The History of Fairport Convention
Tom Brady
Rock & Roll", Jon Pareles and Patricia Romanowski, editors.
(c) 1983 by Rolling Stone Press, reproduced here without
permission. This is an excellent refernce for musical info up
to 1981. They may have an update out, but I haven't seen it.
(I don't necessarily agree with all of the subjective statements
made in this passage, by the way.)
-Tom
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Fairport Convention/Fairport, formed 1967, London
Original Members: Judy Dyble, piano, vocals; Richard Thompson
(born April 3, 1949, London), guitar, vocals; Simon Nicol (born in
London), guitar, banjo, dulcimer, bass, viola, vocals; Ashley "Tyger"
Hutchings, bass, vocals, guitars; Martin Lamble (born 1950, England,
died August, 1969, London), drums; Ian Matthews (born Ian
MacDonald, 1946, England), vocals, percussion, guitar.
Discography:
1968- Fairport Convention (Polydor)
(-Dyble, +Sandy Denny [born Jan. 6, 1947, London, died
April 21, 1978, London], guitar, vocals, keyboards)
1969- What We Did On Our Holiday (this and all recordings
following issued on Island)
(-Matthews, -Lamble, +Dave Swarbrick [born April 5,
1947, London], vocals, violin, mandolin)
Unhalfbricking
(+Dave Mattacks [born 1948, London], drums, vocals,
keyboards)
Liege and Lief
(-Denny, -Hutchings, +Dave Pegg [born Nov. 2, 1947,
England], guitar, viola, vocals)
1970 Full House
1971 Angel Delight
(-Thompson, -Nicol, +Roger Hill, guitar, mandolin)
Babbacombe Lee
(-Hill, -Mattacks, +Tom Farnell, drums; +David Rea,
guitar)
(-Farnell; -Rea; +Trevor Lucas [born Dec. 25, 1943,
Australia], guitar; +Jerry Donahue [born Sep. 24, 1946,
New York City], guitar, vocals; +Mattacks)
1972 The History of Fairport Convention
1973 Rosie
Nine (+Denny)
1974 Live Convention (A Moveable Feast)
(-Mattacks; +Paul Warren, drums; -Warren; +Bruce
Rowland [born in England], drums)
1975 Rising for the Moon
1976 (-Denny; -Lucas; -Donahue; -Mattacks)
1977 Live at the L.A. Troubadour
[Since this was printed: I'm not sure how many albums have come out
since this. I know of Red & Gold and the Five Seasons. Where does
House Full come in here? Is this the American version of Live
Convention?]
Fairport Convention seeded Britain's folk-rock movement, and
most British musicians who've tried to play Celtic folk material on
modern instruments have some connection with Fairport or its many
offshoots. The group's repertoire included traditional British songs
rearranged for electric instruments, songs by Bob Dylan and other
current songwriters, and originals by Richard Thompson and Ian
Matthews (both founders) and Sandy Denny. As the Bunch, Fairport
and friends also recorded and album of Fifties and Sixties rock
classics entitled "Rock On". The eclecticism inspired their imitators
and their descendents. The original Fairport Convention - at first
called the Ethnic Shuffle Orchestra - included folk-club veterans who
were also Byrds fans, and was named after Simon Nicol's house in
Muswell Hill, London. From the beginning, the lineupwas unstable.
Judy Dyble left in 1968 to form Trader Horne and later Penguin Dust;
her replacement, Sandy Denny, had sung with the Strawbs before their
first album. Matthews left after "What We Did..." (in the U.S. sold as
"Fairport Convention") [and since reissued as "What We Did..." by
Island - T.B.] to form the country-pop band Matthews Southern
Comfort ("Woodstock," 1971) and to record solo and with the
short-lived Plainsong. Lamble was killed in an equipment-van crash
right before "Unhalfbricking" was released. Fairport had its first
European hit with Unhalfbricking's "Si Tu Dois Partir," a French
translation of Dylan's "If You Gotta Go, Go Now." Denny, whose
song "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" was covered by Judy
Collins, left to form Fotheringay with husband Trevor Lucas and Jerry
Donahue; but in 1973, Denny, Lucas, and Donahue rejoined Fairport.
"A Moveable Feast" was a live set from Denny's second stint with the
band. By then, Thompson had started a solo career, and fiddler
Dave Swarbrick had joined Fairport. Swarbrick led the group in its
later years, and it toured internationally. By 1976, the band had
dropped "Convention" from its name; and by 1979, Fairport had given
up. Pegg joined Jethro Tull; Swarbrick recorded solo albums. Nicol
and Mattacks toured with Richard and Linda Thompson (who had
sung with the Bunch as Linda Peters) in 1982. Most of Fairport's
tangled career is documented on "Fairport Chronicles" (Island).
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Tom Brady ...lost in the wilds of Southwest Virginia...
Department of Chemical Engineering
Virginia Tech br...@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu
Blacksburg, VA tomb...@vtcc1.cc.vt.edu
Charles E Olson
>1975 Rising for the Moon
>1976 (-Denny; -Lucas; -Donahue; -Mattacks)
>1977 Live at the L.A. Troubadour
>[Since this was printed: I'm not sure how many albums have come out
>since this. I know of Red & Gold and the Five Seasons. Where does
>House Full come in here? Is this the American version of Live
>Convention?]
Yes it is, though there's a few different cuts. Anyone who doubts that Dave
Swarbrick is the best fiddler who ever lived need only listen to him blast
through "Mason's Apron" on this album. Let's see what I can reconstruct of
Fairport's recent history...
(+Nicol) [with Swarbrick, Pegg, Rowland]
1977 The Bonny Bunch Of Roses
1978 Tippler's Tales
1979? Gottle O'Geer
1979 Farewell, Farewell (live)
(-everybody; disbands but Pegg puts on annual reunion concert)
(+Nicol; +Pegg; +Mattacks; +Ric Sanders, violin)
1986 Gladys' Leap
(+Martin Allcock, everything)
1986 Expletive Delighted! (all-instrumental)
1987 In Real Time (live)
1989 Red & Gold
1990 The Five Seasons
--
-Chip Olson. | ol...@world.std.com | ceo@{gnu.ai,silver.lcs}.mit.edu
This article is a natural product. The slight variations in spelling and
grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to
be considered flaws or defects.
M. Jonas
> >1975 Rising for the Moon
> >1976 (-Denny; -Lucas; -Donahue; -Mattacks)
> >1977 Live at the L.A. Troubadour
> >[Since this was printed: I'm not sure how many albums have come out
> >since this. I know of Red & Gold and the Five Seasons. Where does
> >House Full come in here? Is this the American version of Live
> >Convention?]
> Yes it is, though there's a few different cuts. Anyone who doubts that Dave
No, it isn't. Live Convention (in US: A Movable Feast) was recorded 1974.
House Full is a re-release (with some alterations) of Live At The L.A.
Troubador and was recorded 1970. There are quite a few more mistakes in
the original posting, but I won't correct them all.
> Swarbrick is the best fiddler who ever lived need only listen to him blast
> through "Mason's Apron" on this album. Let's see what I can reconstruct of
> Fairport's recent history...
>
> (+Nicol) [with Swarbrick, Pegg, Rowland]
> 1977 The Bonny Bunch Of Roses
> 1978 Tippler's Tales
> 1979? Gottle O'Geer
Gottle O'Geer was 1976, before Bonny Bunch
> 1979 Farewell, Farewell (live)
> (-everybody; disbands but Pegg puts on annual reunion concert)
>
> (+Nicol; +Pegg; +Mattacks; +Ric Sanders, violin)
> 1986 Gladys' Leap
Gladys' Leap was 1985 and Sanders was only guesting, he joined together
with Allcock
> (+Martin Allcock, everything)
> 1986 Expletive Delighted! (all-instrumental)
> 1987 In Real Time (live)
> 1989 Red & Gold
> 1990 The Five Seasons
Martin
Charles E Olson
>In article <OLSON.93J...@world.std.com> ol...@world.std.com (Charles E Olson) writes:
>> >1977 Live at the L.A. Troubadour
>> >[Since this was printed: I'm not sure how many albums have come out
>> >since this. I know of Red & Gold and the Five Seasons. Where does
>> >House Full come in here? Is this the American version of Live
>> >Convention?]
>
>> Yes it is, though there's a few different cuts. Anyone who doubts that Dave
>
>No, it isn't. Live Convention (in US: A Movable Feast) was recorded 1974.
>House Full is a re-release (with some alterations) of Live At The L.A.
>Troubador and was recorded 1970. There are quite a few more mistakes in
>the original posting, but I won't correct them all.
DER!! Sorry, I misread the original post. Hey, it was late and I was tired.
>> 1978 Tippler's Tales
>> 1979? Gottle O'Geer
>
>Gottle O'Geer was 1976, before Bonny Bunch
Sorry, it's one of the only FC albums I don't have, so I couldn't look up
the date.
>> 1986 Gladys' Leap
>
>Gladys' Leap was 1985 and Sanders was only guesting, he joined together
>with Allcock
technicalities, technicalities... my CD says 1985, but I'll take your word
for it. What I get for doing most of this from memory.