''Dark Fields'' is the sixth studio
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by English acoustic roots duo
Show of Hands
Show of Hands is an English acoustic roots/folk duo formed in 1986 by singer-songwriter Steve Knightley (guitars, mandolin, mandocello, cuatro) and composer and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer (vocals, guitars, violin, viola, mandolin, mandoc ...
, released in 1997 on their own label Hands on Music. The album follows the duo's 1996 performance at the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, a performance which raised their profile. A
live album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
of the performance was released as ''
Live at the Royal Albert Hall'' in August, becoming the band's best selling album. The duo followed the success with ''Dark Fields''.
Recorded in
St Merryn
St Merryn ( kw, S. Meryn) is a civil parish and village in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is about south of the fishing port of Padstow and northeast of the coastal resort of Newquay.
The village has a primary school, a veterinar ...
, ''Dark Fields'' features Knightley's characteristic
West Country
The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Gloucesters ...
-focused lyrics and a "live" sound carried over from their previous studio release ''
Lie of the Land
''Lie of the Land'' is the fifth studio album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. Following the live band setting of the band's previous album, 1994's '' Beat about the Bush'', the duo sought a simpler sound that featured just themselv ...
'' (1995). The album was released in May 1997, received positive reviews from critics. The band also released a single from the album, "Crazy Boy", which was the band's first single.
Background
With their 1995 album ''
Lie of the Land
''Lie of the Land'' is the fifth studio album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. Following the live band setting of the band's previous album, 1994's '' Beat about the Bush'', the duo sought a simpler sound that featured just themselv ...
'', Devon-based folk duo
Show of Hands
Show of Hands is an English acoustic roots/folk duo formed in 1986 by singer-songwriter Steve Knightley (guitars, mandolin, mandocello, cuatro) and composer and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer (vocals, guitars, violin, viola, mandolin, mandoc ...
, consisting of
Steve Knightley
Steve Knightley (born 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and acoustic musician. Since 1992 he has been one half of folk/roots duo Show of Hands along with Phil Beer. Knightley was named "Songwriter of the Nineties" by BBC Radio 6 Music in ...
and
Phil Beer
Phil Beer (born 12 May 1953 in Exminster, Devon, England) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and one half of English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands.
Biography
Beer first began to play fiddle, guitar, and mandolin whilst ...
, found the most success in their career so far. Whilst that album's predecessor, ''
Beat about the Bush
''Beat About the Bush'' is the fourth studio album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. Originally released by Twah! Records in 1994, it was their debut studio album to be released on CD, following the discontinued cassette albums that a ...
'' (1994), aimed for radio play by incorporating a full band set up,
['' Roots: The Best of Show of Hands'' liner notes] it did not receive the air play wanted.
The duo then sought for a stripped down, more acoustic sound for ''Lie of the Land'' which felt more like the duo's live performances. The album was released in 1995 on Isis Records, and unlike their previous album, it found attention from major publications, such as ''
Mojo
Mojo may refer to:
*Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* MOJO HD, an American television network
* ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film
* '' ...
'' and ''
Q'', with the latter subsequently naming it the "folk album of the year". The duo received more attention and, by early 1996, they had by now built up a considerable fanbase through their mailing list.
[Show Of Hands Biography , OLDIES.com]
/ref> Knightley, Beer and manager O’Farrell, who had produced ''Lie of the Land'', took the gamble of hiring London's Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
for a performance on the evening of 24 March 1996, in attempt to gather all of the duo's fans, and to raise the duo's profile.
Whilst a certainly ambitious idea, the duo hired the hall "to the amusement of the media and the cynicism of sceptics" and was considered a huge gamble. Nonetheless, the performance sold out in advance. Selling out the hall was unprecedented for a folk act. One biography said that the success "proved that for this enigmatic, indy duo anything was possible." Knightley said in 1997 that "people still talk about it in glowing terms." He also noted that "quite a lot of people now know Show Of Hands as 'Those guys who did the Albert Hall'. So it's opened a lot of doors. In India there was a tremendous cachet - we were checked out by people who came to see us just because of having played the Royal Albert Hall. In America as well. So it exceeded all our expectations in that sense."
O'Farrell commenced producing the performance as a live album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
, whose production work on ''Lie of the Land'' pleased the duo, who also liked the live sound of their previous live album ''Show of Hands Live
''Live'' (also known as ''Live '92'' and ''Show of Hands Live'') is the first live album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. After the duo had recorded three studio albums on cassette from 1987–1991, the last of these being '' Out fo ...
'', produced by Mike Trim. The album cost £200 on the night to record. The live album was released in August 1996 as '' Live at the Royal Albert Hall'', which became the duo's best-selling album. With this new tinge of success that the strength of the Albert Hall built open, Knightley noted that "it's easier to get in local papers. But we now need to replace that with a story about the music. That's the dilemma." With this in mind, the duo decide it was time "for a new studio recording".,[''Roots: The Best of Show of Hands'' liner notes] and the duo began work on their sixth album, ''Dark Fields'' in 1997.
Music and lyrics
The duo co-produced ''Dark Fields'' with manager Steve O'Farrell who produced ''Lie of the Land'' and ''Live at the Royal Albert Hall'', and recorded it at Joe Partridge
Joseph Titus Partridge (9 December 1932 – 6 June 1988) was a Rhodesian cricketer who played in 11 Test matches for South Africa between 1963 and 1965. He formed a potent new-ball partnership with Peter Pollock on the 1963–64 tour of Austr ...
's Airfield studios in St Merryn
St Merryn ( kw, S. Meryn) is a civil parish and village in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is about south of the fishing port of Padstow and northeast of the coastal resort of Newquay.
The village has a primary school, a veterinar ...
, Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, with the studio commencing recording here due to Knightley's pleasant experience when working on a Mike Silver album at the studio several years prior. Knightley later commented that, "wonderfully equipped and utterly secluded, he duolocked themselves away for a week or so" to record the album.
One reviewer noted that "the majority of the subjects n the album
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
peopling "''Dark Fields''" exude Englishness. On one hand there are the misfits - hedonistic teenager, dyed-in-the-wool poacher. Another hand highlights slave traders or recruiting sergeants - murky historical characters trapped by their time. On the third hand, the West Country
The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Gloucesters ...
's exiled miners and heroic emergency servants are given the benefit of Knightley's sympathetic pen. And on the final hand, leavening the proceedings, there are a brace of unrequited love-stories and a terrifyingly competent tune set."[Living Tradition CD review of Show Of Hands - Dark Fields]
/ref> Knightley noted in 2007 that the album's production was generally based on the duo's live sound, despite being "more rounded", and also noted that "many of the songs on this album are still concert standards".
"Cousin Jack", the opening track, remains one of the duo's best known and most performed songs. The song is about the Cornish miners of the Cornish diaspora
The Cornish diaspora ( kw, keskar kernewek) consists of Cornish people and their descendants who emigrated from Cornwall, United Kingdom. The diaspora is found within the United Kingdom, and in countries such as the United States, Canada, Austral ...
. Many Cornish people were known as "Cousin Jacks". The fourth track is a "Wessex Medley". The twelfth track, "High Germany/Molly Oxford", was recorded live at Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
in spring 1997. It is the first time the duo included a live performance on a studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
. Over half of the tracks on the album are Steve Knightley compositions, the others traditional pieces arranged by the duo, other than a cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
's "Farewell Angelina" and Nic Jones
Nic Jones (born Nicolas Paul Jones; 9 January 1947) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Regarded as a prominent figure of the British folk revival, he has recorded five solo albums and collaborated with various musicians.
Biography ...
' arrangement of "Warlike Lads of Russia", a track described by one reviewer as "just the kind of blatant altruism which Zimmerman of Hibbing notably omitted to display a few years back." "The Bristol Slaver" is about the Bristol slave trade
upStatue of slave trader toppled_in_2020_.html" ;"title="The Centre, Bristol">The Centre, Bristol, erected in 1895, Statue of Edward Colston#Toppling and removal">toppled in 2020 ">The Centre, Bristol">The Centre, Bristol, erected in 1895, Statu ...
and "Crazy Boy" is about a "bored teenager", whilst "Longdog" is about poachers and "The Shout" is about voluntary emergency services.
The album features numerous guest musicians. Chris While
Chris While (born 1956) is an English songwriter, singer and musician, known particularly for her vocals and live performances. She has worked as a solo artist, a songwriter and as a member of a number of duos and groups. Her music is often cla ...
, of Beer's former band The Albion Band
The Albion Band, also known as The Albion Country Band, The Albion Dance Band, and The Albion Christmas Band, were a British folk rock band, originally brought together and led by musician Ashley Hutchings. Generally considered one of the mo ...
, sings vocals on the song "Dark Fields". Matt Clifford also plays keyboards on that track and three others.[Liner notes] For the "Wessex Medley", a medley that first consists of Beer's composition "Carrick Roads", then "Plum Pudding", a traditional piece arranged by Knightley and Beer, and finally Beer's "The Rocky Road to Chudleigh", melodeon
Melodeon may refer to:
* Melodeon (accordion), a type of button accordion
*Melodeon (organ), a type of 19th-century reed organ
*Melodeon (Boston, Massachusetts), a concert hall in 19th-century Boston
* Melodeon Records, a U.S. record label in the ...
was provided by Simon Care. The seventh song, "Flora", features percussion by Joe Partridge and backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...
from Lucy Watkins, Richard Hammond and Paul Banham who also sing backing vocals on "The Shout". The live track, "High Germany"/"Molly Oxford", features vocals from Kate Rusby
Kate Anna Rusby (born 4 December 1973) is an English English folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Penistone, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Sometimes called the "Barnsley Nightingale", she has headlined various British folk festivals, an ...
, fiddle from Chris Wood and melodeon from Andy Cutting
Andy Cutting (born 18 March 1969) is an English folk musician and composer. He plays melodeon and is best known for writing and performing traditional English folk and his own original compositions which combine English and French traditions w ...
.[Liner notes.]
Of the duo, Steve Knightley
Steve Knightley (born 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and acoustic musician. Since 1992 he has been one half of folk/roots duo Show of Hands along with Phil Beer. Knightley was named "Songwriter of the Nineties" by BBC Radio 6 Music in ...
sings all lead vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
, as well as playing guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
, cuatro
Cuatro is Spanish language, Spanish (and other Romance languages) for the 4 (number), number four.
Cuatro may also refer to:
* Cuatro (instrument), name for two distinct Latin American instruments, one from Puerto Rico (see cuatro (Puerto Rico), ...
, mandocello
The mandocello ( it, mandoloncello, Liuto cantabile, liuto moderno) is a plucked string instrument of the mandolin family. It is larger than the mandolin, and is the baritone instrument of the mandolin family. Its eight strings are in four paire ...
, concertina
A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It consists of expanding and contracting bellows, with buttons (or keys) usually on both ends, unlike accordion buttons, which are on the front.
The ...
, acoustic bass guitar
The acoustic bass guitar (sometimes shortened to acoustic bass or initialized ABG) is a bass instrument with a hollow wooden body similar to, though usually larger than a steel-string acoustic guitar. Like the traditional electric bass guitar a ...
and mandolin
A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...
on the album. Meanwhile, Phil Beer
Phil Beer (born 12 May 1953 in Exminster, Devon, England) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and one half of English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands.
Biography
Beer first began to play fiddle, guitar, and mandolin whilst ...
sings other vocals and plays guitars, mandolin, fiddle
A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...
, cuatro, viola
The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...
and mandocello. This album marks the first two appearances of the song "The Train" on a Show of Hands studio album. Firstly appearing as the album's sixth track, it is featured again in the form of a ten-minute reprise as a hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track (sometimes called a ghost track, secret track or unlisted track) is a song or a piece of audio that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, LP record, or other recorded medium, in such a way as t ...
following ten minutes of silence after "High Germany" / "Molly Oxford", the last track on the album. It is the first of three hidden tracks by the duo. The band's following album, ''Folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
'' features a new combination of the song with "Blackwaterside
"Down by Blackwaterside" (also known as "Blackwaterside", "Blackwater Side" and "Black Waterside"; see Roud 312, Laws O1 and Roud 564, Laws P18, Henry H811) is a traditional folk song, provenance and author unknown, although it is likely to have or ...
". The band's 2002 live album, ''Cold Cuts
Lunch meats—also known as cold cuts, luncheon meats, cooked meats, sliced meats, cold meats, sandwich meats, and deli meats—are precooked or cured meats that are sliced and served cold or hot. They are typically served in sandwiches or on ...
'' features another new combination of the song with "Sit You Down". The band's 2005 live album, '' As You Were'' features a new medley which features "The Train" followed by "Santiago" and "The Soldier's Joy".
Release and reception
To try and build on the duo's success, and to promote ''Dark Fields'', the duo agreed to release their first single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
, choosing the album's eighth track "Crazy Boy", backed with the B-sides
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
"The Train Trilogy" and "Crow on the Cradle". In a 1997 interview, Steve Knightley said "for now we're putting out the present single 'Crazy Boy' to see if we can get an Indie Chart placing or whatever - radio, TV. Maybe that will be the next story, the guys who sold 8,000 singles, or the guys who got to number 50. Whatever. That's the idea for this Autumn." Despite the ambitions, the single failed to chart on the UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. The band would not release any more singles until "Are We Alright"/"Crooked River" in 2004. This excludes the music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
produced for 2003's "Country Life", taken from the album of the same name.
Although the "Crazy Boy" single was released in Autumn 1997, ''Dark Fields'' was released several months later in December 1997. It was the first time the duo released a studio album anew on their label Hands on Music
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each "hand ...
, who, prior to the release of ''Dark Fields'', had re-released ''Lie of the Land'' and released the live album, as well as 1995 compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
''Backlog 1987–1991''. ''Dark Fields'' was released as a digipak
Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage.
Jewel case
A ...
, their first album to do so. This package pleased reviewer Alan Rose. The album cover, which features a silhouette of a wicker man
A wicker man was purportedly a large wicker statue in which the druids (priests of Celtic paganism) Human sacrifice, sacrificed humans and Animal sacrifice, animals by burning. The main evidence for this practice is a sentence by Ancient Rome, Ro ...
burning in front of a dark sky, was decided by the duo's long time sleeve designer Rob O'Connor and was described by Knightley in 2007 as being "striking". The lyric booklet refers to itself as the ''Dark Fields Song Book''.
''Dark Fields'' was released to positive reviews; Alan Rose of ''The Living Tradition'' published a positive review for the album, praising the record and highlighting "The Warlkine Lads of Russia" as "rightly honoured" and calling the tune set of the album "terrifyingly competent.". Dake Tuxford of the same publication, in a review for a subsequent album, described ''Dark Fields'' as a "winning mix of Knightley's own well-crafted songs, carefully-selected material from the best contemporary songwriters and traditional material," and referring to the record as a "polished" album "whose 'thoughtful lyricism and mood shifts' impressed even the hard-boiled ''Daily Telegraph
Daily or The Daily may refer to:
Journalism
* Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks
* ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times''
* ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...
'' reviewer."
The duo toured in promotion of the album, and footage from the tour featured on the duo's 1998 documentary/concert film
A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian.
Early history
The ...
''Stairway to Devon'', released on VHS by Hands on Music. The film is self-described as " world music from the West Country
The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Gloucesters ...
". The duo would not release a studio album of new songs until ''Cold Frontier
''Cold Frontier'' is the ninth studio album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. It was recorded in early 2001 on location by the Countess Wear at the River Exe, Exeter, Devon, with Mick Dolan, engineer for Steve Winwood, co-producing th ...
'' in September 2001. In the intervening time they recorded an album of traditional songs, ''Folk Music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
'' in September 1998, and an album of cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s of songs, '' Covers'' (2000). "Wessex Medley" from ''Dark Fields'' was included on the various artists compilation album ''A Celebration of English Folk'' (2008).Various - A Celebration Of Great British Folk (CD) at Discogs
/ref>
Track listing
Tracks written by Steve Knightley
Steve Knightley (born 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and acoustic musician. Since 1992 he has been one half of folk/roots duo Show of Hands along with Phil Beer. Knightley was named "Songwriter of the Nineties" by BBC Radio 6 Music in ...
, except where noted.
#"Cousin Jack" – 5:09
#"Longdog" – 2:45
#"The Shout" – 4:00
#"Wessex Medley": "Carrick Roads" (Phil Beer
Phil Beer (born 12 May 1953 in Exminster, Devon, England) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and one half of English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands.
Biography
Beer first began to play fiddle, guitar, and mandolin whilst ...
) / "Plum Pudding" (Trad arr. Knightley/Beer) / "The Rocky Road to Chudleigh" (Beer) – 3:40
#"Dark Fields" – 3:50
#"The Train" – 3:30
#"Flora" (Trad arr. Knightley/Beer) – 4:22
#"Crazy Boy" – 5:40
#"The Warlike Lads of Russia" (Trad arr. Nic Jones
Nic Jones (born Nicolas Paul Jones; 9 January 1947) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Regarded as a prominent figure of the British folk revival, he has recorded five solo albums and collaborated with various musicians.
Biography ...
) – 2:21
#"Farewell Angelina" (Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
) – 5:02
#"The Bristol Slaver" – 3:55
#"High Germany" (trad arr Knightley) / "Molly Oxford" (Trad arr. Chris Wood/Andy Cutting) (Live recording) – 6:24
"The Train (reprise)" - 9:27 (hidden track, follows "High Germany" / "Molly Oxford")
Personnel
* Steve Knightley
Steve Knightley (born 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and acoustic musician. Since 1992 he has been one half of folk/roots duo Show of Hands along with Phil Beer. Knightley was named "Songwriter of the Nineties" by BBC Radio 6 Music in ...
- vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
, guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
, cuatro
Cuatro is Spanish language, Spanish (and other Romance languages) for the 4 (number), number four.
Cuatro may also refer to:
* Cuatro (instrument), name for two distinct Latin American instruments, one from Puerto Rico (see cuatro (Puerto Rico), ...
, mandocello
The mandocello ( it, mandoloncello, Liuto cantabile, liuto moderno) is a plucked string instrument of the mandolin family. It is larger than the mandolin, and is the baritone instrument of the mandolin family. Its eight strings are in four paire ...
, concertina
A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It consists of expanding and contracting bellows, with buttons (or keys) usually on both ends, unlike accordion buttons, which are on the front.
The ...
, acoustic bass guitar
The acoustic bass guitar (sometimes shortened to acoustic bass or initialized ABG) is a bass instrument with a hollow wooden body similar to, though usually larger than a steel-string acoustic guitar. Like the traditional electric bass guitar a ...
, mandolin
A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...
* Phil Beer
Phil Beer (born 12 May 1953 in Exminster, Devon, England) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and one half of English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands.
Biography
Beer first began to play fiddle, guitar, and mandolin whilst ...
- vocals, guitars, mandolin, fiddle
A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...
, cuatro, viola
The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...
, mandocello
* Matt Clifford - keyboards
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
(tracks 1, 3, 5 and 7)
* Chris While
Chris While (born 1956) is an English songwriter, singer and musician, known particularly for her vocals and live performances. She has worked as a solo artist, a songwriter and as a member of a number of duos and groups. Her music is often cla ...
- vocals (track 5)
* Simon Care - melodeon
Melodeon may refer to:
* Melodeon (accordion), a type of button accordion
*Melodeon (organ), a type of 19th-century reed organ
*Melodeon (Boston, Massachusetts), a concert hall in 19th-century Boston
* Melodeon Records, a U.S. record label in the ...
(track 4)
* Joe (he's around somewhere) Partridge - percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
(track 7)
* Lucy Watkins, Richard Hammond, and Paul Banham - vocals (tracks 3 and 7)
* Kate Rusby
Kate Anna Rusby (born 4 December 1973) is an English English folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Penistone, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Sometimes called the "Barnsley Nightingale", she has headlined various British folk festivals, an ...
- vocals (track 12)
* Chris Wood - fiddle (track 12)
* Andy Cutting
Andy Cutting (born 18 March 1969) is an English folk musician and composer. He plays melodeon and is best known for writing and performing traditional English folk and his own original compositions which combine English and French traditions w ...
- melodeon (track 12)
References
{{Authority control
1997 albums
Show of Hands albums