Anne Lennox-Martin
 Anne Lennox-Martin:
Sleeve notes from Anne Lennox-Martin - Born to the Breed
1. Born to the Breed
Composed by: Judy Collins, arranged: ALM Band.
The wonders of being a mother; the loving and sharing of the early years
and the letting go when it is time for the child to move on. Beautiful
lyrics.
2. Lady Eliza
Traditional, arranged: Anne Lennox-Martin.
A traditional song about the disgrace of a "lady" falling in love with a
servant. The servant is killed by her father and she commits suicide. A
well known theme so probably really happened at some time in the misty
past. This version from the Child Book of Ballads is more commonly
titled - "Lady Diamond".
3. Temporary Man
Composed: Anne Lennox-Martin, arranged: ALM Band.
Written by Anne in a Hackney Squat in the 80's; a rocking number with
acerbic lyrics, e.g. "Loving you is like a fairground site / Fun for a
while then it closes for the night." Oh dear, not a particularly happy
time, but a cracking tune.
4. St James' Infirmary Blues
Traditional, arranged Anne Lennox-Martin.
Anne learnt this stunning version from a New York women's collective in
the early 70's.
5. Month of January
Traditional, arranged: Anne Lennox-Martin.
A poignant traditional song about the plight of women who become
pregnant and are then abandoned by parents and lover.
6. Do Your Duty
Composed: Bessie Smith, arranged: ALM Band..
Probably written by Bessie Smith, this song came to Anne via Peter
Bellamy and we think of it as our "Hot Club" number. It was recorded on
an LP modestly entitled "Copulatin' Blues". Now who could be blue about
that?
7. It Ain't Me Babe
Composed: Bob Dylan, arranged: Anne Lennox-Martin.
The well known Bob Dylan song, here given an acapella harmony treatment
by Anne and her daughter Elayna.
8. Man For All colours
Composed: Nick Parry-Jones, arranged: Bill Caddick.
This song won a TV Competition in 1967. The series was called Songs of
Grief and Glory. Anne remembered the song out of the blue but had no
idea where it came from.Thanks to Peter Monk (Optical) from Essex, for
the information.
9. The Rising of the Women
Composed: Chris Coe, arranged: Anne Lennox-Martin.
Many women who grew up in the 50's and 60's found their loyalties torn
when Women's Liberation and similar organisations were fighting for
equality with men in every facet of life. It appeared that many of the
most strident campaigners hated men. Women with loving husbands could
identify with the cause but not always with "The Ladies" who were the
mouthpiece for change. Chris Coe's song strikes a resonance for both men
and women who remember those times.
10. Seventeen Come Sunday
Traditional, arranged: Anne Lennox-Martin.
This version comes from the Baring Gould collection; performed acapella
with chorus harmonies added by Elayna Martin and Genevieve Tudor.
11. The Crawdad Song
Traditional, arranged: ALM Band.
Widely known songs often pick up verses from here, there and everywhere.
Chris thinks he got most of these from George and Thaddeus Kay in
Leicester in the late 60's - early 70's. Crawdad is a dialect name from
west of the Appalachians and applies to fresh-water and sea-water
creatures like little lobsters. You may know them as crayfish - whatever
you call them, they're delicious.
12. Unaccompanied
Composed: Harvey Andrews, arranged: Anne Lennox-Martin.
Written by Harvey Andrews in the early 70's, this song is a political
statement about poverty, and the gulf between establishment and the
workers.
13. Poor Frozen Out Gardners
Traditional, arranged: ALM Band.
This song appears in Roy Palmers' book "A Touch on the Times" It seems
there was little sympathy for the beggars who marched the street with a
cabbage on a pole shouting "H'all froze out" during bitter winter
spells. Some suspected that these men were just work-shy, and earned
double a normal days wage by deceiving the public.
14. New Railroad
Traditional, arranged: ALM Band.
Anne learnt this song from Jim Mageean while both were residents at the
Dingles Folk Club in London. Obviously American it describes the fate of
women who befriended the railroad crews.
15. Stavin' Chain
Composed: Lil Johnson? arranged: ALM Band.
Probably written by Lil Johnson but certainly recorded by her in the
early 30's, this celebrates a legendary character who helped create the
American railroads. Apparently he was well endowed and enjoyed an
excellent reputation with the womenfolk. This is another track from the
appropriately entitled LP "Copulatin' Blues".
Reviews of Anne Lennox-Martin - Born to the Breed
Shreds and Patches - Summer 2004
For those who don’t know Anne’s history, she became well known on
the scene working as part of a duo specialising in music hall songs, and
damn good she was. After a break in her professional singing career
(although never stopping singing!) she moved to Shropshire with new
husband and new material.
Her tastes in music have always been
eclectic, and this new band brings out the best in very varied material.
This recording shows both band and Anne in full flight; lovely slide
guitar work from Bill Caddick, sleazy jazz fiddle from Flos Headford,
tasty guitar and mandolin from husband Vince Neads, and tasteful
(honest!) percussion from Chris Bartram. All contribute backing
vocals, as do her daughter Elayna and Radio Shropshire’s Gen Tudor.
Throw into the mix some lovely bass playing from occasional All Blacked
Up person Ray Archer, and the result makes a very enjoyable listen.
With so much going on, it would be easy to forget just what a powerful
unaccompanied singer Anne is, but you won't do that if you give this a
listen. Lady Liza (more commonly called Lady Diamond) is a stunner, one
of the biggest of the big ballads, and Anne’s treatment bringing out
the darkness within it, whilst her treatment of Chris Coe’s The Rising
of the Women has an almost hesitant uncertainty in its tone perfectly
fitted to the song. Of the numbers she shares with the band the bluesy
Do your Duty, New Railroad and Stavin’ Chain are wonderful. I was
also taken with Man for all Colours, which has some lovely twelve string
(I think!) playing behind a very poignant treatment of a very poignant
song.
Baz Parkes
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