A Fifth Selection Of Ten Essential UK & Irish Folk Music Songs From 1960s-1980s

Introduction

This is the fifth installment in this series taking it up to fifty songs for you to enjoy. I am trying not to repeat artists but the more I share the more difficult that is to do.

If you are not a Vocal member, if you sign up you will be able to leave comments on the article here, but I am fine with you just reading and maybe commenting in UK & Irish Folk Music 60s-80s where you can discover even more musical treasures.

So this is where we continue our journey.

Robin Dransfield - "The Barley And The Rye"

This was released in 1980, but heard Robin with Barry on the John Peel show, as I need with many of these bands. This is a great and amusing story about a cuckolded old farmer and he is more bothered about the damage his wife and swain are doing to his crops that what she is doing with her lover in the field.

Martin Simpson - "Handsome Molly"

Martin Simpson is a name you will see and hear in lots of folk circles and this features som impressive playing. Still sounds as good now as when it was released in the eighties.

The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem - "The Parting Glass"

From a suggestion by Neil Woodlock and Brendan O'Brien in UK & Irish Folk Music 60s-80s. There are a lot of suggestions but I have chosen this one, but there may be others as further installments in this series are issued.

The Men The Couldn't Hang - "The Colours"

In 1988 "Waiting For Bonaparte" was released and I have been wary about including some more modern groups, but the subject and performance of this song could be from the time it talks about. Rebellion and freedom are addressed in no uncertain terms in this selection from this amazing album.

Incidentally, their first single was Eric Bogle's "The Green Fields Of France"and thanks to Ed Jupp for pointing me in this band's direction in UK & Irish Folk Music 60s-80s.

The Pogues - "The Broad Majestic Shannon"

Like The Men They Couldn't Hang I had been avoiding The Pogues mainly because I was seeing the timeframe as 1960 to 1980, not 1960 to 1989. So many of Shane MacGowan's songs sound like they have been with us forever and this gem from 1988 is no exception.

As a bonus, this is my tribute to the great man.

The High Level Ranters with Harry Boardman and Dick Gaughan - "The Durham Lockout"

This song is taken from the 1975 album "The Bonnie Pit Laddie, a Miner's Life in Music and Song" about the brutality of mine owners against the workers and miners. There are echoes of this in Dick Gaughan's "Pound A Week Rise" featured previously in this series.

June Tabor and Nic Jones - "Bonnie May"

How much beauty can you fit into a single song? June Tabor's voice and Nic Jones' guitar. Take your time and give this a long listen. I must apologise, this has already appeared in Episode Three, but it is a wonderful song and performance so I will leave it here.

The Corries - "The Black Douglas"

Off to Scotland for this piece from 1973, a band I am not hugely familiar with but this is more than listenable.

Robin Williamson - "Ancient Song"

Away from the Incredible String Band, this is a 1988 release from Robin Williamson.

Ian Campbell Folk Group - "Twa Recruiting Sergeants"

Back to 1964 for this recruiting tale.

The Ian Campbell Folk Group were one of the most popular and respected folk groups of the British folk revival of the 1960s. The group made many appearances on radio, television, and at national and international venues and festivals. They performed a mixture of British traditional folk music and new material, including compositions by Campbell. Much of their popularity flowed from the variety of their performance which included a mixture of solos, group vocals, and instrumentals