We Must Journey On: The Songs of Allan Taylor was first published (through T Records) in October 1997. Due to demand it has now been re-published, giving Allan the opportunity to revise the format and update some of the stories, songs and photographs. In 177 pages it is a collection of 43 songs illustrated with the chords and tunings Allan uses. Also, Allan has written the stories behind the songs with anecdotes of life on the road and included many photographs, some of which date back to the early sixties. It is therefore more an autobiography than simply a songbook. Interestingly, sales figures indicate that not only musicians are buying the book - many non-musicians are buying it for the stories and anecdotes

It is available directly from Allan Taylor, c/o T Records, P.O. Box MT 37, Leeds LS17 8UY, Great Britain or on-line.

Click to Order

  The Allan Taylor songbook, We Must Journey On: The Songs of Allan Taylor, has proved to be one of the most popular products he has produced. Telling the stories behind the songs has always been an important part of an Allan Taylor concert, adding to the enjoyment of each song. This collection of songs has many of the stories, from places as far afield as Skagen in northern Denmark to Huia Bay in New Zealand, from the bars of Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam to the coffee houses of Greenwich Village New York. With some of the original drafts of songs (written on scraps of paper and menu cards) Allan illustrates the creative process of writing a song. The photographs, some going back to the middle 60s show Allan's life on the road with the various songwriters and musicians he has worked and traveled with.

  Comments from some of the people who have bought the book:

  The songbook is brilliant - I keep going back and reading it over again - particularly the personal input - photos etc. and also the words to the songs and the inspiration behind writing them. Your music is not only enjoyable to listen to because of its musical quality but also because of its "soul" quality - the depth of feeling that inspires and the history behind the songs give them an extra three dimensional quality - you are one of a unique band of artists who care about life, people and music and it shows in your work. You are not afraid to sing about difficult issues, e.g. drugs, violence, depression as well as beauty and love. You fully deserve the "Arets Folkmusikpris" [The Danish Radio Award of the year] as you bring Europe and other countries into our lives through your songs and educate us on real life issues...Chrissie Smith from Nottingham.

  The songbook is superb - the stories and the photos bring the lyrics to life É Richard Butler from Ardrossan.

  The songbook is brilliant!...Jean MacFarlane from St. Andrews.

  We loved the songbook...Norman Rackham from Stony Stratford.

  I also enjoyed the book, not only because it was beautifully produced but also because the anecdotal style is easy to dip into...Maureen Aitken from Glasgow.

  The songbook was a most worthwhile purchase; it gave valuable insights into the songs as well as the expected lyrics, music etc., in a very readable format. All in all, an excellent and recommendable production!..David Kidman from Ilkley.

  I really enjoyed the songbook (despite not playing guitar) and the notes on the songs were a great help in increasing my enjoyment of themÉ Brian New from Lewes

  The songbook I found to be a revelation. Being to music what Atilla the Hun was to the world of crochet, I found that the stories behind the songs and the photos and menu card notes allowed a glimpse into a creativity I can only see second hand...Stephen Sowerby from Boroughbridge.

  Absolutely brilliant and worth every penny. I am still struggling with some of the more unusual tunings but I'll get there!..Keith Willetts from Solihull. I play quite a lot of your songs and spend a lot of time at your gigs watching your left hand. The songbook helped me with some of the unusual chords e.g. Piaf...Alan Bewley from Durham.

  The songbook was fascinating and is now proving equally entertaining for my guitarist son...Jim Clifford from Dunblane.

  Your book is tremendous - we often dip into it. It is certainly not overpriced...Gillian Wilson from Whitehaven

The review below is from Eric Winter in Britain's leading Acoustic/Roots magazine, Folk Roots (May issue, 1998):

We Must Journey On: The Songs of Allan Taylor
(T Records, softback £19.95)

 

Of the 'legends' from the early days of Britain's folk clubs (Alex Campbell, Jack Elliot, Derroll Adams, Redd Sullivan, Martin Winsor, for instance) most are either dead or retired, or at least inactive in folk circles. Then look at Allan Taylor, turned 50 and full of energy and still looking spry, and hear him sing (assured, sensitive, and proficient). You need to nudge yourself to remember that he started in the early '60's, and has at one time or another sung with all the club-scene legends.

    I first met Allan at the Stanford, in Brighton. At 17, his talent was evident. Since then, he has written scores of songs, most of them very good. Many are intimately personal, many others burn with passion of a different sort - passion for the victims of war, drugs, dispossession.

    The full biographical notes that accompany the songs in this book give a wealth of detail and insights into Allan's methods of working. His methodical studies have earned him three degrees, the last a Doc. Phil. in ethnomusicology with a thesis on singer/songwriters. The book is generously illustrated with a gallery of folk notables - Seeger, Paxton, Elliot, Adams, Imlach, (Alex) Campbell, McTell - with all of whom Allan has performed. And the musical scores are extremely detailed and helpful.

    It's not surprising that the songs written more recently are among Allan's best. Song writing is certainly something you learn by doing. If I mention Libertas Ragusa (Freedom for Dubrovnik) and Jimmy's Song and Roll on the Day, it's because they are among my favourites. One theme seems to thread its way through most of the book: the sense of isolation, weariness, loneliness that arises out of staying in so many towns, so many unfamiliar hotel rooms. Other singers have pursued this idea, but Allan Taylor has articulated it better than most. Here is a man who is more than a singer/songwriter. He has got his own thinking straight, and the songs demonstrate a sense of purpose and resourcefulness.

From Allan... German version

  1997 is a significant year for me - it's my 30th year on the road. I know some of you out there will be pleased to know I've finally got around to writing my songbook. Publishing a song book had never really concerned me in the past, but recently so many people have asked me to do it that I finally came around to thinking it might be a good idea. Along with my great friend Maartin Allcock, who (in-between gigging with Fairport Convention) has written the music notation for the book, I've put together a collection of songs from the last four-five CD's. However, as I've always found songbooks rather dull I decided to change the format somewhat and write the stories behind the songs, adding the occasional anecdote and illustrating songs and stories with photographs taken during my "life on the road". The book should be out by the summer, but don't send for it yet - I'll send out order cards to all of you on the mailing list and post it on these pages when it's ready.

Cover Songs: Click here for a list of Allan Taylor compositions covered by other recording artists

From Allan...

  1997 ist ein bedeutsames Jahr fuer mich, es ist mein 30. Jahr unterwegs als Musiker. Ich weiss, dass einige von Ihnen erfreut sein werden zu hoeren, dass ich endlich dazu gekommen bin, mein Songbook zu schreiben. In der Vergangenheit ist es mir persoenlich nie in den Sinn gekommen, ein Songbook zu publizieren, aber in der letzten Zeit haben mich so viele Leute darum gebeten es zu tun, dass ich mir dachte, es koenne eine gute Idee sein. Zusammen mit meinem guten Freund Maartin Allcock, der die Noten fuer das Buch geschrieben hat, habe ich eine Kollektion von Liedern von den letzten 4-5 CDs zusammengestellt. Allerdings habe ich die Aufmachung des Buches etwas anders gestaltet als ueblich, indem ich die Geschichten und kleinen Anekdoten zu den Liedern hinzugefuegt habe. Ausserdem habe ich die Songs mit Bildern und Fotos aus meinem "Leben unterwegs" illustriert. Dieses Buch sollte eigentlich im Sommer auf den Markt kommen. Ich werde Bestellkarten an die Personen auf meiner Mailing Liste verschicken und auf diesen Seiten bekanntgeben, wenn das Songbook erschienen ist.

Allan Taylor can be contacted at the following address:
T Records, P.O. Box MT37, Leeds LS17 8UY, Great Britain