New face, new songs

A plover catcher on Cowbit Wash in the 1890s

It was great to have a new singer join us at last week's Dragon Folk Club session. Perhaps you could be the new face this week if you join us on Friday at The Bridge. Even if you've been before you will be very welcome.

Colin, back in the MC's chair, started us off with The times they are a changin'... not Bob Dylan's famous song, but a parody written by Garrison Keillor in honour of Dylan's 60th birthday in 2001. Colin sang it on the occasion of Dylan's 83rd birthday.

Simon, caught slightly on the hop, resorted to the unseasonable Down our street. Bob followed with Matchbox which is listed as written by Carl Perkins, but I suspect Bob was influenced more by the earlier Match Box Blues which I've linked.

We were soon joined by the newcomer of the evening, Roger, and as is customary, I will mention all of the songs which he sang, four of which are new to the Dragon database (though not necessarily new to the club) as indicated with an asterisk:

• If I were a carpenter (Tim Hardin)
• Flora, lily of the west (roud 957 *)
• Morning train (Elaina Mezzetti *)
• 500 miles (Hedy West *)
• Stagger Lee (roud 4183 *)
• What have they done to the rain (Malvina Reynolds)

I'll just briefly mention three other songs we sang and call that it for this week's report.

First I'll mention Simon's singing of Elizabeth Padgett's The Plover Catcher for no reason other than that I have acquired a new photograph appropriate to be used in the feature spot (see above).

Next, the only song of the evening not to appear in the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below is Colin's singing of Fred Wedlock's Bums and boobs. This was another song new to the Dragon database.

Finally, the last song of the evening came from Simon and was Stan Rogers' Northwest Passage.

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 4 of whom 4 performed)

The Octogenarian

Bob Dylan at Azkena Rock Festival
in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, in June 2010

We were only four at last Friday's Dragon Folk Club session but we got through twenty nine songs which isn't too shoddy.

Colin as MC started the evening with Jez Lowe's The Lazarus Dance.

The main theme that emerged was driven by Geoff who sang exclusively songs by octogenarian, Bob Dylan, for his birthday:

• She belongs to me
• The times they are a-chaingin'
• It ain't me babe
• Blowing in the wind
• Just like a woman
• Positively 4th Street
• Mr tambourine man
• Don't think twice it's alright

Simon added one to the Dylan count with The mighty Quinn.

There's one more thing to mention before signing off and that is that Colin Colin sang a song which doesn't seem to know its own name. I think Colin thought of it as Wimoweh, possibly after the version by Karl Denver (or possibly not). Younger readers may know it as The lion sleeps tonight, possibly from the version by Tight Fit. It was however written in 1939 by Solomon Linda under the title Mbube.

It was also Colin who finished the session with Three Jolly Fishermen (roud 3496).

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 4 of whom 4 performed)

Avoidance behaviour - fine

The Anchor Inn, home of The Middle Bar Singers
at Sidmouth Folk Festival (Photo: Barry W*******)

Don't forget our St Andrew's Day session this Friday - OK, more St Andrew's eve but you get the idea, Scottish songs and tunes are the main dish with possible sides of his other patronages.

Back now to last weeks theme-free session, Colin started it off with Wally Whyton's Leave Them A Flower.

We proceeded through Derek's Locke Hospital (Roud 2, Laws Q26), and Mike's Rolling Home (Roud 4766) with no discernible theme apart from Derek declaring the efforts he was making to save his Scottish ballads for St Andrew.

That's not to say we didn't have links, both intentional and unintentional of course. Simon's singing of Down Our Street including its suggestion that in desperate times "tom cat tastes like air" inspired Derek to give us Silver Threads Among The Butter, which Martin Carthy took as the first verse of his song Girls: "When the dog died we had sausages, When the cat died, catnip tea".

Starting as we mean to go on

Arnold Skolnick's poster for Woodstock

Last Friday's session was the start of our "season" of five sessions marking the fiftieth birthday of the club. Throughout June we really want to push to get some more people coming along to perform and listen: certainly new people but also some who have been past regulars and visitors at the club, maybe even to sing songs and play tunes they played earlier in the clubs history.

We knew one week would be short notice, so we didn't have great hopes for a full house but were pleased to be joined by Tom, a member since about 1981. Let's hope for more people joining us in the remaining weeks. If you intend to come along, please consider leaving a message below so that your intention may inspire others who know you or even those that don't.

MC Colin kicked us off with The Folksinger's Lament, written by David Diamond. Colin wasn't sure which tune to use but it turned out to be the Limerick Rake.

Tom started off his contribution in his usual fine style with John Martyn's May You Never for which he claimed a tenuous connection to the last day of May (more of that later).

Bob Dylan's Prize

Bob Dylan, pictured just down
the road from us at Aust ferry in 1966

For last week's session we ended up in the public bar again, displaced by a private party but our numbers, at 11 were pretty reasonable and swelled by a newcomer, who I believe said his name was Steve. He didn't sing but indicated that he could be prepared to perform on another visit. We look forward to it.

Colin was MC and there was no set theme though some people chose to mark Bob Dylan being honoured by the Nobel Committee as its literary laureate. I note that the latest reports as I write this indicate that Bob hasn't responded to repeated attempts to contact him and that they have now given up. We shall see whether he turns up to receive his award.