Introduction To...

Vinyl 180 delves into the Topic Records archive to reveal the rich heritage of label's role in traditional folk music with a series introducing some of the UK's most influential and respected folk musicians of the era. Anne Briggs is recognized as a bridge between a stuffy revivalist folk world and the contemporary set of the mid-60s. Bert Jansch taught her to play guitar, and famously, Briggs taught him 'Blackwater Side', which he then made his own on his classic 1965 debut album; his next and pivotal album Jack Orion largely comprised songs he learnt from Briggs who helped him understand the structure of folk song. The first six traditional unaccompanied songs presented here are taken from recordings made between 1963 and 1966 which display all the hallmarks of Anne's artistry - pure, fluid and with flawless timing. It wasn't until 1971 that she would record her debut album for Topic. Two years later, following her poorly selling major label debut on CBS, she retreated to the Scottish Highlands cut off entirely from the industry. But her influence was profound on contemporaries such as Maddy Prior, Norma Waterson and Sandy Denny whose song 'The Pond And the Stream' was about Brigg's rambling life style.