Tag Archives: Fairport Convention

Fairport Convention: Myths And Heroes

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In January 2015, “Marty Grooves Records” label released “Myths and Heroes”, the 27th Fairport Convention album. It was recorded at “Woodworm Studios” on Oxfordshire, UK, and was produced by John Gale, Simon Nicol, Chris Leslie, Ric Sanders, Dave Pegg and Gerry Conway.

Personnel:

  • Simon Nicol – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar
  • Chris Leslie – vocals, mandolin, bouzouki, violin, banjo, celtic harp, tenor guitar, chromatic harmonica, whistle
  • Ric Sanders – violin, keyboards, ukulele, bass ukulele
  • Dave Pegg – vocals, bass guitar, bass ukulele, double bass, bouzouki, mandolin, tenor banjo
  • Gerry Conway – drums, percussion
  • Matt Pegg – bass guitar
  • Jake Thornton – alto saxophone
  • Benjamin Hill – alto saxophone
  • Emma Jones – tenor saxophone 
  • Rob Spalton – trumpet
  • Joe Broughton – violin
  • Paloma Trigas – violin
  • Aria Trigas – violin

Track listing:

  1. Myths and Heroes – Chris Leslie
  2. Clear Water – Ralph McTell
  3. The Fylde Mountain Time / Roger Bucknall’s Polka – Chris Leslie, Dave Pegg
  4. Theodore’s Song – Chris Leslie
  5. Love at First Sight – Chris Leslie
  6. John Condon – Richard Laird, Sam Starrett, Tracey McRory
  7. The Gallivant – Ric Sanders
  8. The Man in the Water – Rob Beattie
  9. Bring Me Back My Feathers – Anna Ryder
  10. Grace and Favour – Chris Leslie
  11. Weightless / The Gravity Reel – James Wood, Chris Leslie
  12. Home – PJ Wright
  13. Jonah’s Oak – Ric Sanders

Gerald Conway

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On March 29, 2024, Gerald Conway died aged 76. He was musician (drums, percussion), performed and recorded with Alexis Korner, Eclection, Fotheringay, Al Stewart, Cat Stevens, Joan Armatrading, The Bunch, Moke McHear, Grimms, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Richard Thompson and Ian Matthews. Conway was best known for his work with Pentangle, Jethro Tull and Fairport Convention.

Fairport Convention: Festival Bell

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In January 2011, “Matty Grooves” label released “Festival Bell”, the twenty-fifth Fairport Convention studio album. It was recorded in 2010, at “The Bowman’s retreat” in Oxfordshire, UK, and was produced by John Gale,

Personnel:

  • Simon Nicol – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass ukulele
  • Dave Pegg – vocals, bass guitar, ukulele, mandolin, acoustic guitar
  • Chris Leslie – vocals, mandolin, bouzuki, violin, Portuguese guitar, ukulele, whistle
  • Ric Sanders – violin, ukulele, keyboards, bass ukulele, backing vocals
  • Gerry Conway – drums, percussion
  • Frank Skinner – banjo ukulele
  • Joe Brown – ukulele, backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. Mercy Bay – Chris Leslie
  2. Rui’s Guitar – Chris Leslie
  3. Danny Jack’s Chase – Ric Sanders
  4. Reunion Hill – Richard Shindell
  5. Wouldn’t Say No – Chris Leslie
  6. Around the Wild Cape Horn – Ralph McTell
  7. Celtic Moon – Mark Evans, Carolyn Evans
  8. Ukulele Central – Chris Leslie, Ric Sanders
  9. Albert and Ted – Ric Sanders, Dave Pegg
  10. Darkside Wood – Chris While
  11. London Apprentice / Johnny Ginears – Ralph McTell, Ric Sanders
  12. Rising for the Moon – Sandy Denny
  13. Danny Jack’s Reward – Ric Sanders
  14. The Festival Bell – Chris Leslie

Fairport Convention: The Five Seasons

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In December 1980, “New Routes” label released “The Five Seasons”, the seventeenth Fairport Convention studio album. It was recorded April – August 1990, at “Woodworm Studios” in Barford St. Michael, Oxfordshire, and was produced by Dave Mattacks and Simon Nicol.

Personnel:

  • Dave Mattacks – drums, percussion, keyboards, harpsichord, mixing
  • Simon Nicol – vocals, guitars, dobro, mixing
  • Maartin Allcock – vocals, guitars, bouzouki, mandolin, accordion, keyboards
  • Ric Sanders – violin
  • Dave Pegg – vocals, acoustic and bass guitars
  • Tim Matyear – engineer
  • Barry Hammond – mixing

Track listing:

  1. Claudy Banks – traditional
  2. Cup of Tea! / A Loaf of Bread / Miss Monahan’s – Maartin Allcock, traditional
  3. All Your Beauty – Barry Lowe, Martin White
  4. Sock In It – Dave Whetstone
  5. Gold – Peter Blegvad
  6. Ginnie – Huw Williams
  7. Mock Morris ’90 (The Green Man/The Cropredy Badger/Molly On The Jetty) – Ric Sanders
  8. The Card Song / Shuffle the Pack – Maartin Allcock, Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol
  9. The Wounded Whale – Archie Fisher, traditional

Martin Allcock

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On September 16, 2018, Martin Allcock died aged 61. He was a musician (violin, guitar, bass, keyboards, pipes), and record producer, best known as a member of Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull, and The Mission. As a musician, he recorded with a number of bands and musicians including Ralph McTell, Simon Nicol, Kieran Halpin, Beverley Craven, Steve Ashley, Dan Ar Braz, Robert Plant, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Les Barker, Ashley Hutchings, Billy Connolly, Judith Durhamlin, Steve Tilston, Maggie Boyle, Chris Leslie, The Simon Mayor Quintet, WAZ!, Dave Pegg, Steve Gibbons, David Hughes, Sally Barker, Emily Slade, Alistair Russell, John Wright, Swarb’s Lazarus, Mike Billington, The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican, Scott Doonican, Dave Burland, and Lisa Starnini. Allcock released four solo albums.

David Swarbrick

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On June 3, 2016, David Cyril Eric Swarbrick died aged 75. He was singer-songwriter and musician (violin, viola, mandolin, guitar), one of the most highly regarded musicians from the second British folk revival, contributing to some of the most important groups and projects of the 1960s. He has worked with Ian Campbell Folk Group, Martin Carthy, Whippersnapper and Swarb’s Lazarus, but was best known for his work with Fairport Convention. Swarbrick recorded thirteen albums as a leader.

Fairport Convention: Red & Gold

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In December 1988, “Rough Trade” label released “Red & Gold”, the 16th Fairport Convention studio album. It was recorded September to November 1988 at “Woodworm Studios” in Barford St. Michael, Oxfordshire, and was produced by Simon Nicol.

Personnel:

  • Maartin Allcock– vocals, guitars, bouzouki, mandolin, accordion, keyboards
  • Dave Pegg– vocals, acoustic and bass guitars
  • Simon Nicol– vocals, guitars, dobro
  • Ric Sanders– violin
  • Dave Mattacks– drums, percussion, keyboards, harpsichord
  • Tim Matyear – engineer
  • Rob Braviner, Mark Tucker – engineering
  • John Dent – mastering
  • Mike Dolan – mixing
  • David Gleeson, Spencer Richards – artwork
  • Malcolm Holmes – booklet design
  • Dawn Robertson, John Woodward – photography

Track listing:

  1. Set Me Up – Dave Whetstone
  2. The Noise Club – Maartin Allcock
  3. Red and Gold – Ralph McTell
  4. The Beggar’s Song – traditional,arranged by  Maartin Allcock
  5. The Battle – Ric Sanders
  6. Dark Eyed Molly – Archie Fisher
  7. The Rose Hip – Ric Sanders
  8. London River – Rod Shearman
  9. Summer Before the War – Huw Williams
  10. Open the Door Richard – Bob Dylan

Fairport Convention: Babbacombe Lee

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In November 1971, “island” label released “Babbacombe Lee”, the seventh Fairport Convention studio album. It was recorded August – September 1971, at “Sound Techniques” in London, and was produced by John Wood and Simon Nicol.

  • Sandy Denny– vocals
  • Simon Nicol– vocals, guitar, dulcimer
  • Jerry Donahue- lead guitar
  • Trevor Lucas- rhythm guitar
  • Dave Swarbrick– vocals, fiddle, mandolin
  • Dave Pegg– vocals, bass, mandolin
  • Dave Mattacks– drums, electric piano, harmonium

Track listing:

All tracks by Simon Nicol, Dave Mattacks, Dave Swarbrick, Dave Pegg, Trevor Lucas and Jerry Donahue.

The album story is about the life of John “Babbacombe” Lee, murderer who was condemned to death but reprieved after the gallows failed on three occasions to work properly.

The tracks are listed episodically rather than as discrete tracks, reflecting the structure of the narrative.

  1. John’s reflection on his boyhood, his introduction to Miss Keyes and The Glen, his restlessness, and his struggles with his family, finally successful, to join the navy
  2. This was the happiest period in his life. All locked set fair for a career until he was stricken with sickness and invalided out of his chosen niche in life. Reluctantly and unhappily he turned to a number of menial occupations and finally returned to the services of Miss Keyes
  3. Tragedy now strikes hard. The world’s imagination is caught by the brutal senseless[ness] of the apparent criminal who slays his kind old mistress
  4. John was hardly more than a bewildered observer at his own trial, not being allowed to say more than a few words. The tides of fate wash him to the condemned cell where he waits three sad weeks for his last night on earth
  5. When it comes, he cannot sleep, but when he does, a strange, prophetic dream comes to him, and helps him to bear the strain of his next day’s ordeal as scaffold and its crew try in vain three times to take his life

Fairport Convention: Nine

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In October 1973, “A&M” label released “Nine”, the ninth Fairport Convention album. It was recorded July – August 1973, at “Sound Techniques” in London, and was produced by Trevor Lucas, John Wood, Dave Swarbrick, Jerry Donahue, Dave Pegg and Dave Mattacks.

Personnel:

  • Trevor Lucas – lead, chorus and backing vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Dave Swarbrick – lead verse and backing vocals, violin, viola, mandolin
  • Jerry Donahue – acoustic and electric guitars
  • Dave Pegg – bass, mandolin, backing vocals
  • Dave Mattacks – drums, percussion, bass, harmonium , clavinet

Track listing:

  1. The Hexhamshire Lass – traditional; arranged by Trevor Lucas, Dave Swarbrick, Jerry Donahue, Dave Pegg and Dave Mattacks
  2. Polly on the Shore – music by Dave Pegg, words traditional; arranged by Dave Swarbrick, Trevor Lucas
  3. The Brilliancy Medley/Cherokee Shuffle – traditional
  4. To Althea From Prison – words by Richard Lovelace; music Dave Swarbrick
  5. Tokyo – Jerry Donahue
  6. Bring ‘Em Down – Trevor Lucas
  7. Big William – Trevor Lucas, Dave Swarbrick
  8. Pleasure and Pain – Trevor Lucas, Dave Swarbrick
  9. Possibly Parsons Green – Trevor Lucas, Roche