- Martin Carthy
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Martin Carthy
Performing with The Imagined Village at Camp Bestival; 20 July 2008Background information Birth name Martin Dominic Forbes Carthy Born 21 May 1941
Hatfield, HertfordshireOrigin London, England Genres English Folk Occupations Singer
musician
songwriter
record producer
actorInstruments acoustic guitar
electric guitar
mandolin
banjo
dulcimerYears active 1960–present Labels Topic, Fontana, Philips Associated acts Waterson:Carthy
Blue Murder
The Watersons
Steeleye Span
Albion Country Band
Brass Monkey
The Imagined VillageWebsite http://www.watersoncarthy.com/ Notable instruments 000-18MC Martin Carthy signature edition guitar by The Martin Guitar Company 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 and Paul Simon[1] and later artists such as Richard Thompson since he emerged as a young musician in the early days of the folk revival.
He was born in Hatfield and grew up in Hampstead, North London. After leaving school, he worked behind the scenes at the open air theatre at Regent's Park as a prompter, then an assistant stage manager (ASM) on a tour of The Merry Widow, and then at Theatre in the Round in Scarborough[citation needed]. He then sang in coffee bars. He became a resident at The Troubadour folk club in Earls Court in the early 1960s. He joined Redd Sullivan's Thameside Four in 1961. He is a renowned solo performer of traditional songs in a very distinctive style, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar; his style is marked by the use of alternative tunings, and a strongly percussive picking style that emphasizes the melody. His debut 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 acknowledgment, by Paul Simon on the Simon and Garfunkel album recording Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme in 1966.
He has also been involved with many musical collaborations. He has sung with The Watersons since 1972, was twice a member of the UK electric folk group Steeleye Span, was a member of the Albion Country Band 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.
For many years Carthy has enjoyed a creative partnership with fiddle player Dave Swarbrick and, more recently, Waterson:Carthy has provided the forum for a successful musical partnership with wife Norma Waterson together with their daughter Eliza Carthy.
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 'Famous Flower of Serving Men'. In the 2007 Folk Awards Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick won "Best duo".
Discography
- Original / Studio albums (solo or with Dave Swarbrick)
- Martin Carthy (1965) with Dave Swarbrick
- Second Album (1966) with Dave Swarbrick
- Byker Hill (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
[six tracks from Byker Hill and six tracks from But Two Came By]
- Selections (1971) with Dave Swarbrick
[six 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 [second side of Martin Carthy and first side of Second Album]
- Brigg Fair (circa early 1970s) with Dave Swarbrick [reissue of Byker Hill]
- Tales of Long Ago (circa early 1970s) with Dave Swarbrick [reissue of But Two Came By]
- The Collection (1993)
- Rigs Of The Time: The Best Of Martin Carthy (1993)
- The Kershaw Sessions (1994) [recorded 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) 4x CD 83 track box set
- The Definitive Collection (2003)
- Martin Carthy at Ruskin Mill (2005) [very 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 Angelsey" b/w "Palaces of Gold" (7" vinyl single 1976)
- 100 Not Out (Longform video 1992) with Dave Swarbrick
- British Fingerstyle Guitar (Longform video 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 (1977)
- Live at Last (1978)
- The Journey (Live at The Forum, London, 1995) (1999)
- As a member of The Watersons and/or Waterson:Carthy
- 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) 4x CD & 1x 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)
- 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 Reel & Airs (1966)
- Various Artists: Bright Phoebus: Songs by Lal & Mike Waterson (1972)
- Albion Country Band: Battle Of The Field (1976)
- John Kirkpatrick: Plain Capers (1976)
- Albion Country Band: Larkrise To Candleford (1980)
- Band of Hope: Rhythm And Reds (1994)
- Wood, Wilson, Carthy: Wood, Wilson, Carthy (1998)
- Dave Swarbrick: Swarb! (2003) 4CD 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)
- Three City Four: Smoke & Dust (2010) Compilation of tracks from two 1960s albums.
References
- ^ Varga, George (10 February 2000). "SignOnSanDiego.com | The San Diego Union-Tribune | San Diego Green Guide". The San Diego Union. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sandiego/access/49630255.html?dids=49630255:49630255&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+10%2C+2000&author=GEORGE+VARGA&pub=The+San+Diego+Union+-+Tribune&desc=The+unknown+folkie+%7C+Despite+his+small+following%2C+Martin+Carthy+has+left+an+indelible+mark+on+the+genre&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
External links
- Waterson:Carthy Official Website
- Martin Carthy biography on the Waterson:Carthy website
- Unofficial MySpace fansite
- Reinhard Zierke's unofficial website
- John Crosby's 1993 Martin Carthy biography on Reinhard Zierke's website
- BBC Folk database
- Stephen Yarwood's music pages
- discography on Slipcue e-zine
Steeleye Span Maddy Prior • Peter Knight • Rick Kemp • Liam Genockey • Pete Zorn
Ken Nicol • Tim Hart • Bob Johnson • Nigel Pegrum • Ashley Hutchings • Martin Carthy • Tim Harries • Terry Woods • Gay Woods • John Kirkpatrick • Chris Staines • Terl Bryant • Michael Gregory • Mark WilliamsonStudio albums Hark! The Village Wait (1970) • Please to See the King (1971) • Ten Man Mop, or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides Again (1971) • Below the Salt (1972) • Parcel of Rogues (1973) • Now We Are Six (1974) • Commoner's Crown (1975) • All Around My Hat (1975) • Rocket Cottage (1976) • Storm Force Ten (1977) • Sails of Silver (1980) • Back in Line (1986) • Tempted and Tried (1989) • Time (1996) • Horkstow Grange (1998) • Bedlam Born (2000) • Present--The Very Best of Steeleye Span (2002) • They Called Her Babylon (2004) • Winter (2004) • Bloody Men (2006) • Cogs, Wheels & Lovers (2009)Live albums Live at Last (1978) • Tonight's the Night...Live (1992) • The Collection: Steeleye Span in Concert (1994) • The Journey (1999) • Folk Rock Pioneers in Concert (2006) • Live at a Distance (2009)Singles "Rave On/ Reels/ Female Drummer" (1971) • "Jigs and Reels" (1972) • "John Barleycorn / Bride's Favourite/Tansey's Fancy" (1972) • "Gaudete / The Holly and The Ivy" (1972) • "The Mooncoin Jig" (1974) • "New York Girls/ Two Magicians" (1975) • "All Around My Hat/ Black Jack Davy" (1975) • "Rave On/ False Knight On The Road" (1976) • "Hard Times of England/ Cadgwith Anthem" (1976) • "London/ Sligo Maid" (1976) • "Fighting For Strangers/ The Mooncoin Jig" (1976) • "The Boar's Head Carol/ Gaudete / Some Rival" (1977) • "Rag Doll/ Saucy Sailor" (1978) • "Sails of Silver/ Senior Service" (1980) • "Gone To America/ Let Her Go Down" (1981) • "Somewhere In London/ Lanercost" (1985) • "Padstow / First House in Connaught/ Sailor's Bonnet" (1989) • "Following Me/ Two Butchers" (1989) • "The Fox/ Jack Hall" (1990) • "Lord Elgin/Lord Elgin (live)" (2006)DVDs Classic Rock Legends (2002) • A Twentieth Anniversary Celebration (2003) • The 35th Anniversary World Tour 2004 (2005)Related articles The King of Elfland's Daughter (1977)Albion Band Francis Baines · Phil Beer · Martin Bell · Dave Bland · Joe Broughton · Pete Bullock · Bill Caddick · Simon Care · Martin Carthy · Dolly Collins · Shirley Collins · Lol Coxhill · Trevor Crozier · Barry Dransfield · Howard Evans · Trevor Foster · Tony Hall · Sue Harris · Keith Hinchcliffe · Eric Hine · Ashley Hutchings · Nic Jones · John Kirkpatrick · Chris Leslie · Cathy Lesurf · Alan Lumsden · Neil Marshall · Dave Mattacks · Julie Matthews · John Maxwell · Steve Migden · Doug Morter · Ken Nicol · Simon Nicol · Gillie Nicholls · Philip Pickett · Roger Powell · Maddy Prior · Brian Protheroe · Jean-Pierre Rasle · Ashley Reed · Tim Renwick · John Rodd · Colin Ross · Ric Sanders · Steve Saunders · John Shepherd · Martin Simpson · John Sothcott · Roger Swallow · John Tams · Graeme Taylor · Linda Thompson · Richard Thompson · Eddie Upton · Lal and Mike Waterson · Dave Whetstone · Chris While · Kellie While · Ian Whiteman · Royston Woods · Pete Zorn
DiscographyStudio albums Shirley Collins and The Albion Country Band: No Roses (1971) · The Albion Country Band: Battle of the Field (1976) · The Albion Dance Band: The Prospect Before Us (1977) · The Albion Band: Rise Up Like the Sun (1978) · Keith Dewhurst & The Albion Band: Lark Rise to Candleford (1980) · The Albion Band: Light Shining (1983) · Shuffle Off (1983) · Under The Rose (1984) · A Christmas Present from the Albion Band (1985) · Stella Maris (1987) · The Albion Band with Chris Baines: The Wild Side of Town (1987) · I Got New Shoes (1988) · Give Me a Saddle, I'll Trade You a Car (1989) · The Best of 1989/90 (1990) · Songs from the Shows, v. 1 (1990) · Songs from the Shows, v. 2 (1991) · Acousticity (1993) · Captured (1995) · Albion Heart (1995) · Demi Paradise (1996) · Songs From The Shows (1997) · Happy Accident (1998) · BBC Sessions (1998) · Before Us Stands Yesterday (1999) · Christmas Album (1999) · Road Movies (2001)
Singles Hopping Down in Kent / Merry Sherwood Rangers (1976) · The Postman's Knock / La Sexte Estampie Real (1977) · Poor Old Horse / Ragged Heroes (1978) · Pain and Paradise / Lay Me Low (1979) · Wings (1998)
Live albums The Albion Band Live in Concert (1993) · Live at the Cambridge Folk Festival (1998) · An Evening with The Albion Band (2002) · Acousticity on Tour (2004) · Albion Heart on Tour (2004) The Albion Band Live in Concert (2007) Vintage Albion Band (2007)
Compilations The Acoustic Years 1993-97 (1997) · Along the Pilgrims Way (1998) · The Best of 89/90 (1998) · Albion Heart (1999) · The HTD Years (2000) · No Surrender (2003) · Albion Sunrise - HTD Recordings: 1994-1999 (2004)
Related articles Categories:- 1941 births
- English folk guitarists
- English folk singers
- Living people
- Members of the Order of the British Empire
- Electric folk musicians
- People from Hampstead
- People from Hatfield, Hertfordshire
- Steeleye Span members
- People from Scarborough, North Yorkshire (district)
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