TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

This year is 50 years since the release of the trio of classic Fairport LPs "(Holidays" in January, "Unhalfbricking" in July & "Liege & Lief" in December), also 10 years since Joe put on the fabulous Barbican gig celebrating 40 years.

I'm just wondering whether there are any plans to mark this year in a similar manner? If not should there be & what form should/might they take?  :)

That was such a truly brilliant gig.  The penultimate time I saw the band.  

Now that was a night ! A re-enactment would be good : Barbican, Festival Hall or Albert Hall ?

Maybe a special "3 album" tour where all 3 albums are played in their entirety - by the current FC with special guests or a gathering of willing participants ?

Sounds like a wonderful idea.  But I can't help feeling that if nothing has been said yet, it's not likely to be happening.  There would surely be a 'heads up' message somewhere.

Were they all recorded in that year? If so that's some going.

Meet on the Ledge being 50 this year - and RT made a thing of it on his recent tour.

WWDOOH must have started at the end of '68?  The other two certainly were.

Yes, but not unusual for the 60s.  Artists were expected to knock out albums in quick succession.  It was a hothouse environment.  It's why bands grew in leaps and bounds in such a short space of time.  Of course it actually came out of music industry cynicism - get as much product out of them while they're hot, before the kids move onto the next thing.  This might not have been quite so true with a band like Fairport, but releasing three albums in 1969 shows that they were as affected by the times they lived and worked in any anyone.

Jules

Plus the 1979 "Farewell, Farewell" performance 10 years later...seems like they won't be stuck for an anniversary theme..

Not putting it in the same league as those already mentioned, but it's a sobering thought that it is now 20 years since 'The Wood and the Wire' was released. Anyone feeling just a little older?

I know it's accepted wisdom that all three were released in '69 but at the risk of debunking that myth there's strong evidence that WWDOOH was actually released at the tail-end of '68, on 13th December. The detective work is courtesy of Richard Morton Jack, who I'm sure quite a few on TAW will know or know of through his Flashback magazine, Galactic Ramble book and Sunbeam label. Here's a link to some discussion on the Flashback Facebook page, which has a trade press ad for the album with release date shown and several supporting ads also from December.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2254747694595998&set=gm.1940605092699930&type=3&theater&ifg=1

Well done, Col.  I'd forgotten that discussion (it doesn't take long). It's certainly almost certain it was at least recorded in '68.  You gone for a copy of GR?

I'm still trying to justify the cost tbh, but would love a copy.

Just checked to see if I could find anything on recording dates. Clinton Heylin's book on Sandy states recording was completed in mid-October and his research is normally pretty solid.

Ditto.  

Sorry, I'm useless with abbreviations.  A major blind spot for me.  What's GR?

Jules

It's the book Col mentions in his post above - Galactic Rumble.

Edit: Ramble  :)

Ah!  Thank you.

Jules

I reckon as we are effectively going to see 3 versions of Fairport at Cropredy this year assuming you count Fairport Acoustic along with ‘old’ Fairport in the form of RT, SN, DP & DM along with ‘current’ Fairport closing the festival as usual, there will be enough opportunities to encompass a good proportion of the anniversaries

And it'll be 40 years (and a week) since I first set foot in the Brasenose and the Red Lion, and drove up School Lane to the "Farewell" show.  I guess I'll be doing all of these in August.  However, I shan't be sleeping in my car this time.  ;)