UK FOLK : THE KISSING SPELL LABEL Playlist 1st radio program with Kissing Spell and related folk releases : 2002, January 23rd MIDWINTER (1973) ****° Tr.2, "To find a Reason" 4 min Tr.5, "The Oak Tree Grove" 3 min Tr.9, "All things are quiet silent" 3 min Tr.11,"Winter Song" 5 min First Midwinter members formed also Stoneangel shortly after this recording. STONEANGEL (1975)***** Tr.1, "The Bells of Dunwich" 6 min Tr.2, "The Strator" 4 min Tr.5, "Black Sailed Traders" 5 min Tr.6, "Stone Angel" 4 min Tr.9, "The black Dog" 6 min Essential folk album STONEANGEL LIVE * Not essential. Litle difference in versions. Not so good recording quality. SHIDE AND ACORN : Legends,dreams and Stones (1970 ?) * Tr.9, "I love the day" 3 min A still rough version of the tales. Rehearsal tape. Rockinworld review 1993. issue of 1969 live Isle Of Wight Festival set. Very underground hippie progressive folk, spacey & mystical. Once delved into never forgotten. SHIDE AND ACORN : Under The Tree (1971)***°' Tr.2, "Eleonar's Song" 3 min Tr.7, "Under the tree" 5 min Tr.9, "Solitaire" 4 min Tr.10, "Marigold" 4 min First official album. Similar like Stoneangel, Midwinter. Subtle fragile female vocals and instrumentation. Rockinworld review : 1994. issue of 1969/70 demos. Try this first, beautiful collection of original Celtic folksongs, female & male vocals, Like Pentangle or Bread Love & Dreams. SHIDE AND ACORN : Princess of the island (1970)***°' Tr.9, "America Woods" 4 min Tr.11,"How beautiful the light" 4 min Similar in style as LP. Second half of it is at its nicest. MELLOW CANDLE : The Virgin Prophet (1972)***° Tr.15, "Virgin Prophet" 4 min Tr.1, "Heaven Heath" 3 min Tr.7, "Lords of the green grass" 3 min Demo versions of Swaddling Songs. "Virgin Prophet" is unforgettable. MELLOW CANDLE : Swaddling Songs (1972) Tr.4, "The poet and the witch" 3 min Tr.7, "Reverend Sisters" 5 min Tr.12, "Boulders on my grave" 4 min Most beautiful are piano/dual female vocals. More folkrock, with attention to the detail. But possibly not enough rock to be rewarded at its release date. FLIBBERDIGIBBET (1978)** Tr.3, "Mariner Blues" 4 min Much more tradititional. South Africa. I like this song. GALLERY : The Wind that shakes the barley (1969)*** Tr.3, "Queen of hearts" 4 min (an essential track) Tr.9, Chaconne" 3 min " Queen of Hearts " is incredibly beautiful, essential. Nice folk album. CAEDMON (1978)***° Tr.4, "Sea Song" 4 min Tr.9, "Columba's Song" 3 min Tr.11, "Caedmon's Hymn" 5 min The fragility is nice. So is the cello addition. CAEDMON LIVE (1978)***° Tr.1, "London Psalm" 020-end 6 min Tr.4, "Aslan" 5 min Tr.7, "Caedmon's Hymn" 5 min Tr.9, "Heaven Haven" 3 min (ev.Tr.14 : Columba" 3 min) Live versions are slightly better. Recording quality is not the best. SPIROGYRA : Burn the bridges (1970-1971) ** Tr.17, "Burn the bridges" 4 min Tr7. "Counting the cars" 3 min SPIROGYRA : Bells, Boots and Sambles (1973)****° Tr.1, "The furthest point" 8 min Essential album, surely for some of the larger tracks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Playlist 2nd radio program with Kissing Spell and related folk releases : 2002, April 3rd Part 1. News from the old groups/names : STONE ANGEL : East of the Sun (1986,2000)** Tr.5, "The fourteenth of November" 5 min 5 Slightly more modern and a bit less ambitious sounding as before. More info : http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/MIDWINTER_STONEANGEL.html ÉISTHLINN : Éist linn (B,2001)**' Tr.1, "East link/Sailing Irishtooshkert/The Curry Road to Corinth" 7 min Tr.7, "Blackwaterside" 5 min Tr.8, "The Brotherhood Reel/The Ivy Leaf" 3 min 15 20 Professional production and Flemish folk artists (with Allison as singer from early Mellow Candle). Mostly a bit more traditional, but fine. Much better as result compared with other Flemish releases. More info : http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/MELLOWCANDLE.html Part 2, the old groups : MOTHS (1969)** Tr.2, "Heron's Daughter" 4 min Tr.5, "?"(T.Buckley) 5 min 9 30 Very gentle laid-back interpretations of various songs, (guitar, voice, flute, hand percussion) and one original. NUMBER 9 BREAD STREET (1967)*° Tr.6, "North Country Cinderella" 3 min Tr.10, "Summertime" 3 min Tr.13, "Where is At" 4 min (Syd Barrett like)10 40 Extremely personalised indoor sing and enjoy along folk. Original. N°9 Bread Street was the address lots of the on the first Holyground label released groups appeared. MOURNING PHASE (1971)*** Tr.4, "Dross" 3 min Tr.5, "Putrescence" 6 min Tr.6, "Damn Your Eyes" 5 min 15 55 Mostly a bit more happy sounding acid folk with male/female dual vocals. LOUDEST WHISPER (1973)*** Tr.4, "Good Day My friend" 4 min Tr.8, "Mananan 2" 4 min Tr.9, "Children of the Dawn" 3 min Tr.16, "The Wheel of Life" (text Thomas Moore) 3 min Tr.1, "Silent O'Moyle" 6 min 20 75 Nice hippie acid folkrock a few times with Christian sounding small female choir,(slightly Trees reminding there) piano additions, some orchestrations. This group has also a longer history. THE TREES : THE CHRIST TREE -A MUSICAL MEDITATION-(US,1975)****' Tr.1, "psalm 42" 5 min Tr.2, "The Parable of the mustard seed" 5 min 10 85 Info http://www.borderlinebooks.com/us6070s/t7.html#The_Trees_3 Unique and wonderful Christian hippie acid folk. (Not on Kissing Spell of course) WATER INTO WINE BAND : HILL CLIMBING FOR BEGINNERS (1974)**** Tr.3, "Jesus I've been walking" 7 min Tr.6, "Song of the cross" 11 min 105 Very English sounding acid progpop like folk. Different reissue in US. Release of Kissing Spell includes both UK and US version. WATER INTO WINE BAND : Harvest Wine (1976)****° Tr.2, "Waiting for another day" 6 min Tr.6, "Harvest Time" 16 min 22 125 Professional Christian acid folkrock, with moody moments. Although I prefer the originality of three tracks I recommend this release highly. The other tracks have a few traditional elements, very well crafted. SINDELFINGEN : Odgipig (1973)****° Tr.1, "Song for Dawn" 1 min Tr.3, "Today & Tomorrow" 9 min 106 Tr.5, "Perpetual Motion" 13 min 150 Some comparing possible with Gnidrolog. Mostly acoustic composed art progressive. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The WEB PAGE with lots of information about the Acid Folk label KISSING SPELL you can find at http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/KISSINGSPELL.html The Midwinter -Stone Angel page you can find at http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/MIDWINTER_STONEANGEL.html The Mellow Candle - Flibberdigibbet - Eishtlinn page you can find at http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/MELLOWCANDLE.html