Yes there is still more coming for Record Store Day and you have David Suff to thank for these two releases who, as well as heading Topic Records, also runs his own Fledg’ling label that many of you will be familiar with thanks to some great remastered re-issues including The Incredible String Band as well as the release of the Fotheringay 2 album which was put together from tapes found in various record company archives.
Bob and Ron Copper
The first is Bob and Ron Copper which was first released in 1963 by English Folk Dance and Song Society. It features Bob and Ron Copper of Rottingdean in Sussex singing unaccompanied. The recordings were made by Peter Kennedy during the late 1950’s and the album proved to be something of a landmark release in that it featured songs which had not been previously collected and it went on to influence not just the folk song revivals of Britain but also Ireland and the United States.
The release also marks the centenary of Bob Copper’s birth and I encourage anyone with an interest in British folk who hasn’t heard or read about Bob to get digging. Topic Records have his books in stock for sale from their website here including: A Song For Every Season – new CopperSongs reprint of Bob’s award-winning book | A Man Of No Consequence – Bob Copper’s final book, CopperSongs’ posthumous publication | The Copper Family Songbook – A beautiful reprint of the original 1995 publication.
But back to this lovely piece of vinyl. It’s released by Fledg’ling in association with Topic Records. Anything you get from these labels is the best and this release recreates all the original artwork, it even looks aged, along with Bob Copper’s original liner notes as well as extensive material on the inner sleeve from Peter Kennedy.
There is a lovely line in there from Peter: “So a tradition coming down to us from the quiet mists of eighteenth century rural England (and maybe even before) lives on into the brash, noisy, electronic world of today.” That long chain of “singing Coppers” thankfully lives on, and this sounds as fresh as they come thanks to the care taken to recreate this seminal album for us to enjoy all over again.
Tracklist
Side One
Two Brethren
Month of May
Honest Labourer
Birds in the Spring
Shepherd in Love
Threshing Song
Dame Durden
Season Round
Side Two
Innocent Hare
Lark in the Morning
Hard Times of Old England
Spencer the Rover
Spring Glee
Good Ale
Babes in the Wood
Cupid’s Garden
Shirley Collins – English Songs
Also being re-issued is the 7” vinyl EP English Songs by Shirley Collins:
At the beginning of Shirley’s recording career in 1959 she recorded a series of 7” vinyl EPs. Originally released in short press runs, these rare early recordings have been very hard to find for nearly five decades. Shirley recorded four EPs for the appropriately named Collector label. Fledg’ling Records are very proud to announce a newly re-mastered edition of ‘English Songs’ – the second of those EPs – will be released on April 18th for Record Store 2015 in a front-laminated, flipback sleeve, just like the original, and an illustrated inner bag with period reviews from the archives.
Very rare in its original form, this will be the first time this iconic record has been made available as a vinyl EP since its first release half a century ago.
Tracklist
1 The Unquiet Grave
2 Newcastle
3 The Irish Girl
4 I Drew My Ship
Both released for Record Store Day at participating stores on 18th April
Bob and Ron Copper – FLLP 3097
English Songs – WING 1002 Barcode number: 5020393 100243
Find a participating Store here: http://recordstoreday.co.uk/
Fledg’ling Records/
Topic Records
Related FRUK content:
Click here to check our photo special of Bellowhead’s Revival Ale launch at which Shirley Collins and members of the Copper Family attended.
Also read our interview with David Suff here.
