Fairport Convention - Interview
by Nick Dent-Robinson
published: 19 / 4 / 2017
intro
Fairport Convention bassist Dave Pegg talks to Nick Dent-Robinson about the group's fiftieth anniversary this year and their forthcoming new album, which consists of both studio and live recordings
Fairport Convention - the original folk-rock band - celebrate their golden anniversary during 2017. The band was formed by Ashley Hutchings during 1967's “Summer of love” and it became hugely influential, nurturing the careers of many music greats - including Richard Thompson, Dave Swarbrick, Simon Nicol and Sandy Denny. The band will be embarking on a major tour this year and in March they are also releasing an album, appropriately named '50:50@50', to celebrate their half-century milestone. Seven of the fourteen tracks were recorded at recent Fairport concerts and the rest in the studio. Nine are compositions by members of the band. The album combines these brand new songs with favourites from Fairport's repertoire and there are guest lead vocals from Robert Plant and Pentangle's Jacqui McShee. Throughout Fairport's 50-year career, the band have attracted wide acclaim. Their 1969 'Liege & Lief' album is credited with originating the UK's folk-rock genre and was awarded a Gold Disc. It was also voted “The Most Influential Folk Album of All Time” by BBC Radio 2 listeners. Artists as diverse as Led Zeppelin, Seth Lakeman and Alice Cooper are Fairport fans and the band won the much coveted BBC Lifetime Achievement Award. Asked about Fairport's latest album, the band's bassist Dave Pegg said, “Fairport has never been a studio band. We need to tread the boards to pay the bills and live performance is very important to us. Which is why we decided that '50:50@50' would be half live recordings and half studio numbers. Some of the tracks were recorded at our annual music festival in Cropredy, Oxfordshire." “The studio work was done by producer John Gale at Woodworm Studios in Barford St Michael which I used to own. It always feels like coming home when we record there and, despite all the changes in recording technology, Fairport still put our albums together in a traditional way. For us the song always comes first. Then we work out arrangements that suit all of us – which takes just hours, not days. After that we record the rhythm section (drums and bass) with guide vocals and others playing along. Finally everyone overdubs with their individual parts. It really doesn't take us long as we have played together so much and all know our strengths and weaknesses." “The result will, I think, demonstrate the sheer versatlity of Fairport. The tracks range from new folk-rock ('Eleanor's Dreams') to lively instrumentals ('Danny Jack's Reward') and lovely lyrical songs like Chris Leslie's 'Our Bus Rolls On'. We also become Robert Plant's backing band for 'Jesus on the Mainline' which was recorded in one take and Pentangle's Jacqui McShee joins us as vocalist on 'Lady of Carlisle'. I hope everyone will enjoy the album which I feel is a fitting tribute to our half century of music. And I do look forward hugely to 2017's Cropredy which will be a very special festival with Petula Clark, Richard Thompson and some more very special guest artists.”
Band Links:-
http://www.fairportconvention.comhttps://www.facebook.com/Fairportofficial/
https://twitter.com/faircropfest
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairport_Convention
Picture Gallery:-
interviews |
Interview (2019) |
Nick Dent-Robinson speaks to Fairport Convention guitarist and vocalist Simon Nicol about this year's 40th Fairport's Cropredy Convention which will take place in the village of Cropredy in North Oxfordshire in August. |
Interview (2018) |
Interview (2016) |
Interview (2015) |
Interview (2012) |
profiles |
On Track...Every Album, Every Track (2020) |
Thirty albums in, Fairport Convention finally get a book dedicated to every song on every album. Tommy Gunnarsson is impressed. |
Profile (2017) |
Profile (2015) |
Fairport Convention and Matthews Southern Comfort (2008) |
live reviews |
Cropredy, Oxfordshire, 7/8/2014...9/8/2014 |
Nick Dent-Robinson enjoys this year's Fairport's Cropredy Convention, which as well as Fairport Convention also saw sets from Chas 'n' Dave, Marillion, Steve Hackett's Genesis Extended and remarkable Welsh singer-songwriter Deborah Rose |
favourite album |
Rising for the Moon (2013) |
In our 'Re:View' series, in which our writers look back on classic albums from the past, Andy Cassidy examines Fairport Convention's 1975 album 'Racing to the Moon', which was the last of their albums to feature Sandy Denny and which has just been released in a new double CD edition |
soundcloud
reviews |
What We Did On Our Saturday (2018) |
Enjoyable career-spanning live album from influential folk act Fairport Convention recorded last year during their fiftieth anniversary at their annual Cropredy Convention in North Oxfordshire |
Live 1974 (2016) |
most viewed articles
current edition
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.The Church - Interview with Steve Kilbey
Simon Heavisides - Destiny Stopped Screaming: The Life and Times of Adrian Borland
Secret Shine - Interview
Vetchinsky Settings - Interview
Repomen - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Flaming Stars - Interview
Near Jazz Experience - Interview
Jack Roscoe - Interview
Sami Sumner - Interview
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPDwina Gibb - Interview
Trudie Myerscough-Harris - Interview
Oasis - Oasis, Earl's Court, London, 1995
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Jimmy Nail - Interview
Allan Clarke - Interview
Beautiful South - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Barrie Barlow - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Kula Shaker - Natural MagickIan Hunter - Defiance Part 2: Fiction
Lewis 'Burner' Pugh - Bullets for Bread
Hillbilly Moon Explosion - Back in Time
Inutili - A Love Supreme
My Life Story - Loving You is Killing Me
David Cross Band - Ice Blue Silver Sky
Beyonce - Cowboy Carter
Smalltown Tigers - Crush On You
Ty Segall - Three Bells
related articles |
: Profile (2021 |
Nicky Crewe finds that the eagerly anticipated memoir from Fairport Convention co-founder Richard Thompson is a beautifully written and evocative reminder of a memorable time in his life. |
Dave Swarbrick: Interview (2014) |
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart