New album 2007

[Dad Volt]

Seems recording action will be taking place later this year http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2006/06/09/features_goentertainment-09gomusic-06-09.html
please can we have a couple of Trad arr. Fairport tracks please.

[greglin (Gregg)]

Actually - I'm going to bang my well worn drum one more time - I'd like a WHOLE album of trad arr Fairport songs this time.

Of the last three or four albums there's just been a casual nod back to the trad songs which have lost out in favour of originals, and while I've always been aware that I'm perhaps in a minority in that I've not been comfortable with a lot of FC 's recent catalogue, I feel that, in an anniversary year, there is a definite reason to take another look at the genre that really launched the band - especially with L & L receiving so many accolades recently.

[Barry]

But NEW "trad arr" .... not just rehashes of the back catalogue.

[greglin (Gregg)]

But NEW "trad arr" .... not just rehashes of the back catalogue.

Absolutely......there's still a large number of trad songs / tunes out there FC haven't tackled yet.

[gower flower (Shirl)]

Fairport have long been in the habit now, it seems, of recording less and less Trad.Arr.

Is it realistic to hope things will change for the next album? I agree with you lot, it would be great to see them go back to their roots.

[David W]

Suggestions for songs then.

I know its a bit of a cliche but I would love to hear an FC take on the Raggle Taggle Gypsy.

Jackdaw

[Tasha]

I agree with the traditional bent...
How about The Calton Weaver;D its a variation of Nancy Whisky you can hear it at
http://www.contemplator.com/scotland/weaver3.html
Another good one would be Jack Hall -a chimney sweep hanged in 1701!

[Chris]

One more vote for Trad, arr FC.....

[Amethyst (Jenny)]

Bonny Black Hare.. please 

[NeilMcLaughlin]

Actually - I'm going to bang my well worn drum one more time - I'd like a WHOLE album of trad arr Fairport songs this time.

Of the last three or four albums there's just been a casual nod back to the trad songs which have lost out in favour of originals, and while I've always been aware that I'm perhaps in a minority in that I've not been comfortable with a lot of FC 's recent catalogue, I feel that, in an anniversary year, there is a definite reason to take another look at the genre that really launched the band - especially with L & Lreceiving so many accolades recently.

I can understand why one might want such an album, even though a whole album of such is really not something I'd consider to be very representative of any of the line-ups' recorded output.  But I'd say the deck is pretty much stacked against it ever happening with the current line-up.  Whether or not you like CL's song-writing (and for the record, I mostly do, although I can understand some of the criticisms it receives from some quarters in some instances) it really isn't that reasonable to expect that his original material not to appear on new recordings when he is writing new material that they are performing. 

I certainly am not opposed to him writing more in the vein of "John Gaudie" (up tempo, sounding
as if it could've been a trad tune), but the muse has to strike as it does.

As far as reaching back into the back catalogue, I for one don't expect them to ever stop doing
that to some extent.  Given that there was a recent reworking of Tam Lin that I never got to hear,
I suppose I'd almost expect that to be on the new album, unless those that heard it gave the
band more negative feedback than positive, or the band themselves didn't feel it gelled.  How do those who heard this lineup's version of Tam Lin feel about: a) the likelihood of it being on the next CD b)the desirability of having it in a studio version?

But given my thought that the band is not too likely to ever abandon reworkings of the back catalogue, I do almost feel that it would be more plausible to encourage an album where different
ex-members guested on songs from line-ups that they were not involved in.  Especially in the era of
such contributions from different people not requiring being in the same studio.  I could easily see that
happening sooner than I could see the current line-up going all trad arr.

[Paul]

I'd like to see more electric guitar and less fiddles and mandolins on a new album.

Paul

[David W]

I'd like to see more electric guitar and less fiddles and mandolins on a new album.

Paul

Howabout the return of the batocaster, which Chris played brilliantly on Spanish Main.

Jackdaw

[greglin (Gregg)]

As expected - some differing views, but methinks stacked in favor of more trad material ??

Can understand why it might be unlikely to happen, but perhaps it's precisely the strength of the current line up which makes it a desireable event. Their individual and colective pedigree for things traditional is beyond question.

I know it's not solely a labour of love - there do have to be commercial considerations. I'd like to know what sales of the last 5 or 6 studio albums have been - and also if, given that this forum is reflective of their hard core following, a canvass of opinion on a bigger scale would be a) feasible and b) listened to by the band.

If a "trad" album of previously unrecorded songs would be a commercial success, would that override any artistic reservations tha band might have ??

[Jim]

the trouble is that those of us who have been less than impressed with the studio output since the reformation for "Gladys leap"(jewel being an honourable exception) will mostly still go out and buy the cd out of loyalty to fairport
  so whatever the sales are, the chaps probably know that the hard core will turn out however good/poor the cd is
 ive said this many times round these parts the chaps need an outside producer with an ear for quality control and a lead guitarist(Hello PJ ?)
 and this time no half arsed retreads/inferior versions of classics please chaps, its just lazy and youre better than that
I'm not really bothered whether they use trads or newbies, to go for a trad arr cd now would reek of desperation

[Dad Volt]

I agree with Jim, no versions of previous songs, I quite like the idea of ex-members guesting [Thank the Lord for spell check that originally said guseting](Remember it's 40 years next year) perhaps even our Jude? But as always it will be up to the fellas.

[Pat Helms]

My vote (for what its worth) is also to (please) avoid the back catalog.  However, I think it would be pretty darn cool if they did a covers album of exclusively RT tunes.  They haven't recorded one of his tunes since GLADYS LEAP, right?   

TIPLER'S TALES was exclusively trad arg, wasn't it?

As far as other potential covers, I think they could do an awesome version of Archie Fisher's WITCH OF THE WESTMERLAND!
 

[Alex Lyons]

TIPLER'S TALES was exclusively trad arg, wasn't it?

Mainly but not exclusively...there's also an Allan Taylor song, a few original Swarb tunes, and a couple of Peggy & Bruce tunes leading into John B.

Another vote from me for more Trad. Arr. but not a whole album of it. Just one or two strong arrangements, songs they can make their own. Like 'John Barleycorn' (which now everyone - even "rock god" Ian Anderson - sings to the Fairport tune rather than the proper one), 'Widow of Westmorland', 'Hexhamshire Lass', 'Sir Patrick Spens', 'Claudy Banks' (probably the most recent example).

There's nowt wrong with the odd retread, as long as it adds to the original, does something different. Thinking of something like 'Crazy Man Michael' on 'In Real Time'. So the very different new version of 'Tam Lin' would be great but I can see why people perhaps weren't so keen on some of the XXXV stuff.

[Keith E Rice]

Sorry, Greglin, but this statement doesn't stand up: "definite reason to take another look at the genre that really launched the band". Ask Jude. 'trad;arr' did not launch the band.

They were originally a covers band - albeit one doing highly-original (and sometimes unusual) covers of a range of material from the well-known ('Suzanne') to the obscure ('One Sure Thing') to the previously-unheard-of ('Both Sides Now'). Their style could loosely be categorised as an anglicised West Coast sound - though the breadth of their musical pallette was significantly more than most bands of the day. Then Richard and Ashley began to become more comfortable with bringing their own original material to the band - which is where the first album more or less captures them.

Although Simon and Ashley had pre-Fairport experience of the trad;arr scene, that route would not be mapped until Sandy joined. The initial forays into trad;arr adapted the songs to Fairport's vaguely West Coast style of the time - it would be 'L&L' before Fairport learned the form on which much of trad;arr is based.

Suggest you get a copy of Kingsley Abbot's excellent account of Fairport's early days. Fairport were most definitely a 'happening' band well before 'L&L' and arguably before Sandy came in. (You don't get to follow billtoppers Jefferson Airplane onstage at the 1968 Isle of Wight Festival if you've not got some pretty significant media profile and don't have a reputation to attract/hold an audience. Equally Brum's Mothers would not have booked them on such a frequent basis if they wouldn't bring the punters in.

It's probably more accurate to see 'L' as a re-laumch.

[Mindwarper]

Actually - I'm going to bang my well worn drum one more time - I'd like a WHOLE album of trad arr Fairport songs this time.

Of the last three or four albums there's just been a casual nod back to the trad songs which have lost out in favour of originals, and while I've always been aware that I'm perhaps in a minority in that I've not been comfortable with a lot of FC 's recent catalogue, I feel that, in an anniversary year, there is a definite reason to take another look at the genre that really launched the band - especially with L & L receiving so many accolades recently.

I agree with you 100%. I found the newer FC albums more like adult contemporary then folk rock. I think the last rocking track was Maart's Spanish Main.  I would love to see them play a all trad arg. cd. I would buy it. One night as I lie in my bed, Sqewball, The house carpenter, Old maui,etc. I also like the idea of special guests. I would love to see Maart, Thompson, or any past members guest. A new Swarb song would be over the top.  I also love Witch of the westmorlands.  Stan Rogers does a great version of it. I would love to see Fc go back to their roots. My two cents.

[WestWind]

As a "trad.-arr." or trad.-like candidate, I nominate Fotheringay's "Gypsy Davey".   I think FC could do a rocking version of that, and if Jerry Donahue could guest on the recording, it would be frosting on the cake.   Maybe even consider one of the occasional female FC guest vocalists (Chris While?) to be in on it.

But my vote is not for the whole album to be "trad.-arr.".   A mix kind of like WHAT WE DID ON OUR HOLIDAYS would be nice, in my opinion.

Cheers ///  Tom***