A New Song by Anne Briggs.

The latest issue of Uncut magazine arrived here on Thursday. I don’t usually buy music mags these days, the last time I bought this magazine was a couple of years ago when they had a Nick Drake special issue with a free CD of cover versions of Nick’s songs. What made me buy this latest edition was because it contained a free CD called Deep Roots, A Celebration Of Topic Records. What really got my interest is that it said it contained a previously unreleased song by Anne Briggs. I needed to hear this song!. I knew that Anne hadn’t been anywhere near a recording studio for about 50 years, so where did this song come from I wondered. As soon as I got my hands on the CD I put it in the music machine. Topic Records is one of the oldest independent record labels in the world which is celebrating its 85^th birthday this year. This CD contains some wonderful folk music by the likes of Richard Thompson, Martin Carthy, June Tabor, Nic Jones, Norma Waterson, Shirley Collins, Martin Simpson, and many more. 

To my ears though it is Anne who effortlessly steals the show with her version of The Cruel Mother. This song is a traditional English murder ballad which has been a popular folk song since the middle ages. It has been recorded previously by the likes of Judy Collins, Ewan McColl, Joan Baez, Steeleye Span, and Bonnie Dobson. Anne’s recording was apparently found on a reel-to-reel tape recording along with three other songs. These four songs will be included this year as bonus tracks on a de-luxe reissue of her seminal 1971 album Anne Briggs. That is something really to look forward to. On this dark haunting song Anne’s transcendent ethereal voice is accompanied by her gentle unobtrusive guitar playing. Last night I looked on YouTube to see if anyone had uploaded a video of the song and was surprised to find that nobody had. “People have to hear this song!”, I thought to myself. I have never made a video from an audio file before but decided to try and do it. You can see the resulting video below. I hope you enjoy it as much as me. The video only has one photo of Anne on it, but that was all I could manage to do. The joy is in the listening however, and I must say after all these years that it is wonderful to hear a new song by Britain’s finest ever folk singer. Thank you very much Uncut magazine and Topic Records.

Anne Briggs, The Cruel Mother

Tommy Emmanuel & Molly Tuttle. The Forum, Bath 11/01/ 2024

Tommy Emmanuel, The Forum Bath 11/01/ 2024.

Seeing Tommy Emmanuel & Molly Tuttle at The Forum In Bath.

I went to a splendid concert at The Forum in Bath last night. My first gig of the year, and if future concerts are as good as this one, I won’t be complaining. It was Tommy Emmanuel with special guest Molly Tuttle. I arrived in Bath at around 6.15, too early as usual and being a bit thirsty I went to The Giraffe and aptly 'necked' a glass of lemonade. Then made my way to the Forum where the doors had just opened. Sitting on a sofa in the bar area I got chatting to a nice couple who had come all the way from Slovenia for the concert and a three-day break in Bath. They said they liked Bath very much, which doesn’t surprise me because it’s a beautiful city. Then it was showtime and I took my seat in row D. I didn’t like my seat much because they had added on two seats on the end of every row on my side of the hall, and they were different types of seats to everyone else’s. Next time I’ll make sure I’m on the other side of the hall. No matter, I forgot all about that once the show started.

Molly took to the stage first, and I must say she looked amazing in the most brilliant multi-coloured pair of pants. (See video below) its no wonder she sang She’s A Rainbow. Molly said it was nice to be back in Bath because she had been here before and had visited the Roman Baths. I thought the selection of guitars on stage were all for Molly, but she played the same guitar all evening, and what a virtuoso guitar player she is, quite incredible. I only have one album of hers, so I didn’t recognise all the songs, but I knew She’ll Change, Side Saddle, and Dooley’s Farm from her Crooked Tree album. I’d also heard She’s A Rainbow and City Of Gold before. I enjoyed her whole set which was over in the twinkling of an eye. As well as being a great singer and guitar player she also has a very engaging likeable personality. I knew she would be back later.

During the interval it was nice to have a quick chat with fellow Van Morrison fan John Prideaux who I think I last met up with at Glastonbury Abbey a couple of years ago. Then it was time for one of the world’s great guitar players Tommy Emmanuel. If I said Molly was a virtuoso, then Tommy takes guitar playing to places it has never been before. I don’t have a clue what most of the pieces he played are called, but just sat in awe at his technical ability. He said that when he was a kid, he wanted to sound like the Count Basie Orchestra just on one guitar, and he almost does, (without the brass section of course), The first piece he played reminded me slightly of Classical Gas by Mason Williams. I think if Tommy had chosen that path, he could have been a renowned classical guitar player like Julian Bream, but there is more to him than that. The music got wilder and wilder and Tommy started using the guitar as a percussion instrument. You would think he was being accompanied on marimbas, timpani, bongos and cymbals, but it was just him and his guitar. 

He was joined for two duets by another guitar player from Bristol called Mike Dawes who I didn’t know, but John had said he had spotted him earlier. He was a fantastic player as well. In 2017 & 2018 Total Guitar magazine voted him the best acoustic guitar player in the world. During their second piece Tommy had some technical difficulties when his guitar kept cutting out. He didn’t let it upset him though, and they started the tune again from the top. Tonight was a feast for guitar fans. One tune I did recognise was Tommy’s version of Over The Rainbow and a medley of Beatles tunes like you have never heard before. The incredible Miss Molly Tuttle was invited back by Tommy for three duets including the title track from her Crooked Tree album. To see the pair of them singing and playing dazzling guitar licks together was something to behold.

I left my seat and watched Tommy’s final number from the back of the hall because I needed to make a sharp exit before the rush to catch my train. Maybe he came back for a final encore, but I was back in the cold night air heading for the station. It had been a great evening. Bath was the second stop on this tour. They are playing all over the country, so If you can get a ticket, I urge you to go and see Tommy Emmanuel & Molly Tuttle. I know you won’t regret it.

Molly Tuttle; The Forum, Bath, 11/01/2024, She's A Rainbow.

Green Rocky Road

Christy Moore, Before The Deluge (Written by Jackson Browne)

Anne Briggs Live (Very Rare Footage)