Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Deena Webster - Hurry, Tuesday Child (1968)




I was kind of surprised to find that this record hadn't been blogged before (at least that I could find). It's bad enough that it hasn't been reissued on CD. So even though I have some of my own records to get ready for posting I thought I'd take a few minutes to put this one up for you. As suggested, it's not my recording, but was done by FolkPhile (from vinyl) some time ago. FolkPhile is a great collector and poster who has been around in file sharing circles for a long time, posting in newsgroups and sharing in other places as well. So thanks to her (?) for this one.


And what about the record? It was issued on Parlophone in 1968 and features some excellent covers of contemporary folk/pop selections (the Flower Lady, NY Mining Disaster 1941, Colours, etc.) and older, popular folk numbers (House of the Rising Sun, Geordie) accompanied by the guitar playing or by string orchestra (under the direction of Arthur Greenslade). Deena is a British folk singer in the popular style of the day (think early Marianne Faithful or Bridget St. John). Perhaps not an original approach but all well performed. Deena has a great voice and is perhaps a little unemotional at times, but that's nit-picking really. Overall an excellent and unjustly forgotten record.

There's not much information available on the Web about Deena. The only Web page devouted to her is in German and, if the number of Google hits is any indication, she also appears to be popular in Japan.

Here's a tracklist:
A Side
Hurry, Tuesday Child
Hair Of Spun Gold
New York Mining Disaster, 1941
Geordie
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
The House Of The Rising Sun
B Side
Who Will Buy
The Flower Lady
Summer Day Reflection Song
Colours
Tangles Of My Mind
The Last Thing On My Mind

And you can get the music HERE (reposted).

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for that ! I didn't know her before, would like to know why she only did one album.

Anonymous said...

If only that Douglas Leedy link would show up (again)...*sigh*

Max said...

It will return, soon.

Anonymous said...

Wow!Which beautiful discover for me.IT's unhappily that she was do only one album,I think?Good sound for a 1968 album.

Brian Tipton said...

Her cover of Tom Thumb Blues is stunning...

Unknown said...

Very interesting album, Max.

Brings to mind Baez, of course, & Pauline Filby.

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Deena know lives in Hong Kong and should be encouraged to do more albums.

James said...

When I first heard Deena on Radio Hong Kong in 1971, I was amazed. Eventually bought her only LP, which I still enjoy. I didn't think that many people know her.

The Mighty Louche said...

Hi! Heard Ms Webster's sweet version of 'Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues' and am very interested in the rest of this record; any chance of re-upping it? (DL link seems to be cancelled.) Keep up the good work.

Max said...

I will get a repost up sometimes in the next week.

The Mighty Louche said...

Cheers!

hooch said...

Thank You!

gmonet said...

Barbara Moore ("Voices In Latin") brings Deena's name up in a recent TV interview on LorraineBowenTV just full of excitement and endorsement. Now I have to find the LP and hear what the excitement is about.

Anonymous said...

Thanks alot Max.

Andrew