27
Aug
Toryanse – 通りゃんせ – A traditional Japanese folk song
byby Jon
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I love traditional folk songs that are linked to specific place. For the last 18 months I’ve been playing songs from Birmingham, as it was...
29
Jul
The Trial of Bill Burn Under Martin’s Act – The Story of the Song
byby Jon
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As promised, here’s some background to ‘The Trial of Bill Burn Under Martin’s Act’. Unfortunately, there’s not nearly as much info here as there was...
26
Jul
Holly Ho [Roud 1407] – The Story of a Song
byby Jon
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Part of the fascination I have for traditional folk songs is the way in which they humble the singer. As a singer/songwriter, I spent years...
02
Jul
The Trial of Bill Burn Under Martin’s Act
byby Jon
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Before we get started, you can read more about The Trial of Bill Burn Under Martin’s Act (the song itself) by clicking here. In time...
12
Jun
Review of Jon’s Birmingham gig
byby Jon
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On June 9th, I took the Midlife songs back to Brum. Performing at Kitchen Garden Cafe, I was delighted to see folk writer and presenter,...
14
Feb
Poverty Knock [Roud 3491] | Folk from the Attic
byby Jon
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‘Poverty Knock’ is nothing short of a classic. I first heard it while painstakingly trying to pick it out on a piano, struggling to read...
27
Jan
Who Hung The Monkey? An old song from Hartlepool
byby Jon
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The second song on the digi-single I released this month is a weird little thing from Hartlepool. Who Hung The Monkey deals with the tale of the monkey...
27
Jan
Oh, It Was My Cruel Parents Who Did Me First Trepan [Roud 2897]
byby Jon
2 Comments
Yep, you read that title correctly. I remember sitting in the library at Cecil Sharp House with a friend of mine, back when I started...
27
Dec
Buzzcocks, Steve Diggle and the story of ‘punk Soho’
byby Jon
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A quiet and unassuming man, it’s hard to reconcile the chap who sidles up to us with the boisterous youngster in those classic Top of the Pops re-runs....
16
Oct
Midlife: An Album of Traditional, Industrial & Musical Songs from Birmingham & The Midlands
byby Jon
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ORDER FROM BANDCAMP TODAY ‘Midlife’ is a collection of traditional and music hall songs and tunes from around Birmingham and the wider Midlands. As someone...