Robin & Barry Dransfield's first new release since 1978, out NOW!
Press Release - Folk Roots 'CDs of 1997' Poll Results
- embargo until 00.01am, 9 Dec 1997 -
Free Reed's 'Up to Now' double CD - voted best British Folk compilation of 1997!!
Press Release - Folk Roots 'CDs of 1997' Poll Results
- embargo until 00.01am, 9 Dec 1997 -
Free Reed's 'Up to Now' double CD - voted best British Folk compilation of 1997!!
In the highly regarded "Best Folk and Roots Music CDs of 1997" Critics' Polls Issue just published by 'Folk Roots' Magazine, Free Reed's blockbuster retrospective double CD of Robin and Barry Dransfield's epic career - entitled 'Up to Now' - was voted top British Folk compilation of 1997!
This 39-track, 2 hour 47 minute release tells the story of the boys' whole musical career, from early 1970, to right 'up to now', and has been widely praised for its wealth of rare and unreleased tracks, 'lost' BBC Radio sessions, its massive Booklet with detailed discography and career notes, and mainly for waking up the world again to the Dransfields' wonderful music!
Free Reed's Neil Wayne - who Folk Roots labelled 'a serious obsessive if ever there was one...'! - was widely congratulated for his 'labour of love' ('Folk on Tap') and this 'object lesson on how these things should be done' ("Q" Magazine), and is now researching further in-depth CD retrospectives on other 'movers and shakers' of the British Folk Music Scene of the past 25 years - so save some space on your CD shelf for this continuing series of treasures!
There's news about The Dransfields' CD and on other Free Reed releases at:
http://www.freedmus.demon.co.uk/FRCD18.HTM
- and more press information at:
http://www.freedmus.demon.co.uk/Cd18prss.htm
- or direct from Free Reed, The Cedars, Belper DE56 1DD UK
-END-
ps: Many thanks to all you reviewers, stockists and distributors who've made 'Up to Now' such a worldwide hit! - We've prepared you some little stickers saying "voted Top British Folk compilation of 1997 - Folk Roots Critics Poll", and can send you quantities of these to add to your stocks.
Thanks again!!
The First Few Reviews!!As at 20th June, our new Robin & Barry Dransfield double CD release seems to have been well-received by the wide world of Folk Music!! We have shipped over one thousand double CDs in under 6 days, and there has been a clamour for review copies from Folk Journalists, reviewers, Roots Fans, folk shops and Radio Stations from Tasmania to Seattle, Turrif to Twickenham!! Here's some excerpts from reviews seen so far...from Folk Roots, July '97 Issue: ......"Free Reed's Neil Wayne, a serious obsessive if ever there was one, has put together as near a definitive collection of Dransfieldabilia as anyone could ask. He already had their Popular to Contrary Belief album in the Free Reed vaults to kick off with, but it's what he's added which is the real feat. Not only has he wrested a couple of tracks from each of their Trailer albums out of Harrogate and Hell, he's unearthed a whole swathe of BBC sessions of their Fiddler's Dream-era repertoire, licensed items from Barry's Polydor, Topic and Rhiannon albums and Robin's Topic outing, something from Morris On, a long-lost track from a BBC Folk on Friday album, and all sorts. It's all assembled with a fine Colin Irwin note, a bunch of historic photos, and immaculate credit to sources. Just about the only thing missing is a blast of the mid '60s Crimple Mountain Boys to put it all in perspective!! There's a special kind of telepathy that makes vocal and instrumental interplay between sibling duos a cut above the average. The Dransfields had it in bucket-loads: the Everly Brothers of English folk music." ...................Ian A Anderson from The Living Tradition - (Scotland): June 1997".....Had this been simply a re-issue of classic Robin & Barry albums, it would have jumped straight to the top of my 'Must Have' list: - this double CD is much more than that - Neil Wayne has not only teased out vinyl tracks for re-issue, but has accessed BBC concert recordings to make this a genuine new release! With thirty-nine tracks, it runs in total over 156 minutes - yes - over two and a half hours! - and features a substantial amount of unreleased material. The Dransfields - two brothers singing in harmony - had as distinctive a sound as The Watersons, instantly recognisable, earthy, and with a similar earthy Yorkshire accent. Even now their instrumental work is regarded as top class - and we can but muse on the impact they might have made on the history of Folk Rock had they stayed together a little longer! An immensely enjoyable album, with both new and classic recordings from a vibrant era of the folk revival - two CDs crammed full of music - a landmark release in 1997!..........Pete Heywood from Chris Nickson's draft review for - Dirty Linen- (USA): July 1997 "....What a record! An absolute joy, and kudos to (Free Reed) for releasing it. Wonderful." from Mike Kamp's draft review in Folk Michel (Germany)- July 1997 "Absolutely brilliant work - we did not know how much we'd missed those incredible voices and harmonies. Hope you will sell millions - rave review follows.....!" Full Catalogue at http://www.freedmus.demon.co.uk/frrcdlist.htm Mail&Order Details & Free Reed Order Form at- |
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The Cedars, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 1DD, UK
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