Fairport Convention (album)

Fairport Convention is Fairport Convention's debut album. The band formed in 1967, with the original line-up consisting of Richard Thompson (guitar); Simon Nicol (guitar); Ashley “Tyger” Hutchings (bass); and Shaun Frater (drums), who was replaced after their first gig by Martin Lamble. They were joined by Judy Dyble (vocals), and Ian MacDonald (later known as Iain Matthews) after they made their major London stage debut in one of Brian Epstein’s Sunday concerts at the Saville Theatre.

Fairport Convention
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 1968[1]
RecordedNovember 1967
StudioSound Techniques, London
GenreFolk rock[2]
Length37:46
LabelUK: Polydor; US: Cotillion
ProducerJoe Boyd, Tod Lloyd for Witchseason Productions
Fairport Convention chronology
Fairport Convention
(1968)
What We Did on Our Holidays
(1969)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Select[3]

With an approach strongly influenced by Jefferson Airplane's first two albums, as opposed to the electric traditional folk for which the group later became famous, the debut album features songs by Emitt Rhodes, Joni Mitchell and Jim & Jean, adaptations of poems by George Painter and Bob Dylan, and some original material.

This is the only Fairport Convention studio album on which Judy Dyble sings. She left in 1968 and was replaced by Sandy Denny but during her short time with the band she made an impression. A later article commented on her on-stage habit of knitting dishcloths and scarves when not actually singing.[4]

The album should not be confused with the A&M Records' Fairport Convention, the USA release/re-titling of their second UK album, What We Did on Our Holidays. The first album, listed as a product of Polydor-England, was finally released in the U.S. on Cotillion Records in 1970.

Track listing edit

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Time Will Show the Wiser"Emitt Rhodes3:04
2."I Don't Know Where I Stand"Joni Mitchell3:43
3."If (Stomp)"Ian MacDonald, Richard Thompson2:45
4."Decameron"Paul Ghosh, Andrew Horvitch, Thompson3:42
5."Jack O'Diamonds"Bob Dylan, Ben Carruthers3:28
6."Portfolio"Judy Dyble, Tyger Hutchings1.58
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Chelsea Morning"Joni Mitchell3:03
8."Sun Shade"Ghosh, Horvitch, Thompson3:46
9."The Lobster"George Painter, Hutchings, Thompson4:45
10."It's Alright Ma, It's Only Witchcraft"Hutchings, Thompson3:12
11."One Sure Thing"Harvey Brooks, Jean Glover2:52
12."M.1 Breakdown"Hutchings, Simon Nicol1:23
2003 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Suzanne"Leonard Cohen5:45
14."If I Had a Ribbon Bow"Hughie Prince, Lou Singer2:40
15."Morning Glory"Larry Beckett, Tim Buckley3:09
16."Reno, Nevada"Richard Fariña7:43

Personnel edit

Fairport Convention edit

Additional personnel edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Melody Maker. 6 July 1968. p. 16. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b Unterberger, R. (2011). "Fairport Convention – Fairport Convention | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  3. ^ Cavanagh, David (October 1990). "Fairport Convention: Fairport Convention". Select. No. 4. p. 129.
  4. ^ "FREE RICHARD THOMPSON NOW!". Retrieved 4 May 2008.

External links edit