Now here's a challenge: Kelly While with FC?

[Shane (Skirky)]

She is only two steps away. Albion Xmas Band

My goodness! How on earth does she get the time off work?  

[Chris]

it's about a fortnight worth of gigs....holidays maybe? At a very quiet time of year for Mike?.....

[Sir Martin]

I would love there to be a full time female vocallist, although personally I would prefer a second full time song writer given the choice (whocan also play electric guitar).

Any Female singer/songwriter electric guitarists who sound a bit(bot not too much) like Sandy and are out of work spring to mind  

[Harbottle (Martin)]

I think they should recruite Stephen Hawking on vocals.

[KascadeDan]

I was listening to the Cropredy '08  version of John The Gun just the other day, and realised that I have been wrong all this time. I often compared Kellie's voice to her mother's voice, in such a way that I would say 'She sings like here mum, but not as good!' but I have realised it's not like that at all!

They both have great and very different voices, hence why they both get different work rather than Kellie always working with her Mother. It's nice to see them working together, but it's also great to see Kellie singing with The Albions, and Chris singing with Fairport back in 2007, and all the other While related things.

[hendo (Dave)]

Maybe I risk being drummed out of TAW and lightning striking my hung, drawn and quartered body, but I really don't understand the way Sandy is treated with such veneration. She was good, but she was only one of many good female singers at the time and Fairport wasn't Sandy any more than Sandy was Fairport. The whole was then, and has been ever since, greater than its constituent parts.

It would be great to see Fairport bringing in a female singer occasionally when material allows for it - might even be nice to have a woman writing for Fairport again too, but I fear she will always be compared with the sainted Sandy.

Hi AM. Sorry tried to post this once and failed!
Veneration is a strong word. As is said so many times on this site all our opinions are subjective and personal. For me, Sandy's first stint with the band was
when all the components came together. Sandy's voice, the songs she brought to the band, Dave S and RT inventing the great art of weaving lines and writing, Mattacks drumming etc. Again as has been said before, you probably fall in love with the version of the band  you hear for thr first time. Hearing Sailors Life for the first time ,over 40 yrs ago now, was one of those moments that made me start to explore,folk clubs, Nick Drake, John Martyn,Pentangle, Albions, Steeleye, ISB etc and continuing to try and explore 'new' music and musicians up to today.
At home I will often listen to Vikki Clayton singing WKWTTG , but i will go back to that yr of Fairport with Sandy when they did produce a genre that had not been heard before.
Again subjectively, I cannot think of anyone at the time who could match  the power and intonation of Sandy's voice live. (Cleo Laine possibly but Cleo and Fairport!!!!!) ' You used to say, do do do doobie do be do, there'd come a day, dah dah do do doobie dah' I digress...........

[davidmjs]

Ummmmm why would any singer want to be a replacement for Sandy? Or sing the songs that were once sung by her?

I don't know...maybe we should ask the many who have tried...(even if it was only for a couple of days in a field in August)...

And yes, I am being rather facetious.  

But seriously, I can think of a thousand reasons why a vocalist would want to try (although the word 'replacement' is hanging in the ether uncomfortably there.  We all know that's an impossibility) .  

Objectively I think another female vocalist tackling new material (and the odd oldie, but maybe not just oldies that were sung by Sandy...) would be the kick up the posterior that could give the current, in my opinion only, rather stagnant, lineup a genuine exciting boost.  But, somehow even expressing an opinion like this makes me rather uncomfortable (even though this is supposed to be about opinions.  Isn't it?)..

[Delfini (Diane)]

Interesting to read all the points..............

Is it only the men who would like a female vocalist?  

Apart from the Liege and Lief set, I tend to, oddly, lose some interest when there is a female singer  

I remember watching Fairport, with Sandy, as my first live gig............what sticks in my mind from then is Swarb  (It takes all sorts  )

[Ian W.]

I remember watching Fairport, with Sandy, as my first live gig............what sticks in my mind from then is Swarb  (It takes all sorts  )

Strangely, I know a Cropredy attender, not a TAWer, who still won't forgive Ric for not being Swarb.
The way he moans on about 95% of the acts, I don't know why he bothers going to see Fairport anymore.

[Ollie]

There is someone on the FC List like that.    

A few interesting and varied points made over the last few pages...

I'd love to see Kellie work with Fairport more often, in whatever capacity. She's got a wonderful voice (and, er, 'casing'  ) that would really add something to the Fairport sound, including some wonderful 4-part harmonies.   Whether this would be practical or not, or whether the band wish to do such a thing is neither here nor there, it's all hypothetical anyway.

I've only really discovered Sandy over the last few years, and obviously only have her recorded output to go on. I'm inclined to agree with Muse.   Her albums are not albums that I come back to often, but I do love her work with early Fairport. It seems that the majority in the Sandy camp saw her live, which may have a lot to do with their slight glorification of her. At the end of the day, it's all down to personal taste.

[Malcolm]

Quote from Peggy at Cropredy 2008 (I think):- "Don't ever forget her; she was the best".

Having the occasional guest makes sure we don't forget. Having a permanent female might risk charges of 'pastiche' IMO.

[Jules Gray]

Objectively I think another female vocalist tackling new material (and the odd oldie, but maybe not just oldies that were sung by Sandy...) would be the kick up the posterior that could give the current, in my opinion only, rather stagnant, lineup a genuine exciting boost.  But, somehow even expressing an opinion like this makes me rather uncomfortable (even though this is supposed to be about opinions.  Isn't it?)..

I agree with all of that, especially the 'stagnant', the 'exciting boost', and the 'uncomfortable' bits!

Jules

[Sir Martin]

Objectively I think another female vocalist tackling new material (and the odd oldie, but maybe not just oldies that were sung by Sandy...) would be the kick up the posterior that could give the current, in my opinion only, rather stagnant, lineup a genuine exciting boost.  But, somehow even expressing an opinion like this makes me rather uncomfortable (even though this is supposed to be about opinions.  Isn't it?)..

I agree with all of that, especially the 'stagnant', the 'exciting boost', and the 'uncomfortable' bits!

Jules

Thirded.

At this rate this post might win a Hancock...