Let’s face it, this particular folk song doesn’t really do much to inspire confidence in the faithfulness of men of many trades – as Seth Lakeman explains “I first heard my Father singing this song as The Rambling Miner. This version as The Rambling Sailor is based on the 1968 version from Maddy Prior and Tim Hart and resonates with where I’m from as it mentions young Johnson stopping in Southern ports such as Plymouth.” It also exists as ‘The Rambling Soldier,’ where it’s a recruiting sergeant who “travels the country through and through.” But today it is untrustworthy sailors with which we are concerned.
This version of the song comes from an exciting new album from Topic Records, ‘Sea Song Sessions’ is a collection of British maritime folk songs and sea shanties, performed by a collective of some of British folk music’s leading lights: Jon Boden, Seth Lakeman, Ben Nicholls, Emily Portman & Jack Rutter. It’s something of a continuing tradition for Topic and complements albums like ‘Sea Songs & Shanties’ and ‘Blow The Man Down’ that Topic produced in the Sixties and Seventies. The album is out on 30th September, and there are 3 special quay side performances to celebrate the launch that will take place in Cornwall:
Tuesday 27 September 2022
LOOE HARBOUR
JON BODEN, SETH LAKEMAN, BEN NICHOLLS & JACK RUTTER
Wednesday 28 September 2022
CHARLESTOWN HARBOUR
JON BODEN, SETH LAKEMAN, BEN NICHOLLS & JACK RUTTER
Friday 30 September 2022
FALMOUTH MARITIME MUSEUM
SETH LAKEMAN, BENJI KIRKPATRICK, BEN NICHOLLS & GEOFF LAKEMAN
