TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Prompted by a discussion of who might have been backstage at Cropredy and what their connection to Fairport might have been, I thought it might be fun to play a little parlour game.

You will be aware of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon whereby it is possible to connect any actor to Mr Bacon in 6 moves. I suspect that Fairport occupy similar territory in the music world and it might be interesting to test the theory out. So, for example, you can get from David Bowie to Fairport in six moves as follows:

David Bowie appeared in the film The Last Temptation Of Christ
Peter Gabriel wrote the soundtrack for The Last Temptation Of Christ
Tony Levin has been Peter Gabriel's bass player for many years.
Tony Levin appeared in the film One Trick Pony with Paul Simon
Paul Simon was part of a duo with Art Garfunkel
Art Garfunkel's touring band has featured Simon Nicol of Fairport Convention

Let's start with an unlikely one (though I suspect it is possible). Can anyone get from Abba to Fairport in 6 moves or less?

I'm afraid you've been pre-empted on this, years ago, as there are Pegg numbers... a Pegg number of 0 means the person has played on stage with DP; a 1 means the artist has been on stage with someone who has been on stage with Peggy.

I can't remember any artist that couldn't be reached within 4 or 5 moves, thanks to DM, Simon and DP all being major studio musicians in the 80s. Having said that, I'm not sure anyone has tried to connect One Direction with the band.

OK then.  :-[

Ditch it mods.

0) I thought only Dave Pegg had a Pegg number of 0, because he is Dave Pegg.

1) To get a Pegg number of 1 you had to be credited on the same recording as DP, or have played a full set on stage with him. (Guest performances or MOTL made it too easy.)

2) Pegg number of 2, with somebody with a Pegg number of 1. Same rules.

Even my neighbor has Pegg number of 2.

It's a hop, skip and a jump from Abba's Benny and Bjorn to the musical Chess starring Murray Head who's 'Say It Ain't So album includes drumming from Gerry Conway !!

Cheers Nigel

His 'Voices' album features SN, DP, DM and RT  :)

Cheers Nigel

Yes I thought Murray Head might be the link but I hadn't worked it through.

Go on then. Do One Direction!  ;D

How many steps to connect Phil Collins to Alice Coopers guillotine? ;D

Nadir Khayat known as RedOne has produced songs for One Direction and also a track from Orianthi's album Believe  and she has appeared on stage at Cropredy. Done and done  :)

Cheers Nigel

Nope. Has to be on stage "playing a set with Peggy"

Does doing an annual raffle on stage with Chris Leslie count...??

(No, thought not...  ;))

But I do have a Pope number of three... a Polish friend of my mum's went to school with him (the previous one...)

 ;D ;D ;D :-[

I think you may mean the one before the previous one - unless your friend was in the Hitler Youth

Alice Cooper's guillotine has been on stage with Alice Cooper.
Alice Cooper played with Steve Hunter on albums like 'Welcome To My Nightmare.'
Steve Hunter played with Lou Reed on 'Rock 'n' Roll Animal.'
Lou Reed played with Doane Perry on 'The Blue Mask.'
Doane Perry is the current drummer for Jethro Tull.
Phil Collins played a one-off as Jethro Tull's drummer.

I know you were being faceitous but....

By my count, six. And I bet we could get closer.

 ;D ;D

Lou Reed can connect to Peter Gabriel  ;D

Ok from Orianthi to Alice Cooper who recorded 'Billion Dollar Babies' on which Donovan sang backing vocals to his album 'Cosmic Wheels' which features Rabbit Bundrick on keyboards and he in turn appears on Dylan Project's Live at Cropredy album !!

Cheers Nigel

You can take fewer steps between David and FC too! (Mainly sharing to share a new Bowie fact I learned-- also, was unaware SN ever played with Garfunkel!!!)
David Bowie played with Terry Cox on Space Oddity . (That's the new fact-- had no idea Terry played with Bowie!!!)
Terry Cox was replaced by Gerry Conway (later of FC) in Pentangle.

But that fails as Terry & Gerry never played *together* (in your example above)

Blast, right you are....  ;)

Ah, well, still a chance to share the Terry-Bowie connection.

Yes, Nigel's One Directiton effort fails too as Orianthi has not actually played with any members of Fairport.

Actually, on reflection, the Terry Cox link still works because he will have played with Jacqui McShee and/or other members of Pentangle who subsequently played with Gerry. It just adds a step.

Does that strike down your Bowie-FC link as well, as Bowie and Gabriel haven't technically played together? This is quite a bit tougher than I expected with the stricter criteria ;)

Let me try again....

David played with Terry Cox on Space Oddity.
Terry Cox played with Bert Jansch on a number of albms.
Bert Jansch played with Dave Swarbrick on 'Edge of a Dream.'
Swarb was in FC.

:D

Does Bowie playing on Now We are Six with Steeleye not make a pretty close link?

DW

Several of David Bowie's records featured bassist Herbie Flowers (e.g. Rebel Rebel, Space Oddity, David Live). Herbie Flowers played in classical/rock outfit Sky whose percussionist Tristan Fry played vibraphone on "If I Had A Ribbon Bow", the first single by Fairport Convention...

No, because the link is that they both worked on the same project at the same time, in this instance a film rather than music.  ;)

But I had reconsidered the Terry Cox thing. It just needed slightly further explanation.

Ok
David Bowie recorded with Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp recorded with me
I've recorded with Fairport...

And Jude for the win with the Bowie-FC connection!!

Seems the Bowie connections are legion (for they are many...). Just found two more snooping around that I won't bother repeating since, as noted above, Jude likely has the definitive one. And you're right on the project thing, Al, so apologies for trying to put down your links  ;) Man, what a film that is....

Touché Jude!  ;D ;D ;D

These are clearly too easy. We need something more challenging.

Off the top of my head and without any idea whether it can be done, how about Kraftwerk to Fairport in 6?

:D

Kraftwerk were briefly joined by Michael Rother in 1971.
Michael Rother played in the Harmonia '76 sessions with Brian Eno.
DM played on Eno's "Before and After Science" and, of course, in FC.

May I suggest one? Interested to see if anyone can get from John Coltrane to FC in 6 or less....

Respect Jude  :-* :-*

Haha...  mea culpa.. you are right of course Peter  ;D ;D

Attention Pedants corner !! I didn't think that each member in the link had to have actually played with any members of Fairport or otherwise the original Bowie to Fairport doesn't work either !!

Cheers Nigel

Gub, my apologies for being so forward but I think you need to get out more!!!!  ;)

Insider dealing

 ;D ;D

I bow to your knowledge of the more obscure ends of the musical spectrum. Michael Rother? I have never heard of Michael Rother! I am going to shut up now and sit in the corner wearing a pointy hat.

I was quite an obsessive, bookish youth when I went through my Krautrock/prog rock phase.... Now I'm just an obsessive, bookish adult who loves his folk music  ;)

Tenuous, but...John Coltrane played with Miles Davis whose band in the 80's included bassist Darryl Jones who currently plays with The Rolling Stones whose live album "Get Yer Ya-Yas Out" was produced by Glyn Johns who also produced "Rising For The Moon" by Fairport Convention...

Coltrane played the 1965 Newport Jazz festival organised by
George Wein who also organised the 1965 Newport Jazz Festival assisted by
Joe Boyd ...

Another route to Fairport from Abba:
Frida's Something Going On album was produced by Phil Collins.
Phil Collins played on Robert Plant's first solo album.
Robert Plant has played with FC/Peggy.

Kraftwerk released an album called Tour De France.
When not on tour,Peggy lives in France.......no? okay I'll think of something else.

Er...they don't but the last link in the chain does. Have I misunderstood something? As I understood it, the link to Fairport was that Orianthi had appeared at Cropredy. With Fairport or just on the bill? The former counts but I don't think the latter does unless a current or past member played with Orianthi.

Nice one !  :)

I don't think that is tenuous at all. I think that's bang on.

Both fantastic and thoughtful Coltrane-FC links. Now one of you needs to choose the next one  ;)

Noel Gallagher to Fairports

Producers don't count. "played with" is the rule. "played with Peggy" is the final step requirement

On Pegg numbers maybe but this is Six Degrees rules. Peggy doesn't even have to be in the equation. Producers are fine.

Noel Gallagher plagiarized (or shares a writing credit with) Neil Innes on 'Whatever.'
Neil Innes was in the Bonzo Dog Band with Viv Stanshall.
RT plays on Viv Stanshall's 'Teddy Boys Don't Knit.'

 ;D

Some great reminiscences from Richard on Viv in one of the BeesWeb QAs.

Six Degrees authorities, does the Neil connection count?  ;)

Noel's long term collaborator Andy Bell
played in a band called Hurricane #1 whose drummer
Gareth Farmer was in an amateur production called The Soldiers Have Taken our Horses Away
the music from  which was recorded at Woodworm and co-produced by Peggy.

Absolutely bloody brilliant.,........Sad  ;)but brilliant

Murray Head also sang on Jesus Christ Superstar, featuring Bruce Rowlands on drums.

Paul

It is a stretch because it was an accidental co-write but we'll let it go.

Actually there is an easy one for this.

Noel Gallagher was in The Smokin' Mojo Filters with Paul McCartney
Dave Mattacks has played on a number of Paul McCartney albums.
Dave Mattacks was in Fairport Convention.

In which case :- One Direction, RedOne, Orinathi, Alice Cooper, Donovan, Rabbit Bundrick,PJ Wright, Dave Pegg

You can miss out PJ because Rabbit has played with Fairport at Cropredy

And with Simon, Peggy & I think Ric on the first Dylan Project album.

Mornington Crescent!!

the old german lad with dead eyes?

No, old Polish lad... Carol summat or other....

The lady mum knew used to have a Christmas card from him every year  :)

Pope John Paul II (aka Old Polish Lad) was succeeded by Pope Benedict.
Pope Benedict was succeeded by Pope Francis.
Pope Francis was photographed talking with Patti Smith (perhaps they will make the strangest .
Patti Smith's debut album 'Horses' was produced by John Cale.
John Cale played with Richard Thompson on 'Fear.'

Slight amount of rule-bending aside, all roads lead to Fairport, no?

 ;D ;D

I like it!  :)

You're all nerds! Love it  :D

cor, does that mean I have a Pegg number 2 as I have played with Red Shoes and they have played with Peggy?

on stage at Cropredy? (for a Pegg Number)

Mornington Crescent is part of the London Underground system, as is the Bakerloo line
Dave Clempson of Bakerloo played with Dick Heckstall-Smith in Colosseum
Dick H-S recorded with Danny Thompson
Danny compered Cropredy.

To properly qualify, that last step has to be Danny Thompson has played with Richard Thompson who was a member of Fairport Convention!  :)

Right, where shall we go next?

Dave Clempson did Cropredy with Julian Dawson who has played with Iain Matthews. ;D

That also works.  :)

Ok then, plucked from the ether. Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Tom Jones (probably an easy one)

Very.

Jimmy Page played on Its Not Unusual by Tom Jones
Jimmy Page was in Led Zeppelin with Robert Plant
Robert Plant has repeatedly appeared at Cropredy with Fairport Convention

or

Sandy Denny sang on The Battle of Evermore by Led Zeppelin
Sandy Denny was a member of Fairport Convention

I think John McLaughlin may well have played/recorded with Danny T and/or Dick H-S during the 60s jazz/RnB era......

How about... Can?

Slightly tenuous but...

Holger Czukay made an album with Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble was in PIL with John Lydon
John Lydon was in the Sex Pistols with Glen Matlock
Glen Matlock was in Rich Kids with Midge Ure
Midge Ure has played on stage with FC at Cropredy.

Cool...

I thought:  Czukay-Sylvian-Fripp-Jude

Rosko Gee (bass in Can 77-79) played in Traffic with Steve Winwood. Steve Winwood played on Sandy Denny's Rendezvous.

Wikipedia is invaluable for this sort of thing isn't it??

Jan Hammer played at a benefit gig in Dec 1983 with other musicians including Jimmy Page
Sandy recorded with Jimmy
Sandy was in Fairport

I think Rosko played with Julian at the same time as Clempson. Julian has played with Can anyway.

It is really proving a point though. Fairport are at the centre of the musical universe.

It may be necessary to look across the Atlantic or delve into Europop to break the chain. Aqua? A-ha? Ace Of Base? (And that is just the As  :))

How about Steely Dan?

Donald Fegan played on Martha Wainwright's album I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too
Martha Wainwright has performed with RT

Or how about via Jeff Pocaro, who played on Nik Kershaw's The Works?

... And Martha's dad played several Cropredies in the '90s.

Michael McDonald appeared on Steely Dan's Katy Lied. He subsequently joined the Doobie Bros when Willie Weeks was also a member and WW has played with, amongst many others, RT.

Cheers Nigel

Just the one!

Thought it was more than one...

What about Edith Piaf or Plastic Bertrand ?

Cheers Nigel

Just 1998, solo set and a song as FC guest.

Plastic Bertrand competed in the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest which was won by
Johnny Logan who appeared on the Cropredy stage with
Fairport in 2011 (?)

easy peasy.

You sure about that?....

Wikipedia says so.

He competed for Luxembourg with 'Amour Amour'

Cheers Nigel

I think I trust this site more.....

http://www.musikfolk.co.uk/expletive-delighted/cropredy-2011.htm

Displaying detailed knowledge of the Eurovision Song Contest is above & beyond the call of duty!  ;D

I have one for which there are 3 possible ways to get there that I know of.

Fairport to Bob Seger

Using Google is spectacularly simple  ;)

Cheers Nigel

He was on the Sky Arts Cropredy 2010 programme performing some of the Excalibur songs. Assuming its the same Johnny Logan?

http://www.musikfolk.co.uk/expletive-delighted/cropredy-2010.htm

That's the one. Wiki proved wrong again....

Well you can easily correct it you know...

Ah, the Johnny Logan year at Croppers - I did add a question mark after that though, what year did he play the Excalibur stuff? the link remains though.

Johnny Logan won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1987 (the same year that Plastic Bertrand competed) this is the same Johnny Logan who appeared on stage during Fairport's epic Excalibur event in 2010 therefore David W is correct  ;) and so incidentally is Wiki !!


Cheers Nigel

Edith Piaf recorded with Charles Aznavour.
Years later, Charles Aznavour collaborated with Youssou N'Dour for a music video following the earthquake in Haiti.
Youssou N'Dour has sung with Peter Gabriel on numerous occassions.
Peter Gabriel played in Genesis with Phil Collins.
Phil Collins once played in Jethro Tull.
Jethro Tull has included a number of FC members.

That was tough.

That's the FRench old 'uns - how about the Greeks?

Demis R & Nana Mouskouri?

Demis R is easy.

He was in a band with Vangelis.
Vangelis recorded with Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson worked on the Excalibur project with FC.

Probably both duetted with Charles Aznevour at some point eh?

For Nana Mouskouri I am trying to find a Fairport to Justin Hayward link, as he recorded with Nana. That would of course be the Fairport to Moodies link, though there may be some Birmningham connection there as well

Ok then - George Formby to Fairport.

Meatloaf?

George played the uke
He was mentioned in ukelele central by Chris Leslie on which FC all play ukes(and washboard!)
fc ......

TA DAAA

Meat Loaf toured with Joe Stefko on the 'Bat Out Of Hell' tour.
Joe Stefko played drums for John Cale in the late 70s.
RT recorded with Cale.

Ian Curtis of Joy Division to FC?

Nice....

Rod Stewart?  Mick Fleetwood?

Didnt Demis appear as a tent in field 5?

Rod's easy , Jim Cregan, Steve Harley, FC

Nana M duetted with Demis R on her TV show.

From there, follow earlier link!  ;D

Justin Hayward/Moodies to FC?

Justin Hayward was in the Moodies
Denny Laine was in the Moodies.
Denny Laine was in Wings
Paul McCartney was in Wings
Connect to FC via Dave Mattacks.

JIm Cregan also connects Danny and the Champs to FC via Grand Drive.

George Formby fought Mohammed Ali in the Rumble In The jungle, Mohammed Ali (as Cassius Clay) released a spoken word record in 1964 called 'I Am The Greatest' which was produced by . . . oh hang on, I've gone wrong somewhere . . . .

Danny is directly connected having played this year

I can think of a few ways....

Steve Coogan to FC

Mick Fleetwood - Stevie Nicks - Tom Petty - George Harrison - Dave Mattacks - FC

You can cut out Nicks and Petty, Mick's recorded with George.

That's right! Of course he has.

Via acting '24 hour party people' (which had numerous cameos from manchester musicians)? Or does the link have to be performing music?

Too easy  ;D

Ok, so Kevin Bacon to FC! (I'm guessing the links will start around Footloose).

Won't it be funny if we can't connect the two sets of Six Degrees within six degrees... ok, I'll allow 9 in this instance!

But did he play with Fairport/any member of Fairport? If not, it doesn't count. Just appearing on the same bill isn't good enough.

But the Cregan link works.

I can connect Patrick Moore to FC. ;D

Kevin Bacon is a musician with his brother in The Bacon Brothers
They played with Daryl Hall on his TV show, Live From Daryl's House
Daryl has played with Dave Stewart
Dave Stewart produced Boris Grebenshikov of Russian band Aquarium
Ric Sanders plays on Aquarium's most recent album.

 :)

Kevin Bacon (as a member of The Bacon Brothers) played with Daryl Hall on an episode of 'Live from Daryl's House.'
Daryl's first solo album (the HIGHLY underrated 'Sacred Songs') was produced by Robert Fripp.
Fripp and Jude recorded together (on what is, in my opinion, the superior version of 'I Talk To The Wind').

Voila!  ;D

OK there must be an easier route from Steve Coogan to FC but here goes.

Steve Coogan as his Tony Ferrino character duetted with Bjork, who has in turn duetted with Thom Yorke. Thom Yorke and Bernard Butler worked on a film soundtrack together. Bernard Butler has appeared live and on record with Bert Jansch. Bert Jansch was in Pentangle as was Danny Thompson who has played with RT. Or better, Swarb was on Bert's Edge Of a Dream CD and/or Gerry Conway was also in Pentangle.

Very nice, Darren! You definitely have to go through characters to get there... My, the people Alan has interacted with...

Before it gets lost, no takers on my suggestion? Bob Seger to Fairport?

Struggling with that one, Rob... I keep thinking along the lines of "Get Out of Denver" being covered by someone who's played (with FC?) at Cropredy, but that only leads me to Eddie & the Hot Rods and their Canvey/Essex links to the Blockheads........

Steve Coogan was at school with Maart.. does that count?

He also played a gig in Middleton, Manchester with Maart shortly after Maart left FC...

That's cool, Jenny-- had no idea about that connection! Any recording of Coogan and Maart exist???

Alright, Rob, I'm gonna attempt Bob Seger....

Bob Seger's album Against the Wind featured Dr. John on one the tracks and he was a member of Ringo Starr & His All Star Band as was Todd Rundgren who produced XTC's Skylarking for whom DM has drummed.

Cheers Nigel

Bob Seger frequently used Barry Beckett as organist/keys/etc.
Barry played with Traffic on the 'On The Road' album with Chris Wood.
Chris Wood appeared on John Martyn's 'Inside Out' album with Richard Thompson.

Not that I know of Austin.

Fred Tackett has played on a few Bob Seger albums and tours. Fred Tackett played guitar on Richard Thompson's Amnesia.

John Jorgenson played guitar on Bob Seger's album The Fire Inside. John Jorgenson played with The Hellecasters which included Jerry Donahue. Jerry was a member of FC.

Kenny Aronoff has played drums for Bob Seger. He has also played with Richard Thompson.

And therefore....Fred Tackett is your Fairport to Little Feat six degrees, and Kenny Aronoff is six degrees to John Mellencamp!

Didn't realize Kenny Aronoff played with Richard-- was just in a wedding where a former bandmate/drum tech of his helped out! Is that collaboration enough to start working on my own Fairport degrees?  :P

Nice? (OK I know you didn't really mean the band, but...)
The Nice played on Roy Harper's "Flat Baroque and Berserk", and Ric played on Roy's "The Dream Society"

I love this site (not this thread) but do you people get out at all???? ;D ::)

No we're sitting at PCs ;D

Just a fun game, which is all the better for the depth of work that all members of Fairport past and present have been associated with. In fact I think there would be few bands that have the kind of links that Fairport do to a broad range of artists.

Not during the day.



Which was my point in starting the thread.

Only messing Al.

Bob Seger wrote Rosalie, which was covered by Motorhead, who perpetrated The Ace of Spades, which was covered by The Bad Shepherds, who played Cropredy.

I know Thin Lizzy covered Rosalie, but Motorhead? Nevermind,Brian Robertson was in Lizzy and Motorhead,so that's fixed that...and of course,Wurzel of Motorhead played with FC.

John Sykes was also in Lizzy, and Whitesnake.
Three members of Whitesnake were in Deep Purple and via Deep Purple you've got the entire population of musicians in the world connected (including me!).

Hope Pete Frame is getting all this down.

 ;D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zbOOI01g_Q

Ian Curtis was in Joy Division
Joy Division's bassist was Peter Hook
Peter Hook was married to Caroline Aherne
Caroline Aherne created The Royle Family which starred Geoff Hughes
Geoff Hughes compered and played bodhran numerous times with Fairport.

OK... Kiwi dance outfit Salmonella Dub, anyone?  ::)

Very nice, Gary!!! I dig it.

Okay, Salmonella Dub....

Salmonella Dub have recorded with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
The NZSO collaborated with many Split Enz members, including Tim Finn, on the ENZSO project.
Tim Finn appeared with Dave Mattacks on the second 801 album, 'Listen Now.'

I'm fairly sure most any musical road out of New Zealand will be on the back of an Enz member (particularly a Finn brother).  ;)