Folk-rock post FC

[Mr Cat (Lewis)]

Hi Swarb:

Do you ever listen to any post FC bands or artists lumped into the genre of "folk rock"?  Are there any you rate or does it all sound like a rehash of the pioneering work of FC?

Cheers

[Swarb]

sorry, dont much care for any of them,same for pop,I dont think much has happened since the beatles,and still waitng for another singer songwriter of this generation up to the old standard, randy newman, dylan,etc.still waiting for another female writer too ,nothing much has happened since Sandy it seems, good singers yes, as good as her and as good at writing songs  no. all a bit moribund isnt it? maybe tomorow someone great will appear, another Joanie mitchel, shant hold my breath

[Jules Gray]

Did you pay much attention to what your fellow ex-bandmates were doing at the time, Swarb?

Obviously Sandy, but what about Richard's Henry The Human Fly album and his career with Linda?

Or Ashley with Steeleye, his Albion bands, the No Roses album with Shirley Collins?

Did this stuff register much with you?

Jules

[Swarb]

oh yes , ex fairporters stuff was allways being played in the bandwaggon, we were all v close and well informed etc.

[Jules Gray]

I remember Richard saying that he needed to go solo because his new songs didn't sound like Fairport songs, but I when I hear Henry The Human Fly, I can't see what he means.  I can hear fairport playing that stuff.  And actually, much as I love the Henry album (I think it's Richard's most consistent album of great songs), I can't help but think it would have sounded even better with you, Peggy, Simon and DM playing.

Jules

[Swarb]

well, I dont think I could say,I suppose richards vision of things would be,esp as he got older a bit confined in a group.You do have to have a group mentality to be in one.Nothing wrong with it iether. I find that as a muso having the possibility of both worlds is good.Thats why so many solo artistes have their own group I guess. It can be a lonely rd on yr own too. I think the trax you talk about would have been different with the rest of us thats all.

[Jules Gray]

Interesting what you say there.

I do wish the Full House band had returned to the studios to make a second LP record in late 1970 though.  I presume you were just too busy touring.

Lots of the material you were playing on those tours later ended up on Angel Delight of course, but an album with the likes of Journeyman's Grace, Sickness & Diseases, Banks Of The Sweet Primroses, Staines Morris, Bonny Bunch Of Roses, Battle Of The Somme, and maybe Now Be Thankful, plus a couple of sets of fiddle tunes, all with Richard's lead guitar.....I can't help but wish that had happened before he left the group.

Jules

[Swarb]

its never too late!

[Jules Gray]

its never too late!

That's the spirit!  

Jules

[Ollie]

Swarb, do you still listen to stuff like Fairport and Steeleye etc. Also, what are your favourite artistes on the folk scene today?

Ollie

[Swarb]

now and again i listen to old stuff, and now and again new fairport or steeleye stuff, I still like the old boys  and girls best, although alistair hullet has a new band i have been listening to , just the roughs. great though. i dont much care for the current crop sorry to say. I am a trditionalist i guess, I like big ballads and rock and roll!

[Jules Gray]

After starting out in the folk scene, you were glad to leave it behind and join the rock and rollers.  I suppose now you're mostly back with the folkies.  Is that a good place to be these days?

Jules

[Swarb]

I dont know if i sit in any camp,I know what appeals to me, and mostly I only play what I like.often that is trad, and often self composed. but I like rock, and classical, even opera(some) .I dont know what the present scene is like, thereis a bunch of youngsters of variable talent and a dwindling assortment of oldies.The important aspect of the whole scene though I think, is how much it has grown over the yrs.When I began the level of enthusiasm was small ,now its huge and thats great.

[Pat Watson]

Hi Swarb,

Would you agree that the folk music scene is much stronger in Britan than in the US? It seems to me that  folk music is all but forgotten currently over here.

Pat

[Swarb]

I dont know, its offshoots are huge over there, country, bluegrass, appalachian stuff, blues, and its performers likewise, fairly trad people like doc watson did v well.

[Barry]

You do have to have a group mentality to be in one.Nothing wrong with it iether. I find that as a muso having the possibility of both worlds is good.Thats why so many solo artistes have their own group I guess. It can be a lonely rd on yr own too.

I recall seeing both you and Martin Carthy (and, I believe, Ruari McFarlane) backing the greatly under-rated and overlooked Keith Hancock, and the pair of you apparently having a ball.  Do you enjoy being able to almost fade into the background as part of someone else's band.  Just play the music and have the pressure of being the focus taken away?

And are you still in touch with him and are there any plans to work together again?

[Swarb]

I dont know what happened to Keith, he got tired of struggling to get somewhere and left music and got a proper job.it was great fun, and yes i do like to fade onto the background sometimes.

[Pat Watson]

Hi Swarb,

Your answer leads me to this question. When times got tough, did you ever consider packing it in and doing something else for a living. If so, what do you think you woud've done?

Thanks,


Pat

[Swarb]

no never,not once

[Pat Watson]

Needless to say, we are all happy that you did. Long may you run.

Pat