TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Great news here... http://www.fairportconvention.com/general_news.php#news1

A selection of live tracks from Cropredy 2008.. brilliant list!!

HappyJen  ;D ;D ;D

Looking forward to that....

But, 25th Consecutive Winter tour?  How does that work?!  If it's taken from the Ric/Maart line up, then it's the 24th consecutive Winter tour (from 1986).  But then they played Winter dates every year for the preceeding 5 years at least (back to '81).  God, I should get out more....I'll get my coat.  :)

Shouldn't that be anorak?  ;D

Do you want to see my hood?  Oh, my aching sides...  ;)

Fairport hoodies. Now there's an image to conjure with.  :o

I've got one.  1990 Cropredy.  White.  Still in decent nick....

Who me?

Whats all this indecent stuff?

Good track selection!  :)

Though I might perhaps have omitted the last one. Nothing against it. It just doesn't seem to fit somehow.

I think that they're still trying to get us to accept Best Wishes instead of MOTL......never work.....

Do you think?  I just don't really think the world needs another Cropredy MotL to be released, does it?  It's as magical as a very magical thing when you are there, but when you hear the recorded version it always sounds as ropey as a campfire singalong by your drunken Uncle.  No loss as far as I'm concerned, although I have to admit to not thinking that much of Best Wishes....

Excellent souvenir ahoy. Looks like they had more luck clearing the performers' rights to this than they did to last year's DVD. So who's this John Gale fellow who's been manning the autotuner on the remix?  

 http:// http://www.myspace.com/galeforcemusic

I think....







Edit: Removed spaces in url tomake it work in IE7.......Chris

Amy Winehouse, The Sex Pistols, Fairport Convention and Elaine Paige? That's quite a CV!  :)
Ta.
Sx

John has worked for FC on several winter tours, also for many years, a regular member of the stage crew at Cropredy

Jude your link isn't working, try this

http://www.myspace.com/galeforcemusic

Wow! What a superb choice of songs! I was hopeful for at least one of the Babbacombe Lee songs and maybe Reynardine on this but to get them all and then some is a great treat. The chaps have obviously made a concious decision to redress the balance with the set list on last year's DVD by including virtuallly entirely "classic" material on this. Given that we have recent live versions of a lot of the newer material on Off The Desk this stategy is very refreshing and exciting. It clearly shows a band comfortable with its own legacy and confident of its ability to add fresh touches and interpretations to these songs. Now, if this is a portent of the Wintour set list that'll do me!!

I think that this CD should be a best-seller, given a following wind and good publicity.

A shame it isn't shipping before Christmas.

There's another one as well! :o

http://www.fairportconvention.com/general_news.php#news1

If this has been flagged up before, please moderate. :D

Oh good, I won't need to get that second one, as I'm aiming to pick up the Anne de Bretagne CD and the FC tracks will be part of that. I have everything Excalibur-related, too, already.

Both CD's were announced in the current Newsletter.

The Cropredy setlist looks fantastic. Yee mariners all!!!!!  Reynard. Doctor of Physics,  wow!!! If it had Spanish Main with alternate lyrics, my life would be complete :)

I'm just a bit disappointed with the new cd being a single, i was hoping for at least a double

Looks amazing - and Robert Plant & Kristina too! Fabulous!

Looks like a very good CD. The fact that it hasn't got Matty, MOTL or Living In The Past on it doesn't bother me as all these tracks can be found on youtube.

It looks like a bit of a coup as no release date has been announced for Anne De Bretagne yet so the Fairport tracks will precede the full release. I too have all of the Excalibur material but it will be nice to have all these songs in one place under the Fairport label. I think the scale of their contribution, particularly to the live shows, is largely unknown to their UK audience.

Well said...I'm really looking forward to hearing both these CDs.

What's this? Spanish Main with alternate lyrics?Please tell me more!

Supposedly there are some live versions (archival recordings) that have different lyrics. I have not been able to track them down yet. But this cd has a lot of gems. Fotheringay!!!!  But two songs that don't seem to get any love are Lord Marlborough and Spanish Main. So I am just wishing out loud.

I have a VHS somewhere in a box under some things covered in dust in a room to which I've lost the key, of Cropredy 1996 which includes this alternate reading of Spanish Main and Maart on lead guitar. I don't remember what the lyrics were, but I do recall preferring the C. Leslie re-write. The guitar on the other hand was mind-blowing.

Cheers and Merry Christmas

Thanks guys.Spanish Main and Lalla Rookh are my two fave tunes from the reconvened era.I had this fantasy of Maart and Chris writing a whole album of nautical themed songs, with one about a hanging to make it the inverse of Babbacombe Lee.Two more for the NEXT live album,they don't get aired enough.

A whole album of nautical themed songs would be fantastic.

Both FC Live @ Cropredy 2008 and Fame and Glory go on sale tomorrow!! :o :o

Hmm. I take it you mean Monday? I'll be there! ;D

Well, since his post was technically today (Sunday), "tomorrow" is accurate.

They are in the shop now, and you can listen to previews of both of them. They're a bit good  8)

Well, both have just been ordered by me.  Using the last of my imaginery Christmas money  ::) :)

Very much looking forward to hearing them both...

There's previews on the site...

As Ollie said...  ;)  But I won't listen to them until I get them.  I'm a bit odd like that.  Having said that I've had the whole recording of the Cropredy performance since about the 15th of August, so I know exactly what that will sound like...just better, I hope (and please God, no overdubs)!

Anybody notice this?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fairport-Convention-Matthews-Southern-Comfort/dp/B001NRPRC0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1231105109&sr=1-1

Looks like the soundtrack to the film. Out on 9 February. Sadly no track listing but the film is pretty short so I'm guessing this is too.





Edit: Added http:// to make the link work...Chris

I think it might be this?

http://www.talkawhile.co.uk/yabbse/index.php?topic=21972.0

By the looks of it, it's the soundtrack from that Jude. Should be good.

Yes, it is definitely that. I just wondered whether there is any additional material to fill it out a bit. I haven't seen the film for many years but as I remember it was only about half an hour long.

It is (if that if you just mean the Fairport bit).  FWIW, in my opinion the soundtrack is nowhere near good enough to be given an official audio release, unless it's been remastered to the very edge of existence....in which case it won't either!

Hmmm. Buyer beware then. I've been meaning to pick up the DVD but have been waiting to find it at a sensible price. Maybe I'll go that route instead.

Just to clarify...I mean sound QUALITY not the performance itself, which is stupendous..

Yep, thanks. I knew what you meant though. I saw the film some years ago and used to have it on video somewhere from a late night ITV (I think) showing.

Hooray!  Two Cd's have just dropped onto the doormat.  I'm away to have a listen.  Byeeee! ;D

Both new CDs arrived in West Wales.  Hoorah.  Lovely packages, beautifully designed, especially Cropredy 2008, and really looking forward to hearing them.  Disappointing that they are not properly 'tagged' for iTunes and the like though...(ie when added the song titles, artiste etc is not available...they just show as Track I, Track 2, etc etc etc.  Pain in the arse to add all that in).  Anyway, that aside, they look fab...will report back on how they sound.

Ooops! I forgot to do that small task in my anxiety to get the damn things into their jiffybags. I couldn't do it in advance as you have to have the finished, pressed copy to upload the information. I've just done the live one and will do F+G next...

Well, that's why I love this bloody band... ;D  Thanks Simon.  I have to say, that the live album is shaping up to be my favourite live release by the band for many a long year.  As well as being good, it's also got a superb sound to it.  Full marks to John Gale and Ric for making it sound so marvelous.

I'm assuming it takes some time to get onto the database?  I'll try again in a few days...

No, it's on there right now - I've just checked on another computer with a separate pair of discs and the info came up pronto.
 
Suggest you refresh everything.

Usually seems work in the digi world....

Thanks Simon...all works fine now...!

Incidentally, with regard to Alan Simon's notes in Fame and Glory, it starts off with a flashback to "Spring 1982...Nantes, Brittany.  Michel was an English teacher.  We became friends at a gig we went to which brought together no less than Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Carlos Santana....".  I think Alan is mistaken about the date and season...it must be June 30, 1984 when all three were present at the Stade Marcel Saupin.  I apologise...I'll get my (long black) coat...   :)

Cropredy 08 arrived this morning and provided terrific entertainment as Wendy and I drove around the Welsh seaside towns between Swansea and Cardiff today.

A detailed review will appear later.

First impressions of both Cd's is very very positive - but you knew that, didn't you?  I love this band and as far as I am concerned they can do no wrong - you knew that too, didn't you?  Is it worth me writing a detailed review?  Probably not, but I expect I'll chip in with a few comments here and there.  For the moment I'll say a big thank you to all concerned in the production and an even bigger thank you to Simon, Peggy, Ric, Chris and Gerry for continuing to make the music that I love :-*

Yippeee... ordered both this afternoon!!   ;D ;D

We're waiting for the wintour to get ours

I'll have to wait till my next FC fix, which will probably be May...  :-\

Same here. I've over stretched the plastic in the last few days as it is!  ::)

mine arrived this morning, doesnt the weather look good in the inner sleeve photo? must have ben taken thursday or friday
also have the chaps ditched jewel case for digipaks? the digipaks were well done
i would still have liked a double or triple cd set
still never mind

2 or 3 CD's? I doubt there was that much recorded in a decent enough quality.

I reckon the whole FC set would have been recorded in decent enough quality - artist release (and the cost) may be a different matter.

Most of the best stuff from the night is all on there IMHO

I'm sure it was all recorded in exactly the same quality!!

Just listening to it :)............I'm already there :)............ it's made me smile, and remember that field and my friends - and the mud and the spirit.  And the music's ok too ;) ;). The Babbacombe Lee songs and Reynardine are superb. Breakfast in Mayfair has always been a favourite, and I love Simon's voice on it. Chris' voice is stunning on Cell Song and Reynardine - it fair sends shivers down my spine! (I like my Mr Leslie with an 'edge' ;D.)  I'm sure others can review it better and in more detail, so I'll leave them to it. Suffice to say I love it ;D

(ok I'm biased, but it's just given me that unique Cropredy feeling)

That's a review that works for me :D  Mine should hit the Cait hair door mat soon :)

Well I was going to wait for the wintour, but seeing as I won't be attending until the very last date, maybe I should send for this sooner. 8)

Can't wait to get ours..  I was trying hard to listen the the magnificent Cell Song while someone was talking at me.. I was a bit rude and walked away to listen..  bet he had no idea why!

Sorry but I'm not very good at clever review type words like some of you, so I'll just stick to 'FABULOUS' !!!   but especially Battle of Evermore - just listen to the interplay between the voices plus the wonderful sound of the instruments - amazing (how long must they have rehearsed this just for our pleasure?)    Oh, and 'Fotheringay' ..... oh, and ..... I'm back in the field, in the heat of the crowd, the lights, the sound!

Well, they did it live a few days before at that gig in Derbyshire...sorry, can't remember the venue...

Ours arrived yesterday.
Regrettably had no time at all to give it a go
but will have a private little Fairport-Cropredy festy this evening.

Peter

Cropredy 08 arrived yesterday - its excellent, especially WKWTTG with Chris & Kellie While - those voices!

As previously mentioned by others, the three "John Babbacombe Lee" songs are also great - though Peggy must have forgotten about Angel Delight when he introduced them as from the album after "Full House"...

Special mentions also for Chris' neck-hair-raising "Reynardine" and the arrangement of "Battle of Evermore" with added bonus harmonies.

And a good idea to close with "Best Wishes".

Congratulations and thank you to all involved.

I noticed that on the night. Although, I guess the Angel is a time that Peggy wishes to forget. Even though he talks about it when he introduces Flatback Capers. I'm just gonna be quiet..... :-X

Just ordered the CD!

Although I was there and thoroughly enjoyed it all, it was viewed thru a fog of rain and Jack Daniels so it'll be good to listen to it sober  ::)

I don't know if anyone else has wondered this, but is the large picture on the front of the Cropredy 08 album a still from Simmo's video Of Matty Groves on youtube?

Both CD:s arrived yesterday. They look promising. I´ll have to wait a couple of days to give myself and the records enough time.  :o 8)
I have a lovely weekend coming up!  ;D

What a splendid and rare 'cottage industry' Fairport is?  
Simon Nicol (the managing director?) packs CDs in to jiffy bags, provides an on-line after sales service and worries that we all receive what we've ordered quickly.  What a fine example to any owner managed business.  And I presume he 'signs' the compliment slip inside - so I hope no one throws it away  [;-) 8)  
The live CD is simply great and does bring the fond remembered day back  to life (except for the mud, some of which I still have in the car).  
The 'only one live CD' must have been a difficult commercial decision taken by guys who for all their wonderful history live very much for 'today' and want to survive as a going concern to 'hand on the baton' at a time of their choosing and no one else.  Cropredy 1997 led to a 3 disc box set - still available in various places - including 'Angel Delight' which was given due prominence and discussion - highly recommended.  
I'm sure the recordings of the whole set 2008 (and prior?) are saved and maybe one day a 'volume two' will be offered to 'pre-orders' only to avoid the expense of unsold stock, I'd be happy to pay a deposit up front if that would help.  

Had my first listening to "Cropredy 08" yesterday.
To cut it short: Oh, what a treat.

Thank you to all involved.

Both arrived this morning...Evermore playing as I write...  will listen to F & G later.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to all and specially for the speedy delivery Simon.

Mine arrived too :D  Come beer-o-clock I'll put a silly hat on and turn it up [;-)

Fame and Glory turned up today... ;D

Listening to it now.. glorious!!

In order to reduce postage etc  ;), I am waiting until the Wintour gig

Malcolm....  I just wanted to keep our postman in a job..  ;) ;) ;)

use the post, it really pisses mandelson off

Buy one by post plus a few T shirts now on 'sale'; buy one at the next FC gig; net cost same. (  very fairly charges a flat £1 postage per order ;)) Everybody wins.  

Just ordered mine.  I may have to wait until the summer to hear them though...  Hope I can cope till then!

The CDs made it to the US on Monday. I have to say that the live CD is IMHO the best Cropredy release to date. So lovely to hear Simon so plugged in!  Bring the strat across the pond this spring please. Nearly passed on F & G already having the 3 Excalibur CDs, but am glad I didn't. The new stuff is great.

Only one little grumble about the packaging. Appealing though it is to the eye, the trifold cardboard with the seperate sleave for the discs makes it very difficult to change discs while doing 70 MPH (that's about 112KM/H to you guys) in blizzard conditions,at night dodging yetis trying to cross.

Jon

Actually it's ~112(.9...)KPH all over the world. Not just to "us guys".

BTW: the UK still uses MPH....

Sorry if that came across as a bit rude, late night posting not always a great idea...

dont be forcing the metric sysyem on us brits, we can get stroppy

Must say that the "08" is a great Cropredy souvenir with many highs and no lows. As mentioned elsewhere Chris Leslies "Reynardine", the Babbacombe Lee set and the Sandy songs stand out a bit. While listening,  I long back to the Oxfordshire field and my feeling, that out there, on the slope, I almost understood and could take part in this part of English culture!
I must say that "Fame and Glory" has grown on me very quickly. Fresh and still very in the old vein, it´s at the same time very typically Fairport and at the same time very unFairportish! If you see what I mean?  ;D
Both CD:s will definitely be played a lot in the weeks to come!

My bad. I owe you a pint.  You do still use pints right?...Just kidding

Cheers

Pints, miles, feet and inches, lbs, fathoms, rods, poles & perches!  ;D

I'm always surprised that the myth has been spread across the pond that we've gone all metric over here, especially in matters of distance and speed.

Meanwhile, back on topic...actually I haven't got anything to say on topic. I haven't got the albums yet!  ;D

Only for beer and milk. Everything else is in litres.  :)

Paul

Nope, we use PINTS.

The difference is ~20%  ;)

last night i stuck "cropredy 08" in the car and for the first time i have  to say it was bastard to play, it paused all the time before starting, then it would play a few seconds pause momentarily and then start again, no discernable pattern ???
  its fine in the cd's in the house and the cars cd is fine with other cds
 any ideas?
i might just do a copy and see how that goes in the car, probably the best bet

My last problem with a CD in the car was that I'd brought it out of a warm environment into a cold car and it misted up with condensation and wouldn't play until it had disappeared.

that could well be it,thanks old boy

I have similar problems with Matachin - fine in every player except the car (I never thought of condensation - thanks Andy).

My FC CD arrived today - will be playing this later.  :)  :)

To enhance my wife's and my enjoyment of "Live at Cropredy '08", I surfed on Google and managed to print out the lyrics for most of the songs.  But one that has eluded me is "The Eynsham Poacher".  Can anyone direct me to a suitable site?

Thanks ///  Tom M.***

There's a version here (minus Simon's intro ;D) ...

http://www.folkinfo.org/songs/displaysong.php?songid=18

The song has an interesting history ...

http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/users/mh/eynsham/eynpoacher.htm

Also in the excellent 2nd Fairport Songbook (thanks to Maart), which has the arrangement by Peggy, including key changes and the instrumental break. But difficult to get hold of these days, I gather.

DC

I think I do have a copy of the full lyrics somewhere - the "Eynsham" version.  If not I'll ask one of the local morris men tonight and he'll be able to supply them.

As previously posted, words and tune at http://www.folkinfo.org/songs/displaysong.php?songid=18 (Nearly the same as the FC version.)

Three Eynsham chaps went out one day
To Lord Abingdon's Manor they made their way
They took their dogs to catch some game
And soon to Wytham Woods the came

Laddie-i-o, Laddie-i-o
Fal-de-ral over a laddie-i-o

We had not long been beating there
Before our spaniel put up a hare;
Up she jumped and away she ran,
At the very same time a pheasant sprang.

We had not beat the woods all through
When Barrett, the keeper, came in view;
And when we saw the old beggar look
We made our Cassington Brook.

When we got there 'twas full to the brim,
And you'd have laughed to see us swim,
Ten feet of water, if not more;
When we got out our dogs came o'er

Over hedges, ditches, gates and rails,
Our dogs follows us after behind our heels;
And you can all say what you will
We'll have our hares and pheasants still

in the fairport version
Laddie-i-o, Laddie-i-o
Fal-de-ral over a laddie-i-o

is sung as
Laddie-i-o, Laddie-i-o
three jolly young fellows as ever did go

*Slightly off-topic* For those of you who want to pinpoint a few of the sites/people mentioned in the song, this is what I gleaned from one of the Eynsham morris men last night:

Cassington Brook is known these days as the Evenlode and it is quite a fast-paced river which floods very frequently which would explain the "ten foot of water, if not more" because the song refers to width and not depth. (And I know how well it floods - it's pretty-close to my house!).  It's assumed that the poachers went out in less-than-perfect weather conditions.

Lord Abingdon "owned" Whytham Woods; these days the woods are owned by Oxford University and you need a permit before you are even allowed to set foot in there :(  In fact, they probably do still have a gamekeeper there ready to shoot you!

I gather that Lord Abingdon's Manor house was in Horton (now Horton-cum-Studley) and he owned a hell of a lot of land.

The poachers made their way to Whytham Wood by crossing the Toll Bridge over the Thames at Eynsham/Swinford.  The original Toll Bridge in Eynsham was built by Lord Abingdon.  The Thames and Evenlode merge about half a mile down the A40 from Eynsham (if you're going to Oxford) which is one of the reasons Eynsham (and Cassington) are surrounded on all sides by flood plains.  

(Maybe I should start running a sightseeing tour).

Incidentally, there is another minor amendment to the lyrics - as sung by the Eynsham morris men (or slurred if there are kids present!):  :P

"When we got there 'twas full to the brim,
And you'd have laughed to see us old b*****s swim"

Going back on topic, I've always loved this song because it's so familiar to me and would really like Fairport to perform it whilst the Eynsham Morris men do the dance.  Now the song is back in the repertoire (complete with Simon's wonderful performance of the opening lines) it would be great if it could happen... ;)

Many thanks to Katys Mum, Jim, Dr. Clive & Suzanne for the help on the "Eynsham Poacher" lyrics.  Now we can sing along more effectively!

Cheers ///  Tom***