Fairport Convention

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A rare and special occasion. Fairport Convention with Dave Swarbrick on Sunday 7th March 1999 at The Anvil, Basingstoke. From left to right: Rick Sanders, Dave Swarbrick, Simon Nichol, Dave Pegg. Other members are off the picture.

This page contains a concise history from 1967 to 1990, and links.

Concise History 1967 to 1990

The group formed in 1967. Said to be an English parallel to Jefferson Airplane.

Members:

Judy Dyble (vocals), Ian Matthews (vocals), Ashley Hutchings (bass), Richard Thompson (guitar), Simon Nichol (guitar), Martin Lamble (drums).

Fairport Convention released 1968

Sandy Denny replaced Judy Dyble

What We Did on Our Holidays released 1969

This contains the perennial Fairport anthem Meet On The Ledge, which seems to have the status of an early hit single, though it never was a single as far as I know.

Ian Matthews left during recording of Unhalfbricking.

The group's van crashed on the motorway after returning from a gig in 1969. Martin Lamble and Richard Thompson's girl friend were killed. Band considered splitting. Decided on new direction based on English folk music.

Unhalfbricking released 1969

This included Dave Swarbrick as a guest musician on violin. The track Sailors Life appears, which is regarded by some as being the first ever Folk-Rock song. Also includes the Sandy Denny classic Who Knows Where the Time Goes which was one of her first compositions and recorded earlier in a less perfected slightly amorphous form with the Strawbs. Their only hit single Si Tu Dois Partir is present, which includes the sound of an accidentally breaking bottle which was being used as a percussion instrument. The story goes that they nearly stopped playing as the bottle fell to the floor and smashed, but the producer frantically waved them on to continue.

Dave Swarbrick and Dave Mattacks joined, the latter replacing Martin Lamble on drums.

Liege and Lief recorded.

Line up now: Sandy Denny, Simon Nichol, Ashley Hutchings, Dave Swarbrick, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, every one of whom has become a giant in English folk.

Sandy Denny and Ashley Hutchings left. Hutchings became an original member of Steeleye Span, and was replaced by Dave Pegg on bass.

Liege and Lief released 1970.

This was their best selling album and rightly so. It is consistently good with excellent songs and musicianship. Perhaps the best combination of Sandy Denny's singing and Dave Swarbrick's fiddling on any album. There are so many classic Fairport Convention tracks that they are worth listing:

Side 1. Come All Ye, Reynardine, Matty Groves, Farewell Farewell.

Side 2. The Deserter, Instrumental Medley including Lark in the Morning, Tam Lin, Crazy Man Michael.

After Sandy Denny's departure the band continued without a recognised vocalist.

Full House recorded. (Released 1970).

This was notable as the first without Sandy Denny, and the last with Richard Thompson. A harder rock style than usual. Some regard it as exceptionally good. It included the Fairport favourite Walk Awhile, the strange driving, persistent Sloth, and instrumental medley Dirty Linen.

Richard Thompson left.

Line-up now: Simon Nichol, Dave Swarbrick, Dave Pegg, Dave Mattacks.

An interesting moment in history because with hindsight we can now see that these can possibly be regarded as the "core members" in the band's history.

Angel Delight released 1971.

If you can sum up a whole album in a few words it would be that this one is lighthearted with an element of humour. You get the impression that they enjoyed themselves recording it. Even the instrumental medley is wacky. Swarbrick is the main vocalist at the expense doing little fiddle playing, and his singing is as close to pop style as it gets.

There's a mix of original compositions and traditional songs including a number of novelty tracks. The Bridge over the River Ash, an instrumental, incredibly seems to have the whole group apart from Dave Mattacks, playing violins or violas, and drummer Mattacks playing an electric Bass. The title track is one of at least three autobiographical songs that Fairport Convention have recorded over the years. "There's a hole in the wall where a lorry came in". Wizard of the Worldly Game is a good example of Swarbrick's singing and writing. It's an anthem style tree song which seems to have a hidden message. The Journeyman's Grace is the most typical of the Fairport Convention style with some great instrumental phrases. The Bonny Black Hare, a personal favourite of Dave Swarbrick's, has its debut on this album.

Babbacombe Lee released approx 1972.

History of Fairport Convention released 1972.

A compilation consisting of about 3 or 4 tracks from each of the previous 6 albums. The chosen tracks are good, with some of Fairport's classic tracks present, but in the case of the better albums such as Liege and Lief I would rather have the whole album than a small selection. On the other hand this might be better value than buying several of the lesser albums. There's a long total playing time on the CD. It was a double album on vinyl, and had an artistic "Family Tree" of the band on the cover, in the style of Pete Frame. The CD cover is different but the family tree is inside the insert.

Nichol and Mattacks left. Nichol was the last original member. Now only Dave Swarbrick and Dave Pegg remained.

"Fairport Convention went through numerous changes, at one time having five different line ups in one year."

They recruited Tony Farnell (drums) and Roger Hill (guitar), but they stayed only briefly. They probably didn't record on any released album.

They were replaced by ex-Fotheringay members Jerry Donahue (guitars), Trevor Lucas (vocals and guitar), and the return of Dave Mattacks.

Rosie recorded. (Released 1973).

Fairport Convention 9 released 1973.

"This album displayed a new-found instrumental virtuosity".

Live Convention released 1974

Sandy Denny re-joined in 1974. She was with them until 75. She may have performed on some tracks of Live Convention.

Line up now Sandy Denny, Dave Swarbrick, Dave Pegg, Jerry Donahue, Trevor Lucas and Dave Mattacks.

Sandy Denny, Lucas and Donahue were ex-Fotheringay, who had now disbanded.

Rising For The Moon recorded. (Released 1975).

There is no doubt that there is some excellent material on this album, some of it reminiscent of their earlier days There is a large Sandy Denny influence - she sings 7 of the 11 tracks. Other traccks are show-pieces from other members of the band. Notably there is no all-instrumental track, and all tracks are original compositions, many by Sandy Denny. The best song not composed by Sandy is White Dress written by Dave Swarbrick and Ralph McTell, and said to be written specially for Sandy. Night Time Girl is a rocky up-tempo song by Swarbrick/Pegg with some American Old-Time fiddling, unusual for Swarbrick. Two other tracks are in a modern American style better left to others, and are out of place.

Around this time Mattacks left again and was replaced by Bruce Rowland, both of whom participated in the recording of Rising for the Moon.

Sandy Denny left after Rising for the Moon was recorded. Lucas left. Donahue was away playing sessions in the USA.

The band split up temporarily in February 1976

Remaining members Swarbrick, Pegg, Rowland.

Re-formed with new members with the name Fairport. 1976

New members added Dan Ar Bras (gutar), Bob Brady (keyboard), Roger Burridge (violin).

The almost mythical Gottle O' Gear was released some time in 1976.

This is unlisted in some discographies because it was under the name Fairport, not Fairport Convention.

There were more personnel changes around this time and notably Simon Nicol returned.

Line up for the next 2 albums: Simon Nichol, Dave Swarbrick, Dave Pegg and Bruce Rowland.

Bonny Bunch of Roses released 1977

This has a very traditional style throughout, largely based on English male folk song, with the distinctive Fairport drum and bass style added. Five tracks are traditional compositions, and the other four are written respectively by Dave Pegg, Richard Thompson, Ralph McTell and Dave Swarbrick. Dave Swarbrick concentrates on singing, with little of his fiddle playing present. The album is professionally and carefully recorded, but lacks a certain magic and flair, much remedied by its successor. It comes to life in the last track Royal Seleccion which is an instrumental medley in which Swarbrick gets his fiddle out at last.

Tipplers' Tales released 1978.

This album contains lots of excellent virtuoso fiddle playing from Swarbrick. About half of the album * is so good as to make this the best album since Liege and Lief, (if not better), and unsurpassed since. However it was surprisingly unsuccessful, perhaps because it is far from being a collection of pop songs. The album includes Swarbrick's magnificent epic Jack O'Rion which changes between being gentle and quiet, to fast and powerful, and was ahead of its time, needing good sound equipment to be appreciated properly. The CD does it proper justice. "Spend your money brisk and pop your nose in a jug of this"!

* Best tracks: Ye Marriners All, Three Drunken Maidens, Jack O'Rion, Reynard the Fox, The Widow of Westmoorland.

Sandy Denny, no longer in the band, died in April 1978 due to injuries sustained in a fall down stairs in a friend's house.

The band split up in 1979. Again this was not to prove permanent.

Farewell Farewell was released in 1980, a compilation.

Cropredy festivals started 1980, initially as an annual reunion of a band which had split up for all other purposes. According to one account they did no recording or performing, apart from the annual Cropredy festival, until 1985.

In 1985, sadly, Dave Swarbrick left because he had to give up playing in loud amplified bands due to the threat to his hearing. He continued performing both solo, and with others. He was replaced by Rick Sanders.

Gladys Leap was released in 1985.

Live album In Real Time was recorded in 1987

This is a good exciting album and includes a dramatic re-working of Matty Groves. The very different violin style of Rick Sanders is evident.

Red and Gold was released in 1989.

Fairport Convention continue to tour and release albums. Their line-up continues to change frequently as it always did. Their live act is a mixture of old and new, with throughly professional production.

Simon Nichol, 1999.

Links:

Fairport Convention - the official web site.

Dave Swarbrick

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