The folk years

Leon's early years come ill documented. When he speaks skillful German and Hebrew, he may develop been natural around Germany, or at least experienced German parents. Sure as shooting, ne was brought higher around London, sleep inside Tufnell Park & attended school in Highgate Road, adjacent to Parliament Hill Fields.

Eric Winter & John Hasted attend Berlin in the early 1950's by owning a choir it experienced formed, the London Youth Choir. This is every now and again considered to exist as Britain's 1st folk class action. Leon Rosselson joined the two. 2 or three years late two Scotsmen, Robin Hall (1936-1998) & Jimmie MacGregor (b. 1930), come to London & performed within folk clubs. It mass produced many EPs in 1959 prior to team sustaining Shirley Bland (Jimmie's married woman) & Leon Rosselson to form A quartet known as The Galliards. Leon did everthing of the class action's arrangements. About tons of their songs were Scottish traditional songs. A class action seems to own broken higher around 1962, though Robin Hall & Jimmie MacGregor continued to record until a Seventies. Inside 1965, Leon joined Martin Carthy and Roy Bailey in a class action known as the "3City4" (when well written as 3 City 4). At various days he likewise recorded sea shanties sustaining Stan Kelly.

That Was The Week That Was

Britain's satire boom began on 24th November 1962 by having the debut of a late-nighttime Saturday television series known as "That Was The Week That Was", hosted by David Frost. A vast cast of writers involved Leon Rosselson, world health organization wrote topical songs attacking corruption inside government. A Profumo scandal experienced upright broken & politicians were prey. A program ran until 1963.

Folk Club Singer

inside the late 1960s, Rosselson travelled widely within Britain, appearing in folk clubs, singing his have brand of, in the main satiric, songs. It was the time of prolific song-writing, & a select few of the better songs from either this period appeared on the album Songs for Sceptical Circles & in The Laugh, the Song & the Hand Grenade, which was the survive recording of Rosselson's song's, interspersed by owning a verse form of Adrian Mitchell. It was when you took this period of time that his song Little Tim McGuire (world health organization loved to play sustaining fire) was reputedly banned per BBC because its lyrics implied that Britain's Fire Brigade enjoy lighting fires.

With Roy Bailey

"Hugga Mugga" was on the Leader Label within 1971. Roy Bailey & Leon recorded "That's Not The Way It's Got To Be" within 1975, including one of Leon's right-known songs "The World Turned Upside Down". "For The Good of the Nation" was witharound 1981, & Lewithin began recording using Martin Carthy & Roy Bailey over again, appearing on radio by using the babies in 1982 & by having Frankie Armstrong in 1987. "No Cause for Alarm" was an anti-nuclear album in the early 80s. Billy Bragg took "The World Turned Upside Down" into the stock and index charts inside 1985.

Big Red Songs

A original "Big Red Songbook" come call at 1977, compiled by Mal Collins, David Harker & Geoff White. Leon Rosselson produced the newly collection "The New Big Red Songbook" around 2003. Ingesting his defiance to the hilt, Leon placed dead set exist as illegal. 3 Law Lords declared that Peter Wright's book "Spycatcher" may not become published inside Britain. Leon spent deuce years reading it, so quoted sentences from either it around the specially written song "Ballad of a Spycatcher". Around 1987 Simon Bates announced that he was going to play a only in Radio One. He appeared to require a law raid or even court choose, however he played the record & nothing happened. Inside Leon's words, "So much for subversive intentions..." It possibly reached total Heptad in the NME indie singles stock and index charts. From either 1995, frequent collaborators in his albums involved Martin Carthy, Robb Johnson, Liz Mansfield & Fiz Shapur. A pack placed "Carthy Chronicles" involved Little joe songs by Rosselson, including "Palaces of Gold" which as well appeared in Carthy's "Crown of Horn" (1976). Leon has toured Northward United states of america, a Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerl& and Australia. He has written songs for a stage production at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield of "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?".

A children's writer

Leon has published Seventeen tykes's books. His number 1 book, "Rosa's Singing Grandfather", published by Puffaround was shortlisted in 1991 for the Carnegie Medal. The cassette version of the book was besides published. Leon writes by using feeling all just about the case of existence a refugee, & about existence bullied. His story "The Greatest Drummer In The World" has been processed into a stage indicate, at the Drill Hall. London inside 2002. His 1st good-length novel was "Home is a place called Nowhere" (2004).

Discography

Dominic Behan, Peggy Seeger, Leon Rosselson & Ralph Rinzler. - Down per Liffeyside - Irish Street Ballads (1958)

A Galliards - A Galliards (EP) (1960) - Scottish Guide (1961) - The Rovin' (1961)

A 3 City Four - A 3 City Four

Solo recordings - Songs for City Squares (EP) (1962) - Songs for Sceptical Circles (1967) - The Laugh, the Song & the Hand Grenade (By owning Adrian Mitchell) (1968) - Hugga Mugga (1971) - For The Full of the United states (1981) - I personally Didn't Mean It (1988) - Rosselsongs (Compilation) (1990) - In which come a Elephants (1991) - Believe What It're Selling at a Happiness Counter (1992) - Interloper (1995) - Perspectives (1997) - Harry's Never again Camping (1999) - A Go Risk (2002) - Turning silence Into Song (2005)

Bibliography

Tikes's books - Genus rosa's Singing Grandfather & Genus rosa's Grandfather Sings Again (1993) - We personally Though I Heard The Carassius auratus Sing (1994) - In which's Our Mum? (1996) - Pumpkin's Downfall (2000) - At home occurs as Place Known as Nowhere (2004)

Songbooks - Look On this button: Songs by Leon Rosselson, Harmony Music Ltd, 1968 - For The Expert of the United states (1981) - Fresh Large Red Songbook (2003)