Fairport Convention Richard Looming Behind Her, I Thought "Hobbit and June 68 Goblin!"
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WHO KNOWS WHERE THE TIME WENT ? MIKE WEBER 'S GUIDE TO THE ESSENTIAL 1967 - 1979 Fairport Convention Richard looming behind her, i thought "Hobbit and June 68 goblin!" Time Will Show the Wiser Jack o Diamonds Unhalfbricking Chelsea Morning July 69 (US November 69, with the The first album, when they stupidest cover ever... were seen as sort of a British [below]) Jefferson Airplane; Judy Dy- ble on vocals, Martin Lamble Virtually this entire album is on drums, Ashley (Tyger) Important: Hutchings bass, Richard Thompson & Simon Nicol Genesis Hall various guitars and mandolin, Si Tu Dois Partir Ian MacDonald (later Ian Mat- Who Knows Where the thews) vocals. Time Goes Percy's Song "Fairport" was the house Simon's family lived in in Million Dollar Bash Muswell Hill; they got together in a spare room to practise, henc, "The Fairport Convention", though the Personnel as before "The" disappeared pretty quickly. There are two Joni (Matthews on only one track); Mitchell songs on this album -- which came out before Dave Swarbrick on session fiddle Joni's own version did, i believe. Mitchell's manager or producer (i forget with), Warwick Boyd, sent the Genesis Hall was a well-known and large London songs to their producer, his brother,Joe Boyd, an expa- squat that was eventually raided by the police. Rich- triate American living in London. ard's father was a policeman; "Genesis Hall" the song is about neutrality and ambivalence in emotional cir- cumstance. ("My father he rides with your sheriffs/ What We Did on Our and I know he would never mean harm/But to see both sides of a quarrel they say/Is to judge without fear or Holidays alarm...") January 69 You may know Judy Collins' version of "Where the (The July 69 US release was Time Goes" -- it was, i understand, the second eral entitled simply "Fairport Con- song Sandy wrote, written when she was 19. ven- tion", Three Dylan covers on the list here (You only see two? different cover right]) "Si ty Dois Partir" is a "dog-French" version of "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" that they worked out on stage Fotheringay with audience assistance one night. Martin takes his Tale in Hard Time last drum break on a stack of folding chairs with a Meet on the Ledge lemonade bottle on top, which falls over audibly at the I'll keep it with mine end.) Front cover "A blackboard at The cover photo shows Sandy's parents outside their Essex University assaulted by Fairport Convention" garden in the London suburb of Putney. I've been to Putney to visit Sandy's grave. These people obviously Hutchings, Matthews (Macdonald), Thompson, Nicol, had Money. Lamble as before, Sandy Denny vocals. First time i saw that US cover with Sandy sitting down front and Liege and Lief Tyger left to form Steeleye Span (q.v.) December 69 Sandy left to form Fotheringay RT, Simon, Swarb and DM still aboard. At Swarb's suggestion, his mate from Birmingham, Matty Groves Dave Pegg, auditioned for and got the bass slot. Farewell, Farewell The Deserter Note the Tarot-card cover -- two knights, three kings, Medley: The Lark In The caricatures of the band members, two guitar players Morning / Rakish Paddy / and three guys named Dave. Foxhunter's Jig / Toss The Feathers Tam Lin At 9:10, this recording of "Sloth" is one of the shortest Crazy Man Michael ever; i have personally timed the song at over fifteen minutes in live performance. Considered by many (not necessarily me) to be the best Fairport album, by the "perfect" lineup. "Dirty Linen" gave its name to a long-running folk- music magazine (originally a Fairport fanzine, but Big personnel change here -- van crash on the M1 eventually covering the entire field). killed drummer Lamble. "Sir Patrick Spens" was the forst Fairport track i heard; Sandy Denny, Vocals i immediately went out and bought the album. Instant Dave Swarbrick (now officially a member), Fiddle, lifelong obsession. Viola Richard Thompson, Guitars, Backing Vocals Simon Nicol, Guitars Angel Delight Ashley Hutchings, Bass, Backing Vocals June 71 Dave Mattacks , Drums, Percussion (the second Dave) Bridge Over The River Ash "Matty Groves", a trad murder ballad, makes its first The Journeyman's Grace (and far from last) appearance. Listed in the Childe Angel Delight "Ballads" in an earlier version as "Little Musgrave". The Bonny Black Hare Ditto "Tam Lin", a ballad of a laird's young daughter And ANOTHER lineup who falls in love with a mortal knight held in thrall by change -- Richard Thompson out and not replaced (at the Queen of Faerie. (Basis for the YA fantasy novel least on the album; this may have been when the Bret- "Fire & Hemlock" by Diana Wynne Jones -- well on guitarist Dan ar Braz played some dates on tour worth your while if you read fantasy) with the band); otherwise as before. "Bridge" is a trad instrumental -- can't recall how they do it here (i don't currently have this album), but, lat- er, Swarb would take over the bass and the non-fiddler members would play it as a string quartet. With run- Full House ning commentary. It will reappear. July 70 They were living in a pub called the Angel. A lorry Dirty Linen (inst. medley) crashed through the wall into the TV room. The song Sloth "Angel Delight" is about this period. Sir Patrick Spens Flatback Caper (inst. med- ley) Even bigger personnel changes: Babbacombe Lee November 71 "Hungarian Rhapsody" is a goof about trying to get to (rerecorded in '75 for use as a music festival in Hungary. backing to a BBC special about Lee, with Sandy Denny on vo- "Furs and Feathers" is a lullabye/fairy tale narrative cals) about a king who dressed as a beggar. Hanging Song (Wake Up John) Trevor Lucas (an Australian) was either already mar- ried to or about to marry Sandy; he'd been in Fotherin- Same lineup as "Angel Delight". gay with her. A "rock opera", based on the life of John Linda Peters was about to become Linda Thompson. "Babbacombe" Lee -- "The man they could not hang." Gerry Conway is (as of the last word i have) drummer Lee had been convicted of some rather nasty murders, in the current lineup -- he was as of October 2004 but when it came time for his execution, the gallows when they played Charlotte NC. trap three times refused to function as he stood on it, though it worked fine otherwise. Under British law of Jerry Donahue is an American; there is (or was, any- the day, this was taken as an intervention of Provi- way) a Jerry Donahue signature-model Telecaster. dence, and his sentence was commuted to transporta- tion to Australia. Never heard the whole album; of the tracks i have Nine heard, the "Hanging Song" is the standout. October 73 Brilliancy Medley/Cherokee Shuffle Rosie To Althea from Prison February 73 Lineup: The Three Daves Hungarian Rhapsody (Peggie, DM and Swarb), Donahue, Lucas (I trust Furs And Feathers you're beginning to appreciate the fluidity here.) Most of the Fairport instrumental tracks are worth a listen. Lineup: Dave Swarbrick, Vocals, Fiddle, Viola, Mandolin, The oddball/standout here is "To Althea From Prison": Acoustic Guitar Music by Swarb, lyrics from the works of Richard Trevor Lucas, Vocals, Guitars Lovelace while in prison - The Gate House, Westmin- Jerry Donahue , Guitars, Vocals ster 1642 Dave Pegg, Vocals, Bass, Mandolin Dave Mattacks, Drums, Percussion, Piano Live Convention July 74 with Richard Thompson, Guitar (Track 1) Sandy Denny, Backing Vocals (Track 1) Linda Peters, Backing Vocals (Track 1) also as Gerry Conway, Drums (Tracks 1, 3, 5) Tim Donald, Drums (Tracks 2, 6, 7) Ralph McTell , Guitar (Track 8) A Moveable Feast (US title) Trevor Lucas Vocals, Guitars, Harmonica Jerry Donahue Guitars Lineup: Dave Pegg Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals Sandy Denny Vocals, Piano Dave Mattacks Drums Dave Swarbrick Vocals, Fiddle Bruce Rowland Drums Trevor Lucas Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, 12- String Acoustic Guitar Sandy's back. DM makes his first exodus; Bruce Jerry Donahue Electric Guitar Rowland his first entrance. Dave Pegg Bass Guitar Dave Mattacks Drums Trevor was apparently a railway buff; "Iron Lion" be- gins Tracks from two shows; one in Croydon, one in Syd- ney. Sandy was not, actually an official member of the "Well, I been an engine driver all of my days band at this point, but, if you used to be a member, if That's the only thing I can do. the band still does your songs, and your husband is I hold a good head of steam, everywhere that I'm seen playing in the band and you're traveling along... Wherever my trains roll through..." Typical of live recordings. (Bruce accomplishes a nice "steam" sound on a brushed "Matty Groves" is back, along with an eleven-minute ride...) "Sloth". I would have sworn that Sir B. McKenzie was on a Gottle o Geer studio album -- perhaps "Nine", but it';s not listed May 76 there. An instrumental track, its main claim to fame is that it's in (or was in) the Guinness Book of World Re- Sandy's Song cords, as the recorded song with the longest title ever: Limey's Lament "Sir B. McKenzie’s Daughter’s Lament For the 77th Mounted Lancers Retreat From The Straits Of Loch Lineup: Knombe, In The Year Of Our Lord 1727, On The Oc- Dave Swarbrick Vocals, The Usual casion Of The Announcement Of Her Marriage To The Dave Pegg Bass, Backing Vocals Laird Of Kinleakie". (I see now that what confused Bruce Rowland Drums, Backing Vocals me was that it's been issued as a bonus track on the CD with of "Full House"; it was originally a single B-side in the Simon Nicol Electric Guitar (Track 9) UK.) Martin Carthy Acoustic Guitar (Track 4) Eric Johns Electric Guitar (Tracks 1, 7) Ian Wilson Electric Guitar (Track 4) Rising for the Moon Nick Judd Piano (Tracks 2, 6) June 75 Robert Palmer Harmonica, Vocals (Track 6) Rising for the Moon Though listed as "Sandy's Song", the "real" title is White Dress "Take Away the Load" -- another by Sandy Denny in Stranger to Himself the vein of "Who Knows Where the Time Goes"; even Iron Lion though it was two years before Sandy took her fatal fall, it almost sounds like a tribute to an Absent Friend.