As I Roved Out: A Century Of Folk Music

In 1999, John Peel presented a series of six documentaries tracing the previous 100 years of folk music, focusing mainly on that from the British Isles. Broadcast on BBC Radio Two, in August and September, repeated in November and December. The shows were produced by the Smooth Operations company and it is not known whether Peel had any input on the scripts. In the first programme he mentions that he has always had "a soft spot" for folk music, and most episodes in the series have contributions from artists previously featured in session or on record on his programmes. The fourth programme in particular includes several artists (such as Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span) who were played often by Peel and regularly did sessions in the 1960s and 1970s.

Early shows show the same song twice: a clip of an archive recording was payed then followed by a more recent recording by a contemporary folk artist.

Pre-WW1 origins of the folk revival

(1 of 6. First broadcast: 1999-08-25, repeated 1999-11-03),

Featuring interview clips of Ashley Hutchings, John Kirkpatrick, Bob Copper, Shirley Collins.

• Gardener: John England: The Seeds of Love
• Kathryn Roberts: The Seeds of Love
• William Kimber: Constant Billy, Bean Setting
• John Kirkpatrick: Constant Billy, Bean Setting
• Roy Bailey: John Barleycorn
• The Copper Family: Claudy Banks
• Shirley Collins: The Ladies Go Dancing (At Whitsun)

Post-WW1 era to the 1950s

(2 of 6. First broadcast: 1999-09-01, repeated 1999-11-10).

Featuring interview clips of Billy Bragg, Bob Dylan, Wizz Jones, Peggy Seeger.

• Joseph Taylor: Brigg Fair
• Roy Bailey: Brigg Fair
• Christine Collister: The Plains of Waterloo
• Joseph Taylor: Creeping Jane
• Martin Carthy: Creeping Jane
• Fred Mcdowell: 61 Highway
• Ewan MacColl: The Shoals of Herring
• The Radio Ballads: Singing The Fishing (Excerpt)

(Announcer: "Thanks very much John and a belated Happy Birthday.")

Folk club boom of the 1960s-1970s

(3 of 6. First broadcast: 1999-08-08, repeated 1999-11-17)

Featuring interview clips of Roy Bailey, Norma Waterson, Martin Carthy, Christy Moore, Barry Dransfield, Wizz Jones, Peggy Seeger.

• Elizabeth Cotten: Freight Train
• Nancy Whiskey with the Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group: Freight Train
• Christy Moore: The Sun Is Burning
• Martin Carthy: Scarborough Fair
• The Watersons: Three Score and Ten
• Bert Jansch: Needle of Death
• Robin & Barry Dransfield: The Rout Of The Blues

Folk Rock

(4 of 6. First broadcast: 1999-09-15, repeated 1999-11-24)

Featuring interview clips of Ashley Hutchings, Nanci Griffith, Simon Nickel, Joe Boyd, Martin Carthy, Maddy Prior, John Kirkpatrick.

• Bob Dylan: One Too Many Mornings
• Fairport Convention: Who Knows Where The Time Goes?
• Fairport Convention: Tam Lin
• Steeleye Span: The Blacksmith
• Steeleye Span: All Around My Hat
• Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, John Kirkpatrick and Barry Dransfield: Princess Royal (LP - Morris On) Island Records

Celtic music

(5 of 6. First broadcast: 1999-09-22, repeated 1999-12-01)

Featuring interview clips of Dolores Keane, Paul Brady, Christy Moore, Philip King, Frances Black, John McCusker, Annie Grace.

• The Chieftains: Cherish The Ladies
• Rita, Sarah & Dolores Keane: Tara Keane Favourite
• The Clancy Brothers: The Irish Rover
• Eleanor Shanley: Wild Mountain Thyme
• Planxty: Raggle Taggle Gypsy
• Eleanor McEvoy & Mary Black: Only A Woman's Heart
• Martyn Bennett: Tongues of Kali

New directions in folk

(6 of 6. First broadcast: 1999-09-29, repeated 1999-12-08)

Featuring interview clips of Kathryn Tickell, Eliza Carthy, Ian Anderson, June Tabor, Kate Rusby.

• Afro Celt Sound System: Lovers of Light
• Kathryn Tickell: The Wedding & Because He Was
• Eliza Carthy: Ten Thousand Miles
• Taj Mahal & Toumani Diabate: Ol' Georgie Buck
• Kate Rusby: Wild Goose
• Dave Burland: The Wild Rover
• Snakefarm: St. James

See also

• Topic Records

Links

• Radio Listings site: Further details on the shows and the series, including broadcast dates, featured artists and other contributors.

Files

• Fades In Slowly

• Mediafire