Fairport Convention – Vinyl Re-issues

The trajectory that Fairport Convention took in the space of four albums and two years is one of the most remarkable in British popular music. These records contain some of the most storied names not just in British, but world music.

From a bunch of school friends setting out to be 'the British Jefferson Airplane', over the course of their first quartet of releases, the group metamorphosed into the leading exponents of British folk rock. In the way American folk and blues had looked back to gospel songs and spirituals, Fairport mined a seam of traditional English folk song, and then combined them with rock rhythms to create something ground-breaking and quickly emulated. For many, this is the first time the considerable talents of Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny, Ashley Hutchings, Ian Matthews, Dave Swarbrick and Dave Mattacks would have been heard on record.

Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Release Date: 30 June 2023
Catalogue Number: UMCLP046
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Although all of that would have been difficult to ascertain on their jaunty, hippy 1968 Polydor debut Fairport Convention. Recorded in November 1967, it's a lovely sunny, suburban take on the summer of love; the vocal blend of Ian Matthews and Judy Dyble, the guitar interplay of Simon Nicol and Richard Thompson and rhythm section of Ashley Hutchings and Martin Lamble highlights their incredible potential. There are two covers of Joni Mitchell's songs, when Mitchell was something of an obscure overseas delicacy – Chelsea Morning, highlights Dyble's sweet delivery, while the drifting, ruminative guitar on I Don't Know Where I Stand points again to the group's longevity.

What We Did On Our Holidays
Fairport Convention
Release Date: 30 June 2023
Catalogue Number: UMCLP047
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Original vocalist Judy Dyble left the group in 1968 and was replaced by Alexandra 'Sandy' Denny. The rest of the line-up remained unchanged, and a move to Island Records saw What We Did On Our Holidays released in January the following year. Denny made her mark immediately with her opening song, Fotheringay. Her voice, as accomplished as Dyble's but bluesier, added a new bite to the material. As well as Dylan and Joni Mitchell covers, the group began to experiment with traditional folk, covering She Moves Through The Fair and Nottamun Town. The album also includes Meet On The Ledge, Fairport's anthem, written by Richard Thompson.

Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
Release Date: 14 July 2023
Catalogue Number: UMCLP048
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Ian Matthews left the group during Unhalfbricking, and they decided not to replace him. The album was recorded between January and April 1969 and shows the band gaining confidence. The material is strong, and their covers of three Bob Dylan songs (including material from the then-bootleg The Basement Tapes) yielded a Top 30 UK hit single, Si Ti Dois Partir – a cover of If You Gotta Go, Go Now, sung in French. Sandy Denny contributes her keynote song Who Knows Where The Time Goes, and most remarkable of all is A Sailor's Life, a traditional folk song arranged by Simon Nicol and Richard Thompson. The ballad builds over 11 minutes into a full-on wig-out with a guest performance by Dave Swarbrick on fiddle.

Liege & Lief
Fairport Convention
Release Date: 14 July 2023
Catalogue Number: UMCLP049
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In May 1969, the band were involved in a fatal car accident which killed their drummer Martin Lamble and Thompson's girlfriend, Jeannie Franklyn. In a state of obvious shock, Fairport decided to carry on, making Swarbrick a permanent member and adding drummer Dave Mattacks. Ashley Hutchings submerged himself in traditional British music and, as a result, fourth album Liege And Lief contained five traditional tracks, and three originals in the folk style. It established the template that Fairport would follow and is one of the most influential albums in British rock. The eight-minute masterpiece Matty Groves built On A Sailor's Life and gave Fairport another long-lasting anthem. By the time the album was released, Sandy Denny and Ashley Hutchings had both left the group, and another chapter was to begin.