Anne Briggs - Influence

Influence

Anne Briggs' partner, Bert Jansch, described her as "one of the most underrated singers". He recorded Briggs' songs (including "Go your way, my love" and "Wishing well") on four of his albums. She was also his source for several of the traditional songs which he recorded, including "Blackwaterside". Jansch's instrumental accompaniment to this song was later copied, and improvised, by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and recorded as "Black Mountain Side".

Jansch and John Renbourn play "The Time Has Come" on their duo record before eventually recording it with the rest of Pentangle on the "Sweet Child" release. One song, "Mosaic Patterns" (which she herself has never recorded) was recorded by blues singer, Dorris Henderson. Sandy Denny wrote a song in tribute to Briggs, called "The Pond and the Stream" on Fotheringay (1970).

Her name continues to be praised by younger singers — Eliza Carthy, Kate Rusby and lead singer of Altan, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, for example. More recently, Charlotte Greig and the Scottish band James Yorkston and the Athletes have cited Anne Briggs as an influence on them. David Tibet of Current 93 also recently mentioned her in an interview.

A song on Beth Orton's Comfort of Strangers, 'Shadow of a Doubt' is cited as an ode to the song 'You Go Your Way', the chorus being somewhat directly lifted.

The 2009 The Decemberists album, The Hazards of Love, was inspired by Briggs's album of the same name.