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News
January 25, 2007
COME ALL YE ROLLING MINSTRELS
This year FAIRPORT CONVENTION can be delighted - expletively or not - for there's a string of events happening in the great folkies' camp.
First off, it makes sense to remind all that DME has the privilege of exclusively reporting on the "Fotheringay 2" album's restoring process, mentioned before here.
Then - and, hopefully, this will turn into a record, too - the FAIRPORTS line-up behind the immense "Liege & Lief" LP, out in 1970, will re-unite for one-off show at the Cropredy Convention on August 10th to play the album its entirety. Sure, there's going to be a huge gap amidst Richard Thompson, Ashley Hutchings, Dave Swarbrick, Dave Mattacks and Simon Nicol, as Sandy Denny isn't among the living anymore, but the singer's position is to be taken by THE ALBION BAND's former vocalist Chris While.
Not ones to be dwelling in the past (well, not at the recent past anyway), FAIRPORT CONVENTION come up with their new studio outing with a telling title "Sense Of Occasion" on February 12th. Mostly composed by the band members, their old friends and popular writer known as Trad Arr - note the inclusion of the new take on Scottish classic "Tam Lin", originally recorded on "Liege & Lief" - the album also features "Love On A Farmboy’s Wages" by XTC's Andy Partridge and "Untouchable" by the SQUEEZE main man, Glenn Tilbrook. Quite teasing!
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1. Keep On Turning The Wheel |
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DREAMBOAT GLIDING
To see the shining again: it's something that's been performed once in while since the beginning of the remastering era when some artists regained enough control of their catalogue to try and present their records as they were meant to be originally before the label butted in and insisted on contorting the writers' idea. That's exactly what happened with the STACKRIDGE's fifth album, 1976's "Mr Mick". Based on a poem, it featured dialogue lines alongside the songs, so the record company didn't take a shine to the finished result and ordered the removal of most of those lines. The band didn't like to do so yet couldn't have it their way. Not that what came out was bad but, given a chance, the band restored it for the April 2nd release on Angel Air - coupled with the well-known LP version in remastered form.
CD 1 - Original version:
1. Hey! Good Looking |
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CD 2 - LP version:
1. Hold Me Tight |
January 18, 2007
GOLDEN NEEDLES
Known by a few for some months, now it's official. Jerry Donahue, of FOTHERINGAY, FAIRPORTS and HELLECASTERS fame, informed DME that he's "been given the go ahead to finish the "Fotheringay 2" album and got access to all those wonderful recordings". The work's afoot already and, if things go according to plan, it will come out on Fledgling Records in October.
Tracks to be included are original versions of "Eppie Moray", "Gypsy Davey", "Late November", "Lowlands Of Holland", "John the Gun", "Wild Mountain Thyme", "Knights Of The Road", "Silver Threads And Golden Needles", "Two Weeks Last Summer", "Bold Jack Donahue" and as yet unnamed instrumental written by Trevor Lucas and Jerry Donahue. Many of those are well-known in Sandy Denny's solo versions, some found their way into the connoisseurs' hands on bootlegs. Fortunately, the great band's heritage is in the caring hands now and the previously unfinished masterpiece will eventually see the light of day.
DME's set to follow the project's progress so check in regularly to be in the known.
FORGOTTEN MEMORIES
Recently, Rick Wakeman has delved into his piles of filmed recordings to compile a material for a project called "Visual Archive". That's going to be a series of official DVD bootlegs which span '70s, '80s and '90s and will include very rare footage supposed to be lost for ever. The first release is to see the light of day in the first half of 2007.
LONG LOST BROTHERS
That was a strange situation in 1984, when having left the YES name to Chris Squire, three other members of the band's classic line-up - Steve Howe, Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman - plus the ensemble's first drummer, Bill Bruford - joined forces in a group called simply ABWH. They recorded an album and planned another one before YES reunited. Until that, though, they toured, and it's that time that the "An Evening of Yes Music Plus" comes from. Available on VHS for a short span of time in 1994, now it's out as a limited edition digipak containing two discs - one with a concert, and the other the "In The Big Dream" documentary, again previously out only on video cassette. After the first 2,000 pressing are sold out - and it's already sold out, with the first 1,000 copies signed by the musicians, and yet 1,000 produced - there'll just be a regular, single DVD edition up for grabs. And a 2CD-set, of course, with a corrected running order and augmented with a bonus track not previously available on the European edition of the original album.
DVDDisc One:
1. Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Disc Two:
1. The Meeting |
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CDDisc One:
1. Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Disc Two:
1. Close To The Edge |
NO EASY WAY
The ultimate Ian Gillan's DVD had been in the works for some time now, when those behind it were approached by Universal to take up the project. The 8-week edit made the footage fit on two discs full to the rafters with footage and music - there's more than 6 hours! Big Ian, telling his story there, is said to be happy with the outcome and Ian Anderson who watched it like the film too. Now, it's over to fans... but that's all of the details that there is.
HIGH FLYING ADORED
MIDNIGHT FLYER came to life rather unexpectedly for Maggie Bell's fans who didn't think the finest British lady singing the blues would team up in another band after the STONE THE CROWS and her solo endeavor. But she did, and even though the only album the group - comprising Maggie, guitarist Antony Glynne, FOGHAT's bassist Tony Stevens, drummer Dave Dowle famous for his stint with WHITESNAKE and ex-STRAWBS keyboard player Chris Parren - recorded didn't fare too well, live MIDNIGHT FLYER were reported to be mighty. Now, there's a proof: a DVD called "Live Montreux July 1981" is out on Angel Air in March. Recorded just supporting slot on the AC/DC European tour at the legendary Festival, the quintet delivered a nice set with a couple of American blues greats joining the Brits for the last numbers. With a couple of STONE THE CROWS tracks thrown in, this is a must:
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1. Hey Boy |
DREAMS OF DESIRE
Back in 1999, when Stuart Smith released his "Heaven And Earth", it caused a little furore amongs the hard rock aficionados who were impressed with the guitarist's top-notch material and mighty guests such as Carmine Appice, Glenn Hughes and Joe Lynn Turrner who helped deliver it. All of these - as well as Keith Emerson, Bobby Kimball, Richie Sambora, Howard Leese, Kelly Hansen and many others - are featured on "The Making Of Heaven & Earth" DVD, out now on Black Star Records and available on the HEAVEN & EARTH's website. They don't only talk about the project, the footage - and there's over 4 hours of it - includes both studio and om-stage performances, electric and acoustic. Must be a gem.
The Songs
1. Don’t Keep Me Waiting |
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Live Footage
1. Heaven & Earth |
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