A FOLK MUSIC TRIBUTE TO

 

WARWICK SLADE

In the early ’70 Warwick Slade vanished from the folk world radar after claims that financial problems forced him to ‘get a proper job’. Prior to this he was still active along the South Coast, particularly in and around Southampton. The last sightings were supporting Decameron in Southampton and Magna Carta in Portsmouth. He also advised a young Roger Bucknall, just before he moved to Fylde, that there was no future in handmade guitars. Warwick was probable as well known for his pre-war Martin as his singing.

Warwick first came to the public attention during the early 60's when he played with the fledglings Bob Dylan and Paul Simon when on their English Folk Tours. It had been claimed that Dylans sometimes incomprehensible lyrics were his attempt to unscramble Warwicks pseudo Old English dialect. Also Simon's Homeward Bound, erroneously claimed to have been written on Widnes station was, in fact, written on Brockenhurst station, New Forest, after a joint gig at the Morant Hall.

 

Things really began to happen for Warwick when he teamed up with Denny Lodge, Mark Ash and Rufus Stone to form ‘King’s Garn’ and Forest Stomp music was born. Their first eponymous album contained many traditional songs given a ‘forest’ twist and sung in Warwick’s off tune style that later became his trade mark. He also developed a unique guitar tuning devised, he claimed, when someone trod on his pitch pipes. Before the second album, ‘Queen’s Bower’, was released Rufus was killed in an unfortunate hunting accident. Even the resulting publicity did not save the record from obscurity and the band split with some bad feelings. Warwick, however, was not one to let the grass grow and soon teamed up with local vicar’s daughter, Sally ‘Dames’ Slough. Dames was previously known for her EP ‘Songs of Emasculation’. Their partnership became cemented when they married in 1964. Although the marriage did not endure Warwick wrote much of his best work during this sentence and the album of his compositions, ‘Streams of Consciousness’ was released. It contained such classics as; Brackensford Brook, Matley Bog, Wort’s Gutter and, of course, Highlands Water.

Soon after this Warwick had his first breakdown and fled to the Isles of Scilly and the obscurity it offered. Here the marriage failed, with Dames going native with the fisher folk. Whilst in the West Country he was nicknamed ‘The Scilly Folker’ and dreamed of a West Country festival of Folk. This was not to be but he did sing with local singers including Cyril Tawney, Brenda Wootton, the Yetties and a young Dick Gaughan.

Warwick returned to the mainland and song writing. He released a series of Albums with strange titles such as ‘Gritnam’ and ‘Bank’ but they contained some of the songs that have slipped into the tradition. Who can forget the haunting ‘Ballad of Puckpits and Mogshade’ or the enigmatic ‘Shufters Bottom’

 

Always ready to try something new Warwick turned to writing a novel, spurred on by his brother George, better known as the novelist Stig, whose book ‘The Screaming Mute’ spent weeks in the best seller list. His first attempt ‘Oxymoron and the Epigrammatic Effect’ received critical acclaim but fail to sell a single copy but his second, ‘Expecting Rain’ fared better and did sell one copy. It was at this low point that he had to sell his beloved Martin guitar and soon after this his health began to fail. Whether this was due to his liberal intake of ‘forest water’ or just a generic defect is not known. However he occasionally did make a public appearance during his more lucid moments and has taken the stage at the invite of such artists as Martin Carthy or Leon Rosselson. He also made a television archive appearance on BBC4s folk programme Britannia Folk singing ‘As I Rode over Frying pan’s Bottom’

 

It is a sad fact that none of Warwick Slade’s vinyl albums made it to CD format. There must still be some copies of the old LPs out there. Unfortunately my copies were destroyed some time ago by a band of so called music purists. So if anyone can help out here you will be enabling me to place Warwick Slade back in the Public eye and keep a vital link with the originator of Forest Stomp Folk Music.

 

Dr. Brinton Tollbar

Director of Music, University of New Forest.

2007

Slade with Dylan about 1962

 

stop press.

I have just been informed that Warwick Slade was seen last year playing a set on a cruise ship and someone put excerpts on youtube. (click on link)

link