Music Videos | Directory | Search | Top Artists | Shows | Music Forums | Music Classifieds | Artist Signup 

Shirley Collins
Folk

""One of England's greatest cultural treasures""


United Kingdom

Profile Views:  15718




Last Login:  6/18/2008
View My: Pics | Videos

   Contacting Shirley Collins

 MySpace URL: 
  http://www.myspace.com/shirleycollinsmusic  

   Shirley Collins: General Info
Member Since9/7/2006
Band Websiteshirleycollins.co.uk
Sounds LikeSweet english honey.
Record LabelFledg'ling
Type of LabelIndie







Shirley Collins's Latest Blog Entry  [Subscribe to this Blog]

[View All Blog Entries]

   About Shirley Collins
(This site is not run or managed by Shirley Collins directly, but run by a fan. All songs (c) their respective owners. I encourage anyone who enjoys the music on this page to go out and buy the records. In fact, you can now buy them right here.)

Shirley Collins News:

March 2008:
There was an article about Shirley in The Guardian... read it here. She was also interviewed in this months Mojo.

Feb 2008:
Shirley received a Good Tradition Award at this year’s BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards on Monday February 4th at The Brewery in London. It was presented to her by Graham Coxon of Blur. Along with John McCusker on fiddle, Graham sang Shirley’s version of Just As The Tide Was A-Flowin’ in tribute. Congratulations Shirley! (More info here)

Shirley is to curate, present and perform in a series of events on London’s South Bank between March 25th and March 30th. All the events look good, so if you live in London, check them out here!

Sussex Tales
(This brilliant biography is by/copyright of David Suff of the Bees Knees website.)

Shirley and Dolly Collins have long been regarded as pivotal figures in the English folk song revival of the 1960’s and ’70’s. Shirley’s beautiful singing style, apparently lacking any affectation, has earned her accolades such as "the first lady of folk". Dolly’s contributions to their recordings were by comparison often overlooked. Her sensitive accompaniment on piano and portative organ and marvellous arrangements have rarely been equalled in the past three decades. Alongside her work with Shirley, Dolly was the arranger on the late Peter Bellamy’s masterful ’The Transports’, as well as his unrecorded ’We Have Fed Our Seas’. She also worked on albums by the Incredible String Band, Ian Matthews, Mark Ellington, Chris Darrow and Tony Rose.

Shirley and Dolly grew up in the Hastings area of East Sussex. Their Mother’s family kept alive a great love of traditional song. Songs learnt from Grandfather and Aunt Grace were to be important in the Sister’s repertoire through-out their career. Their uncle, F C Ball - the author of ’A Breath Of Fresh Air’ - encouraged the sisters to listen to a wide variety of music, especially the work of Monteverdi and Purcell.

Through a remarkable series of influential recordings, Shirley and Dolly helped to introduce many innovations into the English folk revival. In 1964, Shirley recorded the landmark jazz-folk fusion of ’Folk Roots, New Routes’, with Davy Graham. 1967 saw the essentially southern English song collection, ’Sweet Primeroses’, on which she was accompanied by Dolly’s vocals and portative organ; and an exuberant collaboration with Mike Heron and Robin Williamson - of the Incredible String Band - resulted in ’The Power Of The True Love Knot’ in 1968.

’Anthems In Eden’, 1969, featured a suite of songs centred around the changes in rural England brought about by the First World War, had a terrific impact upon recorded folk music. The glorious and unusual ensemble of early music instruments - rebecs, sackbuts, crumhorns and all - proved once and for all that the guitar was not the only appropriate accompaniment for folk song. Several critics have suggested that it is impossible to imagine that electric accompaniment for traditional song, as successfully purveyed by Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span, could have developed quite as it did without the pioneering ’Anthems In Eden’. All these recordings strove to marry a deep love and understanding of the English folk music heritage with a more contemporary attitude to musical settings. ’Anthems In Eden’ was followed by the starkly beautiful ’Love, Death & The Lady’, and ’No Roses’ recorded in 1971 with the 25 musicians of the Albion Country Band was a further experiment that grew into a triumph. A bench mark of British folk-rock.

During the mid-1970’s, Shirley and Ashley Hutchings led the all acoustic Etchingham Steam Band with Terry Potter, Ian Holder and Vic Gammon, around the folk club and festival circuit. The Etchingham’s repertoire was drawn from the traditional music of Shirley’s beloved Sussex. With The Albion Dance Band - a crusading, brave dance band performing traditional material on a curious mixture of modern (electric) and mediaeval instruments, Shirley recorded ’The Prospect Before Us’.

1978’s ’For As Many As Will’ was the last album recorded by Shirley and Dolly Collins. Shirley soon retired from public performance. Dolly continued with her composition including a full-scale secular mass.

Few singers of the English folk revival have attempted as much on record as Shirley Collins - an extraordinary combination of fragility and power. "I like music to be fairly straightforward, simply embellished, - the performance without histrionics allowing you to think about the song rather than telling you what to think."

Shirley was awarded an MBE in the 2007 New Year’s Honours List for Services to Music. The award was presented by HRH The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace on May 8th 2007.She was also awarded the Honorary Degree Master of the University by the Open University for Notable Contribution to Education and Culture
Shirley is patron of South East Folk Arts Network and Folk South West.


If there are any songs in particular that you would like me to put on this page, please leave a comment.

   Shirley Collins's Friend Space (Top 12)
Shirley Collins has 1173 friends.
 Alan Lomax 


 Fledg'ling 


 David Tibet 


 Robin Williamson tribute page 


 Stewart Lee 


 Fairport Convention 


 English Dance & Song 


 The Green Man Festival 


 Ian Anderson 


 Lisa Knapp 


 Charlotte Greig 


 Beard 





Shirley Collins's Friends Comments
Displaying 50 of 149 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
THE RAYEES





Jul 17 2008 2:59 PM

I totally love ur sound, original and... fierce!

:)
THE RAYEES





Jun 27 2008 5:34 PM

Love the sound!!! Just saying...

:)
Tim Cheatle





Jun 18 2008 5:47 PM

Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!
Mary Hampton





Jun 16 2008 3:19 AM

THE RAYEES





Jun 3 2008 2:29 PM

love your voice honey
Sideways Through Sound Radio





May 29 2008 9:09 PM

You got radio airplay in Australia!!

www. sidewaysthroughsound. com
SQUIRRELHEAD





May 21 2008 10:46 AM

TOM PALEY’S OLD TIME MOONSHINE MEDICINE SHOW
Featuring-TOM PALEY & his friends-ROBIN GILLAN,DAVE STACEY
& THE LOST MARBLE STRING BAND,with support from top London country singer songwriter-ALAN TYLER & BRIGID POWER –RYCE.

Photobucket
Photobucket


Online Videos by Veoh. com
A Mundane Effort





May 21 2008 3:48 AM

Thanks, your influence crosses borders..

Came to us, and ispired us.. Thanks

J&L
Thistles & Thorns





May 20 2008 5:28 PM

your music has had such an influence on me.

thank you.
Défilé des âmes





May 18 2008 10:05 AM

thank you for the add/request ...
.. “Lust and Carnal desire “ ..more truthful terms to describe “Love” ..
.. Défilé des âmes ...
www. defiledesames. com
BONANZA





May 14 2008 9:28 AM

Hope you can make it along to our 1st Birthday party...
Free champagne...FOR THE EARLY BIRDS!
Bonanza Presents:
'TRIPPING IN THE COUNTRY'
Thursday 15th May 2008
@ Bardens Boudoir,

'Cosmic Ladies Night'
Featuring:Mary Epworth & The Jubilee Band
Gemma Ray
Brigid Power-Ryce
+Guest DJ:
'Spooky Lady's Sideshow'
Photobucket
MISTRAL





May 14 2008 8:22 AM

hi Shirley , thanx for the add ! lovely music !
Roberto
Abraham





May 13 2008 5:19 PM

-ms. shirley collins-

hello, how do you do?
thank you for the love.

from japan
-abraham-
JULY AND NORA SISTERS





May 13 2008 12:04 PM

Thanks!
Lovely Music!!!
Greetings
J&N
Stella Black





May 12 2008 10:36 AM

Greetings and welcome, Shirley. I am happy to have your friendship.

If you get a chance...stop by my BLOG. Looking forward to getting to know you.

Stella Black
XX
James Goi Jr.





May 11 2008 9:21 PM

Hi Shirley,

I wish you great success in all you are doing.

May you always prosper and thrive.

Peace & Plenty.....James
oldεr ... ✈





May 11 2008 9:09 PM

hi ! :]
Pamela Wyn Shannon





May 1 2008 7:45 AM

Photobucket
Happy Beltane!
SQUIRRELHEAD





Apr 8 2008 9:14 AM

Come Down and Meet the Folks Old Time Moonshine Medicine Show Featuring Tom Paley and Friends

Hypothesis: Imagine finding out that a legendary & influential Blues singer, say Bukka White or Lightnin’ Hopkins was alive and well - and living just down the road from you, right here in North West London – and none of your friends knew about him?
Imagine further still that you and your friends were part of a thriving local Blues scene on which you’d recently been dj-ing rather a lot, and that you were in a position to offer said singer a gig? You’d do something about it – right? A romantic notion I hear you say? Not so!!

The man in question is not Lightnin’ or Bukka, and he’s not strictly a Blues singer (although Blues is certainly a part of his repertoire). He’s Tom Paley – a singer and player of traditional American folk songs who played with Woody Guthrie as a duo at several small gigs and union meetings and at the famous Leadbelly memorial concert in 1950. Tom was a formative influence on the young Bob Dylan (the Martin Scorcese documentary ‘No Direction Home’ features extensive footage of Tom withThe New Lost City Ramblers).

The scene in question is not strictly a Blues scene either (although Blues is certainly one of the main ingredients in the Gumbo), but the hub of London’s burgeoning Americana/Alt Country movement. It’s ‘Come Down and Meet the Folks’ – a twice monthly, free Sunday affair – hosted by much loved and respected Country singer songwriter Alan Tyler - at a wonderful old pub called The Apple Tree on Mount Pleasant, just off Rosebury Avenue.

Tom, who turned 80 last week, was born and raised in New York City where, in 1945 he learned to play banjo and guitar. Although he first recorded in 1953 (a 10” LP of mountain songs for the Electra label), he gained wider recognition on forming the New Lost City Ramblers in 1958 with Mike Seeger (Pete’s half brother) and John Cohen. They
Recorded extensively for the folkways label
SQUIRRELHEAD





Apr 8 2008 9:12 AM

and played on the same bill as such legends of Old Time music as Clarence Ashley, Doc Watson and Roscoe Holcomb. After a couple of years living in Sweden, Tom moved to London at the end of 1965 and in the 1970s took up the fiddle, adding Swedish fiddle tunes to his eclectic repertoire. Tom still plays regularly and hosts a weekly Old Timey session at a small pub not a stone’s throw from ‘Come Down and Meet the Folks’, where he’ll be playing with varied accompaniment from his friends on Sunday 13th April…Y’all come!

Ski “Squirrel Head” Williams
BONANZA





Apr 6 2008 7:49 AM

This band will change your life... well, your night, that’s for sure!

So saddle up for Brent Amaker and The Rodeo... Yeeee haaaaa!

Photobucket

Power's Acoustic Room,
332 Kilburn High Road,
NW6.

Tuesday 8th April '08
+ Dennis Hopper Choppers
+Emit Bloch

+ Very special guest DJ ANDREW WEATHERALL

+BONANZA DJ SET

Hear Brent Amaker & The Rodeo live in session
Monday 7th April 8-9pm
on Resonance 104.4FM

or online www. resonancefm. com
AND see them live on stage Tuesday 8th April...
The Soft Sunflower





Apr 1 2008 9:47 PM

Thank you for being our friend!
Peace, love & music from Washington State
-Griffin
Philip G Martin





Apr 1 2008 3:27 AM

Really excellent feature on BBC Radio 4. Thank's for what must be 50 years of introducing the world to 500+ years of good music.
>>---LA--FLECHE-->





Mar 27 2008 5:34 PM



... 4 the add!!
...>>>----La--FLECHE--->


Sílvio Lamanche





Mar 20 2008 12:55 PM

Thanks for the friendship! Greetings from PortugalPhotobucket
Chaos As Shelter





Mar 20 2008 10:11 AM

Many thanks for the add!
V
Radioboy in a Polaroid





Mar 20 2008 9:53 AM

Thanks for the Add!!im a huge fan greetings from Chile!!
ALL AMERICAN DOUCHE





Mar 17 2008 7:07 AM

yo how things going? your page is looking slick! anyway, i just grabbed some tight new ringers from www.tonetomyphone.info for FREE! they have the coolest selection!
GARLAND





Mar 16 2008 7:33 PM

EXCITING DEBUT ALBUM *OUT NOW*

Photobucket
CHRIS - PHOTOGRAPHER





Mar 13 2008 10:04 PM

hi ShirleyCollins

go to www.bogbod.com track who views your page
Real Wood Records





Mar 9 2008 4:12 PM



http://www.myspace.com/steveashleymusic

~
Rambles.NET Reviews





Mar 9 2008 12:00 PM

Hello! Thanks for adding Rambles.NET to your MySpace friends list!

If you would like your music to be featured on our site, please consider sending a couple of review CDs our way. (You can find our mailing address through our page.) We love to share new music with our readers -- it’s why we do what we do!

Cheers,
Tom Knapp, Rambles.NET editor
Flutelf /Radio Producer





Feb 27 2008 5:20 PM

Photobucket
The Gift of Vision





Feb 26 2008 10:29 AM

Hi!, thanks a lot for accept my request, hope you like my music project, feel free to post your opinion about it.

Hope to hear from you!

greetings from México
The Enchanted Wood





Feb 25 2008 3:44 AM

WalkaboutsVerse


Is Online


Feb 22 2008 7:19 AM

After you've finished here, you may like to hear this poem sung on myspace -

2 of 230, walkaboutsverse. 741. com: WALKABOUT WITH MY PEN

Once drove an old sedan, up north,
From a place in Sydney to Cairns;
Then to Kuranda I went forth,
By train, to look without set plans.

I browsed through the trendy market,
With fresh fruits of tropical kind;
Walked to the creek through lush thicket -
Nature’s hand giving peace of mind.

I dined in a scenic cafe;
Then, outside, as I wrote for yen,
Some passing Kooris called-out: “Hey,
You go walkabout with your pen.”

Request or question, I don’t know -
Assured voices, elderly men.
That’s now several years ago,
And I’ve seen the world - with my pen.

(C) David Franks 2003

76 of 230, walkaboutsverse. 741. com: LAND RIGHTS

If there is a good thing
From the Second World War
It’s that most peoples learnt
To conquer lands no more.

In Africa, Asia,
And the Pacific, too:
Post-war independence -
Steps only bigots rue.

But for some indigenes,
Outnumbered much-too-much,
It has all come too late
For liberty, as such.

So ‘tis in Australia,
And America’s sites,
Where the best now, I think,
Is to respect land rights.

(C) David Franks 2003
Voices and Visions