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John Barleycorn
Last updated: 11.10.23
There are numerous versions and variants of "John Barleycorn", a song I grew up with, but the version I sing is taken from a popular German songbook. I used to find it pretty boring until I started playing the English concertina. The tutor I used was Roger Watson's Handbook for English Concertina and in it he goes into a detailed technical discussion on minor keys and transposed Dorian modes using "John Barleycorn" as an example. This woke me up to the fact there was much more to such "simple" folk-music than meets the eye.
The song itself deals with the magical transformation of impotent barley seed into a substance powerful enough to strike the strongest man down. A sort of Charles Atlas story.
     Performer CD Title Supplier
       
cd15.gif An Teallach Ceilidh Band Catching the Sun Rise CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Barry Dransfield Be Your Own Man flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif
cd15.gif Fairport Convention Cropredy Festival flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15it.gif
cd15.gif Benny Graham Not Fooling Anyone flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif John Kirkpatrick Every Mortal Place CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif A.L. Lloyd English Drinking Songs CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Various Artists Troubadours Of British Folk: Vol. 2 flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Various Artists Revels Celebration Of Spring Summer & Fall flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif John Renbourn John Barleycorn flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif
cd15.gif  Roberts and Barrand Live at Holsteins CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif The New Scorpion Band Folk Songs and Tunes From the British Isles
cd15.gif Steeleye Span Below The Salt CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Steeleye Span Spanning The Years CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif The Watersons Frost & Fire flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif
cd15.gif Wilson Family The Wilson Family Album
cd15.gif The Wild Mountain Thyme The Wild Mountain Thyme CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
     Title Performer Composer
       
youtube15.jpg John Barleycorn (3:20) Barry Dransfield
youtube15.jpg John Barleycorn (4:50) Steeleye Span