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, 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.

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Popular tags: folk, folk rock, british folk, celtic, british  See more

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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
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1		All Around My Hat			126
2		Gaudete			97
3		The Blacksmith			91
4		Cam Ye O'er Frae France			63
5		Alison Gross			39
6		Royal Forester			38
7		All Things Are Quite Silent			36
8		Lovely On The Water			32
9		Saucy Sailor			31
9		One Misty Moisty Morning			31
11		Lowlands Of Holland			30
11		When I Was On Horseback			30
13		My Johnny Was A Shoemaker			29
14		Hard Times of Old England			28
14		Black Jack Davy			28

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