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CD
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LSCD 025CD
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You may have heard about a Scottish postman who started an online-shanty-craze on some video platform earlier this year -- but why not listen to the real McCoy? -- please excuse the pun... John Townley's life has been linked to the sea for as long as he can remember -- he was raised on a ship. And his love for the oceans also had (and keeps on having) a massive influence on his musical career. Having studied guitar with Rev. Gary Davis in the early '60s John Townley played the blues and folk circuit of coffee houses in New York City. There he played in a duo with David Blue, joined The Magicians, build up the Apostolic Studios and recorded the Family of Apostolic album (1968) and its follow-up with Ocean (1969, unreleased until 2020, LLP 006LP). After those folk and psychedelic adventures John started playing and producing maritime folk music from the '70s onward. He played and recorded with the X-Seamen's Institute, produced albums by the Starboard List and worked for the Mariner's Museum in Virginia and New York's South Street Seaport Museum. But as John never tires to point out: Maritime folk songs shouldn't be museum pieces! Those songs and tunes have all the elements of real hits -- they're very melodious, full of hooks and have danceable rhythms. Therefore, they should be played with much verve and at high volume. John also knows this first hand as he traveled on American, Canadian and European tall ships as a musician. Naturally he also recorded during his journeys -- documented by his albums Sailor! (1991) and A Chesapeake Sailor's Companion (2000). As Sailor! was only released on tape in a very limited quantity, The Lollipop Shop give it a proper release on CD. But this is not a straight re-issue. The album now is an enhanced sea adventure in two chapters dealing with life on sea and the temptations of mermaids. Eight unreleased songs have been added, recorded by John and friends during their travels in Poland and England in 1992 and 1996. Above that all the music has been recently mastered to the volume level that John had originally envisioned. Now, haul away with the seafaring boys and let yourself be lured by Maggie the mermaid... Includes insert with liner and song notes by John Townley.
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CD
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LSCD 022CD
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John Townley is associated with various musical projects by different groups of people. For some, he's the driving force behind the double-album by The Family of Apostolic (1968), for others the guitarist of folk-rock garage-heroes The Magicians (1965-66). Yet other folks think of him as the musician/producer behind maritime albums like his own Sailor! (1991) and A Chesapeake Sailor's Companion (2000) or the two albums by The Starboard List (1976-77). But in the end it's always the one and only John Townley -- a man of many talents with an incredible scope of musical abilities and sensibilities. Having studied guitar with Rev. Gary Davis in the early 1960s, John played the blues and folk circuit of coffee houses in New York City, meeting almost everyone you could imagine in that scene. He played in a duo with David Blue, formed an all-electric folk-band in 1965, The Psychedelic Rangers, before joining The Magicians. His next venture was to found the Apostolic Studios, the first 12-track-facility in New York. There he recorded The Family of Apostolic-album and the follow-up with Ocean (1969) as well as various projects for Vanguard Records and other labels. From the 1970's onward John's been researching, playing and producing mainly maritime folk music, making the aforementioned albums and sailing (often literally) around the USA and Europe. Now he's back with this new solo album -- and being the multi-instrumentalist that he is, he played every instrument you can hear on it by himself. The project started in 2014-15 with recordings at Marc Greene's studio in Brookville, NY and it was finished when Grammy-winning engineer John Kilgore did the final mixes in New York City in 2019-20. As John always has been fond of eclectic album concepts (just listen to the albums by the Family of Apostolic and Ocean) this new album also covers a lot of ground. His folk and blues roots are represented by new interpretations and re-inventions of some real classics, on top there are also some wonderful new original songs. Everything is tied together by John's incredible guitar playing -- acoustic and electric -- and his great voice (plus harmony vocals and around ten other instruments). John Townley returns with a folk n' blues-pickin' smasher of an album. Deluxe fold open cover. Includes insert with liner and song notes by John Townley.
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