Fairport Convention Wishfulness Waltz

The best British folk-rock band of the late '60s, Fairport Convention did more than any other act to develop a truly British variation on the folk-rock prototype by drawing upon traditional material and styles indigenous to the British Isles. While the revved-up renditions of traditional British folk tunes drew the most critical attention, the group members were also (at least at the outset) talented songwriters as well as interpreters. They were comfortable with conventional harmony-based folk-rock as well as tunes that drew upon more explicitly traditional sources, and boasted some of the best singers and instrumentalists of the day.

Liege & Lief is the fourth album by the English folk rock band Fairport Convention. It is the third and final album the group released in the UK in 1969, all of which prominently feature Sandy Denny as lead female vocalist. (Denny did not appear on the group's 1968 debut album). It is also the very first Fairport album on which all songs have either been adapted (freely) from traditional British and Celtic folk material (for example "Matty Groves", "Tam Lin"), or else are original compositions (such as "Come All Ye", "Crazy Man Michael") written and performed in a similar style. By introducing songs of this genre into the group's repertoire Denny, who had previously sung and recorded traditional folk songs as a solo artist, was instrumental in this transformation. Although Denny quit the band even before the album's release, Fairport Convention has continued to the present day to make music almost exclusively within the traditional British folk music idiom, and are still most strongly associated with it.

Those attending Fairport's Cropredy Convention 2022 will know that we celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of our 1970 LP Full House (albeit two years late thanks to Covid-19 restrictions). The original line-up of Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg (with Chris Leslie filling the shoes of the late great Dave Swarbrick) took to the Cropredy stage to perform the whole album. We recorded the show and the result is a magnificent musical memento of a stunning live performance. If you were in the field that night, this CD will let you relive the occasion; if you couldn't make it then now's your chance to savour what you missed.

Digitally remastered edition of the 2nd Fairport Convention LP and the first to include the presence of Sandy Denny was recorded in 1968. It showcases a young group taking pleasure in singing and playing whatever took its' collective fancy, and doing this with surprising sensitivity, authority and musicality. Also evident is the trademark unpredictability and wacky sense of fun which marked their live concerts . Make 'em laugh, make 'em cry, make 'em puzzled; that was early Fairport. Includes 3 Bonus Tracks. "Throwaway Street Puzzle" was released as the b-side of the "Meet On The Ledge" single. "You're Gonna Need My Help" is a rare BBC Radio recording from 1969 and features a virtuoso slide-guitar performance by Richard Thompson. "Some Sweet Day" was originally recorded to be released as a single but was shelved in favour of "Meet On The Ledge".

"Rosie" is the eighth studio album by folk-rock outfit Fairport Convention, released in 1973. The album was the first to feature Australian singer-songwriter guitarist Trevor Lucas and American lead guitarist Jerry Donahue. Both had previously played with ex-Fairport Sandy Denny, to whom Lucas was married, in the short-lived Fotheringay. Here they had effectively replaced Simon Nicol who had quit Fairport to join another ex-member Ashley Hutchings in The Albion Band, thus leaving the band with no original members until he rejoined in 1976. Remastered reissue includes previously unreleased bonus tracks, 'Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John' (Live), 'The Hen's March Through the Midden…' (Live), 'Rosie' (Live), & 'The Claw' (Live).

Fairport Convention have been entertaining music lovers for over half a century, with 2023 being their 56th anniversary! During that time the band that launched British folk-rock has seen many changes, but one thing has remained the same - Fairport’s passion for performance.

Nine is the ninth album by the British folk rock group Fairport Convention, released in 1973. 2005 Remastered re-issue. Bonus Tracks include 'The Devil in the Kitchen' (Fiddlestix), 'George Jackson' (Live), 'Pleasure and Pain' (Live) and 'Six Days on the Road' (Live).