top of page
Rehearsal Room

Behind the Music

Sleeve Notes
Further Tales of Love! Death! and Treachery!

Winter Winds

Gregg -  vocal, ac gtr

Marion - vocal, ac gtr

Gemma - bv

Guy  -  bv, mandolin, mandola

Mark J - bv, bass

Mark S - bv, drums, organ, percussion, ac gtr

PJ  -  el gtr, baritone gtr


The Crafty Lover

Gregg -  vocal, el gtr

Marion - bv, ac gtr

Gemma - bv

Guy - fiddle

Mark J - bass

Mark S - bv, drums,

PJ - slide gtr, el gtr, baritone gtr


Dream Not of Love

From the Northamptonshire poet John Clare's collection "From my Mother's and Father's Singing."


Marion - vocal, fiddle, 'cello, viola

Gregg - vocal, ac gtr

Gemma - bv, piano

Guy - mandolin, mandola

Mark J - bass

Mark S - drums

PJ  -  el gtr


Rap Her to Bank  

(Roud 1786)  A.L. Lloyd describes it thus:

“Rap ‘er to bank! is the cry of men at the bottom of the shaft, waiting to come up in the cage. The onsetter would rap, and the winding man, hearing the signal would draw the cage to the surface (the bank)."

Walter Toyn, schoolmaster of Birtley, Co. Durham, collected Rap Her to Bank in 1962 from Henry Nattress of Low Fell Gateshead. Pete Scrowther knows it from the singing of Jack Elliott of Birtley (the geordie one, not the Ramblin' one). The final verse is newly written by Pete Scrowther.

Gregg - vocal, ac gtr

Marion - bv, ac gtr

Guy - mandolin

Mark J - bv, bass

Mark S - bv, cornet, drums, organ

PJ - bv, el gtr, pedal steel gtr


Lowlands of Holland          (Roud 484)   

"Until well into the last century the only way of keeping the Royal Navy up to strength was by pressing men into service, and press gangs terrorised the coastal towns in search of likely young men to serve on board. Although this service was ostensibly for the duration of a campaign, in practice it was more often a life sentence. Apparently the system was never officially abolished by act of Parliament." - Martin Carthy

Marion - vocal

Gemma - vocal, piano

Mark S - bv, cornet, keyboards, programming


Golden Vanity/Brace & Auger      (Child 286)

Guy's tune Brace & Auger forms the instrumental section of this tale of betrayal by the ruling-class with the young & poor paying the price. Sounds familiar. Featured on the B-side of the1960 Lonnie Donegan single "My Old Man's a Dustman"

Guy - vocal, mandolin, mandola, fiddle, ac gtr,

Marion - bv, 'cello

Gregg - el gtr

Mark J - bass

Mark S - bv, drums, percussion

PJ  -  el gtr, slide gtr


Drowned Lover

Gemma - vocal, fiddle, piano

Marion - fiddle

Guy  - fiddle

Gregg - el gtr

Mark J - bass

Mark S - drums, cornet

PJ - el gtr, baritone gtr



Bonny Lass of Anglesey       (Child 220)

(basic track recorded live at the Clubhouse, Priors Marston, Warks.)

Gregg - vocal, ac gtr

Marion - fiddle

Gemma - percussion

Guy - drums

Mark J - bass

Mark S - bodhran, dumbek, percussion

PJ  - el gtr, soprano sax

Phil Bond - accordion




Cuckoo's Nest         (Roud 1506)

A bawdy song of Scottish origin, lyrically enhanced by Marion (of Scouse origin)

Marion - vocal, bv, ac gtr, hi-strung gtr

Gregg - el gtr

Mark S - drums, bv, percussion

Tim - double bass

PJ - el gtr, slide gtr, dulcimer



Bailiff's Daughter of Islington     (Child 105)

Gregg - vocal, ac gtr, el gtr

Marion - bv,

Gemma - bv

Tim - bass

Mark S - bv, drums

PJ - el gtr, baritone gtr


Madame Bonaparte/Golden Eagle

Two tunes led by Guy - the first from his father, the second from Gemma

Guy - fiddle, mandolin

Gemma - fiddle

Marion - fiddle

Gregg - ac gtr

Mark J - bass

Mark S - drums, cornet, comedy percussion

PJ - ac gtr, el gtr, baritone gtr



Spencer the Rover

Gregg - vocal, ac gtr

Gemma - bv, piano

Marion - bv

Mark J - bv, bass

Mark S - bv, drums, cornet, autoharp

PJ - bv, el gtr


TradArrr acknowledges the continuing encouragement, appreciation, song-finding and general input from the talented Mr Scrowther of Lucerne, Switzerland.

bottom of page