TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Some news about the new Sandy biography that was announced some time ago:

https://www.facebook.com/SandyDennyOfficial?hc_location=stream

Coming in june next year, it states. On sale in Cropredy, no doubt..

--
greetings from Holland,
Hans Valk

Thanks for this HAns. I never did get around to reading No More Sad Refrains, so maybe this is the one. Like the title.  8)

I can't see the title - what is it?

Jules

'I've always kept a Unicorn'

Hmm.  Now, personally speaking, such a title would have me running very quickly in the opposite direction.

Jules

Strange. Why? ???

He's threatened by the size of the horn.

Ha!  No, it just sounds too whimsical.  A bit new-agey.  I don't think it captures her spirit like a good book title can.

Jules

Yes, one of Sandy's more enigmatic lines, and that's just why it intrigues me. She wasn't so surreal, usually. It seems to come out of nowhere, in the context of the song.

Isn't that whole verse meant to be ironic in a slightly self-depreciating way, rather than surreal? An idealised image that was imposed on her by others, but which she couldn't hope to live up to? That's how I've always taken it anyway, in which case it's a very curious line to use for a book title.

I've always lived in a mansion
On the other side of the moon
I've always kept a unicorn
And I never sing out of tune

Yeah, I've always read it that way too.

 :o  ::)

I've written a Sandy Denny biography:

Lovely girl.
Great singer.
Could be a bit petulant.

Anything else you need to know?

(Actually I stole that from somebody who actually knew her.)

Yes, that too, and not ruling out the random strangeness of it, for me at least.

As the years go by, I notice  Sandy's lyrics more and more, and I think it's because for so many years i've just been overwhelmed by the beauty of her voice, and the words seemed of secondary importance. She was a great writer. Apropos of which, Clive James wrote a very astute piece about her many years ago which is on the Atkin /James website. http://peteatkin.com/

Me too. She's poking fun at herself for having her head in the clouds most of the time. More in this same vein in "I'm a Dreamer," perhaps my favorite Sandy song.

Thanks for that link. Wow! That's a great piece of writing by Clive James. Unlike so much other music journalism, it was actually about the music. Great stuff.

You're very welcome. I was pleasantly surprised too  , when I first read it, as I'd never thought of Clive as a music journalist.

It was mostly about her lyrics, actually. And James did not spare her some firm criticism, too. But she was still with us, then.
Philip Ward did point at this article some years ago in one of his blogs on Sandy Denny.
I wonder whether Mick Houghton will be so frank in his biography..

--
greetings from Holland,
Hans Valk

Your link leads to the website - but where is the article?

http://www.peteatkin.com/sandy.htm

Thanks

Thanks DadV. I was just being lazy.  8)

Sorry, I should have been more specific.  ;)

Her lyrics, her singing techniques, the songs.

What was refreshing was that it was about the art, not the artist. Most music journalism is written the other way round.

Karl Dallas has just sent me this link to what he presumes is the last interview Sandy ever gave, circa September 1977:
http://folknews2013.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/sandy-denny-the-last-interview/
Main topics: her upcoming tour and baby Georgia, who seems to be in the room with them.

Re Clive James - he wrote a number of articles on music for Creem, but I think the article on Sandy was his only contribution to Let It Rock. Splendid fellow, sadly now in poor health.

Yes, Clive, great all -round intellectual critic and journalist, is very ill, and I'll be sad to see him go. He spoke very movingly on BBC R4 recently. My main connection with him is through Atkin/ JAmes music, but i recall fiondly his TV column, which I read for years after I'd given up watching telly (haven't had one for many years) altogether.

From the Sandy Denny Facebook page:

Mick Houghton's biography of Sandy out March 2015 on Faber

Faber have issued a press release and cover art for Mick Houghton's forthcoming biography on Sandy:

"Faber are proud to announce the definitive biography of Sandy Denny, one of the most influential folk rock artists of all time, by Mick Houghton, published on March 5 2015.

I’ve Always Kept a Unicorn tells the story of Sandy Denny, one of the greatest British singers of her time and the first female British singer-songwriter to produce a substantial and enduring body of original songs.  

Sandy Denny laid down the marker for folk-rock when she joined Fairport Convention in 1968, releasing three albums with them in 1969 before her shock departure just ahead of the release of the celebrated Liege & Lief. Her music went far beyond this during the seventies, driven by a restless search for the perfect framework for her songs, first with Fotheringay the group she formed but controversially left after recording just one album. On leaving, she immediately collaborated on a historic one-off recording with Led Zeppelin on ‘The Battle of Evermore’ – the only guest vocalist ever to record with the group. Four fascinating, mercurial solo albums followed as well as an ultimately misguided return to Fairport Convention before her tragic and untimely death, aged 31, in 1978, in circumstances still shrouded in hearsay and speculation.

Sandy emerged from the folk scene of the sixties – a world of larger-than-life characters such as Alex Campbell, Jackson C. Frank, Anne Briggs and Australian singer Trevor Lucas, whom she married in 1973. Their often turbulent relationship is at the core of Sandy’s later life and work, as she tried to reconcile a longing for the simple life and motherhood with the trappings of a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle and a fear of the fame and success which others expected of her.

This is her story told with the help of more than sixty of her friends, fellow musicians and contemporaries all of whom spoke with great candour, some with too much candour, and all with a mixture of joy and sadness when talking about Sandy."

[Photo over 400 days old. Removed by Admin.]

Somehow I've had my fill of Sandy Denny biographies. I love most of her music, but hers is a tragic story, with a tragic death.

Still, for those who want it, a great Christmas present, no doubt.

I've yet to read a Sandy biography. Sometimes I don't want to know too much, if that makes sense. DAve Cousins's autobiography is now out, and in spite of being a long term fan, I'm not really that bothered. Still, a Sandy biog might be okay- - though i hung back on the first one till it was out of print.  8) ;D

I'll only bother with this one if I hear it's significantly better than what's already out there, for the same reasons that Andy stated.

Jules

Easter?   :)

Or birthday.

There, I think we've covered it.

Here we go with the launch night.  Looks like a tip top evening...

http://fabersocial.co.uk/2015/01/a-night-of-sandy-denny/

I missed the Clive James/Pete Atkin link first time around - really glad to have caught it now.
Apologies for going off topic, but I think I need to listen to some of their musical collaborations again - with a sideways critical ear in the light of the article. Clive's own take on modern/timeless language is always worthy of consideration!

Just done that very thing. And I must say, Pete Atkin for Cropredy! Has he ever done it? He'd be perfect.

Confused!
Pre-amble says 3rd March, ticket page says 28th Feb: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/faber-social-presents-a-night-of-sandy-denny-tickets-15401690872?ref=ebtnebtckt

I have asked Mick, will let you know when he replies  ;D

Thanks Jude. I've mailed Faber also.

Mick Houghton says definitely the 3rd. That's when he's going anyway  ;D

I'm a long time fan, and I'm a bit puzzled by the lack of interest in Pete and Clive on this forum. Perhaps they just aren't 'folky' enough? Have you heard Midnight Voices CD? It revives a set of old songs.

Looking it up now! Thanks! - and if 'folk' is taken as singer/songwriter taking a personal contemporary view-point...  ;)

Back on topic please and start a new one if you like.
(You haven't noticed what it says under my avatar?)

booked - see you there.

Understood Colin.

I didn't notice your motto.  8)I was gonna choose 'In the clear at barely 55' for mine  but it's rapidly gone out of date.

Guardian review here.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/feb/18/ive-always-kept-unicorn-sandy-denny-biography-review (http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/feb/18/ive-always-kept-unicorn-sandy-denny-biography-review)

Swarb rates it.

There's a first time for everything. ;)

That has whet my appetite even more - a concise and intelligent review.

Thanks for posting. - -A good review.  8)

To me it reads as 90% biography and 10% review.
It hardly seems to mention the book.

(Somebody once said to me that they could do a concise Sandy Denny biography - "She could be petulant".)  

...and in contrast she could be petillant!

Excellent. I shall use that, although I'll have to pick my audience.

Can't see this link (apologies if already posted), but if you want a signed copy

https://www.burningshed.com/store/sandydenny/collection/469/add/6457/

Another launch for the Sandy book, this time on the 5th of March at Kingston School of Art, where she and John Renbourn were both students.  It’s free, but you have to register if you want to go
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/art-school-counterculture-tickets-15532252385

I did buy the book this afternoon. In his foreword Richard Thompson writes that he deeply regrets that she is not better known today and this became quite apparent this afternoon when I tried to buy the book. I first went to the largest Waterstones store on Piccadilly, there I first looked at the new music  titles but didn't see it, went to the third floor but also could not find it. Finally I asked a staff member who looked it up in the computer and said that they got 10 copies last Saturday but they were probably still on the ground floor. Had another look there but did not see it, again I asked a staff member. When I said her name he said "wasn't she with Sonic Youth?", no she was not, "what was her name again?" Sandy Denny, "can you spell that?". He then did go to see if the book was among the new music titles (where I already had been), of course he could not find it as well. He asked me the title again (I've always kept a unicorn), when he heard this he went to have a look at the new Fantasy/Science Fiction titles (which amused me). It also was not there, he was puzzled by it and just gave up. God alone knows where they placed it, maybe the Natural History department

Later I did go the the Waterstones store near Trafalger Square. Had a look at the new music titles on the ground floor but nothing so went to the basement and had a look at the music books there but also nothing. Asked a staff member and he told me it was on the ground floor but again I could not find it. Again asked a staf member and she also had a look at the new music titles, when I was standing next to her I finally saw the book, it was on the bottom shelf between biographies of politicians. Sad as it may seem, younger people just do not know who she was.

Frankly, not all that surprising. A niche market within a niche market. As to the title, well, whimsy has its place I suppose and yes, I know it's a quote, but even so, a more straightforward title may have made it easier for bookstores to place correctly.

She has been dead for 37 years so practically no-one under 50 will have heard of her outside of the folkosphere. Even mention of Battle Of Evermore draws blank looks from those who think that Led Zep IV was Stairway.... or worse, the ever-larger numbers of people for whom Led Zeppelin (and Sandy Denny) represent their grandparents' music.

And the even larger number ( I work with a load of them) who say "Led who?"  :(

I wouldn't be so worried about whether they've heard of her, what would give me a problem is their complete inability to categorise and then find, their stock. There's never a shortage of "shock horror teens think Churchill is an insurance company" stories. They just haven't had time to acquire much information.







And they're mostly daft as a brush or asleep, or both.

Better still, today's launch at the Troubadour
http://fabersocial.co.uk/2015/01/a-night-of-sandy-denny/ - now sold out - but if you look down the right hand side in Recent Tweets, there's this....



Doors at 7 - see you (& her) there.

Two other launch events in the London area, where you can pick up signed copies. I assume Georgia will be at both:

Kingston Museum on Thursday 5th: http://www.archiveksa.org/sandy-denny-sketches/
The Slaughtered Lamb on Monday 9th http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/special-fairport-convention-and-sandy-denny-evening-with-simon-nicol-ashley-hutchings-and-mick-tickets-15776216087

My copy has just arrived.....huzzah!  :)

Georgia returns home "next Friday" she said. Looks well.

The twins are *18* now....that made me feel very old.

My copy arrived today its number 5  in my pile of books to read
I'm currently reading "the enemy within" about the skulduggery employed to beat the 84-85 miners strike.
Then ive got
"My father and other working class footballers" by Gary Imlach
"Through it all i laughed" Count Arthur Strong's autubiography
"The King" a biography of Denis Law and
"Bradman's War" about the 1948 ashes tour and how the Don approached it.
 

Tell you what, Jim, you can lend me your copy while you wade through that lot.   ;)

Jules

And, completely off-topic, if you enjoy this, try John "Budgie" Burridge' s autobiography, which is in a similar vein.

Budgie, another mad west cumbrian, it must be summat in the watter

Could we have a review from the first person to read it along the lines--- if you've already read Heylin and Philip Ward's books, does it add to the sum total of human knowledge, particularly about the music? Not surprisingly, the Guardian and Independent pieces were not really aimed at that.

I went to the Kingston launch yesterday.  Mick gave a very interesting half-hour talk on Sandy’s days at Kingston Art School (I hadn’t realised Eric Clapton went there, as well as John Renbourn) and her early gigs on a coal barge.  Georgia was there too, signing copies.  Very entertaining and a free glass of wine as well.  I doubt if they will be doing that at the Slaughtered Lamb…

Well I have finished it and it is certainly well written,enjoyed it thoroughly.

A very entertaining launch at the Slaughtered Lamb this evening, even managed to park 100 yards away!

To those that have the book - is that Ozzy Osbourne pictured with Fairport in the photo captioned "Backstage in Sydney 1974"?

I'm sure it is, but if so, Sabbath were in Sydney in November of that year and Fairport were there in January. Did Fairport do two stints in Australia that year?

Podcast ahoy, apparently... http://whatsheonaboutnow.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/celebrating-sixties-at-word-in-your-ear.html

There's an extract from the new biography, focussing on the making of Liege & Lief, in the new issue of Mojo, plus a sidebar on the best of her solo recordings.  Lots of nice, if familiar, pictures too.

Jules

Here (http://www.mojo4music.com/19696/sandy-denny-was-sacked/) it is

I understand that if you send your copy of Mojo to Dave Swarbrick he'll correct all the factual errors in the interviews for you and send it back.

I thought Mick the author had extensive chats with Swarb?

Shane, is that a joke recalling Swarb's reaction to the previous Fairport biography?  Or is he really saying that?

Jules

 ;D ;D ;D

 O0 [;-) ;D

Mick Houghton was on Bob Harris's radio show in the wee small hours talking about his book. Available on Listen Again (may be UK only). The interview starts about 25 minutes into the programme.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05pkbvc

Around half way though this now and enjoying it. The whole London folk scene really intrigues me and I'd like to read a whole book just dedicated to this (maybe one exists?). Also, it's once again striking just how much Fairport achieved between and including their debut and Full House. Astonishing.

Lots of touching moments so far, a few surprises, and thoughts of 'what might have been'.

Good book, well written. I haven't read any other Sandy biographies, but this does seem quite balanced, sometimes offering differing, often contradictory viewpoints from Sandy's friends and colleagues.

And its got me listening to a bit more Sandy, and Fotheringay, so that's no bad thing.

I don't know if there is a book dedicated to just the London folk scene of the 60s, but there is quite a bit about it in J.P. Bean's Singing From the Floor, which I would heartily recommend.

I'll be talking to Mick Houghton and Pete Paphides on Pete's radio show on SohoRadio next Tuesday lunchtime  :D

http://www.sohoradiolondon.com/

'A good book well written'. I agree. Also sympathetically written and yet retaining a good balance. To some extent this is achieved through quotation from many of those who knew and worked with Sandy. I thought one of the impressive things was the number of people who helped the author which made  for a well-rounded portrait.

What did I learn about the music and words which were new insights? Not much. In fact I think Philip Ward's book is almost a companion volume to this. It strikes me writing about performance art is not a terribly easy thing to do and what we don't get from Mick Houghton's book is why 1% think she is the best ever, while 99% have never heard of her and whether it could ever have been different. RT says an interesting thing ---that folk songs tend not to be constructed with hooks in them and writing in that way is limiting in terms of reaching a broader audience. A lot of Sandy's best songs don't really have choruses, they are a series of verses.

Probably rubbish on my part, but food for thought in Houghton's book.

Here's a blog that explains her songwriting....

http://www.nbnewman.blogspot.co.il/2015/04/sandy-denny-songwriting-and-production.html

Yet more coverage for the new biography: BBC Radio 6 Music last Thursday. The second hour of this programme was devoted to Sandy:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05pmp85
(It actually starts at 53' with a couple of cover versions.)

Here is a link to Mick and me talking to Pete Paphides on Soho Radio this afternoon...

https://www.mixcloud.com/sohoradio/pete-paphides-14042015/

we are nattering from the first part of the second hour :D

Just given this a listen...lovely interview  :)

Try 'Dazzling Stranger' Colin Irwin's book on Bert Jansch. I read this awhile back but seem to recall  afir bit of stuff on that scene...it may even allude to it in a subtitle that momentarily escapes me....

Cheers,

Slippy
 8)

The full title is Dazzling Stranger - Bert Jansch and the British Folk and Blues Revival. A really good read I remember, still hoping to track down a hardback copy one of these days.

Thanks Col and Al, I have read that one, might be due a re-read.

It's a good read - there's that sense of regret as you realise you're working toward the last chapters and the sad, inevitable end of the story, but there's a good deal of background about the scene, if not quite so much forensic detail as in at least one of the cited unpublished biographies. Then again, some folk prefer it that way.