A Scottish folk song involving a tale of love between a soldier and a woman. An Irish captain is rejected, because Peggy has no intention to marry a foreigner or a soldier. The captain soon dies due to either a broken heart or battle wounds, possibly both. The historical context is unclear, though the song may allude to the 1644 capture of the Fyvie Castle. 

Like many folk songs, the authorship is unattributed and there is no strict version of the lyrics, though William-O and Peggy-O are the named captain of the Irish dragoons and the beautiful Scottish girl from Fyvie, in most versions recorded. 
Often titled 'The Bonnie Lass O' Fyvie' or in this case 'Peggy-O' it's been recorded by so many artists and has the knack of sounding just like a song by that artist. Check out different versions: Bob Dylan's 'Peggy-O', it's undoubtedly him, Simon & Garfunkel it's very them and likewise today's track by the Grateful Dead is totally them. 

The video helpfully has the lyrics of this tale of woe pretty Peggy-O & William-O (and some typically excellent Jerry Garcia guitar playing). And is probably an America version ?

   

An alternative (and occasional) music posting highlighting something out of the ordinary.
Perhaps of limited appeal, unconventional, experimental or just far-out !
Call it what you like (or switch it off, if you don't like). 

Back last January on Burns Night I mentioned having a few more songs to share at certain times of the year. Here then is one of the most famous love songs associated with Robert Burns, 'My Love is like a Red, Red Rose'. 

Five Hand Reel recorded their beautiful version in 1978, Dick Gaughan taking the vocals for this rendition of the classic Scottish poem. "As fair art thou, my bonnie lass"

  

Connection up the dots from the last three weeks... 

Singing many of his own compositions Jason McNiff is quick to recognise his musical influences. Often playing Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Jackson C. Frank, as mentioned last week and also the songs of Townes Van Zandt. 

I'm not overly familiar with much of his work but I heard this song almost 20 years ago now and it's stuck with me. The song was written back in the 70s and recorded by Townes Van Zandt in 1978, it was covered in 1998 by Lyle Lovett on his album of cover versions titled 'Step Inside This House'. 

Townes Van Zandt died in 1997. The video is a tribute to him.

The song is called 'Flyin' Shoes' - version by Lyle Lovett > 

Connecting - Pentangle with Bert Jansch, to Jason McNiff and now Townes Van Zandt

   

'Folk, Blues & Beyond' is the title of a 1965 album by British folk revivalist and fingerstyle acoustic guitar legend Davy Graham. 

It's also the title chosen by Jason McNiff for his regular Thursday music nights at our local pub. These have been running since last September and the format of Jason playing either side of a different guest has been really good. Needless to say I'm a regular, so I've seen him quite a lot and as a fan jokingly call myself a 'Niffy'.  

I did feature him two years ago as a Friday Star Track (click link for this), mentioning the connection to his time at the 12-Bar Club in London studying the guitar playing of Bert Jansch. Who in turn had been inspired by Davy Graham. 

I have a number of favourite songs, plenty of newer ones, but I really like this old one from 2000, recorded in a closing down tape studio in Wandsworth. 'Off the Rails’ has a nice video of images of London from back then (and somewhat curiously photos of New York). It has a catchy chorus and lyrics that deal with life on the road (or train stations in this case) as he name drops Waterloo and the Thames while paraphrasing a Jackson C. Frank song 'Blues Run the Game', that is part of his current setlist and he tells us he'll sing that song till his dying day. 

> 'Off the Rails' written by Jason McNiff - great song ! 

AND as if by magic I've just come across some archive footage [for Onlinetv by Rick Siegel] of Jason at the 12-Bar Club singing the Blues > 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpPcRUgE1r0&list=RDQpPcRUgE1r0&start_radio=1

   

Going back to our last Vinyl Night up at The Cove, my Fairlight folk compadre Steve played a track off an LP by Pentangle. 'Willy O' Winsbury' came on and I recognised the tune but all the lyrics were different. That's weird I thought. 

Unbeknown to me a very familiar Fairport Convention song off the 'Liege and Lief' album uses the same melody as the traditional folk song 'Willie O' Winsbury', Richard Thompson having written new words to 'Farewell Farewell'. You live and learn.

Here's the celebrated folk group Pentangle (Jacqui McShee on vocals, with John Renbourn, Bert Jansch guitars, Danny Thompson on bass and Terry Cox drums), with Willie or Willy O.

The video is from a live tv show in 1972 and is really good quality. 

FYI: And the Fairports Farewell version is here. 

   

From Hastings Rock Radio (last week) to 'Hastings is Music' this - see yesterday's Photo post. 

As part of my monthly 'undiscovered artists' slot, take a listen to The Gasoline Gypsies. 

They are a highly acclaimed, award-winning roots-rock band from Michigan, frequently identified as an independent, unsigned act. Named one of the "Three Best Unsigned Bands in America" by JBL (the American audio equipment manufacturer) on their website and they have won multiple Detroit Music Awards. Their records are self released. 

Four part vocal harmonies, dual lead guitars, with a tasty rhythm section built on drums, bass, and keys make up the music of The Gasoline Gypsies. 

I really like the voice of lead singer Caleb Malooley, and got the chance to tell him so, when I saw them perform. Especially like this track 'Broken Arrow' featuring some great guitar work from Neal Love.

Check out other YouTube videos ‘ Hard Livin’, ‘Come Down To The River’ and 'Playing With Fire'.

       

'Hastings is Music'

Correctly this should be headed 'Old Photos' as they were all taken last year - but the message is clear. Hastings has so much music going on there's never a dull moment.

(top shot): The mural in town features artists old and new along with music venues in the town. 

(the two other pictures): Are taken from roughly the same spot in the Jenny Lind pub - on different occasions last year. 

(1st) is The Equatorial Group. Featured on the FMS last April. (link here).

(2nd photo) is of The Gasoline Gypsies - who played last October at the Jenny's Friday 'Sundowner' during a mini tour of the UK - and they'll be tomorrow's Friday Star Track. 

All Photos taken 2025. 

   

April - what a month of music...

It started with our Vinyl Night - more on that next month. Then a few drinks in a pub in Hastings Old Town, offered an excellent mix of old and new tracks (noted). 'Hastings Rock' radio station was the next discovery, when they broadcast an interview about the Fairlight Players latest production.

A play we were very much involved in, which included many recognisable songs from the 60s and 70s. One being the Harry Nilsson song 'Without You', which I discovered was not actually written by him but by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of the group Badfinger. And then there was 'Ron on Sound' !

He is always responsible for the Sound at every Players show and he also plays a real eclectic mix of pre-show music. And he did it again for 'Some Mothers Do 'ave 'em'. We had disco hits, the Bay City Rollers, Cliff Richard, Yes and a great track from James ‘Sit Down’, with it's message of unity and shared experience. A powerful anthem that was very popular backstage before each performance.

And finally there was designer of all our Special Effects and the play Director Keith selecting a piece of music as a 'curtain call', he simply said was a favourite track of his. Bob Dylan sang ‘Watching the River Flow’ as everyone took a bow. 

A mix of styles, more blues rock than folk, with some killer guitar playing from Jesse Ed Davis with Leon Russell on piano, who also produced this 1971 record. Great stuff >

NB: Watch out for the false ending early on...

'Hasting Rock' Radio - is available via this button here ⏩ 

  

-  A  U S T R A L I A   1 9 8 2  - 

This is basically a follow up to last Wednesday's intro story (see here 🔽)

During the weeks that I was 'Down Under' something had been going on 'Up Here' ! 

Britain had acquired a new TV station. Channel 4 had launched on November 2nd, and by the time of my return Australia was happening in a big way. To begin with C4 had begun by showing The Paul Hogan Show. This had been on Australian Television for almost 10 years but was new to the UK and introduced a host of colourful characters and Aussie catchphrases. Paul Hogan would soon be 'Crocodile Dundee' and an international star. 

While the radio was continually playing a great new song by a band called Men At Work. The track had been a No.1 success the previously year 'Down Under' and would now top the charts in both the US and UK by January 1983. 

More colourful lyrics and Australian slang - so lets go "travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie" - with the official video > 

In May 2001, the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) celebrating its 75th anniversary named the 30 Best Australian Songs from 1926 to 2001, as decided by a hundred-strong industry panel. "Down Under" was ranked as the fourth song on the list.

Link to the full list. 

    H A P P Y    B I R T H D A Y   T O     

 -   M y   b r o t h e r   J I M   - 

7 0   t o d a y

Welcome to the Club "bruv" 

We have over the years shared many music memories, from numerous Fairport Convention gigs to Folk Festivals in the old VW camper. BBC radio recordings on a Sunday afternoon and local clubs and pubs, none more unusual than the one in Caines, Australia in 1982.

It was a Sunday evening at the end of October and my journal records it as follows:

We had walked around town for quite awhile before finding the advertised Folk Club. It was rather sad, at first, no wonder there are so few Folk Clubs here, people don't seem interested. Anyway the music began and we quite enjoyed the very casual feeling and listened to some good music. "Streets of London", "Mr. Bojangles", some Eric Bogle songs and nice dulcimer music from a Canadian traveller. Cairns Folk Club - it's a long way from Clare to Here ! (Someone did sing this Ralph McTell song). 

It was also on this occasion we first heard someone perform 'The Aussie Bar-B-Q song', written by Scottish born Eric Bogle (famous for his anti war songs, notably "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda". The 'barbie' was indeed a National Institution and the lyrics certainly struck a chord, many requiring translation. In fact there's a video of a 'Live on Michael Parkinson' Australian TV show, from 1982 in which the lyrics were changed from 'snags' to 'sausages' so as to not confuse an international audience! [Full lyrics here]. 

The song originally appeared on Bogle's second album "Plain & Simple" (with John Munro) the previous year. Sing along now:

Parkinson link fyi: 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cauE2CSCDyE&list=RDcauE2CSCDyE&start_radio=1

Eric Bogle did mix his more serious songs with plenty of humorous ones. In 1984 there was 'Do You Know Any Dylan' - well worth a read through of this story song [link]