35 f THE OYSTER BAND : Liberty Hall


The Oyster Band here are John Jones (vocals, melodeon), Ian Kearey (bass, vocals), Russell Lax (drums), Alan Prosser (guitar, vocals) and Ian Telfer (violin). This is a new recording of a Jones / Telfer song which appeared in a drummerless version on the Pukka Records LP which took its title. Recorded February ’87 at Ideal Sound; engineer Nick Cathcart-Jones.


DEMBO KONTE & KAUSU KUYATEH : Solo


bish” and said so vociferously when peo- ple like Flaco Jimenez and Thomas Mapfu- mo began to appear on our covers (per- haps because I described the latter’s band as the best folk rock band on the planet – but Pete Seeger understood and sent a fan letter). Why weren’t more deserving folk club stalwarts like Derek Brimstone on the cover instead (he asked)? And meanwhile out in the ‘real world’ the old stereotypes of fingers in ears, beards and beer guts were hard to dislodge.


Looking back through the wad of


Square Roots reviews, it seems our compi- lation did a bit to improve things on most fronts. Not as much as an album called Graceland did to open other doors, or the emergence of a young Northumbrian piper called Kathryn Tickell who really was the swallow that finally heralded a sum- mer –well, actually a whole fresh new generation of brilliant UK folk players – but Square Roots does indeed seem to have opened some ears and minds.


1987 began with the massive English Roots Against Apartheid ceilidh at Lon- don’s Town & Country Club, massing The Oyster Band (as they were triple-barrelled then), Tiger Moth, Billy Bragg, Richard Thompson, various Mustaphas, Boothills and many more on stage. And June that year saw a meeting in a London pub that ‘invented’ a box henceforth to be known as ‘World Music’. Square Roots showed up in between those two points in what may, looking back, have been a bit of a golden age and significant year.


F


Dembo & Kausu (from the Gambia and Senegal respectively) play the kora, the 21-string West African harp- lute. Recorded December 1986 at Brikama, the Gambia, by Lucy Duran, this is quite a different version to that which appeared on their Rogue Records debut LP Tanante. Final mas- ter produced at the National Sound Archive, London, by Lucy Duran and Ian Anderson.


BILLY BRAGG : Hold The Fort


Billy learned this 19th Century Agri- cultural Union song, which he sings here with Robert Handley, from a recording by the Norfolk traditional singer Walter Pardon. Recorded February 1987 at Ideal Sound, engi- neer Nick Cathcart-Jones.


BRENDAN CROKER : Oh That Naggin’ Wife Of Mine


Brendan’s recording of this old coun- try blues first appeared on the limit- ed edition anthology LP Blues From The Aire Delta. Recorded at the Bil- liard Room, Leeds; produced by Mick Holland; engineer Carl Rosamund.


KATHRYN TICKELL & RORY McLEOD : Song For Busking Ronnie / The Remember Me Hornpipe


A McLeod song and a traditional tune from Kathryn (Northumbrian pipes) and Rory (harmonica, vocal). Recorded February 1987 at Ideal Sound; engineer Ralph Jordan, pro- duced by Geoff Heslop.


SWAN ARCADE : Children’s Crusade


An unaccompanied treatment of Sting’s song from Dave Brady, Heather Brady and Jim Boyes. Record- ed February 1987 at Fellside Studio, Cumbria. Engineered and produced by Paul Adams.


NADKA KARADJOVA : Nedelyo, Nedelyo


This Bulgarian track has Nadka’s voice accompanied by a Kosta Kolev arrangement. Licensed from Balkan- ton, it first appeared in the UK on the LP A Lambkin Has Commenced Bleat- ing (FMS).


TIGER MOTH : Nail That Stoat


A mutated version of a tune that was once called Off To California. Tiger Moth are Rod Stradling (melodeons), Jon Moore (guitar), Ian Anderson (slide guitar), Ian Carter (keyboards),


Maggie Holland (bass) and John Maxwell (drums). Recorded February 1987 at Ideal Sound, engineer Nick Cathcart-Jones.


JUNE TABOR : Bird In A Cage


A previously unreleased 1972 record- ing that recently fell out of Folk Roots co-founder Lawrence Heath’s loft. Recorded live at Stagfolk, Godalming, by Tony Engle.


JUMPLEADS : False Knight


Jon Moore, Caroline Ritson, Dave Townsend and Tracy threw away the folk / rock mould when creating this classic poppy version of the tradition- al song. Recorded at Spaceward by Gary Lucas: produced by Gary Lucas & Jon Moore.


MARTIN SIMPSON’S FLASH COMPANY : Bluebird (Judy G)


First track to be released by this new band featuring Martin Simpson (bottle neck guitar), Jessica Simpson (vocal), John B Spencer (guitar), Mary McLaughlin (vocal) and Laurie Harper (violin) on this John Spencer song. Recorded February 1987 at Ideal Sound, engineer Nick Cathcart-Jones.


THE COPPER FAMILY : By The Green Grove


Many past generations of Coppers have kept classic English country songs like this one alive on the Sussex coast around Rottingdean and Peace- haven. Here, they are Bob Copper, his son John and daughter Jill, John’s wife Lynn and Jill’s husband John Dudley. Recorded March 1987 at Ideal Sound, engineer David Kenny, pro- duced by Ian Anderson.


THE 3 MUSTAPHAS 3 : Speed The Traktor


The industrial and folk instruments ensemble comprising Sabah Habas Mustapha, Hijaz ‘H’ Mustapha, Isfa’ani Mustapha, Niaveti Mustapha III, Houzam Mustapha and Kemo ‘Kem Kem’ Mustapha illustrate the improbable pan-Balkan / African roots of the national anthem of English dance bands. Recorded March 1987 at Ideal Sound, engi- neer David Kenny. Mustapha records are on GlobeStyle. Spinning fezzes span the world!


ALPHA DIALO, MAMA DIALO & PAPY SISSOKHO : Rowing Song (Part 1)


This extraordinary recording was made by David Muddyman shortly after dawn on December 27th 1986 on the Casamance River at Bona, southern Senegal. Try it with head- phones. The trip to the Gambia / Senegal during which this recording was made was organised by the National Sound Archive and the Friends Of The Commonwealth Institute.


Photo: Dave Peabody


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