Ken Colyer - Midnight Special

From an early LP with the Ken Colyer Skiffle Group:- Ken Colyer (Guitar & Vocal), Alexis Korner Guitar & Mandolin), Bill Colyer (Washboard), Mickey Ashman (Bass) [Recorded London 1954]

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ken
• colyer
• skiffle
• group
• midnight
• special
• statfold
• barn
• steam
• railways
• narrow
• gauge
• hunslet
• peckett
• staffordshire

[FritzieCarney]

Thank you . Have you got "Take this hammer?" I'd love to hear that again.

[DADRENO]

Got it somewhere on a 78?

[bostonbrawla]

I love this!

[Frontera3]

Ken Colyer,Jazz, steam engines,hill walks -what more could I want!

[19whitby12]

Of course, Lonne Donnegan played banjo with the Colyer Band before the "bust-up" after which Lonnie played banjo in the Barber Band.

In the mid-fifties (I think) Lonnie was given a "skiffle" spot at the Royal Festival Hall (Barber playing double-bass) and sang "Rock Island Line" and the rest as they say, was history!

Ken from Gata de Goorgos

[Paul2981]

interesting when worker with bucket crosses track ahead of train

[keithmartinames]

Relax guys! Interesting how so many You Tube posts involve minor squabbles about some detail or other. Entertaining to a degree, but let's celebrate the fact this kind of stuff is available to listen to at anytime. My interest? My brother played in the Ken Colyer band in the 1960s before many of the line up moved on to become Johnny Bastable's Chosen Six. Cheers all.

[5869074]

Nobody is saying that Lonnie came before Ken Colyer, but it was Lonnie Donegan who brought this kind of music to a much wider audience. That is my point and it can't be disputed.

[jphar]

Ken was already at it the very early 50's long before Lonnie 'auditioned' with Chris, who used to be with Ken. You are way out Kenrew

[5869074]

Kenrew,

Nobody is trying to take anything away from Ken Colyer, but it has to be said that it was Lonnie who brought back American Folk, Blues, and Country Music and made it popular with the masses in this country.  Nobody else influenced so many budding guitar and banjo players as did Lonnie. If you don't agree with that, then it is your info and your memory that is indeed very sketchy.

[normwebs]

As a skiffle man from the 50s, I have to correct you. Your knowledge is sketchy. Try some of Ken's other skiffle recordings - Mule Skinner Blues, Sporting Life Blues. I always enjoyed Lonnie's work other than the comedy numbers, but there was a subtlety in Ken's recordings that was unique in skiffle.

What makes you think it was Lonnie who brought folk and blues back here ? Ken was there and using it before Lonnie.

My group was 'the Forty-Niners'.

[5869074]

Kenrew,

Maybe I am a little biased, as Lonnie's version was the inspiration for my mates and I to form our own group way back in 1959. Remember also that Lonnie played with Chris Barber long before his Skiffle days He also brought Folk,Blues and Country music back to this country from America which inspired many more people.

[swartisen]

naturally you can't compare it with lonnie donegan ... every musican has it s own style ...and also this is an earlier version ....

[5869074]

Kenrew,

Can't compare to the Lonnie Donegan version.