TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

They get around, I know, but someone recently gave a me a box of albums and one of them was 'Kites' by Dave Walters. Ric Sanders is the violinist and Fred Baker (Currently in Soft Machine) is the bass player. No surprise, as I believe Sanders and Baker played together in the early 80s...
Only listened to a few tracks but its pleasant enough.
Can't find any info about Dave Walters online - seems to have done a couple of albums in the late 70s and early 80s and vanished.

Interesting post to me, because of all the album artists included in my collection, Dave Walters is possibly the most obscure. He played our folk club in the mid-80's and I do still have the year's programme from that time, which said something like "Normally the most mellow of folkies, with his new trio he produces a beefy folk-rock sound". That is indeed a perfect description of the mellow "Kites" LP (only one I have and that is only a taped copy) and of the excellent folk-rocking gig that we attended. Fred Baker may have been in the trio, but Ric Sanders certainly wasn't. I have seen, but not heard, one other Dave Walters LP, which is inspired by the works of William Blake. BUT so far as all of us here attempting to list all of the albums that FC members have ever played on ... I'm not sure if the Internet is big enough   ;)

I have Kites on vinyl. I got it from a friend whose parents went to a lot of folk gigs in the Liverpool area back in the 70s and 80s. I see Phil Cunningham was also in Dave's backing band playing keyboards, accordion and whistle.

I got various LPs along with the Dave Walters one including albums by Roy Bailey, Hot Vultures, Dave Burland, The House Band, Johnny Silvo and a couple by Peter Bond.

Years ago, when I was a student back in the early 1990s, there was a guy online planning to write detailing where members of Fairport had played.
He used to be on the old Usenet text newgroups.
I remember sending some info to about Maart being involved with The Mission and Ric doing stuff with All About Eve.

I don't believe the book ever came out!

I have a vague recollection it was the 'The Fairport Connection' or something similar.

Dave Walters ran Lytham Folk Club in the seventies where I spent many a happy evening before going away to uni. He usually opened both halves of the evening before the guest played. I can remember many of the songs he played - Sailor’s Life, Jock o’ Hazeldene, Silver Coin, and several Tom Paxton songs amongst them. He was the first person I heard play The Band Played Waltzing Matilda ((very well).

This was the start of my love of folk music as I heard many fine acts there: Therapy, Doug Porter, Hamish Imlach, the Dransfields, and many of the comic end of the folk scene: Derek Brimstone, Tony Capstick, Bernard Wrigley, Brownsville Jug Band, Richard Digance and not least Mike Harding and Jasper Carrott.

I seem to remember that Roger from Fylde Guitars used to help with the running of the club. It was held at Lytham Cricket & Sports Club, where I later played my tennis and hockey, and even had my wedding reception. Still spend most weekends propping up the bar there.

Martin, you may be thinking of the now-defunct website run by Ian & Stephanie Rennie called Expletive Delighted.

Nope, this was a book that was actually advertised in one of the Cropredy programmes (late 80s?) and were handing our fliers on the field.  I think I've had conversations about it on here but I can't find the relevant threads.  I was convinced it had never happened but I think the evidence was that it actually did get published?

I believe that FC were the house band on Beverly Craven’s eponymous debut album.

It's not quite as simple as that but there's plenty of them on there...Pat D too https://www.discogs.com/release/7057941-Beverley-Craven-Beverley-Craven

I used to love that site.

Jules

There’s also Julie Covington’s self-titled album which has RT in the band, plus Simon, DM, Peggy, Trevor and Iain Matthews at various points (and John Cale, Stevie Winwood and other luminaries too), and kicks off with a RT song then a Sandy song.

Not to mention the first Matthew’s Southern Comfort album (Iain obviously plus RT, Simon Ashley and Gerry C as the main band), plus Nick Drake and John Martyn’s albums that have some fairly prominent Fairport appearances (E.g. Peggy and Bruce on Dancing from One World).

I used to have the album London Moon And Barnyard Remedies by Mark Germino (RCA, 1986). Produced by Paul Samwell-Smith and includes backing from Christine Collister, Maart, Simon Nicol, Russ Kunkel, Ric Sanders and Peter-John Vettese.

https://www.discogs.com/release/12042815-Mark-Germino-London-Moon-And-Barnyard-Remedies

There's a Bob Fox album called Dreams Never Leave You which all of Fairport apart from Simon played on. Bob had been special guest on Wintour 2000 and from the sleeve notes it looks like Dave Pegg in particular was keen for Bob to record his new songs at Woodworm Studios.

It includes a cover of the Beatles' From Me To You which apparently was Bob's song of choice to play at sound checks.

OK....if we're aiming for the really obscure.
DM features on "You Don't Know" the latest album by Hilary James.
Hilary and her partner Simon Mayor opened for Fairport on a Wintour many years ago.
Simon, who is probably the country's leading mandolin player, joined Maart and Chris Leslie for "The Working Party (Live at the Mill). Great evening, brilliant album!
Simon Mayor was an original member of Feast of Fiddles, together with Simon's Nicol and Swarbrick, although this line-up never recorded.

To pick up on an earlier comment, it's probably easier to list albums that members of Fairport don't have a connection with.....particularly DM!

Well, I never knew that... what sort of date?  Did they play live then?

I think it was an early 90s Wintour programme where the chaps were asked their favourite, or perhaps most memorable sessions. Two that spring to mind are Simon appearing on a Chris Rea album, and DM recording with George Harrison just after John Lennon died.

Not sure of the dates, will have to dig out my FoF Anniversary Programme..... ;D
Simon Mayor was at university with Hugh Crabtree, so any early gigs would have been local to Reading.
Knowing the answer to the "three Simons" question in the Cropredy programme for 19?? resulted in a goody bag of FoF cds!

Knowledge is power!

Of course DM and Jerry Donahue played on two of The Proclaimers' early albums (Sunshine on Leith and Hit the Highway)

RT produced and played on a couple of Loudon Wainwright albums, I'm Alright and More Love Songs, with Gerry, Ric and DM playing on some tracks.

Al Stewart’s “Love Chronicles” has most it the then lineup, Richard, Simon, Ashley and Martin.
Another guitarist by the name of Jimmy Page also joined the party.

Sounds like Paul Samwell-Smith had his address book open at pretty much the same page for much of his production career!  ;D

Tip of the hat to DM, who propelled the pre-remix version of EBTG’s ‘Missing’ on the Amplified Heart album, on which one Richard Thompson also appears.

In 1982 I think our community theatre in Wheatley produced a play called The Soldiers Have Taken Our Horses Away very much in the style of Bill Bryson's National Theatre shows with the Albion Band. The music, probably 500 cassettes tops, was recorded at Woodwork and Peggy over dubbed a dodgy bass line.

Must be one of the rarest as no commercial release, just sold in the village.

DW

Nice. You still got one...care to show us it?

Now playing:  Steve Ashley :  Stroll On Revisited  (Market Square CD, 1999).

Not myself now but I will try to get a pic

By coincidence happen to be listening to the original recording of Jesus Christ Superstar. Bruce Rowlands on drums.

Paul

The first Feast of Fiddles gig was 14th feb 1994 at Nettlebed.
The 6 fiddlers in the original line up were Ian Cutler, Tom Leary, Chris Leslie, Phil Beer, Simon Swarbrick and Ric Sanders.  

Should of course read Bill Bryden ...

My wife has a strong affection for DM’s drumming on XTC’s Nonsuch (or Nonsvch if we are being pedantic).

On a similar note, I had a moment of awe on the Wintour when I was watching Peggy and DM in action and thought to myself ‘crikey, that’s Nick Drake’s rhythm section!’

It was on TV at that time!

Joan Armatrading has utilised Gerry On Whatever's For Us, Jerry and DM on her self titled, Jerry again on Show Some Emotion, and DM again on the Shouting Stage.

Looking at the musicians on her albums, I noticed that Mel Gaynor played drums for her, which puts her in the same family tree as Iron Maiden.

Dave Mattacks on Spirogyra album(s).

So with Simon Nicol then?

Didn't RT play on Maria McKee's album?

This could be a very long list!
I have a couple of unusual ones to add.
The wrestler,cabaret artist and country singer Brian Maxine.
His album king of the ring 1972 features Dave Pegg and Swarb, I found the record in a charity shop!
also his 1975 album ribbon of stainless steel features Dave Pegg ,Swarb, Sandy,DM,Trevor Lucas,Jerry Donahue and Linda Peters. I have never seen this album .
I also have a 1969 album called folk in worship on BBC records which has Peggy on the bass.

https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/4505708?ev=rb

Wow! Pretty weird this....!

https://twitter.com/prodnose/status/1320858761356021761?lang=en

Here he is live with them at Cropredy in 1982..!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wgtxNZ7mhI

Haven’t played it in ages but DM and Peggy are on the Gay and Terry Woods ‘In Concert’ although if memory serves correct my copy has a typo and Dave Pegg is Dave Regg  :D

I'd forgotten that...good fun :)

Btw, who are the "Fairpets" (groan!)?

Yes, think I have that one on cassette (for David’s benefit lol). The other one I recall he played was Beausoleil’s Cajun Conja album

I have a copy of "Ribbon of Stainless Steel". It's not bad!

I've got albums II and III on cassette actually but not the debut solo...not a huge fan of it tbh....personally, I think she really came into her own with Life is Sweet which is a Top 20 album for me.

She did a good version of ‘Has He Got a Friend for Me?’, and ‘Drinking in My Sunday Dress’ is classic RT. Produced by Mitchell Froom, who also roped him in to play on Crowded House’s ‘Temple of Low Men’. I was lucky enough to see Thompy and CH in intimate form at The Borderline at a gig to launch ‘Rumor and Sigh’ when Paul Hester got RT up on stage to do the solo on ‘Sister Madly’ during the Crowdies set and then insisted he stay on for the rest of the show.

Haven't a clue! I'm guessing he made a few appearances on the back line, although he does have form with the viola...
I found FoF via the Albion Band/ Joe Broughton route so well before my time; Vicky may have some idea....

And please don't get started on the Albion Band...the equivalent of National Service for folk musicians..(Phil Beer).

Can’t let this thread go without mentioning this one.
Red Shoes (of this parish) released their album “It Isn’t Over Yet” in 2017.
Peggy and Ric play on the album.
This one is rather special for me as the track “Maple Tree Boy” was inspired by my Dad’s experience on Juno Beach on D-Day.

And the Nolan Sisters

Those ladies were true rock chicks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LczdjBhMOaw

Classic. there is a different video of that floating around somewhere with Lemmy more to the fore. When I played the above link it followed on with Th Walkabouts "The Light Will Stay On" . Another classic. The only time I have seen Micky Moody was with Juicy Lucy and to say he was appalling would be a massive understatement. Every so often Andy Pyle and Ron Berg would stop playing and just stare at him. I think he had overdabbled somewhat!

Ric Sanders on one of my favourite ever Spirit of the West tracks. He’s obvious from the get-go. https://youtu.be/ZH3WBlWJdKQ

He plays on three of the tracks on Red Jasper's 1990 album Sting In The Tale too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erB1eBPdTVg

I think I remember seeing it advertised somewhere as well.
The guy was based in the US, and this was long before websites existed. He used to hang around on the usenet forums.

 RT apparently played on Gary Farr's 'Strange Fruit' album - in fact his guitar is joyously distinctive on this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1wOodqCA9Q

This was the case with Robert Plant's Fate Of Nations. Listening to it without reading the credits, ''Come Into My Life's'' guitar solo is obviously RT.
Maart also played mandolin on 'If I Were A Carpenter', and all instruments except drums and vocals on "Colours of a Shade".

Sally Barker's excellent This Rhythm Is Mine album features Peggy, DM & Maart.

I've also got a Seekers album from the 1970s (With a different singer) that Swarb plays on.