Rubbish Passed Off

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31049, 3 May 1966, Page 11

Rubbish Passed Off

“Some of the greatest rubbish is today being passed off as so-called folk music,” said Paul Marks, an Australian singer who has been living in New Zealand for several months, last week. “Most of the modern madeup songs are just hopeless. Folk is meant to be about reality—something that is immediately happening to you,” he said. This was not the case in many of today’s songs, for singers wrote about things in the old days they could not I possibly have experienced. The result: Rubbish, says Marks. He does not sing protest songs or songs about “The Bomb.” “They don’t usually tell

people any more than they already know. Those type of songs need to give a real punch.” He shrugged: “I don’t agree with that myself. I think people want to be entertained rather than shocked. Protest songs sung on street corners would be more valid,” he added. Marks is living in Auckland with his wife—whom he describes as his most important critic—and four children. “I’ve come here really to get stuck into music,” he said. “I’ll sing anything while I’m in New Zealand.” He appeared in Wellington last week in a public concert compered by Hugh Canard of Christchurch.