TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

While listening through my old cassettes before throwing them away, I stumbled across a real gem. I had a small portable cassette recorder with which I did record a Fairport gig in a small Gothenburgh club early April 1986. To my amazement- I'm a real "Sloth" fan- I find a 5th generation* version of "Sloth" with Maart on a blistering electric guitar and 19 minutes of total "Sloth"-bliss. A fantastic version, with a local bass part thrown in for good measure : - ) . My question is: is there a similar "Sloth" recording available on a properly released album made by the Nicol-Pegg-Mattacks-Sanders- Alcock line-up?. What I've heard tonight certainly makes me hunger for more!



* 1st generation: Full House, 2nd:The Nine-line-up , 3rd:Sandy-back-in-the-folds, 4th:4-piece-late 70´s-FC

You little tease, you....  ;)

sighhhhh

I too had a cassette from sometime in '86 and I rememeber that version of Sloth. Seem to recall a few bars of Aqualung in the middle. Wish I knew hwat happened to that tape....

I have just dig out my old tapes and have a two tape set of Fairport @ Sheffield Octagon 18/01/86 (fifth generation SN/DP/DM/MA/RS) - there is a version of Sloth on tape one. It is an audience recording. On their next winter tour Jan 07 Fairport played Nottingham Rock City (Sadly no Sloth) but I have a Radio Nottingham broadcast on tape which is of good quality. Happy days - I even made my own covers for the tapes.

I miss the band playing 'rock' venues like the Rock City.  I'd love to see them leave the comfort zone and spend two weeks doing those (ok Rock City is probably too large now, but you know what I mean) kinds of venues instead of the theatres...particularly now the smoking ban is in place  ;)

Fantastic! That was the first Fairport show I ever attended.Gladys' Leap.What a superb night in a rammed standing student venue.I'd love to hear that tape! If you have time could you please post a set-list from that night if you have one? It'd be great to see the lads play venues like that again but I guess the student gigging scene isn't quite what it was.Around the same time Roy Harper used to regularly fill the Octagon and the Lower Refec,too.Mind you,FCA played at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham the year before last-that was a good standing show-makes a nice change from the usual theatres.

Surely Full House was at least the second generation?  Whereas your 3rd and 4th generations are essentially the same band minus or plus Sandy.  I demand a recount!

 :)

Jules

But they're talking about Sloth, aren't they?

Uh...oh...um...yeah.  I'll shut up now then.

 :-[

Jules

Yeah, a bit of Aqualung, a bit of Rhiannon, a bit of In The Hall Of The Mountain King....

My first Fairport gig as well...

Set List for Sheffield Octagon 18.01.86

Lark in the Morning
Walk Ahile
The Cat on the Mixer
The Gas Almost Works
Honour & Praise
Instrumental Medley '85
The Hiring Fair
Jam's O Donnell's Jigs
Wat Tyler
Si Bheag Si Mhor
Sloth
Jack Frost & The Hooded Crow
(Ronald Reagans Christmas Story - DM)
Close to the Wind
The Swirling Pit
Mattey Groves
The Rocklands Reel
Sack the Juggler
Dirty Linen
Meet on the Ledge

From memory - I´m at work at the moment - it looks identical to the Gothenburgh gig in april the same year.

The 1st saw em open for Tull at the SF Civic Center. I think it was 85. They came back the next year as friends of Fairport or something like that.  What a great line up and so much energy. I know many people don't like the post Swarb era as much, but they were a great line up.

I'm still hoping to find the live version of Spanish Main with different lyrics from Maart's last tour with FC. I miss the Maart era.

Since I'm currently in critical mode (see the Jerry Donahue thread), I have to agree - Maart is much missed by me - maybe some of us didn't know what we'd got till it went...

DC

Apart from the third number getting a new title: "The Guinea Pig In The Microwave" : - ), "Si Begh..." was dropped in favour of "Portmeirion" and "John Barleycorn". Otherwise the same set list 6th of April!

Especially your final words are very true to me. I have to admit I wasn't too fond of the synthesisers but that feeling clouded my judgement to the effect that I didn't fully- at the time- acknowledged Maart´s contribution in composing, keyboards and- above all- the electric guitar. While preparing this Summer's Cropredy I burned down my favourite Fairport tracks on 8 CD.s and my greatest astonishment came when I reheard the post-85 pre-Chris Leslie album tracks.I can blame it on the children being born at the time so that there was no time for CD listening, but I am going to go back to those Fairport albums and listen closely to them this time. I´ve probably missed some gems!
Glad to see Maart on the Cropredy stage this year, though. And I must say that a proper Fairport release of a heavy Maart-electric-guitar-infected "Sloth" recording could give both Richard (yes!!) and Jerry D a run for their money!

I have to say that it's my least favourite Fairport era.  I disliked those keyboard sounds and his fondness for metal guitar.  Seems like a lovely man, I just didn't like what he brought to Fairport musically.  Horses for courses, I guess.

Jules

At the time I agreed with you.  But I'm afraid personally I feel that even what might be called the 'showmanship' of that era now looks quite appealing from this current point in time.  I guess it just proves that I'm a fan of what came before, which is when I got into the band.  Still, I wouldn't be without them, in whatever form they chose to exist...

We think he's (very) greatly missed!

Well put, David, I think I agree with all of that.

Jules

This era would be a good choice for a future Woodworm Archives release, assuming the series will continue...

In 1997 I responded to another topic about old recordings...I added to the topic with the following...

I have just dig out my old tapes and have a two tape set of Fairport @ Sheffield Octagon 18/01/86 (fifth generation SN/DP/DM/MA/RS) - there is a version of Sloth on tape one. It is an audience recording. On their next winter tour Jan 07 Fairport played Nottingham Rock City (Sadly no Sloth) but I have a Radio Nottingham broadcast on tape which is of good quality. Happy days - I even made my own covers for the tapes.

Following on from this a member of the Talkawhile site contacted me (I cannot remember who it was) and from our communications I sent to him some tape cassettes...Fairport at Rock City (recorded from the Radio) and The Albion Band Easter show (recorded by Radio Trent)...the idea was that the member was going to copy them from cassette onto discs...He did say at the time that he had lots of commitments...but that he would get around to copy them not only for himself but for me also. From this point on the communications decreased...although the member kindly sent me a copy of the swarbrick and Nicol 'Close to the white Bear' about a year later...the idea was that the my tapes would be returned to me. I had forgotten all about these tapes until I reminded myself of them whilst at Cropredy this year. If the Gentleman could stand up and make himself to me once more that would be great...lets communicate and at some point I’d like to be reunited with these items.

Thanks for your time.

It's my favourite! I love how opinions alter so much on this board  :)

I do remember seeing FC at Rock City I think it was in the red and gold era ( though i may be wrong)
(It was in my hazy days) As you say in those days Rock City was great venue to play

I certainly miss the chance to see the band in standing rock venues (and with a (folk-) rock guitarist).  I realise the issues about an ageing demographic and all that, but just once in a while it would be nice...

I guess it was last period the band was trying to be folking rockers, instead of rocking folkers.  ;)

Hear, hear!

Then get down to The Duchess in York on 3rd November, great little standing only, underground venue

Quite bizarre that it's the 'acoustic' setup that's playing in a pub.  Sort of counter-intuitive, that.  If I find a ticket for Hebden Bridge Trades Club (anyone?) that might help...

I guess the "with a folk-rock guitarist" bit is quite important to me too.  Very rarely see that electric on stage from this 5-piece...although (imho) Simon's a lot better with it than he seems to think he is (or at least enjoys).

I have never understood Simon's disparaging of his own electric guitar playing---and I never will. Vastly underrated---mostly by his own self. Maybe, as you say, he just doesn't enjoy it; I wouldn't know.

I have hoped for some time that they would do just that. Not least because my exceptionally well worn cassette of Fairport live at the Shepherds Bush Empire in January 1995 finally seems to have given up the ghost recently :( I would love to have a recording from the "Jewel in the Crown" end of the Maart era in a more permanent format.

Fairport should perform Sloth every two years at least as a band masterpiece.
Simon is great in Sloth in the recent double Live from Swarb archives.

Best to all

Paolo

To coincide with Richard Thompson years. Which should occur every year. If not more frequently.