Saturday 25 October 2014

The Songs of Yesteryear - Or, What I Was Listening To 40 Years Ago

 
Sonnet to the Fall: Penned by the group, Dulcimer's, founder, Peter Hodge, the song also features the English actor, Richard Todd, reading Hodge's poetry. Dulcimer's first album, And I Turned As I Had Turned As A Boy was released on the Nepentha label in 1970.

THIS LITTLE GEM from the almost completely forgotten English folk group, Dulcimer, captures something of the sweet innocence of the early-1970s - that wonderful bygone era of full-employment and free tertiary education. In all of New Zealand's major cities (and some of its smaller ones) there were folk clubs where traditional and contemporary compositions were played by musicians of often astonishing skill and originality. Meanwhile, the audience of mostly long-haired youngsters of both sexes drank cheap red wine out of casks, flirted, laughed and, most importantly, sang away the chill winter nights.

Mais où sont les neiges d'antan? Asked the French Renaissance poet, Francois Villon.

Where are the snows of yesteryear?

Video courtesy of YouTube

This posting is exclusive to the Bowalley Road blogsite.

7 comments:

Guerilla Surgeon said...

The snows of yesteryear? These days they rest on top of my head :-). Still – lucky to have them.

Chris Trotter said...

Ah, Guerilla, I know exactly what you mean. Someone keeps throwing flour into my moustache!

Anonymous said...

Ah yes, the folkies of immense talent and originality.

The 'Mad Dog, Jug, Juke and Washboard Band' comes to mind. One instance in particular. They got a paying gig at an Auckland yacht club, and the lead singer and 'boot' player was one radical by name of Roger Fowler. He dedicated the next number to the struggling people of Vietnam, the Viet Cong and the NVA. Unfortunately the boozed-up revelers on the dance floor were the 1RNZIR Sgts and NCO's Club .
Wrong move. It got ugly. A lot of talent and originality but not a lot of brain power.

Mick

Kat said...

RIP Jack Bruce.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwDo0JUeKqM

Victor said...

Oh you young people!!

Forty years ago, I was already going thin on top.

Now, back in the early 60s......

tony ricketts said...

Chris, did you go to those folk-clubs? Sounds like you might have. I only got to read this today because I spent the long weekend at the 50th Wellington Folk Festival. Guests included Martin Carthy from the UK with his genius daughter Eliza, the Windy City Strugglers and Jade. All there old white-tops were there, but a growing number of under-thirties who actively understand the role of acoustic music in linking yesterday and tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

A little over forty years ago, many happy Friday nights were spent at the Poles Apart folk club (Frank Winter, proprietor and balladeer)in Khyber Pass Rd in Auckland. 'Public' until (from memory) about 10pm each night, at which point the door was closed to all but members (or anyone willing to pay $2 to become a member), the beer and wine came out and a good time was had by all!