The Best of Vintage Folk Music

A blog about the best of vintage folk music, including artists like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Simon & Garfunkel.

The Origins of Folk Music

Folk music is a genre that developed in the 19th century from the traditional music of working class people. It was originally created by people who were not professional musicians and was passed down from generation to generation. Folk music often has a strong sense of community and history.

The British Isles

The British Isles have a long and rich history of folk music. The traditional music of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales has been passed down through the generations by word of mouth. Folk songs often tell stories of love, loss, and everyday life. Many of these songs have been collected and published in books and on recordings.

The British Isles are also home to a number of folk festivals where traditional musicians come together to perform. The most famous of these is the Glastonbury Festival, which takes place in England each summer.

The United States

The United States is home to a rich tradition of folk music, both traditional and contemporary. This music is often passed down from generation to generation, and has served as a source of inspiration for many different artists.

Folk music in the United States dates back to the early colonial period, when English and Scottish settlers brought their songs with them to the new world. These songs were often about daily life, love, and loss, and they reflected the experiences of the people who sang them.

Over time, folk music in the United States has evolved to include elements of other genres, such as blues, jazz, and country. Today, there are many different types of folk music being created and performed by artists all over the country.

The Revival of Folk Music

In the past few years, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of folk music. This type of music has been around for centuries and has been beloved by many people. Folk music has a simple and honest sound that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is also very versatile and can be adapted to any situation.

The British Folk Revival

The British Folk Revival was a period in the early to mid-20th century when there was a renewed interest in British folk music. This is often considered to have started with the work of Ralph Vaughan Williams and his collecting of folk songs. It continued into the 1940s and 1950s with the work of Ewan MacColl, A.L. Lloyd, Peggy Seeger, and others who were influenced by the American folk music revival led by Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

The revival had two main strands: one was a scholarly and academic interest in collecting and editing old folk songs; the other was an attempt to revive folk song as a living tradition by performing it in concert halls and clubs for modern audiences. The revival led to the formation of many folk clubs, which provided a venue for new performers, as well as established ones, to play their music. The most notable of these were The Travelling Folk Club (later The Folk Club) and Ten thousand Villages Folk Club (later The Troubadour Club), both founded in London in 1953.

The British Folk Revival was an influential movement on both sides of the Atlantic. In the United States, it helped to lead to the American Folk Revival of the 1950s and 1960s, which had a significant impact on popular culture through artists such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul & Mary. In Britain, it helped to launch the careers of several important folk musicians, including Shirley Collins, Davy Graham, Martin Carthy, Nic Jones, and John Martyn.

The American Folk Revival

In the 1930s, a group of music enthusiasts in the United States started collecting and performing songs that had been passed down through the generations. This movement, known as the American folk revival, helped to preserve and promote traditional folk music.

The American folk revival began as a way to preserve the songs of previous generations, but it soon evolved into something more. performers began writing their own songs in the folk style, creating a new form of folk music. This new style was influenced by many different genres, including blues, jazz, and country music.

The American folk revival reached its peak in the 1960s, when a new generation of performers took the stage. These performers, such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, became household names thanks to their catchy tunes and thoughtful lyrics. The folk revival helped to launch the careers of many other artists, including Simon & Garfunkel and James Taylor.

Today, the legacy of the American folk revival can be seen in the work of contemporary performers like Sufjan Stevens and Fleet Foxes. These artists are keeping the tradition alive by creating their own unique interpretations of traditional folk songs.

The Legacy of Folk Music

Vintage folk music has many different sub-genres that are found in various music traditions. The term “vintage” in this context refers to a style of music that is at least 25 years old. Folk music has been around for centuries and has been passed down from generation to generation. It is a genre that is close to the hearts of many people.

The British Folk Revival

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, there was a renewed interest in traditional British folk music. This was partly due to the influence of the Weavers, an American folk music group who had a number of hits in the UK. The British Folk Revival also had a politicaldimension, as many of the singers and songwriters were inspired by the social and political movements of the time, such as the civil rights movement.

One of the most influential figures in the British Folk Revival was Martin Carthy. A prolific songwriter, he adapted traditional songs for a modern audience. He also wrote new songs about contemporary issues, such as nuclear disarmament andmigration. Carthy’s work helped to shape the sound of British folk music for decades to come.

Other influential figures in the British Folk Revival include Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger, Tom Paxton, and Joan Baez. The Revival spawned a number of important folk clubs and festivals, such as the Cambridge Folk Festival andthe Newport Folk Festival. It also led to the formation of important record labels, such as Topic Records and Transatlantic Records.

The American Folk Revival

The American Folk Revival of the early to mid-20th century occurred concurrently with the rise of popular music and brought folk music into the mainstream. The music of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Jean Ritchie, and The Weavers influenced subsequent generations of musicians and became an integral part of American culture.

The roots of the American Folk Revival can be traced back to the 19th century, when songs and stories were passed down from generation to generation by oral tradition. In the early 20th century, a number of factors led to a renewed interest in folk music, including the rise of communism and socialism, which made traditional folk songs attractive to left-leaning Americans; the Great Depression, which led many people to nostalgic for a simpler time; and World War II, which prompted a renewed interest in patriotic songs.

During the 1940s and 1950s, Folk Revival musicians such as Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, The Weavers, and Josh White popularized folk music by performing at concerts and clubs around the country. In addition, they recorded albums and appeared on radio and television shows. The Folk Revival reached its height in the 1960s with the rise of Bob Dylan, who infused traditional folk songs with a personal style that appealed to a new generation of listeners.