When We Were Very Young "new" Swarb & Simon release

[GubGub (Al)]

Well, my many of my favourite Sloths come from the 4 piece early 80s lineup (either Bruce or DM, Peggy, Simon and Swarb) so im sure these guys could cut it wonderfully.  Chris on the fiddle though please.

Well yes, I take your point but Ric has to be involved so two fiddle solos?

[davidmjs]

Well, my many of my favourite Sloths come from the 4 piece early 80s lineup (either Bruce or DM, Peggy, Simon and Swarb) so im sure these guys could cut it wonderfully.  Chris on the fiddle though please.

Well yes, I take your point but Ric has to be involved so two fiddle solos?

I didn't mention Ric, and I said 'these guys'!  Make your own mind up...  

[GubGub (Al)]

Well, my many of my favourite Sloths come from the 4 piece early 80s lineup (either Bruce or DM, Peggy, Simon and Swarb) so im sure these guys could cut it wonderfully.  Chris on the fiddle though please.

Well yes, I take your point but Ric has to be involved so two fiddle solos?

I didn't mention Ric, and I said 'these guys'!  Make your own mind up...  

Er...OK   Well, I am assuming that any regular re-engagement with the song would have to be performed by the current line up. That was really what I was suggesting. I reckon they could do a great version too.

I have never heard a take by the late 70s/early 80s line ups or even by the Angel Delight line up but Simon's playing on the When We Were Very Young version really makes me want to.



Edit: I tell a lie. The version from The Airing Cupboard Tapes is from '71 isn't it. I am listening to it now and I think it backs up my original thought.

[davidmjs]

What I was really saying was that Sloth doesn't need Richard, even though everybody thinks it does.  

I also happen to think that Chris Leslie is one of the best fiddle players in the world, and, ultimately, it frustrates the hell out of me that he doesn't get to play it very often.  Its always struck me as like having John Entwistle in the band and making him play keyboards (that's exaggeration for dramatic effect in case you didn't guess!)

The current lineup could definitely do a great Sloth.

[GubGub (Al)]

Yes. It is a debate for a different thread really but I always thought it was an odd decision. Chris is, as you say, a remarkable fiddle player but when Maart left the band it was surely not a fiddle player that they were in the market for. I just think they enjoyed his company so much during his stint in 92 that they wanted him in the band one way or another.

I saw Fairport at Gosport Festival in 92 after Ric had his accident and the line up was Simon, Peggy, DM, Maart & Chris, one of the most electrifying and memorable Fairport gigs I have ever been to.

I'm not sure there is any question that Sloth can survive without Richard. There are some very fine versions by the Nine/Rising line ups. The bigger doubt may be how it works without Swarb. I'm not sure if that has ever been attempted (RT's solo performances excepted).

[davidmjs]

Yes. It is a debate for a different thread really but I always thought it was an odd decision. Chris is, as you say, a remarkable fiddle player but when Maart left the band it was surely not a fiddle player that they were in the market for. I just think they enjoyed his company so much during his stint in 92 that they wanted him in the band one way or another.

I saw Fairport at Gosport Festival in 92 after Ric had his accident and the line up was Simon, Peggy, DM, Maart & Chris, one of the most electrifying and memorable Fairport gigs I have ever been to.

I'm not sure there is any question that Sloth can survive without Richard. There are some very fine versions by the Nine/Rising line ups. The bigger doubt may be how it works without Swarb. I'm not sure if that has ever been attempted (RT's solo performances excepted).

Pretty sure it has been in the early Maart days?  Or maybe my memory is up the spoint (No...just googled and there are several versions from '86 - Gottenburg (Apr, 86), Sheffield (18/1/86)...I'm pretty certain I have one or both of those on tape)

I was at that Gosport Festival gig too.  I agree!

[David W]

What I was really saying was that Sloth doesn't need Richard, even though everybody thinks it does.  

I also happen to think that Chris Leslie is one of the best fiddle players in the world, and, ultimately, it frustrates the hell out of me that he doesn't get to play it very often.  Its always struck me as like having John Entwistle in the band and making him play keyboards (that's exaggeration for dramatic effect in case you didn't guess!)

The current lineup could definitely do a great Sloth.

I think Jerry D would have disagreed

[Staffan]

Yes. It is a debate for a different thread really but I always thought it was an odd decision. ....

Pretty sure it has been in the early Maart days?  Or maybe my memory is up the spoint (No...just googled and there are several versions from '86 - Gottenburg (Apr, 86), Sheffield (18/1/86)...I'm pretty certain I have one or both of those on tape)

The band did a very powerful  and impressive Sloth with Maart in Gothenburgh 1986. To my mind one of the best version and the boys did a good job vocally too.
I´m pretty sure today´s band can do a good Sloth even if neither Swarb or RT - or JD for that matter - is up there on the stage.

[Will S]

Pretty sure it has been in the early Maart days?  Or maybe my memory is up the spoint (No...just googled and there are several versions from '86 - Gottenburg (Apr, 86), Sheffield (18/1/86)...I'm pretty certain I have one or both of those on tape)

I was at that Gosport Festival gig too.  I agree!

That Sheffield gig would have been the first time I saw Fairport - while I was at Uni.  Date sounds right.  Can't at this distance remember what they did or didn't play (and didn't know the repertoire well enough at that time anyway!

[Maart]

Is there something online about Gothenburg 86?

[dooovall [Daniel]]

I'd love to see a Woodworm Archives release that includes Sloth from the Maart/DM era.  I'd also enjoy hearing Sloth interpreted by the current lineup with no guests.  To stay somewhat on topic, I really dug the two-man version of Sloth on When We Were Very Young.  If someone only knew the song from that version, they'd be like, "nothing is missing."  Then I'd expose 'em to a live recording with drums, lead guitar, and a 2.5-minute Dave Pegg bass solo.

[Big Dave]

I'd love to see a Woodworm Archives release that includes Sloth from the Maart/DM era.  I'd also enjoy hearing Sloth interpreted by the current lineup with no guests.  To stay somewhat on topic, I really dug the two-man version of Sloth on When We Were Very Young.  If someone only knew the song from that version, they'd be like, "nothing is missing."  Then I'd expose 'em to a live recording with drums, lead guitar, and a 2.5-minute Dave Pegg bass solo.

That'll do for me!!!!  

[davidmjs]

I've just looked at my (easily to get at, at least) recordings and I've got versions of Sloth from the SN, DM, DP, MA, RS lineup recorded at

Sir George Robey, Finsbury Park, London England 1985.10.25

Carnegie Theatre, Workington, UK, 4th December 1985

Bottom Line, NYC, 1986-10-04

Can't put my hands on either of the other two mentioned just now....

[folkfreak (Alexander)]

Is there something online about Gothenburg 86?

I don't know one, but there is a Bottom Line Soundboard from 1986 with a 20 Minute Sloth version with Smoke on the water and Aqualung riff included....

Chers
Alex

[Red Shoes (Caz+Mark)]

Have just listened to this.

Patchy sound quality renders it more of a curio than essential listening but Simon's playing on Sloth makes me think the song could and should be rehabilitated by the current Fairport line up. Solos from Simon (acoustic), Peggy, Ric & Chris (mandolin). That would be splendid I think.

Pretty please Simon?

Well, my many of my favourite Sloths come from the 4 piece early 80s lineup (either Bruce or DM, Peggy, Simon and Swarb) so im sure these guys could cut it wonderfully.  Chris on the fiddle though please.

Oh yes , Chris has had a fine tutor

C x

[Staffan]

The photos inside take me back to seeing them playing in a pub (can't for the life of me remember where) somewhere around this time.

They certainly took me back in time, too!  
Early April, 1983.

Waited for some time to get this, since I have most of the tracks on different CD.s, but still, it´s nice to have a good compilation and at the same time support the musos, not the least.
For me it was also nice to see the good radio recording from Uppsala being used as a source.  

[dooovall [Daniel]]

I just took another look at some of the liner notes in the booklet from When We Were Very Young.

I noticed that there's a "WHERE AND WHEN" list of venues lettered A through I.  The letter H denotes "Butterfield Centre, Cincinnati  1st October 1982" and the letter I denotes "Mick Noll's Covington Haus, Cincinnati  16th April 1984".

There's a bold-faced letter to the right of the writing credits for each track.  None of those letters are H or I.

The last words on the back of the booklet are "With thanks to Steve Carson for long lost Cincinnati tapes".

[Phil Perry]

I've just looked at my (easily to get at, at least) recordings and I've got versions of Sloth from the SN, DM, DP, MA, RS lineup recorded at

Sir George Robey, Finsbury Park, London England 1985.10.25

Carnegie Theatre, Workington, UK, 4th December 1985

Bottom Line, NYC, 1986-10-04

Can't put my hands on either of the other two mentioned just now....

I'm pretty sure that the Robey gig was the first ever performance by the Ric / Maart line-up... some friends went but I did not bother as I had been to Cropredy just a couple of months earlier. Now I'm gutted that I did not go, even 'though I saw 'em at Greenwich shortly after.

[davidmjs]

I've just looked at my (easily to get at, at least) recordings and I've got versions of Sloth from the SN, DM, DP, MA, RS lineup recorded at

Sir George Robey, Finsbury Park, London England 1985.10.25

Carnegie Theatre, Workington, UK, 4th December 1985

Bottom Line, NYC, 1986-10-04

Can't put my hands on either of the other two mentioned just now....

I'm pretty sure that the Robey gig was the first ever performance by the Ric / Maart line-up... some friends went but I did not bother as I had been to Cropredy just a couple of months earlier. Now I'm gutted that I did not go, even 'though I saw 'em at Greenwich shortly after.

I seem to remember we had a discussion about this some time ago...it's amazing how close the debut of the new line up was to the final dates of the old one (including a couple of post-Cropredy performances in Europe with RT and JD).