Frankie Armstrong, British singer
TyraTree
Can anyone give me some past and present Information on British singer
Frankie Armstrong ? I'd be interested in hearing anything about her
career to date, including a discography, tours, musicians and singers
she's worked/is working with, singing styles she's exploring, and such.
I followed this wonderful singer years ago and somehow lost track of her.
I'd be grateful for any information, preferably not from her agent or
record company, but from anyone who knows and enjoys her work. e-mail me
or post on the board....anything is fine. Thanks! ( Is there a board
that deals specifically with British folk music, traditional and
contemporary? I been looking for a very long time) Tyra...@aol.com
JohnR46132
: Frankie Armstrong ?
>I saw Fankie many, many years ago at a folk festival. Purchased one of
>her albums and as you would expect it is traditional Irish folk.
Frankie is not Irish, she's English.
She married an Australian several years ago, and splits her time between
London and Adelaide, last time I talked to her.
Gary Martin
:Can anyone give me some past and present Information on British singer
: Frankie Armstrong ?
>I saw Fankie many, many years ago at a folk festival. Purchased one of
>her albums and as you would expect it is traditional Irish folk.
Frankie is not Irish, she's English.
So I went to check the one Frankie Armstrong album in my collection,
_I Heard A Woman Singing_, to see if it was the traditional English
folk (or even Irish or Scottish) I'm told I would expect, and it wasn't.
Except for "Tam Lin", all of the songs are contemporary, and it even
includes one by James Taylor!
She married an Australian several years ago, and splits her time between
London and Adelaide, last time I talked to her.
--
Gary A. Martin, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, UMass Dartmouth
Mar...@cis.umassd.edu
Sean Smith
> So I went to check the one Frankie Armstrong album in my collection,
> _I Heard A Woman Singing_, to see if it was the traditional English
> folk (or even Irish or Scottish) I'm told I would expect, and it wasn't.
> Except for "Tam Lin", all of the songs are contemporary, and it even
> includes one by James Taylor!
title; came out in the early to mid-70s), which has cracking good versions
of "The Month of January," "The Female Drummer," "Little Duke Arthur's
Nurse" and "Three Drunken Maidens." There's also "Lovely on the Water,"
which might have been her first solo album (help me out here, folks)--I
think this one has all trad. stuff. Both were originally released by Topic.
If you can find it, she also appears with AL Lloyd and Anne Briggs on an
album of erotic songs--this was before she began experimenting with the
strong, Balkanesque vocal styles, so she sounds a bit different.
smt...@bcvms.bc.edu
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Steve Lemons
On this recording, Frankie Armstrong alternates with Dave Van Ronk in
singing songs of Bertolt Brecht. They also duet on at least one cut.
Recommended for fans of Armstrong, Van Ronk, or Brecht/Weill/Eisler.
This recording includes these cuts:
Mack the Knife (dvr)
The Love Market (fa)
We All Make the Bed That We Lie In (dvr)
Lullabies I,II,III/To My Countrymen/Lullaby IV (fa)
A Man is a Man (dvr)
The Song of the Little Wind (fa)
Let No One Deceive You (dvr)
Song of the Moldau (fa)
The Legend of the Dead Soldier (dvr)
Pirate Jenny (fa)
Alabama Song (dvr)
What Keeps a Man Alive? (fa)
Tango Ballad (fa & dvr)
Steve
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ghost
>If you can find it, she also appears with AL Lloyd and Anne Briggs on an
>album of erotic songs--this was before she began experimenting with the
>strong, Balkanesque vocal styles, so she sounds a bit different.
Those aren't Balkanesque, they're Watersonesque. English. Honest.
Loren Joseph MacGregor
In article <3fd00v$q...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, johnr...@aol.com
(JohnR46132) wrote as follows:
>
> Frankie is not Irish, she's English.
>
> She married an Australian several years ago, and splits her time between
> London and Adelaide, last time I talked to her.
This doesn't really say much except that you know her, at least to talk
to, and doesn't answer the first poster's question.
I don't really know a great deal about her either, except that she has one
of the great singing/shouting voices, and has a tremendous stage presence
as well. (Plus one great surprise, which I didn't realize until she LEFT
the stage at a break with her singing companions of the evening, Leon
Rosselson and Roy Bailey. I will leave this as a surprise for anyone who
has the fortune to see her.) I believe she has recorded onFuse Records,
the address of which (as of a few years ago) was 28 Park Chase, Wembley,
Middlesex, HA9 8EH; perhaps writing to that address would garner you more
information.
She has a strong, forceful delivery which can be fierce enough to strip
paint off the walls, and yet again be tender and loving. A wonderful
singer.
jo...@netcom.com
> In article <smthsen-17...@136.167.52.24> smt...@bcvms.bc.edu (Sean Smith) writes:
> >If you can find it, she also appears with AL Lloyd and Anne Briggs on an
> >album of erotic songs--this was before she began experimenting with the
> >strong, Balkanesque vocal styles, so she sounds a bit different.
"The Bird in the Bush." Lovely recording; also on Topic, I think.
> Those aren't Balkanesque, they're Watersonesque. English. Honest.
Well, she claims they're Balkanesque. I went to a voice workshop she gave
at a folk festival a number of years ago, and she mentioned that the style
she was teaching -- which I can't do to save my life, incidentally -- was
inspired by the Balkan music she'd been listening to at the time.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-__ __ /_ Jon Berger "If you push something hard enough,
//_// //_/ jo...@netcom.com it will fall over."
_/ --------- - Fudd's First Law of Opposition
ghost
>ghost (j...@endor.harvard.edu) wrote:
>> In article <smthsen-17...@136.167.52.24> smt...@bcvms.bc.edu (Sean Smith) writes:
>> >If you can find it, she also appears with AL Lloyd and Anne Briggs on an
>> >album of erotic songs--this was before she began experimenting with the
>> >strong, Balkanesque vocal styles, so she sounds a bit different.
>"The Bird in the Bush." Lovely recording; also on Topic, I think.
>> Those aren't Balkanesque, they're Watersonesque. English. Honest.
>Well, she claims they're Balkanesque. I went to a voice workshop she gave
>at a folk festival a number of years ago, and she mentioned that the style
>she was teaching -- which I can't do to save my life, incidentally -- was
>inspired by the Balkan music she'd been listening to at the time.
Hey, if she says its Balkanesque, & that it was inspired by listening to
Balkan music, she should know. For some reason, though, despite her stated
influences, she winds up sounding like a whole host of English singers,
trad types & revivalists alike (Watersons, Copper Family, Young Tradition,
Steeleye Span, Roberts & Barrand, Weber & Fentimen etc. etc., not to mention
Lloyd himself). She *doesn't* do those tight-vibrato wails, or those
little yelps at the ends of phrases that Balkan singers do all the time
(at least not on the cuts I've heard).
A lot of the tunes that I've been for some reason led to believe were suggested
by Lloyd seem to have definite Balkanesque rhythm patterns over them in the
treatment they get from Martin Carthy or Nic Jones, a lot more
noticeably than in those same or similar tunes done by others.
[The tune for "Sovay" *without* that catchy rhythm appears *somewhere*
in Sacred Harp; if I ever hear it again (its not an often-sung song, I
guess) I'll write down the name.]
There is the theory Alan Lomax propounds on the backs of albums
(& probably in books too; I should stop spending all my time reading usenet
articles) wherein all this kind of singing is supposed to belong to a style
family which reaches from the Middle East (into India? &) to the Balkans, &
includes Britain. Sounds fine by me; don't know how popular this theory is
today. It should be just as easy to invent without any familial/historical
ties; if you want to be heard over long distancs, these styles are much
more effective & less exhausting than the loud voice achieved by operatic
techniques. My technophobic boss has vetoed the use of an intercom; I use
this kind of voice to give messages in here all the time. (If we raised
pigs in here, I'm *sure* they'd come running. It also works really well to
get the attention of cats, though it doesn't get much else from them.)
Anyone can do any of these styles, same as anyone can sing in their
"normal speaking voice", which, depending where they were raised, may or may
not be in this style. The trick is to go somewhere where you're not feeling
like a fool for trying & try. Its much harder to get some sound going softly
than it is to get it going loudly; this applies to the popular American
singing styles as well as any of these alien-sounding styles, yet people
always try to sing softly so as not to disturb the horses, then get upset
& convinced they can't do it when it doesn't come out right (or on tune).
Richard Lindgren
fascinating Christmas song, which began:
"It was no picnic, it was no picture postcard..."
Is this on a recording somewhere?
--
Rick Lindgren, 7262...@compuserve.com
Chris Timson
: In article <smthsen-17...@136.167.52.24> smt...@bcvms.bc.edu (Sean
:
In the mid seventies we went to a weekly workshop in vocal development
she and Brian Pearson used to run in London. She had us singing all
sorts of Balkan stuff. It was a very heavy influence on her singing
(and on ours since). Honest.
--
Chris Timson Have concertinas, will travel
and Phone 01225 863762
Anne Gregson Global disclaimer: who, us?
ghost
>In article <3fh1s9$3...@necco.harvard.edu> j...@endor.harvard.edu " ghost " writes:
>
>: In article <smthsen-17...@136.167.52.24> smt...@bcvms.bc.edu (Sean
>: Smith) writes:
>: >If you can find it, she also appears with AL Lloyd and Anne Briggs on an
>: >album of erotic songs--this was before she began experimenting with the
>: >strong, Balkanesque vocal styles, so she sounds a bit different.
>: Those aren't Balkanesque, they're Watersonesque. English. Honest.
>In the mid seventies we went to a weekly workshop in vocal development
>she and Brian Pearson used to run in London. She had us singing all
>sorts of Balkan stuff. It was a very heavy influence on her singing
>(and on ours since). Honest.
Who else attended these workshops?
If you tell me that all the Watersons & Coppers too were at these workshops
I'm going to be a little disillusioned.
Seriously:
Locally (Boston area), Anne Goodwin & Annabelle Graetz were the core
of the 1st Balkan group I ever heard, Laduvane, which was actually a bunch
of Americans, of non-Balkan descent for the most part, trying to
"sing Balkan" & coming pretty close as far as I can tell by comparison
with the same records, & later live people, they learned from.
(I 1st heard them in the lobby of the main MIT building some time before
the early 80s.) The timings, language & ornamentations were strange to me,
but not the voice; I had already heard that from Sylvia Fricker (later Tyson)
on all my Ian & Sylvia records. I'd also heard it from the Carter Family, but
dismissed it as "hillbilly stuff" because the Carters were mostly singing
sing-songy major-key stuff which I didn't like all that much at the time
("Little Darlin', Pal of Mine" etc), & Sylvia was singing spooky modal
stuff which I've always loved ("Awake Ye Drowsy Sleepers", "I'll Bid My
Heart Be Still"). I grew up hearing Jewish cantorial prayer chants on all
of the 1200 (slight exageration) Jewish holidays, which use a somewhat-related
voice on modal music, but with a very north-African (blues-related) style
of ornamentation. I have no idea where Sylvia Fricker picked up her
style of singing; she's from southern Ontario (Chatham, I think), across
the big lake from Ohio, but I had never heard anybody in a non-religious
context sing like that in my part of northern Ohio.
The "quality of voice" for all these styles (& Cajun singing as well, &
I'm probably leaving 6 more types out) is related; learn one, you'll
probably be able to figure out the others. The ornamentations, or lack of
them, are very different; use one on the music of another & you'll get
anything from bemused appreciation to righteous indignation from people
steeped in only one style. Anne & Annabelle were also a duo called
"Wild Rose" in the 80s, singing a lot of Silly Sisters-type material; they
didn't use Balkan ornaments on these songs, but the voice was otherwise
similar. I've think I've heard Annabelle, who's been teaching "singing for
nonsingers" (& probably for a few singers as well) for 20 years, say in a
radio interview that she started out with formal classical voice training;
she doesn't let that style leak into the folk stuff.
I attended a southern Sacred Harp singing last summer at which one of the
altos *was* using Balkan-style yelps at the end of lines sometimes; I later
heard that a lot of people from the area had met with the Balkan Womens' Radio
Choir (Mysterious Voices of etc) when they came through. I don't know if the
woman I heard was in this local group, or, wherever she's from, if she has
always used Balkan-style ornaments or whether she picked them up because she
thought they sounded neat. If *everyone* had picked them up I'd not have
heard what I came down to hear, but there's no way you can, or should keep
styles of music from influencing each other.
JohnR46132
>>she and Brian Pearson used to run in London. She had us singing all
>>sorts of Balkan stuff. It was a very heavy influence on her singing
>>(and on ours since). Honest.
>Who else attended these workshops?
If I remember right, Frankie learned Balkan-style vocalizing from Ethel
Raim, who was then singing with The Pennywhistlers, which was a New
York-based women's singing group that did a lot of Balkan stuff.
Ian Anderson
>
> I once heard Frankie sing a song called (I believe) Anti-Carol, a
> fascinating Christmas song, which began:
> "It was no picnic, it was no picture postcard..."
> Is this on a recording somewhere?
It is, or was. The song was written by John Pole, and Frankie's version
of it was a compulsory annual turntable visitor at Christmas time on
my radio shows until some blighter nicked the album with it on. Which
is why I can't give you more details. Not on CD, I suspect. Anybody?
Ian Anderson (Folk Roots)
Ipomoea
From: Ian Anderson <fro...@cityscape.co.uk>
Date: 2 Feb 1995 23:21:57 GMT
Message-ID: <3grpel$2...@ns.cityscape.co.uk>
Ian Anderson (Folk Roots)
---------------------------------------------
'Anti-Carol' has probably been recorded by other folks as well. It was
very very esteemed by the contemporary folk crowd in England (and
elsewhere, I'm sure) at the time ....and obviously still is. I have some
live tapes of John Pole and others singing it (Frankie probably
too...have to go hunt for them)....I guess they'd be called bootlegs, if I
were in the market, come to think of it! I also have the original
published words and music, which I'll be happy to pass along (words, at
least....) if anyone wants them, assuming copyright will be protected in
this manner.
Chris Timson
fro...@cityscape.co.uk "Ian Anderson" writes:
: Richard Lindgren <7262...@CompuServe.COM> wrote:
: >
: > I once heard Frankie sing a song called (I believe) Anti-Carol, a
: > fascinating Christmas song <SNIP>
:
: It is, or was. The song was written by John Pole <SNIP>
:
Going off thread, over the years I have heard a very few songs by John
Pole, one of which (Punch & Judy) I sing myself, and without exception
they were BRILLIANT. I once heard him sing P & J in a club in London
in the mid 70's but since then nothing. I believe he was part of the
same Critics Group type crowd as Frankie but I know nothing else.
Can anyone tell me anything about John Pole, his songs etc. I would
love to know.
TyraTree
> Going off thread, over the years I have heard a very few songs by John
>Pole, one of which (Punch & Judy) I sing myself, and without exception
>they were BRILLIANT. I once heard him sing P & J in a club in London
>in the mid 70's but since then nothing. I believe he was part of the
> Critics Group type crowd as Frankie but I know nothing else.Can anyone
tell me anything >about John Pole, his songs etc. I would
love to know.
-ask Chris Timson and Anne Gregson
##################################################
Seems I started the thread on Frankie Armstrong (and I'm so glad I
did....I found out more than I ever expected to discover....all really
nice .... and it's good to know how appreciated she was and is). From
there, there's begun a John Pole thread. Since I haven't seen or heard
anything of John Pole since the days in the mid 70's (that you refer to)
at a venue known as The Singers Club in North London, I'm sure you'll get
much more up-to-date responses
(I hope). The man was (perhaps is) a brilliant song writer....music and
words coming from a place no one could quite figure out....definitely in
the folk tradition but something almost otherworldly, too (not a word
anyone used to describe him then, for sure). Listen to AntiCarol, and
Punch and Judy, and Jack the Lad, etc. Powerful, chilling, charged
songs. He was a school teacher when I knew him (not closely...just
another person on the scene
...but I was there for his first performances of many of his songs,
including the ones mentioned. People sat in their seats, stunned, for
Jack the Lad, and AntiCarol.) He was in demand to sing his songs, but I
think he preferred others to sing them, although he did sing on occasion.
I have a Singers Club tape of him singing at least one of the
abovementioned songs. I also have some broadside type printings of John
Pole material...the very first published material...before anyone recorded
the music. Anyway....I always wanted to know if he kept going....he was
very prolific and everything was at least very good, usually much better
than good....brilliant, as you say. Some songs, if I remember, were
rather difficult to sing....the intensity and the structure interwove to
create something so powerful that only he seemed to be able to sing these.
At least at the time. Anyway.....I hope you find more contemporary
information about John Pole and his music. It shouldn't be too difficult
for people in London to track this down. I look forward to reading about
...3000 miles and 20 years away! ('Ats a way to do it, says
Punchinella...!) Tyra (Tyra...@aol.com)