1970sRevivalThe melodeon continued to be used for song accompaniment, played by the singer or another musician.
Harry Boardman 12T204 (1970) and 12TS236 (1973) accompanied by his own melodeon. Roy Harris was accompanied the melodeons of Notts Alliance 12TS217 (1972), Vic Gammon 12T256 (1975) and Roger Watson 12TS327 (1977).
Reg Hall (melodeon), Michael Plunkett and Lucy Farr (fiddles) accompanied Peta Webb on her first solo album 12TS223 (1973).
The Broadside, from Grimsby, used melodeon for song accompaniment 12TS228 (1973).
On 12TS219 (1972), a compilation of songs and tunes from the North East, Johnny Handle used a melodeon for song accompaniment but
a piano accordion for dance tunes. Similarly, Colin Ross used a melodeon for songs but a fiddle for the dance tunes. In 1975 Johnny Handle re-arranged and re-recorded songs that he had written between 1958 and 1974. Released as 12TS270 (1975):
Farewell to the Monty was sung unaccompanied, without the melodeon and
Stottin doon the wall was sung with piano accordion accompaniment, rather than a melodeon. For The High Level Ranters' double album 12TS271/2 recorded at the same time, but released in 1976, Johnny used a melodeon to accompany two songs
The hewer and
I wish pay Friday would come. 12TS297 (1976)was a mixture of songs and tunes and Johnny used the piano accordion for both. As The High Level Ranters' 12TS388 (1979) was purely instrumental, Johnny played accordion.
Johnny Handle played accordion on one track of Tom Gilfellon's LP 12TS282 (1976)
Ian Holder, piano accordion player in the
Etchingham Steam Band, and Bill Molan, melodeon player in
Bird Lane played melodeon on Shirley Collins' LP 12TS238 (19774)
Bob Davenport's album 12TS274 (1975) has twelve unaccompanied songs, one song accompanied by The Rakes [melodeon, fiddle, fiddle] and one with a band of fiddles, flutes, pipes, melodeon and piano. This left space for the The Leeds Band to play two sets, jig and polka; and for Webbs Wonders to play two sets, jig and polka; a band of fiddles, flutes, pipes, melodeon and piano play a reel; and Jim Bainbridge [melodeon] to play a barn dance.
On Bob's album 12TS350 (1977) The Rakes [melodeon, and two fiddles] accompany two songs and play five dance tune sets.
In the mid 1970s John Kirkpatrick and Sue Harris began to record a series of LPs: 12TS247 (1974), 12TS295 (1976), and 12TS355 (1977). On all three, John was recorded playing a British Diatonic Chromatic Three-Row Button-Key Accordion [1] and not a melodeon, although he used two-row and one-row melodeons on the LP
Plain Capers recorded for Free Reed Records in 1976.
John Tams played melodeon on Archie Fisher's LP
Will ye gang, love 12TS277 1976
Tony Hall played melodeon on June Tabor's LP
Airs and graces 12TS298 1976
Ian Manuel 12TS301 (1977) sang Scots traditional songs accompanied by a four-piece band that included two melodeons.
Lal, Norma and Maria Waterson 12TS331 were accompanied by a band that included the melodeon of Rod Stradling.
John Kirkpatrick played accordion on Martin Carthy's 12TS389 1979
Phil Cunningham played piano accordion on three tracks of Cilla Fisher and Artie Trezise's 12TS405 (1979)
Revival discographyVarious artists
Owdham edge12T204 (1970)
Roy Harris
The bitter and the sweet 12TS217 (1972)
Various artists
Canny Newcassel: ballads and songs from Newcastle and thereabouts 12TS219 (1972)
Peta Webb
I have wandered in exile 12TS223 (1973)
The Broadside from Grimsby
The moon shone bright: songs and ballads collected in Lincolnshire 12TS228 (1973)
Harry Boardman
A Lancashire mon: ballads, songs and recitations by Harry Boardman 12TS236 (1973)
Shirley Collins
Adieu to old England 12TS238 (1974)
John Kirkpatrick & Sue Harris
The rose of Britain's isle 12TS247 (1974)
Roy Harris
Champions of folly: folk songs and ballads 12TS256 (1975)
Johnny Handle
The collier lad 12TS270 (1975)
The High Level Ranters, Harry Boardman and Dick Gaughan
The bonnie pit laddie 12TS271/2 (1975)
Bob Davenport
Down the long road 12TS274 (1975)
Archie Fisher
Will ye gang, love 12TS277 (1976)
Tom Gilfellon
In the middle of the tune 12TS282 (1976)
John Kirkpatrick & Sue Harris
Among the many attractions at the show will be really high class band 12TS295 (1976)
The High Level Ranters
Ranting lads 12TS297 (1976)
June Tabor
Airs and graces 12TS298 (1976)
Ian Manuel
The dales of Caledonia: Scots traditional songs 12TS301 (1977)
Roy Harris
By Sandbank Fields songs and ballads 12TS327 (1977)
Lal & Norma Waterson with Maria Waterson
A true hearted girl 12TS331 (1977)
Bob Davenport
1977 12TS350 (1977)
John Kirkpatrick & Sue Harris
Shreds and patches 12TS355 (1977)
The High Level Ranters
Four in a bar 12TS388 (1979)
Martin Carthy
Because it's there 12TS389 1979
Cilla Fisher & Artie Trezise
Cilla & Artie 12TS405 (1979)
ContemporaryIn the 1970s, criticism of the "dance establishment", in both England and Scotland, grew louder. In England, some reacted against the Americanisation - the 'mid-Atlantic stomp' [1] - that ignored stepping in English social dances[2]. Similarly, there were stepped social dances in Scotland and the Western Isles that were no longer performed [3]. Others raised concern over the 'rising tide of badly-played Irish music'.[4]
There were new bands [some formed by old names] that led the attempt to develop an alternative sound and style for social dance music. Although it must be acknowledged that such a narrow focus on
their recordings and
their sessions in back-bars at Sidmouth completely ignores local bands, in many other parts of the country, often formed by morris and clog dance musicians, that were also involved in changing social dance music in the 1970s.
Oak released
Welcome to our fair 12TS212 (1971) with Rod Stradling's melodeon at the heart of a Sussex/Suffolk/Norfolk sound. And yet there were only two completely instrumental tracks
New Rigged Ship/Rig-a-Jig-Jig and
Scan's Polka.
The Nutley Waltz led into the song
The faithful sailor boy and the jig set
The Perfect Cure/The Sweets of May led out from the song
The bunch of thyme.
A different sound and a mix of set dances and couple dances [including the Military Two-step and the Waltz] can be heard as Bryce Anderson, piano accordion, led the
Cheviot Ranters' Country Dance Band through three LPs 12T214, 12TS222, 12TS245 released in 1972, 1973 and 1974.
By the end of the 1970s there were musicians who believed that interesting tunes would sell an LP. The
New Victory Band [including Pete Coe and John Adams, melodeons] came to the Berkshire Midsummer Folk Festival just after the release of 12TS382 (1978) with Pete pleased at that prospect. However, he was not at all pleased that NVB in the album cover photograph had been described, rather uncharitably, as looking like
a bunch of superannuated tram drivers.
Contemporary discographyOak
Welcome to our fair 12TS212 (1971)
The Cheviot Ranters Country Dance Band
Sound of the Cheviots 12T214 (1973)
The Cheviot Ranters Country Dance Band
The Cheviot hills: English country dance music 12TS222 (1973)
The Cheviot Ranters Country Dance Band
Cheviot barn dance 12TS245 (1974)
New Victory Band
One more dance & then 12TS382 (1978)
TraditionalTopic Records had two approaches to traditional music:
issue and
reissue.
Firstly to find, record and issue the work of living, working musicians who had a repertory for dancing in their communities. Secondly to reissue recordings of traditional musicians: some of these recordings had been commercial productions, but there were also recordings made by radio broadcasters and by enthusiasts.
English country music from East Anglia 12TS229 (1973) was Topic Records' first release of English traditional musicians: twenty three tracks of dulcimer, melodeon and mouth organ for step dance, barn dance, polka and waltz. The two melodeon players were Oscar Woods four-stop one-row melodeon and Percy Brown two-row melodeon.
12TS239 (1974) shows that there were active local musicians often with well established family lines of performance. Donald Ridley, piano accordion, played five tracks of dance tunes. 12TS267 (1975) included the piano accordion of Alan Coulson and the button- accordion of Tommy Edmondson.
Bob Cann was well known locally, regionally and nationally by the start of the 1950s. On Dartmoor he played for step dance competitions and social dances; regionally he had contacts across Devon and further west into Cornwall; and nationally through the EFDSS [English Folk Dance and Song Society] and BBC radio. He was recorded by Peter Kennedy for the BBC in 1952 and by Tony Engle for Topic Records in 1975. In the 1950s he had a two-row Hohner in C/C#: in 1975 Bob used his red Hohner Club III M with 2.7 rows in D/G/accidentals.
By the end of the 1970s there was, thanks to the work of Keith Summers, a better understanding of the network of of working musicians in Suffolk: as shown by the two albums 12TS374, with Font Whatling playing melodeon and step dancing, and 12TS375, with Fred Pearce playing melodeon, released in 1978.
In the same year, Bob Roberts' album
Songs from the sailing barges 12TS361, accompanied by his own melodeon, was released: although by that time he had given up the SB
Cambria and Pin Mill, Suffolk and was then skipper of the coaster
Vectis Isle based in Ryde, Isle of Wight, where the recording was made.
At the end of the 1970s there were releases of traditional song and music recorded in Devon. On 12TS349 (1979) Tom Orchard snr, Tom Orchard jnr and Brian Holland played melodeon for step dancing. And on 12TS395 (1979) Bill Elson [accordion] played for step dancing and Lemmie Brazil [melodeon] played the tune
God killed the devil. However, Bill Elson had been recorded playing a mouth organ on 12T253 (1973) and it is a mouth organ not an accordion that he is playing here.
On 12TS248 (1974), John Lyons sang unaccompanied and played button accordion for one reel set, one jig set and a wedding tune.
John MacDonald 12TS263 (1975) now styled "the singing molecatcher of Morayshire" sang both unaccompanied and with his own accordion accompaniment. He played dance tunes and a pipe march on the accordion. Davie Stewart 12T293 (1978) sang both unaccompanied and with his own accordion accompaniment. The LP cover shows a large instrument with three rows of basses but the treble side is not shown: Vic Smith, in his review of the Greentrax reissue in 1998, refers to both melodeon and piano accordion used for Davie's song accompaniments.
Half the tracks of Rose Murphy's 12TS316 (1977) are played on accordion [the other half on the fiddle]: Rose played a Hohner B/C melodeon "push and draw" on the outside, B, row.
Terry Teahan and Gene Kelly 12TS352 (1977) demonstrate differences in repertory and style. Gene played a C#/D accordion and Terry a number of one-row melodeons.
In the
Music from Sliabh Luachra series Johnny O'Leary played button accordion on 12TS357 (1977) and Jackie Daly button accordion on 12TS358 (1977).
Traditional "issue" discographyVarious artists
English country music from East Anglia 12TS229 (1973)
Various artists
Bonny North Tyne: Northumbrian country music 12TS239 (1974)
John Lyons
The May morning dew 12TS248 (1974
Terry Teahan and Gene Kelly
Old time Irish music in America 12TS352 (1977)
Various artists
Songs of the open road: gypsies, travellers and country singers 12T253 (1975)
John MacDonald
The singing molecatcher of Morayshire: Scots ballads, bothy songs melodeon tunes 12TS263 (1975)
Various artists
Morpeth rant: Northumbrian country music 12TS267 (1975)
Bob Cann
West country melodeon 12TS275 (1975)
Davie Stewart 12T293 (1978)
Rose Murphy
Milltown lass: old time Irish fiddle and accordion 12TS316 (1977)
Various artists
Devon tradition: an anthology from traditional singers 12TS349 (1979)
Terry Teahan and Gene Kelly
Old time Irish music in America 12TS352 (1977)
Johnny O'Leary
Music for the set: music from Sliabh Luachra Vol.5 12TS357 (1977)
Jackie Daly
Traditional accordion and concertina music from Sliabh Luachra: music from Sliabh Luachra Vol.6 12TS358 (1977)
Bob Roberts
Songs from the Sailing Barges 12TS361 (1978)
Various Artists
The Earl Soham Slog: Step Dance and Country Music from Suffolk 12TS374 (1978)
Various Artists
Sing, Say and Play: Traditional Songs and Music from Suffolk 12TS375 (1978)
Various artists
Travellers: songs, stories and tunes from English gypsies 12TS395 (1979)
Boscastle breakdown 12T240 (1974) was the first of Topic's reissues of field recordings: six by the BBC in Dorset and Cornwall in 1943 and 1944, three by Ken Stubbs in Sussex and in Surrey in 1962 and 1964 respectively, two by Steve Pennells and Ken Stubbs in Kent in 1962, and four by Bill Leader in Norfolk in 1962. There were two melodeon players, William Hooper in Dorset and the inimitable Albert Farmer [a one-man-band of melodeon, bass drum and cymbal] in Surrey.
Holey Ha'penny: classic recordings of traditional music from the North-East of England 12T283 (1976) was, with two exceptions, the work of Peter Kennedy for the BBC in June and July 1954 [the two tracks of Tom Clough, Northumbrian pipes, were recorded in 1929 for EMI]. The only melodeon player was Willy Taylor playing
The Linehope Lope.
The first edition of
English Country Music had been produced as
English Country Music Record No. 1 (1965) in a limited edition of 99 copies to avoid purchase tax [a sales tax on
luxury goods that was used in the UK between 21 October 1940 and 2 April 1973]. Walter and Daisy Bulwer [fiddle, mandolin-banjo and piano] of Shipdam, Norfolk and Billy Cooper [dulcimer] of Barford, Norfolk were joined by Reg Hall, Mervyn Plunkett and Russell Wortley. There is only one melodeon player, Reg Hall.
This second edition 12T296 was influential in that it did lead, later, to some learning about English country music and musicians. Rod Stradling's review of English Country Music is useful as it begins to demolish some of the myth that was in danger of developing about the attitudes toward, and performance of, music deliberately based on earlier recordings. [5]
On the two albums re-mastered from Bob Smith's Ideal Band 78s: Tony Capaldi played a four-row continental accordion on 12T319, and Alec Bisset played a melodeon on 12T320.
Between the early 1920s and the late 1930s The Flanagan brothers were the most popular group of Irish entertainers in New York city. Joe Flangan, played a two-row accordion that had two rows of keys rather than buttons.
(as discussed in June 2019, see post at
http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,24062.msg286671.html#msg286671 )
A selection of their work was re-mastered as the 16-track LP 12T365.
John McGettigan and His Irish Minstrels included Sam Moore and Dan Marquette on accordion. A selection of their work was re-mastered as the 18-track LP 12T367.
Thomas Senior, accordion, was a later addition to Dan Sullivan's Shamrock Band. A selection of their work was re-mastered as the 18-track LP 12T366 (1979)
Melodeon Greats 12T376 sampled the recorded work of nine Scottish melodeon players that had been released on 78s in the period 1909-1920.
Traditional "reissue" discographyVarious artists
Boscastle breakdown: Southern English country music 12T240 (1974)
Various artists
Holey ha'penny: classic recordings of traditional music from the North-East of England 12T283 (1976)
Walter and Daisy Bulwer, Billy Cooper, et
al..
English country music 12T296 (1976)
Bob Smith's Ideal Band
Ideal music for all the year round 12T319 (1977)
Bob Smith's Ideal Band
Better than an orchestra 12T320 (1977)
The Flanagan brothers
An Irish Delight: classic recordings of Irish traditional music in America 12T365 (1979)
Dan Sullivan's Shamrock Band: classic recordings of Irish traditional music in America 12T366 (1979)
John McGettigan
John McGettigan and His Irish Minstrels: classic recordings of Irish traditional music in America 12T367 (1979)
Various Artists
Melodeon Greats: a collection of melodeon masterpieces 12T376 (1978)
Notes and References[1] Kirkpatrick J M (1967) The British Button Box or The British Diatonic Chromatic Three-Row Button-Key Accordion
English Dance and
Song Vol XXIX, No 4, Winter 1967
Available at:
https://www.johnkirkpatrick.co.uk/wr_BritButtonBox.asp[2] Kirkpatrick, J (1969) The mid-Atlantic stomp
English Dance and Song Vol XXX1 No 2 Summer 1969.
Available at:
https://www.johnkirkpatrick.co.uk/wr_MidAtlanticStomp.asp [3] Jennifer Millest, co-founder of the Reading Traditional Step Dance Group [
aka Reading Cloggies] considered it important for the
Cloggies to perform reels from Barra, Shetland and Orkney and to restore stepping to English reels and treepling to Scottish social dances.
[4] Smith, V (1999) Review of: Davie Stewart Greentrax Recordings CDTRAX9052 (1998)
Musical Traditions Available at:
http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/d_stewar.htm[5] Stradling, R (2000) Review of: Walter and Daisy Bulwer, Billy Cooper, et al. English Country Music Topic Records 12T296 (1976) TSCD607
(2000).
Musical Traditions Available at:
http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/ecm.htm