TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Hiya Peggy

I'm reposting a question from elsewhere on this forum as it was suggested to me that you might know the answer!

Am I right in thinking that the 1970 "Full House lineup" BBC sessions do not exist in decent quality and that all that exists are off-air recordings? 

I'd love to hear the long Now Be Thankful, the unedited Journeyman's Grace, Sickness And Diseases with RT on lead guitar, Staines Morris et al in decent quality.  Is this a folorn hope, or did any of this material survive the infamous BBC tape culls?

Best wishes to you and the entire Fairport 'family',

Jules

Hi Jules. I have never heard these sessions and would obviously love them myself, soooo if anyone out there etc?

Hi Peggy

I'm gobsmacked - you've never heard them?  I tell you, if some decent quality dubs ever came to light then they'd be a must release for Woodworm or whathaveyou.

I have a 2 disc boot called Now Be Thankful which consists of off-air recordings.  The quality is fair, but not good enough for a 'proper' release.  If you send me an IM and give me a PO Box address or whatever, I'd be glad to send you a copy.

If anyone out there knows of any better sources, then please speak up!

Jules

See here (http://www.talkawhile.co.uk/yabbse/index.php?topic=19226.msg212481#msg212481) for Dave's  postal address.

I would be knocked out to get a copy. Please send it to me at our office at Fairport Convention Ltd. Stonehouse,  marketplace, chipping norton,ox75na. Cheers and will buy you a pint next gig you come to! ta, peggy.

I'll get that sorted for you, Peggy.

Jules

Hi Peggy

I don't know if it's the same 2CD set but I've got one called "Fairport Convention, The BBC Sessions 1970." Again, it's radio recordings of relatively poor quality. The track list is:

CD1. The Deserter
Sir B. McKenzies
Tam Lin
The Journeyman's Grace
Dirty Linen
Now Be Thankful
Bridge over the River Danube (That's what it says on the sleeve!!)
Staines Morris
Sir Patrick Spens
The Journeyman's Grace
Tunes My Mother Taught Me
Sickness and Diseases
Now be Thankful

CD2. The Deserter
Walk Awhile
Flatback Caper
Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman
Flatback Caper
Open the Door Homer
The Bonny Black Hare
Sir Patrick Spens
Sir B. McKenzies
The Deserter
Hangman's Reel
The Bonny Bunch of Roses
Dirty Linen
Flowers of the Forest
Now Be Thankful

Obviously I can bootleg this bootleg (is that possible?!?) if you like.

Best wishes

Mark

<snip>

Mark, that's exactly the same tracklisting as the set I'm sending Peggy, except the discs are the other way round - what you've listed there as disc 1 postdates the recordings on disc 2.

I would imagine that the actual contents are exactly the same though.

Jules

Sounds like it's exactly the same CD set. I always wonder where these bootlegs originate and I always feel guilty buying them but they are intriguing. I won't be bootlegging them but I've started transferring many radio concert recordings that I have to CD. Lurking amongst many reel/cassette/DAT tapes there must be BBC radio concerts of Fairport from (I think) 1990 and 1997....

In this day and age with CD trading so commonplace on the internet, there's really no need to pay money for boots anymore.  I know it's rotten that the artist gets no money, but at least the bootleggers don't make a fat profit.

Jules

The discussions about the rights and wrongs of bootlegs and trading have run on this board over many years. If you browse back over the historical posts you'll probably find reams of opinion on the subject.

The board's position on trading has generally been as follows:

What you discuss in emails and IMs is your own business. What you post on the board however is every board member's business, including the artists themselves. Specific references that people make to specific bootlegs are generally accepted in the context of other discussions (such as these discussions with Peggy about these BBC Sessions recordings). However please do not begin openly trading on the board and please do not use the board as or its membership as a means to offer bootlegs for trade.

Cheers

Nick

That sounds entirely sensible, Nick.  Noted.

Jules

Absolutely right Nick. Of course, it's always nice to know what archive material exists but most importantly, it's great if home recordings of "missing links" can make it back to the artists themselves and maybe even put into legitimate box sets etc. I sincerely hope that's the spirit of this thread - it's certainly my only reason for joining it.

Cheers

Mark

Indeed, Mark, and it's the reason behind my starting the thread too.  I dream of an official release for this material if it ever turns up in good enough quality.  And I'm thinking that Mr Pegg might be the man who could make it happen.

There must be some better quality dubs out there than the ones on the boots, though - how else did we come by the edited version of Journeyman's Grace on the Fairport Unconventional box set?  Such a shame it wasn't the full length BBC version which I consider to be the definitive version of the song, despite the poor quality of the recording I have.

Jules

Hi Peggy

The CDs should be with you today or tomorrow.

Thanks very much for answering all our questions here this month.  You gave good forum!

Jules

I also dream of more official releases of recordings and videos. A new airing cupboard cd/dvd would be a treat. The BBc sessions are great. I think a cd boot called Sandy has a cleaner version of two bbc songs if I remember correctly. I would love to see a collector series like King Crimson. I know there are a few archived FC concerts released on talking elephant. But I would like to see more cds from many eras. I would want the off played jems and the rare, but even another sloth would make me happy. :)  And a Dvd of studio videos  and shows like maidenstone would be FC nirvana. I also hope that It all comes round will be released on the DVD format. My tape is worn out. I would love to see it happen. The artists would get money and I get some new/old FC.  My two cents   ^-^

thanks for your help Jules. I've enjoyed answering the questions and apologise for the brevity of some answers and for not getting into more detail . Time was the issue. Cheers, peggy.