#britishfolk — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #britishfolk, aggregated by home.social.
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Robert Farmer – Each Mortal Thing
#Acoustic #JamesJoyce #acousticguitar #altfolk #altfolk #britishfolk #folk #freefolk #indiefolk #lofi #poem #poetry #singersongwriter #Northampton
CC BY-NC (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial) #ccmusic
https://robertfarmer.bandcamp.com/album/each-mortal-thing -
Robert Farmer – Each Mortal Thing
#Acoustic #JamesJoyce #acousticguitar #altfolk #altfolk #britishfolk #folk #freefolk #indiefolk #lofi #poem #poetry #singersongwriter #Northampton
CC BY-NC (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial) #ccmusic
https://robertfarmer.bandcamp.com/album/each-mortal-thing -
Robert Farmer – Each Mortal Thing
#Acoustic #JamesJoyce #acousticguitar #altfolk #altfolk #britishfolk #folk #freefolk #indiefolk #lofi #poem #poetry #singersongwriter #Northampton
CC BY-NC (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial) #ccmusic
https://robertfarmer.bandcamp.com/album/each-mortal-thing -
Robert Farmer – Each Mortal Thing
#Acoustic #JamesJoyce #acousticguitar #altfolk #altfolk #britishfolk #folk #freefolk #indiefolk #lofi #poem #poetry #singersongwriter #Northampton
CC BY-NC (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial) #ccmusic
https://robertfarmer.bandcamp.com/album/each-mortal-thing -
Robert Farmer – Each Mortal Thing
#Acoustic #JamesJoyce #acousticguitar #altfolk #altfolk #britishfolk #folk #freefolk #indiefolk #lofi #poem #poetry #singersongwriter #Northampton
CC BY-NC (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial) #ccmusic
https://robertfarmer.bandcamp.com/album/each-mortal-thing -
Shelagh McDonald Sings “Stargazer”
Listen to this track by Edinburgh-born and Glasgow-raised chamber-folk singer and one-time musical cold case file Shelagh McDonald. It’s “Stargazer”, the title track to her 1971 record to follow up her debut that appeared the year before. The album features contributions from a galaxy of British folk luminaries including Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, Danny Thompson, and others.
This level of talent on her record is a reflection of McDonald’s status in that community of songwriters and musicians. Her clear alto voice is easily in the same league with the genre’s best singers like Jacqui McShee, Sandy Denny, and others of the era. The late 1960s and early 1970s was a period when traditional music from the British Isles and original songs inspired by it represented a commercial beachhead to build a lasting career. With the Stargazer album’s positive reception at the time, things were really looking up for Shelagh McDonald.
However, McDonald’s path as a professional musician and songwriter didn’t exactly go to plan. Strange circumstances surrounded her life after this song and its namesake album came out. For many years, McDonald’s life trajectory was shrouded in mystery after a severe reaction to LSD sidelined her career as a musician. Plagued with the aftermath of her bad trip that included temporarily her losing her ability to sing, McDonald left London and went back to her parents in Scotland. Later on, she married Gordon, a bookshop owner and scholar. Things didn’t go to plan there, either.
Instead of settling down into a middle-class life similar to her upbringing, McDonald spent years in dead-end jobs and on government benefits. She lived with her husband in a tent for a long while before returning to writing and performing. Her return to the world came after she read about her own decades-long disappearance one day in the local paper. This was around the time the Let No Man Steal Your Thyme compilation came out in 2005 when the assumption had been that she’d simply vanished.
After reconnecting with some of her old contacts, she’d follow up with a third record Parnassus Revisited in 2013, 42 years after its predecessor. By then, she’d reinvented herself and her singing voice for live appearances. She considered her time as a missing person as if it were a kind of parallel existence rather than as lost time. She experienced great disappointment and grief over the loss of her career as a professional musician. But looking back, McDonald remained satisfied that things worked out well for her overall. She’d eluded fame’s treadmill and had lived her life free of its obligations.
Shelagh McDonald had come to be a songwriter and musician from the grass roots level, initially as an admirer of Bert Jansch, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and others. By the end of the 1960s, she’d started playing the same folk clubs in Glasgow as John Martyn, Billy Connolly, Gerry Rafferty, and others. Soon enough, she received an invitation to come down to London through fellow musician Keith Christmas to establish herself on the scene there, too. This eventually led to becoming a recording artist.
Making a record was a new world for her. She’d been a musician used to solo club dates and “floor spots”, not studios. But by the time of her second album, Stargazer, she’d got used to the way things were done in the studio. It helped that she had a good feel for working with engineer John Wood who’d famously worked closely with her contemporary, Nick Drake. But sometime during the making of a follow-up record by 1972, everything went awry.
The derailment of her career as a rising star of British folk was considered a tragedy by many, and almost thought of in the same way as Nick Drake’s unfortunate path. That’s hard to refute in terms of her lost artistic potential as a recording artist, given her level of talent. Of course, unlike Drake and also her contemporary Sandy Denny, she survived. The only tragedy that remains is how much attention her one-time missing person status took away from the praise her work deserves. Her slim volume of material showcases her abilities as a singularly gifted vocalist who delivers original material that packs an emotional punch.
Title track of her second record “Stargazer” is a case in point by itself; a richly layered song that pulls from traditional music in terms of both textures and themes, but also from chamber pop, film music, and even an operatic chorus in the extended outro to lend it powerful gravitas and a kind of cinematic majesty. There is a wintry beauty to this track that’s full of natural images, overwhelming and unspoiled landscapes, and of mythical evocations of idealized love and the passage of time in the tradition of British Romantic poetry.
He was a stranger to her, his father was a poet
Led her by the hand up the hill
Touched the golden sunset
How do feelings die? He’s afraid to know
Why does she have to lie?
She’ll only stay until it’s time for her to go
She said: take the sun in your hand, be glad
For this is love you hold …
~ “Stargazer” by Shelagh McDonald
The string arrangement on this cut is by Robert Kirby who’d worked up similar arrangements on Nick Drake’s Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter. The quality he struck on those records also apply here; a kind of tragic wistfulness that also contains a sunrise of hope only just hidden and about to emerge behind the song’s foreground. This is in line with the lyrics to this original tune by McDonald, full of the same kind of imagery and with an emotional palette of wonder, loneliness, expectation, and contentment all living in the same space and as a part of a melancholic spectrum. True to folk traditions, “Stargazer” reflects a quality both of its time and transcendent of it. It’s impact, which is the result of how well the arrangement frames McDonald’s voice and the story she’s telling, is immediate and profound.
This cut captures a central truth to the human experience; that we’re all wandering to one degree or another, seeking the light of the sun as we climb the hill. None of us have any assurances that the one holding our hand as we ascend will still be there when we reach the top. Yet it’s in moments along the way that we find the our rewards as we make our way upward and onward, holding onto love as best we can as we go.
For more on Shelagh McDonald, read this interview with musician Ian Anderson from 2012, just before she returned to the stage by early the following year. McDonald touches on her career and the events and intervening years that interrupted it. But she also expands on what the vital British folk scene looked like and how it felt to be a part of it during its late-Sixties-early-Seventies golden period.
There’s also this 20-minute interview on the BBC to hear McDonald talking about her early career, her life off the grid, and what it was like to return to music.
Enjoy!
#70sMusic #britishFolk #chamberFolk #pastoralMusic #shelaghMcdonald #singerSongwriters
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#NowPlaying #BritishFolk #Banjo
#ClivePalmer - "O For Summer" (2004)
Clive passed away 11 years ago today - RIP
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#NowPlaying #BritishFolk #Banjo
#ClivePalmer - "O For Summer" (2004)
Clive passed away 11 years ago today - RIP
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From the same stable as Jansch and Renbourn, Ralph McTell was huge in the UK folk scene. This album, Right Side Up, is reasonably early on in his discography, and is notable for covering John Martyn’s ‘May You Never’. Martyn also plays guitar on ‘River Rising’. Can’t quite remember where this came from but I think, again, it was Truck Records.
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From the same stable as Jansch and Renbourn, Ralph McTell was huge in the UK folk scene. This album, Right Side Up, is reasonably early on in his discography, and is notable for covering John Martyn’s ‘May You Never’. Martyn also plays guitar on ‘River Rising’. Can’t quite remember where this came from but I think, again, it was Truck Records.
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From the same stable as Jansch and Renbourn, Ralph McTell was huge in the UK folk scene. This album, Right Side Up, is reasonably early on in his discography, and is notable for covering John Martyn’s ‘May You Never’. Martyn also plays guitar on ‘River Rising’. Can’t quite remember where this came from but I think, again, it was Truck Records.
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From the same stable as Jansch and Renbourn, Ralph McTell was huge in the UK folk scene. This album, Right Side Up, is reasonably early on in his discography, and is notable for covering John Martyn’s ‘May You Never’. Martyn also plays guitar on ‘River Rising’. Can’t quite remember where this came from but I think, again, it was Truck Records.
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From the same stable as Jansch and Renbourn, Ralph McTell was huge in the UK folk scene. This album, Right Side Up, is reasonably early on in his discography, and is notable for covering John Martyn’s ‘May You Never’. Martyn also plays guitar on ‘River Rising’. Can’t quite remember where this came from but I think, again, it was Truck Records.
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Had to pick this up when I saw it. I’m a big fan of Bert Jansch, and Bert & John collaborated many times. They are two peas from the same pod. I think I probably have all these tracks spread over several LPs but nice to have this sampler anyway. Again, a #HumminGuru clean was required.
I am once again in awe of the difference a sonic clean makes. My ears will never get used to it 😄
This one was from Truck Records in Witney. Not a charity shop, but a charity shop price!
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Had to pick this up when I saw it. I’m a big fan of Bert Jansch, and Bert & John collaborated many times. They are two peas from the same pod. I think I probably have all these tracks spread over several LPs but nice to have this sampler anyway. Again, a #HumminGuru clean was required.
I am once again in awe of the difference a sonic clean makes. My ears will never get used to it 😄
This one was from Truck Records in Witney. Not a charity shop, but a charity shop price!
-
Had to pick this up when I saw it. I’m a big fan of Bert Jansch, and Bert & John collaborated many times. They are two peas from the same pod. I think I probably have all these tracks spread over several LPs but nice to have this sampler anyway. Again, a #HumminGuru clean was required.
I am once again in awe of the difference a sonic clean makes. My ears will never get used to it 😄
This one was from Truck Records in Witney. Not a charity shop, but a charity shop price!
-
Had to pick this up when I saw it. I’m a big fan of Bert Jansch, and Bert & John collaborated many times. They are two peas from the same pod. I think I probably have all these tracks spread over several LPs but nice to have this sampler anyway. Again, a #HumminGuru clean was required.
I am once again in awe of the difference a sonic clean makes. My ears will never get used to it 😄
This one was from Truck Records in Witney. Not a charity shop, but a charity shop price!
-
Had to pick this up when I saw it. I’m a big fan of Bert Jansch, and Bert & John collaborated many times. They are two peas from the same pod. I think I probably have all these tracks spread over several LPs but nice to have this sampler anyway. Again, a #HumminGuru clean was required.
I am once again in awe of the difference a sonic clean makes. My ears will never get used to it 😄
This one was from Truck Records in Witney. Not a charity shop, but a charity shop price!
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Robert Farmer – Each Mortal Thing (2023)
#Acoustic #JamesJoyce #acousticguitar #altfolk #altfolk #britishfolk #folk #freefolk #indiefolk #lofi #poem #poetry #singersongwriter #Northampton
CC BY-NC (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial) #ccmusic
https://robertfarmer.bandcamp.com/album/each-mortal-thing-2023 -
Robert Farmer – Each Mortal Thing (2023)
#Acoustic #JamesJoyce #acousticguitar #altfolk #altfolk #britishfolk #folk #freefolk #indiefolk #lofi #poem #poetry #singersongwriter #Northampton
CC BY-NC (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial) #ccmusic
https://robertfarmer.bandcamp.com/album/each-mortal-thing-2023 -
Robert Farmer – Each Mortal Thing (2023)
#Acoustic #JamesJoyce #acousticguitar #altfolk #altfolk #britishfolk #folk #freefolk #indiefolk #lofi #poem #poetry #singersongwriter #Northampton
CC BY-NC (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial) #ccmusic
https://robertfarmer.bandcamp.com/album/each-mortal-thing-2023 -
Robert Farmer – Each Mortal Thing (2023)
#Acoustic #JamesJoyce #acousticguitar #altfolk #altfolk #britishfolk #folk #freefolk #indiefolk #lofi #poem #poetry #singersongwriter #Northampton
CC BY-NC (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial) #ccmusic
https://robertfarmer.bandcamp.com/album/each-mortal-thing-2023 -
Self-Titled Summer | Fotheringay (1970, UK)
Our next Self-Titled Summer spotlight is on number 280 on The List, submitted by baz. Fotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock quintet formed by Sandy Denny after she left Fairport Convention, along with Denny’s partner and Australian guitarist Trevor Lucas plus drummer Gerry Conway (both formerly of folk psych prog rock band Eclection), and American guitarist Jerry Donahue and Scottish bassist Pat Donaldson (both formerly of prog psych group Poet and The One Man Band). While the band members would work together again on solo projects and in Fairport Convention, this was the group's only studio album.
Want to read more? See the full spotlight on the Fediverse at @1001otheralbums.com or on the blog: https://1001otheralbums.com/2025/08/09/self-titled-summer-fotheringay-1970-uk/Want to skip straight to the music? Here's a YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QmMr1RfdVw. It's also on Dailymotion here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x263bv2
Happy listening!
#Fotheringay #SandyDenny #TrevorLucas #GerryConway #JerryDonahue #PatDonaldson #FairportConvention #BritishFolk #FolkRock #selftitled #music #1001OtherAlbums
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Self-Titled Summer | Fotheringay (1970, UK)
Our next Self-Titled Summer spotlight is on number 280 on The List, submitted by baz. Fotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock quintet formed by Sandy Denny after she left Fairport Convention, along with Denny’s partner and Australian guitarist Trevor Lucas plus drummer Gerry Conway (both formerly of folk psych prog rock band Eclection), and American guitarist Jerry Donahue and Scottish bassist Pat Donaldson (both formerly of prog psych group Poet and The One Man Band). While the band members would work together again on solo projects and in Fairport Convention, this was the group's only studio album.
Want to read more? See the full spotlight on the Fediverse at @1001otheralbums.com or on the blog: https://1001otheralbums.com/2025/08/09/self-titled-summer-fotheringay-1970-uk/Want to skip straight to the music? Here's a YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QmMr1RfdVw. It's also on Dailymotion here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x263bv2
Happy listening!
#Fotheringay #SandyDenny #TrevorLucas #GerryConway #JerryDonahue #PatDonaldson #FairportConvention #BritishFolk #FolkRock #selftitled #music #1001OtherAlbums
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Self-Titled Summer | Fotheringay (1970, UK)
Our next Self-Titled Summer spotlight is on number 280 on The List, submitted by baz. Fotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock quintet formed by Sandy Denny after she left Fairport Convention, along with Denny’s partner and Australian guitarist Trevor Lucas plus drummer Gerry Conway (both formerly of folk psych prog rock band Eclection), and American guitarist Jerry Donahue and Scottish bassist Pat Donaldson (both formerly of prog psych group Poet and The One Man Band). While the band members would work together again on solo projects and in Fairport Convention, this was the group's only studio album.
Want to read more? See the full spotlight on the Fediverse at @1001otheralbums.com or on the blog: https://1001otheralbums.com/2025/08/09/self-titled-summer-fotheringay-1970-uk/Want to skip straight to the music? Here's a YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QmMr1RfdVw. It's also on Dailymotion here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x263bv2
Happy listening!
#Fotheringay #SandyDenny #TrevorLucas #GerryConway #JerryDonahue #PatDonaldson #FairportConvention #BritishFolk #FolkRock #selftitled #music #1001OtherAlbums
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Self-Titled Summer | Fotheringay (1970, UK)
Our next Self-Titled Summer spotlight is on number 280 on The List, submitted by baz. Fotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock quintet formed by Sandy Denny after she left Fairport Convention, along with Denny’s partner and Australian guitarist Trevor Lucas plus drummer Gerry Conway (both formerly of folk psych prog rock band Eclection), and American guitarist Jerry Donahue and Scottish bassist Pat Donaldson (both formerly of prog psych group Poet and The One Man Band). While the band members would work together again on solo projects and in Fairport Convention, this was the group's only studio album.
Want to read more? See the full spotlight on the Fediverse at @1001otheralbums.com or on the blog: https://1001otheralbums.com/2025/08/09/self-titled-summer-fotheringay-1970-uk/Want to skip straight to the music? Here's a YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QmMr1RfdVw. It's also on Dailymotion here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x263bv2
Happy listening!
#Fotheringay #SandyDenny #TrevorLucas #GerryConway #JerryDonahue #PatDonaldson #FairportConvention #BritishFolk #FolkRock #selftitled #music #1001OtherAlbums
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Self-Titled Summer | Fotheringay (1970, UK)
Our next Self-Titled Summer spotlight is on number 280 on The List, submitted by baz. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Point of origin(s): Fotheringay was a British folk rock quintet formed by Sandy Denny after she left Fairport Convention (following the release of their 1969 Liege & Leaf, which we looked at nearly a year ago in a SpaceAce Sunday), named after Denny’s song of the same name from the Fairport Convention album What We Did on Our Holidays. The other members were Denny’s partner and Australian guitarist Trevor Lucas plus drummer Gerry Conway (both formerly of folk psych prog rock band Eclection), and American guitarist Jerry Donahue and Scottish bassist Pat Donaldson (both formerly of prog psych group Poet and The One Man Band). This was their debut album.
- Tasting notes: Folk rock with some jazzy bits, Sandy Denny’s remarkable voice, wistful longing
- Standout track: Their cover of Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Way I Feel” – I want that song to last forever. The opener “Nothing More”, the first piano track Denny would write, is also fantastic (as it is on their live album, Essen 1970, released in 2011).
- Where are they now?/RIP: This is the only album released while the original lineup was together. They disbanded in January 1971 during recording sessions for a second album. While some of this material would later be released in 2008 under the title 2, some was used for Denny’s debut solo album (the 1971 The North Star Grassman and the Ravens) and on a Fairport Convention album (the 1972 Rosie), as Conway, Donahue, and Lucas had all joined that band after Fotheringay broke up (Donahue and Lucas from 1972-5, Conway just briefly at the time as a session musician, but then again later from 1998-2022). Denny would go on to have a successful but short solo career (with her former bandmates appearing on some of her albums), and would also briefly rejoin Fairport Convention in 1974-5. She tragically died in 1978 at the age of 31. Lucas then returned to Australia and mainly worked as a producer and film score composer until his death in 1989. In addition to his long stint in Fairport Convention, Conway was also in Pentangle from 1987 until his death just last year (he was married to Pentangle’s singer, Jacqui McShee). Donahue has a rather lengthy CV, working as both a musician (including guitar trio The Hellecasters plus being in The Yardbirds around 2004-5) and producer, at least up until a stroke in 2016 that affected his ability to play guitar. Donaldson was also in a few other bands and worked as a session musician (including for John Cale and Stevie Nicks)[1] at least into the 2010s. Quite a group, this one.
- Websites: Wikipedia
Happy listening!
- Though a non-Fotheringay/Fairport Convention-related tidbit, a fun find for me in writing this up is Donaldson’s work on Mae McKenna’s Everything That Touches Me (1976). I know this album as McKenna is the mother of Jamie Woon, whose debut LP we’ll see in a future spotlight because I had added it to The List. ↩︎
#1970s #britishFolk #fairportConvention #folkRock #fotheringay #gerryConway #jerryDonahue #music #musicDiscovery #patDonaldson #sandyDenny #selftitled #trevorLucas
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Self-Titled Summer | Fotheringay (1970, UK)
Our next Self-Titled Summer spotlight is on number 280 on The List, submitted by baz. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Point of origin(s): Fotheringay was a British folk rock quintet formed by Sandy Denny after she left Fairport Convention (following the release of their 1969 Liege & Leaf, which we looked at nearly a year ago in a SpaceAce Sunday), named after Denny’s song of the same name from the Fairport Convention album What We Did on Our Holidays. The other members were Denny’s partner and Australian guitarist Trevor Lucas plus drummer Gerry Conway (both formerly of folk psych prog rock band Eclection), and American guitarist Jerry Donahue and Scottish bassist Pat Donaldson (both formerly of prog psych group Poet and The One Man Band). This was their debut album.
- Tasting notes: Folk rock with some jazzy bits, Sandy Denny’s remarkable voice, wistful longing
- Standout track: Their cover of Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Way I Feel” – I want that song to last forever. The opener “Nothing More”, the first piano track Denny would write, is also fantastic (as it is on their live album, Essen 1970, released in 2011).
- Where are they now?/RIP: This is the only album released while the original lineup was together. They disbanded in January 1971 during recording sessions for a second album. While some of this material would later be released in 2008 under the title 2, some was used for Denny’s debut solo album (the 1971 The North Star Grassman and the Ravens) and on a Fairport Convention album (the 1972 Rosie), as Conway, Donahue, and Lucas had all joined that band after Fotheringay broke up (Donahue and Lucas from 1972-5, Conway just briefly at the time as a session musician, but then again later from 1998-2022). Denny would go on to have a successful but short solo career (with her former bandmates appearing on some of her albums), and would also briefly rejoin Fairport Convention in 1974-5. She tragically died in 1978 at the age of 31. Lucas then returned to Australia and mainly worked as a producer and film score composer until his death in 1989. In addition to his long stint in Fairport Convention, Conway was also in Pentangle from 1987 until his death just last year (he was married to Pentangle’s singer, Jacqui McShee). Donahue has a rather lengthy CV, working as both a musician (including guitar trio The Hellecasters plus being in The Yardbirds around 2004-5) and producer, at least up until a stroke in 2016 that affected his ability to play guitar. Donaldson was also in a few other bands and worked as a session musician (including for John Cale and Stevie Nicks)[1] at least into the 2010s. Quite a group, this one.
- Websites: Wikipedia
Happy listening!
- Though a non-Fotheringay/Fairport Convention-related tidbit, a fun find for me in writing this up is Donaldson’s work on Mae McKenna’s Everything That Touches Me (1976). I know this album as McKenna is the mother of Jamie Woon, whose debut LP we’ll see in a future spotlight because I had added it to The List. ↩︎
#1970s #BritishFolk #FairportConvention #folkRock #Fotheringay #GerryConway #JerryDonahue #music #musicDiscovery #PatDonaldson #SandyDenny #selftitled #TrevorLucas
-
Self-Titled Summer | Fotheringay (1970, UK)
Our next Self-Titled Summer spotlight is on number 280 on The List, submitted by baz. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Point of origin(s): Fotheringay was a British folk rock quintet formed by Sandy Denny after she left Fairport Convention (following the release of their 1969 Liege & Leaf, which we looked at nearly a year ago in a SpaceAce Sunday), named after Denny’s song of the same name from the Fairport Convention album What We Did on Our Holidays. The other members were Denny’s partner and Australian guitarist Trevor Lucas plus drummer Gerry Conway (both formerly of folk psych prog rock band Eclection), and American guitarist Jerry Donahue and Scottish bassist Pat Donaldson (both formerly of prog psych group Poet and The One Man Band). This was their debut album.
- Tasting notes: Folk rock with some jazzy bits, Sandy Denny’s remarkable voice, wistful longing
- Standout track: Their cover of Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Way I Feel” – I want that song to last forever. The opener “Nothing More”, the first piano track Denny would write, is also fantastic (as it is on their live album, Essen 1970, released in 2011).
- Where are they now?/RIP: This is the only album released while the original lineup was together. They disbanded in January 1971 during recording sessions for a second album. While some of this material would later be released in 2008 under the title 2, some was used for Denny’s debut solo album (the 1971 The North Star Grassman and the Ravens) and on a Fairport Convention album (the 1972 Rosie), as Conway, Donahue, and Lucas had all joined that band after Fotheringay broke up (Donahue and Lucas from 1972-5, Conway just briefly at the time as a session musician, but then again later from 1998-2022). Denny would go on to have a successful but short solo career (with her former bandmates appearing on some of her albums), and would also briefly rejoin Fairport Convention in 1974-5. She tragically died in 1978 at the age of 31. Lucas then returned to Australia and mainly worked as a producer and film score composer until his death in 1989. In addition to his long stint in Fairport Convention, Conway was also in Pentangle from 1987 until his death just last year (he was married to Pentangle’s singer, Jacqui McShee). Donahue has a rather lengthy CV, working as both a musician (including guitar trio The Hellecasters plus being in The Yardbirds around 2004-5) and producer, at least up until a stroke in 2016 that affected his ability to play guitar. Donaldson was also in a few other bands and worked as a session musician (including for John Cale and Stevie Nicks)[1] at least into the 2010s. Quite a group, this one.
- Websites: Wikipedia
Happy listening!
- Though a non-Fotheringay/Fairport Convention-related tidbit, a fun find for me in writing this up is Donaldson’s work on Mae McKenna’s Everything That Touches Me (1976). I know this album as McKenna is the mother of Jamie Woon, whose debut LP we’ll see in a future spotlight because I had added it to The List. ↩︎
#1970s #BritishFolk #FairportConvention #folkRock #Fotheringay #GerryConway #JerryDonahue #music #musicDiscovery #PatDonaldson #SandyDenny #selftitled #TrevorLucas
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Self-Titled Summer | Fotheringay (1970, UK)
Our next Self-Titled Summer spotlight is on number 280 on The List, submitted by baz. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Point of origin(s): Fotheringay was a British folk rock quintet formed by Sandy Denny after she left Fairport Convention (following the release of their 1969 Liege & Leaf, which we looked at nearly a year ago in a SpaceAce Sunday), named after Denny’s song of the same name from the Fairport Convention album What We Did on Our Holidays. The other members were Denny’s partner and Australian guitarist Trevor Lucas plus drummer Gerry Conway (both formerly of folk psych prog rock band Eclection), and American guitarist Jerry Donahue and Scottish bassist Pat Donaldson (both formerly of prog psych group Poet and The One Man Band). This was their debut album.
- Tasting notes: Folk rock with some jazzy bits, Sandy Denny’s remarkable voice, wistful longing
- Standout track: Their cover of Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Way I Feel” – I want that song to last forever. The opener “Nothing More”, the first piano track Denny would write, is also fantastic (as it is on their live album, Essen 1970, released in 2011).
- Where are they now?/RIP: This is the only album released while the original lineup was together. They disbanded in January 1971 during recording sessions for a second album. While some of this material would later be released in 2008 under the title 2, some was used for Denny’s debut solo album (the 1971 The North Star Grassman and the Ravens) and on a Fairport Convention album (the 1972 Rosie), as Conway, Donahue, and Lucas had all joined that band after Fotheringay broke up (Donahue and Lucas from 1972-5, Conway just briefly at the time as a session musician, but then again later from 1998-2022). Denny would go on to have a successful but short solo career (with her former bandmates appearing on some of her albums), and would also briefly rejoin Fairport Convention in 1974-5. She tragically died in 1978 at the age of 31. Lucas then returned to Australia and mainly worked as a producer and film score composer until his death in 1989. In addition to his long stint in Fairport Convention, Conway was also in Pentangle from 1987 until his death just last year (he was married to Pentangle’s singer, Jacqui McShee). Donahue has a rather lengthy CV, working as both a musician (including guitar trio The Hellecasters plus being in The Yardbirds around 2004-5) and producer, at least up until a stroke in 2016 that affected his ability to play guitar. Donaldson was also in a few other bands and worked as a session musician (including for John Cale and Stevie Nicks)[1] at least into the 2010s. Quite a group, this one.
- Websites: Wikipedia
Happy listening!
- Though a non-Fotheringay/Fairport Convention-related tidbit, a fun find for me in writing this up is Donaldson’s work on Mae McKenna’s Everything That Touches Me (1976). I know this album as McKenna is the mother of Jamie Woon, whose debut LP we’ll see in a future spotlight because I had added it to The List. ↩︎
#1970s #BritishFolk #FairportConvention #folkRock #Fotheringay #GerryConway #JerryDonahue #music #musicDiscovery #PatDonaldson #SandyDenny #selftitled #TrevorLucas
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We are really excited to announce that our new single 'Song to the Siren - Live!' - our interpretation of the classic song written by Tim Buckley Music and Larry Beckett - is set for release on Friday 24th January, 2025.
It's been refreshing to work on this song as a duo playing almost all the instruments ourselves - including Starlite on the drums and me on bass pedals and real Leslie 145 🙂
#Folk #BritishFolk #acousticmusic #folksinger #music #MastoMusic #FediMusic
-
We are really excited to announce that our new single 'Song to the Siren - Live!' - our interpretation of the classic song written by Tim Buckley Music and Larry Beckett - is set for release on Friday 24th January, 2025.
It's been refreshing to work on this song as a duo playing almost all the instruments ourselves - including Starlite on the drums and me on bass pedals and real Leslie 145 🙂
#Folk #BritishFolk #acousticmusic #folksinger #music #MastoMusic #FediMusic
-
We are really excited to announce that our new single 'Song to the Siren - Live!' - our interpretation of the classic song written by Tim Buckley Music and Larry Beckett - is set for release on Friday 24th January, 2025.
It's been refreshing to work on this song as a duo playing almost all the instruments ourselves - including Starlite on the drums and me on bass pedals and real Leslie 145 🙂
#Folk #BritishFolk #acousticmusic #folksinger #music #MastoMusic #FediMusic
-
We are really excited to announce that our new single 'Song to the Siren - Live!' - our interpretation of the classic song written by Tim Buckley Music and Larry Beckett - is set for release on Friday 24th January, 2025.
It's been refreshing to work on this song as a duo playing almost all the instruments ourselves - including Starlite on the drums and me on bass pedals and real Leslie 145 🙂
#Folk #BritishFolk #acousticmusic #folksinger #music #MastoMusic #FediMusic
-
We are really excited to announce that our new single 'Song to the Siren - Live!' - our interpretation of the classic song written by Tim Buckley Music and Larry Beckett - is set for release on Friday 24th January, 2025.
It's been refreshing to work on this song as a duo playing almost all the instruments ourselves - including Starlite on the drums and me on bass pedals and real Leslie 145 🙂
#Folk #BritishFolk #acousticmusic #folksinger #music #MastoMusic #FediMusic
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Frost and Fire, Part 1 – SpaceAce Sunday Edition
When I sat down to search for a streaming link for our next SpaceAce Sunday, I realized that we, in fact, have two albums on The List with the title Frost and Fire: The Watersons’ 1965 folk debut, and Cirith Ungol’s 1981 proto-doom/heavy metal debut. Given that (a) The Watersons’ album contains a few Xmas/Xmas-adjacent songs, and (b) I, like many of you, am rather ambivalent towards the holiday season at best, I wanted to offer up both albums at this time of year as if they were both Xmas albums, even if one is only partially an Xmas album and the other can essentially only be considered an Xmas album due to proximity, or, say, in the sense that Die Hard is an Xmas movie because it takes place on December 24.[1] In doing so, we can each choose for ourselves what level of holiday music we want to expose our ears to. And, because SpaceAce Sundays are clearly limited to Sundays, we will first spotlight SpaceAce’s Frost and Fire, i.e., The Watersons’ album, and then, on December 24, we will spotlight Cirith Ungol’s take on the title.
The Watersons – Frost and Fire (A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs)[3] (1965, UK)
And so, today we go back to one of the first albums SpaceAce submitted to this project, number 481 in The List.
I think it’s fair to say that SpaceAce must’ve loved this band/family, seeing as this is the third album of theirs we’re looking at thanks to him. As noted in the liner notes by A. L. Lloyd[2] (who we met in a previous SpaceAce Sunday), this album collects traditional ceremonial songs, not just from around the winter solstice but from each season:
Seasons of anxiety, seasons of joy. The common people had their rites of propitiation and triumph, older than the rituals of the Church and closer bound to their daily lives. This record takes us through a year’s calendar, displaying songs that accompanied these ceremonies, season by season…
When the Christian church arose, it ranged itself against the beliefs and customs of the old nature worship, and prudently annexed many of the seasonal ceremonies. Thus the critical time of the winter solstice, a rich period for pagan ritual, became the season of the Nativity of the new god. The season of the great spring ceremonies became the time of his slaughter and resurrection. So it happens that in many songs on this record pagan and Christian elements are inextricably tangled…it’s necessary to recall that behind most of these calendar customs and the songs attached to them lies nothing more mysterious, nothing less realistic, than the yearly round of work carried out in the fields…For it’s due to their relation with economic life, not to any mystical connection, that the song-customs have persisted right up to our own time.
That’s the sort of Xmas songs I can get behind.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and, if you wish to listen to this Frost and Fire, let’s take a listen together. Otherwise, let’s meet back here Tuesday for a more metal take.
- Songlink: The Watersons – Frost and Fire (A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs)
- Discogs: The Watersons – Frost and Fire (A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs)
[1]To be clear, Die Hard is most definitely an Xmas movie. I will not be taking any questions at this time.
[2]The liner notes are reproduced in full here.
[3]Note the cover of the US pressing that I’ve included here doesn’t include the subtitle found on the original UK cover, but this one is so much cooler looking (and, I believe, is the version SpaceAce owned).#1001OtherAlbums #1960s #BritishFolk #ChristmasMusic #folk #folkMusic #holidayMusic #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #SpaceAceSunday #TheWatersons
-
Frost and Fire, Part 1 – SpaceAce Sunday Edition
When I sat down to search for a streaming link for our next SpaceAce Sunday, I realized that we, in fact, have two albums on The List with the title Frost and Fire: The Watersons’ 1965 folk debut, and Cirith Ungol’s 1981 proto-doom/heavy metal debut. Given that (a) The Watersons’ album contains a few Xmas/Xmas-adjacent songs, and (b) I, like many of you, am rather ambivalent towards the holiday season at best, I wanted to offer up both albums at this time of year as if they were both Xmas albums, even if one is only partially an Xmas album and the other can essentially only be considered an Xmas album due to proximity, or, say, in the sense that Die Hard is an Xmas movie because it takes place on December 24.[1] In doing so, we can each choose for ourselves what level of holiday music we want to expose our ears to. And, because SpaceAce Sundays are clearly limited to Sundays, we will first spotlight SpaceAce’s Frost and Fire, i.e., The Watersons’ album, and then, on December 24, we will spotlight Cirith Ungol’s take on the title.
The Watersons – Frost and Fire (A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs)[3] (1965, UK)
And so, today we go back to one of the first albums SpaceAce submitted to this project, number 481 in The List.
I think it’s fair to say that SpaceAce must’ve loved this band/family, seeing as this is the third album of theirs we’re looking at thanks to him. As noted in the liner notes by A. L. Lloyd[2] (who we met in a previous SpaceAce Sunday), this album collects traditional ceremonial songs, not just from around the winter solstice but from each season:
Seasons of anxiety, seasons of joy. The common people had their rites of propitiation and triumph, older than the rituals of the Church and closer bound to their daily lives. This record takes us through a year’s calendar, displaying songs that accompanied these ceremonies, season by season…
When the Christian church arose, it ranged itself against the beliefs and customs of the old nature worship, and prudently annexed many of the seasonal ceremonies. Thus the critical time of the winter solstice, a rich period for pagan ritual, became the season of the Nativity of the new god. The season of the great spring ceremonies became the time of his slaughter and resurrection. So it happens that in many songs on this record pagan and Christian elements are inextricably tangled…it’s necessary to recall that behind most of these calendar customs and the songs attached to them lies nothing more mysterious, nothing less realistic, than the yearly round of work carried out in the fields…For it’s due to their relation with economic life, not to any mystical connection, that the song-customs have persisted right up to our own time.
That’s the sort of Xmas songs I can get behind.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and, if you wish to listen to this Frost and Fire, let’s take a listen together. Otherwise, let’s meet back here Tuesday for a more metal take.
- Songlink: The Watersons – Frost and Fire (A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs)
- Discogs: The Watersons – Frost and Fire (A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs)
[1]To be clear, Die Hard is most definitely an Xmas movie. I will not be taking any questions at this time.
[2]The liner notes are reproduced in full here.
[3]Note the cover of the US pressing that I’ve included here doesn’t include the subtitle found on the original UK cover, but this one is so much cooler looking (and, I believe, is the version SpaceAce owned).#1001OtherAlbums #1960s #BritishFolk #ChristmasMusic #folk #folkMusic #holidayMusic #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #SpaceAceSunday #TheWatersons
-
Frost and Fire, Part 1 – SpaceAce Sunday Edition
When I sat down to search for a streaming link for our next SpaceAce Sunday, I realized that we, in fact, have two albums on The List with the title Frost and Fire: The Watersons’ 1965 folk debut, and Cirith Ungol’s 1981 proto-doom/heavy metal debut. Given that (a) The Watersons’ album contains a few Xmas/Xmas-adjacent songs, and (b) I, like many of you, am rather ambivalent towards the holiday season at best, I wanted to offer up both albums at this time of year as if they were both Xmas albums, even if one is only partially an Xmas album and the other can essentially only be considered an Xmas album due to proximity, or, say, in the sense that Die Hard is an Xmas movie because it takes place on December 24.[1] In doing so, we can each choose for ourselves what level of holiday music we want to expose our ears to. And, because SpaceAce Sundays are clearly limited to Sundays, we will first spotlight SpaceAce’s Frost and Fire, i.e., The Watersons’ album, and then, on December 24, we will spotlight Cirith Ungol’s take on the title.
The Watersons – Frost and Fire (A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs)[3] (1965, UK)
And so, today we go back to one of the first albums SpaceAce submitted to this project, number 481 in The List.
I think it’s fair to say that SpaceAce must’ve loved this band/family, seeing as this is the third album of theirs we’re looking at thanks to him. As noted in the liner notes by A. L. Lloyd[2] (who we met in a previous SpaceAce Sunday), this album collects traditional ceremonial songs, not just from around the winter solstice but from each season:
Seasons of anxiety, seasons of joy. The common people had their rites of propitiation and triumph, older than the rituals of the Church and closer bound to their daily lives. This record takes us through a year’s calendar, displaying songs that accompanied these ceremonies, season by season…
When the Christian church arose, it ranged itself against the beliefs and customs of the old nature worship, and prudently annexed many of the seasonal ceremonies. Thus the critical time of the winter solstice, a rich period for pagan ritual, became the season of the Nativity of the new god. The season of the great spring ceremonies became the time of his slaughter and resurrection. So it happens that in many songs on this record pagan and Christian elements are inextricably tangled…it’s necessary to recall that behind most of these calendar customs and the songs attached to them lies nothing more mysterious, nothing less realistic, than the yearly round of work carried out in the fields…For it’s due to their relation with economic life, not to any mystical connection, that the song-customs have persisted right up to our own time.
That’s the sort of Xmas songs I can get behind.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and, if you wish to listen to this Frost and Fire, let’s take a listen together. Otherwise, let’s meet back here Tuesday for a more metal take.
- Songlink: The Watersons – Frost and Fire (A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs)
- Discogs: The Watersons – Frost and Fire (A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs)
[1]To be clear, Die Hard is most definitely an Xmas movie. I will not be taking any questions at this time.
[2]The liner notes are reproduced in full here.
[3]Note the cover of the US pressing that I’ve included here doesn’t include the subtitle found on the original UK cover, but this one is so much cooler looking (and, I believe, is the version SpaceAce owned).#1001OtherAlbums #1960s #BritishFolk #ChristmasMusic #folk #folkMusic #holidayMusic #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #SpaceAceSunday #TheWatersons
-
Frost and Fire, Part 1 – SpaceAce Sunday Edition
When I sat down to search for a streaming link for our next SpaceAce Sunday, I realized that we, in fact, have two albums on The List with the title Frost and Fire: The Watersons’ 1965 folk debut, and Cirith Ungol’s 1981 proto-doom/heavy metal debut. Given that (a) The Watersons’ album contains a few Xmas/Xmas-adjacent songs, and (b) I, like many of you, am rather ambivalent towards the holiday season at best, I wanted to offer up both albums at this time of year as if they were both Xmas albums, even if one is only partially an Xmas album and the other can essentially only be considered an Xmas album due to proximity, or, say, in the sense that Die Hard is an Xmas movie because it takes place on December 24.[1] In doing so, we can each choose for ourselves what level of holiday music we want to expose our ears to. And, because SpaceAce Sundays are clearly limited to Sundays, we will first spotlight SpaceAce’s Frost and Fire, i.e., The Watersons’ album, and then, on December 24, we will spotlight Cirith Ungol’s take on the title.
The Watersons – Frost and Fire (A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs)[3] (1965, UK)
And so, today we go back to one of the first albums SpaceAce submitted to this project, number 481 in The List.
I think it’s fair to say that SpaceAce must’ve loved this band/family, seeing as this is the third album of theirs we’re looking at thanks to him. As noted in the liner notes by A. L. Lloyd[2] (who we met in a previous SpaceAce Sunday), this album collects traditional ceremonial songs, not just from around the winter solstice but from each season:
Seasons of anxiety, seasons of joy. The common people had their rites of propitiation and triumph, older than the rituals of the Church and closer bound to their daily lives. This record takes us through a year’s calendar, displaying songs that accompanied these ceremonies, season by season…
When the Christian church arose, it ranged itself against the beliefs and customs of the old nature worship, and prudently annexed many of the seasonal ceremonies. Thus the critical time of the winter solstice, a rich period for pagan ritual, became the season of the Nativity of the new god. The season of the great spring ceremonies became the time of his slaughter and resurrection. So it happens that in many songs on this record pagan and Christian elements are inextricably tangled…it’s necessary to recall that behind most of these calendar customs and the songs attached to them lies nothing more mysterious, nothing less realistic, than the yearly round of work carried out in the fields…For it’s due to their relation with economic life, not to any mystical connection, that the song-customs have persisted right up to our own time.
That’s the sort of Xmas songs I can get behind.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and, if you wish to listen to this Frost and Fire, let’s take a listen together. Otherwise, let’s meet back here Tuesday for a more metal take.
- Songlink: The Watersons – Frost and Fire (A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs)
- Discogs: The Watersons – Frost and Fire (A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs)
[1]To be clear, Die Hard is most definitely an Xmas movie. I will not be taking any questions at this time.
[2]The liner notes are reproduced in full here.
[3]Note the cover of the US pressing that I’ve included here doesn’t include the subtitle found on the original UK cover, but this one is so much cooler looking (and, I believe, is the version SpaceAce owned).#1001OtherAlbums #1960s #BritishFolk #ChristmasMusic #folk #folkMusic #holidayMusic #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #SpaceAceSunday #TheWatersons
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SpaceAce Sunday | The Watersons – The Watersons (1966, UK)
The next album our dearly missed friend submitted to the project is number 1050 on The List.
I forgot to explain in our last SpaceAce Sunday that that album marked the first of the last group of SpaceAce’s contributions. From there until we reach the end of our SpaceAce Sundays (with the exception of next week), you may notice that each album was released in 1966. This isn’t an odd coincidence. When I had finished indexing the entirety of The List, I discovered something odd: of the roughly 1035 albums we had gathered up to that point, none of them had been released in 1966, the only entry for that year being a compilation that included some singles released in ’66. Granted, there was also no albums for 1962 (again, just a compilation with some ’62 singles) and then one or none for any year earlier than 1955, but the bare spot for 1966 seemed to really stand out to me, given the number of albums we had in the few years before and after.
And so, me being me, I tooted “was no one pressing records in 1966?”…and some lovely Mastodonians promptly provided evidence that, in fact, ALL of the records were pressed in 1966, lol, and we ended up adding 16 albums from that year to The List. SpaceAce is responsible for most of those, as he took a look at his gigantic vinyl collection on Discogs, sorted by year, and made a list of 10 albums from 1966 that were worthy of The List.
And so, here we are. If The Watersons sounds familiar in this context, it’s because we’ve already had a SpaceAce Sunday looking at this family, in particular the duo of siblings Lal and Mike. As mentioned in that previous spotlight, The Watersons consisted of Lal (or Elaine, as billed on the cover of this album) and Mike, their other sibling Norma, and cousin John Harrison. The album here is their second. Next weekend we’ll be taking a look at their previous album from 1965, the first album in fact that SpaceAce had contributed to The List – it’s a holiday-ish affair, so we had saved it for the holiday season. That said, for me at least, the a cappella tunes on this album already remind me of Christmas carols, so guess I’m getting an early start.
Happy listening, all. And thank you, J.
- Songlink: The Watersons – Early Days
- Note: I can’t find a streaming link to just the 1966 album, but it is included in its entirety (and with tracks in the same order) in this 1994 compilation (tracks 7 to 17) that also features the same cover photo.
- This Die or DIY blog post has a download link (.rar format), if you’re into that sort of thing.
- Discogs: The Watersons – The Watersons
#1001OtherAlbums #1960s #BritishFolk #folkMusic #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #SpaceAceSunday #TheWatersons
- Songlink: The Watersons – Early Days
-
SpaceAce Sunday | The Watersons – The Watersons (1966, UK)
The next album our dearly missed friend submitted to the project is number 1050 on The List.
I forgot to explain in our last SpaceAce Sunday that that album marked the first of the last group of SpaceAce’s contributions. From there until we reach the end of our SpaceAce Sundays (with the exception of next week), you may notice that each album was released in 1966. This isn’t an odd coincidence. When I had finished indexing the entirety of The List, I discovered something odd: of the roughly 1035 albums we had gathered up to that point, none of them had been released in 1966, the only entry for that year being a compilation that included some singles released in ’66. Granted, there was also no albums for 1962 (again, just a compilation with some ’62 singles) and then one or none for any year earlier than 1955, but the bare spot for 1966 seemed to really stand out to me, given the number of albums we had in the few years before and after.
And so, me being me, I tooted “was no one pressing records in 1966?”…and some lovely Mastodonians promptly provided evidence that, in fact, ALL of the records were pressed in 1966, lol, and we ended up adding 16 albums from that year to The List. SpaceAce is responsible for most of those, as he took a look at his gigantic vinyl collection on Discogs, sorted by year, and made a list of 10 albums from 1966 that were worthy of The List.
And so, here we are. If The Watersons sounds familiar in this context, it’s because we’ve already had a SpaceAce Sunday looking at this family, in particular the duo of siblings Lal and Mike. As mentioned in that previous spotlight, The Watersons consisted of Lal (or Elaine, as billed on the cover of this album) and Mike, their other sibling Norma, and cousin John Harrison. The album here is their second. Next weekend we’ll be taking a look at their previous album from 1965, the first album in fact that SpaceAce had contributed to The List – it’s a holiday-ish affair, so we had saved it for the holiday season. That said, for me at least, the a cappella tunes on this album already remind me of Christmas carols, so guess I’m getting an early start.
Happy listening, all. And thank you, J.
- Songlink: The Watersons – Early Days
- Note: I can’t find a streaming link to just the 1966 album, but it is included in its entirety (and with tracks in the same order) in this 1994 compilation (tracks 7 to 17) that also features the same cover photo.
- This Die or DIY blog post has a download link (.rar format), if you’re into that sort of thing.
- Discogs: The Watersons – The Watersons
#1001OtherAlbums #1960s #BritishFolk #folkMusic #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #SpaceAceSunday #TheWatersons
- Songlink: The Watersons – Early Days
-
SpaceAce Sunday | The Watersons – The Watersons (1966, UK)
The next album our dearly missed friend submitted to the project is number 1050 on The List.
I forgot to explain in our last SpaceAce Sunday that that album marked the first of the last group of SpaceAce’s contributions. From there until we reach the end of our SpaceAce Sundays (with the exception of next week), you may notice that each album was released in 1966. This isn’t an odd coincidence. When I had finished indexing the entirety of The List, I discovered something odd: of the roughly 1035 albums we had gathered up to that point, none of them had been released in 1966, the only entry for that year being a compilation that included some singles released in ’66. Granted, there was also no albums for 1962 (again, just a compilation with some ’62 singles) and then one or none for any year earlier than 1955, but the bare spot for 1966 seemed to really stand out to me, given the number of albums we had in the few years before and after.
And so, me being me, I tooted “was no one pressing records in 1966?”…and some lovely Mastodonians promptly provided evidence that, in fact, ALL of the records were pressed in 1966, lol, and we ended up adding 16 albums from that year to The List. SpaceAce is responsible for most of those, as he took a look at his gigantic vinyl collection on Discogs, sorted by year, and made a list of 10 albums from 1966 that were worthy of The List.
And so, here we are. If The Watersons sounds familiar in this context, it’s because we’ve already had a SpaceAce Sunday looking at this family, in particular the duo of siblings Lal and Mike. As mentioned in that previous spotlight, The Watersons consisted of Lal (or Elaine, as billed on the cover of this album) and Mike, their other sibling Norma, and cousin John Harrison. The album here is their second. Next weekend we’ll be taking a look at their previous album from 1965, the first album in fact that SpaceAce had contributed to The List – it’s a holiday-ish affair, so we had saved it for the holiday season. That said, for me at least, the a cappella tunes on this album already remind me of Christmas carols, so guess I’m getting an early start.
Happy listening, all. And thank you, J.
- Songlink: The Watersons – Early Days
- Note: I can’t find a streaming link to just the 1966 album, but it is included in its entirety (and with tracks in the same order) in this 1994 compilation (tracks 7 to 17) that also features the same cover photo.
- This Die or DIY blog post has a download link (.rar format), if you’re into that sort of thing.
- Discogs: The Watersons – The Watersons
#1001OtherAlbums #1960s #BritishFolk #folkMusic #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #SpaceAceSunday #TheWatersons
- Songlink: The Watersons – Early Days
-
SpaceAce Sunday | The Watersons – The Watersons (1966, UK)
The next album our dearly missed friend submitted to the project is number 1050 on The List.
I forgot to explain in our last SpaceAce Sunday that that album marked the first of the last group of SpaceAce’s contributions. From there until we reach the end of our SpaceAce Sundays (with the exception of next week), you may notice that each album was released in 1966. This isn’t an odd coincidence. When I had finished indexing the entirety of The List, I discovered something odd: of the roughly 1035 albums we had gathered up to that point, none of them had been released in 1966, the only entry for that year being a compilation that included some singles released in ’66. Granted, there was also no albums for 1962 (again, just a compilation with some ’62 singles) and then one or none for any year earlier than 1955, but the bare spot for 1966 seemed to really stand out to me, given the number of albums we had in the few years before and after.
And so, me being me, I tooted “was no one pressing records in 1966?”…and some lovely Mastodonians promptly provided evidence that, in fact, ALL of the records were pressed in 1966, lol, and we ended up adding 16 albums from that year to The List. SpaceAce is responsible for most of those, as he took a look at his gigantic vinyl collection on Discogs, sorted by year, and made a list of 10 albums from 1966 that were worthy of The List.
And so, here we are. If The Watersons sounds familiar in this context, it’s because we’ve already had a SpaceAce Sunday looking at this family, in particular the duo of siblings Lal and Mike. As mentioned in that previous spotlight, The Watersons consisted of Lal (or Elaine, as billed on the cover of this album) and Mike, their other sibling Norma, and cousin John Harrison. The album here is their second. Next weekend we’ll be taking a look at their previous album from 1965, the first album in fact that SpaceAce had contributed to The List – it’s a holiday-ish affair, so we had saved it for the holiday season. That said, for me at least, the a cappella tunes on this album already remind me of Christmas carols, so guess I’m getting an early start.
Happy listening, all. And thank you, J.
- Songlink: The Watersons – Early Days
- Note: I can’t find a streaming link to just the 1966 album, but it is included in its entirety (and with tracks in the same order) in this 1994 compilation (tracks 7 to 17) that also features the same cover photo.
- This Die or DIY blog post has a download link (.rar format), if you’re into that sort of thing.
- Discogs: The Watersons – The Watersons
#1001OtherAlbums #1960s #BritishFolk #folkMusic #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #SpaceAceSunday #TheWatersons
- Songlink: The Watersons – Early Days
-
SpaceAce Sunday | The Watersons – The Watersons (1966, UK)
The next album our dearly missed friend submitted to the project is number 1050 on The List.
I forgot to explain in our last SpaceAce Sunday that that album marked the first of the last group of SpaceAce’s contributions. From there until we reach the end of our SpaceAce Sundays (with the exception of next week), you may notice that each album was released in 1966. This isn’t an odd coincidence. When I had finished indexing the entirety of The List, I discovered something odd: of the roughly 1035 albums we had gathered up to that point, none of them had been released in 1966, the only entry for that year being a compilation that included some singles released in ’66. Granted, there was also no albums for 1962 (again, just a compilation with some ’62 singles) and then one or none for any year earlier than 1955, but the bare spot for 1966 seemed to really stand out to me, given the number of albums we had in the few years before and after.
And so, me being me, I tooted “was no one pressing records in 1966?”…and some lovely Mastodonians promptly provided evidence that, in fact, ALL of the records were pressed in 1966, lol, and we ended up adding 16 albums from that year to The List. SpaceAce is responsible for most of those, as he took a look at his gigantic vinyl collection on Discogs, sorted by year, and made a list of 10 albums from 1966 that were worthy of The List.
And so, here we are. If The Watersons sounds familiar in this context, it’s because we’ve already had a SpaceAce Sunday looking at this family, in particular the duo of siblings Lal and Mike. As mentioned in that previous spotlight, The Watersons consisted of Lal (or Elaine, as billed on the cover of this album) and Mike, their other sibling Norma, and cousin John Harrison. The album here is their second. Next weekend we’ll be taking a look at their previous album from 1965, the first album in fact that SpaceAce had contributed to The List – it’s a holiday-ish affair, so we had saved it for the holiday season. That said, for me at least, the a cappella tunes on this album already remind me of Christmas carols, so guess I’m getting an early start.
Happy listening, all. And thank you, J.
- Songlink: The Watersons – Early Days
- Note: I can’t find a streaming link to just the 1966 album, but it is included in its entirety (and with tracks in the same order) in this 1994 compilation (tracks 7 to 17) that also features the same cover photo.
- This Die or DIY blog post has a download link (.rar format), if you’re into that sort of thing.
- Discogs: The Watersons – The Watersons
#1001OtherAlbums #1960s #BritishFolk #folkMusic #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #SpaceAceSunday #TheWatersons
- Songlink: The Watersons – Early Days
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Ever thought British folk needed more autotuning and fuzz? Check this out!
https://stickinthewheel.bandcamp.com/album/a-thousand-pokes
#StickInTheWheel #BritishFolk #RadicalFolk #folktronica #experimental
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Ever thought British folk needed more autotuning and fuzz? Check this out!
https://stickinthewheel.bandcamp.com/album/a-thousand-pokes
#StickInTheWheel #BritishFolk #RadicalFolk #folktronica #experimental
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Ever thought British folk needed more autotuning and fuzz? Check this out!
https://stickinthewheel.bandcamp.com/album/a-thousand-pokes
#StickInTheWheel #BritishFolk #RadicalFolk #folktronica #experimental
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Ever thought British folk needed more autotuning and fuzz? Check this out!
https://stickinthewheel.bandcamp.com/album/a-thousand-pokes
#StickInTheWheel #BritishFolk #RadicalFolk #folktronica #experimental
-
Ever thought British folk needed more autotuning and fuzz? Check this out!
https://stickinthewheel.bandcamp.com/album/a-thousand-pokes
#StickInTheWheel #BritishFolk #RadicalFolk #folktronica #experimental
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The next album SpaceAce submitted to this project is the fourth studio album from Pentangle, number 486 in The List.
I would’ve liked to know what SpaceAce’s thoughts on this one were. To me, from a single listen, the music itself doesn’t stand out from the previous British folk/folk rock albums that he submitted to The List – it features traditional folk songs, Jacqui McShee’s beautiful vocals sound rather familiar, etc. What I would like to know is whether the fact that the final track (“Jack Orion”) takes up the entire second side of the album was thought to be strange or controversial at the time. According to Wikipedia, Cruel Sister was a commercial disaster. Was it because of “Jack Orion” in particular? Was there a backlash for straying into the prog lane, akin to Dylan going electric? Did they play the entire 18 minutes and 36 seconds of “Jack Orion” in live performances? At any rate, it couldn’t have hurt the band too much in the end, as they continued to put out albums (including a number of reissues/remasters of Cruel Sister) and still exist today.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and take a listen together.
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/09/22/spaceace-sunday-pentangle-cruel-sister-1970-uk/
#1001OtherAlbums #1970s #BritishFolk #folkRock #Pentangle #SpaceAceSunday
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The next album SpaceAce submitted to this project is the fourth studio album from Pentangle, number 486 in The List.
I would’ve liked to know what SpaceAce’s thoughts on this one were. To me, from a single listen, the music itself doesn’t stand out from the previous British folk/folk rock albums that he submitted to The List – it features traditional folk songs, Jacqui McShee’s beautiful vocals sound rather familiar, etc. What I would like to know is whether the fact that the final track (“Jack Orion”) takes up the entire second side of the album was thought to be strange or controversial at the time. According to Wikipedia, Cruel Sister was a commercial disaster. Was it because of “Jack Orion” in particular? Was there a backlash for straying into the prog lane, akin to Dylan going electric? Did they play the entire 18 minutes and 36 seconds of “Jack Orion” in live performances? At any rate, it couldn’t have hurt the band too much in the end, as they continued to put out albums (including a number of reissues/remasters of Cruel Sister) and still exist today.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and take a listen together.
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/09/22/spaceace-sunday-pentangle-cruel-sister-1970-uk/
#1001OtherAlbums #1970s #BritishFolk #folkRock #Pentangle #SpaceAceSunday
-
The next album SpaceAce submitted to this project is the fourth studio album from Pentangle, number 486 in The List.
I would’ve liked to know what SpaceAce’s thoughts on this one were. To me, from a single listen, the music itself doesn’t stand out from the previous British folk/folk rock albums that he submitted to The List – it features traditional folk songs, Jacqui McShee’s beautiful vocals sound rather familiar, etc. What I would like to know is whether the fact that the final track (“Jack Orion”) takes up the entire second side of the album was thought to be strange or controversial at the time. According to Wikipedia, Cruel Sister was a commercial disaster. Was it because of “Jack Orion” in particular? Was there a backlash for straying into the prog lane, akin to Dylan going electric? Did they play the entire 18 minutes and 36 seconds of “Jack Orion” in live performances? At any rate, it couldn’t have hurt the band too much in the end, as they continued to put out albums (including a number of reissues/remasters of Cruel Sister) and still exist today.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and take a listen together.
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/09/22/spaceace-sunday-pentangle-cruel-sister-1970-uk/
#1001OtherAlbums #1970s #BritishFolk #folkRock #Pentangle #SpaceAceSunday
-
The next album SpaceAce submitted to this project is the fourth studio album from Pentangle, number 486 in The List.
I would’ve liked to know what SpaceAce’s thoughts on this one were. To me, from a single listen, the music itself doesn’t stand out from the previous British folk/folk rock albums that he submitted to The List – it features traditional folk songs, Jacqui McShee’s beautiful vocals sound rather familiar, etc. What I would like to know is whether the fact that the final track (“Jack Orion”) takes up the entire second side of the album was thought to be strange or controversial at the time. According to Wikipedia, Cruel Sister was a commercial disaster. Was it because of “Jack Orion” in particular? Was there a backlash for straying into the prog lane, akin to Dylan going electric? Did they play the entire 18 minutes and 36 seconds of “Jack Orion” in live performances? At any rate, it couldn’t have hurt the band too much in the end, as they continued to put out albums (including a number of reissues/remasters of Cruel Sister) and still exist today.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and take a listen together.
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/09/22/spaceace-sunday-pentangle-cruel-sister-1970-uk/
#1001OtherAlbums #1970s #BritishFolk #folkRock #Pentangle #SpaceAceSunday
-
The next album SpaceAce submitted to this project is the fourth studio album from Pentangle, number 486 in The List.
I would’ve liked to know what SpaceAce’s thoughts on this one were. To me, from a single listen, the music itself doesn’t stand out from the previous British folk/folk rock albums that he submitted to The List – it features traditional folk songs, Jacqui McShee’s beautiful vocals sound rather familiar, etc. What I would like to know is whether the fact that the final track (“Jack Orion”) takes up the entire second side of the album was thought to be strange or controversial at the time. According to Wikipedia, Cruel Sister was a commercial disaster. Was it because of “Jack Orion” in particular? Was there a backlash for straying into the prog lane, akin to Dylan going electric? Did they play the entire 18 minutes and 36 seconds of “Jack Orion” in live performances? At any rate, it couldn’t have hurt the band too much in the end, as they continued to put out albums (including a number of reissues/remasters of Cruel Sister) and still exist today.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and take a listen together.
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/09/22/spaceace-sunday-pentangle-cruel-sister-1970-uk/
#1001OtherAlbums #1970s #BritishFolk #folkRock #Pentangle #SpaceAceSunday
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The next album SpaceAce submitted to this project is the fourth studio album from Fairport Convention, number 485 in The List.
This is the only album of the 25 SpaceAce submitted that is also on the “official” list. Like many other contributors to The List, SpaceAce was quite careful to submit only albums that are “other” (i.e., that had been missed by the official list), so I’m going to take the inclusion of this one as an emphatic “you got to listen to this…or else, HA HA”.
This is the last Fairport album to feature the spectacular Sandy Denny on vocals. Denny had joined the band the previous year, and together they put out three releases. Denny is credited with nudging Fairport away from being a “British Jefferson Airplane” (i.e., worshipping at the altar of American music) towards being a full-on British folk rock band. Denny quit the band soon after Liege & Lief was released, and formed Fotheringay, whose only release we’ll eventually meet in another spotlight (not submitted by SpaceAce, but I imagine only because it had already been added to The List before he joined the project). As mentioned in our previous 6 Degrees of Separation series, we’ll also hear from Denny again when we get to Led Zeppelin IV. In the meantime, thanks to SpaceAce, we’ll lay our Denny foundation with this lovely album.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and take a listen together.
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/09/15/spaceace-sunday-fairport-convention-liege-lief-1969-uk/
#1001OtherAlbums #1960s #BritishFolk #FairportConvention #folkRock #SandyDenny #SpaceAceSunday
-
The next album SpaceAce submitted to this project is the fourth studio album from Fairport Convention, number 485 in The List.
This is the only album of the 25 SpaceAce submitted that is also on the “official” list. Like many other contributors to The List, SpaceAce was quite careful to submit only albums that are “other” (i.e., that had been missed by the official list), so I’m going to take the inclusion of this one as an emphatic “you got to listen to this…or else, HA HA”.
This is the last Fairport album to feature the spectacular Sandy Denny on vocals. Denny had joined the band the previous year, and together they put out three releases. Denny is credited with nudging Fairport away from being a “British Jefferson Airplane” (i.e., worshipping at the altar of American music) towards being a full-on British folk rock band. Denny quit the band soon after Liege & Lief was released, and formed Fotheringay, whose only release we’ll eventually meet in another spotlight (not submitted by SpaceAce, but I imagine only because it had already been added to The List before he joined the project). As mentioned in our previous 6 Degrees of Separation series, we’ll also hear from Denny again when we get to Led Zeppelin IV. In the meantime, thanks to SpaceAce, we’ll lay our Denny foundation with this lovely album.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and take a listen together.
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/09/15/spaceace-sunday-fairport-convention-liege-lief-1969-uk/
#1001OtherAlbums #1960s #BritishFolk #FairportConvention #folkRock #SandyDenny #SpaceAceSunday
-
The next album SpaceAce submitted to this project is the fourth studio album from Fairport Convention, number 485 in The List.
This is the only album of the 25 SpaceAce submitted that is also on the “official” list. Like many other contributors to The List, SpaceAce was quite careful to submit only albums were “other” (i.e., that had been missed by the official list), so I’m going to take the inclusion of this one as an emphatic “you got to listen to this…or else, HA HA”.
This is the last Fairport album to feature the spectacular Sandy Denny on vocals. Denny had joined the band the previous year, and together they put out three releases. Denny is credited with nudging Fairport away from being a “British Jefferson Airplane” (i.e., worshipping at the altar of American music) towards being a full-on British folk rock band. Denny quit the band soon after Liege & Lief was released, and formed Fotheringay, whose only release we’ll eventually meet in another spotlight (not submitted by SpaceAce, but I imagine only because it had already been added to The List before he joined the project). As mentioned in our previous 6 Degrees of Separation series, we’ll also hear from Denny again when we get to Led Zeppelin IV. In the meantime, thanks to SpaceAce, we’ll lay our Denny foundation with this lovely album.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and take a listen together.
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/09/15/spaceace-sunday-fairport-convention-liege-lief-1969-uk/
#1001OtherAlbums #1960s #BritishFolk #FairportConvention #folkRock #SandyDenny #SpaceAceSunday
-
The next album SpaceAce submitted to this project is the fourth studio album from Fairport Convention, number 485 in The List.
This is the only album of the 25 SpaceAce submitted that is also on the “official” list. Like many other contributors to The List, SpaceAce was quite careful to submit only albums that are “other” (i.e., that had been missed by the official list), so I’m going to take the inclusion of this one as an emphatic “you got to listen to this…or else, HA HA”.
This is the last Fairport album to feature the spectacular Sandy Denny on vocals. Denny had joined the band the previous year, and together they put out three releases. Denny is credited with nudging Fairport away from being a “British Jefferson Airplane” (i.e., worshipping at the altar of American music) towards being a full-on British folk rock band. Denny quit the band soon after Liege & Lief was released, and formed Fotheringay, whose only release we’ll eventually meet in another spotlight (not submitted by SpaceAce, but I imagine only because it had already been added to The List before he joined the project). As mentioned in our previous 6 Degrees of Separation series, we’ll also hear from Denny again when we get to Led Zeppelin IV. In the meantime, thanks to SpaceAce, we’ll lay our Denny foundation with this lovely album.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and take a listen together.
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/09/15/spaceace-sunday-fairport-convention-liege-lief-1969-uk/
#1001OtherAlbums #1960s #BritishFolk #FairportConvention #folkRock #SandyDenny #SpaceAceSunday
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The next album SpaceAce submitted to this project is the debut album from Anne Briggs, number 483 in The List.
As with the other folk albums we’ve listened to so far for SpaceAce Sunday, this is another artist who was apparently very influential in the British folk revival of the 60s. If you (like me) don’t know anything about Briggs, I’d recommend checking out her Wikipedia page – she sounds like an interesting person, and there’s a ton of musical connections to explore. One thing that jumped out at me was that she plays bouzouki, and played it while touring in the late 60s with an Irish band, Sweeney’s Men (it can also be heard on the second last track – and my favorite – of this self-titled album). The Wikipedia notes that the instrument was rare in Ireland (and Britain) at the time; I can’t help but wonder if Briggs’/Sweeney’s Men’s bouzouki playing laid any sort of foundation for the Irish folk community’s later acceptance of bouzouki player Mohammad Syfkhan, who we met in a previous spotlight. My mind wanders…
This album was just re-released this April as a deluxe edition for Record Store Day with an additional 7″ that has four extra songs. I would think SpaceAce likely grabbed a copy of it – if my memory serves, he posted at least a few times about Anne Briggs records.
In memory of our dearly missed friend, let’s raise a glass and take a listen together.
- Youtube: Anne Briggs – Anne Briggs
- Songlink: Anne Briggs – Anne Briggs (deluxe edition)
- Discogs: Anne Briggs – Anne Briggs
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/08/25/spaceace-sunday-anne-briggs-anne-briggs-1971-uk/
#1001OtherAlbums #1970s #AnneBriggs #bouzouki #BritishFolk #folk #folkMusic #SpaceAceSunday
