Various Artists - Three Score And Ten - A Voice To The People [@320]

 

Three Score & Ten: A Voice to the People Review by Rick Anderson.

 

Topic Records is truly one of the world's musical treasures -- a company that has, for 70 years now, gathered, organized, described, and distributed recordings of folk singers, instrumentalists, ensembles, and songwriters from across the British Isles and beyond into Europe. If you've heard the music of the Watersons, Ewan MacColl, Martin Simpson, June Tabor, Eliza Carthy, Dick Gaughan, the Battlefield Band, or Shirley Collins, it's in large part due to the efforts of Topic's small but dedicated staff. Three Score & Ten compiles seven discs of material taken almost (but, weirdly, not entirely) from the Topic catalog and sticks them into the inside front and back covers of a handsome coffee-table book filled with priceless photos and a comprehensive label history. To listen through the whole set is to be both entranced and surprised: those who know the label mainly as a source of traditional English, Irish, and Scottish folk tunes may be a bit startled by the material from its earlier, radical period, and perhaps discomforted by some of that material as well. You don't have to be a card-carrying socialist to sympathize with Pete Seeger's call to union solidarity against fiendish bosses, but given what we know about the realities of the Soviet system it's a bit harder to sit through lusty renditions of "The Internationale" and "The Red Flag" without squirming. Also surprising to some listeners may be the occasional incursions of Eastern European folk melodies into what is largely a program of traditional fiddle tunes, ballads, and music hall fare. But that's a more salutary kind of surprise, and those whose tastes don't run to such foreign exotica will still find an almost overwhelming wealth of what they came to hear: Ewan MacColl making "Sixteen Tons" sound like it was written in Wales during the Thatcher administration (though he recorded it in 1956); piper Seamus Ennis keening his way thrillingly through "The Blackbird"; Brass Monkey reclaiming the village brass band tradition on "The Maid and the Palmer"; and, of course, the Watersons' heartbreaking rendition of the maritime tragedy "Three Score & Ten." Read along in the book while you listen and you'll come away, nearly eight hours later, with both a deeper understanding of the rich and varied folk traditions that Topic is dedicated to preserving and an almost awestruck appreciation for both the breadth and the quality of the label's work over the past seven decades.

CD one – a selection of treasures from the Topic catalogue

 

1  The Humpback Whale ~ NIC JONES from Penguin Eggs 12TS411 / 1980

2  Angi ~ DAVY GRAHAM from 3/4 AD TOP70 / 1963

3  The Shaskeen Reel ~ JOHN WRIGHT from The Lark In The Clear Air 12TS230 / 1974

4  The Lancashire Toreadors ~ The OLDHAM TINKERS from Best O’ T’ Bunch 12TS237 / 1974

5  Sullivan’s March ~ PAT MITCHELL from Uilleann Pipes 12TS294 / 1976

6  San Francisco Bay Blues ~ JESSE FULLER from Working on the Railroad 10T59 / 1959

7  Country Gardens ~ WILLIAM KIMBER from The Art Of William Kimber 12T249 / 1974

8  Tamlyn ~ MIKE WATERSON from Mike Waterson 12TS332 / 1977

9  The Air for Maurice Ogg / Jumping Jack / The Air for Maurice Ogg ~ ALISTAIR ANDERSON from Steel Skies 12TS427 / 1982

10  Creeping Jane ~ JOSEPH TAYLOR from The Voice of the People – 8: A Story I’m Just About To Tell TSCD 658 / 1998

11  Wasps In The Woodpile ~ ANDREW CRONSHAW from Till The Beasts’ Returning 12TS447 / 1988

12  Prince Heathen ~ MARTIN CARTHY with DAVE SWARBRICK from Prince Heathen 12TS344 / 1977 originally recorded in 1969 
13  The Bonny Labouring Boy ~ HARRY COX from The Bonny Labouring Boy TSCD 512D / 2000

14  Rawtenstall Annual Fair ~ LEA NICHOLSON From Deep Lancashire 12T188 / 1968

15  Music For A Found Harmonium ~ PATRICK STREET from Irish Times SPDCD 1033 / 1990

16  Bitter Withy ~ JOHN TAMS from The Reckoning TSCD 551 / 2005

 

CD two : England Arise!

 

1 The Nut Dance (excerpt) ~ The BRITANNIA COCONUT DANCERS from The Voice of the People – 16: You Lazy lot of Bone-Shakers TSCD 666 / 1998

2  Spencer The Rover ~ BOB & RON COPPER from Come Write Me Down – Early Recordings of The Copper Family of Rottingdean TSCD 534 / 2001

3  All Things Are Quite Silent ~ SHIRLEY COLLINS from The Sweet Primeroses 12T170 / 1967

4  Blackwater Side ~ ANNE BRIGGS currently available on A Collection TSCD 504 / 1999

5  The Two Magicians ~ A L LLOYD from The Bird in the Bush : Traditional Songs of Love and Lust 12T135 / 1966

6  Scan’s Polkas ~ OAK from Welcome To Our Fair 12TS212 / 1971

7  The Crafty Maid’s Policy ~ FRANKIE ARMSTRONG from Lovely On The Water 12TS216 / 1972

8  A Place Called England ~ JUNE TABOR from A Quiet Eye TSCD 510 / 1999

9  When I Die ~ PETER BELLAMY from Both Sides Then 12TS400 / 1979

10  The Bold Princess Royal ~ SAM LARNER from A Garland For Sam 12T244 / 1974

11  Hal-An-Tow ~ The WATERSONS from Frost and Fire: A calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs 12T125 / 1965

12  We Shepherds Are The Best of Men ~ FRED JORDAN from Songs Of A Shropshire Worker 12T150 / 1967

13  The Rose Of Britain’s Isle / Glorishears ~ JOHN KIRKPATRICK & SUE HARRIS from The Rose Of Britain’s Isle 12TS247 / 1974

14  Riding Down To Portsmouth ~ TOM WILLETT from The Roving Journeyman – The Willett Family 12T84 / 1962

15  Higher Germany ~ PHEOBE SMITH from Once I Had A True Love 12T193 / 1970

16  The Ideal Schottische ~ The CHEVIOT RANTERS from The Cheviot Hills 12TS222 / 1973

17  The Methody Parson ~ ROY HARRIS from Champions Of Folly 12TS256 / 1975

18  The Maid And The Palmer ~ BRASS MONKEY from Brass Monkey 12TS431 / 1983

19  Hopping Down In Kent ~ LOUIE FULLER from Green Grow The Laurels 12TS285 / 1976

20 The Devil And The Farmer’s Wife ~ WALTER PARDON from A Country Life 12TS392 / 1982

 

CD three ~ Ireland Boys, Hurrah

 

1  The Rising Sun / The Pope’s Toe ~ JACKIE DALY from Music From Sliabh Luachra Vol. 6 12TS 358 / 1977

2  The Waterford Boys ~ PADDY TUNNEY from A Wild Bees’ Nest 12T139 / 1965

3  The Banks Of Red Roses ~ SARAH MAKEM from Sarah Makem : Ulster Ballad Singer 12T182 / 1968

4  Gillan’s Apples / The Prize Jig ~ JOHN DOONAN & JOHN WRIGHT from The Lark In The Clear Air 12TS230 / 1974

5  Slieve Gallon Brae ~ The McPEAKE FAMILY from Irish Traditional Folk Songs & Music 12T87 / 1962

6  Paddy Ryan’s Dream / Mamma’s Pet ~ SEAMUS TANSEY with REG HALL from The Breeze From Erin 12T184 / 1969

7  My Irish Molly O ~ The FLANAGAN BROTHERS from The Flanagan Brothers 12T365 / 1979

8  The Blackbird ~ SEAMUS ENNIS from The Wandering Minstrel 12TS250 / 1974

9  The Factory Girl ~ MARGARET BARRY from Street Songs & Fiddle Tunes Of Ireland 10T6 / 1958

10  Roaring Mary / The Old Torn Petticoat ~ The IRISH COUNTRY FOUR from Songs, Ballads & Instrumental Tunes from Ulster 12TS202 / 1971

11  Spailpina Rún ~ SEAN MAC DONNCHADHA from More Grand Airs From Connemara 12TS209 / 1971

12  The Choice Wife ~ WILLIE CLANCY from The Breeze From Erin 12T184 / 1969

13  The Tinker’s Old Budget ~ MARY ANN CAROLAN from Songs From The Irish Tradition 12TS362 / 1982

14  Padraig O’Keefe’s / Con Cassidy’s ~ The BOYS OF THE LOUGH from In The Tradition 12TS422 / 1981

15  Dowd’s Favourite ~ HUGH GILLESPIE from Classic Recordings of Irish Traditional Fiddle Music 12T364 / 1978

16  Wife Of The Bold Tenant Farmer ~ JOE HEANEY from Irish Traditional Songs In Gaelic & English 12T91 / 1963

17  The Music In The Glen / The Greenfields Of America ~ The O’HALLORAN BROTHERS from Men Of The Ireland 12TS305 / 1976

18  The Knight Templar’s Dream ~ LEN GRAHAM from Wind And Water 12TS334 / 1977

19  The Yellow Tinker / The Humours Of Scarriff ~ SEAN O’SHEA & BOBBY CASEY from Paddy In The Smoke TSCD 602 / 1998

20  He Rolled Her To The Wall ~ FRANK HARTE from Through Dublin City12T218 / 1973

21  The Heather Breeze / The Traveller ~ The RUSSELL FAMILY from The Russell Family of Doolin, County Clare 12TS251 / 1975

22  The Patriot Game ~ DOMINIC BEHAN from Easter Weekend and After: Songs of the IRA 12T44 / 1959

23  The Belfast Hornpipe / The Rights Of Man ~ JOHN REA from Traditional Music on the Hammer Dulcimer 12TS373 / 1979

24  Bridie Morley / Duignan’s Favourite ~ PACKIE DUIGNAN & SEAMUS HORAN from Music From County Leitrim 12TS339 / 1978

 

CD four Scotia The Brave

 

1  Miss Drummond Of Perth / Fiddler’s Joy / Traditional Reel / The Shetland Reel ~ BATTLEFIELD BAND from Stand Easy 12TS404 / 1979

2  Come All Ye Fisher Lasses ~ The FISHER FAMILY from The Fisher Family 12T137 / 1966

3  Queen Among The Heather ~ BELLE STEWART from Queen Among The Heather 12TS307 / 1977

4  Cullen Bay / Jig O’Slurs / Seagull ~ KENTIGERN from Kentigern 12TS394 / 1979

5  Wi My Roving Eye ~ NORMAN KENNEDY from Scots Songs and Ballads 12T178 / 1968

6  Blue Bleezin’ Blind Drunk ~ CILLA FISHER from Cilla And Artie 12TS405 / 1979

7  Soldier’s Joy ~ TOM ANDERSON & ALY BAIN from The Silver Bow 12TS281 / 1976

8  The Dowie Dens Of Yarrow ~ GORDEANNA McCULLOCH from New Voices from Scotland 12T133 / 1965

9  Erin Go Bragh ~ DICK GAUGHAN from Handful Of Earth 12TS419 / 1981

10  Young Jimmy Foyers ~ SHEILA STEWART from A Story I’m Just About To Tell TSCD 658 / 1998

11  Kempy Kaye ~ JOCK TAMSON’S BAIRNS from The Lasses Fashion 12TS424 / 1982

12  Lady Eliza ~ WINNIE CAMPBELL from The Singing Campbells 12T120 / 1965

13  Tilley Plump / Auld Foula Reel / Oot And In Da Harbour ~ CURLEW from Fiddle Music From Shetland And Beyond 12TS435 / 1985

14  Herd Laddie O’ The Glen ~ WILLIE SCOTT from The Shepherd’s Song 12T183 / 1968

15  The Fireman’s Not For Me ~ ISLA CAMERON from Moses Of The Mail / The Fireman’s Not For Me TRC51 / 1951

16  Dance With Me, Morag ~ ISABEL SUTHERLAND from Vagrant Songs Of Scotland 12T151 / 1966

17  The Wind That Blew The Bonnie Lassie’s Plaidie Awa’ ~ JIMMY McBEATH from Wild Rover No More 12T173 / 1967

18  MacCrimmon’s Lament ~ JEANNIE ROBERTSON from Jeannie Robertson 10T52 / 1959

19  The Gallant Forty Twa ~ IAN MANUEL from The Dales Of Caledonia 12TS301 / 1977

20  The Twa Corbies ~ RAY & ARCHIE FISHER from Far O’er The Forth TOP67 / 1961

21  Boulavogue ~ DAVIE STEWART from Davie Stewart 12T293 / 19

22  The Wandering Piper ~ JOHN BURGESS from King of the Highland Pipers 12T199 / 1969

 

CD five : The Singer & The Song

 

1  Unity (Raise Your Banners High) ~ JOHN TAMS from Unity TSCD 508 / 2000

2  The Dominion Of The Sword ~ MARTIN CARTHY from Right Of Passage TSCD 452 / 1988

3  The Sun Is Burning ~ The IAN CAMPBELL FOLK GROUP from The Sun Is Burning single STOP 102 / 1963

4  Go Down Ye Murderers ~ EWAN MacCOLL from Chorus From The Gallows 12T16 / 1960

5  Police Patrol ~ BOB DAVENPORT from The Common Stone TSCD 552 / 2004

6  Two Tears ~ ELIZA CARTHY from Dreams Of Breathing Underwater TSCD 571 / 2008

7  Never Any Good ~ MARTIN SIMPSON from Prodigal Son TSCD 567 / 2007

8  Both Sides Of The Tweed ~ DICK GAUGHAN from Handful Of Earth 12TS419 / 1981

9  George’s Son ~ JOHN KIRKPATRICK with BRASS MONKEY from See How It Runs 12TS442 / 1986

10  Reconciliation ~ RON KAVANA from Home Fire SPDCD 1043 / 1991

11  Stumbling On ~ LAL WATERSON & OLIVER KNIGHT from Once In A Blue Moon TSCD 478 / 1996

12  Acceptable Losses ~ JOHN B SPENCER from Out With A Bang 12TS444 / 1986

13  Ships Of Shame ~ STEVE ASHLEY from Time & Tide TSCD 569 / 2007

14  The Land Of Three Rivers ~ VIN GARBUTT from Eston California 12TS378 / 1977

15  No Telling ~ LINDA THOMPSON from Fashionably Late TSCD 821 / 2002

16  Dust ~ JOHNNY HANDLE from The Collier Lad 12TS270 / 1975

17  Two-Fisted Heroes ~ BILL CADDICK from The Wild West Show 12TS441 / 1986

 

CD six : The People’s Flag

 

1  The Man Who Watered The Worker’s Beer ~ PADDY RYAN from The Man Who Watered The Worker’s Beer 78  TRC 1 / 1939

2  Talking Union Blues ~ PETE SEEGER from Dark As A Dungeon 78 TRC92 / 1956

3  Joe Hill ~ PAUL ROBESON from Joe Hill / John Brown’s Body TRC 94 / 1956

4  Masters Of War ~ MARTIN SIMPSON from Grinning In Your Face 12TS430 / 1983

5  The Red Flag ~ BOB SMITH’S IDEAL BAND from Better Than An Orchestra 12T320 / 1983

6  The Blackleg Miners ~ LOUIS KILLEN from The Iron Muse 12T86 / 1963

7  No Power On Earth ~ BILLY BENNETT from Almost A Gentleman 12T387 / 1978

8  The Internationale ~ The TOPIC SINGERS & BAND from The Internationale 78 TRC 1 / 1939

9  To The Begging I Will Go ~ EWAN MacCOLL from The Manchester Angel 12T147 / 1966

10  The Hand-Loom Weaver’s Lament ~ HARRY BOARDMAN from Deep Lancashire 12T188 / 1968

11  The Rigs Of The Time ~ SHIRLEY COLLINS from The Sweet Primeroses 12T170 / 1967

12  Greedy Landlord ~ STAN KELLY with LEON ROSSELSON from Songs For Swinging Landlords To TOP 60 / 1961

13  Time To Ring Some Changes ~ RICHARD THOMPSON from Hard Cash SPDCD 1027 / 1965

14  Sixteen Tons ~ EWAN MacCOLL from Sixteen Tons / The Swan-Necked Valve TRC 97 / 1956

15  Peat Bog Soldiers ~ The IAN CAMPBELL FOLK GROUP from Songs Of Protest TOP 82 / 1962

16  Aa’m Glad The Strike’s Done ~ The HIGH LEVEL RANTERS from The Bonny Pit Laddie 12TS271/2 / 1975

17  Three Score And Ten ~ The WATERSONS from New Voices 12T125 / 1965

18  Dirty Old Town ~ EWAN MacCOLL from Dirty Od Town / Sheffield Apprentice TRC 56 / 1952

19  The Liverpool Barrow Boys ~ The SPINNERS from Songs Spun In Liverpool TOP 69 / 1961

20  The Weaver’s March ~ The CELEBRATED WORKING MEN’S BAND from The Iron Muse 12T86 / 1963

21  We Poor Labouring Men ~ WATERSON:CARTHY from Broken Ground TSCD 509 / 1999

22  Perfumes Of Arabia ~ MARTIN CARTHY & DAVE SWARBRICK from Skin & Bone SPDCD 1046 / 1992

23  Hot Asphalt ~ BOB DAVENPORT & The RAKES from Wor Geordie TOP 83 / 1962

 

CD seven : even more treasures from the Topic catalogue

 

1  Skye Crofter’s / The Swallow Tail ~ BILLY PIGG from Wild Hills O’Wannie – The Small Pipes of Northumbria 12TS227 / 1974

2  While Gamekeeper’s Lie Sleeping ~ JUNE TABOR from Airs & Graces 12TS 298 / 1976

3  Boi Se Otvori ~ ROZA TSETKOVA from Folk Music of Bulgaria 12T107 / 1964

4  Barleycorn ~ TIM VAN EYKEN from Stiffs Lovers Holymen Thieves TSCD 565 / 2006

5  The Girl On The Greenbriar Shore ~ TOM PALEY & PEGGY SEEGER from Who’s Going To Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot? Who’s Going To Glove Your Hand 12T113 / 1964

6  The Happy One-Step / Green Willis ~ The HOUSE BAND from Word Of Mouth 12TS451 / 1988

7  Clyde Water ~ NIC JONES from Game Set Match TSCD 566 / 2006

8  Baranca ~ VLADO & NIKOLA ROBANOVSKI from Folk Music of Yugoslavia 12TS224 / 1973

9  Georgie ~ LEVI SMITH 1:30 from Songs of the Open Road 12TS253 / 1975

10  Jenny Lind ~ SCAN TESTER & RABBIDY BAXTER from Boscastle Breakdown 12TS240 / 1974

11  Worcester City ~ ELIZA CARTHY from Anglicana TSCD 539 / 2002

12  Talking Dustbowl Blues ~ RAMBLIN’ JACK ELLIOTT from Woody Guthrie’s Blues 8T5 / 1957

13  Kaba Vençe ~ REFKI TAHO, HYSEN ZIZOLLI & AHMET METOLLI from Folk Music of Albania 12T154 / 1966

14  The Green Banks Of Yarrow ~ ALISON McMORLAND & PETA WEBB from Alison McMorland & Peta Webb 12TS405 / 1980

15  Johnny, Will You Marry Me? ~ DAN SULLIVAN’S SHAMROCK BAND from Dan Sullivan’s Shamrock Band 12T366 / 1979

16  Hamburger – polka fra hardanger ~ VESTLANDSGRUPPA from Folk Music of Norway 12TS351 / 1977

17  Hedger And Ditcher ~ The SILLY SISTERS from No More To The Dance TSCD 450 / 1988

18  Burren No. 1 / Chris Droney’s Favourite ~ CHRIS DRONEY from The Flowing Tide 12TFRS503 / 1975

19  Nna hamu ~ The JAUHARAH ORCHESTRA from Poetry and Languid Charm – Swahili Music from Tanzania  TSCD 936 / 2007

20  Little Sadie ~ HEDY WEST from Ballads  12TS163 / 1967

21  Fulmine ~ ANDY CUTTING (BLOWZABELLA)  from Vanilla SPDCD 1028 / 1990

22  No One Stands Alone ~ BLUE MURDER from No One Stands Alone TSCD 537 / 2002

****