January 2012
"IN PORT"
This classic LP of Cyril's own songs is now available on CD
First
issued in 1972 on Argo ZFB 28 and now on Talking Elephant TECD 187
following
the success of Talking Elephant's Argo re-issues "A Mayflower Garland" and "Cyril Tawney Sings Children's Songs from Devon and Cornwall"
All are available from all the usual
sources (including me).
Please support specialist folk music suppliers if possible
Click HERE for track listings and to order.
Delivered and Distributed: A Wartime Pastoral - Cyril's memoir of his wartime evacuation to the village of Hambledon in Hampshire will be published by Indigo Dreams in 2012, and I'll post more information as soon as possible. Cyril found that while critics and researchers usually look into the details of the early lives of field singers, they have rarely shown curiosity about the formative years of the later interpreters of the songs, though they praise them for their insight and talent in performance. He believed that the life of the song cannot be studied in isolation from the life of the singer, and that as much detail as possible should be made available about a revival performer's background, especially those periods which may shed the greatest light on what was to happen later.
Fear not, Cyril's motive for
writing about this time in his life has not produced a particularly serious
book - it's also an ideal choice for recreational reading.
Please email me if you would like to have
more information as it becomes available.
Rosemary
R E
V I E
W S
IN PORT
Talking Elephant TECD187
This is the third of Cyril Tawney's Argo-label LPs to be
reissued on CD by Talking Elephant. First released in 1972, it presents 15 of
Cyril's classic compositions: though these are mainly Royal Navy-related, he
also includes a few landlocked ones for good measure. The liner notes, Cyril’s
own, are reproduced in full, and make for entertaining and supremely
informative reading beyond the call of duty and transcending mere anecdotal
interest in their degree of insight regarding the genesis of the songs. The
tracklisting embraces a goodly number of Tawney compositions that are now
rightly regarded as evergreens, several of which were written around the same
time (1958/59) and others half-a-dozen years earlier. The disc kicks off with
the “full-blooded holler” of Sally Free and Easy, with Cyril’s trademark
nylon-strung guitar providing a “non-accompaniment” based on the throbbing of a
submarine’s diesel engines. The ensuing procession of great songs includes The
Ballad of Sammy's Bar, Cheering the Queen, The Grey Funnel Line, On A Monday
Morning and Chicken on a Raft, plus the less well-known Six Feet Of Mud and New
Names For Old, the poignant but underrated In the Sidings and the pithy
nonsense of My Mother Came from Norway (a piece Cyril tended to use when a very
short encore was required!). On four of the songs, Cyril is sensitively
accompanied by Dennis McCallum (accordion), and on a further six – including
the slightly dubious mock-rustic ditty Five Foot Flirt – by The Yetties (at a
time when they were still considered a vibrant “character” act); and by the
way, it’s interesting to compare these stirring group-backed renditions with
Cyril’s later recordings of the same songs. Valuable though the earlier Cyril
Tawney reissues have proved, it’s definitely In Port that will be the most eagerly
welcomed back aboard the shelves, for it’s a brilliant, and highly treasurable,
collection that’s stood the test of time exceedingly well.
David Kidman FOLK AND ROOTS January 2012
Cyril Tawney Sings Children's Songs from Devon and Cornwall
Talking Elephant TECD179
It's great to see on CD at long last this treasured LP
from the tail-end of the 1960s that first appeared on the Argo label in 1969;
it forms part of the tentatively continuing programme of reissues from the
admirable Talking Elephant stable (In Port is set to follow very shortly).
This record does exactly what it says on the tin -
without any fuss or pretension, and without any elaborate arrangements, silly
voices, unnecessary gimmicks or patronising condescension. Just Cyril and his
genial personality, helped along just occasionally by the deft, animated guitar
of Tom Paley and/or Trevor Crozier's jaw's harp, mandolin or concertina, all
coming to you across the grooves absolutely bright and clear in this fresh
remastering. Admittedly, Cyril owns up, in his sleeve note, that even he just
does not know what we mean by "children's songs", but goes on to
explain that the record contains a wide selection of suitable candidates
including delightful "nursery songs crooned by Nanny" (The Snail),
cautionary tales like Tommy And The Apples, fun "cumulative" songs
like the Tree In The Valley and I Had A Little Cock, and a handful of adult
songs which are "sufficiently simple and humorous to appeal equally to
young folk". Finally, the wonderfully scarey There Was A Lady All Skin And
Bone leaves the attentive child in exactly the right frame of mind!
Folk favourites like The Cuckoo, Old Daddy Fox, The
Herring's Head, Three Scamping Rogues and Carrion Crow come from the
Baring-Gould collections, while others may be more obscure in their sources but
are equally persuasively sung by Cyril. Well then, so what if (with one
possible exception) all the "children's songs" on this record were
obtained from grown-ups?
The release comes with faithful reproduction of all the
original liner notes and text, as well as some attractive additional artwork,
but I do need to warn you that the published track listing is slightly awry, as
items 2 and 3 have been banded together as track 2 so all successive tracks are
one cue adrift. But this is still without doubt one of the most charming and
yes, treasurable records of children's songs one could hope to come across.
David Kidman NetRhythms
November 2011
It's over forty
years since Cyril recorded this compilation of children's songs collected from
various sources (usually adults) in Devon & Cornwall. Talking Elephant are
to be congratulated for the remastering and reissue of this classic from an
iconic singer who always had such strong associations with the West Country……….
Many of the songs
will be familiar - Herring's Head, Old
Daddy Fox, Carrion Crow, for example, but there are others, some
no more than a single verse nursery rhyme, that are less well known. Jinny Jan and John Jago I'd not heard before. Some tracks are unaccompanied, others
with backing from Tom Paley and Trevor Crozier, but Cyril's rich, warm voice
comes through on all.
I'm sure
another generation of children will enjoy these songs - and probably bring a
touch of nostalgia to their parents and grandparents.
Colin
Andrews What's Afoot No. 97 Winter
2011/2012
A
Mayflower Garland
Talking Elephant TECD176
Cyril Tawney's influence on the last fifty years of
English folk is immeasurable. Perhaps the reason for lack of recognition of
this beyond the cognoscenti is the long unavailability of most of his classic
recordings. If so, it is to be hoped that the reissue of this 1969 release will
kick off the reappraisal.
It is an unalloyed delight to hear Tawney's rare warmth
of delivery coming out of the speakers after so long, and the material remains
fresh after all these years. Amongst the traditional West Country songs nestle
three fine originals: the celebrated The
Oggie Man, the wry lullaby Beacon
Park, and the wittily biting Second-Class Citizen's Song, which - the
reference to 'ten shillings' aside - could still stand as an anthem for
Plymouth today
Spoken extracts
from Bradford's Of Plimouth Plantation (sic)
are a reminder that the 350th anniversary of the sailing of The
Mayflower was just around the corner. Does that make it a concept album? If so,
it's the most unpretentious one I've ever heard.
Oz
Hardwick R2 (Rock 'n' Reel) No.29 September/October 2011
In common no doubt with a great number of Tykes’ readers,
I have fond memories of Cyril Tawney, especially from those years when we saw
quite a bit of him in these parts while he was a West Yorkshire resident.
………Until now, few of Cyril’s earlier recordings have been available on CD; some
turned up on The Song Goes On,
the memorial double CD from 2007, but reissues of complete LPs were not to
be found, as the most notable were on the Argo label. This was effectively
Decca’s repository for anything which did not fit neatly into “pop” or
“classical” labels, and thus was where folk material was to be found along with
what we now term “world music”, the spoken word and recordings of steam
locomotives. Their BBC origins saw to it that the Radio Ballads survived the
welter of change that overtook the record industry from the '90s onwards, but
much of the repertoire was missing presumed lost in the complex chain of
acquisitions. Just how Talking Elephant managed to get the masters and release
rights for this and a couple of Peter Bellamy albums is unclear, as is the
extent of the Argo catalogue to which they now hold the keys, but let us be
thankful for what they/we do have!
A Mayflower Garland was originally
released in 1970 to mark the 350th anniversary of the Mayflower sailing, and includes readings from a contemporary account
in and amongst Cyril’s mainstay of West Country songs, many with a naval
flavour and some of course self-penned, of which the absolute gem is The
Oggie Man. Have there ever been ten lines which tell so complete a story?
The other outstanding track is The Bell-Ringing……….Cyril sounds supremely at ease
when unaccompanied, as he is on this and three more tracks; elsewhere the
backing remains fairly minimal, with his simple guitar style and occasional
support from Reg Hall’s melodeon and Tom Paley’s banjo and guitar. There are no
“bonus tracks” here – where would they come from in any case? So the CD just
consists of the same twelve songs and five readings as on the LP, and thus
clocks in at a shade over 41 minutes in all, a bit skinny by today’s standards.
But I suppose this makes little difference to the costs of production and
distribution and so the “full price” tag is hard to begrudge, especially if it
enables treasured vinyl to be replaced or a gap in a record collection filled,
either of which I would recommend to all who remember this lovely man and would
like to possess his songs again.
Mal Jardine Tykes' News Autumn 2011
……….What
a wonderful collection of excellent material, very thoughtfully mixed, with traditional
and contemporary songs from both Devon and Cornwall. As one would expect, there
is something for everyone. My favourite track is The Oggie
Man, beautifully sung, the
strength and clarity of Cyril's voice superb. ……….This CD is an outstanding example
of the master at work, finely crafted and a pleasure to hear.
Dave
Lowry What's Afoot No. 96
Summer/Autumn 2011
……….Here's
the first of what I hope will be many reissues of key albums by the late Cyril
Tawney. A Mayflower Garland is a miscellany of traditional and
contemporary material connected in some way or other with the counties of Devon
and Cornwall which was offered as a tribute on the occasion of the 350th
anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower. Some of these are regional variations of
folksongs heard throughout Britain, whereas others are uniquely local. Perhaps
the most celebrated of the latter is Cyril's steadfast rendition of The
Bellringing, which in the sound of the human voice imitates the flow of the
bells but "forgets that bells don’t have lungs"! Among other staples
of Cyril's repertoire of the time, included on the LP are three of his own
compositions, each having as its subject some aspect of life in Plymouth (the
wonderfully tender, affectionate and yet plaintive portrait of The Oggie Man,
the modern-lullaby-cum-caustic-farewell Beacon Park and the necessarily
slightly exaggerated satirical commentary of Second Class Citizen's Song).
But the LP can also be celebrated for Cyril's uniquely spirited renditions of
gems such as Truro Agricultural Show and his authentic accounts of
seafaring fare such as Outward Bound, Rounding the Horn (aka Amphitrite)
and Sir Francis Drake. Not quite so authentic, but more fun, is the
silly Devonshire version of the maritime ballad The Cruise of the Calabar
which relocates the action to a clumsy barge in the comparative safely of a
canal!
Cyril's
special presence, not to mention his expertise as a soloist, is nicely
complemented by the supporting musicianship of Tom Paley (guitar or banjo) and/or
Reg Hall (melodeon) on a handful of the tracks, and the songs are punctuated by
a series of readings on the disc's anniversary theme (by Gary Watson). A
Mayflower Garland has long been regarded as one of Cyril's finest albums, which
makes it all the more surprising that fully three-quarters of its song contents
has never before been available on a Tawney CD. Happily, that omission has now
been rectified, and the present handsome reissue package comes complete with
original sleeve notes. Yes, it's a case for rejoicing that this fine, sensibly
wrought collection can now take its rightful place on our CD shelves.
David Kidman Folk
Roundabout Sept./Nov. 2011 & NetRhythms August 2011
……….The original LP
will be familiar to most of the older folkies, who like myself will more than
likely have it in their collections; it is, however, an opportunity to upgrade
and play it on the more modern technology available. For the younger folkies it
is a wonderful collection of songs to listen to and, if singers, add to their
repertoire. The folk scene owes a lot to the late Cyril Tawney, not only for
his song collecting and interpretation of traditional song but for the many
songs he has written that have bedded themselves down alongside the traditional
repertoire. It is worth noticing that he was, along with Graeme Miles and Ewan
MacColl, one of the first songwriters on the folk scene.
Trevor H. Charnock Stirrings
No. 148 Sept./Nov. 2011
To order Cyril’s recordings and to
send any enquiries or comments
contact
Rosemary
Tawney,
10
Sivell Place, Heavitree, Exeter, EX2 5ET, England
Tel.
01392 426 055
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