The Latest News from Fledg'ling Records October 2016

Dear Keith Martin Simpson & Dom Flemons release their splendid new album today! Resulting from an EFDSS commission in 2014 these two maestros explore the common threads of their folk and early blues repertoire. Ever Popular Favourites is now available  on CD / LP / DL. Dom ~ “We explored how folk songs travelled between England and North America. Martin and I have a shared interest in the early American Songsters. He told me that even though he doesn’t generally play their songs he is a fan of people like Henry Thomas and Peg Leg Howell. We also spoke of our mutual admiration of revivalists and folksingers like Mike Seeger and UK collectors like Peter Kennedy and Seamus Ennis.” Martin ~ “It was so easy to find a repertoire in common with Dom, I immediately felt at ease and at home with all the music we discovered we shared. I was overjoyed when the quills and bones and banjo and Dom’s wonderful energy emerged on the first rehearsal, it reinvigorated songs and styles for me.” "That Flemons and Simpson can rework and revive the tensions and turmoils that fester in blues and folk music is the deepest tribute a musician can pay to their forebears, as well as the only way to bring those ghosts back to life." FRUK   "The musicianship is exemplary, with each performer supporting and enhancing each other's songs - Simpson with guitar and banjo, Flemons with those plus bones, quills and harmonicas. Even on an audio recording there's a real sense of joy taken in each other's company and performance styles." fROOTS You can follow this link to preview John Hardy Track list: 1 My Money Never Runs Out, 2 John Hardy, 3 If I Lose, 4 Little Sadie, 5 Pay Day, 6 Short Times Come Again No More, 7 Too Long (I’ve Been Gone), 8 Bulldoze Blues, 9 Stealin’, 10 Champagne Charlie, 11 Coalman Blues, 12 Buckeye Jim. MARTIN SIMPSON ~ vocals, guitar, banjo DOM FLEMONS ~ vocals, bones, banjo, quills, harmonica, electric kettle ALL orders received before midnight on Monday 10th October will receive a FREE set of SIMPSON & FLEMONS button badges: Ever Popular Favourites pinned insignia. During October we have a special offer on these two fabulous early Martin Simpson albums at only £6.00 each:   FLED 3021  MARTIN SIMPSON ~ Grinning In Your Face FLED 3022  MARTIN SIMPSON ~ Sad Or High Kicking   Back in 1996, when Fledg'ling was barely fledged, five wonderful singers - Christine Collister, Melanie Harrold, Julie Matthews, Helen Watson and Chris While - were kind enough to trust us with their debut Daphne's Flight album. Fast forward twenty years and we're going to do it all over again. They have just finished recording a second album which is stunningly beautiful. More news in the next newsletter. Best wishes and many thanks for continuing to support Fledg'ling. N E W   W E B S I T E We have a shiny new home on the Internet: www.fledglingrecords.co.uk

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

News from Topic Records 'This September it's June'

Back in 1976 when June Tabor's debut album was released the Topic press office came up with a rather splendid headline - this September it's June. The media of the day weren't entirely convinced and no publication used the caption. Here in the Topic office we'd like to announce that all of June Tabor's splendid recordings are available at the very special price of only £6 each throughout September. The perfect opportunity to catch up with albums you are missing from your collection or purchase a gift for a friend.                TSCD298  JUNE TABOR ~Airs And Graces TSCD360  JUNE TABOR ~ Ashes And Diamonds TSCD410  JUNE TABOR & MARTIN SIMPSON ~ A Cut Above TSCD432  JUNE TABOR  Abyssinians TSCD449  JUNE TABOR ~ Aqaba TSCD450  The SILLY SISTERS ~ No More To The Dance TSCD490  JUNE TABOR ~ Aleyn TSCD510  JUNE TABOR ~ A Quiet Eye TSCD532  JUNE TABOR ~ Rosa Mundi       TSCD543  JUNE TABOR ~ An Echo Of Hooves TSCD557  JUNE TABOR ~ At The Wood's Heart TSCD568  JUNE TABOR ~ Apples TSCD577  JUNE TABOR ~ Ashore TSCD585  JUNE TABOR & OYSTERBAND ~ Ragged Kingdom   We continue our monthly choice of CDs at a very special price with 4 more great Fledg’ling titles:            FLED 3028  SHIRLEY COLLINS ~ The Power of the True Love Knot FLED 3043  JOHN KIRKPATRICK ~ The Duck Race FLED 3083  IAN MATTHEWS & The Searing Quartet ~ Joy Mining FLED 3088  ANDY ROBERTS ~ Urban Cowboy Our colleagues at Fledg'ling are pleased to announce two exciting new releases: FLED 3098  PLAINSONG ~ Reinventing Richard (the songs of Richard Fariña) Plainsong – founded by Iain Matthews and Andy Roberts in 1972 – have championed Richard Fariña’s songwriting since the group’s inception. With Reinventing Richard they have produced a classic album that imagines how his songs might have sounded, if written and first recorded in a 21st century electro/acoustic setting. FLED 3099  JOHN KIRKPATRICK ~ Tunes From The Trenches Squeezebox maestro John Kirkpatrick has recorded a glorious selection of of songs from the First and Second World Wars. In a programme that highlights two different kinds of material – as you’d expect there’s a smattering of the popular hits of the day, interspersed with a selection of songs sung on the Front Line by service personnel. Many thanks for continuing to support Topic.