7754 - VARIOUS ARTISTS - SWARB! FORTY FIVE YEARS OF FOLK'S FINEST FIDDLER, DISC ONE (2003)
VARIOUS ARTISTS
''SWARB! - FORTY FIVE YEARS OF FOLK'S FINEST FIDDLER, DISC ONE''
2003
308:51
This lavishly packaged long-box set is the first in-depth anthology of the 45-year career of Dave Swarbrick, one of Britain's best loved and most influential folk fiddle players. The 73 tracks (over five hours of music) stretch from Swarb's earliest recordings to his latest, including selections from every duo, band and session line-up he has been involved in, legendary 'lost' recordings, and out-takes and alternate takes from all of his key albums. Features Ewan MacColl, the Ian Campbell Folk Group, Martin Carthy, Fairport Convention, Beryl Marriott, Richard & Linda Thompson, Whippersnapper, Eureka and Band Of Hope, and others.
The third release in Free Reed's so acclaimed series of box sets, a career-spanning document of fiddler Dave Swarbrick, could claim to be the greatest so far. Best known, of course, for his hell-and-high-water helming of the Fairport Convention soap opera, Swarbrick arguably ranks second only to Martin Carthy when it comes to popularizing and, more importantly, prolonging the life of British folk music. From his earliest work with the Beryl Marriott Ceilidh Group in the late '50s through to collaborations with Alistair Hulett and Kevin Dempsey during 2002-2003, Swarbrick's ability to take the most hackneyed themes and breathe fresh life into them has seen him perform and record with almost every major name in the folk field -- and a handful from beyond as well. This collection, although one could quickly whittle its contents down to a mere handful of those partnerships, is nevertheless a breathtaking survey of that canon, highlighted by both the best and the rarest of the myriad tapes at the label's disposal. As with the earlier Carthy and Fairport boxes, Swarb! divides its contents into four thematic discs, self-explanatorily titled "C Is for Collaborations," "D Is for Duos," "E Is for Extras," and "S Is for Swarb." Such delineations, however, are unimportant -- no less than 17 Fairport tracks are spread across all but the duos disc, collaborations with Carthy can be found (contrarily enough) on all but the collaborations disc, and duets turn up all over. Rarities, too, abound. Previously unheard live performances, long-archived TV and radio broadcasts, and distant deletions from the early days of the folk boom have all been harvested and, though one might shed a quiet tear over the absence of Swarbrick's earliest partnership, with Beryl Marriott, the pair's reunion in the early '80s fills that breach just fine. From there, the discs surrender the most complete portrait yet of Swarbrick's pre-Fairport work alongside Ian Campbell, Bert Lloyd, Ewan MacColl, the Young Tradition, and, of course, Carthy, a total of 13 tracks that would themselves build into an unbeatable anthology.
The Fairport years are sensibly covered by material that, for the most part, has never previously seen official release -- major standouts include a 1981 performance with Richard & Linda Thompson and a handful of 1970 live recordings. The strength of that band's repertoire is then reinforced by a clutch of further reprises dating from later years -- a marvelous "Bonnie Black Hare" recorded live with Carthy in 1993, an epic "Sloth" performed with Simon Nicol in 1983, and Whippersnapper's rambunctious "Hen's March" from a 1987 festival in Denmark. To dwell on either the 1960s or Fairport, however, is to utterly defeat the purpose of this box set. Fully half the tracks hail from other pastures, including some of the best material in sight. Such aggregations as Whippersnapper, Three Desperate Mortgages, and the Band of Hope may be mere footnotes in the overall Swarbrick story, but the music they made was no less exhilarating than any of his "big-name" ventures, while the ongoing saga of his work with Carthy includes material recorded up to 2001, at the guitarist's 60th birthday bash. Of course, the four discs are only part of the boxed experience. Also included is "Swarbrick's Collection of Merrie Melodies for the Violin," a 48-page collection of, indeed, sheet music, while the box set itself is annotated in almost microscopic detail by a mammoth 136-page volume that not only provides a biography of Swarbrick himself, but also documents every track and every performer in the box and emerges as lavish a production as the music itself.
Review by Dave Thompson, Allmusic.com
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DISC ONE - D is for Duo
78:55
A history of the many duos in which Swarb has performed, with his work in the 60s with Martin Carthy, with Simon Nicol in the 80s, and recently with Alistair Hulett and (again). with Martin Carthy - plus live gems and magical studio pairings with the likes of Bert Lloyd, Louis Killen and Peter Bellamy.
1. Jack Orion (3.58)
From the album First Person (Topic 12T118, 1966). Swarb accompanies Bert Lloyd on a version of Child Ballad 67
2. Finale Medley (Bottom o' the Punchbowl / Swallowtail / The Mason's Apron) (9.28)
With Martin Carthy, live at the London Troubadour in 1966
3. Our Captain Cried All Hands (2.02)
with Martin Carthy; from the album Byker Hill (1967)
4. Streets of Forbes (3.43)
Trevor Lucas sings this on the album The Great Australian Legend (Topic 12TS203, 1971)
5. The Heilanman / Drowsy Maggie (2.43)
with Beryl Marrion on his album Swarbrick (1976)
6. The Lark in the Clear Air (3.33)
with Savourna Stevenson at Kirkcaldy Folk Club, undated
7. Around Cape Horn (2.29)
From Peter Bellamy's album Both Sides Then (Topic 12TS400, 1979)
8. 79's Farewell to Gibraltar / The Atholl Highlanders / The Devil Among the Tailors (4.53)
with Simon Nicol on their album Live at the White Bear (1982)
9. Pittengardener's Rant / The Floggin' (4.38)
with Simon Nicol live at Folk City, New York (1984)
10. White Dress (3.11)
with Ralph McTell on the BBC Ralph McTell Show (1992)
11. The Pepperpot / Sailing into Walpole's Marsh / Bunker Hill (5.40)
with Martin Carthy live at Carson's in Cincinnati (1990)
12. Mrs Bermingham / No 178 / Blind Mary (7.33)
with Martin Carthy live at the Cropredy Festival (1992)
13. Days of 49 (3.17)
with Alistair Hulett live at The Basement, Sydney (1996)
14. Nathaniel Gow's Lament for His Brother / Rory of the Hills (8.55)
with Lars Kjaedegard live at Brunskepadhus, Denmark (1996)
15. I Know My Love (4.19)
with Kevin Dempsey on a Fairport tour live in Croydon (2000)
16. Byker Hill (7.33)
with Martin Carthy live at the Apollo, Oxford, on Martin's 60th Birthday Concert (2001)
17. Banksie (1.55)
with Kevin Dempsey on English Fiddler (2003)
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DISC TWO: C is for Collaborations
72:09
From the Campbells and Beryl Marriott’s Ceilidh bands, through Fairport Convention, Whippersnapper, Eureka! and Band of Hope, here's an overview of Swarb's key & crucial role in every group of which he's been a member.
1. The Bride's March from Unst (The Bride's March / The Keel Man's Petition / Show Me the Way to Wallingford / Sword Dance) (5.24)
with Beryl Marrion at the Essex Festival 1981
2. The Blind Man He Could See (3.23)
The Ian Campbell Folk Group, Across the Hills, Transatlantic LP TRA 110 (1964)
3. Tail Toddle (1.24)
The Ian Campbell Folk Group performance from the Hullaballoo TV Show (1965)
4. Tunes My Mother Taught Me (Bonny Kate / The Kilfenora / Boston Tea Party / Biff, Bang, Crash) (4.21)
Fairport Convention live at the BBC, Nomvember 12, 1970
5. Dirty Linen (3.51)
Fairport Convention live in Philadelphia, 1970
6. Me With You (3.27)
Fairport Convention, from the Rosie sessions (1973)
7. Hexhamshire Lass (2.28)
Fairport Convention live at Amazing Grace, Chicago, 1975
8. Rising for the Moon (4.06)
Fairport Convention on Rising for the Moon (1975)
9. Country Pie (3.03)
Fairport Convention live at La Trobe University, Australia (1977)
10. Sword Dance / Young Black Cow (4.13)
Fairport Convention with Richard & Linda Thomson live at the Granada TV Show Celebration (1981)
11. Brilliancy Medley / Cherokee Shuffle (3.22)
Fairport Convention on Moat on the Ledge (1982)
12. Boadicea (2.08)
A Sandy Denny tribute from Dave Swarbrick's solo album Flittin' (1981)
13. Carolanning (Mrs Bermingham, Mrs Maxwell, John Jameson) (4.52)
Whippersnapper, live at Burnt Post Club, Coventry (1983)
14. Farewell Lovely Nancy (4.31)
Whippersnapper, live at Cropredy (1985)
15. Hen's March (3.28)
Whippersnapper, live at Tønder Festival, Denmark (1987)
16. Waltzing's for Dreamers (4.50)
Keith Hancock Band (incl. Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick), live at Southport Festival (1991)
17. Nonesuch Medley (4.50)
Band of Hope (incl. Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick), live (1994)
18. Mad About You / Siege of Sydney Streets [p. 108] (5.24)
Eureka!, Jammin' with Gypsy (1998)
19. Fiddlestix (3.07)
Fairport Convention, The Cropredy Box (1997)
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DISC THREE: E is for Extras
79:00
Rarities abound in this CD of recordings! We unearthed so many that were just too good to miss, so here you’ll find live versions of songs which put familiar studio recordings in the shade: familiar songs performed in wholly new settings (an acoustic Sloth for example) and knock-out material screaming to be given the light of day!
1. Royal Seleccion #13 (Haste to the Wedding / Clarke's Hornpipe / Parade of the Tin Soldiers / The Dashing White Sergeant) (3.55)
with Simon Nicol live in Germany (1982)
2. The Bark Gay Head (2.37)
Ewan MacColl, Whaler Out of New Bedford (1961)
3. Interlude - Pembroke Unique Ensemble (1.10)
with Sandy Denny on The Young Tradition's Galleries (1968)
4. Tam Lin (6.02)
Fairport Convention live in Stockholm with Dave Swarbrick singing (1971)
5. General Taylor / Jenny's Chicken / Mason's Apron (7.58)
Fairport Convention live it the University of Chicago (1970)
6. Pleasure and Pain (4.41)
Brian Maxine on his album Ribbons of Stainless Steel (1975)
7. Frog Up the Pump (Ril Gan Ah / unknown / Storka) (3.27)
with Martin Carthy, rehearsal tape (1977)
8. When First Into This Country (2.32)
Fairport Convention on a Capital radio broadcast (1976)
9. Now Be Thankful (3.02)
The Three Desperate Mortgages live at Kenilworth Folk Club (1976)
10. Rosie / Pachelbel's Canon (6.05)
Whippersnapper live at Burnt Post Club, Coventry (1983)
11. My Little Fiddle (4.23)
Whippersnapper live, source unknown (1985)
12. Foolish (5.16)
Whippersnapper live at Tønder Festival (1987)
13. Ship in Distress (5.04)
with Martin Carthy, live at McCabe's Guitar Shop, Santa Monica, California (1990)
14. Bonny Black Hare (5.43)
with Martin Carthy, live at Albert Hole, Bristol (1993)
15. Isle of Man Set (9.07)
with Beryl Marriot, live at Wing Village Hall (1998)
16. Sloth (8.24)
with Simon Nicol, live at Topic Folk Club, Bradford (1983)
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DISC FOUR: S is for Swarb
78:46
Quite simply, the history of Swarb’s career through landmark performances and watershed recordings. From his early days as a session player and contributor to The Radio Ballads, through the invention of folk rock to the blue mountains of Australia and Orchard, here is as much of the very best of Swarb's career as will fit on a 79-minute CD!
1. Bonaparte's Retreat (0.55)
solo, from the album Swarbrick 2 (1977)
2. Rocky Road to Dublin / Drops of Brandy (1.26)
Ian Campbell Folk Group, from their album This Is the Ian Campbell Folk Group (1963)
3. The Widow of Westmoreland's Daughter (2.12)
A.L. Lloyd, from his album The Bird in the Bush: Traditional Songs of Love and Lust (1967)
4. Earl of Moray (1.26)
Ian Campbell Folk Group, from their rare EP Highland Songs (1967)
5. The Hen's March Medley (The Hen's March Through the Midden / The Four-Poster Bed / Swallowtail / Tail Toddle, Villafjord / Rakish Paddy) (6.28)
with Martin Carthy, archive recording (1967)
6. Father Kelly / Skopje / Sligo Maid (3.39)
with Martin Carthy and Diz Disley, from Rags, Reels and Airs (1967)
7. The Praties They Grow Small (2.46)
with Lorna Campbell singing, from the album Ian Campbell and the Ian Campbell Folk Group with Dave Swarbrick (1969)
8. The Liege and Lief Medley (The Lark in the Morning / Rakish Paddy / Foxhunter's Jig / Toss the Frathers) (3.49)
Fairport Convention, live at the Philadelphia Folk Festival (1970)
9. The Hangman's Reel (3.24)
Fairport Convention, BBC 'In Concert' (July 26, 1970)
10. Hanging Song (5.40)
Fairport Convention, live (1972)
11. Rosie (3.17)
Fairport Convention, The Manor Sessions (1972)
12. Sheebeg and Sheemore (Si bheag si mhor) (5.51)
with Simon Nicol live in Chicago (1981)
13. The Gravel Path to Granny's / The Leighton Buzzard Shuffle (3.30)
Dave Swarbrick & Friends live at the Cambridge Folk Festival (1980)
14. Loving Hannah [p. 92] (6.03)
Whippersnapper, BBC 'Folk on 2' (1984)
15. Carthy's March / The Lemon Tree (4.34)
with Martin Carthy live at Carson's in Cincinnati (1990)
16. The Trip We Took Over the Mountain (3.14)
with Martin Carthy and Savourna Stevenson Dave Swarbrick's 50th Birthday Concert (1994)
17. Bonny Black Hare (3.08)
solo, BBC Worldwide (1994)
18. The Wives (3.18)
with Kevin Dempsey at The Basement (1996)
19. Two Magicians (4.17)
solo at The Assembly Hall, Melbourne (1996)
20. Lassies of Neilston (1.30)
with Alistair Hulett on the album Red Clydeside (2002)
21. My Heart's in New South Wales (5.08)
with Kevin Dempsey and Fairport Convention at Fairfield Halls, Croydon (2000); from English Fiddler (2003)