Tony Rose (born in Exeter on 1 May 1941; died 6 June 2002) was a British fo… Read Full Bio ↴Tony Rose (born in Exeter on 1 May 1941; died 6 June 2002) was a British folksinger and a founding member of late-70's folk band Bandoggs.
The obituary in the UK's "The Independent" newspaper for Tony Rose said "A beautifully relaxed interpreter of traditional song, with rare warmth and intimacy, Tony Rose made an indelible mark on the British folk scene. Emerging during the 1970s when folk clubs were still a force to be reckoned with, he was wholly committed to the grass roots scene, eschewing the seemingly sexier terrain of folk rock bands, modern song and political material that seduced so many of his contemporaries.
He loved traditional music and while it never brought him riches – indeed he returned to his first job as a teacher when the folk clubs themselves hit a recession in the late 1980s – he saw no reason to deviate widely from it. Accompanying himself on guitar and English concertina, he established an easy style that was instantly identifiable, putting him on a par with such giants of the era as Martin Carthy and Nic Jones.
Born in Exeter in 1941, Rose was smitten by folk song at Oxford University in the early 1960s, where he had won a scholarship to study Modern Languages at Queen's College. He first heard the British folk pioneers Louis Killen, Shirley Collins, Alex Campbell and Johnny Handle at the university's Heritage Society. He was also profoundly influenced by another West Country singer, Cyril Tawney, the ex-Navy man turned songwriter. Rose cut his musical teeth at his local folk club, the Jolly Porter in Exeter, where he became an occasional member of the resident band the Journeymen.
He moved to London to become a teacher in 1965 but, offered more and more gigs on the burgeoning folk scene, he became a professional singer in 1969. His first album, Young Hunting, in 1970 had a huge impact, mixing West Country songs like "The Bellringing" and "Tavistock Goosey Fair" with comic ditties and testing ballads like "Golden Vanitee" and "Blackwater Side".
With his rich, lyrical voice, a repertoire of largely unfamiliar material and erudite introductions, the long-haired Rose swiftly became an important member of the second wave of the folk revival. The subsquent albums Under The Greenwood Tree in 1971 (with more complex arrangements and also involving Dolly Collins and Peter Knight) and On Banks Of Green Willow in 1976 enhanced his reputation further. On Banks Of Green Willow particularly confirmed his status as a great singer, tackling epic ballads like "The Bonny Hind", "Lord Randall" and "Fanny Blair". Of all his recorded work this was his tour de force.
In the late 1970s he formed a folk "supergroup", Bandoggs, with Pete and Christine Coe and his close friend Nic Jones, in which Rose played, among other things, mouth organ and performed a storming version of Loudon Wainwright's "Swimming Song". Despite acclaimed live work, the group suffered financial and logistical problems, and split up without recording.
Rose returned to his solo career, releasing the 1982 album Poor Fellows (the title track was drawn from Peter Bellamy's groundbreaking folk opera The Transports). This encompassed contemporary song for the first time with thoughtful arrangements of Bob Dylan's "Boots of Spanish Leather" and Richard Thompson's "Down Where The Drunkards Roll". While the album also featured traditional material like "The Yarmouth Tragedy" and "Clerk Saunders", Rose's sense of the absurd was illustrated by the inclusion of his grave interpretation of the kitsch pop standard "The Three Bells," a song he was even occasionally prevailed upon to sing in French as an encore at gigs.
But as the folk scene constricted, artists relying exclusively on the club circuit struggled and Rose ultimately returned to teaching. However, he remained a familiar figure on the scene, gigging occasionally and regularly turning up at West Country folk events such as the Padstow May Day celebrations and Sidmouth Folk Festival. He also worked as a folk journalist.
In 1999 he retired from teaching and made an unlikely return with a new album, Bare Bones, released on his own Boneshaker label, which largely featured new versions of old songs no longer available. Sounding as good as he ever did, he was still easing himself back into the circuit when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2001. He died in June 2002."
He recorded several LPs for the Trailer label in the 1970s, which outrageously have remained unavailable since Trailer's bankruptcy.
The obituary in the UK's "The Independent" newspaper for Tony Rose said "A beautifully relaxed interpreter of traditional song, with rare warmth and intimacy, Tony Rose made an indelible mark on the British folk scene. Emerging during the 1970s when folk clubs were still a force to be reckoned with, he was wholly committed to the grass roots scene, eschewing the seemingly sexier terrain of folk rock bands, modern song and political material that seduced so many of his contemporaries.
He loved traditional music and while it never brought him riches – indeed he returned to his first job as a teacher when the folk clubs themselves hit a recession in the late 1980s – he saw no reason to deviate widely from it. Accompanying himself on guitar and English concertina, he established an easy style that was instantly identifiable, putting him on a par with such giants of the era as Martin Carthy and Nic Jones.
Born in Exeter in 1941, Rose was smitten by folk song at Oxford University in the early 1960s, where he had won a scholarship to study Modern Languages at Queen's College. He first heard the British folk pioneers Louis Killen, Shirley Collins, Alex Campbell and Johnny Handle at the university's Heritage Society. He was also profoundly influenced by another West Country singer, Cyril Tawney, the ex-Navy man turned songwriter. Rose cut his musical teeth at his local folk club, the Jolly Porter in Exeter, where he became an occasional member of the resident band the Journeymen.
He moved to London to become a teacher in 1965 but, offered more and more gigs on the burgeoning folk scene, he became a professional singer in 1969. His first album, Young Hunting, in 1970 had a huge impact, mixing West Country songs like "The Bellringing" and "Tavistock Goosey Fair" with comic ditties and testing ballads like "Golden Vanitee" and "Blackwater Side".
With his rich, lyrical voice, a repertoire of largely unfamiliar material and erudite introductions, the long-haired Rose swiftly became an important member of the second wave of the folk revival. The subsquent albums Under The Greenwood Tree in 1971 (with more complex arrangements and also involving Dolly Collins and Peter Knight) and On Banks Of Green Willow in 1976 enhanced his reputation further. On Banks Of Green Willow particularly confirmed his status as a great singer, tackling epic ballads like "The Bonny Hind", "Lord Randall" and "Fanny Blair". Of all his recorded work this was his tour de force.
In the late 1970s he formed a folk "supergroup", Bandoggs, with Pete and Christine Coe and his close friend Nic Jones, in which Rose played, among other things, mouth organ and performed a storming version of Loudon Wainwright's "Swimming Song". Despite acclaimed live work, the group suffered financial and logistical problems, and split up without recording.
Rose returned to his solo career, releasing the 1982 album Poor Fellows (the title track was drawn from Peter Bellamy's groundbreaking folk opera The Transports). This encompassed contemporary song for the first time with thoughtful arrangements of Bob Dylan's "Boots of Spanish Leather" and Richard Thompson's "Down Where The Drunkards Roll". While the album also featured traditional material like "The Yarmouth Tragedy" and "Clerk Saunders", Rose's sense of the absurd was illustrated by the inclusion of his grave interpretation of the kitsch pop standard "The Three Bells," a song he was even occasionally prevailed upon to sing in French as an encore at gigs.
But as the folk scene constricted, artists relying exclusively on the club circuit struggled and Rose ultimately returned to teaching. However, he remained a familiar figure on the scene, gigging occasionally and regularly turning up at West Country folk events such as the Padstow May Day celebrations and Sidmouth Folk Festival. He also worked as a folk journalist.
In 1999 he retired from teaching and made an unlikely return with a new album, Bare Bones, released on his own Boneshaker label, which largely featured new versions of old songs no longer available. Sounding as good as he ever did, he was still easing himself back into the circuit when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2001. He died in June 2002."
He recorded several LPs for the Trailer label in the 1970s, which outrageously have remained unavailable since Trailer's bankruptcy.
'twas On One April Morning
Tony Rose Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Tony Rose:
Barley Mow Here's good luck to the pint pot, Good luck to the…
Basket Of Eggs Down in Sandbank fields, two sailors were a-walking, Their …
Blackwaterside One evening fair I took the air Down by Blackwaterside. An…
Bridgewater Fair All you who roam, both young and old, Come listen to…
Bruton Town In Bruton town there lived a farmer, Who had two sons…
Come all you warlike Seamen Come all you warlike seamen that to the seas belong; I'll…
Compliments Returned Well now you've called on me to sing and I'll…
Five Foot Flirt Now don't say Jim Johnson weren't with 'ee last night I…
Golden Vanitee And there once was a captain who was boasting on…
John Blunt There was an old couple lived under a hill, And Blunt…
Just as the Tide was Flowing One morning in the month of May, Down by a rolling…
Lark In The Morning As I was walking one morning in the spring I met…
Limbo I am a young lad and my fortune is bad, What…
Lord Rendal "Where have you been, Rendal my son? Where have you been,…
Polly Vaughan One midsummer's evening, the sun being gone down, Young Pol…
Rambling Sailor I am a sailor brisk and bold, Long time I've sailed…
Searching For Lambs As I went out one May morning, One May morning betime, I…
Sheath and Knife Oh it's whispered in the kitchen and it's whispered in…
Stormy Weather We was laying in Surrey Dock one day When the mate…
The Pensioner's Complaint Ye neighbours all listen, a story I'll tell, 'Tis of a…
The Trees They Do Grow High The trees they do grow high and the leaves they…
True Lovers Oh abroad as I was walking, I was walking all alone, When…
Up to the Rigs Up for London City on one fine day It was up…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Rich H
TRACKLIST & CUE
A1 - Twas on One April Morning 0:00
A2 - Bold Archer 4:06
A3 - Fanny Blair 7:34
A4 - Polly Vaughan 11:14
A5 - The Murdered Servantman 15:28
A6 - Poor Man's Sorrows 19:59
B1 - Banks of Green Willow 23:34
B2 - Lord Randall 26:54
B3 - The Bonny Hind 30:54
B4 - Sir William Gower 37:10
B5 - The Fourteenth of July 42:13
~~~~~~~~~~
thanks
pasted as the cue doesn't work for me from the description
Rich H
TRACKLIST & CUE
A1 - Twas on One April Morning 0:00
A2 - Bold Archer 4:06
A3 - Fanny Blair 7:34
A4 - Polly Vaughan 11:14
A5 - The Murdered Servantman 15:28
A6 - Poor Man's Sorrows 19:59
B1 - Banks of Green Willow 23:34
B2 - Lord Randall 26:54
B3 - The Bonny Hind 30:54
B4 - Sir William Gower 37:10
B5 - The Fourteenth of July 42:13
~~~~~~~~~~
thanks
pasted as the cue doesn't work for me from the description
Dave Low
One of the very best exponents of English folk music ever, taken from us far too early. Many thanks for sharing this beautiful material with us.
Dick Miles
you are right
Chris Waywell
I used to live in London and I loved going to the folk clubs to listen to Tony play. I have this album but hardly get into the loft these days to play my old folk records I think he may be resting on a cloud somewhere between Vin Garbutt and Bert Jansch. So great to see it uploaded onto here. He was so good wasn't he - one of the best guys around and so modest. Brilliant how you have managed to put the tracks into titled sections well done and many thanks for this. What a legend. Oddly enough what struck me the most about Tony was that he was always a very smart dresser and so he stood out from the crowd.
John Turner
Thank you for putting this wonderful full album on youtube. Tony Rose was one of our finest musicians and a quiet gentleman . I saw/heard him live quite a few times thankfully, and play some of his traditional songs in my humble way. Thanks again, John T.
Louise Sherman
We were privileged to host Tony when he came to the USA so many years ago. What a lovely man and one of the very best singers of English folk music. So glad to be able to listen to him here as we seldom get out our record, tape, or even CD players.
kololikate
I love this song and agree that his passing was a huge loss to the folk scene
peter joynes
what a talented musician and singer Lucky enough to see him at Warwick Folk Festival not sure what year but do remember it so well
kololikate
I have found an LP Folk on Friday featuring Tony and really want someone to sing Compliments Returned. I asked him to sing it once upon a time and he said he couldn't remember the words! I have several vinyl LPs by Tony and love his songs and his concertina playing,
jnyc
A cross between Nic Jones, Martin Simpson and Andy Irvine to my ears, great