Fairport Convention

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Fairport Convention is often credited with being the first English folk-rock band. Formed in 1967, Fairport rapidly developed from playing cover versions of American ‘west coast’ music to an individual style which melded rock music with traditional English tunes and songs.

Like their peers The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Jefferson Airplane they were blessed with several considerable individual talents and produced music that -at least initially- was eclectic, as well as exploratory. This side of the band may best be heard on Heyday, a collection of tracks broadcast by the BBC. The move to a more British form of folk rock came primarily as a result of the enthusiasm of bassist Ashley Hutchings and producer Joe Boyd. Original singer Judy Dyble was replaced on their second LP What We Did on Our Holidays by Sandy Denny, an experienced folk singer and excellent composer in her own right. Fiddle virtuoso Dave Swarbrick joined, initially as sessioneer, on their third, Unhalfbricking. That LP has arguably their first two bona fide masterpieces. One is their version of the Sandy Denny song,

Who Knows Where the Time Goes, popularized by Judy Collins, but characterised on their version by a perfect balance between Denny’s vocals and the exquisite support of the group as a whole, and lead guitarist Richard Thompson in particular. The other is

A Sailor’s Life, the first to demonstrate the potential power of folk rock, the song exploding in an improvised and sophisticated instrumental coda that reaches beyond the words through the impassioned interplay of the whole band, led by the virtuosity of Thompson and Swarbrick in particular.

Tagged as:

folk, folk rock, british folk, folk-rock, british
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bit188 wrote:
Sunday morning

beautiful. in the right mood, sandy denny can make me cry u__u

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tonethug wrote:
last month

danced and loved and cried to this brilliant band

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mrlovejustice wrote:
September 2009

English Folk Legends - and an inspiration - they keep on keeping on !

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_KevMusic_ wrote:
August 2009

One of the greatest bands this world has ever had the privilege to see.

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bramin22 wrote:
August 2009

The Fairport Convention shoutbox is now the coolest place on this site.

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Jinsie wrote:
August 2009

the debut album is often written off as their Jefferson Airplane impression but i've always loved it. It's fucking depressing, adolescent and raw. They were never this cool again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sEbhOOB3XM

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blackadder wrote:
July 2009

Fotheringay, what a great song!!

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Perthred wrote:
July 2009

always one of my all time favourites

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Brunanalyzed wrote:
June 2009

Great music!!

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kanetoad wrote:
June 2009

lovely music, lovely band, wonderful <3

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LongLiveTheD wrote:
June 2009

i would go to Glastonbury just to see 'em

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zz-eon wrote:
May 2009

<:))>><

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Judas_Iscariot wrote:
May 2009

Blissed out pseudo mediaeval hippie fairy tale bullshit is also known as folk in some quarters.

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amerks23 wrote:
April 2009

"Unhalfbricking" is the ultimate Fairport album of all time in my mind.

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absoluteradio wrote:
March 2009

Absolute Radio have tickets up for grabs to see Fairport Convention at the TCT Concerts: http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/music/events/tct_concert/comp.html

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Bodhidrop wrote:
March 2009

Such a great band. Unhalfbricking, ...Holidays etc etc Understated gems. Great players.

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fat_fleshy_fingers wrote:
February 2009

blissed out pesudo mediaeval hippie fairy tale bullshit i fucking love it

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TCTConcert wrote:
February 2009

Fairport Convention are supporting Teenage Cancer Trust's annual concert at Royal Albert Hall and will perform on Wednesday 25 March. A host of other acts are also confirmed to play from 24-29 March. Tickets are available from Friday 20 February - so give us a shout and let us know if you're coming!

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starkrimson wrote:
February 2009

lovely atmosphere at the Union Chapel a touch of festival august in freezing mid-february all nods, how-are-yous, mugs of tea and foot stamping cross between a gig and a ramblers' outing ..love it!

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Lucifer-Sam wrote:
February 2009

I love the first album but not so much the very folky stuff that followed

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