TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Right, i have to prepare a brief presentation on Fairport for a music history class, explaining why fairport are an important part of recent music history, so i'm turning to you folk for help. Most of the people in the class have never heard of fc, so i want to make sure i provide a bit of background on top of everything else.

I have a basic idea of what i want to say (beginnings, Cropredy, important songs etc) but i wanted to ask if any of you lovely people can think of anything that you feel is particularly important in Fairport's history or that has made a big impact on other music/musicians? Most of you know a lot more than me, and i really don't want to miss out vital info.

Sandy & Liege & Lief....

If you've got a copy of Ashley's song Wings give that a listen - it sums it all up really.

But - for me its to do with links and connections, making a bridge between the likes of Ian Campbell across to Led Zepellin.

David W

Pretty much agree with this actually.

Jules

Fairport was arguably the first band to take distinctively British-based music and put it into a wider context than the folk scene, hence the pivotal importance of Leige & Lief.  Whilst the Guvnor continued the crusade with Steeleye and the various Albions, and others tagged along (Incredible String Band, Mr Fox, etc.), Fairport remains the most enduring of them all.  The formidable talents who have been in the band link to almost every other area of popular music:  Swarb and Peggy (after being a teenage rocker) came from the folk scene and Peggy went on to Tull.  Swarb is a legend in his own incredible lifetime.  RT must be the most distinctive and original electric guitarist these islands have produced, and Sandy.....a lot of people will have seen recent media features marking the 30th anniversary and highlighting her early days with The Strawbs and the session for Led Zeppelin.
DM (a jazz drummer) has played with McCartney and any number of other well-knowns, Bruce Rowlands with Joe Cocker.  Ian Matthews had hits post-Fairport, and Simon has toured with, amongst others, Art Garfunkel.  Most of the crowd have assisted Ralph McTell at one time or another.  These are all names that people will know, I guess.  And don't lose sight of the fact that in the early days, Fairport were cool young things, with the likes of John Peel and Whispering Bob Harris extolling their virtues.  They made a lot of people aware that a band could construct a whole repertoire on British foundations with odd time signatures, modal scales and lots of verses!   They were in some ways early precursors of bands like REM and the modern singer-songwriters.
I'd suggest you go easy on the Cropredy angle; wonderful though it be for those of us in the know, it doesn't highlight the immense influence of Fairport on British music, particularly over their first 10 years.
Hope this helps.

Cheers for all the suggestions so far folk - they're all really useful!



I've had a wee look for the song but i can't find it - any ideas as to where i might be able to get hold of it?

It is on The Cropredy Box in a Fairport version or The Albion Band's version is on Happy Accident.

If anyone has the lyrics for it they would be very useful I'm sure

I'm pretty sure that The History Of Fairport Convention came complete with a family tree. If you could get a copy it'd make a good illustration / backdrop for your presentation although it may be too distracting if left up too long.

Surely it'll take five minutes just to name the people who've been in the band!

No disrespect to 40 year old records, but to me by far the most fascinating aspect of the FC story is the way they have created their own music industry---pretty much independent and outside of the mainstream music business. The Cropredy history, and the resurgence with Gladys' Leap started an amazing run that continues to this day. That is unique as far as I know.

I was going to make that point myself. I'm not sure that it is unique but Fairport were certainly pioneers of this sort of approach and in many ways it prefigured the sort of home made on line bypassing of the industry for music distribution that is beginning to dominate now.

It's on the Cropredy box set if you have it. Also on one of The Guv'nor volumes (I forget which).

It's on the Guv'nor Volume 4. It's a lovely song.

and (ahem!) don't forget the prog-rock and trance dance connections ::)

There's a good overview of the history on the FC site.

"Fairport did for real ale what the Grateful Dead did for LSD" - not music history exactly but you might be able to get your title out of that! ;D

Seriously, I think your main point has to be that they basically created British folk rock and completely revolutionised the folk revival: up to then it was all done by serious blokes in Arran sweaters.  So like others, I think you have to focus on Liege and Lief and maybe explore the dynamics of the group and mention the musical backgrounds of the members. Apparently L&L outraged quite a few 'traditionals' at the time.  If you could get hold of the Folk Britannia programmes they would be useful research.  There's quite a lot to cover in five minutes.  Good luck.

To me, what stands out about FC, is the fact that a group of very young, middle class grammer school boys (and girl) produced some very good West Coast American-type music, including some Dylan covers, made 3 great early albums, which had a very late 60's almost semi-mystical cutting edge sound to them, but then after a horrific and tragic motorway accident when "on the road", produced a ground-breaking album "Liege and Lief" which for the first time fused traditional English "murder ballads" with contemporary 60's electric rock music. By this time, two very respected and outstanding musicians of their time, Sandy Denny and Dave Swarbrick had joined them.
They've had huge influences on the genre of "folk rock" and on the evolution of bands such as Steeleye Span, Jethro Tull and even Led Zepellin (Robert Plant was always a friend and admirer). The recent BBC2 radio documentary on Sandy Denny summarised a lot of this story well- may still be on I-Player, as it was on last week.

http://thealbionchronicles.tripod.com/id2.html

I was going to suggest listening to the Sandy Denny prog on Radio 2 too. There was a lot about the band and it's early influences to and fro.

I learned a lot from it (but then every day's school day!)

The Expletive Delighted is a great website for trivia too. And the book that comes with the Free Reid boxed set.

I also find that just googling the various band members' names comes up with all sorts of interesting info. A very diverse band.  Good luck!

Should also add, on a more philosophical/sociological level, that the positive consequence, and influence of albums such as  "Liege and Lief" can be seen as an visionary first step to helping discovery and awareness of one's own ethnic/national "self", through folk song and tradition; bit like what the "Band" did, intentionally or unintentionally, with American music with their album of the same period, "Music from Big Pink", and modern European bands such as Poland's "Warsaw Village Band" are doing with their exploration of traditional Polish rural folk music.

Depending on the age of the class I would probably not go into detail, lots of dates, names of albums, names of people. it may turn them away from Fairport and history. make it dynamic and can you include some actual music during the five minute presentation - may be someone wiser than I can think of something that grabs them that isn't an indulgent for the presenter.

hope this helps

I'd play a snippet of The Hexamshire Lass or Widow of Westmorland's Daughter. For me, they both epitomise the brilliant way FC fuse traditional-style folk music with electric instruments. They're both upbeat enough to appeal to a younger audience too.




(BTW whilst looking for suitable songs I was just browsing Asda website (some good prices on their CDs) and saw such delights as Reg and Gold and the classic Meet Me on the Ledge - this must be the duet version with Lindisfarne!)

Just play Sloth as the intoduction to your presentation, that way you won't have to do any prep at all except to say "I am going to talk about a band called Fairport Convention, have a listen to one of their tunes...." That's your 5 mins taken care off.   ;) ;)

FIVE mins BD...?

Surely at least 20 mins...  ;) ;D

Well Ames, it is a an experienced lecturers trick, to be used when you don't know to do! oopppss ran out of time, see you next week.  Stop record and make a hasty retreat.

i know, i'm sorry, we're not supposed to pick up other people's spellings etc, but i believe this to be a typo, and it made me laugh out loud - nice one bridg!!!!

Dodgy bit of sex education thrown in for good measure ;D

I think that was the point. Asda's typo. Not Bridgwit's.

You're right Gub Gub. It were Asda M'Lud. Reg and Gold indeed!

My typos are more like deliferate speeling mistales!

oh heck yes, sorry again, reading fast while i should have been working - didn't even spot the meet me on the ledge till just now!!  still made me laugh tho :-)

If I had literally only 5 min to do the same I would make some handouts with the facts and have some visuals to show of eg different line-ups through time. Your own enthusiasm on the subject is probably more important than a multitude of facts which nobody will remember anyway unless they were really humourous. Best of luck!

In REM's album Document there is a song, King of birds, whose intrumental arrangements seems to me a true tribute to Fairport.

best

Paolo

Brilliant Paolo, for picking up the REM connection. My daughter's going to see them soon and looked at me like I was mad (she does that a lot) when I pointed out that they (well Peter Buck I think) used to name check Fairport and particularly RT as early influences.

Presumably not business influences however!

As far as a five minute dissertation on Fairport goes - in the 1960s, north London/Mancunian middle class youths and girl  are bowled over by Bob Dylan. They meet a Harvard smoothie with immaculate taste. Then some of them audition a Wimbledon based force of nature. One middle class youth gets a galloping dose of the English Folk Revival. They meet a small male Brum based maniac who can't half play the fiddle and their best album results. A dreadful accident occurs. A sarcastic percussionist appears and the Brummie maniac is asked to stay. And out of this comes a wonderful flower which will hopefully live for ever, namely Liege and Lief. . Post accident trauma and fear of flying means two people leave. A tall Brum based blagger of basses arrives. Oh, is the five minutes up? I only got to 1969!  ;D ;D    

'Mancunian' Ed? Who was that then? ???

That was the liam gallagher period :D ;)

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What's happening to Liam's mouth and chin there?  Looks like he's melting!   ;D

Jules

Good point...in any case is this when he was still Liam or had he already become Liaim by then?  Sorry, I'll get my coat....

LOL it was fag smoke.... but I couldn't photoshop it in...

Oh Gawd. Just because I didn't check Wikipedia, Britannica, the Anglo Saxon Chronicle etc...   :-[ ;D

I read somewhere that Iain M had Manchester connections, but maybe I hallucinated that. How jolly embarrassing.

Must be my intake of Boddies and Robbies years ago in Cheshire/Derbyshire (eg the Bull at Little Hucklow, every night a lock in - don't all rush, the landlord's changed)

And is that the valuable limited edition Heyday cover Sam? LOL!!!

Born in sunny Scunny, I believe....

That was it - SCUNTHORPE!! Errr....easy to confuse Manchester & Scunny.  

I shouldn't confuse them though - used to go out with a girl from Scunthorpe. Where are you now Patti?

Manchester probably  ;D ;D ;D