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An overview
In
the early to mid 60s the UK folk scene was evolving out of skiffle inspired by
the 50s folk revival of Ewan MacColl, Bob Dylan and the new access to HP to buy
guitars. Many musicians in Scotland began their own embryonic folk scene
in Edinburgh and Glasgow supplemented later by other cities. They would
slowly make their way south to be part of the thriving scene there at clubs such
as the legendary Troubadour.
As
celebrated in Bert Jansch's song 'Three Dreamers' Bert Jansch, Robin Williamson
and Clive Palmer would live together in at flat with each a key part to play in
UK folk music. Robin and Clive would be joined by Mike Heron in the first
line up of The Incredible Stream Band, a strange but still fairly traditional
band. After a single album with little success Clive went off to be part
of The Famous Jug Band and then go to India to find himself as was the trend of
the era. On his return he would form Clive's Original Band
(often referred to as C.O.B.) and release
two stunning albums before moving more intro traditional music.
The
Incredible String Band would infuse their music with psychedelia, have a sleeve
done in trippy style by Beatle's related artists The Fool and go on to great
popular success. The band would provide backing for many key albums by the
likes of Shirley Collins, Vashti Bunyan and had a prolific cross over with Irish
psychedelic folk band Dr Strangely Strange. As the era changed so did the
band becoming more rock sounding and taking in scientology eventually breaking
up in the mid 1970s. In the late 1990s a working version has toured many
times of the original band complemented by other musicians. While the
individual members have each had notable and continuing solo careers.
Bert Jansch
had a strong kinship with Anne Briggs of Nottingham who had moved to London
after joining a Trade Union arts tour. They would live, travel and
occasionally on 'Go Your Way' write together. Anne was a brilliant
unaccompanied singer who gradually started to play guitar. In 1967 she
went to Ireland to tour with Sweeney's Men and later covered some of their songs
brilliantly. That band would be pivotal in creating celtic folk music and
in amplifying folk instruments. Anne came back to the UK and released two
albums, one solo and one with the impromptu band 'Ragged Robin' while pregnant.
After these albums she gave up music and moved to a remote island off Scotland
where she still lives. From Ragged Robin Steve Ashley would join Ashley
Hutchings' Albion Country Band and then release the first classic album leading
to a long solo career.
Bert Jansch would release many early solo classic albums such as 'Jack Orion' as
did fellow guitarist and singer John Renbourn. They released a joint album
and then became part of important chart hitting folk-jazz band Pentangle.
This band would have worldwide success through to the early 70s before each went
on to solo careers. The band came back together a few times and the singer
has managed to keep an excellent working version of the band still going.
Danny Thompson has worked across folk and jazz and backed Tim Buckley on his
London tour of 1968 and also performed on Nick Drake's albums. Terry Cox
became a producer and was behind the second album by UK folk-rock band Trees.
Further Reading
'Dazzling Stranger' (about Bert Jansch and related artists) by Colin Harper.
The UK Folk-Rock Lineage - The Scottish
Branch
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