British Folk (and Revival)

This article on the proceeding doesn't do much clarify the dispute ("Domino was found to have no prospect of a defence, and the matter was summarily decided":

https://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/whats-on/harrogate-record-label-wins-fight-against-famous-company-1-9471219

Confusingly, Financial Times at the time of the reissue last year:

Just 2,000 copies were manufactured in 1972, half of them unplayable because the hole was pressed off-centre. With lukewarm support from fans, the album went out of print. Financial problems forced Leader to sell his record labels. The new owner, Highway, sold the rights to a third company, Celtic Music, which focused on Leader’s recordings of Irish traditional music. Bright Phoebus remained unreleased.

But its reputation grew. In 2013 the Bright Phoebus Revisited Tour, featuring a band that included Marry, Carthy and Hawley with Jarvis Cocker, along with a BBC Radio 4 documentary, provided clear evidence of strong interest in the album. “It was ahead of its time,” says Marry. With demand for its release from a growing number of fervent fans unswayed by arcane arguments about folk music purity, Domino Records has bought the rights and remastered it. “It feels bloody great,” says Marry.

Eliza Carthy is retweeting folks encouraging people to buy the Domino release and calling it a "tragedy in performing art." It seems possible that ownership of the copyright was disputed between Celtic Music (the prevailing party here) and the Watersons' heirs (who Domino "bought the rights from," got the masters and were paying royalties to?).

In any case, a lovely record. Sad to have the copyright holder, with no connection to the artists, or even the original label, keep it from listeners (or keep a crap version in circ).

Yeah Domino don't seem like the bad guys here

I'm not sure I believe that only 2000 copies were ever printed story because, when I lived in Glasgow, I had a copy and at least two other people I knew also had copies - and it didn't cost an arm and a leg either.

... pressed, not feckin' printed!

original pressing was 2k with 1k viable, it did have at least two other vinyl pressings according to Discogs

i went to see one of the bright phoebus revisited concerts - eliza carthy, martin carthy, norma waterson, marry waterson (lal's daughter) plus richard hawley and some other people. really good, though martin c. was the only person there who actually played on the original record iirc

original pressing was 2k with 1k viable, it did have at least two other vinyl pressings according to Discogs

That explains it! I wondered why it was so cheap!

... other than the fact that no-one was interested it in those days.

I bought it when it was first (re)released on vinyl. And I love it. It bugs me if they get nothing from it, of course.

Some of this album is so very Hull it adds an extra layer of intimacy and relevance for me

It could really do without Rubber Band, Magical Man, and Shady Lady - but the rest is so good (including the early stuff on the second record.)

Ah they're part of the mix of the album. "Shady Lady" I really enjoy some days, obv those are three are probably nobody's favourites

They certainly give off a "Watersons gig in a lively pub" vibe

Loving Frost and Fire lately

Frost and Fire is fab. I like A Yorkshire Garland even more. Watersons is great winter music imo.

love 'frost and fire', never got round to 'a yorkshire garland'. noodle vague will know this but this is crucial, beautiful watersons viewing:

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-travelling-for-a-living-1966-online

twenty minutes into watching it again and even for a music documentary, there's so much booze and fags in that

other thing i loved was that norma seems to go on tour with a platypus nailed to a plank

Haven't seen the whole doc before! Only clips on YouTube.

ah well enjoy! rubber band haterz might feel differently after seeing it btw, mike seems like a sweet guy and that daftness is part and parcel of his charm

it’s the other guy with his hair and his porn and his beatles records you need to worry about

i’d never heard of bright phoebus despite yorkshire garland and frost and fire being long time favourites. i’ve listened to it now thanks to this thread and it’s wonderful.

i have a high level of tolerance for elastic band/magical man/shady lady - they’re cornball but the sound of having fun and sit well amongst the rawness of the other songs, not just in the aesthetics of the lp but as a picture of life. the beauty of this album is elsewhere but as slightly embarrassing, unbuckled, silly fun it’s enjoyable.

*rubber band

much prefer it to the latter day tweeness of eg nu-coppers - the melding of fun and foul doesn’t work for me. bob and ron incontrovertible in their tart-voiced sussex harmonies.

Folkers are fond of their whimsy, even Martin Carthy does silly numbers, Dick Gaughan doesn't though. I saw a Mike Waterson solo (unaccompanied) concert once and one of the highlights of his set was a song called (something like) "Them Geese Is Ducks".

THE IRON ROAD IS A HARD ROAD #dickgaughanwhimsy

He's funny, Dick Gaughan, all of these guys are entertainers, but he doesn't do whimsical, no sirree.

the image of dick gaughan’s face at encountering some unnecessary whimsy is making me laugh on the sofa.

but yes, whimsy def a part of english folk - feels like it’s about having a performing repertoire. but also the absurd logic is never far even from the grim songs

It's a part of folk music all over the world, not just England.

People are silly.

people like to laugh!
even a light lol is a lol

Too right.

Just got a copy of the Hangman's Beautiful Daughter by Incredible String Band and I'm very into stoned whimsy right now

not a bad place to be! :)

when will the Shirley Collins doc make it to my city?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!? that is what i would like to know

Yeah that looks amazing

A book on Dr. Strangely Strange coming out in March, looks promising (got a blurb from Rob Young who wrote Electric Eden):

https://drstrangelystrange.co.uk/index.html

Oof, I picked up a vinyl copy of the reissue and it's so, so wonderful. It's really, really got to me. Less than NV but I have some vaguer connections with the Hull area and it's enchanting me. Love this place, this is really unexpected.

Was surprised to see a copy of Domino's Bright Phoebus in Fopp and I bought it. I assumed they'd all be gone.

I freaked out and ended up with two copies - bought the cheapest new copy on discogs, then found one in a local record shop before the first order had been confirmed so I bought that too just in case

Does it have the second disc, the demos? I love Song for Thirza.

For those into ‘digital ownership’ and who are trying to figure out what to spend their emusic credits on as that service spins down the drain, they still had the expanded version for sale as of this past Monday

Hmm. The download code I got with my sealed vinyl copy didn't work.

I've just ordered the 2 CD version of Bright Phoebus on German Amazon Marketplace. I own the single disc version, but want to get the deluxe set.

The seller says they have one new copy in stock for standard price

C'mon "Shady Lady" and "Rubber Band" are amazing. Amazing how they made such a great song out of just effectively saying "you need more sun" repatedly. Maybe my second or third favorite.

RAG you are a mensch

I ordered from a Barnes & Noble marketplace seller, just got randomly refunded and order cancelled : /

Someone must've gone to discogs

Of all my favorite genres, I have the least experience with folk music and I'm quite scared to find how deep it goes (but I guess even with other genres I like, you rarely get a sense of how big the whole picture is). This feels long delayed because I got into June Tabor about 15 years ago (see my Tabor thread revive) and only occasionally dip back in to folk.

How good a guide is the Electric Eden book? I guess it leans more towards the psychedelic side?

Are there any guides that go through European folk that has a similar enough aesthetic to british folk?

How did you guys find your way around?

About 20 years ago a friend gave me a stack of C90 cassettes of mostly Enlglish fold and folk rock. I had just gotten out of a lengthy relationship and, because I worked retail, would be mostly alone during the holidays and unable to travel back home. I was unfamiar with the genre but these tapes really resonated with me and I was grateful for the time my friend spent recording the tapes which even included some handmade cover art. I still have these in a box somewhere.

Silly Sisters and Tabor's Airs and Graces comprised one tape. Fotheringay and Triona another? Definietly Steeleye Span and some Sandy Denny and Fairport.

Anne Briggs The Time Has Come was reissued maybe a month later and that record really broke the genre open for me. I essentially followed the thread created by those records and would flip through issues of Dirty Linen when I came across them for other names and connections. I feel like I've really only scratched the surface and haven't even really begun exploring other European folk music.