Fred Jordan - Songs Of A Shropshire Farm Worker

Tracklist

A1	We Shepards Are The Best Of Men
A2	The Ship That Never Returned
A3	Down The Road
A4	We're All Jolly Fellows That Follow The Plough
A5	The Watery Grave
A6	The Dark-eyed Sailor
A7	Three Old Crows
B1	John Barleycorn
B2	The Banks Of Sweet Primroses
B3	The Bonny Boy
B4	Polly's Father Lived In Lincolnshire
B5	The Royal Albert
B6	Down The Green Groves
B7	The Farmer's Boy

Notes

In 1952 Peter Kennedy, then working for the British Broadcasting Corporation, visited the area, and being told by the local blacksmith that Fred Jordan was a good singer, he recorded him for the BBC's folk song archive. In the autumn of 1959, Fred attracted the attention of participants in the folk song revival when he appeared at the English Folk Dance and Song society's festival wearing his everyday clothes - heavy boots, leggings and weather-defying hat. His singing drew immediate acclaim. Since then he has appeared with increasing regularity at concerts and clubs, with other country singers and also with revival performances. He enjoys concert and club work, where he sings with the straightforward 'professionalism' and unselfconsciousness common to most country singers.

As a folk singer he may be classed with the best - and that best includes Harry Cox, George Maynard and Phil Tanner. Though he is still a young man he has the essential style of this older generation. His musical sense is very highly developed; his ability to make small rhythmical changes to suit the words of songs is marked and his use of melodic ornament is subtle and skilful. the quality of his voice may seem strange at first hearing, but it is not unique, and there is nothing here of an old man's quaver, for Fred Jordan is in his prime.[taken from sleevenotes]

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