Martin Carthy

**Martin Carthy** MBE (born 21 May 1941) is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, and later artists such as Richard Thompson, since he emerged as a young musician in the early days of the folk revival. He has also been involved with many musical collaborations. He has sung with The Watersons since 1972; was twice a member of British folk rock group Steeleye Span; was a member of the Albion Country Band 1973 line-up, with members from the Fairport Convention family and John Kirkpatrick, that recorded the Battle of the Field album; and was part of the innovative Brass Monkey ensemble, which mixed a range of brass instruments with Carthy's guitar and mandolin and John Kirkpatrick's accordion, melodeon and concertina. Carthy was also a member of The Imagined Village for all three of their albums 2007–2012. For many years Carthy enjoyed a creative partnership with fiddle player Dave Swarbrick; more recently, Waterson–Carthy has provided the forum for his successful musical partnership with wife Norma Waterson and their daughter Eliza Carthy.

## Links to Kershaw

Kershaw as a fan of The Watersons played many of Martin Carthy's material including numerous sessions he did for his programmes, as well as his collaborations with his family and other musicians.

## Sessions

1. Recorded for John Peel's show on 1976-09-07. First Broadcast on John Peel's show on 21st September 1976. Repeated: 05 November 1986 (John Peel)

* Searching For Lambs / Willie's Lady / King Knapperty / The Unfortunate Tailor

2. Recorded: 1987-07-09. First Broadcast: 17 September 1987. Repeated: 05 November 1987

* When I Was Young / Rufford Park Poachers / Homage A Roche Proulx / Company Policy

3. Recorded: 1988-09-15. First Broadcast: 29 September 1988. Repeated: 10 November 1988, 11 December 1993

* La Cardeuse / Aux Anciens Parapets / The Dominion of the Sword / The Famous Flower of Serving Men

4. Recorded: 1990-08-30. First Broadcast: 09 September 1990. Repeated: 05 February 1994

* Sovay / A Question of Sport / Oh Dear Oh / Carthy’s March / The Lemon Tree

5. Recorded as Martin Carthy And The Watersons: unknown. First Broadcast: 29 January 1995

* Jacob’s Well / The Mickey Dam / The Swallow / Seventeen Come Sunday

6. Recorded: unknown. First Broadcast: 17 October 2004

* Jacky Tar / Famous Flower of Serving Men / The Foggy Dew / The Royal Lament

## Live

Recorded with Norma Waterson at the Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House. First Broadcast on Women In Folk (1999-12-04)

1. Black Muddy River
2. Fred Astaire
3. Joseph Spence
4. Ain`t No Sweet Man Worth The Salt Of My Tears

Recorded with Norma Waterson at the Alhambra Studio Theatre in Bradford: 2001-05-23. First Part Broadcast: 25 May 2001.

1. Bold Doherty
2. Sir Patrick Spens
3. Golden Grove
4. Bill Norrie
5. Hard Times of Old England
6. When First I Came to Caledonia

Recorded with Norma Waterson at the Alhambra Studio Theatre in Bradford: 2001-05-23. Second Part Broadcast: 19 October 2001.

1. Bright Shiny Morning
2. Jim Jones in Botany Bay
3. Swaggering Boney
4. Georgie
5. T stands for Thomas
6. Bay of Biscay
7. Midnight on the Water

## Other Shows Played

   1988
* 03 November 1988: Company Policy (LP - Right Of Passage) Topic

1991
* 23 June 1991: The Devil And The Feathery Wife (album - Out Of The Cut) Topic
* 20 October 1991: Famous Flower Of Serving Men
* 24 November 1991 (& Dave Swarbrick): Byker Hill

1992
* 29 August 1992 (& Dave Swarbrick): The New Mown Hay (CD - Skin & Bone) Special Delivery
* 07 September 1992 (BBC World Service): The Trip We Took Over The Mountain (album - Skin & Bone) Special Delivery
* 19 December 1992 (& Dave Swarbrick): The Sheepstealer (CD - Skin & Bone) Special Delivery

1993
* 16 January 1993: Elephant (v/a CD - Some Love) Mrs Ackroyd
* 22 May 1993: Broomfield Hill
* 20 November 1993: I Sowed Some Seeds (LP - Out Of The Cut) Topic
* 27 November 1993: The Devil And The Feathery Wife (LP - Out Of The Cut) Topic

1994
* 15 January 1994: Company Policy (LP - Right Of Passage) Topic
* 17 September 1994: The Famous Flower Of Serving Men (CD - The Kershaw Sessions) Strange Roots

1995
* 11 June 1995: Long John Old John And Jackie North (CD - Because It's There) Topic
* 26 November 1995: The Bonnie Lass Of Anglesey

1996
* 20 October 1996: The Trip We Took Over The Mountain

1998
* 15 June 1998: The Famous Flower Of Serving Men (LP - Shearwater) Mooncrest
* 12 November 1998: New York Mine Disaster 1941 (CD - Signs Of Life) Topic

1999
* 21 January 1999: Sir Patrick Spens (CD - Signs Of Life) Topic

2001
* 27 April 2001: Oor Hamlet (Live recording from Pittsburg, 1991)
* 13 July 2001 (& Martin Simpson with Chris Parkinson): The Princess Royal (CD - The Bramble Briar) Topic

2003
* 11 April 2003 (& Dave Swarbrick): Perfumes Of Arabia (CD - Skin & Bone) Topic

2004
* 25 January 2004 (& John Kirkpatrick With Sue Harris, Martin Brinsford, Fi Fraser): Brighton Camp / The March Past (LP - Plain Capers - Morris Dance Tunes From The Cotswolds) Free Reed
* 15 February 2004 (& Dave Swarbrick, Diz Disley): Father Kelly / Skopje / Sligo Maid (4xCD - Swarb! Forty Five Years of Folk's Finest Fiddler) Free Reed
* 12 September 2004: Famous Flower Of Serving Men (CD - Waiting For Angels) Topic
* 10 October 2004: The Harry Lime Theme (CD - Waiting For Angels) Topic

2005
* 17 April 2005 (& Martin Simpson, Martin Taylor, Juan Martin): Barrack Street Stroll (CD - Martins 4) the guitar label

2006
* 05 February 2006: Famous Flower Of Serving Men (CD - Shearwater) Castle Music
* 07 May 2006: King Henry (CD - Shearwater) Castle Music

2023
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 27: Our Hamlet (boxset - The Carthy Chronicles) Free Reed

## External Links

* Wikipedia
* Discogs
* Martin Carthy Broadcast Archive