Anne Briggs
Country of origin:
England
Type of music generally:
Neo-traditional and traditional folk
Status:
Anne Briggs ceased recording in 1973. Most recent release, An Introduction to Annie Briggs (compilation, 2018)
See also:
Wikipedia's entry on Anne Briggs
Comparisons:
Her work one of the touchstones of generations of women traditional and neo-traditional singers
Covers/own material:
Own, covers, and traditional
General comments:
Anne Briggs is noted among so many folk artists as one of the main forces in the resurgance of traditional and neo-traditional folk in England in the sixties and seventies. She hasn't got a gorgeous voice, but it's strong, expressive, and its lack of showiness works with her material so well. She lets the material speak for itself, clearly, but not exactly as simply as it appears. (Neile)
Recommended first album:
A Collection
Recordings:
- The Hazards of Love (EP, 1964)
- Anne Briggs (1971)
- The Time Has Come (1971)
- Classic Anne Briggs (compilation, 1990)
- Sing A Song For You (released 1997; recorded 1973)
- A Collection (compilation, 1999)
- An Introduction to Annie Briggs (compilation, 2018)
The Time Has Come
Release info:
1971—Columbia
Availability:
U.K.
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for fans of traditional and neo-traditional folk
Group members:
Anne Briggs—vocals, guitar, bouzouki
Produced by:
Colin Caldwell
Comments:
An album of contemporary songs, with just one traditional song. This is really lovely, emotive, and plaintive. (Neile)
Sing A Song For You
Release info:
1997 (recorded 1973); rereleased by Fledg'ling Records
Availability:
U.K.
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for fans of traditional and neo-traditional folk
Group members:
Anne Briggs—vocals, bouzouki, guitar
Guest artists:
Barry Dransfield—violin
Ragged Robin
Steve Ashley—vocals harmonica, whistle
Richard Byers—vocals, guitar, mandolin
Brian Diprose—bass guitar
John Thompsom—drums
Produced by:
Terry Brown
Comments:
A lovely, highly listenable collection, a mix of traditional tunes and Anne Brigg's own neo-traditional songs. The material is wonderful. A note in the Fledg'ling release's booklet explains why the project was shelved at the time—Briggs was heavily pregnant when the album was recorded, and she wasn't happy with her vocals (true, they are occasionally a little reedy) and the label wanted to re-shoot the photography, and she was in the midst of moving to northern Scotland, so she just let the project disappear. No question: it doesn't deserve that fate. (Neile)
A Collection
Release info:
1999—Topic Records
Availability:
U.K.
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for fans of traditional folk
Group members:
Anne Briggs—vocals, guitar, bouzouki
Guest artists:
John Moynihan—bouzouki (15)
Ray Fisher—vocals (12)
Produced by:
Comments:
Includes all the material from The Hazards of Love EP (1964) and her Anne Briggs album (1971). This is 19 tracks of wonderful tradition interpretations (the additional two tracks are her own strong compositions). Listening to this, it's so clear how many artists she has influenced, from Sandy Denny to Eliza Carthy, Bill Jones, Kate Rusby...the list is long. This is my favourite of the albums of hers I own because her take on her material is so fresh and natural-sounding. So, so lovely. (Neile)
Further info:
Anne Briggs collaborated with Bert Lloyd and Ewan MacColl to produce The Iron Muse (1963), and with Bert Lloyd and Frankie Armstrong to produce The Bird In The Bush (Traditional Erotic Songs) (1966).
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