In the 1960s-70s, there was an explosion of so-called “folk-rock,” whether it was trad musicians picking up electric instruments or rock musicians seeking the folk roots of the idiom. The U.S.A. had the Byrds, while England had the likes of Fairport Convention and Pentangle (though I suspect Pentangle wouldn’t like to be called “rock”).
Was there an analog to this in Ireland and/or Scotland? I know Thin Lizzy dabbled in it from time to time, but it wasn’t really their main sound. I also know that in the later part of the 70s and 80s, there were punk bands like the Pogues doing something similar. Was there anything before the punk era that I’ve missed?
Thanks! This is somehow exactly what I was looking for and surprising at the same time. Apparently a few months ago I watched a video of them performing “Furniture” and had totally forgotten about it until you just reminded me of them. I like his electric mandolin, if indeed that’s what it is?!
Check out Steeleye Span. Been around for 50+ years.
Youtube has a lot of things up that alley. Tons. Even psychedelic folk from “the Isles”!
P.S. The Byrds. They were called N. America’s -(specifically Canada’s)- closest answer to the Beatles - at least until the Beach Boys released “Pet Sounds” . While the term “folk rock” was supposedly coined to describe them they didn’t stay there long. The body of their work wouldn’t be considered such.
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I have heard a bit of Steeleye Span, though not as much as I’ve heard from the bands I mentioned above. I will dig more deeply into them.
I’m a huge fan of the Byrds in particular and was in a Byrds cover band for a while. In their early days they were a bunch of folk and bluegrass musicians playing Beatles-esque pop/rock, often adapting folk and country songs into this style. They quickly shifted in a psychedelic direction (one of the first bands to do so), eventually morphing again into a country-rock band (quite early to this trend as well). However I do think their folk influences remained present in their music throughout these various stylistic changes, even if it was not their main preoccupation. I agree though that to call their entire body of work “folk-rock” is an over-simplification.
A Byrds cover band? Cool.
Not sure if I have the album on the bottom,but have the top two and others.
I’m,uh,not a young fellow.
Steeleye has a ton of albums of various type over the years.
Go to youtube and punch in something like Irish folk rock,Scot folk rock,English etc there’s a lot of fun/interesting stuff there.
Don’t think there’s any Cornish stuff tho’.
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