Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. The Humpback Whale - Nic Jones
2. Angi - Davy Graham
3. The Shaskeen Reel - John Wright
4. The Lancashire Toreadors - The Oldham Tinkers
5. Sullivan's March - Pat Mitchell
6. San Francisco Bay Blues - Jesse Fuller
7. Country Gardens - William Kimber
8. Tamlyn - Mike Waterson
9. The Air for Maurice Ogg / Jumping Jack / The Air for Maurice Ogg - Alistair Anderson
10. Creeping Jane - Joseph Taylor
11. Wasps In The Woodpile - Andrew Cronshaw
12. Prince Heathen - Martin Carthy with Dave Swarbrick
13. The Bonny Labouring Boy - Harry Cox
14. Rawtenstall Annual Fair - Lee Nicholson
15. Music For A Found Harmonium - Patrick Street
16. Bitter Withy - John Tams

Disc 2:

1. The Nut Dance (excerpt) - The Britannia Coconut Dancers
2. Spencer The Rover - Bob and Ron Copper
3. All Things Are Quite Silent - Shirley Collins
4. Blackwater Side - Anne Briggs
5. The Two Magicians - A L Lloyd
6. Scan's Polkas - Oak
7. The Crafty Maid's Policy - Frankie Armstrong
8. A Place Called England - June Tabor
9. When I Die - Peter Bellamy
10. The Bold Princess Royal - Sam Larner
11. Hal-An-Tow - The Watersons
12. We Shepherds Are The Best of Men - Fred Jordan
13. The Rose Of Britain's Isle / Glorishears - John Kirkpatrick and Sue Harris
14. Riding Down To Portsmouth - Tom Willett
15. Higher Germany - Phoebe Smith
16. The Ideal Schottische - The Cheviot Ranters
17. The Methody Parson - Roy Harris
18. The Maid And The Palmer - Brass Monkey
19. Hopping Down In Kent - Louie Fuller
20. The Devil And The Farmer's Wife - Walter Pardon

Disc 3:

1. The Rising Sun / The Pope's Toe - Jackie Daly
2. The Waterford Boys - Paddy Tunney
3. The Banks Of Red Roses - Sarah Makem
4. Gillan's Apples / The Prize Jig - John Doonan & John Wright
5. Slieve Gallon Brae - The Mcpeake Family
6. Paddy Ryan's Dream / Mamma's Pet - Seamus Tansey With Reg Hall
7. My Irish Molly O - The Flanagan Brothers
8. The Blackbird - Seamus Ennis
9. The Factory Girl - Margaret Barry
10. Roaring Mary / The Old Torn Petticoat - The Irish Country Four
11. Spailpina Run - Sean Mac Donnchadha
12. The Choice Wife - Willie Clancy
13. The Tinker's Old Budget - Mary Ann Carolan
14. Padraig O'keefe's / Con Cassidy's - The Boys Of The Lough
15. Dowd's Favourite - Hugh Gillespie
16. Wife Of The Bold Tenant Farmer - Joe Heaney
17. The Music In The Glen / The Greenfields Of America - The O'halloran Brothers
18. The Knight Templar's Dream - Len Graham
19. The Yellow Tinker / The Humours Of Scarriff - Sean O'shea & Bobby Casey
20. He Rolled Her To The Wall - Frank Harte
21. The Heather Breeze / The Traveller - The Russell Family
22. The Patriot Game - Dominic Behan
23. The Belfast Hornpipe / The Rights Of Man - John Rea
24. Bridie Morley / Duignan's Favourite - Packie Duignan & Seamus Horan

Disc 4:

1. Miss Drummond Of Perth / Fiddler's Joy / Traditional Reel / The Shetland Reel - Battlefield Band
2. Come All Ye Fisher Lasses - The Fisher Family
3. Queen Among The Heather - Belle Stewart
4. Cullen Bay / Jig O'slurs / Seagull - Kentigern
5. Wi My Roving Eye - Norman Kennedy
6. Blue Bleezin' Blind Drunk - Cilla Fisher
7. Soldier's Joy - Tom Anderson & Aly Bain
8. The Dowie Dens Of Yarrow - Gordeanna Mcculloch
9. Erin Go Bragh - Dick Gaughan
10. Young Jimmy Foyers - Sheila Stewart
11. Kempy Kaye - Jock Tamson's Bairns
12. Lady Eliza - Winnie Campbell
13. Tilley Plump / Auld Foula Reel / Oot And In Da Harbour - Curlew
14. Herd Laddie O' The Glen - Willie Scott
15. The Fireman's Not For Me - Isla Cameron
16. Dance With Me, Morag - Isabel Sutherland
17. The Wind That Blew The Bonnie Lassie's Plaidie Awa' - Jimmy Mcbeath
18. Maccrimmon's Lament - Jeannie Robertson
19. The Gallant Forty Twa - Ian Manuel
20. The Twa Corbies - Ray & Archie Fisher
21. Boulavogue - Davie Stewart
22. The Wandering Piper - John Burgess

Disc 5:

1. Unity (Raise Your Banners High) - John Tams
2. The Dominion of the Sword - Martin Carthy
3. The Sun Is Burning - The Ian Campbell Folk Group
4. Go Down Ye Murderers - Ewan Maccoll
5. Police Patrol - Bob Davenport
6. Two Tears - Eliza Carthy
7. Never Any Good - Martin Simpson
8. Both Sides of the Tweed - Dick Gaughan
9. George's Son - John Kirkpatrick with Brass Monkey
10. Reconciliation - Ron Kavana
11. Stumbling On - Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight
12. Acceptable Losses - John B Spencer
13. Ships of Shame - Steve Ashley
14. The Land of Three Rivers - Vin Garbutt
15. No Telling - Linda Thompson
16. Dust - Johnny Handle
17. Two-Fisted Heroes - Bill Caddick

Disc 6:

1. The Man Who Watered the Worker's Beer - Paddy Ryan
2. Talking Union Blues - Pete Seeger
3. Joe Hill - Paul Robeson
4. Masters of War - Martin Simpson
5. The Red Flag - Bob Smith's Ideal Band
6. The Blackleg Miners - Louis Killen
7. No Power On Earth - Billy Bennett
8. The Internationale - The Topic Singers & Band
9. To the Begging I Will Go - Ewan Maccoll
10. The Hand-Loom Weaver's Lament - Harry Boardman
11. The Rigs of the Time - Shirley Collins
12. Greedy Landlord - Stan Kelly With Leon Rosselson
13. Time to Ring Some Changes - Richard Thompson
14. Sixteen Tons - Ewan Maccoll
15. Peat Bog Soldiers - The Ian Campbell Folk Group
16. Aa'm Glad The Strike's Done - The High Level Ranters
17. Threes Score and Ten - The Watersons
18. Dirty Old Town - Ewan Maccoll
19. The Liverpool Barrow Boys - The Spinners
20. The Weaver's March - The Celebrated Working Men's Band
21. We Poor Labouring Men - Waterson:Carthy
22. Perfumes Of Arabia - Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick
23. Hot Asphalt - Bob Davenport & The Rakes

Disc 7:

1. Skye Crofter's / The Swallow Tail - Billy Pigg
2. While Gamekeeper's Lie Sleeping - June Tabor
3. Boi Se Otvori - Roza Tsetkova
4. Barleycorn - Tim Van Eyken
5. The Girl on the Greenbriar Shore - Tom Paley & Peggy Seeger
6. The Happy One-Step / Green Willis - The House Band
7. Clyde Water - Nic Jones
8. Baranca - Vlado & Nikola Robanovski
9. Georgie - Levi Smith
10. Jenny Lind - Scan Tester & Rabbidy Baxter
11. Worcester City - Eliza Carthy
12. Talking Dustbowl Blues - Ramblin' Jack Elliott
13. Kaba Vence - Refki Taho, Hysen Zizolli & Ahmet Metolli
14. The Green Banks of Yarrow - Alison Mcmorland & Peta Webb
15. Johnny, Will You Marry Me? - Dan Sullivan's Shamrock Band
16. Hamburger - Polka Fra Hardanger - Vestlandsgruppa
17. Hedger And Ditcher - The Silly Sisters
18. Burren No. 1 / Chris Droney's Favourite - Chris Droney
19. Nna Hamu - The Jauharah Orchestra
20. Little Sadie - Hedy West
21. Fulmine - Andy Cutting (Blowzabella)
22. No One Stands Alone - Blue Murder

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1058 in Music
• Released on: 2009-09-14
• Number of discs: 7
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: 2.76 pounds

Mojo - 5 Stars
"Tony Engle and set curator / producer David Suff have worked wonders to turn a daunting project into a package of real beauty that leaves you in no doubt to its artistic importance... but is a lot of fun too."

Uncut - 5 Stars
"Topic Record's 70th birthday present to the World...you can hear a world moving through altered states"

Songlines - 5 Stars
"You half imagine yourself descending in some sonic submersible as you ease your way into the extraordinary body of music contained in Three Score & Ten, Topic Record's 70th birthday gift to itself and its listeners"

Customer Reviews

Seventy years recording the voice of the people
David Suff, of Fledg'ling records fame, has produced a worthy celebration of Topic records' seventy years giving a voice to the people. Amazon has provided a pretty good description of what the package contains so I will just add that the book is actually 11" square rather than the 10" quoted, and was designed by Phil Smee - always a good credit on any CD!

At the time of writing there is no track listing provided by Amazon, so I'll add this list in the hope that it may prove useful. The set kicks off with Nic Jones from possibly my favourite Topic album of all time - Penguin Eggs -and continues with some of the best music from the British Isles - and further - from the last seventy years. Even both sides of the first 78rpm single are included - The Man Who Watered The Worker's Beer by PADDY RYAN backed with the Internationale by The TOPIC SINGERS & BAND.

Three Score & Ten is a must for anyone interested in how music, politics and history have enabled a small red label to outlive its competitors and imitators over the years, and remain valid and relevant today. It sounds good for its age and represents excellent value for money too! Highly recommended!

CD one - a selection of treasures from the Topic catalogue
1 The Humpback Whale ~ NIC JONES
2 Angi ~ DAVY GRAHAM
3 The Shaskeen Reel ~ JOHN WRIGHT
4 The Lancashire Toreadors ~ The OLDHAM TINKERS
5 Sullivan's March ~ PAT MITCHELL
6 San Francisco Bay Blues ~ JESSE FULLER
7 Country Gardens ~ WILLIAM KIMBER
8 Tamlyn ~ MIKE WATERSON
9 The Air for Maurice Ogg / Jumping Jack / The Air for Maurice Ogg ~ ALISTAIR ANDERSON
10 Creeping Jane ~ JOSEPH TAYLOR
11 Wasps In The Woodpile ~ ANDREW CRONSHAW
12 Prince Heathen ~ MARTIN CARTHY with DAVE SWARBRICK
13 The Bonny Labouring Boy ~ HARRY COX
14 Rawtenstall Annual Fair ~ LEE NICHOLSON
15 Music For A Found Harmonium ~ PATRICK STREET
16 Bitter Withy ~ JOHN TAMS

CD two : England Arise!
1 The Nut Dance (excerpt) ~ The BRITANNIA COCONUT DANCERS
2 Spencer The Rover ~ BOB & RON COPPER
3 All Things Are Quite Silent ~ SHIRLEY COLLINS
4 Blackwater Side ~ ANNE BRIGGS
5 The Two Magicians ~ A L Lloyd
6 Scan's Polkas ~ OAK
7 The Crafty Maid's Policy ~ FRANKIE ARMSTRONG
8 A Place Called England ~ JUNE TABOR
9 When I Die ~ PETER BELLAMY
10 The Bold Princess Royal ~ SAM LARNER
11 Hal-An-Tow ~ The WATERSONS
12 We Shepherds Are The Best of Men ~ FRED JORDAN
13 The Rose Of Britain's Isle / Glorishears ~ JOHN KIRKPATRICK & SUE HARRIS
14 Riding Down To Portsmouth ~ TOM WILLETT
15 Higher Germany ~ PHEOBE SMITH
16 The Ideal Schottische ~ The CHEVIOT RANTERS 17 The Methody Parson ~ ROY HARRIS 2:27
18 The Maid And The Palmer ~ BRASS MONKEY
19 Hopping Down In Kent ~ LOUIE FULLER
20 The Devil And The Farmer's Wife ~ WALTER PARDON

CD three ~ Ireland Boys, Hurrah
1 The Rising Sun / The Pope's Toe ~ JACKIE DALY
2 The Waterford Boys ~ PADDY TUNNEY
3 The Banks Of Red Roses ~ SARAH MAKEM
4 Gillan's Apples / The Prize Jig ~ JOHN DOONAN & JOHN WRIGHT
5 Slieve Gallon Brae ~ The McPEAKE FAMILY
6 Paddy Ryan's Dream / Mamma's Pet ~ SEAMUS TANSEY with REG HALL
7 My Irish Molly O ~ The FLANAGAN BROTHERS
8 The Blackbird ~ SEAMUS ENNIS
9 The Factory Girl ~ MARGARET BARRY
10 Roaring Mary / The Old Torn Petticoat ~ The IRISH COUNTRY FOUR
11 Spailpina Rún ~ SEAN MAC DONNCHADHA
12 The Choice Wife ~ WILLIE CLANCY
13 The Tinker's Old Budget ~ MARY ANN CAROLAN
14 Padraig O'Keefe's / Con Cassidy's ~ The BOYS OF THE LOUGH
15 Dowd's Favourite ~ HUGH GILLESPIE
16 Wife Of The Bold Tenant Farmer ~ JOE HEANEY
17 The Music In The Glen / The Greenfields Of America ~ The O'HALLORAN BROTHERS
18 The Knight Templar's Dream ~ LEN GRAHAM
19 The Yellow Tinker / The Humours Of Scarriff ~ SEAN O'SHEA & BOBBY CASEY
20 He Rolled Her To The Wall ~ FRANK HARTE
21 The Heather Breeze / The Traveller ~ The RUSSELL FAMILY
22 The Patriot Game ~ DOMINIC BEHAN 4:03
23 The Belfast Hornpipe / The Rights Of Man ~ JOHN REA
24 Bridie Morley / Duignan's Favourite ~ PACKIE DUIGNAN & SEAMUS HORAN

CD four Scotia The Brave
1 Miss Drummond Of Perth / Fiddler's Joy / The Shetland Reel ~ BATTLEFIELD BAND
2 Come All Ye Fisher Lasses ~ The FISHER FAMILY
3 Queen Among The Heather ~ BELLE STEWART
4 Cullen Bay / Jig O'Slurs / Seagull ~ KENTIGERN
5 Wi My Roving Eye ~ NORMAN KENNEDY
6 Blue Bleezin' Blind Drunk ~ CILLA FISHER
7 Soldier's Joy ~ TOM ANDERSON & ALY BAIN
8 The Dowie Dens Of Yarrow ~ GORDEANNA McCULLOCH
9 Erin Go Bragh ~ DICK GAUGHAN
10 Young Jimmy Foyers ~ SHEILA STEWART
11 Kempy Kaye ~ JOCK TAMSON'S BAIRNS
12 Lady Eliza ~ WINNIE CAMPBELL
13 Tilley Plump / Auld Foula Reel / Oot And In Da Harbour ~ CURLEW
14 Herd Laddie O' The Glen ~ WILLIE SCOTT
15 The Fireman's Not For Me ~ ISLA CAMERON
16 Dance With Me, Morag ~ ISABEL SUTHERLAND
17 The Wind That Blew The Bonnie Lassie's Plaidie Awa' ~ JIMMY McBEATH
18 MacCrimmon's Lament ~ JEANNIE ROBERTSON
19 The Gallant Forty Twa ~ IAN MANUEL
20 The Twa Corbies ~ RAY & ARCHIE FISHER
21 Boulavogue ~ DAVIE STEWART
22 The Wandering Piper ~ JOHN BURGESS

CD five : The Singer & The Song
1 Unity (Raise Your Banners High) ~ JOHN TAMS
2 The Dominion Of The Sword ~ MARTIN CARTHY
3 The Sun Is Burning ~ The IAN CAMPBELL FOLK GROUP
4 Go Down Ye Murderers ~ EWAN MacCOLL
5 Police Patrol ~ BOB DAVENPORT
6 Two Tears ~ ELIZA CARTHY
7 Never Any Good ~ MARTIN SIMPSON
8 Both Sides Of The Tweed ~ DICK GAUGHAN
9 George's Son ~ JOHN KIRKPATRICK with BRASS MONKEY
10 Reconciliation ~ RON KAVANA
11 Stumbling On ~ LAL WATERSON & OLIVER KNIGHT
12 Acceptable Losses ~ JOHN B SPENCER
13 Ships Of Shame ~ STEVE ASHLEY
14 The Land Of Three Rivers ~ VIN GARBUTT
15 No Telling ~ LINDA THOMPSON
16 Dust ~ JOHNNY HANDLE
17 Two-Fisted Heroes ~ BILL CADDICK

CD six : The People's Flag
1 The Man Who Watered The Worker's Beer ~ PADDY RYAN
2 Talking Union Blues ~ PETE SEEGER
3 Joe Hill ~ PAUL ROBESON
4 Masters Of War ~ MARTIN SIMPSON
5 The Red Flag ~ BOB SMITH'S IDEAL BAND
6 The Blackleg Miners ~ LOUIS KILLEN
7 No Power On Earth ~ BILLY BENNETT
8 The Internationale ~ The TOPIC SINGERS & BAND
9 To The Begging I Will Go ~ EWAN MacCOLL
10 The Hand-Loom Weaver's Lament ~ HARRY BOARDMAN
11 The Rigs Of The Time ~ SHIRLEY COLLINS
12 Greedy Landlord ~ STAN KELLY with LEON ROSSELSON
13 Time To Ring Some Changes ~ RICHARD THOMPSON
14 Sixteen Tons ~ EWAN MacCOLL
15 Peat Bog Soldiers ~ The IAN CAMPBELL FOLK GROUP
16 Aa'm Glad The Strike's Done ~ The HIGH LEVEL RANTERS
17 Threes Score And Ten ~ The WATERSONS
18 Dirty Old Town ~ EWAN MacCOLL
19 The Liverpool Barrow Boys ~ The SPINNERS
20 The Weaver's March ~ The CELEBRATED WORKING MEN'S BAND
21 We Poor Labouring Men ~ WATERSON:CARTHY
22 Perfumes Of Arabia ~ MARTIN CARTHY & DAVE SWARBRICK
23 Hot Asphalt ~ BOB DAVENPORT & The RAKES

CD seven : even more treasures from the Topic catalogue
1 Skye Crofter's / The Swallow Tail ~ BILLY PIGG
2 While Gamekeeper's Lie Sleeping ~ JUNE TABOR
3 Boi Se Otvori ~ ROZA TSETKOVA
4 Barleycorn ~ TIM VAN EYKEN
5 The Girl On The Greenbriar Shore ~ TOM PALEY & PEGGY SEEGER
6 The Happy One-Step / Green Willis ~ The HOUSE BAND
7 Clyde Water ~ NIC JONES
8 Baranca ~ VLADO & NIKOLA ROBANOVSKI
9 Georgie ~ LEVI SMITH
10 Jenny Lind ~ SCAN TESTER & RABBIDY BAXTER
11 Worcester City ~ ELIZA CARTHY
12 Talking Dustbowl Blues ~ RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOTT
13 Kaba Vençe ~ REFKI TAHO, HYSEN ZIZOLLI & AHMET METOLLI
14 The Green Banks Of Yarrow ~ ALISON McMORLAND & PETA WEBB
15 Johnny, Will You Marry Me? ~ DAN SULLIVAN'S SHAMROCK BAND
16 Hamburger - polka fra hardanger ~ VESTLANDSGRUPPA
17 Hedger And Ditcher ~ The SILLY SISTERS
18 Burren No. 1 / Chris Droney's Favourite ~ CHRIS DRONEY
19 Nna hamu ~ The JAUHARAH ORCHESTRA
20 Little Sadie ~ HEDY WEST
21 FULMINE ~ ANDY CUTTING (BLOWZABELLA)
22 No One Stands Alone ~ BLUE MURDER

A real collector's piece that can be enjoyed every day
Some curious, some haunting, some footstomping, some mournful , some witty , some bawdy, some sad, some funny, some political, all good folk music, giving a voice to the people as it says.
I see Amazon now have a track link , which is useful. The only thing I find immensely annoying is that ,as at time of writing, the track names don't download automatically on either media player or iTunes, meaning a laborious task of typing them all in manually.( In Media Player they can't even be cut and pasted ! ). As if everyone has so much time on their hands. I really hope topic sort that out soon. I've done four of the seven CDs, one twice on Media player , when I wanted to do a correction and it wiped the lot. Grrrr !
But let that not detract from a superb collection. Apart from that little hitch a job very well done.

A great set.
I have not listened to all of this collection yet but what I have listened to gives a good idea of what Topic was all about. The book and disc packaging is well thought out and a very good buy for the price. No doubt everyone will have their own thoughts about songs missed out or songs included but the task of choosing the best sample to represent 70 years of output must have been very difficult.

A set well worth buying if you have a taste for Tpoic's Folk based music.