Tag Archives: Sandy Denny

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

Robert Weston

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On January 3, 2012, Robert Joseph Weston died aged 64. He was musician (guitar), member of the bands The Kinetic, The Black Cat Bones, but was best known as member of Fleetwood Mac. Weston recorded and performed with many musicians including Graham Bond, Long John Baldry, Murray Head, Sandy Denny and Danny Kirwan.

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

Sandy Denny: The North Star Grassman and the Ravens

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In September 1971, “Island” label released “The North Star Grassman and the Ravens”, the debut Sandy Denny solo album. It was recorded March – May 1971, at “Sound Techniques” and “Island Studios” in London, and was produced by Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson and John Wood.

Personnel:

  • Sandy Denny – lead vocals, acoustic guita, piano
  • Jerry Donahue- electric guitar
  • Richard Thompson- vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, accordion, bass
  • Trevor Lucas- acoustic guitar
  • Buddy Emmons- pedal steel guitar
  • Pat Donaldson- bass
  • Tony Reeves- bass
  • Gerry Conway- drums
  • Roger Powell – drums
  • Ian Whiteman – piano, flute organ
  • Barry Dransfield- violin
  • Royston Wood, Robin Dransfield – backing vocals
  • Harry Robinson- string arrangements

Track listing:

All tracks by Sandy Denny except where noted

  1. Late November
  2. Blackwaterside – traditional.
  3. The Sea Captain
  4. Down in the Flood – Bob Dylan
  5. John the Gun
  6. Next Time Around
  7. The Optimist
  8. Let’s Jump the Broomstick – Charles Robins
  9. Wretched Wilbur
  10. The North Star Grassman and the Ravens
  11. Crazy Lady Blues

Fairport Convention: Unhalfbricking

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On July 3, 1969, “Island” label released “Unhalfbricking”, the third Fairport Convention  album. It was recorded January – April 1969, at “Sound Techniques” and “Olympic Studios” in London, and was produced by Joe Boyd, Simon Nico, Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson, Ashley Hutchings, Simon Nicol and Martin Lamble.

Personnel:

  • Sandy Denny – vocals, harpsichord
  • Richard Thompson – acoustic andf electric guitars, electric dulcimer, piano accordion, organ, backing vocals
  • Marc Ellington– vocals
  • Simon Nicol– electric and acoustic guitars, electric dulcimer, backing vocals
  • Ashley Hutchings– bass, backing vocals
  • Martin Lamble– drums, stacked chair backs
  • Dave Mattacks– drums
  • Dave Swarbrick – fiddle
  • Trevor Lucas– triangle
  • Iain Matthews– backing vocals
  • John Wood – engineer
  • Diogenic Attempts Ltd. – design
  • Eric Hayes – photography

Track listing:

  1. Genesis Hall – Richard Thompson
  2. Si tu dois partir – Bob Dylan
  3. Autopsy – Sandy Denny
  4. A Sailor’s Life – traditional, arranged by Denny, Thompson, Simon Nicol, Ashley Hutchings, Martin Lamble
  5. Cajun Woman – Richard Thompson
  6. Who Knows Where the Time Goes? – Sandy Denny
  7. Percy’s Song – Bob Dylan
  8. Million Dollar Bash – Bob Dylan

Fairport Convention: Rising For The Moon

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In June 1975, “Island” label released “Rising for the Moon”, the tenth Fairport Convention studio album. It was recorded September 1974 – March 1975, at “Olympic Sound Studios” in London, and was produced by Glyn Johns. “Rising for the Moon” was band’s last album to feature the vocalist Sandy Denny.

Personnel:

  • Sandy Denny- vocals, piano, electric piano
  • Trevor Lucas- vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Dave Swarbrick- vocals, violin, viola, mandolin (3), dulcimer, autoharp, acoustic guitar
  • Jerry Donahue- lead guitar
  • Dave Pegg- bass, electric guitar, backing vocals
  • Dave Mattacks- drums
  • Bruce Rowland- drums

Track listing:

  1. Rising For The Moon – Sandy Denny
  2. Restless – Trevor Lucas, Pete Roche
  3. White Dress – Dave Swarbrick
  4. Let It Go – Sandy Denny, Dave Pegg, Dave Swarbrick
  5. Stranger To Himself – Sandy Denny
  6. What Is True – Sandy Denny
  7. Iron Lion – Trevor Lucas
  8. Dawn – Sandy Denny, Jerry Donahue
  9. After Halloween – Sandy Denny
  10. Night-Time Girl – Dave Pegg, Dave Swarbrick
  11. One More Chance – Sandy Denny

Fotheringay: Same

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In June 1970, “Island” label released the self-titled,debut Fotheringay album. It was recorded February – April 1970, at “Sound Techniques” in London, and was produced by Joe Boyd.

Personnel:

  • Sandy Denny – vocals, guitar, piano
  • Trevor Lucas – vocals, guitar
  • Jerry Donahue – vocals, guitar
  • Pat Donaldson- bass, vocals
  • Gerry Conway- drums
  • Linda Thompson- vocals
  • Todd Lloyd – vocals
  • Jerry Boys, Todd Lloyd – recording
  • Marion Appleton – art direction, illustrations
  • Tony Evans – photography

Track listing:

  1. Nothing More – Sandy Denny
  2. The Sea – Sandy Denny
  3. The Ballad of Ned Kelly – Trevor Lucas
  4. Winter Winds – Sandy Denny
  5. Peace in the End – Sandy Denny, Trevor Lucas
  6. The Way I Feel – Gordon Lightfoot
  7. The Pond and the Stream – Sandy Denny
  8. Too Much of Nothing – Bob Dylan
  9. Banks of the Nile – traditional

Sandy Denny: Rendezvous

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In May 1977, “Island” label released “Rendezvous”, the fourth Sandy Denny album. It was recorded April-June 1976, at “Island Studios”, “CBS Studios”, Strawberry Studios” and Sound Techniques” in London, and was produced by Trevor Lucas.

Personnel:

  • Sandy Denny – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, piano
  • Jerry Donahue- electric guitar
  • Junior Murvin- electric guitar
  • Richard Thompson- electric guitar
  • Bob Weston- electric guitar
  • Trevor Lucas – acoustic guitar
  • John (Rabbit) Bundrick- organ, synthesizer, piano
  • Steve Winwood- organ, clavinet, piano, electric piano
  • John Gillespie – piano
  • Pat Donaldson- bass
  • Dave Pegg- bass
  • Dave Mattacks- drums, tambourine
  • Timi Donald – drums
  • Brother James – congas
  • Dick Cuthell- flugelhorn
  • Benny Gallagher, Graham Lyle, Sue Glover, Sunny Leslie, Kay Garner, Clare Torry, The Ladybirds – backing vocals
  • The Silver Band: John Hudson, Alan Holmes, Ray Grand, Gordon Bland, David White, Robert Richards, Peter Lockett & Philip Goodwin
  • Harry Robinson- orchestral arrangements
  • Steve Gregory- brass arrangements
  • Robert Kirby- silver band arrangement
  • John Wood = engineer
  • John Marino, Sterling Sounds – mastering
  • Bloomfield/Travis – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Sandy Denny except where noted.

  1. I Wish I Was a Fool For You (For Shame of Doing Wrong) – Richard Thompson
  2. Gold Dust
  3. Candle in the Wind – Elton John, Bernie Taupin
  4. Take Me Away
  5. One Way Donkey Ride
  6. I’m a Dreamer
  7. All Our Days
  8. Silver Threads and Golden Needles – Jack Rhodes, Dick Reynolds
  9. No More Sad Refrains

Richard Thompson: Henry the Human Fly

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In April 1972, “Island” label released “Henry the Human Fly”, the first Richard Thompson solo album. It was recorded in February 1972, at “Sound Techniques” in London, and was produced by Richard Thompson and John Wood.

Personnel:

  • Richard Thompson – vocals, guitar, mandolin, accordion, tin whistle
  • Linda Peters– vocals
  • Ashley Hutchings– vocals
  • Sandy Denny– piano, vocals
  • John Kirkpatrick– accordion
  • Pat Donaldson– vocals, bass guitar
  • Timi Donald – vocals, drums
  • John Defereri – tenor saxophone
  • Clay Toyani – trumpet
  • Jeff Cole – trombone
  • David Snell – harp
  • Sue Draheim– fiddle
  • Barry Dransfield– fiddle
  • Andy Roberts– dulcimer

Track listing:

All tracks by Richard Thompson.

  1. Roll Over Vaughn Williams
  2. Nobody’s Wedding
  3. The Poor Ditching Boy
  4. Shaky Nancy
  5. The Angels Took My Racehorse Away
  6. Wheely Down
  7. The New St. George
  8. Painted Ladies
  9. Cold Feet
  10. Mary and Joseph
  11. The Old Changing Way
  12. Twisted