Busking is connected to an ancient historical tradition.
The traveling minstrels, and the song guardians of First Nations Peoples started
the traditions of taking songs to the people. These ancient songsters and musicians
expressed the aspirations, customs, history, spirituality, lore, joy, sadness, birth,
death, love, hate, passions, etc. of their cultures. The music and lyrics changed and
evolved over millennia.
Recorded commercial consumer music of the last 150 years, is only a recent
technological phenomenon.
In 2007, Paul Kelly gathered together a collective of musicians and songwriters
to record some of the songs I had written. These were artists I have listened to,
respected and admired for years.
The result was an album called Cannot Buy My Soul.
In 2009 they came together on stage to perform their unique versions of these songs
in three concerts.
Both their recordings and performances showed me how I could have done it. The
number of different genres and musical styles amazed and inspired me.
Their example convinced me to return to the studio after a long absence, and once
again record songs I had never recorded, dating back to 1967.
Taking the example of these elite musicians and songwriters we can utilize these
songs as a basis and put our unique interpretation on them musically.
Included in this songbook is a poem Comrade Jesus Christ, that The Herd arranged
musically. We have left it without musical notation so people can set their own
music to it.
A heartfelt thank you to my Family, Paul Kelly, One Louder, Kobalt, and all those
who participated in the Cannot Buy My Soul recordings and concerts.
Long live Busking and The Buskers.
Kev Carmody 2015