Notes teken from www.topicrecords.com

Back to SPIN

THE WATERSONS - 'MIGHTY RIVER OF SONG' £42.99

MIGHTY RIVER OF SONG is a comprehensive overview of The Watersons and their place in the English Folk Revival. Researched and compiled by David Suff, the box set contains
• 4 music CDs
• DVD of the acclaimed Watersons documentary film “Travelling for a Living"
• 52 page full colour booklet – profusely illustrated with extensive notes and a full discography.

DVD "Travelling For A Living" the film about the The Watersons 

[from the notes by Derrick Knight (script, direction, producer) in 1966]

Four young people huddle in the cold and discomfort of an old van as they travel, maybe hundreds of miles, to a singing engagement in a folk club, and back again to their home town of Hull. They are a group called The Watersons - Michael, Norma and Elaine Waterson, brother and two sisters, and their cousin John Harrison.
The three Watersons were orphaned in early life and brought up by a fiercely matriarchal grandmother who said they had to stick together. Even today the closeness of the family unit is maintained.
Despite the fact that two of them have married, they all live together in a single scruffy terraced house, whose centre is a common kitchen, always full of friends and noise. This close, cosy home life is in total contrast to their professional life. In the last two years the Watersons have become one of the most popular folk singing groups in the country, yet they are far removed from the fashionable exhibitionist folk singers.
This film is about the Watersons' world. It is about their lives - down to earth, vibrant, receptive and haunted by all kinds of influences from the past: their Irish tinker and farming ancestry, their grandmother's second-hand shop where a love of tradition grew up among horse brasses and sing-songs, the rich historical and trading association of the port of Hull. Above all it is about exciting old music, its source and its meaning today. In this film the Watersons are placed against the broader picture of the folk revival.

CD1  CD2 CD3 CD4
1 Here We Come A-Wassailing The Watersons 
2 Blood Red Roses The Folksons 
3 Let The Bulgine Run The Watersons 
4 The Ploughboy The Watersons 
5 Holbeck Moor Cock Fight The Watersons 
6 The Greenland Whale Fishery The Watersons 
7 The Derby Ram The Watersons 
8 Hal-an Tow The Watersons 
9 John Barleycorn Mike Waterson 
10 The Barley And The Rye Lal And Norma Waterson 
11 The Thirty-Foot Trailer The Watersons 
12 I Am A Rover The Watersons 
13 Rap Her To Bank The Watersons 
14 Three Score And Ten The Watersons 
15 The Jolly Waggoners The Watersons 
16 Twanky-Dillo The Watersons 
17 The Whitby Lad The Watersons 
18 The Morning Looks Charming The Watersons 
19 Willy Went To Westerdale The Watersons 
20 The White Cockade The Watersons 
21 Stow Brow Lal Waterson 
22 The Bird Lal and Mike Waterson 
23 Red Wine Promises Lal and Mike Waterson 
24 Song For Thirza Lal and Mike Waterson 
1 Pace-Egging Song The Watersons 
2 Boston Harbour The Watersons 
3 Sweet William The Watersons 
4 Souling Song The Watersons 
5 Barney Lal and Norma Waterson 
6 Three Day Millionaire Mike Waterson 
7 The Good Old Way The Watersons 
8 The Light Dragoon The Watersons 
9 Jenny Storm Lal and Norma Waterson 
10 Tam Lyn Mike Waterson 
11 Sound, Sound Your Instruments Of Joy The Watersons 
12 Heavenly Aeroplane The Watersons 
13 Emmanuel The Watersons 
14 Swansea Town Mike Waterson 
15 The Unfortunate Lass Norma Waterson 
16 The Welcome Sailor Lal Waterson 
17 Young Billy Brown Lal and Norma Waterson 
18 The Khaki And the Blue The Watersons 
19 The Whitby Lad The Watersons 
20 The Black And Bitter Night Mike Waterson 
1 The Prickle Holly Bush The Watersons 
2 When I Die Peter Bellamy 
3 I Went To Market The Watersons 
4 The Furze Field Martin Carthy and Mike Waterson 
5 The King's Song The Watersons 
6 Swarthfell Rocks The Watersons 
7 Meeting Is A Pleasure Lal and Norma Waterson 
8 Doing A Bit Mike Waterson 
9 Young Banker The Watersons 
10 Chickens In The Garden The Watersons 
11 A Stitch In Time Martin Carthy 
12 All I Have Is My Own The Watersons 
13 Brave General Wolfe Mike Waterson 
14 May Song Norma Waterson and Eliza Carthy 
15 Harvest Home The Watersons 
16 Gower Wassail The Watersons 
17 Rumpsy Bumpsy Toralee Mike Waterson 
18 John Ball The Waterdaughters 
19 A Stur Mo Chroi The Waterdaughters 
20 Stormy Winds The Watersons 
21 A Mole In A Hole The Watersons 
1 Hilda's Cabinet Band The Watersons 
2 The Rambling Irish Man Mike Waterson 
3 There Are No Lights On Our Christmas Tree The Watersons 
4 Coal Not Dole Norma Waterson 
5 The White Cockade The Watersons 
6 Cob-A Coaling The Watersons 
7 T Stands For Thomas The Watersons 
8 Bid You Goodnight Blue Murder 
9 McIlroy The Emerald Cowboy Mike Waterson 
10 Jack Frost Mike Waterson 
11 Pleasure And Pain Waterson:Carthy 
12 Stars In My Crown Waterson:Carthy 
13 Flowers Of Knaresborough Forest Waterson:Carthy 
14 Ain't No Man Worth The Salt Of My Tears Norma Waterson and Eliza Carthy 
15 Black Muddy River Waterson:Carthy 
16 Just A Note Lal Waterson and Maria Gilhooley 
17 Earth Norma Waterson and Martin Carthy 
18 Stumbling On Eliza Carthy 
19 Poor Boney Norma Waterson 
20 Bright Phoebus Blue Murder 
21 A Sweet Lullaby Oliver Knight