Robin & Barry Dransfield

Robin & Barry Dransfield (born in the 1940's) are English brothers and folk musicians, born in Harrogate, Yorkshire. Robin plays acoustic guitar, while Barry is a folk singer, fiddler, cellist and guitarist. The Dransfields began performing in the 1960s, quickly gaining prominence for their "quirky" bluegrass "old-timey" sound. By 1969 Barry and Robin were performing full-time as a duo, frequently playing at the Harrogate Folk Club along with Martin Carthy, Ewan MacColl, and The Watersons. In the same year Barry and his brother Robin Dransfield were invited by Ashley Hutchings to join the group which would become Steeleye Span, but turned the offer down.
Barry Dransfield recorded several solo albums, whilst his brother Robin recorded one album in 1980. Through the 1970s Robin Dransfield made appearances at folk festivals around the world, appearing with his brother Barry at the Mariposa Folk Festival in Canada in 1971.
Barry Dransfield has also composed music for several films for TV and the wide screen: S.O.S. Titanic, Adelaide Harris, Play Away, Samson an Delilah (1985), Ballymena Opera House and The Wreck of the Julie Plante (1985). He acted the part of the blind fiddler in The Bounty (1984) (with Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins). In 1986, he changed career to become a so-called "Fiddle Doctor", repairing violins and cellos. In 1994, he joined the Steeleye Span UK tour.
== Links to Peel ==
The Dransfields were one of the traditionally-oriented folk acts who emerged at the start of the 1970s, and their debut album, The Rout Of The Blues, for Bill Leader's Trailer label (whose releases Peel followed) was widely praised, Melody Maker making it their Folk Album Of The Year for 1970.
Peel seemed to be quite a keen fan of the duo (in the early 1970s he favoured many artists from Yorkshire), as in various combinations Robin and Barry did a total of 9 sessions for his programmes. He also played Robin Dransfield's solo material. However, by the end of the 70's, their music was rarely played by the DJ, although in the 90's, Peel revisited the duo's work and played several tracks by them.
== Sessions ==
;Robin & Barry Dransfield
1. Recorded: 1971-05-18. First Broadcast: 05 June 1971. Repeated: 11 September 1971
*Still He Sings / Lord Of All I Behold / Who Liveth So Merry / The Wild Rover
2. Recorded: 1974-09-02. First Broadcast: 17 September 1974. Repeated: 10 July 1975
*It's Dark In Here / Medley: Roaring Mary / The Bunch Of Keys / Silver Spire / Up To Now / The Three Muscadets
3. Recorded: 1975-05-08. First Broadcast: 15 May 1975. Repeated: 10 July 1975
*Hey Hey / The Handsome Meadow Boy / The Fool's Song / Fair Maids Of February
4. Recorded: 1978-01-31. First Broadcast: 10 February 1978. Repeated: 10 March 1978
*Catch The Morning Dew / Too Much To DO / Doctor Spine / Be Your Own Man
;The Dransfields (with Brian Harrison) On Dransfield ‎– The Fiddler's Dream 2xCD (Castle Music ‎– CMEDD943)
1. Recorded: 1975-11-27. First Broadcast: 18 December 1975. Repeated: 11 March 1976
*Christmas Is Coming / What Will We Tell Them / You Can't Change Me Now
;Dransfield (with Brian Harrison & Bob Critchley) On Dransfield ‎– The Fiddler's Dream 2xCD (Castle Music ‎– CMEDD943)
1. Recorded: 1976-09-14. First Broadcast: 05 October 1976. Repeated: 02 December 1976
*You Can't Change Me Now / The Ballad Of Dickie Lubber / The Alchemist And The Peddler / The Blacksmith Part 1
;Barry Dransfield
1. Recorded: 1972-10-03. First Broadcast: 30 October 1972. Repeated: 02 January 1973
*A Week Before Easter / Hyde Park Mansions / The Werewolf / Girl Of Dances
2. Recorded: 1974-04-01. First Broadcast: 16 April 1974. Repeated: 04 June 1974
*Ballad Of Dickie Lubber / Old Joe / Up To Now / Daddy Please Take Me To The Line (TX 1974-06-04)
;Robin Dransfield
1. Recorded: 1974-02-14. First Broadcast: 21 February 1974. Repeated: 04 April 1974
*When It's Night Time In Italy It's Wednesday Over Here / It's Dark In Here / I Once Had A Dog / The Cutty Wren / Lazy Afternoon
== Other Shows Played ==
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*11 October 1977: The Talcahuano Girls (album - Popular To Contrary Belief) Free Reed FRR 018
*11 October 1977: The Conscript's Farewell (album - Popular To Contrary Belief) Free Reed FRR 018
*11 October 1977: Bogie's Bonnie Belle (album - Popular To Contrary Belief) Free Reed FRR 018
*11 November 1994:  ‘A Fair Maid Walking All In Her Garden (LP - The Rout Of The Blues )’ Trailer
*18 June 1997: It’s Dark In Here (2xCD – Up To Now) Free Reed
*10 July 1997: The Morpeth Rant / Nancy (2xCD - Up To Now) Free Reed
*As I Roved Out: A Century Of Folk Music: The Rout Of The Blues
== External Links ==
* Wikipedia (Robin Dransfield)
* Wikipedia (Barry Dransfield)
* Discogs
Category:Artists
Category:Folk