Off The Beaten Tracks 17 November 2025

This is the first radio show I've recorded in a while. In the McCalmans song Ainster is the local pronunciation of Anstruther which was where the Fence Collective was formed back in the 1990s. Early members of the collective included KT Tunstall and James Yorkston. 

Steeleye Span play at The Platform in Morecambe on the 20th of November. 

Listen to the show now on Mixcloud or from Monday at 8pm on Ginger Feather FM

Ralph McTell - Oxbow Lakes
Ross Ainslie - Fly Higher
Steeleye Span - New York Girls (2023 version)
Sarah Deere-Jones - The Female Smuggler
The McCalmans - Ainster Harbour
The Rails - Fair Warning
The Young 'Uns - Cable Street
The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments - Maurice Manley’s Polka \ John Ryan’s Polka
Bellowhead - The Outlandish Knight
Banter - Lay Me Low
Charlotte Carrivick - Waiting For Annie
Katherine Priddy - Walnut Shell
Neil Young - Heart of Gold
Phil Ochs - The Men Behind The Guns
Joni Mitchell - I Don't Know Where I Stand 

Off The Beaten Tracks mix November 2025

Back with a mix after a few weeks of being poorly with the latest version of Covid. There are a couple of football-related songs from Jez Lowe and Chris Wood and a new song from James J Turner. I've been listening to some Marillion recently including their first two albums with singer Steve Hogarth so have included an acoustic version of one of their songs. 

Listen now on Mixcloud or from Monday on Ginger Feather FM.

Benji Kirkpatrick - Angel 

Culverake - The Reedcutter's Daughter 

Fairport Convention - The Hens March Through The Midden & The Four Poster Bed 

The Low Countries - Putty (Live at BBC Lancs) 

Marillion - Sympathy (acoustic version) 

Ninebarrow - The Weeds 

Mikey Kenney - The Dandelion 

Alice Allen & Patsy Reid - Mrs Forsyth’s Strathspey / of Mortlach 

Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies - It's a Champion Life 

Chris Wood - Only A Friendly 

I'm With Her - Year After Year 

Eric Bibb, North Country Far & Danny Thompson - Toolin' Down The Road 

Skyrie - Raggle Taggle Gypsy 

Rab Noakes - Love Potion Number 9 

Jaywalkers - Playsuit 

James J Turner - Long Time Coming 

Fairport Convention - My Girl 

Danny Thompson tribute show

Last month we lost one of the great characters of British jazz and folk music namely Danny Thompson, best known for having been in the late 60s band Pentangle and for his collaborations with John Martyn and Richard Thompson. He played double bass on a mind-blowing number of albums and this show includes some favourites of mine along with tracks from one or two albums which I have only recently discovered by Eric Bibb and Ralph McTell. 

I saw Danny about half a dozen times as a member of Richard Thompson's band, sometimes just the two of them, other times with drummers Dave Mattacks or Michael Jerome and the multi-instrumentalist Pete Zorn. 

So farewell Danny and thanks for all the music played on the instrument described in the sleeve notes to Ian McNabb's 1998 ...Emotional Party album as "circa 1860 Grand French swell-backed double bass 'Victoria'".  

John Martyn & Danny Thompson - Sweet Little Mystery
Richard Thompson - Easy There, Steady Now
Richard Thompson & Danny Thompson - Big Chimney
Ian McNabb - Little Princess
Marianne Faithfull - Sally Free and Easy
Pentangle - I've Got A Feeling
Nick Drake - Three Hours
Ralph McTell - Take It Easy
Kate Bush - Watching You Without Me
Eric Bibb, North Country Far & Danny Thompson - You Really Got Me
Blind Boys of Alabama - Jesus Gonna Be Here
The Richard Thompson Acoustic Trio - Al Bowlly's In Heaven
Bert Jansch - Kittiwake 

Listen on Mixcloud or on Ginger Feather FM from Monday at 8pm. 

Off The Beaten Tracks mix 24 September 2025

Due to holidays and a new kitchen being put in at my house, I've been taking a break from doing shows but have put this mix together partly because my friends in The Low Countries have released a new compilation titled Fan-Fare. Also a shout-out goes to our friend Bob who is currently away on holiday and is letting us use his kitchen. The tracks by Clannad and Lunasa are from his CD collection.

As ever, listen now on Mixcloud or from Monday on Ginger Feather FM.

Jon Palmer Acoustic Band - Bridges Not Walls
The Low Countries - Gently Johnny
Merry Hell - Don't Say I, Say Us
Molly Tuttle - Rosalee
Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
Clannad - Theme From Harry's Game
Lunasa - Absent Friends
I'm With Her - Find My Way To You
The Low Countries - At The End of the Day
Billy Bragg - Take Down The Union Jack
Richard & Linda Thompson - It'll Be Me (live)
Pentangle - Sally Go Round The Roses
Toby Hay - Another Song For Bear
Ninebarrow - Summer Fires
Marit & Rona - New England Fireman Set 

Off The Beaten Tracks 1 September 2025

This show includes songs by two bands* who are playing at the Love Lancaster Live music festival which runs from the 9th to the 12th of October. This is a smaller event featuring mostly local bands and is replacing the Lancaster Music Festival which is taking a year off. 

Listen to the show on Mixcloud or on Ginger Feather FM from Monday at 1pm or 8pm.

Billy Bragg & Wilco - Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key 

The Broken-Hearted Few* - Hidden From The Sun 

The Low Countries* - Sun Street 

Reg Meuross - This Land Is Your Land 

Mikey Kenney - Kindling of Morning 

Teddy Thompson - What's Love Got To Do With It 

Sarah McQuaid - Jackdaws Rising (Live in Rapid City) 

Michael Chapman - Waiting For A Train 

Katie Spencer - Shuffleboat River Farewell 

Duncan McCrone - I Ain't Marchin' Any More 

Grace Petrie - The Best Country in the World 

Anna Lavigne - Pockets of Time 

Martin Stephenson - Sweet September Rain 

Stevie Palmer - Gently Into The Night 

Nick Drake - Harvest Breed 

Off The Beaten Tracks 25 August 2025

A maritime theme to this show with a number by The Mizzen Crew who are based in Morecambe and donate profits from sales of their CDs to the RNLI. 

Listen now on Mixcloud or from Monday on Ginger Feather FM at 1pm or 8pm.

Darwin Song Project - Trust in the Rolling Ocean 

Steve Knightley - The Bristol Slaver 

The Pogues - When The Ship Comes In 

Kris Drever - Shipwrecked 

Inge Thomson - Marie Celeste 

Fara - West Tide Story 

The Rosie Hood Band - Wild Man of the Sea 

Spiers & Boden - Old Maui 

The Mizzen Crew - Essiquibo River

Twelfth Day - The Beach 

Runrig - Morning Tide 

Macmaster Hay - Shipbuilding 

Steve Knightley - The Napoli 

John Spiers - Stoney Steps Hornpipe 

 

Warwick Folk Festival mix

I'm going to the Warwick Folk Festival at the end of next week so have put together a mix of some of those who will be playing there from Thursday the 24th to Sunday the 27th. 

Listen to the mix on Mixcloud or from Monday on Ginger Feather FM at 1pm or 8pm. 

Richard Thompson - Feel So Good
Kate Rusby - Shake It Off
Martin Simpson - Born Human
Fara - Broom Power
Will Pound & Jenn Butterworth - The Workout Suite
Janice Burns & Jon Doran - Up and Awa'
Banter - Below Below
Andy Cutting - Granton Fish Bowl
Granny's Attic - The Mermaid
Le Vent Du Nord - Pauvre Enfant 
Chris Wood - Turtle Soup
Martin Simpson - New Kitchen Blues
Kate Rusby - The Village Green Preservation Society
Richard Thompson - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
Fara - Speir Thoo the Wast Wind

https://warwickfolkfestival.co.uk/