Singing Out: A Folk Narrative Of Maddy Prior, June Tabor and Linda Thompson

The 1960s was a time of countercultural revolution, a time when mainstream mores were rejected by a generation tuned into and turned on by psychedelic rock, pop art, the Beatles and alternative spiritualities. But the 1960s was also a time of renewal on both sides of the Atlantic. A parallel folk music renaissance paid homage to tradition while making the old new again. In Britain, the profusion of folk clubs that emerged as part of the so-called second folk revival, helped to launch the enduring careers of artists such as Donovan, Martin Carthy, and Richard Thompson.

It was also the proving ground for three of the genre’s most pre-eminent singers, June Tabor, Linda Thompson and Maddy Prior, each of whom drew inspiration from the archives of indigenous song, to forge their own singular paths over five decades. Singing Out follows their respective journeys, exploring different facets of their lives and their art.

The text features original interviews with all three, as well as the perspectives of contemporaries and collaborators, to provide an illuminating and very British folk tale that will also resonate in North America, as there was much exchange of music and ideas with the Seeger's, Dylan, Joan Baez and Paul Simon all influencing, and being influenced by what was happening on the other side of the pond.

In additions to the three subjects, there are interviews from the likes of Christy Moore, Ian Anderson, Rufus Wainwright and Martin Carthy, making this a must-read for folk fans.