  11. I Was a Young Man (Roud 1572; G/D 7:1291)
    from Shearwater (Pegasus, 1972)
  12. Prince Heathen (Roud 3336; Child 104; G/D 7:1497)
    previously unreleased John Peel Radio session (BBC, 1973)
  13. The Prickle-Holly Bush (Roud 144; Child 95; G/D 2:248)
    The Watersons, live at Triplex Theater, New York (1987)
  14. Lord Franklin (Roud 487; Laws K9; G/D 1:16; Henry H815)
    from Second Album (Fontana, 1969)
  15. Lemady / Arise and Pick a Posy (Roud 193)
    The Albion Band with Martin Carthy as guest vocalist, from Lark Rise to Candleford (Charisma, 1979)
  16. Famous Flower of Serving Men (Roud 199; Child 106; G/D 1:163)
    from Shearwater (Pegasus, 1972)
  17. Glorishears (tune)
    John Kirkpatrick, from Plain Capers (Free Reed, 1976)

CD 2: Carthy in Company (FRCD 62)

Over an hour of unreleased, ‘lost-classic’ and currently unavailable or tricky-to-find tracks, showcasing Martin Carthy’s many and varied partnerships within the leading bands and musicians of world folk music—including Albion Band, Band of Hope, Steeleye Span, Watersons, Ashley Hutchings, John Kirkpatrick, Waterson:Carthy, Richard Thompson, and others. Included for the first time are his earliest 1960s recordings with The Thamesiders and Three City Four at the very birth of the ‘Folk Revival’, to archive tracks from the Hullabaloo and Hallelujah! TV shows, and treasures from his long associations with Dave Swarbrick and John Kirkpatrick. The selections reveal Martin’s vital input to the evolving face of folk music in Britain—be it folk-rock, ‘new folk’, or the ‘un-plugged’ revival, it’s always ‘Carthy & Company’.

  1. The New St. George [Richard Thompson]
    The Albion Country Band, recorded 9 May 1973 for the Bob Harris Show; from The BBC Sessions (BBC, 1998)
  2. Carthy’s March / The Lemon Tree [Dave Swarbrick]
    The Band of Hope, from Rhythm’n’Reds (Musikfolk, 1994)
  3. I Haven’t Told Her, She Hasn’t Told Me
    with Dave Swarbrick, from a Danish TV recording (1967)
  4. My Girl [Huddie Ledbetter] (Roud 3421)
    with Rory McEwen and Lisa Turner from the Hullabaloo TV series (ATV, 1964)
  5. Boys of Bedlam (Roud V53999)
    Steeleye Span, from Please to See the King (B&C, 1971)
  6. Oh Had I a Golden Thread [Pete Seeger]
    Three City Four, from Three City Four (Decca, 1965)
  7. ANC Song (Azicatal)
    Blue Murder (i.e. The Watersons and Swan Arcade), unreleased live recording from Bracknell Festival 11 July 1987
  8. Wimoweh (excerpt)
    Thamesiders, from Thamesiders and Davy Graham (Decca, 1963)
  9. Young Banker (Roud 3321)
    The Watersons, from Sounds of Yorkshire (Music From York, 1985)
  10. The Postman’s Knock (Roud 13177)
    Ashley Hutchings et al, from Son of Morris On (Harvest, 1976)
  11. Constant Billy (tune)
    John Kirkpatrick, from Plain Capers (Free Reed, 1976)
  12. Lakes of Cold Flynn (Roud 189; Laws Q33; G/D 2:228; Henry H176)
    with John Kirkpatrick, previously unreleased live recording at Folk City, New York (1983)
  13. Irish Washerwoman / The Ash Plant (tunes)
    with Dave Swarbrick, from No Songs (Fontana, 1969)
  14. Arthur McBride and the Sergeant (Roud 2355; G/D 1:78)
    with Dave Swarbrick, from Prince Heathen (Fontana, 1969)
  15. The Royal Forester / Bald Headed End of the Broom (Roud 2129)
    Waterson:Carthy with The Phoenix New Orleans Parade Band, from Broken Ground (Topic, 1999)
  16. Nafarroa
    Oskorri, live in the Basque County from 25 Kantu Urte (Elkar, 1996)
  17. The Wren (Roud 19109)
    with Dave Swarbrick, from Prince Heathen (Fontana, 1969)
  18. The King
    Steeleye Span, from Please to See the King (B&C, 1971)
  19. Joy, Health, Love and Peace
    The Watersons, from Sound, Sound Your Instruments of Joy (Topic, 1977)
  20. Hunting the Wren (Roud 236)
    Steeleye Span, from Live at Last (Chrysalis, 1978)
  21. Hunting the Cutty Wren [Les Barker]
    with June Tabor, on The Mrs Ackroyd Band, Oranges and Lemmings (Dog, 1990)
  22. Byker Hill (Roud 3488)
    with Dave Swarbrick, from Life and Limb (Special Delivery, 1990)

CD 3: Carthy Contemporaries (FRCD 63)

Twenty-three Rare, Live and Classic tracks from Martin Carthy, performing songs by: Gilbert O’Sullivan, Sydney Carter, Leon Rosselson, Dave Goulder, Peter Bellamy, Richard Thompson, David Halton, Mike Waterson, Tommy Armstrong, Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger, Kay Sutcliffe, Maggie Holland, Les Barker, Bertolt Brecht, Bob Dylan, Cyril Tawney, Adam McNaughtan, Buddy Holly—and by Carthy himself!

“I thought he just did folk songs?”—Perhaps; but here are twenty-three Carthy performances of contemporary songs that Martin has selected from a mighty and eclectic range of 20th century song-makers, from Bob Dylan to Buddy Holly—(via Brecht, MacColl and Les Barker…)—to delight and amaze us. There’s more ‘Carthy cover versions’ here than ever assembled! Most are from hitherto un-released or unavailable sources, with songs of strong social—and social-ist—comment from the pens of Leon Rosselson (with Martin in Three City Four), Sydney Carter (the Lord of the Dance man), from those soul-mates Bertolt Brecht and Ewan MacColl, and songs from lesser known, but no less powerful writers like Cyril Tawney, Tommy Armstrong (‘the Pitmans’s Poet’), brother-in-law Mike Waterson, even a song by Carthy himself. Martin performs the songs mainly solo, though some are with Swarb, Steeleye, Sydney Carter and the Watersons, in rare concert and club recordings and on tracks from ‘long-lost’ LPs; And, just so’s you know—the set is topped & tailed by Gilbert O’Sullivan’s Nothing Rhymed and by West / Petty / Tilghman’s Rave On in OTT Buddy Holly-style—perhaps Steeleye Span’s strangest single ever!

  1. Nothing Rhymed [Gilbert O’Sullivan]
    with John Kirkpatrick, from Because It’s There (Topic, 1979)
  2. Lord of the Dance [Sydney Carter]
    with Dave Swarbrick, from But Two Came By (Fontana, 1968)
  3. Rivers of Babylon [Joseph Gelineau]
    from Sydney Carter’s Songs From ABC Television’s “Hallelujah” (Fontana, 1966)
  4. History Lesson [Leon Rosselson]
    Three City Four, from Three City Four (Decca, 1965)
  5. The January Man [Dave Goulder]
    from Landfall (Philips, 1971)
  6. Ballad of Alfie Hinds [David Houlton]
    live performance from the pilot programme for the Hullabaloo TV series (ATV, 1964)
  7. The Humane Turnkey (2) [Peter Bellamy]
    from Peter Bellamy’s ballad opera The Transports (Free Reed, 1977)
  8. Farewell, Farewell [Richard Thompson]
    unreleased alternative mix from the Beat the Retreat session in 1991 without Maddy Prior overdubs
  9. Dust to Dust [John Kirkpatrick]
    from Landfall (Philips, 1971)
  10. A Stitch in Time [Mike Waterson]
    previously unreleased live recording (New York City, 1987)
  11. Trimdon Grange [Tommy Armstrong]
    previously unreleased John Peel Radio session (BBC, 1974)
  12. Palaces of Gold [Leon Rosselson]
    from Crown of Horn (Topic, 1976)
  13. Springhill Mine Disaster [Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColl]
    from Martin Carthy (Topic, 1965)
  14. Coal Not Dole [Kay Sutcliffe]
    The Watersons, previously unreleased live recording (New York City, 1987)
  15. Perfumes of Arabia [Maggie Holland]
    previously unreleased live recording (Pittsburgh, 1991)
  16. Such a War Has Never Been [Les Barker]
    with Dave Swarbrick, from Skin and Bone (Special Delivery, 1992)
  17. The Wife of the Soldier [Bertolt Brecht]
    with Dave Swarbrick, from Byker Hill (Fontana, 1967)
  18. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll [Bob Dylan]
    from Signs of Life (Topic, 1998)
  19. The Ant and the Grasshopper [Leon Rosselson]
    from Right of Passage (Topic, 1998)
  20. Company Policy [Martin Carthy]
    from a 1987 radio session for Andy Kershaw on The Kershaw Sessions (Strange Roots, 1994)
  21. On a Monday Morning [Cyril Tawney]
    previously unreleased live recording (Leeds, 1974)
  22. Rave On [Sonny West, Bill Tilghman, Norman Petty]
    Steeleye Span, original single version, previously unavailable on CD (B&C, 1971)
  23. Oor Hamlet [Adam McNaughtan]
    previously unreleased live recording (Pittsburgh, 1991)
  24. The Harry Lime Theme (Third Man Theme) [Anton Karas]
    later released on Waiting for Angels (2004)

CD 4: Child:Carthy (FRCD 64)

Twenty Rare, Live and Classic Child Ballads and other vital folk songs from Martin Carthy, including, Child 209 – Geordie, Child 58 – Sir Patrick Spens, Child 38 – King Henry, Child 67 – Jack Orion, Child 10 – The Bows of London, Child 3 – False Knight on the Road, Child 2 – The Elfin Knight, and other ‘big’ ballads sourced from The Coppers, Joseph Taylor, Bob Hart, Lead Belly & Jerry Garcia, Bert Lloyd and Les Barker.

Twenty of the ‘big’ ballads and songs from the ‘Child Ballads’ and from many other archive and traditional sources. Here are fourteen unreleased and previously unavailable tracks, featuring performances with Dave Swarbrick, Norma & Eliza Carthy, Rory McEwen & Lisa Turner, Steeleye Span and Bert Jansch.

Perhaps Carthy’s greatest source for these ’big’ ballads that inlay his repertoire like fine jewels was the famed collection of the Victorian folklorist Francis Child—‘The Child Ballads’—which is his source for at least nine of these great songs. Martin began to unearth, to perform, and encourage others to perform these great ballads and songs, which soon found their way into the repertoire of folk-rock—via Steeleye, Pentangle, Ralph McTell and Albion—and thence to the wider world of rock, via Traffic, Jethro Tull, Tom Rush, Jerry Garcia, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan.

  1. Jack Orion (Roud 145; Child 67)
    with Dave Swarbrick, from But Two Came By (Fontana, 1968)
  2. The Seven Virgins (Leaves of Life) (Roud 127)
    from the compilation Folk Scene (Folkscene, 1966)
  3. Duncan and Brady (Roud 4177; Laws I9)
    with Rory McEwen and Lisa Turner from the Hullabaloo TV series (ATV, 1964)
  4. Geordie (Roud 90; Child 209; G/D 2:249)
    previously unreleased John Peel Radio session (BBC, 1973)
  5. Sir Patrick Spens (Roud 41; Child 58; G/D 1:17)
    with Eliza Carthy, from Signs of Life (Topic, 1998)
  6. King Henry (Roud 3967; Child 32)
    from Sweet Wivelsfield (Topic, 1985)
  7. Sovay (The Female Highwayman) (Roud 7; Laws N21; Henry H35)
    with Dave Swarbrick live at Cropredy 2000 (Dave Pegg, 2000)
  8. Man of Newlyn Town (Roud 490; Laws L12; G/D 2:260; Henry H691)
    with Dave Swarbrick, from Both Ears and the Tail (Atrax, 1999)
  9. The Bows of London (Roud 8; Child 10; G/D 2:213)
    live recording by Peter Bellamy (St Louis, USA, 1991)
  10. Lucy Wan (Roud 234; Child 51)
    with Dave Swarbrick, from Skin and Bone (Special Delivery, 1992)
  11. Lord Randall (Roud 10; Child 12; G/D 2:209; Henry H814)
    from Shearwater (Pegasus, 1972)
  12. The Whale Catchers (Roud 3291)
    from A Selection from The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs (Fellside, 1986)
  13. Rufford Park Poachers (Roud 1759)
    from a 1987 radio session for Andy Kershaw on The Kershaw Sessions (Strange Roots, 1994)
  14. John Barleycorn (Roud 164; G/D 3:559)
    live at Memphis Folk Club, Leeds (BBC, 1973)
  15. Hard Times of Old England (Roud 1206)
    live at Triplex Theater, New York (1987)
  16. Hard Cheese of Old England
    on The Mrs Ackroyd Band, Oranges and Lemmings (Dog, 1990)
  17. Over the Hills and Far Away (Roud 8460)
    with Isla St Clair and chorus, from 70 Golden Nursery Rhymes (Pickwick, 1978)
  18. The Farmer’s Servant (Roud 792)
    live concert at St. Andrews, Scotland (1965)
  19. False Knight on the Road (Roud 20; Child 3)
    Steeleye Span, from Live at Last! (Chrysalis, 1978)
  20. The Elfin Knight (Scarborough Fair) (Roud 12; Child 2; G/D 2:329)
    with Bert Jansch from Acoustic Routes (Code 90, 1993)