Australian Folk Forum

Discussions => Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs => Topic started by: warren on February 08, 2010, 05:33:20 PM



Title: Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs
Post by: warren on February 08, 2010, 05:33:20 PM
Here's one that everyone can join in - and at the same time allow me to prepare a list of all-time favourite Australian contemporary folk songs.

Contemporary folk songs, for want of a better description, are those written in a style similar to traditional songs.

I'll start the ball rolling with my Top Six:

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda. Eric Bogle.
From Little Things Big Things Grow. Paul Kelly/Kev Carmody
Diamantina Drover. Hugh MacDonald.
Weevils In The Flour. Dorothy Hewett/Mike Leydon
The Land Where The Crow Flies Backwards. Dougie Young.
Aussie Blue. Gary Shearston

Gosh, that was harder than you think. So many great songs to consider but I had to start somewhere.



Title: Re: Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs
Post by: Graham McDonald on February 08, 2010, 06:23:50 PM
A few more to the mix:
He Fades Away - Alistair Hulett (and probably a couple more at least)
Blue Guitar - Fred Smith
Al Grasby's Grandfather - Neil Adam (and Felpayu )
Sgt Small - Brad Tate's reworking of ?Tex Morton
And When They Dance - Wongawilli (not sure who wrote it)
Love Up Ahead - Junior

They are relatively recent ones. I'll have a look at some older material when I can get at the info at work tomorrow

cheers


Title: Re: Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs
Post by: Jim on February 08, 2010, 07:56:25 PM
These are just a few of my favourites in no particular order. What a difficult ask! There are so many wonderful songs that have been written in my lifetime.

The Windmill Run - Alan Mann
Balmain - Jim Jarvis and Ian Jane
The Windmill Run - Alan Mann
Balmain - Jim Jarvis and Ian Jane
Salvation Jane - Chloe and Jason Roweth
Twenty Summers - Mona Brand and Gary Shearston
Menindee - Neil Murray
Sometime Lovin' - Gary Shearston
The Old Number Ten - Bernard Bolan
Diamantina Drover - Hugh McDonald
Shelter - Eric Bogle
Galleries of Pink Galahs - John Williamson
Devils Island  - Bernard Carney
It's On  - Don Henderson
The Roar of the Crowd  - Denis Kevans
Weevils in the Flour  - Dorothy Hewitt and M. Layden
Living on The Razor's Edge - Shane Howard and Ian Morrison
The Days Of Old Khancoban - Smoky Dawson


Title: Re: Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs
Post by: SydneyCove on February 09, 2010, 10:16:37 AM
Hi everyone, Steve Lockwood from Sydney Coves Bush Band here.

Went through our song list and not surprised at all the "modern" songs that are popular with our audiences. Too hard to put them into popularity order, so just went for alphabetic.

Slim Dusty songs have been much requested since his passing.

Interesting also that many of our shows are international audiences, and many of these songs are known by our overseas visitors.

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda - Eric Bogle
Aussie BBQ – Eric Bogle
Beneath The Southern Cross - Bushwackers
Diamantina Drover - Hugh MacDonald
Duncan – Slim Dusty
G’day G’Day – Slim Dusty
I Still Call Australia Home – Peter Allan
Land Down Under – Including the Flute BIT!!
Morningtown Ride - Seekers
Poor Ned – Redgum
Pub with No Beer – Slim Dusty
Sergeant Small – Sydney Coves arrgmt of Brad Tate's
Shelter - Eric Bogle
Tie Me Kangaroo Down – Rolf Harris
True Blue – John Williamson
Way Out West - Dingoes
When Britannia Ruled the Waves – Bushwackers
When the Rain Tumbles Down – Slim Dusty


Title: Re: Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs
Post by: warren on February 09, 2010, 10:21:47 AM
Steve - that's certainly an eclectic bunch of songs and, I'm sure, crowd pleasers for the band.
Thanks
Warren


Title: Re: Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs
Post by: warren on February 09, 2010, 10:23:19 AM
Graham Dodsworth nominated

Weavils in the flour. 
Poison train.
Band played WM.
Diamantina Drover.
Shearing in a bar.
Byron one.


Title: Re: Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs
Post by: robotgirl on February 09, 2010, 02:28:59 PM
Len Neary suggested 'The Swaggies Have All Waltzed Matilda Away' by Alistair Hewlett.


Title: Re: Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs
Post by: jasonroweth on February 10, 2010, 03:23:36 PM
Just a short note with obvious self-interest. Salvation Jane is sung by Chloe Roweth but is most certainly written by Chloe & Jason Roweth. Thanks for the vote Jim!

These are just a few of my favourites in no particular order. What a difficult ask! There are so many wonderful songs that have been written in my lifetime.

The Windmill Run - Alan Mann
Balmain - Jim Jarvis and Ian Jane
The Windmill Run - Alan Mann
Balmain - Jim Jarvis and Ian Jane
Salvation Jane - Chloe Roweth
Twenty Summers - Mona Brand and Gary Shearston
Menindee - Neil Murray
Sometime Lovin' - Gary Shearston
The Old Number Ten - Bernard Bolan
Diamantina Drover - Hugh McDonald
Shelter - Eric Bogle
Galleries of Pink Galahs - John Williamson
Devils Island  - Bernard Carney
It's On  - Don Henderson
The Roar of the Crowd  - Denis Kevans
Weevils in the Flour  - Dorothy Hewitt and M. Layden
Living on The Razor's Edge - Shane Howard and Ian Morrison
The Days Of Old Khancoban - Smoky Dawson


Title: Re: Salvation Jane
Post by: Jim on February 10, 2010, 03:38:33 PM
All corrected. Thanks Jason! I thought it may have been both but couldn't find it written anywhere. My apologies! Great song.


Title: Re: Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs
Post by: jasonroweth on February 10, 2010, 04:07:32 PM
Thought I'd have a go. To have any hope I've stuck to reasonably recent songs and used a fairly narrow definition of a folk song - no Cold Chisel!

Song of the Sheet Metal Worker, Bare Legged Kate and Song of Childhood - John Dengate
Poison Train, Sing us a Song Boys and TI Woman - Michael O'Rourke
The Swaggies Have All Waltzed Matilda Away, He Fades Away and Blue Murder - Alistair Hulett
Victor Podham's Rusty Hut, They Say It's A Crime and Land where the Crow Flies Backwards - Dougie Young
You Can't Change It - Arthur Spendlow Baulch (Not so recent but had to sneak it in!)
Hey Rain! - Bill Scott
Like Limerick - David Beniuk

Just a few thoughts...


Title: Re: Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs
Post by: Graham McDonald on February 12, 2010, 08:29:51 AM
At least a couple Colin Dryden's songs such as The Factory Lad/Turning Steel

Of course one interesting thing to consider is when a song crosses that indeterminate line between folk song and popular music, and some may exist as both. Even in my most charitable moments I can't see Tie My Kangaroo Down or I Still Call Australia Home as folk songs 8-) Perhaps they fall within that wonderful concept of The National Song

cheers



Title: Re: Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs
Post by: warren on February 12, 2010, 04:55:25 PM
Of course Factory Lad/Turning Steel are one and the same song.
Did Colin actually write any more songs?
I'm hard pressed to think of another one although he was a masterful interpreter of British traditional songs and ballads.
He always told me he wrote Factory lad about his father. (any body know any other Colin Dryden songs?)

As far as Tie Me Kangaroo Down. well at least one parody of that classic has alreday entered the tradition - 'Pull Me Dungarees Down, Sport' is well known in bawdy circles. and 'I still call Australia Home' - blatantly pop and proud of it.....but it doesn't really belong here.


Title: Re: Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs
Post by: Graham McDonald on February 13, 2010, 08:27:24 AM
I wrote the title like that because it gets called either, or sometimes both!
Perhaps you are entirely right and that was his only song. I will make some more enquiries.

cheers


Title: Re: Your All-Time Favourite Contemporary Australian Folk Songs
Post by: Christina Mimmocchi on February 17, 2010, 01:23:48 PM
Here are some more contenders:

Karen Burton: Point on the Map, Fruit of Our Labour, Tom
John Warner: Yarri of Wiradjuri, Anderson's Coast, Newell Highway, Llewellyn Walking, Dear Diary, Murumbidgeee Waters
Weddings Parties Anything: Scorn of the Women, A Tale They Won't Believe, Industrial Town, Under the Clocks
Paul Kelly: Leaving Her For the Last Time, Special Treatment, Don't Stand So Close to the Window, To Her Door
Archie Roach: Munjana, Beautiful Child, Took the Children Away
Judy Small: Mothers, Daughters Wives, One Voice in the Crowd
Fay White: Wind Harps, You Are Not My Enemy
Tony Eardley: Taken

cheers, Christina