Various - Before The Day Is Done – The Story Of Folk Heritage Records 1968-1975 - 3CD

Founded in the Greater Manchester area in 1968 by the late Alan Green, the Folk Heritage label and its subsequent associated imprints – Midas, Sweet Folk & Country, Westwood, Real – was an obscure but dedicated home for the grass-roots element of the British folk boom.

Throughout the 70s, Folk Heritage and its offshoots released limited-edition pressings of albums by various bands and singers, most of whom were active on the thriving north-west England folk club circuit. With most releases limited to 200 copies or less, and only available from the folk club where the performer was resident, many of the albums have gone on to become hugely collectable. ‘Before The Day Is Done’ assembles the cream of the label’s roster during its late 60s/early 70s heyday.

It features tracks from the rarest, most valuable releases, including legendary-among-collectors names like Gallery, The Oldest Proffession, Folkal Point, The Minor Birds, Mike Raven/Joan Mills and Spinning Jenny.

Folk club stalwarts like The Taverners, Rosie Hardman and The Harvesters are also represented, while there’s also space for bands of a more folk-rock persuasion (Saraband, Stained Glass, Music Box) and acoustic guitar-wielding singer-songwriters (Christie Hennessy, Janet Jones, Jancis Harvey, Stuart Marson, etc).

The first anthology of Alan Green’s small but prolific cottage-industry empire since a 1973 budget label vinyl LP, ‘Before The Day Is Done’ is the definitive overview of a much-loved but little- documented label. Housed in a stylish clamshell box, it includes a 48-page booklet with rare photos, quotes and potted biographies of all featured acts.

Track Listing:

DISC ONE:
1 SONGS OF SUNSHINE – Music Box
2 HIGH IN THE TREES – Christie Hennessy
3 DEATH AND THE LADY – Michael Raven and Joan Mills
4 MARCIE – Penny Wager
5 SWEET SIR GALAHAD – Folkal Point
6 VISIONS OF CUMBRIA – Mike Donald
7 HEY, THAT’S NO WAY TO SAY GOODBYE – Blue Horizon 8 PHOTOGRAPHS – Porter Cunningham
9 LAZY DAY – Peregrine
10 SHE MOVED THROUGH THE FAIR – The Harvesters
11 COLD HAILY RAINY NIGHT – The Yardarm
12 THE OLD WOMAN’S LAMENT – Janet Jones
13 BUTCHER BOY – Spinning Jenny
14 ANATHEA – The Oldest Proffession
15 FANNY BLAIR – The Combine Harvester
16 QUEEN OF HEARTS – Gallery
17 THE TWO BUTCHERS – The Jovial Crew
18 YOU KEEP GOING YOUR WAY – The Young Folk
19 YOU WERE THERE – Margaret and Ian
20 THREE DRUNKEN MAIDENS – Drowsy Maggie
21 RETROSPECT – Saraband
22 HEDGEHOG’S SONG – Geoff Smedley
23 OATS AND BEANS/TURKEY RHUBARB – John and Christine
24 HARD TIMES OF OLD ENGLAND – The Taverners Folk Group

DISC TWO
1 MATTY GROVES – The Wayfarers
2 DANCERS OF STANTON DREW – Parke
3 LORD LOVELL – The Minor Birds
4 JANUARY MAN – Paul and Glen
5 OLD PENDLE – The Pendlefolk
6 GERALDINE – Mabel Joy
7 YESTERDAY’S RAIN – Saga
8 LARK IN THE MORNING – The Blue Water Folk
9 APRIL COME SHE WILL – The MacDonald Folk Group
10 WILD AND FREE – Stained Glass
11 PRETTY SARO – Rosemary Hardman
12 THE TWO MAGICIANS – Horden Raikes
13 LAND OF THE OLD AND GREY – Mike Donald
14 BLACKLEG MINER – The Bards
15 SUMMER COMES OCTOBER (AKA THE LONG AND LONELY WINTER) – The Yardarm
16 TWENTY YEARS – Michael Raven and Joan Mills
17 TRAVELLING PEOPLE – The Young Folk
18 MICE AND OLD CLOCKS – Friends O’Mine
19 4 + 20 – Jack Hudson
20 CANNILY CANNILY – Folkways
21 THE FEMALE DRUMMER – The Oldest Proffession
22 ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT – Peregrine
23 ICY ACRES – Gallery

DISC THREE
1 CLOSE TO IT ALL – Saraband
2 TAKE ME FOR YOUR FRIEND – Raggerty
3 CONNEMARA CRADLE SONG – Spinning Jenny
4 GREY OCTOBER – The Minor Birds
5 THE TREES THEY DO GROW HIGH – Parke
6 BALLAD OF A FALMOUTH MAN – Saga
7 THE FALSE BRIDE – The Harvesters
8 HEADING FOR THE SUN – Rod Neep
9 OH SO NICE – Oddsocks
10 CHRISTMAS AND TCHAIKOVSKY – Stuart Marson
11 ALL I WANNA DO IS PLAY GUITAR – Dave Lewry
12 A WEEK BEFORE EASTER – Jancis Harvey
13 SNAIL – Steve Rostron
14 WHAT’S THE POINT – The Mug Band
15 THE WHITE HARE OF OLDHAM – Brian Dewhurst & Tom Tiddler’s Ground
16 ELIZABETHAN – The Bards
17 POLL MILES – Stained Glass
18 CRUEL WAR – The MacDonald Folk Group
19 ONCE I KNEW A PRETTY GIRL – Folkal Point
20 I’LL KEEP IT WITH MINE – Penny Wager
21 ALL THE GOOD TIMES – The Blue Water Folk