Steeleye Span
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Steeleye Span formed in 1969 from members of Fairport Convention and out of the ashes of Sweeney’s Men creating a distinctive fusion of both British folk with electric rock music. The resulting first version of the band was formed by ex-Fairport bassist Ashley Hutchings and built around two pairs of vocalists, one English, one Irish, Tim Hart & Maddy Prior and Gay & Terry Woods. Rhythm was to be supplied largely by Hutchings’ bass, and without drums.
Tensions between the band grew during the production in 1970 of their first album, Hark! The Village Wait to the point where they never again worked together after its completion, but the music itself shows no signs of these difficulties. While having a rock sensibility there is a greater sense of the authentic folk tradition than even in the best of Fairport, and a particular beauty arising from the two pairs of voices. The Woods being replaced by admired folk stalwart Martin Carthy, with violinist Peter Knight to widen the musical textures, the group late in 1970 recorded their most admired record Please to see the King. Ten Man Mop followed in 1971, more accomplished but generally felt to be less exciting. The expensive gatefold sleeve swallowed the band’s royalties, and was referred to as a tombstone, since Hutchings and Carthy then left, to pursue Hutchings’ new vision of a specifically English strand of folk rock with The Albion Band, and Steeleye Mk 2 folded.
Tensions between the band grew during the production in 1970 of their first album, Hark! The Village Wait to the point where they never again worked together after its completion, but the music itself shows no signs of these difficulties. While having a rock sensibility there is a greater sense of the authentic folk tradition than even in the best of Fairport, and a particular beauty arising from the two pairs of voices. The Woods being replaced by admired folk stalwart Martin Carthy, with violinist Peter Knight to widen the musical textures, the group late in 1970 recorded their most admired record Please to see the King. Ten Man Mop followed in 1971, more accomplished but generally felt to be less exciting. The expensive gatefold sleeve swallowed the band’s royalties, and was referred to as a tombstone, since Hutchings and Carthy then left, to pursue Hutchings’ new vision of a specifically English strand of folk rock with The Albion Band, and Steeleye Mk 2 folded.
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Top Albums
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Spanning the Years
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The Lark In Morning - The Early Years
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Steeleye Span - The Very Best Of
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Below The Salt
Steeleye Span Buy- Download Album
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Shoutbox
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madboy wrote:
Gaudete is so beautiful
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ParkRecords wrote:
Lovers of Steeleye please take a moment to listen to Moonshee. http://www.facebook.com/MoonsheeBand
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Shrink125 wrote:
Too many favourite tracks to mention here. PM me if you want recommendations, depending on what style of their work you enjoy.
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MissPhantasma wrote:
So much love for Steeleye Span, they were sort of the soundtrack to my childhood :)
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la-brava wrote:
All Around My Hat
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Neil-B-Art wrote:
Grown up with Steeleye Span music, Now We Are Six and All Around My Hat are my fav albums of theirs :)
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edymaracas wrote:
amazing band!!
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psychelatte wrote:
Just got their entire discography. their most recent album cogs wheels & other lovers is very good indeed and lively. My other fave lps are Commoners Crown, Parcel of Rogues..u cannot resist the songs Alison Gross, Thomas The Rhymer, Little Sir Hugh, Cam Ye Old Frae Fance, Gaudete, All Around My Hat, Long Lankin, Black Jack Davey. Oh its sooo good This stuff!
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phase_inducer wrote:
Check out Malicorne, especially "Almanach". I like to say they were the french Steeleye Span. They had a darker feeling and more prog structures though.
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barchord wrote:
I've heard very few Celtic songs that I like anywhere near as much as Steeleye Span. I don' t know if it is because they are catchier or rock harder than other groups, or something else. Any recommendations for similar artists or songs that can match Steeleye?
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ificantdance wrote:
"Fighting For Strangers" gets pretty grim by the time it's through.
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barchord wrote:
"Sir James the Rose" and "Two Butchers" are about murder. "Allison Gross" is about a witch, although it's humorous. "Jack Hall" has gallows humor.
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tsintskaro wrote:
"Boys of Bedlam" and "Twa Corbies" are about as dark as it gets lyrics wise, and Steeleye Span add a lot of atmosphere too. "Sheep Crook and Black Dog" is good too.
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magicalsushi wrote:
So...my favourite tracks are dark ones such as Long Lankin, Little Sir Hugh and You Will Burn, or dark-sounding ones such as Cam Ye O'er Frae France, Gaudete or Lovely On The Water. Can anyone recommend more Span tracks similar to these?
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zrisezlle wrote:
I just listened to Below the Salt for the first time today. King Henry is brilliant!
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Penley7 wrote:
je l'aime
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Streetee wrote:
Parcel Of Rogues is my favourite.
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ultimate60s wrote:
http://www.folkagainstfascism.com/about.html At festivals, why not have a FAF-themed singaround? Nick Griffin challenged Billy Bragg on BBC News during the recent election to sing “a proper folk song, like the Blackleg Miner”, implying that only BNP propagandists know anything about folk music. We want to make The Blackleg Miner our festival anthem, so if you’re running a singaround or you’re just singing at one, why not sing it? And be sure to tell people why!
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tsintskaro wrote:
@KalteCurrywurst I like the first four albums Hark! The Village Wait, Please to See the King, Ten Man Mop or Below the Salt.
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falkmark wrote:
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.
Videos
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All Around My Hat - Steeleye…
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Alison Gross
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King Henry - Steeleye Span
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MY LOVE
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Recent Activity
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jarg165, spenman and longhorndeb1971 added Steeleye Span to their libraries. yesterday evening
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toreriku tagged Steeleye Span with ‘folk rock’. Thursday morning
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fr235 and vic119 added Steeleye Span to their libraries. Wednesday afternoon
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RPLastFM tagged Steeleye Span with radio paradise and radioparadise. Tuesday afternoon
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Johcormaha, Laura-Caetano, FarqyofFib and 7 other people added Steeleye Span to their libraries. Tuesday afternoon
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Titchyhill added Steeleye Span to the lineup of Steeleye Span at Olympiad. last week
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rbuchheimer added Steeleye Span to rbuchheimer’s library. last week
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wilte01 tagged Steeleye Span with ‘folk rock’. last month
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bhyron, Draltar, sparkydevries and 10 other people added Steeleye Span to their libraries. last month
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MeganKearin tagged Steeleye Span with ‘british’. last month
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