Ian Campbell Folk Group

Emerging during the 1960s British folk revival as one of its most respected and popular ensembles, the Ian Campbell Folk Group took shape in 1958 after two earlier years performing under the name Clarion Skiffle Group. Scottish-born Campbell established the outfit in Birmingham, assembling an initial roster that featured himself on guitar and vocals alongside his sister Lorna Campbell on vocals, Dave Philips on guitar, and Gordon McCulloch on banjo. Following McCulloch’s exit in 1959, John Dunkerley stepped in on banjo, guitar, and accordion; fiddler Dave Swarbick then joined in 1960. Throughout the early 1960s the group made frequent appearances on such television showcases as the Hootenanny Show, Barn Dance, and Hullabaloo, while also drawing capacity crowds to the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Festival Hall in London. In 1965 they became the first non-U.S. act to commit a Bob Dylan composition to record, and their version of “The Times They Are A-Changin’” climbed into the U.K. Top 50 that March. The ensemble kept developing across subsequent years by issuing albums, maintaining an active touring schedule, and rotating additional musicians such as Brian Clark, Dave Pegg, and George Watts, a process that extended well into the late 1970s until the group formally disbanded in 1978.