Acik Week 1 - Folk Revival

Jackson C Frank
“Blues Run The Game”
JACKSON C FRANK , Columbia/Castle,1965

Jackson C Frank first came to England from America in 1965. This song was produced by Paul Simon.

Vashti Bunyan
“Some things Just Stick In Your Mind”
SINGLE, Decca, 1965

Written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. It took Vashti another 35 years to achieve commercial success after decades in seclusion when her best known seminal folk record JUST ANOTHER DIAMOND DAY, was rediscovered. Although this song not exactly a folk tune, it’s still a great and one of my favouritesby her.

John Renbourn
“The Earl Of Salisbury”
SIR JOHN A LOT OF MERRIE ENGLAND, Warner Bothers, 1968

A beautiful, medieval song,

Bert Jansch
“Pretty Polly”
JACK ORION, Transatlantic, 1966

Most traditional folk songs are about two things – sex and death. There are many great versions of this tune but this is my favourite.

Shirley Collins and Davey Graham
“Reynardine”
FOLK ROOTS, NEW ROUTES, Decca,1964

A Victorian ballad about a werewolf who kidnaps young maidens then, presumably, has his wicked way with them and kills them. It’s sung by Shirley Collins who, along with Anne Briggs and Martin Carthy, is pivotal to the early English folk revival in the 1950s and 60s. And together with Alan Lomax she recorded an amazing collection of Southern American folk music.

Pentangle
“Light Flight”
BASKET OF LIGHT, Transatlantic 1969

The BBC used this next song as the theme to the first drama it broadcast in colour.

Fairport Convention
“Fotheringay”
WHAT WE DID ON OUR HOLIDAYS, Island, 1969

Here’s another song about death, this time that of Mary Queen of Scots who was beheaded by her sister, Queen Elizabeth the first.

Nick Drake
“River man”
FIVE LEAVES LEFT, Island, 1969

This song was produced by Joe Boyd, who also worked with VASHTI BUNYAN and the INCREDIBLE STRING BAND.

Round Table
“Scarborough Fair”
SPINNING WHEEL, Jay Boy,1969

Studio session bands are put together for no particular reason other than to make weird records that disappear without a trace. This song features band leader, the late David Munrow from the EARLY MUSIC CONSORT playing the lead crumhorn.


The Incredible String Band
“The Hedgehog Song”
THE 5000 SPIRITS OR THE LAYERS OF THE ONION, Elektra, 1967

This next song was chosen by the Arch Bishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams as one of his favourite records of all time.

Jan Dukes De Grey
“Texas”
SORCERERS, Nova, 1969

Acid folk from JAN DUKES DE GREY from their first record in 1969.

Mellow Candle
“Heaven Heath”
SWADDLING SONGS, Deram, 1972

Moving further into experimental folk from very young Irish group,

Richard Thompson
“Vincent Black Lightening 1952”
RUMOUR AND SIGH, Capitol, 2001

A peerless performer and songwriter who I had the pleasure of seeing a few years ago combines my two favourite things in this song – guitars and motorcycles, and being a folk tune, love and death.
Guaranteed to make me weep every time I hear it.

Steeleye Span
“All Around My Hat”
ALL AROUND MY HAT, Crysalis, 1975

Produced by Mike Batt of The Wombles and Katie Melua fame, here’s is a good fun mix of glam rock and traditional folk, which reached No. 5 on the UK charts in 1975.