FAIRPORT CONVENTION
Prog Related • United Kingdom
From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website
Founded in London, UK in 1967 - Recording hiatus 1979-1984 - Reformed in 1985 and still active as of 2018
FAIRPORT CONVENTION was formed in 1967 by Richard Thompson (guitar & vocals), Simon Nicol (guitar & vocals, viola), Ashley Hutchings (bass), Judy DYBLE (vocals) and Shaun Frater (drums). Before the release of their first record Shaun Frater was replaced by Martin Lamble and Ian (Matthews) Mc Donald (vocals & guitar) joined the band. FAIRPORT CONVENTION plays Folk-Rock influenced by British-Folk, American-Folk-Rock, Blues, Country, Cajun and American songwriters like Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Tim Buckley and Joni Mitchell.
In 1968 they made their first recording 'Fairport Convention' for Polydor with Joe Boyd as producer. The record was mainly influenced by American-Folk and contained covers of Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. Later that year they signed to 'Island Records' and the departing Judy Dyble was replaced by Sandy Denny (Ex-STRAWBS) who would compose some of the band's finest compositions. In 1969 FAIRPORT CONVENTION released their second record 'What Did We Do On Our Holidays' introducing for the first time Traditional-Folk and the beautiful 'Fotheringay' by Sandy Denny. Their third record 'Unhalfbricking' (1969) concentrated more on acoustic arrangements and contained a French-sung version of Bob Dylan's 'If You Gotta Go' and the Sandy Denny signature song 'Who Knows Where The Time Goes?'. The record introduced later fulltime member Dave Swarbrick on fiddle. After the recording the band was struck by tragedy when Martin Lamble was killed in the crash of their tour van. With their fourth record 'Liege and Lief '(1969), that contained mainly Traditional-Folk-Songs, the band moved into the field of British-Folk-Rock. After the recording Sandy Deny left to form FOTHERINGAY, while Ashley Hutchings left to form STEELEYE SPAN. With Dave Pegg joining on bass the band recorded 'Full House' (1970), another classic FAIRPORT CONVENTION record and the last with Richard Thompsonbefore he left to become a solo recording artist. In 1971 they recorded 'Angel Delight' and the concept album 'Babbacombe Lee'. For the rest of the 70's the band went through a constant change of musicians. In 1974 Sandy Denny rejoined the band for a tour that is documented on the live recording 'Live Convention' (1974). Sandy Denny stayed with the band to record another studio-record 'Rising Fo...read more
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FAIRPORT CONVENTION discography
Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums
FAIRPORT CONVENTION top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
3.30 | 70 ratings
Fairport Convention 1968 |
3.61 | 94 ratings
What We Did On Our Holidays 1969 |
3.73 | 117 ratings
Unhalfbricking 1969 |
3.82 | 153 ratings
Liege & Lief 1969 |
3.66 | 81 ratings
Full House 1970 |
3.28 | 46 ratings
Angel Delight 1971 |
3.74 | 61 ratings
'Babbacombe' Lee 1971 |
2.38 | 41 ratings
Rosie 1973 |
2.91 | 40 ratings
Nine 1973 |
3.37 | 49 ratings
Rising For The Moon 1975 |
1.56 | 28 ratings
Gottle O' Geer 1976 |
2.51 | 26 ratings
The Bonny Bunch Of Roses 1977 |
3.03 | 23 ratings
Tipplers Tales 1978 |
3.16 | 15 ratings
Gladys' Leap 1985 |
2.16 | 12 ratings
Expletive Delighted ! 1986 |
3.44 | 17 ratings
Red & Gold 1988 |
2.94 | 17 ratings
The Five Seasons 1990 |
3.74 | 21 ratings
Jewel In The Crown 1995 |
2.90 | 10 ratings
Old New Borrowed Blue 1996 |
3.66 | 18 ratings
Who Knows Where The Time Goes? 1997 |
3.12 | 15 ratings
The Wood And The Wire 1999 |
3.74 | 12 ratings
XXXV - The 35th Anniversary Album (1967 / 2002) 2001 |
3.30 | 15 ratings
Over The Next Hill 2004 |
2.55 | 11 ratings
Sense Of Occasion 2007 |
2.46 | 11 ratings
Festival Bell 2011 |
4.00 | 8 ratings
By Popular Request 2012 |
3.35 | 11 ratings
Myths And Heroes 2015 |
2.75 | 4 ratings
50:50 @50 2017 |
FAIRPORT CONVENTION Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
3.14 | 23 ratings
Live Convention 1974 |
3.94 | 20 ratings
House Full 1977 |
4.50 | 2 ratings
Live at the L.A. Troubadour 1977 |
3.17 | 10 ratings
Farewell, Farewell 1979 |
3.00 | 1 ratings
The Airing Cupboard Tapes '71 - '74 1981 |
3.67 | 6 ratings
Moat on the Ledge 1982 |
3.00 | 1 ratings
In Real Time (Live '87) 1987 |
4.00 | 1 ratings
25th Anniversary Concert 1993 |
4.50 | 3 ratings
The Cropredy Box 1999 |
0.00 | 0 ratings
Before the Moon 2002 |
4.00 | 2 ratings
From Cropredy to Portmeirion 2002 |
4.00 | 3 ratings
Festival: Cropredy 2002 2003 |
4.83 | 3 ratings
Acoustically Down Under 1996: The Woodworm Archives - Vol. 2 2005 |
4.50 | 4 ratings
Rare Broadcasts 2007 |
2.00 | 2 ratings
Meet On The Ledge 2008 |
3.00 | 3 ratings
Dirty linen / Live At The Marlowe Theatre 2010 |
4.00 | 1 ratings
Ebbets Feild 1974 2011 |
4.00 | 1 ratings
Babbacombe Lee - Live Again 2012 |
3.00 | 1 ratings
Live At My Father's Place 1974 2014 |
0.00 | 0 ratings
Live In Finland -1971 2016 |
FAIRPORT CONVENTION Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)
0.00 | 0 ratings
Cropredy Festival 2001 2001 |
3.12 | 6 ratings
Live At The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (DVD) 2003 |
4.00 | 4 ratings
The 35th Anniversary Concert 2003 |
4.00 | 5 ratings
The Ultimate Collection 2007 |
FAIRPORT CONVENTION Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
4.02 | 20 ratings
The History Of Fairport Convention 1972 |
0.00 | 0 ratings
Fairport Chronicles 1976 |
3.03 | 13 ratings
Heyday BBC Radio Sessions 1968-1969 1987 |
3.18 | 2 ratings
The Woodworm Years 1991 |
4.05 | 2 ratings
Fiddlestix, The Best of Fairport 1972-1984 1998 |
4.98 | 6 ratings
Meet on the Ledge - The Classic Years 1967-1975 1999 |
4.50 | 4 ratings
Then & Now 1982-1996 The Best Of Fairport Convention 2002 |
0.00 | 0 ratings
Fairport Unconventional 2002 |
0.00 | 0 ratings
Chronicles 2005 |
0.00 | 0 ratings
Who Knows? The Woodworm Archives - Vol. One 2005 |
3.22 | 9 ratings
Fame And Glory 2009 |
0.00 | 0 ratings
Come All Ye: The First Ten Years 2017 |
FAIRPORT CONVENTION Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)
5.00 | 2 ratings
Meet On The Ledge 1968 |
0.00 | 0 ratings
If I Had a Ribbon Bow 1968 |
2.00 | 1 ratings
If (Stomp) / Chelsea Morning 1968 |
4.00 | 1 ratings
I'll Keep It with Mine 1969 |
4.50 | 2 ratings
Si Tu Dois Partir 1969 |
5.00 | 2 ratings
Now Be Thankful 1970 |
5.00 | 1 ratings
John Lee 1972 |
5.00 | 1 ratings
Rosie 1973 |
5.00 | 1 ratings
White Dress 1975 |
5.00 | 1 ratings
Meet On The Ledge 1987 |
FAIRPORT CONVENTION Reviews
Showing last 10 reviews only
Fairport Convention Prog Related
Review by
Warthur
Prog Reviewer
On that level, it didn't work; it found its way into the UK album charts, for sure, but nowhere near the level that Steeleye had been accomplishing with albums like Now We Are Six, Commoners' Crown, or All Around My Hat, and after peaking at number 52 it faded away. And to some, the classic era of Steeleye Span faded away with it. Sandy Denny left again and after putting out her final solo album (Rendezvous) would die tragically young, perpetually closing the door on further reunions.
The band staggered on, with further departures hitting the lineup, and after knocking out Gottle o' Geer - one of those contractual obligation albums where the artists can't even be bothered to sound enthusiastic - they would sign to Vertigo, producing a couple of releases so tepidly received that eventually the label bought them out of their contract rather than insisting on them producing the four studio albums they'd signed on for. Patchy reunions here and there led to the group eventually re-coalescing, but to some listeners the magic had gone away, at least as far as their studio releases went, and it's certainly the case that none of their latter-day albums have really seemed as musically important as their run from the debut to this.
So, even though strictly speaking this album wasn't the end for Fairport Convention or Sandy Denny, it's hard to listen to it now without feeling a sense of finality in the air. None of the participants knew it would be the last time Sandy would grace a Fairport album - indeed, everyone was hoping that it would be quite the opposite - but as a listener, knowing that it is only enhances the moody, melancholic, nocturnal atmosphere of the album.
Stylistically speaking, this sounds a lot like Steeleye Span - with the folk-rock dial turned closer to rock than was typical for Fairport Convention, and both the "folk" and "rock" sides of that equation sounding more like Steeleye's approach to those than Fairport. It's a subtle distinction, not least because Steeleye Span started out by building on the foundation laid by Liege & Lief, but if you compare the different routes Steeleye and Fairport's music took in the intervening six years or so, this feels more like the product Steeleye's musical evolution than it does a direct followup to Rosie or Nine.
It might be an imitation, but it's a damn good one - as you'd expect from musicians who understood the roots of this particular folk-rock sound better than anyone, because they had a direct hand in laying those roots to begin with. If this is the end of Fairport's golden age, this is as good a send-off as could perhaps be expected under the circumstances - and is certainly a big step up from Nine.
Fairport Convention Prog Related
Review by
Warthur
Prog Reviewer
As it stands, though, I actually think it has a mild edge on its preceding album, Rosie. It helps that the group seem to be more unambiguously committing to the sort of Brit-country approach which they'd tested in a slightly lukewarm fashion on Rosie.
Is it the style listeners typically look to Fairport Convention for? No, not really, but it's an interesting attempt at something related but different and the band at least seem to have a bit more enthusiasm and verve this time around.
Fairport Convention Prog Related
Review by
Warthur
Prog Reviewer
At its best, the simplicity feels like part of the point - Fairport almost hitting on a "Brit-country" style. Nonetheless, it still feels like their weakest effort since their self-titled debut album, but whereas that falls slightly short due to the band not having hit on their sound yet, Rosie falls down because of the band getting just a little too comfortable with their sound.
Fairport Convention Prog Related
Review by
Warthur
Prog Reviewer
There's a touch more rock in their folk-rock formula this time around (usually it leans much more towards folk), perhaps as a consequence of them taking a deliberate "rock opera" approach, and by and large the band do a good job of putting together the compelling narrative of "the man they couldn't hang", with solid original material and well-chosen traditional songs putting together the narrative.
Consisting of five clutches of songs - one for John's boyhood, one for his naval days and him finding employment as a household servant, one to cover the discovery of the murder for which he was accused, one for his trial and imprisonment, and one to tell the tale of how his failed execution led to his sentence being commuted to life - the album reveals that despite any fears to the contrary, Fairport Convention still had something to contribute in the world of British folk rock in the early 1970s, despite acts like Steeleye Span having largely gained more momentum.
Fairport Convention Prog Related
Review by
Warthur
Prog Reviewer
To a certain extent, this is Full House Part 2, with the male vocalists continuing to work on stepping into the gap left by Sandy Denny, and their increased confidence in this realm helps compensate for a comparative lack of musical development over that album. If you enjoyed Full House and fancy more with a similar sound, this won't disappoint - but if you're disinterested in Fairport without Sandy Denny, then this is unlikely to win you over.
Fairport Convention Prog Related
Review by Lupton
This album is a perfect introduction to this great band's first era on Island Records and as close to a one-stop-shop as is available.Not all their albums are must-have Classics and this album does an excellent job of cherry picking their most important and enduring tracks.Even with the omission of the "Medley" and "Crazy Man Michael" (both from Liege and Lief-maybe the CD compilers assumed even the casual fan would buy that album anyway- I digress) the album is an immensely enjoyable listen.get this album Liege and Lief and you have pretty much all you need. Well maybe Angel Delight too or the first Folk Rock Opera that is Babbacombe Lee.....
Five stars
Fairport Convention Prog Related
Review by Lupton
With all the original stars (Sandy Denny,Ashley Hutchings,Richard Thompson) gone it would be fair to assume that Fairport Convention's day would be numbered ar at least the quality would drop dramatically.As it turns out neither happened and The band simply carried on a a four piece with the addition of Dave Pegg on bass. I am going to say straight up that as far as I am concerned, Dave Pegg is a vastly superior bass player to Ashley Hutchings.I will also say that Simon Nicol is a most underrated guitarist and singer.Suddenly the four piece line-up are up to the task.
I might raise the ire of other Fairport Convention fans but much as I love the sheer bravura of Liege and Lief, I actually think Angel Delight is a far better production overall.The performances are tighter, the arrangements leaner without losing their inherent sophistication and the recording is cleaner.They are also more concise and punchier -no drawn out dirgy work outs here.I am not going to give a track by track assessment- just an overall comment that like preceding albums, this album comprises a hugely enjoyable mix of Rocked-up instrumental medleys of Traditional tunes , some elaborate arrangements of traditional songs and a few excellent originals. I really love this album
I know I am going against the grain with this one but I am giving this one five stars
Fairport Convention Prog Related
Review by Lupton
In the same way that King Crimson effectively set the template for Progressive Rock with their debut, Fairport Convention effectively set the template for English Folk Rock.It is almost impossible to overstate just how important and influential this album was when it was released.Fairport had dabbled with electrifying English Folk on their previous album with A Sailor's Life". However Leige and Lief almost entirely comprises English Folk songs and tunes with the exception of three songs all of which were played in the same Folk-Rock style.
Particularly impressive is the way the group presents the music.For example with the second track "Reynardine", rather than simply providing a rock beat they provide a haunting atmospheric backing. The first real "rocking" traditional song is "Matty Groves" which features some wild fiddle playing by Dave Swarbrick and the end of the song leads into an energetic instrumental workout.This track is probably the best known track on the album and is still performed over fifty years later.The other "Epic" is Sandy Denny's rousing version of the Scottish song"Tam Lin"signing all twenty verses.
The only purely instrumental track is a medley of traditional tunes including "Rakish Paddy, "Foxhunter's Jigs and Toss the Feathers all performed with fiddle plus electric guitars and bass and the all important full drum set providing the all important rock beat.If any track can claim to "invent" English Folk Rock" it is surely this track.I simply cannot think of an earlier recording of traditional tunes being presented like this.I do not think it would be exaggerating to state Fairport invented English Folk Rock.
Even the originals like the album opener Sandy Denny's "Come All ye" are played in a similar Folk-Rock style so blend in perfectly with the traditional numbers.
Production wise , I would be the first to admit it is a little flat in places and I actually think they improved as a playing entity on later albums especially "Bonny Bunch Of Roses" and "Tippler's Tales" but this album is where it all really began.Neve the less it is still an enjoyable album all these decades later.
A solid five stars
Fairport Convention Prog Related
Review by
Matti
Prog Reviewer
'If (Stomp)', co-written by MacDonald with guitarist Richard Thompson, has a country feel not very different from the style of Matthews Southern Comfort that he founded after leaving Fairport Convention in 1969. This light-hearted song features male vocals only. There's a slight humorous air comparable to the lesser Beatles songs such as 'Octopus's Garden', although it lacks the similar bemusing happiness and strong melodies. Not very interesting, to be honest.
'Chelsea Morning' was recorded by its writer Joni Mitchell for her second album Clouds (1969), so this version preceded that. Indeed the sonic reference to Jefferson Airplane is justified. Judy Dyble sings the lead, occasionally replaced by treated male vocals, and the playing has a psychedelic edge. Some traffic sounds are added at the end.
Judy Dyble (1949-2020) was a charming artist, but it was her replacement, lovely Sandy Denny (1947-1978) who really made Fairport Convention what it was to become. There are some better songs on the debut album, so two stars will do for this single.
Fairport Convention Prog Related
Review by
Matti
Prog Reviewer
For me, Sandy Denny is one of the dearest voices in popular music. Her ethereal voice is warm and intimate like no one else's. [ Well, I once played 'Verdi Cries' (1987) by 10,000 Maniacs in a gathering of friends, and my friend mistook Natalie Merchant for Sandy Denny. Yes, Natalie's voice resembles slightly of Denny's, but is a bit higher and less soft and translucent. ] Fairport Convention did not only get a wonderful new vocalist -- and musician -- , for Sandy Denny also proved to be a gifted songwriter. In fact the second album What We Did On Our Holidays (1969) starts with Denny's 'Fotheringay', which is placed on the B side of this single. But first the A side.
'I'll Keep It With Mine' continued FP's habit of covering songs of various singer-songwriters -- the eponymous debut album had featured e.g. two Joni Mitchell songs. Perhaps better known of FP's Bob Dylan covers is the French- language 'Si tu dois partir' (= 'If You Gotta Go, Go Now') on their next album Unhalfbricking (1969). I'm not fond of that one, but Fairport Convention's version of 'I'll Keep It With Mine' with Sandy Denny's lead vocals sounds very nice. Although it's not as slow and ethereal as Denny's well known song 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes' (on Unhalfbricking), there is a similar air to it. Without a better knowledge one could presume the song to be written by Denny. It also was taken from What We Did On Our Holidays; the single version is shorter.
For her song 'Fotheringay' Sandy Denny was inspired by the fate of Mary, Queen of Scots (16th century), who was executed in the Fotheringay castle in 1587. I love this melancholic song, it's definitely one of the most beautiful folk rock songs ever written. Her voice is pure magic here, and the band supports her with a perfect delicacy, both for the playing and the backing vocals.
In 1970 Sandy Denny departed Fairport Convention and founded a short-lived folk rock group called Fotheringay. After their self-titled album Sandy Denny started her solo career which lasted till her tragic accidental death in 1978. R.I.P.