Latest News as of
Winter 1997
The Songs of Allan Taylor is
now published. In 131 pages it is a collection of 42 songs with the stories
behind the songs, anecdotes about life "on the road" and photographs
illustrating his life as musician. It is therefore more an autobiography than
simply a songbook. Some original drafts of songs are included which illustrate
the creative process used in making a song.
It is available from T
Records, P.O. Box MT 37, Leeds LS17 8UY, Great Britain, for 19.95 pounds
sterling, plus 2 pounds post and packing (for orders within Great Britain) and
19.95 pounds sterling, plus 3 pounds for orders outside G.B. but within Europe.
Worldwide orders should add 5 pounds for post and packing. All cheques must be
in pounds sterling.
Lines is available once
again. After many requests for its reissue, this popular 1988 release has been
reprinted and is available from T Records. The Alex Campbell Tribute Concert is
available again.
Latest News as of July 1997
-
Skagen Folk Music Prize
for 1997 Awarded to Allan Taylor
At the Skagen Folk Festival in Denmark in June
1997 Allan Taylor was awarded the "Arets Folkmusikpris" for 1997 by Danish Radio
and the Skagen Folk Festival for his contribution to folk music over the last 30
years. The citation reads:
You are awarded the Arets Folkmusikpris (Folkmusic
award) for the year 1997 for your work through many years to keep alive and
improve as well as disseminate the knowledge to the singer/songwriter tradition,
bringing it to an extremely high level of quality and emotional intensity.
This was mainly for Allan Taylor's work on the
Alex Campbell project.
The Alex Campbell Tribute Concert double CD,
which Allan Taylor wrote, presented and produced (see News of May 1997, below)
has just received the highest points possible in the national press in Denmark.
Two years in the making the double CD features more than 20 of the finest folk
song musicians in Europe in what was a four and a half hour concert, edited to 2
hours. The first pressing has already sold out, but another pressing is ready
and available from T Records for £16.00 (pounds sterling) plus postage and
package.
Latest News as of May 1997
-
Release of the Double CD
The Alex Campbell Tribute Concert (TCD007)
Excerpt from the Programme:
Alex Campbell was the most important folksinger
of the folksong revival in Europe. Admired, respected and loved by his fellow
performers and by his audiences throughout Europe, he epitomized the image of
the travelling minstrel. His love of people, his joy of singing and his
commitment to the ideals of the folksong movement placed him foremost amongst
his contemporaries. Starting as a busker in Paris in the mid 1950's, he
graduated to become the inspiration for a whole generation of performers, many
of whom now grace the concert platform. He was especially loved in Denmark, so
much so that when throat cancer put an end to his performing career his Danish
friends gave him sanctuary and support and helped him through his few remaining
years. Living firstly in Skagen and finally in Tonder, Alex died in January
1987.
This is the result of a concert I wrote and
presented at the Skagen Festival in Denmark in June/July 1995. It involves a
narration of the story interspersed with some of the songs Alex used to sing,
sung by: Allan Taylor, Johnny Silvo, The McCalmans, Mike Silver, Dougie MacLean,
Phil Jackson, Jens Memphis, Lillebjorn Nilson, Erik Grip, Alan Klitgaard, Iain
Mackintosh, Hamish Imlach, Bente Kure.
It was an incredible evening and certainly a high
point in my career. Danish Radio recorded the whole show and edited it for
broadcasting, which took place in 1996. When I heard the tapes I decided that it
was so good that it should be released as a double CD.
That was a year ago. A few weeks ago the idea
came to fruition and the CD was released. It has already received rave reviews,
with the leading Danish newspaper in Jutland giving it the highest points
possible.
As a result of this and various other activities in Denmark I have been awarded
the "Skagen Folk Music Prize", to be presented at the Skagen Festival in June
1997 by Danish Radio.
Please see more about The Alex Campbell Tribute
Concert CD in
Discography.
