This week we learned that Mary Travers, at the age of 72, passed away.I am saddened.
I wonder … how many people of my generation had their first taste of (what we then thought was) folk music on hearing Peter, Paul and Mary?
Was it folk music?
It became so, and remains so.
Some might argue that it was 'twee' popular music for a commercial market.
I disagree.
Who cares? Let’s not go there!
PP&M produced music that was pleasing to many.
In folk clubs of the 1960s and 70s someone from the floor would always offer a cover of their material. It happens even now.
Was it not only couple of weeks ago that our very own Mike performed ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ at the City Folk Club? Didn’t we all join in?
‘Pleasing’ is too trite an adjective. Much of their music was socio-politically motivated. It spoke of opposition to the Viet Nam war, of pacifism, and of support for the civil-rights movement. There were, and remain, powerful messages in much of what they performed. Social awareness was raised. Consciences were stirred.
That, of course, was before we all became hippies!
So, where have all the flowers gone?
1 comment:
Hear, hear. Before Dylan, there was PP&M - at least in my chronology. Spiers & Boden do 'Old Coat', from PP&M's early years. Watching the clips on YouTube of their BBC2 shows was like stepping back in time. The shows were shown again recently (months) on BBC4. Mary was the ideal: long blonde hair, pretty, good voice (although a friend strongly opined at the time that she sang out of tune on 'Leaving On a Jet Plane'). They introduced Dylan's and Lightfoot's songs to the world, they gave us accessible versions of trad folk classics (Gilgarry Mountain, Motherless Child, Man of Constant Sorrow). Yarrow & Stookey were nifty guitarists, too. The times are, indeed, a-changin'.
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