I continue to believe that Richard Thompson is one of the greatest British guitarists ever (along with Peter Green and George Harrison). His work on this piece is sensational and he dances around Sandy's vocals while never taking center stage. Her lyrics and vocals are what make this song special and Richard knows this and never allows his guitar to dominate the song.
Sandy Denny was a British vocalist who started out with a solo career and worked with Alex Campbell, then briefly joined 'The Strawbs', then joined 'Fairport Convention' in '68, and was with them until '69, she then went on to form her own band, 'Fotheringay' she returned to her solo career and released an album in 1971, "The North Star Grassman and the Ravens" her second album a year later in '72, "Sandy", her third album, "Like an Old Fashioned Waltz" was released in '73, in '74 she rejoined, 'Fairport Convention" until '75, she released her final solo album in '77, "Rendezvous".
Incidentally, "Fotheringay" is the beautiful opening song on Fairport Convention's second album (1969). It's about Mary Queen of Scot's imprisonment and execution at Fotheringay Castle, Northamptonshire in 1587. Forgot to add that this was Sandy's song and her debut with Fairport Convention.
@@SuperNevileNow you mentioned it, I remember that now from my history lessons at school all those years ago, but it didn't occur to me until you mentioned it. I thought that I should give Chris and Cynthia a brief back history of Sandy so they had something to go on if they decide to do more of her stuff.
@@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis. There are plenty of RUclips videos with people 'walking the site of the castle explaining the layout. There is just the "motte" now, and that's perhaps as it should be. There are two spellings too ~ Fotheringay and Fotheringhay, (with the accent on "hay").
@@SuperNevileThank you, I didn't realise about that, or the difference in the name. I used to live in a place called 'Cotmanhay' an area of a town called Ilkeston, in Derbyshire, it was originally its own settlement but over time as the town grew in size it became part of it, I believe that the name is Norman in origin, 'hay' tends to mean the same as the British 'hedge'.
Very nice song. Talking of where has the time passed since i requested River Man by Nick Drake? Another classic folkish song from around this period and connected to Fairport Convention. It's about time he was aired on the channel!
Fairport convention, are now top of todays check out list, another band I've neglected, I've got enough information from the other comments to get started, what a nice sound 🏴✌️
Thank you for playing my request. All the more poignant as my wife's sister and my beloved sister-in-law passed away yesterday.....who knows where the time goes.....
Originally from Merton Park rather than Kingston. Yes I know it's a fine distinction but it means a lot to me because Sandy was born at the Nelson Hospital. A small local hospital where, a little later, my mother worked as a nurse. And a little later than that, where my elder brother was born. So I always feel there is a connection. Almost family, really. Well, sort of, kind of, nearly almost....
Meet on the Ledge is one of the first songs Richard Thompson ever wrote, at around the age of 17, and demonstrates what an extraordinary songwriting talent he is, from the very beginning of his career. There’s a great solo acoustic recording of him performing it at the Port Fairy Folk Festival from just a few years ago that’s worth checking out.
I wonder how many people remember that they had a hit single in the summer of 1969, when the competition for chart success in the UK was as intense as it had ever been. Si Tu Dois Partir was a playful interpretation of the Bob Dylan song If You Gotta Go Go Now, and reached #21, perhaps the first foreign-language record by an English-speaking band to achieve commercial success.
Sandy Denny was drinking heavily and also taking drugs in her later years, she had suffered more than one fall downstairs and it was the final one that caused the brain haemorrhage.
Hello, C & C: Very nice and it is her song. I heard it first by Judy Collins and probably that is why I prefer her version. Thank you for doing this one.
Fairport Convention was a seminal British folk-rock band. Sandy Denny was probably its best known vocalist and provided almost (if not all) of the vocals on the album Liege and Lief - maybe the band's best album (expecting howls of derisive laughter). From that album please check out Tam Lin, or Crazy Man Michael, both are wonderful and beautiful in their own ways. In her solo career, possibly her most known work was a cover of Whispering Grass (something Alison Moyet should've done). The woman had talent to burn. I was too young to appreciate what a talent British music lost when she died.
Liege and Leif is certainly their best known and their 'must listen to' album. It was ground-breaking and inspirational for the whole UK folk (rock) scene. I slightly prefer Full House, but it's a damned close run thing.
Excellent choice. When you are preparing dinner one evening, put on A Sailor's Life. It may be too long for a reaction but it is a great song. The band are very tight on this one. The Judy Collins cover, the live version, would be a good 'Who did it better?' episode.
I think their version of "Tam Lin" was more of a critical moment with regards to electric folk, and caused some controversy at the time among traditional 'folkies'. Oh and appropriate for this time of year. 😉
There is an amazing recording of just Sandy Denny and Robert Plants vocals "Led Zeppelin - The Battle of Evermore - Vocals Isolated" on RUclips. Perhaps you could play this along with the full Led Zep song as a double header interest piece
btw - I saw Fairport last night in Leek. They were excellent. They didn't play WKWTTG. I think they find it difficult to do it justice without either Sandy or Richard in the band. They have to play it at the Cropredy Festival or they'd get lynched! :)
Did you make it Jah Wobble at the weekend? I didn't this time because I went to see the great Sea Fever in Manchester which clashed with the Wobble gig.
Hey guys, Let me know if you've heard ''Rock 'n' Roll High School'' by Ramones. I have a very good Countdown clip of the song, but I need to know if you already know the song or if you are open to react to it.
Awwww that’s an appalling choice if yer gonna do a Ramones song OnceWas .. don’t waste yer 1 Ramones Bullet on that 2nd rate track .. pleeeeeease 😅 👍🏴
@@jaymacgee_A_Bawbag_Blethering I think the ABC will be having a Countdown 50th special, which is typical of the ABC.. They always seem to have some Countdown retrospective special. And I think Rage will be playing an old episode on Saturday night for the next month or so. As far as those things go, I got no idea what Australia intends on doing with this anniversary. Countdown host/co-producer, Ian ''Molly'' Meldrum, is a national treasure and is not in good health. When he passes away the country will be in mourning. He couldn't attend the launch of the Countdown 50 cent coin a month ago. I have a montage video of Molly's finest moments which will be saved for the day he goes away. I don't plan on a whole month. I have a few requests, including Skyhooks and Sherbet's first Countdown appearance on 1st Countdown episode, Iggy Pop doing ''I'm Bored'' (he spat on the Countdown kids during the performance), The Cure doing ''Primary'', and a tragic figure that haunts the Countdown family to this day, William Shakespeare. I also have a groovy little Dan Hartman tune called ''Countdown'' with a cool little montage clip that the Haniers will enjoy. Unfortunately, The Ramones only did ''High School'' on Countdown in 1980, and half-heartedly hosted the show. It would be great if they did ''Blitzkrieg Bop'', but we all know where The Ramones were at in 1980.
@@jaymacgee_A_Bawbag_Blethering I know.. It's not their finest moment, but it is their Countdown moment.. If the ABC didn't wipe it, I would have requested Blondie doing ''In The Flesh'' on Countdown (deleted episode hosted by Debbie Harry).
This the song want played at my funeral. Just exquisitely melancholy, and sung to perfection. I must say I found the video you used slightly distracting, with the footage drawn from all over the place, and including footage with original singer Judy Dyble. Also the sound quality is muddy, and you can hardly hear Richard Thompson's wonderfully sympathetic guitar fills. I recommend you give it another listen, audio only, and I think you'll appreciate it even more!
That is nonsense, they were the foremost English rock/folk group, are still going today, albeit with a different line up and have their own yearly folk festival at Cropredy in Oxfordshire.
On the one hand it's a great song and you have to start somewhere: on the other hand it's become a bit of a cliche and Fairport, Sandy and Richard Thompson all have more interesting songs to explore.
I agree with you. It is a great and beloved song but it's almost like "Citizen Kane" has to be on any list of best movies. There are many more Sandy/Fairport songs I prefer eg "Listen, Listen", "I'm A Dreamer", "The Lady", "Farewell, Farewell", "Bushes and Briars", "Come All Ye", "Crazy Man Michael" and "Solo".
Sandy Denny was one of the greatest celtic singers ever. This is a great song, but I wouldn't put it above all her others. She wrote some great songs. Fotheringay is fantastic - the song that is, not the band.
She was a folk singer and being from London was not of celtic origin, in England only people from Cornwall are celtic, plus those from Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
@@jameswiglesworth5004 I was kind of talking about the musical style rather than whether she was actually of celtic origin. There were obviously many different strands of folk music in England, but it appears the Celts - Scotts and Irish kept theres alive whilst the other forms became far more obscure, so I'd argue that the initial folk music revival in England in the 60s was heavily influenced by Scotts and Irish music.
@@michaelwebster8389 Interesting points, I would have to disagree with the Scottish Irish influence, (being Irish myself), I actually believe the sixties revival was more influenced by American folk rock, but it is open to so many interpretations and world influences, that there is no definitive answer.
@@jameswiglesworth5004 Interestingly, Irish and Scottish music is the main root of American folk music. A lot of traditional songs were being sung and played all through the Appalachian mountains that went on to form the basis for country music, though the anthology of American Folk music shows a lot of other influences - French Cajun, and spirituals. Listening to bluegrass, and old time music, there are a lot of songs where you can recognise the same song from Ireland or Scotland, and probably England, and some have gone back the other way. One obvious song is the Streets of Laredo, which is probably a variation on the Saint James Infirmary blues, which is probably a variation on The unfortunate Rake a song set in London. And then parts of those songs made their way back into The Green Fields of France by Eric Bogle that seems very popular amongst the Irish these days.
fairport are well worth looking into they are amazing band full of talent .....
Amazing, very profound song, the voice of Denny lifts you, beautifully.
I continue to believe that Richard Thompson is one of the greatest British guitarists ever (along with Peter Green and George Harrison). His work on this piece is sensational and he dances around Sandy's vocals while never taking center stage. Her lyrics and vocals are what make this song special and Richard knows this and never allows his guitar to dominate the song.
RT's accompaniment on this is sublime.
Sandy Denny was amazing, and especially this song of hers has always been one of my very favorites from the late 60s-early 70s.
Sandy Denny was a British vocalist who started out with a solo career and worked with Alex Campbell, then briefly joined 'The Strawbs', then joined 'Fairport Convention' in '68, and was with them until '69, she then went on to form her own band, 'Fotheringay' she returned to her solo career and released an album in 1971, "The North Star Grassman and the Ravens" her second album a year later in '72, "Sandy", her third album, "Like an Old Fashioned Waltz" was released in '73, in '74 she rejoined, 'Fairport Convention" until '75, she released her final solo album in '77, "Rendezvous".
Incidentally, "Fotheringay" is the beautiful opening song on Fairport Convention's second album (1969). It's about Mary Queen of Scot's imprisonment and execution at Fotheringay Castle, Northamptonshire in 1587. Forgot to add that this was Sandy's song and her debut with Fairport Convention.
@@SuperNevileNow you mentioned it, I remember that now from my history lessons at school all those years ago, but it didn't occur to me until you mentioned it.
I thought that I should give Chris and Cynthia a brief back history of Sandy so they had something to go on if they decide to do more of her stuff.
@@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis. There are plenty of RUclips videos with people 'walking the site of the castle explaining the layout. There is just the "motte" now, and that's perhaps as it should be. There are two spellings too ~ Fotheringay and Fotheringhay, (with the accent on "hay").
@@SuperNevileThank you, I didn't realise about that, or the difference in the name. I used to live in a place called 'Cotmanhay' an area of a town called Ilkeston, in Derbyshire, it was originally its own settlement but over time as the town grew in size it became part of it, I believe that the name is Norman in origin, 'hay' tends to mean the same as the British 'hedge'.
I've been going to Fairport Convention annual Cropredy festival every year since 1992 - great friendly festival
"The Sea" by Fotheringay also featuring Sandy Denny is amazing, Her voice is just perfect.
Very nice! Thanks guys.
Very nice song. Talking of where has the time passed since i requested River Man by Nick Drake? Another classic folkish song from around this period and connected to Fairport Convention. It's about time he was aired on the channel!
Fairport convention, are now top of todays check out list, another band I've neglected, I've got enough information from the other comments to get started, what a nice sound 🏴✌️
BTW- The Led Zeppelin song recorded with Sandy Denny- The Battle of Evermore on Led Zeppelin IV.
a classic track check
Thank you for playing my request.
All the more poignant as my wife's sister and my beloved sister-in-law passed away yesterday.....who knows where the time goes.....
sorry for your loss!
@@hanierfamily
Thank you.
I love this song so much.
Susannah Hoffs and Matthew Sweet do a killer version too
Sandy was 19 when she wrote this.
Originally from Merton Park rather than Kingston. Yes I know it's a fine distinction but it means a lot to me because Sandy was born at the Nelson Hospital. A small local hospital where, a little later, my mother worked as a nurse. And a little later than that, where my elder brother was born. So I always feel there is a connection. Almost family, really. Well, sort of, kind of, nearly almost....
Fairport Conventions best most successful track in the UK was "Meet on the ledge". A truly fantastic song that I heartily recommend to you.
Meet on the Ledge is one of the first songs Richard Thompson ever wrote, at around the age of 17, and demonstrates what an extraordinary songwriting talent he is, from the very beginning of his career. There’s a great solo acoustic recording of him performing it at the Port Fairy Folk Festival from just a few years ago that’s worth checking out.
I wonder how many people remember that they had a hit single in the summer of 1969, when the competition for chart success in the UK was as intense as it had ever been. Si Tu Dois Partir was a playful interpretation of the Bob Dylan song If You Gotta Go Go Now, and reached #21, perhaps the first foreign-language record by an English-speaking band to achieve commercial success.
Sandy Denny was drinking heavily and also taking drugs in her later years, she had suffered more than one fall downstairs and it was the final one that caused the brain haemorrhage.
Hello, C & C: Very nice and it is her song. I heard it first by Judy Collins and probably that is why I prefer her version. Thank you for doing this one.
Fairport Convention was a seminal British folk-rock band. Sandy Denny was probably its best known vocalist and provided almost (if not all) of the vocals on the album Liege and Lief - maybe the band's best album (expecting howls of derisive laughter). From that album please check out Tam Lin, or Crazy Man Michael, both are wonderful and beautiful in their own ways.
In her solo career, possibly her most known work was a cover of Whispering Grass (something Alison Moyet should've done). The woman had talent to burn. I was too young to appreciate what a talent British music lost when she died.
Liege and Leif is certainly their best known and their 'must listen to' album. It was ground-breaking and inspirational for the whole UK folk (rock) scene. I slightly prefer Full House, but it's a damned close run thing.
@@timarmstrong3251 My choice would be Unhalfbricking
Cynthia, you are beautiful.
another great one by sandy " solo" equally as poigniant
Excellent choice.
When you are preparing dinner one evening, put on A Sailor's Life. It may be too long for a reaction but it is a great song. The band are very tight on this one.
The Judy Collins cover, the live version, would be a good 'Who did it better?' episode.
I think their version of "Tam Lin" was more of a critical moment with regards to electric folk, and caused some controversy at the time among traditional 'folkies'. Oh and appropriate for this time of year. 😉
A Sailor’s Life was a foretaste of what they would accomplish on Liege and Lief.
There is an amazing recording of just Sandy Denny and Robert Plants vocals
"Led Zeppelin - The Battle of Evermore - Vocals Isolated" on RUclips.
Perhaps you could play this along with the full Led Zep song as a double header interest piece
btw - I saw Fairport last night in Leek. They were excellent. They didn't play WKWTTG. I think they find it difficult to do it justice without either Sandy or Richard in the band. They have to play it at the Cropredy Festival or they'd get lynched! :)
Did you make it Jah Wobble at the weekend? I didn't this time because I went to see the great Sea Fever in Manchester which clashed with the Wobble gig.
Would love for you to react to either “Matty Groves” or “Tam Lin” off of Fairport Convention’s Liege and Lief album.
We did Tam Lin but will add the other to our list.
@ Great! I’ll look that up!
Hey guys,
Let me know if you've heard ''Rock 'n' Roll High School'' by Ramones. I have a very good Countdown clip of the song, but I need to know if you already know the song or if you are open to react to it.
Awwww that’s an appalling choice if yer gonna do a Ramones song OnceWas .. don’t waste yer 1 Ramones Bullet on that 2nd rate track .. pleeeeeease 😅
👍🏴
Btw .. are you guys going for a whole month of Countdown 50 celebrations or just the 1 day when it first started ? 🤔
👍🏴
@@jaymacgee_A_Bawbag_Blethering I think the ABC will be having a Countdown 50th special, which is typical of the ABC.. They always seem to have some Countdown retrospective special. And I think Rage will be playing an old episode on Saturday night for the next month or so.
As far as those things go, I got no idea what Australia intends on doing with this anniversary. Countdown host/co-producer, Ian ''Molly'' Meldrum, is a national treasure and is not in good health. When he passes away the country will be in mourning. He couldn't attend the launch of the Countdown 50 cent coin a month ago. I have a montage video of Molly's finest moments which will be saved for the day he goes away.
I don't plan on a whole month. I have a few requests, including Skyhooks and Sherbet's first Countdown appearance on 1st Countdown episode, Iggy Pop doing ''I'm Bored'' (he spat on the Countdown kids during the performance), The Cure doing ''Primary'', and a tragic figure that haunts the Countdown family to this day, William Shakespeare. I also have a groovy little Dan Hartman tune called ''Countdown'' with a cool little montage clip that the Haniers will enjoy. Unfortunately, The Ramones only did ''High School'' on Countdown in 1980, and half-heartedly hosted the show. It would be great if they did ''Blitzkrieg Bop'', but we all know where The Ramones were at in 1980.
@@jaymacgee_A_Bawbag_Blethering I know.. It's not their finest moment, but it is their Countdown moment.. If the ABC didn't wipe it, I would have requested Blondie doing ''In The Flesh'' on Countdown (deleted episode hosted by Debbie Harry).
@ if only it could be Blitzkrieg Bop.. sigh 😞
Hey ho .. LETS GO ! 😀
👍🏴
This the song want played at my funeral. Just exquisitely melancholy, and sung to perfection. I must say I found the video you used slightly distracting, with the footage drawn from all over the place, and including footage with original singer Judy Dyble. Also the sound quality is muddy, and you can hardly hear Richard Thompson's wonderfully sympathetic guitar fills. I recommend you give it another listen, audio only, and I think you'll appreciate it even more!
Yeah, but there's a very short clip of Ric Sanders fiddling at Cropredy, so it's all good!
A great band that nobody remembers.
That is not true. They are not forgotten by the people who knew them, but they are not known to many since.
That is nonsense, they were the foremost English rock/folk group, are still going today, albeit with a different line up and have their own yearly folk festival at Cropredy
in Oxfordshire.
On the one hand it's a great song and you have to start somewhere: on the other hand it's become a bit of a cliche and Fairport, Sandy and Richard Thompson all have more interesting songs to explore.
I agree with you. It is a great and beloved song but it's almost like "Citizen Kane" has to be on any list of best movies. There are many more Sandy/Fairport songs I prefer eg "Listen, Listen", "I'm A Dreamer", "The Lady", "Farewell, Farewell", "Bushes and Briars", "Come All Ye", "Crazy Man Michael" and "Solo".
@@thereunionparty I could come up with an entirely different list of personal favourites, which shows how strong the catalogue is.
Sandy Denny was one of the greatest celtic singers ever. This is a great song, but I wouldn't put it above all her others. She wrote some great songs. Fotheringay is fantastic - the song that is, not the band.
She was a folk singer and being from London was not of celtic origin, in England only people from Cornwall are celtic, plus those from Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
@@jameswiglesworth5004 I was kind of talking about the musical style rather than whether she was actually of celtic origin. There were obviously many different strands of folk music in England, but it appears the Celts - Scotts and Irish kept theres alive whilst the other forms became far more obscure, so I'd argue that the initial folk music revival in England in the 60s was heavily influenced by Scotts and Irish music.
@@michaelwebster8389 Interesting points, I would have to disagree with the Scottish Irish influence, (being Irish myself), I actually believe the sixties revival was
more influenced by American folk rock, but it is open to so many interpretations and world influences, that there is no definitive answer.
@@jameswiglesworth5004 Interestingly, Irish and Scottish music is the main root of American folk music. A lot of traditional songs were being sung and played all through the Appalachian mountains that went on to form the basis for country music, though the anthology of American Folk music shows a lot of other influences - French Cajun, and spirituals.
Listening to bluegrass, and old time music, there are a lot of songs where you can recognise the same song from Ireland or Scotland, and probably England, and some have gone back the other way. One obvious song is the Streets of Laredo, which is probably a variation on the Saint James Infirmary blues, which is probably a variation on The unfortunate Rake a song set in London. And then parts of those songs made their way back into The Green Fields of France by Eric Bogle that seems very popular amongst the Irish these days.