Fairport Convention

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(1967 – 1979, 1985 – present)

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

    The debut album by the swedish psych folk band Valla is out now (www.recordheaven.net). Please visit www.myspace.com/vallamusik for more info and some music.

    last month

  • blebbio

    I'd say their work with Denny is better than without but I don't know how much she had to do with it. I think they simply had the best songwriting on those albums. She is a great singer but personally I don't think she made the band.

    last month

  • stupidstuff

    Deleted a shout that was needlessly harsh. The point is, both 'the band' and Denny benefited from their collaboration - both were better together than apart. FC released fine albums both pre and post Denny... arguably superior ones to What We Did On Our Holidays. Denny? I don't see the brilliance that's so often shouted about, other than for the times she happens to be performing with FC. I am basing this somewhat dour assessment solely on the albums Fotheringay and Sandy. If there are other albums significantly different from these two I'd like to hear of them.

    last month

  • RussellChap

    Without Sandy Denny's mellifluous melancholic vocals Fairport Convention would be merely good.

    March 2012

  • Benrachmian

    Thanks for discovering Nick Drake :)

    March 2012

  • alex1thomas

    "Fairport Convention is Sandy Denny." s/t and full house beg to differ...

    February 2012

  • Eriici

    Mr. Lacey is so great!

    January 2012

  • geordie777

    TAM LIN WOWWEEEE

    December 2011
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