Booking on ITV for Foggy-Dew-O

Two South Yorkshire lads who took their inspiration from folk music are now on their way to fame and fortune of a television appearance and an L.P. record.

Early in 1966, Lenny Phillips (19), of 3, Chambers Avenue, Conisbrough, and Danny Clark (23), of 55, Birchwood Avenue, Cudworth, decided there was room for a new team on the local folk club scene, and the Foggy-Dew-O was born.

Since then, they have come on by leaps and bounds, playing not only folk clubs, but working men’s clubs, concerts and carburettor, and have a resident caberet job one evening a week at the Ajanta restaurant, Sheffield.

Now, they have recorded a one number spot for Granada Television which will go out as part of a “new talent” series on May 23. At the end of the series, a panel of judges will award a trophy and prizes.

Also, the Foggy-Dew-O have been promised an L.P by a new recording company which they hope will come out in June.

At the moment, they are semi-professional, but their aim is to turn full-time.

At his home, with a wealth of guitars and other instruments scattered around the living room, Lenny told me that the Foggy-Dew-O had not proved popular with some folk club organisers.

“Some people seem to resent the fact that we present folk music primarily as entertainment. Despite the fact that the audiences like us, some of the club organisers would not give us a chance, and this encouraged us to branch out to take in a wider audience.

“They seem to think that folk music is just for the ‘chosen few’, which is ridiculous; it is, and always has been, entertainment for the masses, and it is the people who take the narrow attitude who are killing the tradition.”

The song to be given on the Granada program is one they have written themselves, and it, with some others, will definitely go on their record. “Again, some people would say this is not folk music, but the new tradition is just as important as the old,” said Lenny, and added; “folk is more an attitude to music than the music itself.”

The boy’s repertoire has any over 230 songs, and they are always learning new numbers. These include folk songs from all over the world and the boys accompanied themselves on any of a wide range of instruments including guitar, five string banjo, and mandolin. “We would like to say,” said Danny, “that we owe a great deal to our friend David H. Lee, the country singer, well known around local clubs. “He introduced us to the right people, and it is because of him that we have got this break.” The boys back David H. Lee on his soon to be released L.P. record.

In the next few months the Foggy-Dew-O hope to go a long way and add to the long awaited revival on the popular music scene.