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New album ‘The Blast’ on sale NOW!

Bob Fox: The Blast.

Bob Fox (is) an appealing purveyer of traditional song .. a richly warm voice gives his storytelling real credibility and engagement... (The Blast) solid folk material from his beloved north-east. Colin Irwin, fROOTS magazine

Bob Fox's latest album The Blast was released on the Topic Records label in October 2006.(TSCD555).

The ten tracks on the album are a mix of traditional and contemporary material. In the past, Bob has collaborated in the studio with other musicians but on this new album you will hear only the man and his guitar. The result is stunning in fact, The Blast has already been tipped as a potential nomination for a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award. "At last, the record we've been waiting for from Bob," says Ralph McTell, "astonishing guitar technique coupled with one of England's finest voices."

Here is the complete tracklist with Bob's commentary.

One Miners Life Written by the great north eastern songwriter Ed Pickford in response to the migration of miners in the 1960s, this song shows the coal mining communities experiences through one individual.

Still Growing This is the first folk song I ever learned. I've used both the tunes I know and compiled the words from many sources. Also known as The Young Laird of Craigston, it's about the marriage of Lord Craigston to Elizabeth Innes.

All In A Day A great song from my early folk club days, this is part of a medley written by Alex Glasgow, the son of a County Durham pitman and prolific songwriter: he was responsible for getting Dance To Your Daddy into the charts.

Taking On Men In this song, a redundant shipyard worker is dreaming that prosperity has returned to the great yards of the Tyne. A wonderful composition from Jez Lowe.

Trooper Cut Down One of many stories about the consequences of associating with flash company. I found this one in Sedleys Seeds Of Love. John Tams suggested changing the tune for the chorus to The Day Thou Gavest Lord Is Ended which seems entirely appropriate.

Broomfield Wager Courting and a bet but the maiden triumphs. I compiled this version from the texts in the Child collection and the tune is my own.

Recruited Collier The original text can be found in the publication Ballads in the Cumberland Dialect by Robert Anderson. I learned this version in the folk clubs of north east England.

Diamond / Song of the Whale It was once common for men living near the rivers Tyne and Wear to sign on with whaling companies when times were hard in the coal trade. The Bonny Ship The Diamond is a traditional song about whaling from the Tyne. I have chosen to juxtapose it with Eric Bogles The Song of the Whale which reflects my own opinion on the subject.

Golden Vanity This seventeenth-century ballad appears in the Child collection as The Sweet Trinity. I always felt the story ended without resolution until I discovered a version in Folksongs from Southern New Brunswick which contains the retribution included here.

Only Remembered I was honoured to be the lead voice in the anthemic version of this song that finished the Ballad Of The Big Ships and indeed the series of 2006 Radio Ballads. It says it all.

The Blast (and all Bob's other albums) are available from his website.
Click to buy online.

Story published 16 Oct 2006