Oak (band)
Encyclopedia
Oak were an English folk band in the early 1970s which had a major influence on the folk revival
in the UK
, despite being together for only two years.
Oak were:
They met in the 1960s in Kingston upon Thames
where Rod Stradling ran a folk club. The Stradlings moved to Camden Town
in 1968 and became involved in running another folk club in Islington
. Engle and Webb also moved to North London
soon afterwards. During 1970, while his wife Danny was pregnant, Rod Stradling played together with Tony Engle as a successful duo and as part of The Garland, replacing Mel Dean. After the birth of their son, the Stradlings and Engle and Webb joined forces as Oak and had soon performed at most of the folk clubs in the London area.
They were asked by Bill Leader
to make an LP for his Trailer label, but as Engle worked for Topic Records
, he felt obliged to offer to record for them first. To his surprise, the offer was accepted and Welcome to Our Fair was recorded on May Day
, 1971. The record caused enormous interest and the band played 163 gig
s in the 18 months between the record's release and their final performance, on 19 December 1972.
. After a few years they left. Rod Stradling recorded with the English Country Blues Band, the English Country Dance Band, Tiger Moth and Edward II and the Red Hot Polkas
. He is currently the editor of Musical Traditions, a highly respected magazine whose archive
s are now available online.
Peta Webb, whose individual vocal style was influenced by Irish traditional singers (especially Margaret Barry, Sarah Makem, and Sarah and Rita Keane), recorded with Scottish singer Alison McMorland in 1980. She made a solo album I have wandered in Exile in the 1973. In the early 1980s she and Tony Engle were members of Alan Ward's Tex-Mex
band The Armadillos. She also formed her own band, Webb's Wonders and has recorded with the Watersons
and, in the 1980s and 1990s as part of Sisters Unlimited. She performs as a resident singer at the Musical Traditions folk club in London; she is also an Assistant Librarian
of the Vaughan Williams
Memorial Library at Cecil Sharp House
, headquarters of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
Tony Engle has produced many classic folk recordings for Topic Records, and played on several of them as a session musician
. He is now managing director of Topic Records.
----
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....
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, despite being together for only two years.
Oak were:
- Tony Engle (voice, anglo concertinaConcertinaA concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It has a bellows and buttons typically on both ends of it. When pressed, the buttons travel in the same direction as the bellows, unlike accordion buttons which travel perpendicularly to it...
, fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, bonesBones (instrument)The bones are a musical instrument which, at the simplest, consists of a pair of animal bones, or pieces of wood or a similar material. Sections of large rib bones and lower leg bones are the most commonly used true bones, although wooden sticks shaped like the earlier true bones are now more...
) - Danny Stradling (voice, tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
) - Rod Stradling (voice, melodeonMelodeon (organ)A melodeon is a type of 19th century reed organ with a foot-operated vacuum bellows, and a piano keyboard. It differs from the related harmonium, which uses a pressure bellows. Melodeons were manufactured in the United States sometime after 1812 until the Civil War era...
s) - Peta Webb (voice, fiddle)
They met in the 1960s in Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
where Rod Stradling ran a folk club. The Stradlings moved to Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
in 1968 and became involved in running another folk club in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
. Engle and Webb also moved to North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
soon afterwards. During 1970, while his wife Danny was pregnant, Rod Stradling played together with Tony Engle as a successful duo and as part of The Garland, replacing Mel Dean. After the birth of their son, the Stradlings and Engle and Webb joined forces as Oak and had soon performed at most of the folk clubs in the London area.
They were asked by Bill Leader
Bill Leader
Bill Leader is an English recording engineer and record producer. He is particularly associated with the British folk music revival of the 1960s and 1970s, producing records by Davey Graham, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Frank Harte and others....
to make an LP for his Trailer label, but as Engle worked for Topic Records
Topic Records
Topic Records is a British folk music label, which played a major role in the second British folk revival. It began as an offshoot of the Workers' Music Association in 1939, making it the oldest independent record label in the world.-History:...
, he felt obliged to offer to record for them first. To his surprise, the offer was accepted and Welcome to Our Fair was recorded on May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
, 1971. The record caused enormous interest and the band played 163 gig
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
s in the 18 months between the record's release and their final performance, on 19 December 1972.
Later work
Rod and Danny Stradling went on to form The Cotswold Liberation Front, which later became The Old Swan BandOld Swan Band
-Early years:Its origins lie in the early 1970s with the English country dance band Oak, one of a tiny handful at that time that combined melodeon with fiddles. Two members of Oak, husband and wife Rod and Danny Stradling , went on to form The Cotswold Liberation Front, which became The Old Swan...
. After a few years they left. Rod Stradling recorded with the English Country Blues Band, the English Country Dance Band, Tiger Moth and Edward II and the Red Hot Polkas
Edward II (band)
Edward II is an English band named for King Edward II, which play a fusion of world music, English folk and reggae. Active from 1985, the band broke up after losing several key members in 1999, relaunching as "e2K" in 2000...
. He is currently the editor of Musical Traditions, a highly respected magazine whose archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
s are now available online.
Peta Webb, whose individual vocal style was influenced by Irish traditional singers (especially Margaret Barry, Sarah Makem, and Sarah and Rita Keane), recorded with Scottish singer Alison McMorland in 1980. She made a solo album I have wandered in Exile in the 1973. In the early 1980s she and Tony Engle were members of Alan Ward's Tex-Mex
Tejano music
Tejano music or Tex-Mex music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Mexican-American populations of Central and Southern Texas...
band The Armadillos. She also formed her own band, Webb's Wonders and has recorded with the Watersons
The Watersons
The Watersons were an English folk group from Hull, Yorkshire. They performed mainly traditional songs with little or no accompaniment. Their distinctive sound came from their closely woven harmonies.-Career:...
and, in the 1980s and 1990s as part of Sisters Unlimited. She performs as a resident singer at the Musical Traditions folk club in London; she is also an Assistant Librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
of the Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
Memorial Library at Cecil Sharp House
Cecil Sharp
Cecil James Sharp was the founding father of the folklore revival in England in the early 20th century, and many of England's traditional dances and music owe their continuing existence to his work in recording and publishing them.-Early life:Sharp was born in Camberwell, London, the eldest son of...
, headquarters of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
Tony Engle has produced many classic folk recordings for Topic Records, and played on several of them as a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
. He is now managing director of Topic Records.
Discography
- Oak, Welcome to Our Fair, Topic Records, 12TS212 (1971)
- Oak, Country Songs and Music, Musical Traditions, MTCD327-8 (2003) (includes tracks from Welcome to Our Fair and other archive recordings)
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- Alison MacMorland and Peta Webb, Alison MacMorland and Peta Webb, Topic (1980)
- Peta Webb I Have Wandered in Exile, Topic, LP 12TS 223 (1973)
- Peta Webb & Pete Cooper, The Heart Is True (1986)
- Peta Webb & Pete Cooper, Peta Webb & Peter Cooper, Heart, LP HR1 (1988)
- Peta Webb, The Magpie's Nest, Musical Traditions, MT Cass 202 (1989)
- Sisters Unlimited, (Peta Webb, Sandra KerrSandra KerrSandra Kerr is an English folk singer.Sandra Kerr was born in Plaistow, Newham, London. She was a member of The Critics Group from 1963 to 1972.She sings and plays English concertina, guitar, appalachian dulcimer and autoharp....
, Rosie Davis, Janet Russell), No Limits, Harbourtown Records, HARCD 013 - Peta Webb and Ken Hall, As Close As Can Be: Songs and duets from English, Irish and American traditions, Fellside FECD155 (2000)
- Flowers & Frolics with Bob Davenport & Peta Webb, Reformed Characters, Hebe Music, HEBECD002
External links
- A history of "Oak", with track listings and full lyrics of the traditional songs they recorded
- English Music website
- Review of The Magpie's Nest
- Musical Traditions magazine online
- Review of As Close as Can Be
- Musical Traditions club website
- A history of Topic Records
- A history of traditional English Country Music