Seminal British folk rock band Fairport Convention’s 50th anniversary will be celebrated on July 28 with two exciting releases via A&M/UMe – a lavish 7CD box set chronicling their extraordinary first decade entitled, Come All Ye – The First Ten Years, and a 180-gram vinyl reissue of their influential classic album, Liege & Lief.
Compiled by Andrew Batt, the curator behind the musical stage show, “The Lady – A Tribute To Sandy Denny,” which toured the UK in 2012, Come All Ye – The First Ten Years, celebrates Fairport Convention’s influential first decade as a band, beginning with their eponymous debut for Polydor in 1968, through all of their seminal albums for Island Records and finishing with tracks from their two albums for Vertigo, The Bonny Bunch of Roses and Tipplers Tales.
The extensive collection features 121 tracks, including more than 50 unreleased and hard to find tracks spanning the most momentous period of the band’s half-century history. In addition to key songs from all of their classic albums, the seven CDs are rife with single B-sides, demos, outtakes, BBC Radio Sessions, live recordings from many of their television appearances and their rare contribution to the BBC documentary, “The Man They Couldn’t Hang” (1971). The box is rounded out with two superb live albums, an unreleased concert recorded at London’s Fairfield Halls in 1973 and the band’s American debut at The Troubadour in Los Angeles in 1974. The set comes complete with liner notes by respected English writer, Patrick Humphries, author of many highly-regarded books including, “Nick Drake – The Biography” (Bloomsbury 1998), “Richard Thompson – The Biography” (Music Sales Ltd 1997) and “The Many Lives of Tom Waites” (Omnibus Press 1989).
Fairport Convention’s breakout record, Liege & Lief, is widely considered to be the definitive electric, British folk album and arguably the first ever. Remarkably, it was the third LP the band released in 1969, all produced by Joe Boyd. Six of the eight songs are radically modernized versions of traditional folk tunes. Recorded less than six months after the motorway crash which killed the group’s original drummer Martin Lamble, Liege & Lief was the only album recorded by the short-lived Fairport Convention line-up of Sandy Denny – Vocals, Richard Thompson – Guitar, Simon Nicol – Guitar, Ashley Hutchings – Bass, Dave Mattacks –Drums and Dave Swarbrick – Violin and Viola. By the time Liege & Lief was released in December 1969 both Denny and Hutchings had left the group. The album is celebrated for its outstanding musicianship, unique and inspiring arrangements and Denny’s peerless and revelatory singing. The impact and influence of Liege & Lief still resonates to this day.
ormed in London in 1967, Fairport Convention are the hardy perennials of the British Folk scene and are credited with inventing the genre known as folk rock. Over the years they have enjoyed a shifting line-up, which has helped to launch the successful solo careers of founder members Richard Thompson, Judy Dyble, Ashely Hutchings and Simon Nicol and subsequently the careers of Sandy Denny, Dave Swarbrick and Dave Pegg.
The group continues to perform and record, much to the delight of their devoted fans. Since 1979 the band has been hosting its very own yearly festival, Cropredy, held on the end of the village of Cropredy. Fairport’s Cropredy Convention 2017, taking place August 10-12, promises to be very special as it marks the band’s golden anniversary. As is traditional, Fairport Convention will play on Thursday with a short welcoming set by the band’s semi-acoustic lineup to open the festival and they will close out the sold-out festivities on Saturday with a marathon performance celebrating their 50 years. The much-anticipated set will feature all current members – consisting of founding member Simon Nicol (lead vocal, guitars), along with Dave Pegg (backing vocals, bass guitar), Ric Sanders (violin), Chris Leslie (lead vocal, fiddle, bouzouki, mandolin) and Gerry Conway (percussion and drums) – joined by most living former members and a variety of guests to commemorate half a century of musicmaking.
COME ALL YE – THE FIRST TEN YEARS
TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE
1: Time Will Show The Wiser (3:05) from Fairport Convention
2: Decameron (3:42) from Fairport Convention
3: Jack O’ Diamonds (3:30) from Fairport Convention
4: One Sure Thing (2:53) from Fairport Convention
5: I Don’t Know Where I Stand (3:38) from John Peel’s Top Gear programme 2/6/1968
6: You Never Wanted Me (3:15) from John Peel’s Top Gear programme 2/6/1968
7: Fotheringay (3:04) from What We Did On Our Holidays
8: I’ll Keep It With Mine (5:53) from What We Did On Our Holidays
9: Mr Lacey (Sandy on Vocals) (2:55) from the Sandy Denny box set
10: Eastern Rain (Sandy on Vocals) (3:48) – Previously Unreleased
11: Nottamun Town – A Capella version (1:48) – Previously Unreleased
12: Meet On The Ledge (2:50) from What We Did On Our Holidays
13: Throwaway Street Puzzle (3:27) – B Side on What We Did On Our Holidays remastered
14: Reno Nevada (2:23) from the David Symonds radio show 6/1/1969
15: Suzanne (5:25) from John Peel’s Top Gear programme 1/9/1968
16: A Sailors Wife (without Swarb) (11:23) from the Sandy Denny box set
17: Genesis Hall (3:35) from Unhalfbricking
18: Autopsy – Alt Take (4:33) – Previously Unreleased
19: Who Knows Where The Time Goes? – Alt Take (5:19) – Previously Unreleased
DISC TWO
1: Dear Landlord (4:08) from Unhalfbricking
2: Si Tu Doir Partir (2:25) from John Peel’s Top Gear programme 6/4/1969
3: Percy’s Song (5:28) from John Peel’s Top Gear programme 1/9/1968
4: Ballad of Easy Rider (4:54) – Guitar Vocal
5: The Deserter – Rehearsal version (4:40) – Previously Unreleased
6: Come All Ye – Alt Take (5:27) from the Sandy Denny box set
7: Reynardine (4:31) from Liege and Lief
8: Matty Groves – Alt Take (7:43) from the Sandy Denny box set
9: Farewell Farewell (2:38) from Liege and Lief
10: Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood – Take 1 edit (6:42) from Liege & Lief Deluxe Edition
11: Tam Lin (7:46) from John Peel’s Top Gear programme 27/9/1969
12: Sir Patrick Spens (3:44) from John Peel’s Top Gear programme 27/9/1969
13: The Lark In The Morning medley (4:12) from John Peel’s Top Gear 27/9/1969
14: Bonny Bunch Of Roses (10:48) – Full House Outtake
DISC THREE
1: Walk Awhile (3:51) – Live in Concert on Pop2 – 5/12/1970 – Previously Unreleased
2: Dirty Linen (3:55) – Live in Concert on Pop2 – 5/12/1970 – Previously Unreleased
3: Sloth (12:17) – Live in Concert on Pop2 – 5/12/1970 – Previously Unreleased
4: Journeyman’s Grace (4:47) – Live on Pop2 – 5/12/1970 – Previously Unreleased
5: Sir B.McKenzie (4:29) – Live in Concert on Pop2 – 5/12/1970 – Previously Unreleased
6: Flatback Caper – Live 1970 (5:57) – Previously Unreleased
7: Doctor of Physick – Live 1970 (3:52) – Previously Unreleased
8: Poor Will and The Jolly Hangman (5:34) from Guitar, Vocal
9: Bonnie Black Hare – Alt Take (3:04) – Previously Unreleased
10: Lord Marlborough (3:24) from Angel Delight
11: Banks of the Sweet Primroses (4:11) from Angel Delight
12: Breakfast In Mayfair (3:07) from Babbacombe Lee
13: Little Did I Think (1:52) from “The Man They Could Not Hang” – Previously Unreleased
14: John Lee (1:48) from “The Man They Could Not Hang” – Previously Unreleased
15: Cell Song (4:27) from “The Man They Could Not Hang” – Previously Unreleased
16: Time Is Near (2:49) from “The Man They Could Not Hang” – Previously Unreleased
17: Dream Song (4:14) from “The Man They Could Not Hang” – Previously Unreleased
18: Farewell To A Poor Man’s Son (5:16) from “The Man They Could Not Hang”
DISC FOUR
1: Sweet Little Rock ‘n’ Roller – Live at the LA Troubadour (3:55) from Guitar, Vocal
2: That’ll Be The Day (2:02) from The Bunch
3: Think It Over – Sandy Denny rehearsal version (2:31) – Previously Unreleased
4: Maverick Child (4:03) – Previously Unreleased
5: Sad Song aka As Long As It Is Mine (5:06) – Previously Unreleased
6: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John (3:05) – Previously Unreleased
7: Rattle Trap (2:05) – Previously Unreleased
8: Sheep In The Meadow (4:10) – Previously Unreleased
9: Rosie (3:34) – Previously Unreleased
10: Country Judy Jane (2:36) – Previously Unreleased
11: Me With You (3:23) – Previously Unreleased
12: My Girl (4:05) – Previously Unreleased
13: To Althea from Prison (2:25) – Previously Unreleased
14: Knights Of The Road (3:52) from Rosie
15: The Plainsman (3:19) from Rosie
16: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John from “The Old Grey Whistle Test” (3:44) – Previously Unreleased
17: Brilliancy medley from “The Old Grey Whistle Test” (3:55) – Previously Unreleased
18: Polly On The Shore (4:53) from Nine
19: Fiddlestix (The Devil In The Kitchen) without orchestra (2:49) – Previously Unreleased
20: Possibly Parsons Green (3:41) – OZ 7″ single mix – Previously Unreleased
21: Bring Em Down (5:55) from Nine
DISC FIVE
1: Sloth – Live in Sydney (11:31) from Live Convention
2: John The Gun (5:05) – John Peel session 6/8/1974
3: Down In The Flood (3:27) – John Peel session 6/8/1974
4: Rising For The Moon (4:18) – John Peel session 6/8/1974
5: After Halloween (2:54) Byfield Demo – Alt Take – Previously Unreleased
6: Restless (3:59) from Rising For The Moon
7: White Dress (3:24) Live on LWT from Rising for the Moon deluxe edition
8: Stranger To Himself (2:52) from Rising For The Moon
9: Dawn – Alt version (4:09) from the Sandy Denny box set
10: One More Chance – Alt Take (7:52) – Previously Unreleased
11: All Along The Watchtower – Live in Oslo in 1975 (4:22)
12: When First Into This Country (2:28) from Gottle O’ Geer
13: Sandy’s Song aka Take Away The Load (3:34) from Gottle O’ Geer
14: Royal Seleccion No 13 (4:24) from A World of Music: Anne Lorne Gillies 26/11/1976 – Previously Unreleased
15: Adieu Adieu (2:35) from A World of Music: Anne Lorne Gillies 26/11/1976 – Previously Unreleased
16: Reynard The Fox (2:59) from Tipplers Tales
17: Poor Ditching Boy (3:46) from In Concert – STV 1976 – Previously Unreleased
18: Flowers Of The Forest (3:50) from In Concert – STV 1976 – Previously Unreleased
DISC SIX – Live at Fairfield Hall 16/12/1973
1: Polly On The Shore (5:12) – Previously Unreleased
2: Furs and Feathers (5:11) – Previously Unreleased
3: Tokyo (3:09) – Previously Unreleased
4: Cell Song (5:05) – Previously Unreleased
5: The Claw (3:01) – Previously Unreleased
6: Far From Me (Old Broken Bottle ) (3:47) – Previously Unreleased
7: Brilliancy medley / Cherokee Shuffle (4:14) – Previously Unreleased
8: Days of 49 (6:20) – Previously Unreleased
9: Fiddlestix (The Devil In The Kitchen) (3:07) – Previously Unreleased
10: Dirty Linen (4:33) – Previously Unreleased
11: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John (6:34) – Previously Unreleased
12: Possibly Parsons Green (3:39) – Previously Unreleased
13: Sir B. McKenzie (6:21) – Previously Unreleased
14: Down In The Flood – Full version (3:45) – Previously Unreleased
15: Something You’ve Got- Full version (3:00) – Previously Unreleased
DISC SEVEN – Live at the LA Troubadour 1/2/1974
1: Down In The Flood (3:13)
2: The Ballad Of Ned Kelly (3:59)
3: Solo (5:34)
4: It’ll Take A Long Time (5:35)
5: She Moves Through The Fair (4:15)
6: The Hens March Through The Midden & The Four Poster Bed (3:17)
7: The Hexamshire Lass (2:44)
8: Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (4:33)
9: Six Days On The Road (3:44)
10: Like An Old Fashioned Waltz (4:20)
11: John The Gun (5:10)
12: Down Where The Drunkards Roll – Alt Take (4:30) – Previously Unreleased
13: Crazy Lady Blues (4:02)
14: Who Knows Where The Time Goes (6:54)
15: Matty Groves (7:05)
16: That’ll Be The Day (3:23)
