FTX-364 - BEEN ON THE ROAD SO LONG - ALEX CAMPBELL IN CONCERT

Alex Campbell (1924-1987) was a leading figure in the Folk Revival, in Britain, and on the continent, busking and performing at Festivals. In the 50's, he worked with Derroll Adams in Paris, and by the 70's, he was a main attraction at the annual Cambridge Folk Festival, getting a new generation of young enthusiasts singing their heads off, and creased up with laughter. At the same time, he always managed to educate them on the background to the music, without their being aware of it. This is an entertaining recording, but there is a great deal more to it than that.

1. Talk about Scotland on the map and American song-writer, Woody Guthrie, with two of his songs: THE LADIES AUXILIARY; THE CAR-CAR SONG (with chorus) - 8'09"

2. Song: LOVING HANNAH (from Jean Ritchie) - 6'31"

3. Stories & THE MINGULAY BOAT SONG - 3'28"

4. Story 0'39"

5. MY CUP'S FULL AND RUNNING OVER - 3'50"

6. BLACKWATER SIDE - 5'26"

7. Children's rhymes; THE MULE SONG; THE AMPHITRITE; ENGLISH ROBIN HOOD SONG; THE PIG SONG - 5'06"

8. Bothy Ballad: THE BARNYARDS OF DELGATY (with chorus) - 3'52"

9. Talk about Derroll Adams & Song: WILLIE MOORE - 4'47"

10. Talk about Mary Brookbank & "Jute Mill Song": O DEAR ME - 2'52"

11. Talk about Woody Guthrie; Robbie Burns & Song: MY LOVE IS LIKE A RED, RED ROSE - 5'13"

12. Song: BEEN ON THE ROAD - 4'54"

13. Song with final chorus: THE WILD ROVER - 2'40"

Recorded by Peter Kennedy in 1975 at The Dartington Ciderhouse, Totnes, Devon, before a teenage audience of foreign students. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax cassettes 1987.

Ian Campbell, writing about Alex in FOLK ROOTS, remarked on the number of imitators Alex had, and yet how very few of them had that very special charisma that enabled him to capture such an empathy with his audience: "and the wealth of experience that gave him such control over the mood and pace of a performance". Alex was the perfect antidote to the seriousness of the majority of today's Folk Clubbers. Like Margaret Barry in Ireland (FTX-070), within a few seconds, he had the most difficult of audiences hanging on his every word, and every folk club leader knew that a visit from Alex would breathe new life into their local club.