The Watersons and the Folk Music Revival

The Watersons were a key part of the English folk music revival, helping to ensure that the music would not be lost.

The Watersons

The Watersons were a British folk music group who were influenced by the American folk music revival. The group was made up of four siblings: Lal, Mike, Norma and Kathleen Waterson. The group was active in the 1960s and 1970s and released a number of albums. They are considered to be one of the most important groups in the British folk music revival.

The Watersons and the Folk Music Revival

The Watersons were an English folk music group from the Yorkshire area, who were active in the 1960s and 1970s. The group was founded by siblings Norma, Mike and Lal Waterson, who were joined by their cousin Martin Carthy. The group’s sound was a blend of traditional British folk music with contemporary influences, and they were at the forefront of the 1960s British folk music revival.

The Watersons’ first album, A Yorkshire Garland (1964), captured the raw energy of their live performances, and was followed by the more polished Sound Of The Sea (1965). The group reached a wider audience with their third album, Frost And Fire (1966), which featured some of their best-known songs including “The White Cockade” and “Farewell Nancy”.

The Watersons’ final album, For pence and shining allpence (1972), saw them experiment with electric instruments and explore a more rock-influenced sound. After this album, Norma Waterson left the group to pursue a solo career, and the Watersons disbanded shortly afterwards.

The Watersons and the English Folk Music Scene

The Watersons were a highly influential English traditional folk music group, prominent in the 1960s and early 1970s. The group’s repertoire included both traditional songs and their own contemporary arrangements and compositions. They were at the forefront of the folk music revival in England, and their radical approach to performance influenced many other folk bands that emerged in the 1960s.

Laufreda, Mike, and Norma Waterson (later joined by their cousins Elaine and John Waterson) formed the core of the group, with Laurie Lee occasionally appearing as a guest vocalist. The Watersons’ sound was characterized by strong vocal harmonies, often featuring Laufreda Waterson’s distinctive lead vocals. Their performances were energetic and dynamic, often incorporating dance movements.

The Watersons’ influence can be heard in many of the folk bands that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, including Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, and Pentangle. Their legacy continues to be celebrated by many contemporary folk musicians.

The Watersons and the American Folk Music Revival

The Watersons were a British folk music group who were influential in the folk music revival of the 1960s. The group was founded by siblings Lal, Mike, and Norma Waterson and their cousin John Kirkpatrick. The Watersons are credited with helping to revive interest in traditional English folk music.

The Watersons and the American Folk Music Revival

The Watersons were an English folk music group, founded in Hull in the early 1960s by siblings Lal, Mike and Norma Waterson, and their husbands and cousins, John Harrison and Roy Bailey. The group is closely associated with the second wave of the British folk music revival.

The Watersons’ first album, Frost & Fire (1965), was championed by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, who invited the group to join their UK tour promoting the album. The Watersons subsequently became very active in the folk music scene in England and beyond, touring extensively and recording several more albums. In 1968, they toured the United States with MacColl and Seeger, exposing them to a wider audience and helping to spark an interest in English traditional music among young American musicians.

The Watersons’ influence can be heard in the work of many of the major figures of the American folk music revival, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Jerry Garcia, and David Grisman.

The Watersons and the British Folk Music Scene

The Watersons were at the forefront of the British folk music scene in the 1960s and early 1970s. Their eponymous debut album, The Watersons, was released in 1965 and is considered a classic of the genre. The follow-up, Sound on Sound, was released in 1967 and is regarded as one of the most important folk albums ever made. The group disbanded in 1974 but reformed in the early 1990s and have been performing and recording ever since.

The Watersons were part of the British folk music revival, which began in the late 1950s and reached its height in the 1960s and 1970s. The revival was sparked by a renewed interest in traditional music, particularly from Britain and Ireland. This was partly due to the work of ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax, who had spent decades travelling around America collecting folk songs. His work encouraged many young people to seek out traditional music from their own countries.

In Britain, this led to a resurgence of interest in British folk music, which had been largely forgotten during the years of World War II and its aftermath. The Watersons were at the forefront of this revival, championing traditional songs and introducing them to new audiences. They were also influential in shaping the sound of British folk music, with their use of close harmony singing and traditional instruments such as the concertina and melodeon.

The Watersons’ legacy continues today, with their songs being performed by many other artists, both in Britain and abroad. They remain an inspiration to those interested in Traditional Music