Although Cyril's interest in singing started with Frank Crummit and Jimmy Rodgers from the age of 3, it was towards the end of his navy career, when he was drafted into submarines, that he spent 18 months in Malta and it was then that he started singing with a handful of friends, and when he came home in 1956, Britain was in the middle of The Skiffle Craze, and Cyril entered a competition at the First English Folk Festival held at Cecil Sharp House. Since then he has become one of the most respected of post-war revival singers.

1. LEAN AND UNWASHED TIFFY (C.T.) - solo with own guitar - 1.43

2. A SHIP CAME SAILING (trad coll Baring Gould) - 2.10

3. CHICKEN ON A RAFT (C.T.) - with gtr & chorus - 2.10

4. THE GREY FUNNEL LINE (C.T.) - 3.53

5. THE MAN AT THE NORE (trad coll Peter Kennedy) - with gtr & ch - 4.33

6. SALLY, FREE AND EASY (C.T.) - solo with own gtr - 4.12

7. STANLEY THE RAT (C.T.) - solo with own gtr - 1.07

8. PULL THE STRING (trad coll Peter Kennedy) - unacc & ch - 3.05

9. SIX FEET OF MUD (C.T.) - solo with gtr & ch - 2.40

10. THE OGGY MAN'S NO MORE (C.T.) - with gtr & ch - 3.07

11. THE SAILOR CUT DOWN (trad) - ch & 2 gtrs - 3.50

12. NOBBY HALL (C.T.) - solo with own gtr - 1.50

13. DIESEL AND SHALE (C.T.) - with gtr & ch - 4.45

Recorded by Peter Kennedy, London 5th May 1961. The Chorus included Sydney Carter, Louis Killen and John Pearse. Recorded & edited by Peter Kennedy & first published on Folktrax Cassettes 1975. Phonographic copyright control. Unauthorised public performance, broadcasting or copying is prohibited except by permission of FOLKTRAX.

CYRIL TAWNEY was born into a Royal Navy family, near the R.N.Barracks at Gosport, Hants, 12th October 1930. His father's family were local, though his grand-father ran away to sea from a Sussex farm. His mother was a weaver from Belfast. Cyril became an R.N.apprentice at 16 which meant signing away 14 years in uniform, but in fact he only served 12 years, buying himself out in order to become a professional folksinger until his death in April 2005