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Not released until 1987
Fairport Convention are a successful English band who are credited with inventing ‘electric folk’, a subgenre of folk rock based heavily on traditional English folk songs.
In the late 60s Fairport Convention were becoming very successful, and frequently performed live at the BBC. This compilation, released in 1987, compiles 12 radio performances from between May 1968 and March 1969. This was a very exciting period for the band, as it was the time when their original female singer Judy Dyble was replaced by Sandy Denny. However all these performances also come from before they started recording their first album with Denny (1969's What We Did On Our Holidays), so in effect they capture the transitionary period between their first and second albums. It's very interesting to see that, like their debut album, the songs feature a great deal of covers of American singer-songwriter material, with numbers by Eric Andersen, Leonard Cohen, Gene Clark, Richard Fariña, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, The Everly Brothers, Joni Mitchell, and of course Bob Dylan. Over the next year, with Denny on board, they would move away from this material into the realm of traditional English folk. These recordings see them still relying on their American folk-rock influences - they had changed singers, but had not yet changed style.
It also offers more recordings from the brief period where the band featured both Denny and Ian Matthews. What We Did On Our Holidays was the only album released with both singers on board at the same time, so more recordings featuring the two of them singing side by side are definately welcome.
Only one of the songs here (Mitchells' "I Don't Know Where I Stand") had already been released on their first album, and only one (Dylan's "Percy's Song") would be recorded for a future album.
Though its sound quality is obviously not quite as good as a 'proper' album, Heyday is a fantastic collection, and a truly worthwhile part of the Fairport Convention discography, chronicling a brief but fascinating period of their early career.
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Fairport Convention are a successful English band who are credited with inventing ‘electric folk’, a subgenre of folk rock based heavily on traditional English folk songs.
By the time of their eighth album, Fairport Convention contained no original members. Simon Nicol had left in late 1971, the last of the founding members to do so. The band was now under the leadership of Dave Swarbrick, who led them through various confusing line-up changes, until by 1973 they had settled on the refreshed line-up of Swarbrick (vocals/fiddle/mandolin/acoustic guitar), Trevor Lucas (vocals/guitar), Jerry Donahue (lead guitar), Dave Pegg (vocals/bass/mandolin) and Dave Mattacks (drums). Lucas and Donahue were no strangers to the Fairport scene, as they had both been part of Fotheringay, the band formed by Sandy Denny after she had left in 1969. Lucas was also by this point married to Denny!
Rosie came out in 1973. It turned out to have a more diverse sound than their last few records, no doubt due to the presence of Lucas (an Australian) and Donahue (an American). They brought more diversity to the English folk style the band had been pursuing over the last few years, in particular Donahue's country-tinged guitar adding a new element to the band's sound. The material itself was less dependent on traditional sources - with the exception of one folk instrumental which had by now become a standard Fairport album feature, the songs were all originals, mostly written by Swarbrick, who proved himself as a fine singer-songwriter. In particular the title track is worthy of great praise. The album also featured several musical guests - there are appearances from ex-Fairport members Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson, guitarist Ralph McTell, and Fotheringay drummer Gerry Conway. Conway actually drums on three songs, and Tim Donald does on another three, with Mattacks only appearing on four - he briefly left the band during the making of the album, but came back in time to finish it.
Rosie proved that Fairport were going to keep making music regardless of who was in the group, and were keen to keep expanding artistically. It proved so admirably.
Babbacombe Lee (1971) <|> Nine (1973)
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Fairport Convention are a successful English band who are credited with inventing ‘electric folk’, a subgenre of folk rock based heavily on traditional English folk songs.
Babbacome Lee marked the first time in their history that Fairport Convention had ever recorded two albums in a row with the same lineup (then consisting of guitarist Simon Nicol, fiddle player Dave Swarbrick, bassist Dave Pegg and drummer Dave Mattacks). This time their distinctive English electric folk sound was used to create a rock opera (perhaps the first folk-rock opera), based on the story of Victorian murderer John 'Babbacombe' Lee, following his life from birth to gallows. Dave Swarbrick was the main creative force behind the project, showing how he had risen to become the most important member of the band. The album recieved considerable press interest at the time, but although critically acclaimed it failed to sell well. Shortly after its release Simon Nicol (the last remaining founding member of the group) left to join the Albion Band.
Angel Delight (1971) <|> Rosie (1973)
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Fairport Convention are a successful English band who are credited with inventing ‘electric folk’, a subgenre of folk rock based heavily on traditional English folk songs.
After Full House, guitarist, songwriter and founding member Richard Thompson left the 
band for a solo career. This left them with the reduced lineup of Simon Nicol (guitar/vocals), Dave Swarbrick (fiddle/mandolin/vocals), Dave Pegg (bass/mandolin/vocals) and Dave Mattacks (drums). Nicol was the only member of the original lineup left. Whilst before Thompson had always been seen as the lead guitarist, now Nicol had to cover all the guitar duties, which he proved himself perfectly capable of doing. His role as a vocalist also increased. Swarbrick emerged to become the driving creative force of the band.
Angel Delight followed much the same formula as its predecessor - traditional english material, originals written in the same style, and instrumental medleys dominated by Swarbrick's fiddle playing. The 'Englishness' of the band's vocals and repetoire had by now made their sound far removed from where they had started back in 1967. Angel Delight proved to be their highest charting album, reaching #8 on the UK album charts.
Full House (1970) <|> Babbacombe Lee (1971)
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Fairport Convention are a successful English band who are credited with inventing ‘electric folk’, a subgenre of folk rock based heavily on traditional English folk songs.
At the height of Fairport Convention's success (mostly due to their highly influential Liege & Lief album), lead singer Sandy Denny left the band, along with founding member Ashley Hutchings. The band recruited Dave Pegg to replace Hutchings on bass, but decided to move on without a female singer, sharing the vocals between them. This gave them the new lineup of guitarists Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol (the only founding members left), fiddle player Dave Swarbrick, bassist Dave Pegg and drummer Dave Mattacks.
Full House was their first album with this lineup, and continued with the style of electrified English folk they had perfected on Liege & Lief. However without Denny's ethereal vocals its sound was considerably different. Thompson, Swarbrick and Nicol were never going to be able to replace her in the role of lead singer, but between them they were actually able to forge ahead with a new sound, which what it lost in terms of vocal prowess was made up for by the genuine 'Englishness' of their voices. Full House is the sound of an old England of bygone years reborn through an electric rock band.
The songs on the album are roughly half originals (from Thompson and Swarbrick) and half traditionals. The originals include the haunting epic "Sloth", which soon became a regular part of the group's live set. The traditionals include two instrumental tunes, one of which sees Swarbrick and Pegg putting down their usual instruments and dueting on mandolins. Liege & Lief had included a similar instrumental medley, and it was soon to become a regular feature of Fairport Convention albums.
Liege & Lief (1969) <|> Angel Delight (1971)
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Fairport Convention are a successful English band who are credited with inventing ‘electric folk’, a subgenre of folk rock based heavily on traditional English folk songs.
Liege & Lief was the third album Fairport Convention released in 1969 - a highly productive year for them. It marked the culmination of the move they had been making towards traditional English folk, and became their most successful album. However it almost did not happen, as the band were in danger of falling apart after a tragic motorway crash which killed drummer Martin Lamble and Richard Thompson's girlfriend Jeannie Franklyn. The rest of the band all suffered injuries of varying severity. However after recovering they managed to move forwards, hiring new drummer Dave Mattacks. Dave Swarbrick, who had appeared as a guest musician on Unhalfbricking, also joined as a full-time member. This gave them their 'classic' lineup of Sandy Denny (vocals), Richard Thompson (guitar), Simon Nicol (guitar), Dave Swarbrick (fiddle), Ashley Hutchings (bass) and Dave Mattacks (drums).
Whilst English folk music had been an important part of their last two albums, on Liege & Lief they embraced it fully, and created what is now known as 'electric folk' - folk-rock music based on traditional English songs. Five of the album's eight songs were traditionals, and the remaining three band originals fit perfectly alongside them in terms of style. Swarbrick's fiddle playing proved to be a vital ingredient in creating this new sound, with which they forged a connection between contemporary rock music and an England of bygone years.
It is still today considered to be their crowning achievement, and is credited with starting the electric folk genre. However the 'classic' Liege & Lief lineup only lasted this one album - after its release founding member Ashley Hutchings left to pursue traditional music further with Steeleye Span, and Sandy Denny also left to form Fotheringay.
Unhalfbricking (1969) <|> Full House (1970)
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Fairport Convention are a successful English band who are credited with inventing ‘electric folk’, a subgenre of folk rock based heavily on traditional English folk songs.
Fairport’s second album What We Did On Our Holidays had marked a move away from American folk-rock and towards traditional English folk, marked by the arrival of singer Sandy Denny. Unhalfbricking (released the same year) took this move further. By the time of its recording original male vocalist Ian Matthews had departed, leaving Denny as the band’s sole lead singer. She penned two of the album’s song, and another two were written by lead guitarist Richard Thompson. Three of the other songs were Dylan covers, the last the band would record. One of these (“If You Gotta Go, Go Now”) was sung in French (as “Si Tu Dois Partir”), featuring old-time fiddle and washboard instrumentation, and became a surprise hit. The most important song on the album was a lengthy interpretation of the traditional English tune “A Sailor’s Life”, opening the way for the where the band were soon to be headed. Another important factor on Unhalfbricking was the inclusion of guest musician Dave Swarbrick, who played fiddle on three of the songs (and also mandolin on “Percy’s Song”). He would later become an official band member as they embraced English folk fully.
What We Did On Our Holidays (1979) <|> Liege & Lief (1969)
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Fairport Convention are a successful English band who are credited with inventing ‘electric folk’, a subgenre of folk rock based heavily on traditional English folk songs.
Fairport Convention’s second album featured an important line-up change which drastically altered the band’s sound. Original singer Judy Dyble had left, and was replaced by Sandy Denny. Subsequently What We Did On Our Holidays was the first album which saw them move away from American folk rock and start to experiment with traditional English folk (under the instigation of Denny). Technically it falls somewhere between the two, as it features Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell covers alongside two English traditionals. Nevertheless a great deal of the songs are band originals, guitarist Richard Thompson contributing the most in terms of songwriting. Vocals are shared by singers Sandy Denny and Ian MacDonald (who had by now changed his name to Ian Matthews), who harmonize beautifully on most of the songs. However it was clear at this point that Matthews’ role was diminishing, as Denny managed to claim more lead vocal spots for herself, her haunting, ethereal vocals perfectly suited for the direction the band was heading. Elsewhere the music was characterized by the shimmering guitars of Thompson and Simon Nicol, accentuated here and there by flourishes of accordion, autoharp, harpsichord and more. Recorded at a crossroads in terms of both band membership and musical style, it is remarkable that What We Did On Our Holidays is such a strong and consistent record.
Fairport Convention (1968) <|> Unhalfbricking (1969)
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Fairport Convention are a successful English band who are credited with inventing ‘electric folk’, a subgenre of folk rock based heavily on traditional English folk songs.
Fairport Convention were formed in London in 1967 by Simon Nicol, Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson and Shaun Frater. Frater was soon replaced on the drums by Martin Lambler, and they then brought in singer Judy Dyble. They were soon regularly playing at such underground clubs as UFO and The Electric Garden, and came to the attention of Joe Boyd. Boyd became their manager, and got them signed to Polydor Records. He also persuaded them to recruit a male vocalist to work alongside Dyble, reccomending Ian MacDonald (who would later call himself Ian Matthews). By the summer of 1968, their debut album had been released.
The self-titled Fairport Convention album is often seen as little more than an interesting prologue to their later works, as it contains none of the English folk material which would define their later sound. Instead, it is heavily based on American west-coast folk-rock, containing covers of songs by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and other American songwriters. At the time many comparisons were drawn with Jefferson Airplane, mostly due to their use of two lead singers. It was their only album to feature their first lineup of of Ian MacDonald (vocals), Judy Dyble (vocals), Richard Thompson (guitar), Simon Nicol (guitar), Ashley Hutchings (bass) and Simon Lamble (drums).
|> What We Did On Our Holidays (1969)
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In the late 60s Fairport Convention were becoming very successful, and frequently performed live at the BBC. This compilation, released in 1987, compiles 12 radio performances from between May 1968 and March 1969. This was a very exciting period for the band, as it was the time when their original female singer Judy Dyble was replaced by Sandy Denny. However all these performances also come from before they started recording their first album with Denny (1969's What We Did On Our Holidays), so in effect they capture the transitionary period between their first and second albums. It's very interesting to see that, like their debut album, the songs feature a great deal of covers of American singer-songwriter material, with numbers by Eric Andersen, Leonard Cohen, Gene Clark, Richard Fariña, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, The Everly Brothers, Joni Mitchell, and of course Bob Dylan. Over the next year, with Denny on board, they would move away from this material into the realm of traditional English folk. These recordings see them still relying on their American folk-rock influences - they had changed singers, but had not yet changed style.
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