Ian Campbell Folk Group
Encyclopedia
The Ian Campbell Folk Group were one of the most popular and respected folk groups of the British folk revival
of the 1960s. The group made many appearances on radio, television, and at national and international venues and festivals. They performed a mixture of British traditional folk music
and new material, including compositions by Campbell. Much of their popularity flowed from the variety of their performance which included a mixture of solos, group vocals and instrumental
s.
In 1963, they signed to Transatlantic Records
and released their first studio album, This is The Ian Campbell Folk Group. The group made television appearances throughout the 1960s including Hootenanny Show, Barn Dance and Hullabaloo. They established a substantial audience and played concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Festival Hall and at the Newport Folk Festival
in 1964. In 1965, their version of Bob Dylan
's "The Times They Are a-Changin'
" reached #42 in the UK Singles Chart
.
The group split in 1978 when Lorna separated from husband Brian Clark, who had been a singer and guitarist in the group since 1963. Ian and Lorna continued to perform with various other musicians as the New Ian Campbell Folk Group.
, Scotland
) his sister Lorna Campbell (vocals) (b. 1939, Aberdeen, Scotland), Dave Phillips (guitar) and Gordon McCulloch (banjo). During the group's 22 years, its membership included:
British folk revival
The British folk revival incorporates a number of movements for the collection, preservation and performance of traditional music in the United Kingdom and related territories and countries, which had origins as early as the 18th century...
of the 1960s. The group made many appearances on radio, television, and at national and international venues and festivals. They performed a mixture of British traditional folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and new material, including compositions by Campbell. Much of their popularity flowed from the variety of their performance which included a mixture of solos, group vocals and instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
s.
History
The group formed in 1956 in Birmingham, as the Clarion Skiffle Group. The band was renamed the Ian Campbell Folk Group in 1958 and became one of the most respected, popular and influential folk groups of the British folk scene of the 1960s. The group's first recordings included the EP, Ceilidh At The Crown, which was released in 1962 and was the first live folk club recording to be released on vinyl.In 1963, they signed to Transatlantic Records
Transatlantic Records
Transatlantic Records was a British independent record label. It was established in 1961. It started began primarily as an importer of American folk, blues and jazz records - by many of the artists who influenced the burgeoning British folk and blues boom. Within a couple of years, the company had...
and released their first studio album, This is The Ian Campbell Folk Group. The group made television appearances throughout the 1960s including Hootenanny Show, Barn Dance and Hullabaloo. They established a substantial audience and played concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Festival Hall and at the Newport Folk Festival
Newport Folk Festival
The Newport Folk Festival is an American annual folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the previously established Newport Jazz Festival...
in 1964. In 1965, their version of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's "The Times They Are a-Changin'
The Times They Are a-Changin'
The Times They Are a-Changin opens with the title track, one of Dylan's most famous songs. Dylan's friend, Tony Glover, recalls visiting Dylan's apartment in September 1963, where he saw a number of song manuscripts and poems lying on a table. "The Times They Are a-Changin'" had yet to be recorded,...
" reached #42 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
The group split in 1978 when Lorna separated from husband Brian Clark, who had been a singer and guitarist in the group since 1963. Ian and Lorna continued to perform with various other musicians as the New Ian Campbell Folk Group.
Band members
The original line-up was Ian Campbell (guitar, vocals) (b. 10 June 1933, AberdeenAberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) his sister Lorna Campbell (vocals) (b. 1939, Aberdeen, Scotland), Dave Phillips (guitar) and Gordon McCulloch (banjo). During the group's 22 years, its membership included:
- 1956 - 1959 Gordon McCulloch.
- 1956 - 1963 Dave Phillips.
- 1959 - 1976 John Dunkerley (banjo, guitar, accordion). John Dunkerley left due to Hodgkin's lymphomaHodgkin's lymphomaHodgkin's lymphoma, previously known as Hodgkin's disease, is a type of lymphoma, which is a cancer originating from white blood cells called lymphocytes...
and died the following year aged 34. - 1960 - 1966 Dave SwarbrickDave SwarbrickDave Swarbrick is an English folk musician and singer-songwriter. He has been described by Ashley Hutchings as 'the most influential [British] fiddle player bar none' and his style has been copied or developed by almost every British, and many World folk violin players that have followed him...
(fiddle, mandola) subsequently played with Martin CarthyMartin CarthyMartin Carthy MBE 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 and later artists such as Richard Thompson since he emerged as a young musician in the early days...
and then Fairport ConventionFairport ConventionFairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement... - 1963 - 1978 Brian Clark (guitar, vocals).
- 1966 - 1968 Mansell Davies (bass).
- 1966 - 1968 George Watts (flute)
- 1968 - 1971 Dave PeggDave PeggDave Pegg is an English multi-instrumentalist and record producer, arguably most visible as a bass guitarist. He is the longest-serving member of the pre-eminent electric folk band Fairport Convention and has been bassist with a number of important folk and rock groups including The Ian Campbell...
(bass) left to join Fairport ConventionFairport ConventionFairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
. - 1969 - 1971 Andy Smith (banjo, mandolin, guitar, fiddle)
- 1971 - 1974 Mike Hadley (bass).
- 1978 - The group disbanded, but Ian and Lorna continued to perform working with a variety of musicians, including: Aiden Forde (banjo, mandola), Colin TommisColin TommisColin Tommis is a composer, song writer, session guitarist and teacher. He is chairman of the European Guitar Teachers Association...
(guitar) and Neil Cox (guitar).
Partial discography
- 1962 - Ceilidh At The Crown : Topic TOP76 EP
- 1963 - This Is the Ian Campbell Folk Group! : Transatlantic TRA 110 LP (Re-released in 1964 as Presenting the Ian Campbell Folk Group : Contour 2870 314)
- 1964 - Across the Hills : Transatlantic TRA 118 LP
- 1965 - Coaldust Ballads : Transatlantic TRA 123 LP
- 1966 - Contemporary Campbells : Transatlantic TRA 137 LP
- 1967 - New Impressions : Transatlantic TRA 151 LP
- 1968 - The Circle Game : Transatlantic TRA 163 LP
- 1969 - Ian Campbell and the Ian Campbell Folk Group with Dave Swarbrick : Music for Pleasure, MFP Stereo 1349 LP
- 1971 - The Sun Is Burning : ARGO ZFB 13 LP
- 1972 - Something To Sing About : PYE PKL 5506 LP
- 1974 - Live : Sonnet SPL 1967 LP