folk music & more

As a schoolboy meeting up with friends on a Friday morning in school we loved to pour over the weekly music papers The two favored ones were The New Musical Express and The New Record Mirror. As we we developed into blues & jazz fans we also read Melody Maker. A more "cultured" music paper (!)
In the UK from our pre-teen interest in "Trad Jazz"  we moved on to folk tunes, blues tunes and the solo singer guitarist styles that  was exemplified by Bob Dylan. Trad Jazz had began incorporating those anyway. Then the Beatles hit the scene and nothing was the same again. They went from simple, but catchy pop to highly experimental  and even avant guard material. (Just listen to Revolution #9 on the White Album".)

Everyone wondered what music style would replace the Beatles & the so-called 'English sounds' that had filled the airwaves & charts from February 1964 onward in America. Well, much of the musical acts that grew in popularity in the 1970's right up to today, were already performing in the late sixties. I am not talking about the solo Beatles the Stones or Dylan. One classic example is Carole King and her hit with "Will You Love me Tomorrow." It was a tune she and her previous husband Gerry Goffin wrote for the Shirelles. It was on her massive selling album. Tapestry. Tapestry changed the landscape for female singers. In a way that Joni Mitchell had not quite managed yet. She certainly left a mark after Ladies of the Canyon and Blue. Check out  Joni Mitchell with "Willy". It is from the Ladies of the Canyon album from 1970.

Joni's song "Willy" was about her lover of that period, Englishman, Graham Nash. Graham says in his autobiography, Hard Tales, Willy was her nickname for him. Another group from the late 60's that dominated the arena circuit of the seventies were Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. (Which included that same Graham Nash.)

At first much of  the 'folk' songs became a very pop styled melody as the success of Australian group The Seekers or British Trio The Bachelors proved.  Here is a 'folk song' that began as a Coca-cola advertisement that was a big hit -- "(I'd like to) Teach The World to Sing" from The New Seekers. They grew out of the Australian group The Seekers. When they disbanded in the early seventies, Keith Potger from the group got The New Seekers together to continue that style of singing. They did have some success throughout the 70's.

Another folk band from the sixties that changed into a electric folk rock style, but still incorporated traditional instruments were The Fairport Convention. They added Sandy Denny to their line up in the late sixties which is when I saw them. She wrote the lovely "Who knows where the Time Goes".  Awhile back, I read White Bicycles by Joe Boyd. His book on life in the 1960's. He was an American who landed up in London at the start of the Beatles phenomenon and psychedelic movement. He helped run Middle Earth in London in the late 60's THE hippie club. He also managed bands and was involved with Sandy Denny who wrote Who knows where the time goes as I noted previously. He recognised it as a great song with potential. He hooked Sandy up with an agent who helped her set-up her copyright appropriately so that she could benefit from the royalties. So many artists get ripped off by people supposedly guiding their interests. It was a good move, as that song has been covered by dozens of artists. Including Judy Collins who named an early LP with this as the lead track.
PLAYLIST
Will You Love me Tomorrow  - Carole King 
Willy  - Joni Mitchell
Teach Your Children   - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
(I'd like to) Teach The World to Sing  - The New Seekers
Who knows where the time goes done  - Fairport Convention