Sandy's biography by Mick Houghton

[PLW (Peter)]

http://www.peteatkin.com/sandy.htm

Thanks

[Alan2]

http://www.peteatkin.com/sandy.htm

Thanks DadV. I was just being lazy.  

[Gouty (Gary)]

Thanks for that link. Wow! That's a great piece of writing by Clive James. Unlike so much other music journalism, it was actually about the music. Great stuff.

It was mostly about her lyrics, actually.

Sorry, I should have been more specific.  

Her lyrics, her singing techniques, the songs.

What was refreshing was that it was about the art, not the artist. Most music journalism is written the other way round.

[Philip W]

Karl Dallas has just sent me this link to what he presumes is the last interview Sandy ever gave, circa September 1977:
http://folknews2013.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/sandy-denny-the-last-interview/
Main topics: her upcoming tour and baby Georgia, who seems to be in the room with them.

Re Clive James - he wrote a number of articles on music for Creem, but I think the article on Sandy was his only contribution to Let It Rock. Splendid fellow, sadly now in poor health.

[Alan2]

Karl Dallas has just sent me this link to what he presumes is the last interview Sandy ever gave, circa September 1977:
http://folknews2013.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/sandy-denny-the-last-interview/
Main topics: her upcoming tour and baby Georgia, who seems to be in the room with them.

Re Clive James - he wrote a number of articles on music for Creem, but I think the article on Sandy was his only contribution to Let It Rock. Splendid fellow, sadly now in poor health.

Yes, Clive, great all -round intellectual critic and journalist, is very ill, and I'll be sad to see him go. He spoke very movingly on BBC R4 recently. My main connection with him is through Atkin/ JAmes music, but i recall fiondly his TV column, which I read for years after I'd given up watching telly (haven't had one for many years) altogether.

[Barry]

From the Sandy Denny Facebook page:

Mick Houghton's biography of Sandy out March 2015 on Faber

Faber have issued a press release and cover art for Mick Houghton's forthcoming biography on Sandy:

"Faber are proud to announce the definitive biography of Sandy Denny, one of the most influential folk rock artists of all time, by Mick Houghton, published on March 5 2015.

I’ve Always Kept a Unicorn tells the story of Sandy Denny, one of the greatest British singers of her time and the first female British singer-songwriter to produce a substantial and enduring body of original songs.  

Sandy Denny laid down the marker for folk-rock when she joined Fairport Convention in 1968, releasing three albums with them in 1969 before her shock departure just ahead of the release of the celebrated Liege & Lief. Her music went far beyond this during the seventies, driven by a restless search for the perfect framework for her songs, first with Fotheringay the group she formed but controversially left after recording just one album. On leaving, she immediately collaborated on a historic one-off recording with Led Zeppelin on ‘The Battle of Evermore’ – the only guest vocalist ever to record with the group. Four fascinating, mercurial solo albums followed as well as an ultimately misguided return to Fairport Convention before her tragic and untimely death, aged 31, in 1978, in circumstances still shrouded in hearsay and speculation.

Sandy emerged from the folk scene of the sixties – a world of larger-than-life characters such as Alex Campbell, Jackson C. Frank, Anne Briggs and Australian singer Trevor Lucas, whom she married in 1973. Their often turbulent relationship is at the core of Sandy’s later life and work, as she tried to reconcile a longing for the simple life and motherhood with the trappings of a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle and a fear of the fame and success which others expected of her.

This is her story told with the help of more than sixty of her friends, fellow musicians and contemporaries all of whom spoke with great candour, some with too much candour, and all with a mixture of joy and sadness when talking about Sandy."

[Photo over 400 days old. Removed by Admin.]

[Andy]

Somehow I've had my fill of Sandy Denny biographies. I love most of her music, but hers is a tragic story, with a tragic death.

Still, for those who want it, a great Christmas present, no doubt.

[Alan2]

Somehow I've had my fill of Sandy Denny biographies. I love most of her music, but hers is a tragic story, with a tragic death.

Still, for those who want it, a great Christmas present, no doubt.

I've yet to read a Sandy biography. Sometimes I don't want to know too much, if that makes sense. DAve Cousins's autobiography is now out, and in spite of being a long term fan, I'm not really that bothered. Still, a Sandy biog might be okay- - though i hung back on the first one till it was out of print.  

[Jules Gray]

I'll only bother with this one if I hear it's significantly better than what's already out there, for the same reasons that Andy stated.

Jules

[davidmjs]

Somehow I've had my fill of Sandy Denny biographies. I love most of her music, but hers is a tragic story, with a tragic death.

Still, for those who want it, a great Christmas present, no doubt.

Easter?  

[Andy]

Somehow I've had my fill of Sandy Denny biographies. I love most of her music, but hers is a tragic story, with a tragic death.

Still, for those who want it, a great Christmas present, no doubt.

Easter?  

Or birthday.

There, I think we've covered it.

[davidmjs]

Here we go with the launch night.  Looks like a tip top evening...

http://fabersocial.co.uk/2015/01/a-night-of-sandy-denny/

[Polly Oxford (Andie)]

I missed the Clive James/Pete Atkin link first time around - really glad to have caught it now.
Apologies for going off topic, but I think I need to listen to some of their musical collaborations again - with a sideways critical ear in the light of the article. Clive's own take on modern/timeless language is always worthy of consideration!

[Jay Peter]

I missed the Clive James/Pete Atkin link first time around - really glad to have caught it now.
Apologies for going off topic, but I think I need to listen to some of their musical collaborations again - with a sideways critical ear in the light of the article. Clive's own take on modern/timeless language is always worthy of consideration!

Just done that very thing. And I must say, Pete Atkin for Cropredy! Has he ever done it? He'd be perfect.

[macademis]

Confused!
Pre-amble says 3rd March, ticket page says 28th Feb: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/faber-social-presents-a-night-of-sandy-denny-tickets-15401690872?ref=ebtnebtckt

[jude]

Confused!
Pre-amble says 3rd March, ticket page says 28th Feb: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/faber-social-presents-a-night-of-sandy-denny-tickets-15401690872?ref=ebtnebtckt

I have asked Mick, will let you know when he replies  

[macademis]

Thanks Jude. I've mailed Faber also.

[jude]

Mick Houghton says definitely the 3rd. That's when he's going anyway  

[Alan2]

I missed the Clive James/Pete Atkin link first time around - really glad to have caught it now.
Apologies for going off topic, but I think I need to listen to some of their musical collaborations again - with a sideways critical ear in the light of the article. Clive's own take on modern/timeless language is always worthy of consideration!

I'm a long time fan, and I'm a bit puzzled by the lack of interest in Pete and Clive on this forum. Perhaps they just aren't 'folky' enough? Have you heard Midnight Voices CD? It revives a set of old songs.

[Polly Oxford (Andie)]

Looking it up now! Thanks! - and if 'folk' is taken as singer/songwriter taking a personal contemporary view-point...