Rock Evolution – The History of Rock & Roll - 1985 - (page 203)

A song that covers British and American Folk Music is Matty Groves (aka Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard or Child Ballad 81). The earliest text is from 1613 and can be found on various broadsheets covering the next 300 years. It was noted by Sharp in London in 1908, but was more often collected in the Appalachians and recorded by various artist in the 1930's. From where British artists seem to have relearnt it.

Since then it has been a folk standard - Joan Baez, Fairport Convention, Christy Moore, John Wesley Harding, Ralph Stanley, Tom Waits, Johnny Logan,

For a 1950's version - Jennie Robertson recorded in Scotland but seems to have learnt from American singers
 
Terrific writeup on country and folk. For anyone interested in more on the subject, I highly recommend the country music documentary series by Ken Burns. The previously mentioned "History of Rock Music in 500 Songs" podcast series by Andrew Hickey is a great listen.

If rockabilly is included here, I'd suggest Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins. Bye Bye Love by the Everly Brothers would also be a nice edition to the list. So many great songs by the Everly, but this would be a good place to start. It was written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, one of the great country songwriting teams.
 
RandolphMABlue said:
Terrific writeup on country and folk. For anyone interested in more on the subject, I highly recommend the country music documentary series by Ken Burns. The previously mentioned "History of Rock Music in 500 Songs" podcast series by Andrew Hickey is a great listen.

If rockabilly is included here, I'd suggest Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins. Bye Bye Love by the Everly Brothers would also be a nice edition to the list. So many great songs by the Everly, but this would be a good place to start. It was written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, one of the great country songwriting teams.
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I’ve seen the Vietnam War documentary series by Ken Burns and that was very good. I’m aware of his Country Music documentary but I’ll have to see what streaming platforms it’s on. I’ll definitely watch it at some stage.

Sure “Blue Suede Shoes” is Rock & Roll? That’ll be coming up in week 5. I’ll stick the Everlys in this playlist.
 
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cyan said:
A song that covers British and American Folk Music is Matty Groves (aka Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard or Child Ballad 81). The earliest text is from 1613 and can be found on various broadsheets covering the next 300 years. It was noted by Sharp in London in 1908, but was more often collected in the Appalachians and recorded by various artist in the 1930's. From where British artists seem to have relearnt it.

Since then it has been a folk standard - Joan Baez, Fairport Convention, Christy Moore, John Wesley Harding, Ralph Stanley, Tom Waits, Johnny Logan,

For a 1950's version - Jennie Robertson recorded in Scotland but seems to have learnt from American singers
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Can’t find that on Spotify, I’m afraid. Is there a suitable pre-1960s version you can suggest?
 
RobMCFC said:
I’ve seen the Vietnam War documentary series by Ken Burns and that was very good. I’m aware of his Country Music documentary but I’ll have to see what streaming platforms it’s on. I’ll definitely watch it at some stage.

Sure “Bkue Suede Shoes” is Rock & Roll? That’ll be coming up in week 5. I’ll stick the Everlys in this playlist.
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Never thought of the Everlys as country. Maybe my mistake. So are S and G too? It shows how genre blind I am.
 
RobMCFC said:
I’d class them as Rock & Roll but they definitely operated in that crossover area with country and are considered pioneers of country rock.
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I'd say the Everlys definitely had country roots but did move into that country/pop/rock crossover area along with Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and others. A lot of blurry lines. The Everly Brothers - Harmonies from Heaven is a good documentary if you can find it.
 
RandolphMABlue said:
I'd say the Everlys definitely had country roots but did move into that country/pop/rock crossover area along with Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and others. A lot of blurry lines. The Everly Brothers - Harmonies from Heaven is a good documentary if you can find it.
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I’ve seen it and love listening to them plus the best of S&G. Heavenly. I suppose I associate S&G more with folk music than country but that’s for later.
 
RobMCFC said:
Can’t find that on Spotify, I’m afraid. Is there a suitable pre-1960s version you can suggest?
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Tricky!

however Little Musgrave by Jean Ritchie appears to be recorded in 1960
and if there is even more leeway then Matty Groves by Joan Baez is 1962
 
BimboBob said:
Can I pick The Kingston Trio - Tom Dooley.

About the only country/ folk song I remember hearing growing up. Must have been my Grandma because my dad detested country music!!
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Was going to be my suggestion for tomorrow.

Must have heard it via my Dad who I don't recall as a big country fan but certainly had some Jim Reeves.
 
cyan said:
I've been having a root around to find some examples of British Folk Music from this period - to see how it was developed from the time when Cecil Sharp and others were collecting and the 1950's Folk Revival led by people like Ewan MacColl and AL Lloyd. I thought at first that any playlist would need go via classical music - Henry Woods' Fantasia on British sea Songs that you will hear every year at the Last Night of the Proms or anything by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

The other place to look is in Hymn Tunes, many of which took standard folk tunes and set them to found or newly written words - although what this period of collecting did was standardise tunes. For instances once "Whilst Shepherds Watched" had been printed alongside the tune "Winchester Old" in 1861 it became the only tune that many people sang it to - even though in many places it was sung to a different tune in every village. A tradition maintained in Sheffield and North Derbyshire.

But then I came across the Carpenter archive https://archives.vwml.org/records/JMC/1 - filled with notes and original disc/cylinder recordings from 1928-1972. I haven't got a clue how you fit it into a playlist - but anyone wanting to hear how folk music had developed by mid-20th century - this is amazing.
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That archive is fascinating. At one point tonight I even found myself feeling guilty that I didn't join the local Green Man Morris Side to help keep the local traditions alive! In their absence the Side that leads our annual Bower procession is actually called Three Spires but joining that would require not only a willingness to learn morris but a gender change too so maybe not.
 
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Saddleworth2 said:
I’ve seen it and love listening to them plus the best of S&G. Heavenly. I suppose I associate S&G more with folk music than country but that’s for later.
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Meant to say that when I said to you that I've never listened to music purely for the vocals, the music of The Everly Brothers, S & G, The Beach Boys, ABBA and "California Dreaming" by the Mama and the Papas clearly makes this a lie. But I notice that in most of these cases it's the harmony vocals/vocal arrangements than a solo voice.

cyan said:
Tricky!

however Little Musgrave by Jean Ritchie appears to be recorded in 1960
and if there is even more leeway then Matty Groves by Joan Baez is 1962
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No leeway I',m afraid - the thread is set up to first look at pre-1960s music and then take each year as it comes from 1960.
 
Long before rappers started back and forthing using songs, Kitty Wells was telling Hank Williams to do one with a song that's been sung by loads of female artists since.

It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels - Kitty Wells

Don't know if it's the first 'wronged woman' country song but certainly one of the most famous early ones.
 
Final mention of Gospel, then Im done...There could possibly be a place for The Blind Boys of Alabama on the list..they straddled Gospel/blues /Doo wop and Soul....im struggling to find a pre '60 recording...
 
Resurrection Joe... said:
Final mention of Gospel, then Im done...There could possibly be a place for The Blind Boys of Alabama on the list..they straddled Gospel/blues /Doo wop and Soul....im struggling to find a pre '60 recording...
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I like The Blind Boys enough that I can even forgive them their cameo in Hop!!
 
Rob touched on it in the 'Country Goes Pop' section of his write up but has there ever been another genre, that's used technology to undermine the quality of its product in the way country often has? (though record sales no doubt will show I'm talking bollocks)

Many years ago I remember hearing Matraca Berg do the original stripped down version of a song she'd written that was a massive hit for Reba Mcentire. It was like night and day. Underneath the bloated sterile production of the best seller that was cheese personified was this simple but beautiful song.

To this day I hear country songs and think if someone had locked the producer and half the (no doubt talented) session musicians in the cupboard whilst this was recorded, it would be a decent bit of music.
 
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