Martin Carthy
MBE (born 21 May 1941) is an English
folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in
British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
and
Paul Simon,
and later artists such as
Richard Thompson, since he emerged as a young musician in the early days of the
folk revival in the UK during the 1960s and 1970s.
Early life
He was born in
Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England,
and grew up in
Hampstead
Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the London Borough o ...
, North West London. His mother was an active socialist and his father, from a family of
Thames lightermen, went to grammar school and became a
trade unionist and a
councillor
A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries.
Canada
Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
for
Stepney at the age of 21. Martin's father had played
fiddle and guitar as a young man but Martin was unaware of this connection to his folk music heritage until much later in life. His vocal and musical training began when he became a
chorister at the
Queen's Chapel of The Savoy
The King's Chapel of St John the Baptist in the Precinct of the Savoy, also known as the King's Chapel of the Savoy, is a church in the City of Westminster, London. Facing it are 111 Strand, the Savoy Hotel, the Institution of Engineering and Te ...
. He picked up his father's old guitar for the first time after hearing "
Rock Island Line" by
Lonnie Donegan
Anthony James Donegan (29 April 1931 – 3 November 2002), known as Lonnie Donegan, was a British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician, referred to as the " King of Skiffle", who influenced 1960s British pop and rock musicians. Born in Scot ...
. He has cited his first major folk music influences as
Big Bill Broonzy and the syncopated guitar style of
Elizabeth Cotten
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten ( Nevills; January 5, 1893 – June 29, 1987) was an American folk and blues musician. She was a self-taught left-handed guitarist who played a guitar strung for a right-handed player, but played it upside down. This pos ...
. Carthy performed his first professional engagement at the age of 16 at The Loft, a coffee bar in Primrose Gardens.
[Interview on BBC Radio 4's ''Desert Island Discs'' broadcast 13 January 2013] Although his father wanted him to go to university to study classics, Carthy left school at 17 and worked behind the scenes as a prompter at the open-air theatre in
Regent's Park
Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies of high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden (and historically betwee ...
, then as an assistant stage manager (ASM) on a tour of ''
The Merry Widow'', and then at
Theatre in the Round
A theatre in the round, arena theatre or central staging is a space for theatre in which the audience surrounds the stage.
Theatre-in-the-round was common in ancient theatre, particularly that of Greece and Rome, but was not widely explored ...
in
Scarborough. He became a resident at
The Troubadour folk club in
Earls Court in the early 1960s after his friend Robin Hall persuaded him to visit and listen to the piper Seamus Ennis. He joined Redd Sullivan's Thameside Four in 1961 as a
skiffle
Skiffle is a genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a form in the United Stat ...
guitarist and singer.
In the early 1960s, Carthy visited
Ewan MacColl's Ballads & Blues club to watch a friend, the singer Roy Guest. The main performer that night was
Sam Larner
Samuel James Larner (18 October 1878 – 11 September 1965) was an English fisherman and traditional singer from Winterton-on-Sea, a fishing village in Norfolk, England. His life was the basis for Ewan MacColl's song '' The Shoals of Herring'', ...
. Carthy has since described how Larner's performance of "
Lofty Tall Ship" altered his perception of how a traditional folk song could be sung, and how it was a key moment in his own development as an artist.
When American singer
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
arrived in London for the first time in 1962 to perform in ''
Madhouse on Castle Street
''Madhouse on Castle Street'' is a British television play, broadcast by BBC Television on the evening of 13 January 1963, as part of the '' Sunday Night Play'' strand. It was written by Evan Jones and directed by Philip Saville. The production ...
'', he visited Martin Carthy at
The Troubadour, The King & Queen, and The Singers Club. He learned the traditional song "
Scarborough Fair" from Carthy, which he later developed into his own song "
Girl from the North Country".
Musical career
Carthy is a mostly solo performer of traditional songs in a very distinctive style, accompanying himself on his
Martin Martin may refer to:
Places
* Martin City (disambiguation)
* Martin County (disambiguation)
* Martin Township (disambiguation)
Antarctica
* Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land
* Port Martin, Adelie Land
* Point Martin, South Orkney Islands
Austr ...
000-18 acoustic guitar; his style is marked by the use of alternative tunings (notably CGCDGA), and a strongly percussive picking style that emphasises the melody.
In 1964, Carthy joined Marian Mackenzie, Ralph Trainer and
Leon Rosselson
Leon Rosselson (born 22 June 1934, Harrow, London, Harrow, Middlesex, England) is an English songwriter and writer of children's books. After his early involvement in the folk music revival in Britain, he came to prominence, singing his own sat ...
in the group
The Three City Four. The group concentrated on contemporary songs, including some of Rosselson's own, and made two albums – the first for
Decca Decca may refer to:
Music
* Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label
* Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group
* Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label
* Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...
and a second, ''Smoke and Dust (Where the Heart Should Have Been)'', for
CBS. The 1965 eponymous debut ''The Three City Four'' featured Carthy singing lead vocals on two tracks –
Sydney Carter's "Telephone Song" and Rosselson's own "History Lesson".
Roy Bailey would replace Carthy when he later left the group.
Carthy's debut solo album, ''
Martin Carthy'', was released in 1965, and also featured
Dave Swarbrick playing
fiddle on some tracks, although he was not mentioned in the album's sleeve notes. Carthy's arrangement of the traditional ballad "
Scarborough Fair" was adapted, without acknowledgement, by
Paul Simon on the
Simon and Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of ...
album recording ''
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme'' in 1966. This caused a rift between the pair which was not resolved until Simon invited Carthy to sing the song with him on-stage at the
Hammersmith Apollo in 2000.
Musical collaborations
He has also been involved with many musical collaborations. He has sung with
The Watersons since 1972; was twice a member of
British folk rock
British folk rock is a form of folk rock which developed in the United Kingdom from the mid 1960s, and was at its most significant in the 1970s. Though the merging of folk and rock music came from several sources, it is widely regarded that the ...
group
Steeleye Span; was a member of the
Albion Country Band
The Albion Band, also known as The Albion Country Band, The Albion Dance Band, and The Albion Christmas Band, were a British folk rock band, originally brought together and led by musician Ashley Hutchings. Generally considered one of the mo ...
1973 line-up, with members from the
Fairport Convention family and
John Kirkpatrick, that recorded the ''
Battle of the Field'' album; and was part of the innovative
Brass Monkey ensemble, which mixed a range of
brass instruments with Carthy's guitar and
mandolin and
John Kirkpatrick's
accordion,
melodeon and
concertina. Carthy was also a member of The Imagined Village for all three of their albums (2007–2012).
For many years Carthy enjoyed a creative partnership with fiddle player
Dave Swarbrick; more recently,
Waterson:Carthy has provided the forum for his successful musical partnership with wife
Norma Waterson and their daughter
Eliza Carthy.
Awards and honours
In June 1998 he was appointed an
MBE in the Queen's
Birthday Honours. He was named Folk Singer of the Year at the
BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2002, and again in 2005 when he also won the award for Best Traditional Track for "
The Famous Flower of Serving-Men
The Famous Flower of Serving-Men or The Lady turned Serving-Man (Child 106, Roud 199) is a traditional English language folk song and murder ballad. Child considered it as closely related to the ballad "The Lament of the Border Widow" or "The Bord ...
". In the 2007 Folk Awards Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick won Best Duo. In 2008 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Central Lancashire. In 2014 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Discography
Original/studio albums (solo or with Dave Swarbrick)
* ''
Martin Carthy'' (1965) with Dave Swarbrick
* ''Second Album'' (1966) with Dave Swarbrick
* ''
Byker Hill "Byker Hill" is a traditional English folk song about coal miners, Roud 3488 that has been performed by many contemporary acts. There are at least three different tunes to which the song is sung.
Byker Hill is in the east end of Newcastle, as is ...
'' (1967) with Dave Swarbrick
* ''But Two Came By'' (1968) with Dave Swarbrick
* ''Prince Heathen'' (1969) with Dave Swarbrick
* ''
Landfall'' (1971)
* ''
Shearwater'' (1972, reissued in 2005 with three extra tracks)
* ''
Sweet Wivelsfield'' (1974)
* ''
Crown of Horn '' (1976)
* ''
Because It's There'' (1979)
* ''
Out of the Cut'' (1982)
* ''Right of Passage'' (1988)
* ''Life and Limb'' (1990) with Dave Swarbrick
* ''Skin and Bone'' (1992) with Dave Swarbrick
* ''Signs of Life'' (1998)
* ''Waiting for Angels'' (2004)
* ''Straws in the Wind'' (2006) with Dave Swarbrick
Compilations and live albums
* ''This Is... Martin Carthy: The Bonny Black Hare and other songs'' (1971) with Dave Swarbrick
ix tracks from ''Byker Hill'' and six tracks from ''But Two Came By''* ''Selections'' (1971) with Dave Swarbrick
ix tracks from ''Byker Hill''; three tracks from ''No Songs'' EP, 1967; three tracks from ''But Two Came By''* ''Selections'' (1972), New Zealand and Australia only
* ''Round Up'' (circa early 1970s) with Dave Swarbrick
econd side of ''Martin Carthy'' and first side of ''Second Album''* ''Brigg Fair'' (circa early 1970s) with Dave Swarbrick
eissue of ''Byker Hill''* ''Tales of Long Ago'' (circa early 1970s) with Dave Swarbrick
eissue of ''But Two Came By''* ''The Collection'' (1993)
* ''Rigs of the Time: The Best Of Martin Carthy'' (1993)
* ''The Kershaw Sessions'' (1994)
ecorded for BBC Radio, 1987 and 1988* ''A Collection'' (1999)
* ''Both Ears and the Tail'' (2000, live recording from 1966) with Dave Swarbrick
* ''The Carthy Chronicles'' (2001), 4-CD 83-track box set
* ''The Definitive Collection'' (2003)
* ''Martin Carthy at Ruskin Mill'' (2005)
ery limited release – only 200 copies* ''The January Man: Live In Belfast 1978'' (2011)
* ''Walnut Creek: Live Recordings, 1989–1996'' (2011)
* ''Essential Martin Carthy'' (2011)
Releases on other formats
* ''No Songs'' (7" vinyl EP 1967) with Dave Swarbrick
* "The Bonny Lass of Anglesey" b/w "Palaces of Gold" (7" vinyl single 1976)
* ''100 Not Out'' (1992), longform video with Dave Swarbrick
* ''British Fingerstyle Guitar'' (instructional VHS video released 1993, reissued on DVD 2006)
* ''Guitar Maestros'' (DVD 2006)
As a member of Steeleye Span
* ''
Please to See the King'' (1971)
* ''
Ten Man Mop, or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides Again'' (1971)
* ''
Storm Force Ten
''Storm Force Ten'' is the tenth studio album by British folk rock band Steeleye Span, released in 1977 by Chrysalis Records. Until their 2013 album ''Wintersmith'', released 36 years after ''Storm Force Ten'', this album was the band's last pr ...
'' (1977)
* ''
Live at Last'' (1978)
* ''The Journey (Live at The Forum, London, 1995)'' (1999)
With
Ashley Hutchings
Ashley Stephen Hutchings, MBE, sometimes known in early years by his nickname, "Tyger" Hutchings (born 26 January 1945) is an English bassist, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, band leader, writer and record producer. He was a founding member of t ...
, the
Albion Country Band
The Albion Band, also known as The Albion Country Band, The Albion Dance Band, and The Albion Christmas Band, were a British folk rock band, originally brought together and led by musician Ashley Hutchings. Generally considered one of the mo ...
and the
Albion Band
* ''
Battle of the Field'' (1976, recorded 1973)
* ''
Son of Morris On (1976)
* ''
Rise Up Like the Sun
''Rise Up Like the Sun'' is a British folk rock album released in 1978 by The Albion Band. The album is in part a collaboration between John Tams on vocals and melodeon and Ashley Hutchings on electric bass. This is not the first album on whi ...
'' (1978),
as guest
* ''Lark Rise To Candleford'' (1980)
* ''The BBC Sessions'' (1998) (tracks 1–4 recorded 1973)
As a member of The Watersons and Waterson:Carthy and with Eliza Carthy
* Lal & Mike Waterson: ''
Bright Phoebus
''Bright Phoebus'', fully titled ''Bright Phoebus: Songs by Lal & Mike Waterson'', is a folk rock album by Lal and Mike Waterson. It was recorded in May 1972 with musical assistance from various well-known members of the British folk rock scene. ...
'' (1972)
* The Watersons: ''For Pence and Spicy Ale'' (1975)
* The Watersons: ''Sound, Sound Your Instruments of Joy'' (1977)
* The Watersons: ''Green Fields'' (1981)
* Waterson:Carthy: ''Waterson:Carthy'' (1994)
* Waterson:Carthy: ''Common Tongue'' (1996)
* Waterson:Carthy: ''Broken Ground'' (1999)
* Waterson:Carthy: ''A Dark Light'' (2002)
* The Watersons: ''The Definitive Collection'' (2003)
* Waterson:Carthy: ''Fishes & Fine Yellow Sand'' (2004)
* The Watersons: ''Mighty River of Song'' (2004) 4-CD & DVD box set of Watersons and related recordings
* The Watersons: ''A Yorkshire Christmas'' (2005)
* Waterson:Carthy: ''The Definitive Collection'' (2005)
* Waterson:Carthy: ''
Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man'' (2006)
* Martin & Eliza Carthy: ''The Moral of the Elephant'' (2014)
* Norma Waterson & Eliza Carthy with the Gift Band: ''Anchor'' (2018)
As a member of Brass Monkey
* ''Brass Monkey'' (1984)
* ''See How It Runs'' (1986)
* ''The Complete Brass Monkey'' (1993) compilation of the previous two albums
* ''Sound and Rumour'' (1999)
* ''Going and Staying'' (2001)
* ''Flame of Fire'' (2004)
* ''The Definitive Collection'' (2005)
* ''Head of Steam'' (2009)
As a member of Blue Murder
* ''
No One Stands Alone'' (2002)
Other notable releases
* ''Thamesiders & Davy Graham'' (1963) 7" EP
* Three City Four: ''Three City Four'' (1965)
* Dave Swarbrick, Martin Carthy &
Diz Disley: ''Rags, Reels & Airs'' (1967)
*
Hedy West, ''Serves 'Em Fine'' (1967) (as accompanist)
* Various Artists: ''Bright Phoebus: Songs by Lal & Mike Waterson'' (1972)
* John Kirkpatrick: ''Plain Capers'' (1976)
*
Yuletracks (1986)
* Band of Hope: ''Rhythm And Reds'' (1994)
* Wood, Wilson, Carthy: ''Wood, Wilson, Carthy'' (1998)
* Dave Swarbrick: ''Swarb!'' (2003) 4-CD box set career retrospective with numerous Carthy tracks
* Martins4: ''Guitar Nights presents the Four Martins'' (2003) released on CD and DVD (DVD has additional tracks)
* Various Artists: ''The Imagined Village'' (2007)
* The Imagined Village: ''Empire & Love'' (2010)
* The Imagined Village: ''Bending The Dark'' (2012)
* Three City Four: ''Smoke & Dust'' (2010), compilation of tracks from two 1960s albums.
Topic Records 70 year anniversary boxed set '' Three Score and Ten'' issued in 2009
Carthy features throughout this boxed set as follows:
As Martin Carthy (solo or with Dave Swarbrick)
*"
Prince Heathen" from the album of the same name is track twelve of the second CD.
*"The Dominion of the Sword" from ''Rights of Passage'' is track two on the fifth CD.
*"Perfumes of Arabia" from ''Skin and Bone'' is track twenty two on the sixth CD.
As Part of the Watersons
*''For Pence and Spiced Ale'' is one of the classic albums
As Part of Brass Monkey
*"
The Maid And The Palmer
"The Maid and the Palmer" (alternate versions are known as "The Maid of Coldingham" and "The Well Below The Valley"; original title in Percy "Lillumwham") ( Roud 2335, Child ballad 21) is an English language medieval murder ballad with supernatura ...
" from ''Brass Monkey'' is track eighteen on the second CD.
*"George's Son" from ''See How It Runs'' is track nine on the fifth CD.
As Part of Waterson:Carthy
*Waterson:Carthy is one of the classic albums.
*"We Poor Labouring Men" from ''Broken Ground'' is track twenty one on the sixth CD.
References
External links
Mainly Norfolk's unofficial website*
ttps://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artist/b5jw/ BBC Folk databasediscography on Slipcue e-zine*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carthy, Martin
1941 births
English folk guitarists
English male guitarists
English folk singers
Living people
Members of the Order of the British Empire
Fingerstyle guitarists
People from Hampstead
People from Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Steeleye Span members
People from the Borough of Scarborough
British folk rock musicians
Musicians from Hertfordshire
Waterson–Carthy members
The Albion Band members
The Watersons members
Blue Murder (folk group) members
Brass Monkey (band) members
Topic Records artists
Fontana Records artists
Deram Records artists
Philips Records artists