Fairport Chronicles
Encyclopedia
Fairport Chronicles is a 1976 compilation album
of the British folk-rock band Fairport Convention
, including songs from 1968 to the departure of the last original member in 1972. The double album
is unique in that it was only released in the U.S.A., features original material and American covers over the traditional material usually associated with Fairport, and includes songs from side projects. All of the material was originally issued in the U.S.A. on A&M Records
, which explains the exclusion of songs taken from their first, pre-Sandy Denny
album, which was only later released in the United States.
and later covered by Eva Cassidy
), "Come All Ye" (co-written with bassist Ashley "Tyger" Hutchings), "Listen, Listen" (from Denny's album, Sandy), and "Fotheringay"; "Walk Awhile", "Now Be Thankful", and the anti-war statement "Sloth" by Richard Thompson and fiddle/mandolin player Dave Swarbrick; and the gentle instrumental, "End Of A Holiday", by perhaps the must unsung individual in the band, second guitarist Simon Nicol.
Although closely associated with the British folk movement, Fairport, from their formation in 1967, excelled at covering American folk and pop tunes, especially those of Bob Dylan
and Joni Mitchell
. Although no Mitchell songs made it onto this compilation, Bob Dylan is covered with "I'll Keep It With Mine", "Million Dollar Bash", and "Percy's Song". One of the album's highlights is Fotheringay's interpretation of Gordon Lightfoot
's "The Way I Feel" (Fotheringay was Denny's post-Fairport band). The other two covers - Dion DiMucci
's "My Girl The Month Of May" and Buddy Holly
's "Learning The Game" - are taken from the one-off album Rock On by an aggregation of Fairport members and friends collectively known as The Bunch.
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of the British folk-rock band Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
, including songs from 1968 to the departure of the last original member in 1972. The double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
is unique in that it was only released in the U.S.A., features original material and American covers over the traditional material usually associated with Fairport, and includes songs from side projects. All of the material was originally issued in the U.S.A. on A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, which explains the exclusion of songs taken from their first, pre-Sandy Denny
Sandy Denny
Sandy Denny , born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny, was an English singer and songwriter, perhaps best known as the lead singer for the folk rock band Fairport Convention...
album, which was only later released in the United States.
History
A mere two traditional songs are present: "Bridge Over The River Ash" from 1971's Angel Delight, and "Tam Lin" from 1969's seminal British folk-rock recording, Liege and Lief. Originals include Richard Thompson's "Tale In Hard Time", "Meet On The Ledge", "Genesis Hall", and "Farewell, Farewell" (all sung by the late Sandy Denny); Denny's "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" (a hit for Judy CollinsJudy Collins
Judith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
and later covered by Eva Cassidy
Eva Cassidy
Eva Marie Cassidy was an American vocalist known for her interpretations of jazz, blues, folk, gospel, country and pop classics. In 1992 she released her first album, The Other Side, a set of duets with go-go musician Chuck Brown, followed by a live solo album, Live at Blues Alley in 1996...
), "Come All Ye" (co-written with bassist Ashley "Tyger" Hutchings), "Listen, Listen" (from Denny's album, Sandy), and "Fotheringay"; "Walk Awhile", "Now Be Thankful", and the anti-war statement "Sloth" by Richard Thompson and fiddle/mandolin player Dave Swarbrick; and the gentle instrumental, "End Of A Holiday", by perhaps the must unsung individual in the band, second guitarist Simon Nicol.
Although closely associated with the British folk movement, Fairport, from their formation in 1967, excelled at covering American folk and pop tunes, especially those of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
. Although no Mitchell songs made it onto this compilation, Bob Dylan is covered with "I'll Keep It With Mine", "Million Dollar Bash", and "Percy's Song". One of the album's highlights is Fotheringay's interpretation of Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Meredith Lightfoot, Jr. is a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music, and has been credited for helping define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s...
's "The Way I Feel" (Fotheringay was Denny's post-Fairport band). The other two covers - Dion DiMucci
Dion DiMucci
Dion Francis DiMucci , better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop oldies music, rock and R&B styles....
's "My Girl The Month Of May" and Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
's "Learning The Game" - are taken from the one-off album Rock On by an aggregation of Fairport members and friends collectively known as The Bunch.
Side One
- "Tale In Hard Time" (Richard Thompson) 3:24
- "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" (Sandy Denny) 5:08
- "Walk Awhile" (Richard Thompson, Dave Swarbrick) 3:57
- "Come All Ye" (Sandy Denny, Ashley Hutchings) 4:55
- "Listen, Listen" (Sandy Denny) 3:56
Side Two
- "Bridge Over The River Ash" (trad. arr. Fairport Convention) 2:10
- "I'll Keep It With Mine" (Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
) 5:50 - "My Girl The Month Of May" (Dion DiMucciDion DiMucciDion Francis DiMucci , better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop oldies music, rock and R&B styles....
) 2:12 - "Million Dollar Bash" (Bob Dylan) 2:55
- "The Way I Feel" (Gordon LightfootGordon LightfootGordon Meredith Lightfoot, Jr. is a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music, and has been credited for helping define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s...
) 4:44 - "Learning The Game" (Buddy HollyBuddy HollyCharles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
) 2:05
Side Three
- "Meet On The Ledge" (Richard Thompson) 2:29
- "Percy's Song" (Bob Dylan) 7:52
- "Now Be Thankful" (Richard Thompson, Dave Swarbrick) 2:22
- "Tam Lin" (trad. arr. Fairport Convention) 7:20
Side Four
- "Genesis Hall" (Richard Thompson) 3:37
- "Fotheringay" (Sandy Denny) 3:03
- "Sloth" (Richard Thompson, Dave Swarbrick) 9:19
- "Farewell, Farewell" (Richard Thompson) 2:38
- "End Of A Holiday" (Simon Nicol) 1:06
Personnel
- Richard Thompson: lead guitar (Side One, all tracks; Side Two, tracks 2, 3, 4, & 6; Side Three, all tracks; Side Four, tracks 1-4), vocals (Side One, track 3 & 4; Side Two, tracks 3 & 4; Side Three, tracks 1-3; Side Four, track 3), mandolin (Side One, track 5; Side two, track 4, Side Three, track 2)
- Simon NicolSimon NicolSimon John Breckenridge Nicol is a guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He was a founder member of British folk rock, or electric folk group Fairport Convention and is the only founding member still in the band...
: guitar (Side One, tracks 1-4; Side two, tracks 2 & 4; Side Three, all tracks; Side Four, all tracks), dulcimer (Side Three, track 2), viola (Side two, track 1), vocals (Side One, tracks 3 & 4; Side Two, track 4; Side Three, tracks 1-3; Side Four, track 3) - Sandy DennySandy DennySandy Denny , born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny, was an English singer and songwriter, perhaps best known as the lead singer for the folk rock band Fairport Convention...
: vocals (Side One, tracks 1, 2, 4, 5; Side Two, tracks 2-5; Side Three, tracks 1, 2, 4; Side Four, tracks 1, 2, 4), guitar (Side One, tracks 2 & 5; Side Three, track 1; Side Four, track 1), piano (Side Two, track 2) - Iain MatthewsIain MatthewsIain Matthews is an English musician and songwriter. He was born Iain Matthew McDonald, in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. He was known in the 1960s first as Ian McDonald, then as the 1960s progressed, as Ian Matthews...
: vocals (Side One, track 1; Side Two, track 2; Side Three, tracks 1 & 2) - Ashley HutchingsAshley HutchingsAshley Stephen Hutchings is an English bassist, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, band leader, writer and record producer. He was a founder member of three of the most noteworthy English folk-rock bands in the history of the genre; Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Albion Band...
: bass guitar (Side One, tracks 1, 2, 4; Side Two, tracks 2 & 4; Side Three, tracks 1, 2, 4; Side Four, tracks 1 & 4), vocals (Side Two, track 3) - Dave PeggDave PeggDave Pegg is an English multi-instrumentalist and record producer, arguably most visible as a bass guitarist. He is the longest-serving member of the pre-eminent electric folk band Fairport Convention and has been bassist with a number of important folk and rock groups including The Ian Campbell...
: bass guitar (Side One, track 3; Side Three, track 3; Side Four, track 3), violin (Side two, track 1) - Martin LambleMartin LambleMartin Francis Lamble was the drummer for British electric folk band, Fairport Convention, from just after their formation in 1967, until his death in the Fairport Convention van crash in 1969...
: drums (Side One, tracks 1 & 2; Side Two, tracks 2 & 4; Side Three, tracks 1 & 2; Side Four, tracks 1 & 4) - Dave MattacksDave MattacksDave Mattacks is a rock and folk drummer. Best known for his work with Fairport Convention, Mattacks has also worked both as a session musician, and as a performance artist...
: drums (Side One, tracks 3 & 4; Side Two, tracks 1, 3, 6; Side Three, tracks 3 & 4; Side Four, tracks 3 & 4), bass guitar (Side Two, track 1) - Dave SwarbrickDave SwarbrickDave Swarbrick is an English folk musician and singer-songwriter. He has been described by Ashley Hutchings as 'the most influential [British] fiddle player bar none' and his style has been copied or developed by almost every British, and many World folk violin players that have followed him...
: violin (Side One, tracks 3-5; Side Two, track 1; Side Three, tracks 3 & 4; Side Four, tracks, 3 & 4), vocals (Side One, track 3; Side Three, track 3; Side Four, track 3) - Trevor LucasTrevor LucasTrevor George Lucas was an influential folk artist, a member of Fairport Convention and one of the founders of Fotheringay...
: guitar (Side Two, track 5), vocals (Side Two, tracks 3, 5, 6) - Jerry Donahue: lead guitar (Side Two, track 5)
- Gerry ConwayGerry Conway (musician)Gerald Conway is an English folk and rock drummer/percussionist, best known for having performed with the backing band for Cat Stevens in the 1970s, Jethro Tull during the 1980s, and currently a member of Fairport Convention as well as his side projects...
: drums (Side Two, track 3, 5, 6) - Pat Donaldson: bass guitar (Side One, track 5; Side Two, tracks 3, 5, 6)
- Linda ThompsonLinda Thompson (singer)Linda Thompson is a British singer. Born Linda Pettifer in Hackney, Thompson became one of the most recognised names—and voices—in the British folk rock movement of the 1970s and 1980s, in collaboration with her former husband and fellow British folk rock musician, guitarist Richard...
: vocals (Side One, track 5; Side Two, tracks 3 & 6) - Tony Cox: piano (Side Two, tracks 3 & 6)
- Ian Whiteman: piano (Side Two, tracks 3 & 6)
- John Bundrick: keyboards (Side One, track 5)
- Timi Donald: drums (Side One, track 5)