A delightful clip of a young June Tabor performing the trad. arr ditty "While Gamekeepers Lie Sleeping" - a song about poaching. From the show Fanfare, which was built around the boy band Flintlock, who'd become popular on 1970s kids TV through appearances on You Must Be Joking and Pauline's Quirkes.
What I like about this clip, alongside the performance, is the way that the six young lads plus older male presenter respectfully ask Tabor about her vocal craft (how she gets the "decorators" in with all those twiddly bits and ornaments) and the provenance of the song (Dorset, early 20th Century but probably the song is much older) and seem riveted by what she has to say. There's a funny bit about her practicising in the loo, for the acoustics and privacy, and to not drive her mum mad.
The whole program from which the rendition of "Gamekeepers" comes is below, complete with June joining in a mass performance of "Yellow Submarine" near the end of the show (from 21.48). Look out for June in a nautical hat at a rakish angle.
Some more folk-rock on British TV - Steeleye Span (during the period when Martin Carthy was in the band) on an ATV show called Music Room, in 1970. Carthy in particular looks newborn luminous. You got to love the presenter's trendy get-up. They're so earnestly middle class and conscientious it's touching.
June Tabor's first released recording would be with Steeleye's Maddy Prior under the name Silly Sisters
This, her debut proper, is much better
More top Tabor tuneage....
Two separate songs about shepherdess maidens in the heather bonny enough to be queens - but quite different in mood.
Have been unable to get the song above, "The Scarecrow" (originally written by Lal Waterson and recorded on the album Bright Phoebus) out of my heads for days now.
Haunting rendition of "The King of Rome" at around 24 minutes into Ken Russell's doc on the English Folk Song - plus interview with Tabor. Thematically it's reminiscent of another Ken's work - Kes by Ken Loach. Relatively recently written, no trad. arr job, "The King of Rome" is a true-story story-song about a racing pigeon and heroic-ascent-by-proxy for the earthbound working class man.
Above is another performance of "While Gamekeepers Lie Sleeping", from an outdoor concert in Koln, 1990.
And here's one from the Joolz Holland show
These boots are made for folking.
It's no longer there but original version of The Scarecrow by Lal & Mike Waterson is a magnificent tune. I shall track down June's version.
ReplyDeleteAlso love the fact that Martin & June stuck with their threads through to that 1980 photo. That's dedication.
It's still out there - https://youtu.be/ut9MhLq-tVs - as is a demo version of it - https://youtu.be/ut9MhLq-tVs
ReplyDeleteI prefer the Tabor rending but then I heard it first and it instantly twined itself around me - so it's hard to know which is definitive
A Cut Above's cover is an unusually 'glam' image for June, who otherwise opts for a casual look (on the Jools Holland show she looks like she's dressed to go to the supermarket, no make-up etc),