''Morris On'' is a folk/rock album released in 1972 under the joint names of

Ashley Hutchings Ashley Stephen Hutchings (born 26 January 1945), MBE, sometimes known in early years as "Tyger" Hutchings, is an English bassist, songwriter, arranger, band leader, writer and record producer. He was a founding member of three noteworthy Engli ...

, Richard Thompson,

Dave Mattacks David James Mattacks (born 13 March 1948) is an English rock and folk drummer, best known for his work with British folk rock band Fairport Convention. Fairport Convention He replaced Martin Lamble, who had died on 12 May 1969 in a road ac ...

, John Kirkpatrick and Barry Dransfield. Like the subsequent "Descendant Of" Morris On albums (see below), it features English

Morris dance Morris dancing is a form of English folklore, English folk dance. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers in costume, usually wearing bell pads on their shins, their shoes or both. A ban ...

tunes and songs, played with a combination of traditional instruments (

button accordion A button accordion is a type of accordion on which the melody-side keyboard consists of a series of buttons. This differs from the piano accordion, which has piano-style keys. Erich von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs categorize it as a free reed aerop ...

concertina A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It consists of expanding and contracting bellows, with buttons (or keys) usually on both ends, unlike accordion buttons, which are on the front. The ...

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

, etc.) and modern ones (

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

). In common with later records, dancers complete with bells and sticks were also included in the sessions. The album's name echoes that of , another 1972 record in which Hutchings was involved. A digitally remastered version of the album was released on 18 January 2010. The album is described by

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's reviewer as The cover includes an amusing photograph of the principal participants in morris-associated costume, but with modern accessories – Hutchings' morris man sports a

Gibson Flying V The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1958. The Flying V offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Explorer, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designe ...

guitar, Kirkpatrick's

chimney sweep A chimney sweep is a person who inspects then clears soot and creosote from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combust ...

vacuum cleaner A vacuum cleaner, also known simply as a vacuum, is a device that uses suction, and often agitation, in order to remove dirt and other debris from carpets, hard floors, and other surfaces. The dirt is collected into a dust bag or a plastic bin. ...

, Dave Mattacks on a

Raleigh chopper The Raleigh Chopper is a bicycle (referred to as a wheelie bike) for children / young adults, manufactured and marketed by the Raleigh Bicycle Company of Nottingham, England. The unique design became a cultural icon and is fondly remembered by ...

bicycle and

hobby horse In folklore, a hobby horse is a costumed character that features in some traditional seasonal customs, processions and similar observances around the world. In England, they are particularly associated with May Day celebrations, mummers' plays a ...

, Barry Dransfield dressed as a woman with a balloon instead of a pig's bladder and the odd one out, Richard Thompson, dressed in

Lincoln Green Lincoln Green is a mainly residential area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England around Lincoln Green Road, and is adjacent to and southwest of St James's University Hospital. It falls within the Burmantofts and Richmond Hill ward of the City o ...

holding a

crossbow A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an Elasticity (physics), elastic launching device consisting of a Bow and arrow, bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar f ...

. This cover is in keeping with the jollity of the music, including as it does nonsense songs, exuberant dance, general bawdiness and the grand false start to Princess Royal. Later "Descendant Of" Morris On album covers followed this template. The album was produced and engineered by John Wood.

Track listing

(All tracks trad. arr. Dransfield/Mattacks/Kirkpatrick/Hutchings/Thompson) Side One :1. "Morris Call" :2. "Greensleeves" :3. "The Nutting Girl" :4. "Old Woman Tossed Up In A Blanket(Roud 1297) / Shepherds' Hey / Trunkles" :5. "Staines Morris" :6: "Lads A'Bunchum / Young Collins" Side Two :1. "Vandals Of Hammerwich" :2 "Willow Tree / Bean Setting / Shooting" :3 "I'll Go And 'List For A Sailor" :4 "Princess Royal" :5 "Cuckoo's Nest" :6 "Morris Off"

Personnel

* John Kirkpatrick – Vocals, Button Accordion, anglo-concertina, harmonium, tambourine * Richard Thompson – Vocals, electric guitar * Barry Dransfield – Vocals, fiddle, acoustic guitar *

– Vocals, bass guitar *

– Drums, tambourine with *

Shirley Collins Shirley Elizabeth Collins MBE (born 5 July 1935) is an English folk singer who was a significant contributor to the British Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s. She often performed and recorded with her sister Dolly, whose accompaniment on ...

, listed as Shirley Hutchings on the original album – vocals on "The Willow Tree" and "Staines Morris" * Bert Cleaver – Pipe and tabor on "Vandals Of Hammerwich" * Ray Worman – Dances the Bacca Pipes Jig to "Greensleeves" *

Chingford Chingford is a suburban town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The centre of Chingford is north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walt ...

Morris Men – Stick dances on "Lads A'Bunchum" and "Young Collins"

Subsequent "Descendant Of" Morris On albums

(all produced by Ashley Hutchings) * '' Son of Morris On'' (1976) * '' Grandson of Morris On'' (2002) * '' Great Grandson of Morris On'' (2004) * ''Morris On The Road'' (2005) * ''The Mother of all Morris'' (2007)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris On 1972 albums Albums produced by John Wood (record producer) Morris On albums Island Records albums