Simon Nicol
Encyclopedia
Simon John Breckenridge Nicol (born 13 October 1950) 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. He has also been involved with the Albion Band and a wide range of musical projects, both as a collaborator, producer and as a solo artist. He has received several awards for his work and career.
, North London
, Nicol was the son of a GP
, who died in 1964. He began to play guitar at age 11 and left school at 15. In 1966 he was asked to join local band the Electric Shuffle Orchestra by bass guitarist Ashley Hutchings
, and soon left his job at a local cinema to play full time. They rehearsed above his father’s old surgery in Fairport house, which gave its name to the band he and Hutchings formed with Richard Thompson and Shaun Frater as Fairport Convention in 1967.
in 1969 with the single "Si Tu Dois Partir", which reached number 21 in the UK Charts. Nicol contributed his first composition to the band for the second album What We Did on Our Holidays
, the short instrumental ‘End of the Holiday’. Nicol was injured in the accident that killed drummer Martin Lamble
on 12 May 1969, but when he and the band were recovered they recorded what is usually considered their masterpiece and the most important single album in British folk rock, Liege and Lief (1969), which is credited as the key recording in the creation of the electric folk genre and which helped institute a major surge of interest in British folk music.
Almost immediately after the release of the album Hutchings and vocalist Sandy Denny
left the band, which was then joined full-time by Dave Swarbrick
on fiddle and by bassist Dave Pegg
. While Swarbrick, with his knowledge of traditional music, emerged as the leading figure in the band, Nicol had to shoulder a larger share of the vocal duties on the next album Full House (1970). When Thompson left soon after, Nicol also had to take over lead guitar duties. Although never entirely happy with this role, it was generally thought at the time that he acquitted himself well. He also demonstrated that he was a multi-instrumentalist playing bass guitar, viola and dulcimer. He began song writing on the next two albums Angel Delight
and Babbacombe Lee (both 1971). ‘Breakfast in Mayfair’ on the latter was his first solo song composition with the band and one of the tracks that made it onto the History of Fairport Convention
compilation album (1972). He also took over some of the production duties on Babbacombe Lee, but his efforts were not well received by the band and this, together with unhappiness with having to fill Thompson's shoes, led him to decide to move on and in 1971 he left the band, the last of the original members to do so.
and began to work on the first incarnation of the Albion Country Band
to provide backing for his then wife Shirley Collins
. Nicol joined the long list of musicians, including former Fairport members Richard Thompson and Dave Mattacks, to contribute to No Roses
(1971), often considered one of the most important electric folk albums. Nicol then teamed up with Richard Thompson and Linda Peters (later Linda Thompson
) to form the trio Hokey Pokey in 1973. In 1974 this trio expanded into the band Sour Grapes that was assembled to tour in support of the Thompson's I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
album. Later that year Nicol played on and co-produced the Thompson's Hokey Pokey
album.
In 1973 he played on what is often considered one of the seminal folk/jazz albums of all time, John Martyn's Solid Air
. When Hutchings tried to reform the Albion Band for an album in 1973, Nicol joined again, but the resulting work, Battle of the Field
was not released until 1976. Nicol took part in some of sessions for Hutchings' next project the Etchingham Steam Band
, but never formally joined the group. In 1974-5 he played guitar on Cat Stevens
' Numbers
(1975) and also formed a band with Chris Spedding
, Pat Donaldson
, Gerry Conway
. However, this 'supergroup
' proved abortive before any recordings were made. Nicol also produced the album Rough Diamonds (1975) for the highly regarded Jack the Lad
, and began to play with Swarbrick and Pegg in a low key trio, Three Desperate Mortgages, which toured student venues across Britain.
's eponymous album (1977) including the surprise hit single 'Only Women Bleed
', which reached number twelve in the UK single charts in 1978. In 1977 Nicol joined Hutchings' reformed Albion Dance Band for the album The Prospect Before Us
and in 1978 as The Albion Band they produced arguably the finest album of the group's history, Rise Up Like the Sun
(1978). In contrast the next two Fairport albums, The Bonny Bunch of Roses
(1977) and Tipplers Tales
(1978), although well produced and played, and generally thought to have benefited from Nicol's growing guitar technique and confidence in singing, sold so poorly that the record label Vertigo paid the band off. They eventually decided to disband and played a final concert at Cropredy
in Oxfordshire on 4 August 1979.
to growing crowds. In 1985 he joined in the recording of the Fairport album Gladys' Leap
, on which, as well as playing guitar, Nicol shared production credits, contributed the song 'Wat Tyler', arranged traditional tunes and acted as lead singer for the first time. The album was well received and led to the reformation of the band a year later.
in 1988 and playing on albums by Beverley Craven
and Beth Nielsen Chapman
. In 1990 he released a video of Singing Games for Children with his wife Sylvia.
In 1997 he left the Albion Band and began to focus more directly on Fairport Convention, but able to share vocal duties with Chris Leslie and taking over some of the responsibility for organising the Cropredy Festival from 2005. He regularly rejoins the now suspended Albion Band for their Albion Christmas tours and continues to record with Fairport and other artists.
Nicol recently reunited with original Fairport Convention vocalist Judy Dyble
, playing on two tracks on her 2009 album, Talking with Strangers
. In the same year he performed in Alan Simon
's rock opera Anne de Bretagne, playing the role of King Edward IV of England
.
technique that uses a pick between thumb and forefinger and remaining fingers to pluck the higher strings, the pick can then be used to strum. Nicol described his technique as 'percussive'. Although Nicol openly admits he lacks Thompson’s exceptional lead technique, he is considered one of the most reliable and versatile rhythm players available, as testified by his large number of credits with a wide variety of artists from different genres. In the view of Dave Mattacks, his fellow Fairport member for many years 'he is the best acoustic supportive player I know.'
. At the 2006 Folk awards he shared in the award for 'Most influential folk album of all time' voted by Radio 2 listeners for Liege and Lief. At the 2007 awards he received an award with Fairport, along with the late Sandy Denny, for ‘Favourite folk track of all time’ for ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes?’.
For the Albion Band see The Albion Band discography
As solo artist
With Matthews' Southern Comfort
On Vashti Bunyan albums
On Mike Heron albums
On John Martyn albums
On John Kirkpatrick and Ashley Hutchings albums
On Steve Ashley albums
With Hokey Pokey
On Richard and Linda Thompson albums
On Shirley Collins albums
On Cat Stevens albums
On Al Stewart albums
On Dave Swarbrick albums
On Julie Covington albums
With Dave Swarbrick
On Art Garfunkel albums;
On Beverley Craven albums
With Sylvia Nicol
On Murray Head albums
On Richard Thompson albums
On Beth Nielsen Chapman albums
On Linda Thompson albums
On Sandy Denny albums
On Phil Pickett albums
On Alan Simon albums
On Judy Dyble albums
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
, or electric folk
Electric folk
Electric folk is the name given to the form of folk rock pioneered in England from the late 1960s, and most significant in the 1970s, which then was taken up and developed in the surrounding Celtic cultures of Brittany, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man, to produce Celtic rock and its...
group 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...
and is the only founding member still in the band. He has also been involved with the Albion Band and a wide range of musical projects, both as a collaborator, producer and as a solo artist. He has received several awards for his work and career.
Early career
Born in Muswell HillMuswell Hill
Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, Nicol was the son of a GP
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
, who died in 1964. He began to play guitar at age 11 and left school at 15. In 1966 he was asked to join local band the Electric Shuffle Orchestra by bass guitarist Ashley Hutchings
Ashley Hutchings
Ashley 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...
, and soon left his job at a local cinema to play full time. They rehearsed above his father’s old surgery in Fairport house, which gave its name to the band he and Hutchings formed with Richard Thompson and Shaun Frater as Fairport Convention in 1967.
Fairport Convention 1967-71
As Thompson emerged as the lead guitarist, Nicol moved towards rhythm duties and occasional backing vocals. After some line-up changes the band enjoyed a degree of commercial success in their early years, with three albums and appearing on Britain’s most popular music programme Top of the PopsTop of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
in 1969 with the single "Si Tu Dois Partir", which reached number 21 in the UK Charts. Nicol contributed his first composition to the band for the second album What We Did on Our Holidays
What We Did on Our Holidays
- Personnel :* Sandy Denny - vocals, acoustic & 12-string acoustic guitars, organ, piano, harpsichord* Iain Matthews - vocals, congas* Richard Thompson - electric, acoustic & 12-string acoustic guitars, piano accordion, vocals...
, the short instrumental ‘End of the Holiday’. Nicol was injured in the accident that killed drummer Martin Lamble
Martin Lamble
Martin 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...
on 12 May 1969, but when he and the band were recovered they recorded what is usually considered their masterpiece and the most important single album in British folk rock, Liege and Lief (1969), which is credited as the key recording in the creation of the electric folk genre and which helped institute a major surge of interest in British folk music.
Almost immediately after the release of the album Hutchings and vocalist 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...
left the band, which was then joined full-time by Dave Swarbrick
Dave Swarbrick
Dave 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...
on fiddle and by bassist Dave Pegg
Dave Pegg
Dave 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...
. While Swarbrick, with his knowledge of traditional music, emerged as the leading figure in the band, Nicol had to shoulder a larger share of the vocal duties on the next album Full House (1970). When Thompson left soon after, Nicol also had to take over lead guitar duties. Although never entirely happy with this role, it was generally thought at the time that he acquitted himself well. He also demonstrated that he was a multi-instrumentalist playing bass guitar, viola and dulcimer. He began song writing on the next two albums Angel Delight
Angel Delight (album)
Angel Delight is the sixth album by the British folk rock band Fairport Convention. This was the first Fairport Convention album without guitarist Richard Thompson, and the lineup consisted of Simon Nicol , Dave Swarbrick , Dave Pegg , and Dave Mattacks .The title derives from "The Angel" in...
and Babbacombe Lee (both 1971). ‘Breakfast in Mayfair’ on the latter was his first solo song composition with the band and one of the tracks that made it onto the History of Fairport Convention
History of Fairport Convention
The History of Fairport Convention is the first compilation of tracks by Fairport Convention, released in 1972.At the time it was released, it appeared that the band had folded. The cover had a "family tree" by Pete Frame on the front. Another unusual aspect of the album was that a piece of ribbon...
compilation album (1972). He also took over some of the production duties on Babbacombe Lee, but his efforts were not well received by the band and this, together with unhappiness with having to fill Thompson's shoes, led him to decide to move on and in 1971 he left the band, the last of the original members to do so.
Albion Band, playing and production 1972-76
Just about the time that Nicol left Fairport Convention, Hutchings had also quit Steeleye SpanSteeleye Span
Steeleye Span are an English folk-rock band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. Along with Fairport Convention they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat"....
and began to work on the first incarnation of the Albion Country Band
Albion Country Band
The Albion Band, also known as The Albion Country Band and The Albion Dance Band, were an English electric folk band, brought together and led by musician Ashley Hutchings...
to provide backing for his then wife Shirley Collins
Shirley Collins
Shirley Elizabeth Collins MBE is a British folksinger who was a significant contributor to the English Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s...
. Nicol joined the long list of musicians, including former Fairport members Richard Thompson and Dave Mattacks, to contribute to No Roses
No Roses
No Roses is an album by Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band. It was recorded at Sound Techniques, and Air Studios in London, in the summer of 1971. It was produced by Sandy Roberton and Ashley Hutchings...
(1971), often considered one of the most important electric folk albums. Nicol then teamed up with Richard Thompson and Linda Peters (later Linda Thompson
Linda 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...
) to form the trio Hokey Pokey in 1973. In 1974 this trio expanded into the band Sour Grapes that was assembled to tour in support of the Thompson's I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
Q : "After his 1971 departure from Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson found his ideal foil in recent bride Linda. A hugely inventive guitarist, he gives full vent to his talent on this dark, brooding album...
album. Later that year Nicol played on and co-produced the Thompson's Hokey Pokey
Hokey Pokey (album)
Hokey Pokey is the second album by the British duo of singer Linda and singer/songwriter/guitarist Richard Thompson. It was recorded in the autumn of 1974 and released in 1975....
album.
In 1973 he played on what is often considered one of the seminal folk/jazz albums of all time, John Martyn's Solid Air
Solid Air
Solid Air is a folk jazz album released in 1973 by John Martyn on Island Records.Contemporary reviews were favourable with music paper Sounds declaring that Solid Air flows beautifully and shows the entire spectrum of music that John Martyn has at his fingertips." The album has continued to...
. When Hutchings tried to reform the Albion Band for an album in 1973, Nicol joined again, but the resulting work, Battle of the Field
Battle of the Field
Battle of the Field is a folk-rock album by the Albion Country Band, recorded in summer 1973 immediately prior to the band's breakup and only released in 1976 following public demand....
was not released until 1976. Nicol took part in some of sessions for Hutchings' next project the Etchingham Steam Band
Etchingham Steam Band
The 'Etchingham Steam Band' were a folk group formed by Ashley Hutchings in 1974 after the breakup of the Albion Country Band. They were named after Etchingham in Sussex where Hutchings was living with his wife Shirley Collins...
, but never formally joined the group. In 1974-5 he played guitar on Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
' Numbers
Numbers (Cat Stevens album)
Numbers is concept album by singer/songwriter Cat Stevens released in November 1975. Subtitled "A Pythagorean Theory Tale", it is a concept album based on a fictional planet in a far-off galaxy named Polygor and the "Polygons" who inhabit its palace...
(1975) and also formed a band with Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding is an English rock and roll and jazz guitarist, best known for his session work. Allmusic states - "Spedding is one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, and has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as...
, Pat Donaldson
Pat Donaldson
Pat Donaldson is a bass guitarist.The 2i's Coffee Bar in Old Compton Street, Soho was a legendary hang-out for early rock artists of Britain. It was here that Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard and Terry Dean played. Albert Lee and Pat Donaldson played here while they were members of Bob Xavier and the...
, Gerry Conway
Gerry 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...
. However, this 'supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
' proved abortive before any recordings were made. Nicol also produced the album Rough Diamonds (1975) for the highly regarded Jack the Lad
Jack The Lad
Jack the Lad was a folk rock or electric folk group from North East England formed in 1973 by three former members of the most successful band of the period from the region Lindisfarne. They moved from the progressive folk rock of Lindisfarne into much more traditional territory and were in the...
, and began to play with Swarbrick and Pegg in a low key trio, Three Desperate Mortgages, which toured student venues across Britain.
Return to Fairport 1976-9
Nicol came back to work with Fairport as a sound engineer on what was originally a solo projects for Swarbrick, album Gottle O' Geer (1976). He played some guitar along with contributions from members of Fairport Convention and it was eventually released as a Fairport album to complete contractual obligations. Enjoying being with a band again, Nicol rejoined, but the times were inauspicious as Gottle O’ Geer was not highly regarded. Along with much of Fairport in this period he played on Julie CovingtonJulie Covington
Julie Covington is an English singer and actress, best known for recording the original version of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina".-Career:...
's eponymous album (1977) including the surprise hit single 'Only Women Bleed
Only Women Bleed
"Only Women Bleed" is a song written by the musicians Alice Cooper and Dick Wagner. It is a ballad about a woman in an abusive marriage.It is one of Cooper's biggest hits, reaching #1 on the Canadian RPM national singles chart and #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1975. It is from...
', which reached number twelve in the UK single charts in 1978. In 1977 Nicol joined Hutchings' reformed Albion Dance Band for the album The Prospect Before Us
The Prospect Before Us
A folk/rock album by the Albion Dance Band, recorded in 1976.The album was produced by Ashley Hutchings and Simon Nicol and was engineered by Vic Gamm. It was recorded at Sound Techniques Studio and Olympic , London. There are several instrumental tracks...
and in 1978 as The Albion Band they produced arguably the finest album of the group's history, Rise Up Like the Sun
Rise Up Like the Sun
Rise Up Like The Sun is an electric folk album released in 1978 by the Albion Band. The album is in part a collaboration between John Tams on vocals and melodeon and Ashley Hutchings on electric bass. This is not the first album on which the two worked together but it remains the most fulfilling...
(1978). In contrast the next two Fairport albums, The Bonny Bunch of Roses
The Bonny Bunch of Roses
"The Bonny Bunch of Roses" , also called "Bonaparte's Retreat", is an English folk song.The earliest known version of the tune is in William Christie's "Tradition Ballad Airs" , but there is another tune, of Irish origin. There is an obvious difficulty in identifying the narrator's voice...
(1977) and Tipplers Tales
Tipplers Tales
Tipplers Tales is a 1978 album by Fairport Convention; recorded in only ten days, it was the last album the band recorded for Vertigo. Simon Nicol later wrote Dave Pegg would later say...
(1978), although well produced and played, and generally thought to have benefited from Nicol's growing guitar technique and confidence in singing, sold so poorly that the record label Vertigo paid the band off. They eventually decided to disband and played a final concert at Cropredy
Cropredy
Cropredy is a village and civil parish on the River Cherwell, north of Banbury in Oxfordshire.-Early history:The village has Anglo-Saxon origins and is recorded in the Domesday Book...
in Oxfordshire on 4 August 1979.
Albion Band, Richard and Linda Thompson, Nicol and Swarbrick 1979-85
As the members of the group went their separate ways, Nicol returned to the Albion Band to record two albums in 1983. He toured and recorded with Richard and Linda Thompson from 1979 to 1982 and then with Richard Thompson in 1983 and 1984. He also formed an acoustic duo with Dave Swarbrick, with whom he recorded three albums. He also continued to take part in annual reunions with Fairport at what was now the Cropredy FestivalCropredy Festival
Fairport's Cropredy Convention is an annual festival of folk and rock music held on the edge of the village of Cropredy in Oxfordshire, England. It has taken place in August since 1976....
to growing crowds. In 1985 he joined in the recording of the Fairport album Gladys' Leap
Gladys' Leap
Gladys' Leap is a folk rock album by Fairport Convention originally released in August 1985. It was recorded in April and May 1985 at Woodworm Studios, Barford St. Michael, Oxfordshire, UK...
, on which, as well as playing guitar, Nicol shared production credits, contributed the song 'Wat Tyler', arranged traditional tunes and acted as lead singer for the first time. The album was well received and led to the reformation of the band a year later.
Reformations and reunions 1986-present
The period 1986-97 was perhaps the busiest in Nicol's career. With Swarbrick absent he finally became the front man for the new Fairport. Most commentators have tended to feel that his developing baritone voice was more than adequate for the task and his vocals on songs like 'The Hiring Fair' have been particularly praised. Although Fairport embarked on regular recording and touring, Nicol produced two solo albums in this period: Before Your Time (1987) and Consonant Please Carol (1992). From 1991-6 he played on three albums by Richard Thompson. From 1993 he rejoined the Albion Band in a new acoustic line-up, recorded three highly regarded albums, the first of which, Acousticity (1993), he produced, touring extensively in Europe and America. He also continued to undertake work with a wide variety of artists, including a tour with Art GarfunkelArt Garfunkel
Arthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
in 1988 and playing on albums by Beverley Craven
Beverley Craven
Beverley Craven is a British singer-songwriter best known for her 1991 UK Top 5 hit single "Promise Me". Her most recent album, Close To Home, was released in 2009...
and Beth Nielsen Chapman
Beth Nielsen Chapman
Beth Nielsen Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, mostly known for her numerous hits recorded by country and pop music performers.-Early history:...
. In 1990 he released a video of Singing Games for Children with his wife Sylvia.
In 1997 he left the Albion Band and began to focus more directly on Fairport Convention, but able to share vocal duties with Chris Leslie and taking over some of the responsibility for organising the Cropredy Festival from 2005. He regularly rejoins the now suspended Albion Band for their Albion Christmas tours and continues to record with Fairport and other artists.
Nicol recently reunited with original Fairport Convention vocalist Judy Dyble
Judy Dyble
Judith Aileen Dyble, better known as Judy Dyble , is an award winning British singer/songwriter most notable for being one of the vocalists with, and founder members of, Fairport Convention and Trader Horne; in between these she was very briefly with Giles, Giles and Fripp, which evolved into...
, playing on two tracks on her 2009 album, Talking with Strangers
Talking with Strangers
Talking with Strangers is a 2009 album by Judy Dyble featuring Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Julianne Regan, Simon Nicol, Tim Bowness, Jacqui McShee, Pat Mastelotto, Alistair Murphy, Celia Humphris, Laurie A'Court, Rachel Hall, Mark Fletcher, and Harry Fletcher.The album features a near 20-minute...
. In the same year he performed in Alan Simon
Alan Simon (musician)
Alan Simon is a French folk-rock musician and composer best known for his rock operas which are performed with collaboration from other noted rock musicians. Simon is associated with Breton Celticism, and his most ambitious works are typically on themes linked to Celtic myth and history...
's rock opera Anne de Bretagne, playing the role of King Edward IV of England
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
.
Guitar technique
Like Richard Thompson, Nicol uses a hybrid pickingHybrid picking
Hybrid picking is a guitar-playing technique that involves picking with a pick and one or more fingers alternately or simultaneously. Hybrid picking allows guitar players who use a pick to perform music which would normally require fingerstyle playing. It also facilitates wide string leaps Hybrid...
technique that uses a pick between thumb and forefinger and remaining fingers to pluck the higher strings, the pick can then be used to strum. Nicol described his technique as 'percussive'. Although Nicol openly admits he lacks Thompson’s exceptional lead technique, he is considered one of the most reliable and versatile rhythm players available, as testified by his large number of credits with a wide variety of artists from different genres. In the view of Dave Mattacks, his fellow Fairport member for many years 'he is the best acoustic supportive player I know.'
Recognition
As part of Fairport Convention, Nicol received the ‘Lifetime achievement award’ at the 2002 BBC Radio 2 Folk AwardsBBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards celebrate outstanding achievement during the previous year within the field of folk music. The awards have been given annually since 2000 by British radio station BBC Radio 2....
. At the 2006 Folk awards he shared in the award for 'Most influential folk album of all time' voted by Radio 2 listeners for Liege and Lief. At the 2007 awards he received an award with Fairport, along with the late Sandy Denny, for ‘Favourite folk track of all time’ for ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes?’.
Discography
For Fairport Convention see Fairport Convention discographyFairport Convention discography
This is a list of recordings by the folk rock group Fairport Convention, usually credited as the first English electric folk band. Founded in 1967 and initially covering songs by artists such as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, they developed a devoted niche following by providing electrified and...
For the Albion Band see The Albion Band discography
As solo artist
- Before Your Time (Woodworm, 1987)
- Consonant Please Carol (Woodworm, 1992)
- Before Your Time/Consonant Please Carol (Woodworm, 1998)
With Matthews' Southern Comfort
- Matthews' Southern ComfortMatthews' Southern Comfort (album)Matthews' Southern Comfort is the debut solo album by country rock/folk rock musician Ian Matthews' band Matthews' Southern Comfort. This was Matthews' first album after leaving Fairport Convention.-Track listing:...
(Decca, 1970)
On Vashti Bunyan albums
- Just Another Diamond DayJust Another Diamond DayJust Another Diamond Day is the debut album of English singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan.In the mid to late 1960s, Bunyan was under contract to Andrew Oldham, which saw her release two singles. However, Bunyan found the experience frustrating, and decided to head for the Scottish islands in search of...
(Philips, 1970)
On Mike Heron albums
- Smiling Men with Bad ReputationsSmiling Men with Bad ReputationsSmiling Men with Bad Reputations is the 1971 solo debut release by Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band.Here Heron was prone to generate odd, atmospheric melodies, some of which were drawn from Celtic and Eastern sources. "Spirit Beautiful" is a fine example in which Heron creates an Indian...
(Electra, 1971)
On John Martyn albums
- Solid AirSolid AirSolid Air is a folk jazz album released in 1973 by John Martyn on Island Records.Contemporary reviews were favourable with music paper Sounds declaring that Solid Air flows beautifully and shows the entire spectrum of music that John Martyn has at his fingertips." The album has continued to...
(Island, 1973)
On John Kirkpatrick and Ashley Hutchings albums
- The Compleat Dancing Master (Island 1974)
On Steve Ashley albums
- Stroll On (Gull, 1974)
With Hokey Pokey
- Hokey PokeyHokey Pokey (album)Hokey Pokey is the second album by the British duo of singer Linda and singer/songwriter/guitarist Richard Thompson. It was recorded in the autumn of 1974 and released in 1975....
(Island, 1975)
On Richard and Linda Thompson albums
- I Want to See the Bright Lights TonightI Want to See the Bright Lights TonightQ : "After his 1971 departure from Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson found his ideal foil in recent bride Linda. A hugely inventive guitarist, he gives full vent to his talent on this dark, brooding album...
(Island, 1974) - First Light (Chrysalis, 1978)
- SunnyvistaSunnyvistaSunnyvista, released in October 1979 is the fifth album by Richard and Linda Thompson.After the artistic mismatch of the previous year's come back album , the Thompsons made greater use on this album of backing musicians that they had worked with previously.Sunnyvista is a curate's egg of an album...
(Chrysalis, 1979) - Shoot Out the LightsShoot Out the LightsShoot Out the Lights is the sixth and final album by British husband-and-wife folk rock duo Richard and Linda Thompson. It was produced by Joe Boyd and released in 1982 on his Hannibal label...
(Hannibal, 1982) - End of the Rainbow - An Introduction To Richard & Linda Thompson (Island, 2002)
On Shirley Collins albums
- Adieu to Old England (Topic, 1974)
- Anthems in EdenAnthems in EdenAnthems in Eden is a 1969 album by Shirley and Dolly Collins, with the Early Music Consort of London, directed by David Munrow. The album originally consisted of a 28-minute set of folk songs plus 7 other individual pieces performed by the same group. The musical arrangements for these 8 pieces...
(BGO Records, 1999)
On Cat Stevens albums
- NumbersNumbers (Cat Stevens album)Numbers is concept album by singer/songwriter Cat Stevens released in November 1975. Subtitled "A Pythagorean Theory Tale", it is a concept album based on a fictional planet in a far-off galaxy named Polygor and the "Polygons" who inhabit its palace...
(A&M, 1975)
On Al Stewart albums
- Love ChroniclesLove ChroniclesLove Chronicles is the second studio album of Scottish folk artist Al Stewart, released in September 1969. It was also his first album to be released in the US...
(CBS, 1969) -- listed as "Simon Breckenridge" - Modern TimesModern Times (Al Stewart album)Modern Times is Al Stewart's sixth studio album, released in 1975. The album has been re-released in 2007 with bonus tracks.-1975 Original LP edition:Side 1#"Carol" – 4:24#"Sirens of Titan" – 2:50#"What's Going On?" – 3:34#"Not the One" – 4:34...
(CBS, 1975)
On Dave Swarbrick albums
- Swarbrick 2 (Transatlantic, 1977)
On Julie Covington albums
- Julie Covington (Fame, 1978)
With Dave Swarbrick
- In the Club (1981) (Tape)
- Live at the White Bear (White Bear Records, 1982)
- Close to the Wind (Woodworm, 1984)
- Close to the White Bear (Woodworm, 1998)
On Art Garfunkel albums;
- Concert (1988)
On Beverley Craven albums
- Beverley CravenBeverley Craven (album)Beverley Craven is the debut album by British singer Beverley Craven. It was released in July 1990. The album was fully written by Craven herself....
(Epic, 1990)
With Sylvia Nicol
- Singing Games for Children (Telstar 1990) (Video)
On Murray Head albums
- VoicesVoices (Murray Head album)-Track listing:#"Last Daze of an Empire" - 4:17#"Affair Across a Crowded Room" - 4:37#"Hey Lady" - 3:05#"On your Own Again" - 3:45#"She's Doing Time on the Line" - 4:00#"Chance Encounter" - 3:37#"Children Only Play " - 4:46#"Old Soho" - 4:05...
(Mercury, 1980) - PassionPassion (Murray Head album)-Track listing:All songs composed by Murray Head unless noted.#"Say It Ain't So, Joe" - 4:29#"Never Even Thought" - 4:38#"Mademoiselle" - 4:07#"Dearest Anne" - 2:00#"Hesitation Blues" -Track listing:All songs composed by Murray Head unless noted.#"Say It Ain't So, Joe" - 4:29#"Never Even Thought"...
(Justin Time, 2002)
On Richard Thompson albums
- (guitar, vocal)(guitar, vocal)is a 1976 album by Richard Thompson. It was released by Island Records as a career retrospective after he and his wife Linda had gone into semi-retirement from the business of making and performing music following the release of Pour Down Like Silver .Most tracks are unreleased recordings from...
(Island, 1976) - Hand of KindnessHand of KindnessHand Of Kindness is an album by Richard Thompson recorded and released in 1983.After the "Tour From Hell" to promote Shoot Out The Lights Richard Thompson resumed a solo career as a recording and performing artist....
(Hannibal, 1983) - Across a Crowded RoomAcross a Crowded RoomAcross a Crowded Room is an album by Richard Thompson released in 1985.In 1984 Thompson's management negotiated a contract with Polydor which gave him some financial security for the first time in over a decade. Across A Crowded Room was the first album recorded under this new contract...
(Polygram, 1985) - Doom and Gloom From The Tomb (tape) (Flypaper, 1985)
- Doom and Gloom II (Over My Dead Body) (tape) (Flypaper, 1991)
- Rumor and SighRumor and SighRumor and Sigh is an album by Richard Thompson released in 1991.This album is one of the artistic high-points of Richard Thompson's career, and is his most commercially successful album to date...
(Capitol, 1991) - Watching The Dark: The History of Richard Thompson (Hannibal, 1993)
- You? me? us?You? Me? Us?You? Me? Us? is an album by British singer-songwriter Richard Thompson released in April 1996 via Capitol Records. It was Thompson's fourth album for the label, his fifth with Mitchell Froom producing and his second to be nominated for a Grammy Award...
(Capitol, 1996)
On Beth Nielsen Chapman albums
- You Hold the KeyYou Hold the KeyYou Hold the Key is Beth Nielsen Chapman's second album. It was released in 1993 on Reprise Records, and features a duet with British singer-songwriters and Mike + The Mechanics vocalist/keyboardist Paul Carrack, called "In The Time It Takes"....
(Reprise, 1993)
On Linda Thompson albums
- Dreams Fly Away: a History of Linda Thompson (Hannibal, 1996)
On Sandy Denny albums
- Gold DustGold Dust (album)Gold Dust is a live album by English folk rock singer Sandy Denny released in 1998. It documents one of Denny's last public performances and was recorded at the Royalty Theatre, Portugal Street, London on 27 November 1977...
(Island, 1998)
On Phil Pickett albums
- The Bones of All MenThe Bones of All MenThe Bones of All Men is an album by Philip Pickett.The exact credits on the front of the album are "Mr Philip Pickett with Mr Richard Thompson and the Fairport Rhythm Section" - giving a mock-formality to the event, as if it were a classical music concert. All of the tracks on this album are...
(Hannibal, 1998)
On Alan Simon albums
- Excalibur II (Babaika Productions, 2007)
On Judy Dyble albums
- "Talking with StrangersTalking with StrangersTalking with Strangers is a 2009 album by Judy Dyble featuring Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Julianne Regan, Simon Nicol, Tim Bowness, Jacqui McShee, Pat Mastelotto, Alistair Murphy, Celia Humphris, Laurie A'Court, Rachel Hall, Mark Fletcher, and Harry Fletcher.The album features a near 20-minute...
" (Fixit, 2009)