Desert Island Discs ..Martin Carthy

[will vine]

Desert island Discs BBC Radio 4 this morning...I think it's on at about 11am...(or "listen again") looks good. Martin Carthy includes a story about him and Dylan chopping up a piano. What more could you ask for?

[Chris P]

Martin Carthy includes a story about him and Dylan chopping up a piano. What more could you ask for?

well it'd be unfairly churlish to ask for some stories that we haven't heard dozens of times already when this is admittedly such a cracking & crunchingly good un & will be fresh to most listeners.

Here're some guesses as to his choices (I think the trailers have already given away Elizabeth Cotton's Freight Train): Sam Larner, Walter Pardon, Dylan, Broonzy (Guitar Shuffle?), Seamus Ennis, Genoese Longshoremen, Boubacar Traore, Eliza, Norma, Mike Waterson, early Watersons, Davy Graham
Anyone else having a go, or want to get more specific songwise?

[NormanD]

I think your suggestions are close to the mark, Chris, from interviews I've read with him. I especially hope for The Genoese Longshoremen - we've played one of their Alan Lomax recordings on No Reason in the past.

And let's not forget the samurai sword from the Dylan story.

It's going to be hard to compete with Cerys Matthews this morning - the show today is especially good so far.

[will vine]

Well done fellas, A pretty reasonable stab at his choices. Not only am I not so well versed in the folk music stories as you lot (I didn't know the Dylan story), this week on the website has shown me deficient also in knowledge of Washington Philips. I was aware of his great songs Denomination Blues via Ry Cooder and What Are They Doing in Heaven Today? which I have on a great little Dave Peabody LP. Hearing original versions of those songs and then the remarkable Genoese Longshoremen thing on Desert Island Discs ........well, there's always something new in them dusty old boxes ain't there?