Pete Smith, English folk singer

September 21, 2016 3:36 PM

Does anybody have further information about the Lancashire folk singer Pete Smith?

Pete Smith sings two songs on the folk record Deep Lancashire, which was issued in 1968:
Beg Your Leave (6:00)
Ten Per Cent (32:30)

I regard his singing as one of the most beautiful English voices I've heard sing (up there with Ewan MacColl and Alex Glasgow) and would love to hear more. Can anybody give any information about him or point to any more songs of his which are available?

Literally anything is welcome.

posted by Emma May Smith to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

I think he was on the soundtrack to Fantasric Mr. Fox ( and was amazing)
posted by bq at 4:04 PM on September 21, 2016

this is what I'm talking about
posted by bq at 4:06 PM on September 21, 2016

I did a quick search on Mudcat Cafe http://www.mudcat.org/ and found a number of threads where he was mentioned.

Also, there might be materials about him or recordings by him at the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library at the Cecil Sharp House in London, part of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

Here in the US, Folkworks (on the web but also providing a calendar of concerts, events, and workshops in Southern California) is one of my go-to sources for folk information. You might try contacting them to see if they could put you in touch with someone who could help you.

http://folkworks.org/

If his voice was anything like MacColl's, then he was a treasure indeed. Good luck with your search.
posted by LeftMyHeartInSanFrancisco at 7:08 PM on September 21, 2016

Couple of people who might know: Mike Harding, who used to play with him, and Paul and Kath Reade who seem to have run a folk club with him.

Sadly, Petey on Fantastic Mr Fox was played by Jarvis Cocker, who is from that other place …
posted by scruss at 7:55 PM on September 21, 2016

iTunes
posted by unliteral at 10:50 PM on September 21, 2016