Cover design by Jon Raven;
Notes by Jon Raven and Dave Moran

Musicians

The Halliard [1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13] :
Dave Moran: vocals;
Nic Jones: vocals [7, 9], guitar;
Nigel Paterson: vocals, mandolin, tenor recorder

Jon Raven [2-3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14] :
Jon Raven: vocals, guitar;
Nic Jones: guitar [12]

Tracks

Side 1

1. [H] Calico Printer’s Clerk (Roud 13210) (3.09)
2. [JR] Lord Franklyn (Roud 487; Laws K9; G/D 1:16; Henry H815)
3. [JR] The Unquiet Grave (Roud 51; Child 78) (3.15)
4. [H] Ladies Don’t Go A-Thieving (Roud V28087) (2.43)
5. [H] To the Weavers Gin Ye Go (instrumental) (2.20)
6. [JR] Long Lankin (Roud 6; Child 93; G/D 2:187; Henry H735) (3.53)
7. [H] Going for a Soldier, Jenny (Roud V1224) (2.21)

Side 2

8. [JR] The Three Butchers (Roud 17; Laws L4; G/D 2:186; Henry H185)
9. [H] The Workhouse Boy (Roud 29495) (3.13)
10. [JR] Midsummer Fair (Roud 137) (2.08)
11. [H] A Thousand Miles Away (Roud 1778; G/D 6:1102) (2.21)
12. [JR] Love and Murder (Roud 15; Laws P36A; G/D 2:201, 2:202) (4.02)
13. [H] The Last Farewell of Frost, Jones & Williams (3.30)
14. [JR] The Rambling Sailor (Roud 518; G/D 7:1477) (2.30)

Sleeve Notes

The Halliard have become something of a legend in their own time. Some three years ago the group was typical of many local groups (or national groups for that matter), performing a variety of material. In 1966 they started work on a new repertoire based on the much maligned broadside. Broadsides had waxed and waned in popularity from the 17^th to the late 19^th century, at which time they virtually disappeared. These broadsides migh contain news stories or songs about newsworthy events – murder, love, etc. or traditional songs borrowed by the printers to fill their weekly output. Many of the songs on these broadsides are directed to be sung to some popular tune of the day which might be found in one of the many ballad operas though many of the tunes are now lost.

The Halliard, whilst travelling the country playing in clubs, colleges and concerts, have spent many hours exploring the broadside collections of town and college libraries. They have indeed waded through “a veritable dunghill” of material in order to find the few gems. Add to these “discoveries” on of their curiously attractive tunes and the animation of their live performance and you have a “Halliard” song. It is the vibour, rhythm and excitement of the Halliard’s live performance that has attracted som many of their admirers and not a few imitators. Songs like The Lancashire Lads, The Workhouse Boy and the Calico Printer’s Clerk are now know better and sung louder in many English Folk Song Clubs than the “old favourites”.

Apart from commuting between Essex and the rest of the country the group run their own successful club, the Chelmsford Folk Song Club, founded by Dave Moran, who was also well know as editor of the folk magazine Folk Scene. In their home club, as elsewhere, the unusual and sensitive singing of Dave Moran and Nic Jones and the inventive and interesting playing of Nigel Paterson and Nic Jones have brought them wide acclaim from their audiences.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Alistair Banfield for the cover picture and record details of The Halliard : Jon Raven.

Recorded at Mid-Wales Sound Studios;
Engineered by Alan Green;
Cover photograph: Coal-seller at the entrance to Russel Street, taken in the 1880s by Dr. Dingle, courtesy of Wednesbury Library

The songs are selected from the book, The Jolly Machine by Michael Raven.

Musicians

Joan Mills: vocals [1-2, 4-7, 10-11, 13];
Mike Raven: vocals [1, 11-13], drum [4], mando-cittern [7]

Saga [3-5, 9, 12-13]:
Chris Mordey: guitar, vocals, lead vocals [9, 12];
Roger Warren: banjo, guitar;
Paul Richardson: organ, drums, vocals, lead vocals [3];
John Squire: fiddle, mandolin

Tracks

Side 1

1. [JM, MR] Chartists’ Anthem (2.31)
2. [JM] Nailmaker’s Lament (1.54)
3. [S] Charlie’s Song (2.41)
4. [JM, S] Redditch Needlemaker’s Lament (2.29)
5. [JM, S] Landlord Don’t You Cry (2.58)
6. [JM] Freedom and Reform (3.44)

Side 2

7. [JM, MR] John Whitehouse (1.49)
8. [CM] Potter’s Chant (0.40)
9. [S] Waiting for Wages (1.39)
10. [JM] Wednesbury Town (1.39)
11. [MR, JM] Jolly Machine (2.06)
12. [MR, S] Colliers’ Rant (1.33)
13. [JM, MR, S] Tommy Note (3.34)
14. [BC3] Dudley Canal Tunnel Song (3.00)

The CD is a modified reissue of the two LPs The Halliard : Jon Raven and The Jolly Machine with a few tracks from a 1973 Jon Raven LP and the 1966 LP The Black Country Three spread in.

Musicians

Jon Raven [2, 4, 6, 10, 12, 15] :
Jon Raven: vocals, guitar;
Nic Jones: fiddle [10], guitar [12];
Tony Rose: concertina [10]

The Halliard [1, 3, 5, 7-8, 11, 13] :
Dave Moran: vocals;
Nic Jones: vocals [7-8], guitar;
Nigel Paterson: vocals, mandolin, tenor recorder

The Black Country Three [9, 14, 29] :
Jon Raven: guitar, lead vocals;
Mike Raven: guitar, vocals;
Derek Craft: flute, vocals

Mike Raven, Joan Mills [16-28] :
Joan Mills: vocals;
Mike Raven: guitar, vocals

Saga [16-28] :
Chris Mordey: guitar, vocals;
Roger Warren: banjo, guitar;
Paul Richardson: organ, drums, vocals;
John Squire: fiddle, mandolin

CD Tracks

The Halliard : Jon Raven

1. [H] Calico Printer’s Clerk (Roud 13210) (3.09)
2. [JR] The Unquiet Grave (Roud 51; Child 78) (3.15)
3. [H] Ladies Don’t Go A-Thieving (2.43)
4. [JR] Midsummer Fair (Roud 137) (2.08)
5. [H] To the Weavers Gin Ye Go (instrumental) (2.20)
6. [JR] Long Lankin (Roud 6; Child 93; G/D 2:187; Henry H735) (3.53)
7. [H] Going for a Soldier, Jenny (Roud V1224) (2.21)
8. [H] The Workhouse Boy (Roud 29495) (3.13)
9. [BC3] Row Bullies Row (Roud 928) (2.27)
10. [JR 1973] Lancashire Lads (Roud 588; G/D 1:89) (2.28)
11. [H] A Thousand Miles Away (Roud 1778; G/D 6:1102) (2.21)
12. [JR] Love and Murder (Roud 15; Laws P36A; G/D 2:201, 2:202) (4.02)
13. [H] The Last Farewell of Frost, Jones & Williams (3.30)
14. [BC3] Jolly Joe (Roud 1129) (2.51)
15. [JR] The Rambling Sailor (Roud 518; G/D 7:1477) (2.30)

Mike Raven: The Jolly Machine

16. [JM, MR] Chartists’ Anthem (2.31)
17. [JM] Nailmaker’s Lament (1.54)
18. [S] Charlie’s Song (2.41)
19. [JM, S] Redditch Needlemaker’s Lament (2.29)
20. [JM, S] Landlord Don’t You Cry (2.58)
21. [JM] Freedom and Reform (3.44)
22. [CM] Potter’s Chant (0.40)
23. [S] Waiting for Wages (1.39)
24. [JM] Wednesbury Town (1.39)
25. [MR, JM] Jolly Machine (2.06)
26. [MR, S] Colliers’ Rant (1.33)
27. [JM, MR] John Whitehouse (1.49)
28. [JM, MR, S] Tommy Note (3.34)
29. [BC3] Dudley Canal Tunnel Song (3.00)