Some new music for the Summer and Autumn From Topic Records

Some new music for the Summer and Autumn   Both Topic and our colleagues at Fledg'ling have been busy preparing some exciting new records for your enjoyment. Today, August 12th, Fledg'ling Records are releasing four previously unissued recordings by the wonderful Anne Briggs. Four Songs will be released as a vinyl 7" EP, with rare photos, three BBC recordings from the radio series ‘Folk-Song Cellar’, plus one song privately recorded by one of Anne’s oldest friends. These rare, simple, unadorned and intimate performances, aching with poignancy, make their first appearance on record, fifty years after recording and capture Anne Briggs singing at just the right time. Anne herself has been very excited about the project: “…the results couldn't have been better. Nice the way it came about too, with lost recordings and old friends caring for them for decades.” Track list: 1 The Recruited Collier, 2 My Bonny Boy (A Bower In My Breast), 3 Polly Vaughan, 4 The Verdant Braes Of Skreen. You can follow this link to preview: The Verdant Braes Of Skreen  In 2007 the original five members of PENTANGLE - Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Jacqui McShee, Danny Thompson & Terry Cox - reconvened to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Sir David Attenborough at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. In 2008 they began a UK tour at the Royal Festival Hall, exactly 40 years to the day since they recorded their classic 'Sweet Child' at the venue. Emotions and memories ran high in the packed house. The evening was a musical triumph, as were the subsequent dates. On October 7th Topic will release PENTANGLE ~ Finale recorded live by the original line-up during the 2008 tour. This 2CD set captures the band on a musical high re-visiting their classic early repertoire. More details in the next newsletter; in the meantime, here's a link to preview: Light Flight Also on October 7th our friends at Fledg’ling Records will release Ever Popular Favourites - an infectious selection of songs recorded by Mr. Martin Simpson and Mr. Dom Flemons on tour in the autumn of 2015. Six of the best! Each month our special offers are a great way of filling the gaps in your music collection, or to give as splendid gifts for friends. The Topic special offers for August are six classic albums from the Topic catalogue at the very special price of only £6 each:         TSCD430  MARTIN SIMPSON ~ The Collection TSCD478  LAL WATERSON & OLIVER KNIGHT ~ Once In A Blue Moon TSCD485  VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ Deep Lancashire TSCD539  ELIZA CARTHY ~ Anglicana TSCD562  WATERSON:CARTHY ~ Holy Heathens & The Old Green Man TSCD565  TIM VAN EYKEN ~ Stiffs, Lovers, Holymen, Thieves

Brooks Williams - My Turn Now

BROOKS WILLIAMS - Top Americana, Roots guitarist releases his new album 'My Turn Now' and UK tour dates available in 2016/2017 Brooks Williams stands BROOKS WILLIAMS - Top Americana, Roots guitarist releases his new album 'My Turn Now' and UK tour dates available in 2016/2017 Brooks Williams - 'My Turn Now' Brooks Williams stands on tradition but he doesn’t stand still. His influences fly so fast and furious they blur. Like drinking whiskey from a honey jar, you get both the sweet and the bite. He not only tours like a hellhound’s on his trail, and creates a super-charged music that is electrifying and fighting-fit. Brooks was born in Statesboro, Georgia (the town made famous by country-blues legend Blind Willie McTell), is a great singer. In 2013 he was nominated ‘best male vocalist’ by the UK’s foremost roots-music mavens, Spiral Earth. AmericanaUK says, “he has a beautiful voice that you just melt into.” And he’s one helluva good guitar player, ranked in the “Top 100 Acoustic Guitarists.” The San Antonio Light says that Williams is a “fret monster who has to be seen to be believed!” Brooks Williams writes songs that are a collision of roots and evolution. Rocking. Economical. Ironic. The arrangements are tight, and yet the performances are rich in blues pathos. Words like timeless, astute, archetypal just about cover it. Walking the line between blues and Americana, Brooks Williams has worked stages worldwide for over 25 years, amassing a staggering back-catalogue of songs, recordings and tales. With nearly 23 CDs to his name, fRoots says Williams’ music “Americana at its finest!” CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO Brooks Williams Don't take our word for it, here's what some other folks have got to say: “He’s a lovely player, a lovely singer, and a great writer. The real thing.” - Martin Simpson “Absolutely beyond criticism!” - fRoots "Best Male Vocalist Nominee!" - Spiral Earth Awards 2014 “A fret monster who has to be seen to be believed!” - San Antonio Light “One of America's musical treasures.” - Dirty Linen "How soulful a solo guitarist can be when he has talent, taste and astonishing technique." - Blues Revue “Americana at its finest!” - fRoots “We called him back for three encores!” - Blues In Britain “…classy, tasteful, bright, and hugely enjoyable!" - Blues Matters Brooks Williams UK TOUR DATES AVAILABLE 2016 / 2017. BOOKING NOW For availability email GAIL COOKE on gail@laughingdogmusic.co.uk  Click here to go to Laughing Dog Music Click here to go to Brooks Williams ©2016 Laughing Dog Music | Laughing Dog Music I gail@laughingdogmusic.co.uk I tel :

New music from Manhaton for 2016 2015 has been a very busy year for the staff at Manhaton, and we see no reason why 2016 will be any different. Successful records from Robin Trower with "Something's About To Change" and King King with "Reaching For The Light" have made their mark with both fans and the music media. In 2016 we will release a brand new album from the evergreen Robin Trower, titled "Where You Are Going To" and I must say the demos already sound terrific! King King’s album “Reaching For the Light” was selected in the Top 50 Albums of the year in both Classic Rock magazine and its sister publication The Blues Magazine King King go from strength to strength, and as a real reward for their hard work in recent years they've accepted an arena tour with 90's rock band Thunder in February - something the guys are very excited about. Alan has been a big Thunder fan for some time! This will be followed by a headline tour in May, featuring an opening set from the amazing Dan Patlansky Later in 2016 the band will release their first live CD/DVD, which will be shot and edited in April. King King - Reaching For The Light   Robin Trower - Something's About To Change Stevie Nimmo - Sky Won't Fall Both Ben Poole and our new signing Stevie Nimmo will release new albums in the early part of 2016. This will coincide with a joint mammoth co-headline tour of the UK. "Time Has Come" will be the follow up to Ben's popular "Live At The Albert Hall" album from October 2014. Stevie marks his first Manhaton release with "Sky Won't Fall". A fresh and varied LP, recorded with Wayne Proctor at Superfly Studios. Hat Fitz & Cara continue to put together album number four, and will return for a few select shows in April/May to promote the new album. More news on that soon. Festivals will be added over the Summer.  Finally, we'd like to welcome New Yorker Sari Schorr to our roster of acts. Sari was introduced to Manhaton records by legendary producer Mike Vernon (Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall). “Sari Schorr is the embodiment of the best the blues and beyond has to offer. Sari is definitely the next big blues diva that will sweep through the blues scene” Dave Fields Big City Blues New York. New York hall of fame inductee Sari is working on a new album with Mike and her band The Engine Room, which we look forward to releasing in September. Have a look here MANHATON RECORDS 2016 RELEASE SCHEDULE Friday 4th March  STEVIE NIMMO "SKY WON'T FALL”  HATMAN 2041 Friday 1st April   BEN POOLE “TIME HAS COME”  HATMAN 2042 Friday 25th April  ROBIN TROWER “WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO”  HATMAN 2043 Friday 25th May  HAT FITZ & CARA  HATMAN 2044 Friday 9th September  SARI & THE ENGINE ROOM  HATMAN  2045 Friday 30th September   KING KING “LIVE” CD & DVD  HATMAN 2046  Mailing Address  Manhaton Records 9 School Road Twyford Winchester, Hampshire SO21 1QQ United Kingdom

Coming Your Way The Whiskey Brothers

COMING YOUR WAY THE WHISKEY BROTHERS

Hot out of the fertile Blues Delta of Birmingham, The Whiskey Brothers are ready to take to the road with their own personal take on the hokum rural blues and jug music of 

 1930s/1950s America.

They have an album set for release on Big Bear Records.

It’s called ‘Bottle Up And Go’, recorded in June at Gospel Oak Studios, deep in the 

English Mid-West: 

Big Bear Records,

Check out this video link...

https://youtu.be/QL6vkeYUAR8

“If you’d strolled past a juke joint or bar anywhere from Tutwiler to Maxwell Street, anytime between 1920 and 1950, you would have heard music like this” Stuart ‘Son’ Maxwell

Available from Tim Jennings

Big Bear Music, PO Box 944, Birmingham, B16 8UT

Tel: 0121 454 7020 Email: tim@bigbearmusic.com 

Big Bear Records - Real Music - Properly Played

Big Bear Music
Po Box 944
Birmingham
B16 8UT, England
Tel: 0121 454 7020
www.bigbearmusic.com

admin@bigbearmusic.com

Lloyd Cole - Collected Recordings 1983-1989 boxset featuring B-sides & rarities

Lloyd Cole and the Commotions formed in 1982 when Lloyd was studying English and Philosophy at Glasgow University.   They signed to Polydor in '84 and their debut single 'Perfect Skin' lit up the nation's radios.  The dazzling debut album Rattlesnakes more than fulfilled their promise, littered as it was with hip literary references, cutting wit and sophisticated pop melodies.   Subsequent singles 'Forest 'Fire' and 'Rattlesnakes' and sell-out shows around the country announced in no uncertain terms that a cool, literate new band had arrived.  Second album Easy Pieces followed in Nov '85 and the singles, 'Brand New Friend' and 'Lost Weekend', were both big hits.  The bands third and final album Mainstream in '87 featured another of the band's signature hit songs 'Jennifer She Said'. A definitive career-spanning box set entitled Collected Recordings 1983-1989 will be released on 29th June '15.  The box set takes the listener from the band's earliest demos through the runaway success of their astonishing debut Rattlesnakes, their chart-topping follow-up Easy Pieces, their swansong Mainstream, and, with the inclusion of B-sides, demos and rarities, it provides the definitive guide to one of the most fascinating bands of the 80s.

Want FREE MOBILE UPDATES from Lloyd Cole? Just text LLOYDCOLE to 82665 and we'll add you to the list. (UK Only. Texts are completely free to you with the exception of the initial registration text, which will cost your standard network charge)

The latest news from Simpson∙Cutting∙Kerr.

The latest news from Simpson∙Cutting∙Kerr. Murmurs released today! The day has finally arrived and our debut album - Murmurs, of which we're tremendously proud, is released today by Topic Records. Murmurs is available as a standard CD and a deluxe CD/DVD limited edition with 5 extra songs plus a documentary DVD filmed during the recording of the album. "Outrageously great album from Simpson∙Cutting∙Kerr. 'Dark Swift & Bright Swallow' is amazing. It's stunning and beautiful. And timely. All things great folk should be."  Rob Cowen, author 'Common Ground'. "Talented folk trio mix measured standards with originals. Classy." ★★★★ Daily Mirror "Simpson, Cutting and  Kerr – leading lights of British folk regroup." ★★★★ The Guardian SPECIAL OFFER! Buy the album before 1st July and Topic Records will include the Dark Honey / Ruben 7" single together with an Art-Card signed by all three of us and a tour poster. Murmurs ~ standard Special Offer only £12.00 Murmurs ~ deluxe Special Offer only £16.00 "We’re not even halfway through the year but we’ve already seen a number of astonishingly high quality records from many quarters; even so, Murmurs stands head and shoulders above much of this extraordinarily stiff competition. By anybody’s standards it’s a top-notch album by three of our best musicians and, if there’s any justice in this world, will soon find its way into the collections of all self-respecting fans of folk music." Folk Radio UK  Murmurs Tour – June 2015 We're currently out on tour. Do come along and say hello if we've a gig near you: Monday 8th: Croydon Folk Club, CROYDON Tuesday 9th: The Lantern, Colston Hall, BRISTOL Wednesday 10th: Barnfield Theatre, EXETER Thursday 11th: Robert Ludlam Theatre, DERBY Friday 12th: The Met, BURY Saturday 13th: The Sage, GATESHEAD Sunday 14th: Theatre By The Lake, KESWICK Wednesday 17th: King’s Place, LONDON Friday 19th: Vivacity Key Theatre, PETERBOROUGH Saturday 20th: Beverley Folk Festival, BEVERLEY Monday 22nd: The Village Hall, NETTLEBED, Nr HENLEY ON THAMES Tuesday 23rd: The Stables Theatre, Wavendon, MILTON KEYNES Wednesday 24th: Wiltshire Music Centre, BRADFORD ON AVON Thursday 25th: Ashcroft Arts Centre, FAREHAM Friday 26th: Forest Arts Centre, NEW MILTON They are at Cambridge and Towersey Festivals this summer and back on tour together in September.