Sandy Denny & The Strawbs, 'All Our Own Work' gets first time CD release

[Mike Wilson]

Just spotted this on the Sandy Denny MySpace page, run by Andrew Batt.

here's the link to the blog: http://bit.ly/dll1uY

[Dan O.]

Very good news ! Would be interested to hear this album at last. The item on Myspace says that this release will "dispel the myths." Which myths would these be ? (though I have a good idea)

[Mike Wilson]

I'm not familiar with this aspect of Sandy's work at all... would love to hear what others have to say!

[Brendan]

Hope it will have the versions from the the original pressing plus the stuff put on the Hallmark version "Sandy and the Strawbs". I like both Sandy and the Strawbs "own work" to coin a phrase, and there are strong tracks from both on this album. I like the simple arrangements. I think what they produced wasn't the "British Mammas and Pappas" as is often claimed, they have an original sound of their own and Cousins, Hooper and Dennys' vocals work really well together, certainly more than the inoffensive critics suggest.

[Philip W]

The item on Myspace says that this release will "dispel the myths." Which myths would these be ? (though I have a good idea)

One "myth" is about when it was recorded. On the original vinyl sleeve it said "recorded in Copenhagen, August 1968". As we all know, Sandy was firmly embedded in Fairport by then. Dave Cousins now dates it to July 67, a bit later than previous estimates -- apparently he has the diary entries to confirm it.

I find it an enjoyable record, sounding more "of its time" than Sandy's timeless later work, but worth having in a definitive CD edition.

Incidentally, four tracks have already appeared on CD: three on Boxful of Treasures, with 'WKWTTG' duplicated on Where The Time Goes plus 'Two Weeks Last Summer'.

I'm told the Strawbs version of 'WKWTTG' is used as incidental music in Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem. Haven't seen the play myself but everyone says it's excellent.  

[Dan O.]

The item on Myspace says that this release will "dispel the myths." Which myths would these be ? (though I have a good idea)

I'm told the Strawbs version of 'WKWTTG' is used as incidental music in Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem. Haven't seen the play myself but everyone says it's excellent.  

Having seen Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem (by the way-one of the finest plays I've seen in years), WKWTTG is indeed used as incidental music, but it's a solo Sandy and 12-string guitar version, probably one of the BBC sessions. Spotted it straight away when I saw the play ; it's actually used in a scene I thought was unfitting for SD's most renowned song.

[markwood]

Actually, it'll be the second time it's been officially released on CD. The first time was in 1991 on Hannibal/Rykodisc (HNCD 1361) although it was just called "Sandy Denny and the Strawbs."

[Jules Gray]

Actually, it'll be the second time it's been officially released on CD. The first time was in 1991 on Hannibal/Rykodisc (HNCD 1361) although it was just called "Sandy Denny and the Strawbs."

Was that the same takes?

I'll be getting this for sure.

Jules

[Jim]

The Sandy part i'm fine with
its the strawbs bit that keeps my money in my pocket
anyway its all been released a squillion times in other forms and ive got all the Sandy stuff from it

[Jules Gray]

The Sandy part i'm fine with
its the strawbs bit that keeps my money in my pocket

I thought they were OK until they stated messing with prog.  And then when Cousins' voice became shot, it got even worse.

Jules

[markwood]

[/quote]

Was that the same takes?

I'll be getting this for sure.

Jules
[/quote]

I'm not sure if it's the same takes but the Hannibal CD has:

1. Nothing else will do
2. Who knows where the time goes
3. Everyone but Sam was a Hypocrite
4. Sail away to the sea
5. And you need me
6. Poor Jimmy Wilson
7. All I need is you
8. Tell me what you see in me
9. I've been my own worst friend
10. On my way
11. Two weeks last summer
12. Always on my mind
13. Stay awhile with me

It looks like a combination of the original album and the demos/outtakes. (Booklet notes are by Dave Cousins and Joe Boyd.)

[Jules Gray]

Thanks for the info.

Jules

[folkfreak (Alexander)]

The Hannibal version is not the original Hallmark Album. In fact it has completely different takes/songs. Sometimes the Hannibal versions has Sandy singing on Tracks where on the Hallmark version Dave is singing, different arrangements, strings etc etc.

I just  read that the spanish CD of the Hallmark Record that came out 2 or 3 years ago was a bootleg, can*t believe that, as it was so widely availbale and I bought mine  at a normal record shop...

The Hannibal Version is worth alone for the opening track. I love Sandys singing on it. On the Hallmark version Dave is singing it.

Alex

[Mark J Salt]

 my orders in. Available for pre-order on Play.com and Amazon at 11.99 with free delivery.

[Philip W]

Having seen Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem (by the way-one of the finest plays I've seen in years), WKWTTG is indeed used as incidental music, but it's a solo Sandy and 12-string guitar version, probably one of the BBC sessions. Spotted it straight away when I saw the play ; it's actually used in a scene I thought was unfitting for SD's most renowned song.

Yeah, when I said the “Strawbs version”, what I meant was the version she recorded during her session with the Strawbs, i.e. one of the versions (there’s another with added strings) that will reappear on this new release:

'These first versions were performed solo by Sandy, and feature slightly different phrasing from later versions. The first line of the song is “Across the purple sky”, which later mutated into “Across the evening sky”. To quote Dave Cousins, Sandy played on her own on the Strawbs' version because “she was playing in this guitar tuning that I didn't think I could play!”'
http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/~zierke/sandy.denny/songs/whoknowswherethetimegoes.html

I think the only solo version she recorded for the Beeb was one for the Peel show which features heavy reverb (if that’s the right word) on the guitar.

But as I say I haven’t seen the play – I really must – so am relying on hearsay.
 

[Jules Gray]

The Hannibal version is not the original Hallmark Album. In fact it has completely different takes/songs. Sometimes the Hannibal versions has Sandy singing on Tracks where on the Hallmark version Dave is singing, different arrangements, strings etc etc.

I just  read that the spanish CD of the Hallmark Record that came out 2 or 3 years ago was a bootleg, can*t believe that, as it was so widely availbale and I bought mine  at a normal record shop...

The Hannibal Version is worth alone for the opening track. I love Sandys singing on it. On the Hallmark version Dave is singing it.

Alex

Any chance the forthcoming CD will collect all these variations together in one place?  I fear not but hope so.

Jules

[Philip W]

Any chance the forthcoming CD will collect all these variations together in one place?  I fear not but hope so.

Jules

Yes it will. The complete tracklist is given in the blog quoted above: http://bit.ly/dll1uY. 'Nothing Else Will Do', the version with Sandy's lead vocal, is track 14. It promises to be the entire Copenhagen session.

Incidentally, has anyone heard Dave Cousins's song 'Copenhagen' on the Strawbs last album? Apparently, it "reflects on the time Dave Cousins spent in Denmark with Sandy Denny recording the band's first album".

Philip

[Jules Gray]

Any chance the forthcoming CD will collect all these variations together in one place?  I fear not but hope so.

Jules

Yes it will. The complete tracklist is given in the blog quoted above: http://bit.ly/dll1uY. 'Nothing Else Will Do', the version with Sandy's lead vocal, is track 14. It promises to be the entire Copenhagen session.

Excellent.  Thanks for that.  And apologies for not checking first myself.

Jules

[MarkC]

The Sandy part i'm fine with
its the strawbs bit that keeps my money in my pocket
anyway its all been released a squillion times in other forms and ive got all the Sandy stuff from it

Wow. Really? I absolutely love The Strawbs...always have. Especially the stuff they have released over the last 10 years.

Different strokes and all that, I guess.

[Dave Brzeski]

Any chance the forthcoming CD will collect all these variations together in one place?  I fear not but hope so.

Jules

Yes it will. The complete tracklist is given in the blog quoted above: http://bit.ly/dll1uY. 'Nothing Else Will Do', the version with Sandy's lead vocal, is track 14. It promises to be the entire Copenhagen session.

Incidentally, has anyone heard Dave Cousins's song 'Copenhagen' on the Strawbs last album? Apparently, it "reflects on the time Dave Cousins spent in Denmark with Sandy Denny recording the band's first album".

Philip

Good news. I've had the original CD for years. Ripped it for my iPod only recently. I's long considered trying to work out which tracks/versions from the Hallmark LP are available on which box sets etc, so I could record any that aren't from one of the 3 vinyl copies we've had languishing in the folk section in our shop for several years. Glad to know I won't have to.

Talking about finally releasing all the variant versions on one collection, I've always hoped they might give 'House Full' the deluxe 2CD treatment & include the variant cuts that were on the original CD & the LA Troubador LP, plus any extras they may consider worthwhile.