Dick Gaughan - Willie O' Winsbury

[@BillyQSmith]

Of all of Dick Gaughan’s wonderful early 1970s to early 1980s recordings, I find this recording of “Willie O’ Winsbury” the most mesmerizing of them all. Never mind that he forgot to include a verse about the king saying that had he a been a woman he would have had Willie as a bedfellow, too (the ballad is long enough as it is!). This was originally issued on an album simply titled “Gaughan” (Topic 12TS384, 1978). For the liner notes he wrote, “I couldn't have imagined myself singing this a few years back, but I found a couple of verses for the middle which change the whole emphasis of the song. I first heard it sung by Anne Briggs to a different tune, but don't remember where I got this tune. The guitar is tuned DADGAD and the accompaniment is from an idea my wife Dorris gave me.” Just a remarkable performance here!

[@carolfreeman9773]

Have loved everything Dick has done for more than fifty years, but this is one of my very favorites.

[@2visiondigital]

This is the 1st version of Wille O Winsbury I ever heard and it is utterly pure. Thank you Padraigin for a Terrible Beauty on KPFA for opening my mind. There are so many excellent versions of this old ballad to discover. I like many defer to the Pentangle version, Jacqui's singing stirs my emotions. As someone else pointed out for me, it is rare for these Isles songs to have a happy ending.

[@alisonmcnee380]

Pentangle version is beautiful, Jacqui McShee's voice is an absolute gift to us all !

[@carolfreeman9773]

Just checked it out. Thin, wispy folk revival vocal usage - ugh!

[@ShakurForbes]

That’s absolutely Gorgeous

[@CBbehereNOW]

Voice like butter❤

[@fingling8]

Whoa. You know, I was just thinking how the first version we hear of any particular tune gets cemented as 'the best.' I know this song only by Pentangle, and I love that sweet, twee version. And I say 'only,' but i just heard a moment ago the version by Andy Irvine--wow, and more real. And then this one. The hammer-on/pull-off version here, his more subtle style of singing, is also bloody great.

Musicianship ; brilliantly bitter sweet

Troubadour. They were the peacemakers between the lords. Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast.

[@jerrywhoomst1116]

I love this song so much. I can't decide who has my favorite version. If someone put a gun to my head I'd probably say Anne Briggs, but there are so many beautiful versions. (And a few less than beautiful ones as well.)

[@PepeGracia4]

Good song and pretty nice singing

[@breedenburgh]

Shivers.....

[@jimmasson8330]

Magic.

[@willgiorno1740]

❤

[@AnubisRichards]

And see Willie of Winsbury by Pentangle for another epic version of this epic song. It doesn't have Dick's wonderful guitar intro and trademark picking excellence but has fuller and different lyrics and is just as magnificent despite unnecessarily heavy instrumentation.

[@verandi3882]

Martin Carthy , Nic Jones , John Renbourn , Dick Gaughan ... those guitarists are truly amazing in their style of unique playing, Gaughan here is completely owning thr song in his way .

[@Trollificusv2]

I've always been partial to the Pentangle version. As for instrumentation, if you've got Danny Thompson, Bert Jansch and John Renbourne together...I wouldn't ask them to play a single note less than they felt was right. And out of all the mournful laments and murder ballads, the cruelties and curses found among the old folk songs, this one, above all, has the most glorious happy ending of them all. It might not last forever...but then, what does?

[@frankbolger3969]

...and give Sweeney's Men a listen.

[@PepeGracia4]

Thompson bass is a masterclass of the instrument and the voice...... Pentangle at his hypnotic best

[@dandrechesterfield5411]

Also Meg Baird and Anne Briggs do great versions. Hard to beat the pentangle version, it’s the best in my opinion

[@oisinoregan]

Ye vagbonds version is worth a look.

[@prangbro]

Sweeney's men too!

[@jonc8989]

Anne briggs three

[@oliverbennett7264]

Fabulous. Is there a guitar tab for this version?

[@montychiton]

Ah that voice.....

[@mayterry3676]

This is an interesting version. Everyone else sings the other version.

[@willgiorno1740]

So lovely, but such a pity not to include the queer verse which makes sense of the kings change of heart. But praps it's implied here by Willy,s described beauty and then the musical interlude...

[@dandrechesterfield5411]

unfortunate that the owner of Topic records screwed all the artists on the label and none of them ever got the rights back to their music.

The bard the troubadour the seductive interloper into the Normans

Bard the cowards destroyed. Women.