“…My Friend…”
An offshoot of
the mighty Fairport Convention - FOTHERINGAY made one sublime album on Island
Records in early 1970 and then dispersed into vapour. And if ever the Folk-Rock
genre had a hidden treasure that shouldn't be - then this is it. Here are the
misty-eyed details...
FOTHERINGAY
were:
SANDY DENNY -
Lead Vocals, Piano And Guitar
TREVOR LUCAS -
Lead Vocals and Guitar
JERRY DONAHUE -
Lead Guitar and Backing Vocals
GERRY CONWAY -
Drums and Backing Vocals
PAT DONALDSON -
Bass and Backing Vocals
Released August
2004 - this beautifully remastered CD is an expanded edition.
"Fotheringay" on Fledg'ling
Records FLED 3044 (Barcode 5020393304429) breaks down as follows (60:51
minutes):
1. Nothing More
2. The Sea
3. The Ballad Of
Ned Kelly
4. Winter Winds
5. Peace In The
End
6. The Way I
Feel
7. The Pond And
The Stream
8. Too Much Of
Nothing
9. Banks Of The
Nile
Tracks 1 to 9
are the album "Fotheringay" - released June 1970 in the UK on Island
Records ILPS 9125 and in the USA on A&M Records SP-4269. Tracks 1, 2, 4,
and 7 are Sandy Denny originals. Track 5 is a co-write between Denny and Lucas,
while 6 and 8 are Gordon Lightfoot and Bob Dylan covers respectively. Track 9
is a Traditional Song arranged by the band.
10. Two Weeks
Last Summer [Live]
11. Nothing More
[Live]
12. Banks Of The
Nile [Live]
13. Memphis
Tennessee [Live]
Tracks 10 to 13
recorded live at The Holland Pop Festival in Rotterdam, 28 June 1970. "Two
Weeks Last Summer" is a Dave Cousins song (Strawbs) while "Memphis
Tennessee" is a Chuck Berry cover.
The 8-page inlay
is a fairly basic affair but it does have lovely pictures of rare foreign
picture sleeves like "The Ballad Of Ned Kelly" b/w "Nothing
More" and "Peace In The End" b/w "Winter Winds" from
Germany, Holland and Japan. There's also rare gig posters for Fotheringay, The
Humblebums and Nick Drake in Birmingham and Leicester (now there's a gig I want
to see), a shared bill at The Roundhouse "Pop Proms" between 20 and
25 April 1970 and a 'supergroup' show in March 1970 at The Royal Festival Hall.
But the big news is the sound - a fantastic DENIS BLACKHAM remaster. His gift
with tapes turned many of the tracks on the "Meet on The Ledge"
Island Folk-Rock 3CD Box into a rehear treat (see detailed separate review) and
he's done the same here.
The two
powerhouse forces within the group were England's Sandy Denny and the
Australian Trevor Lucas. Denny sings Lead Vocals on "Nothing More",
"The Sea", "Winter Winds", "The Pond And The
Stream" and the gorgeous album finisher "Banks Of The Nile"
while Lucas handles the other four (3, 5, 6 and 8 above). The first thing that
hits you is the great songs moving effortlessly from Folk to Folk-Rock and
covering a few Traditionals in between - then the quality of the JOE BOYD
Production and finally the beautifully sensitive DENIS BLACKHAM remaster.
There's stunning
warmth to this album - the masterpiece Fairport didn't make to follow their
meisterwork "Liege & Lief" in December 1969. Remaster engineer
Blackham has made the combo vocals on "Peace In The End" sound
glorious while Lucas sounds not unlike Gordon Lightfoot on the inspired cover
version choice of "The Way I Feel". But for me the album is dominated
by two truly beautiful Denny moments - her own composition "The Sea"
and her loving arrangement of the Traditional Air "Banks Of The
Nile". I'd rate "The Sea" up there with "Where Does The
Time Go?" from 1969's "Unhalfbricking" - it's beautiful lilt and
lyrics somehow evoking a longing in its listener that is rare. The
eight-minutes of "The Banks Of The Nile" featured on the
aforementioned "Meet On The Ledge" box set - and not surprising
either - as gorgeous a tune as you've ever heard.
The first live
track - the Dave Cousins song "Two Weeks Last Summer" has great audio
quality and presents the band in exactly that laid-back feel the album has. But
it takes a bit of a sonic nosedive come "Nothing More". Luckily the
version of "Banks" is way better with Sandy sounding so good. We then
get Fotheringay going on all Rock & Roll sounding not unlike the Faces with
a raucous female singer - what a blast...
Conway,
Donaldson and Donahue along with Drummer Tony Cox, Flute player Lynn Dobson and
Jazzman Dudu Pukwana would make "Living Game" with Mick Greenwood in
late 1971 on MCA Records (see separate review). Sandy would go Solo of course
and Lucas went back to the Fairports. A second album was planned but never
released. But Donaldson and Conway (remaining members of the band) returned to
those tapes and put out "Fotheringay 2" on CD in September 2008
giving us that old material updated but in the spirit of the original. I loved
it too.
Sometimes a year
lodges in your brain - like 1970 - "On The Boards" by Taste,
"Pendulum" by CCR, "Kiln House" by Fleetwood Mac,
"Humble Pie" by Humble Pie, "Bryter Layter" by Nick Drake,
"Encouraging Words" by Billy Preston, "Rides Again" by The
James Gang, "Gasoline Alley" by Rod Stewart - and
"Fotheringay".I've adored this album for over 40 years and as time
passes its magic only grows.
As a footnote -
I can remember vividly a pub conversation when I was with the late great JOHN
WALTERS - John Peel's Producer at the BBC. I was buying his astonishing record
collection on behalf of Reckless. He sat there misty-eyed telling me about a
friend of his who'd come running into his control room in 1969 raving about
this 'girl' singer he'd seen in a bar in London the night previous. A 'folky'
his pal enthused with the voice of an angel. It was of course Sandy Denny. Ever
scouting artists for Peel and his radio show - Walters went along and said the
hairs stood up on the back of his neck when she began singing. I can still see
John's face in that bar as we sat talking - remembering that great musical
moment. God bless you both wherever you may be...
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