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The Carthy Chronicles

The Carthy Chronicles Martin Carthy Free Reed FRQCD 60 (4+1 CD, UK, 2001)

Produced by Neil Wayne

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

Colin Irwin's liner notes can be found on the Free Reed website.

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, '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
   Wood Wilson Carthy, from Wood Wilson Carthy (RUF, 1998)
2. Byker Hill
   with Dave Swarbrick, from Byker Hill (Fontana, 1967)
3. Cold Haily Windy Night
   Steeleye Span, from The Journey (Park, 1999)
4. Skewbald
   live recording from the Kertalg Festival 1974 (Barclay, 1974)
5. Creeping Jane
   live at Memphis Folk Club, Leeds (BBC, 1973)
6. Old Horse
   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
   with John Kirkpatrick and Howard Evans, previously unreleased live recording at Folk City, New York (1983)
9. The Maid and the Palmer
   Brass Monkey, from Brass Monkey (Topic, 1983)
10. Begging Song
    with Dave Swarbrick live on Folk on 2: Dave Swarbrick's 50th Birthday Concert (BBC, 1996)
11. I Was a Young Man
    from Shearwater (Pegasus, 1972)
12. Prince Heathen
    previously unreleased John Peel Radio session (BBC, 1973)
13. The Prickle-Holly Bush
    The Watersons, live at Triplex Theater, New York (1987)
14. Lord Franklin
    from Second Album (Fontana, 1969)
15. Lemady / Arise and Pick a Posy
    The Albion Band with Martin Carthy as guest vocalist, from Lark Rise to Candleford (Charisma, 1979)
16. Famous Flower of Serving Men
    from Shearwater (Pegasus, 1972)
17. Glorishears
    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 K. 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 May 9, 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
   with Rory McEwen and Lisa Turner from the Hullabaloo TV series (ATV, 1964)
5. Boys of Bedlam
   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 July 11, 1987
8. Wimoweh (excerpt)
   Thamesiders, from Thamesiders and Davy Graham (Decca, 1963)
9. Young Banker
   The Watersons, from Sound of Yorkshire (Music from Yorkshire, 1985)
10. The Postman's Knock
    Ashley Hutchings et al, from Son of Morris On (Harvest, 1976)
11. Constant Billy
    John Kirkpatrick, from Plain Capers (Free Reed, 1976)
12. Lakes of Cold Flynn
    with John Kirkpatrick, previously unreleased live recording at Folk City, New York (1983)
13. Irish Washerwoman / The Ash Plant
    with Dave Swarbrick, from No Songs (Fontana, 1969)
14. Arthur McBride and the Sergeant
    with Dave Swarbrick, from Prince Heathen (Fontana, 1969)
15. The Royal Forester / Bald Headed End of the Broom
    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
    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
    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
    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, Berthold Brecht, Bob Dylan, Cyril Tawney, Adam MacNaughtan, 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 Berthold 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 alternate 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
    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 Suttcliffe]
    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 [Bertold 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]
    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]
    from Waiting for Angels (2004)

CD 4 - Child: Carthy (FRCD 64)

Twenty Rare, Live and Classic Child Ballads and other vital folksongs 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, Leadbelly & 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
   with Dave Swarbrick, from But Two Came By (Fontana, 1968)
2. The Seven Virgins (Leaves of Life)
   from the compilation Folk Scene (Folkscene, 1966)
3. Duncan and Brady
   with Rory McEwen and Lisa Turner from the Hullabaloo TV series (ATV, 1964)
4. Geordie
   previously unreleased John Peel Radio session (BBC, 1973)
5. Sir Patrick Spens
   with Eliza Carthy, from Signs of Life (Topic, 1998)
6. King Henry
   from Sweet Wivelsfield (Topic, 1985)
7. Sovay (The Female Highwayman)
   with Dave Swarbrick live at Cropredy 2000 (Dave Pegg, 2000)
8. Man of Newlyn Town
   with Dave Swarbrick, from Both Ears and the Tail (Atrax, 1999)
9. The Bows of London
   live recording by Peter Bellamy (St Louis, USA, 1991)
10. Lucy Wan
    with Dave Swarbrick, from Skin and Bone (Special Delivery, 1992)
11. Lord Randall
    from Shearwater (Pegasus, 1972)
12. The Whale Catchers
    from A Selection from The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs (Fellside, 1986)
13. Rufford Park Poachers
    from a 1987 radio session for Andy Kershaw on The Kershaw Sessions (Strange Roots, 1994)
14. John Barleycorn
    live at Memphis Folk Club, Leeds (BBC, 1973)
15. Hard Times of Old England
    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
    with Isla St Clair and chorus, from 70 Golden Nursery Rhymes (Pickwick, 1978)
18. The Farmer's Servant
    live concert at St. Andrews, Scotland (1965)
19. False Knight on the Road
    Steeleye Span, from Live at Last! (Chrysalis, 1978)
20. The Elfin Knight (Scarborough Fair)
    with Bert Jansch from Acoustic Routes (Code 90, 1993)