Tim Hart & Maddy Prior: Heydays : The Solo Recordings 1968-1976

This compilations consists of all tracks from the three - now deleted - albums by Tim Hart and Maddy Prior, Folk Songs of Old England Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 and Summer Solstice. This double CD was originally to be titled Heyday (see right cover picture) but was renamed to Heydays on first delivery. All tracks have been remastered and the sound quality is much improved..
All tracks trad. arr. Tim Hart, Maddy Prior except
Tracks 1-13, 16 trad. arr. Tim Hart;
Track 23 John Conolly;
Track 34 Copper Family, Austin John Marshall;
Track 36 Ewan MacColl

 

MADDY PRIOR - vocals, 5-string banjo

TIM HART - vocals, guitar, fiddle, banjo 

The songs on the 'FOLK SONGS OF OLDE ENGLAND Vol. 1 & 2' are either sung a-capella or accompanied with the minimum instrumentation - allowing the solo and duetted vocals to shine out unhindered, thus enabling astute listeners to make out every single lyric (and even to sing along if they know the words). The highlight from this collection must be Tim Hart's heart-rending 'The Dalesman's Litany' - the tale of a young Victorian farmer, evicted from his smallholding and forced to seek work in the hellish industrial centres of Northern England. These two albums were released before Tim and Maddy joined Steeleye Span, whereas 'SUMMER SOLSTICE' was recorded as a side project during Steeleye's run.

Folk Songs of Old England Vol. 1   1968

 

 

Folk Songs of Old England Vol. 2   1968

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Solstice is a 1971 album by Maddy Prior and Tim Hart.

 The album was recorded after the duo had joined Steeleye Span. The songs are mostly pastoral, with subtle understated instrumental accompaniment. Also issued on CD in 1991 on the Shanachie label. Original cover shown, catalogue number: Crest 12.

  Track listing

1.False Knight On The Road (3:03)

2.Bring Us In Good Ale (3:51)

3.Of All The Birds (0:53)

4.I Live Not Where I Love (4:25)

5.The Ploughboy and The Cockney (3:40)

6.Westron Wynde (0:27)

7.Sorry The Day I Was Married (1:29)

8.Dancing At Whitsun (3:40)

9.Fly Up My Cock (1:45)

10.Cannily Cannily (2:25)

11.Adam Catched Eve (0:25)

12.Three Drunken Maidens (2:14)

13.Serving Girls Holiday (3:41)
14. I Was A Young Man
15 .Betsy Bell
16.Famous Flower Of Serving Men

Slightly more produced than its predecessors, 'SUMMER SOLSTICE' is still as traditional as a hobby horse on the village green. Highlight? Again a Tim Heart rendition, 'Dancing At Whitsun' - surely one of the saddest songs ever written (the saddest being 'The Band Played Waltzing Matilda' by June Tabor - but that's another story). This lament to the losses of young Englishmen cut down in the Great War - leaving a whole generation of young women to grow up as 'spinsters' - is sung by a Tim Hart on the verge of tears and a string arrangement by Robert Kirby (Nick Drake, Vashti Bunyan, etc.) to rival that of Nick's 'River Man'. A highly emotive and achingly beautiful song.

It's not all sorrow and laments though, there are many jolly songs in this collection - some familiar, some unique to these sets - and all performed brilliantly and understated by two of the luminaries of the English trad/folk scene.

 Personnel

Maddy Prior – vocals

Tim Hart – vocals, guitar, appalachian dulcimer, harmonium, psaltery, tabor

Andy Irvine – mandolin

John Ryan – string bass

Gerry Conway – percussion, bells

Pat Donaldson – electric bass

Robert Kirby – string arrangement on "Dancing At Whitsun"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Hart

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maddy_Prior
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steeleye_Span

 

 

enjoy  !  part1 & part2