Born into a lower-deck Royal Navy family, he served in a variety of craft, but mainly submarines. His role as a folk-singer evolved out of his activities as a scriptwriter and performer in Naval entertainments. Having come to the attention of the BBC in 1957, two years later he became the only regular serviceman to have his own fully networked TV programme.
15 Original Tawney songs focusing on the sea fill up this album. Many of his best-known appear on this album, including “Sally Free and Easy,” “The Grey Funnel Line,” and “The Ballad of Sammy’s Bar.”11.98