Fairport Convention (album)
Fairport Convention is Fairport Convention's debut album. The band formed in 1967, with the original line-up consisting of Richard Thompson (guitar); Simon Nicol (guitar); Ashley “Tyger” Hutchings (bass); and Sean Frater (drums), who was replaced after their first gig by Martin Lamble. They were shortly thereafter joined by Judy Dyble (vocals), and Ian MacDonald (later known as Iain Matthews) joined them after they made their major London stage debut in one of Brian Epstein’s Sunday concerts at the Saville Theatre.
| Fairport Convention | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1968; 1970 in the US | |||
| Recorded | November 1967 | |||
| Studio | Sound Techniques, London | |||
| Genre | Folk rock[1] | |||
| Length | 37:46 (original release) 57:51 (2003 reissue) | |||
| Label | UK: Polydor; US: Cotillion | |||
| Producer | Joe Boyd, Tod Lloyd for Witchseason Productions | |||
| Fairport Convention chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
With an approach strongly influenced by Jefferson Airplane's first two albums, as opposed to the electric traditional folk for which the group later became famous, the debut album features songs by Emitt Rhodes, Joni Mitchell and Jim & Jean, adaptations of poems by George Painter and Bob Dylan, and some original material.
This is the only Fairport Convention studio album on which Judy Dyble sings. She left in 1968 and was replaced by Sandy Denny but during her short time with the band she made an impression, particularly through her on-stage habit of knitting dishcloths and scarves when not actually singing.[2]
The album should not be confused with the A&M Records' Fairport Convention, the USA release/re-titling of their second UK album, What We Did On Our Holidays. The first album, listed as a product of Polydor-England, was finally released in the U.S. on Cotillion Records in 1970.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Time Will Show the Wiser" | Emitt Rhodes | 3:05 |
| 2. | "I Don't Know Where I Stand" | Joni Mitchell | 3:45 |
| 3. | "If (Stomp)" | Ian MacDonald, Richard Thompson | 2:45 |
| 4. | "Decameron" | Paul Ghosh, Andrew Horvitch, Thompson | 3:42 |
| 5. | "Jack O'Diamonds" | Bob Dylan, Ben Carruthers | 3:30 |
| 6. | "Portfolio" | Judy Dyble, Tyger Hutchings | 2:00 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Chelsea Morning" | Joni Mitchell | 3:05 |
| 8. | "Sun Shade" | Ghosh, Horvitch, Thompson | 3:50 |
| 9. | "The Lobster" | George Painter, Hutchings, Thompson | 5:25 |
| 10. | "It's Alright Ma, It's Only Witchcraft" | Hutchings, Thompson | 3:12 |
| 11. | "One Sure Thing" | Harvey Brooks, Jim Glover | 2:50 |
| 12. | "M.1 Breakdown" | Hutchings, Simon Nicol | 1:22 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Suzanne" | Leonard Cohen | 5:48 |
| 14. | "If I Had a Ribbon Bow" | Hughie Prince, Lou Singer | 2:44 |
| 15. | "Morning Glory" | Larry Beckett, Tim Buckley | 3:13 |
| 16. | "Reno, Nevada" | Richard Fariña | 7:43 |
Personnel
Fairport Convention
- Judy Dyble – lead vocals, electric and acoustic autoharps, recorder, piano
- Ian MacDonald (Iain Matthews) – lead vocals, Jew's harp
- Richard Thompson – vocals, lead electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin
- Simon Nicol – vocals, electric 12 and 6 string and acoustic guitars
- Ashley Hutchings – bass guitar, jug, double bass
- Martin Lamble – percussion, violin
Additional personnel
- Claire Lowther – cello
References
- Unterberger, R. (2011). "Fairport Convention – Fairport Convention | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
- "FREE RICHARD THOMPSON NOW!". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
External links
- Fairport Convention at AllMusic. Retrieved 6 December 2010.