''Gold Dust'' is a live album by the late English
folk rock
Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...
singer
Sandy Denny
Alexandra Elene MacLean Denny (6 January 1947 – 21 April 1978) was an English singer who was lead singer of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention. She has been described as "the pre-eminent British folk rock singer".
After briefly w ...
. It documents one of Denny's last public performances and was recorded at London's "Sound Circus" venue at the Royalty Theatre, Portugal Street, near
Aldwych
Aldwych (pronounced ) is a street and the name of the List of areas of London, area immediately surrounding it in central London, England, within the City of Westminster. The street starts Points of the compass, east-northeast of Charing Cros ...
,
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 ...
(now the
Peacock Theatre
The Peacock Theatre (previously the Royalty Theatre) is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Portugal Street, near Aldwych. The 999-seat house is owned by, and comprises part of the London School of Economics and Politica ...
) on 27 November 1977. The album features many of her classic songs both as a solo artist and as a member of
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Martin Lamble after their first gig.) They started o ...
and
Fotheringay
Fotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock group, formed in 1970 by singer-songwriter and musician Sandy Denny on her departure from Fairport Convention. The band drew its name from her 1968 composition " Fotheringay" about Fotheringhay ...
and remains the most extensive documentation of Sandy's live work with a backing band. The album was not released on the label originally planned owing to stated technical problems with the master tape, and was only released on a different label twenty years after her death after various guitar and backing vocal tracks parts were re-recorded by
Jerry Donahue
Jerry Donahue (born September 24, 1946, Manhattan, New York City) is an American guitarist and producer primarily known for his work in the British folk rock scene as a member of Fotheringay and Fairport Convention as well as being a member of ...
and others.
Album Information
Denny had not performed live for about two years and her solo studio release from earlier that year, ''
Rendezvous'', had shown a departure from traditional
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 ...
. She had been quoted as saying shortly before this recording "If I have to sing '
Matty Groves
"Matty Groves", also known as "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" or "Little Musgrave", is a ballad probably originating in Northern England that describes an adulterous tryst between a young man and a noblewoman that is ended when the woman's ...
' one more time, I'll throw myself out of a window."
[CD booklet notes written by Pamela Murray Winters] Denny's voice is well captured on this recording, although some critics claim that it was sub-par due either to the effects of a cold or to wear-and-tear compounded by the effects of her long-term smoking.
The performance was the final concert of an 11-date U.K. tour, although one source claims erroneously that it was the first date (both the first and last dates were played at the same venue). The included songs comprise a wide-ranging selection from her recording career and include one from her pre-Fairport days and recorded with both the
Strawbs
Strawbs (or The Strawbs) are an English rock band founded in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys. The band started out as a bluegrass group, but eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock and progressive rock.
They are best known fo ...
and with Fairport on
Unhalfbricking
''Unhalfbricking'' is the third album by the British folk rock band Fairport Convention and their second album released in 1969. It is seen as a transitional album in their history and marked a further musical move away from American influences ...
(''Who Knows Where the Time Goes?''), two from
Fotheringay
Fotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock group, formed in 1970 by singer-songwriter and musician Sandy Denny on her departure from Fairport Convention. The band drew its name from her 1968 composition " Fotheringay" about Fotheringhay ...
(''Nothing More'' and ''The Sea''), three from
The North Star Grassman and the Ravens
''The North Star Grassman and the Ravens'' is a 1971 album by English folk rock singer-songwriter Sandy Denny. Built mostly around her own compositions, ''The North Star Grassman and the Ravens'' is distinguished by its elusive lyrics and unexpe ...
(''John the Gun'', ''Wretched Wilbur'' and that album's title track, although ''John the Gun'' was also originally performed and recorded with Fotheringay), three from
Sandy (''The Lady'', ''It'll Take a Long Time'' and ''Tomorrow is a Long Time''), one from
Like an Old Fashioned Waltz (''Solo''), two from
Rising for the Moon
''Rising for the Moon'' is the tenth studio album by the British folk rock band Fairport Convention, released in 1975. It reached number 52 in the UK albums charts. This was the last Fairport album to feature vocalist Sandy Denny.
Historical p ...
(produced during her second stint with Fairport ―''Stranger to Himself'' and ''One More Chance'') and five from
Rendezvous (''I Wish I Was a Fool For You (For Shame of Doing Wrong)'', ''I'm a Dreamer'', ''Take Me Away'', ''Gold Dust'' and ''No More Sad Refrains''). Containing as it did three-fifths of the original
Fotheringay
Fotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock group, formed in 1970 by singer-songwriter and musician Sandy Denny on her departure from Fairport Convention. The band drew its name from her 1968 composition " Fotheringay" about Fotheringhay ...
group (Sandy,
Trevor Lucas
Trevor George Lucas (25 December 1943 – 4 February 1989) was an Australian folk singer, a member of Fairport Convention and one of the founders of Fotheringay. He mainly worked as a singer-songwriter and guitarist but also produced many albums ...
and
Pat Donaldson
Fotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock group, formed in 1970 by singer-songwriter and musician Sandy Denny on her departure from Fairport Convention. The band drew its name from her 1968 composition "Fotheringay" about Fotheringhay C ...
) with the addition of
Dave Mattacks
David James Mattacks (born 13 March 1948) is an English rock and folk drummer. Best known for his work with Fairport Convention, Mattacks has also worked both as a session musician and as a performing artist. Apart from playing the drums, he i ...
on drums,
Rob Hendry on lead guitar and
Pete Willsher on pedal steel guitar, the band has a distinctly Fotheringay feel, an impression further enhanced by the later replacement of many guitar parts by fourth ex-Fotheringay member
Jerry Donahue
Jerry Donahue (born September 24, 1946, Manhattan, New York City) is an American guitarist and producer primarily known for his work in the British folk rock scene as a member of Fotheringay and Fairport Convention as well as being a member of ...
(see below), who was unavailable for the original concerts being on tour himself with
Joan Armatrading
Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, (, born 9 December 1950) is a Kittitian-English singer-songwriter and guitarist.
A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Armatrading has also been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist. She received ...
at the time.
[In Clinton Heylin's "Biography of Sandy", ]Phil Palmer
Philip John Palmer (born 9 September 1952) is a rock sideman and session guitarist who has toured, recorded, and worked with numerous artists. He is best known for his work with Eric Clapton and Dire Straits.
Biography
Palmer grew up in nort ...
is also listed as an additional lead guitarist for the tour, and is also listed in a separate "upcoming news" item; however, there is no independent evidence that he actually played on the tour.
While originally intended for a live album to be released by Saga Records owner Marcel Rodd, the purchase of the tapes was declined owing to technical problems on the guitar and backing vocal tracks. Eventually the tapes were purchased by
Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...
, although only one track was issued, being a performance of "The Lady" backed just by solo piano, included as the lead track on the
Joe Boyd
Joe Boyd (born August 5, 1942) is an American record producer and writer. He formerly owned Hannibal Records. Boyd has worked on recordings of Pink Floyd, Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson, Nick Drake, The Incredible String Band ...
/Trevor Lucas-produced 1985 4-disc posthumous compilation
Who Knows Where The Time Goes?
"Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" is a song written by the English folk-rock singer and songwriter Sandy Denny. Denny originally recorded the song as a demo in 1967, singing and playing guitar on the track. Later that year, she briefly joined the ...
.
In 1997 it was decided that for commercial release of the remainder of the concert, the problematic lead guitar and backing vocals tracks needed re-recording and this was undertaken by
Jerry Donahue
Jerry Donahue (born September 24, 1946, Manhattan, New York City) is an American guitarist and producer primarily known for his work in the British folk rock scene as a member of Fotheringay and Fairport Convention as well as being a member of ...
with replacement backing vocals by
Simon Nicol
Simon John Breckenridge Nicol (born 13 October 1950) is an English guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He was a founding member of British folk rock group Fairport Convention and is the only founding member still in the ...
and
Chris Leslie
Christopher Michael Leslie (born 28 June 1972) is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Shipley from 1997 to 2005 and Nottingham East from 2010 to 2019. A former member of the Labour Party, he defected to form ...
(who were not part of the original band line-up); in addition the running order on the CD was also changed from the original.
[Clinton Heylin gives the following as the original running order for the set: 1: Solo; 2: The North Star Grassman and the Ravens; 3: Nothing More; 4: Gold Dust; 5: The Sea; 6: No More Sad Refrains; 7: Tomorrow Is a Long Time; 8: The Lady; 9: Wretched Wilbur; 10: For Shame of Doing Wrong; 11: Stranger To Himself; 12: Take Me Away; 13: One More Chance; 14: Who Knows Where The Time Goes. He does not list "I'm a Dreamer" (performed either before or after "Gold Dust" elsewhere on the tour), "John The Gun" (performed before "The Sea" elsewhere) or "It'll Take A Long Time" (performed before "Tomorrow Is a Long Time" elsewhere).] Some fans consider these changes regrettable; however, for the CD's producers, they were considered the best way to produce a product suitable for commercial release. The completed (remixed) album was released by Island in 1998, twenty years after Denny's death and nine after that of Trevor Lucas. A subset of rough mixes of the original, unadulterated concert performances had previously been released on a fans-only cassette compilation, "The Attic Tracks Volume 3", based on tapes found in Lucas's collection, with a smaller subset on a subsequent CD compilation "The Attic Tracks 1972-1984". Owing to restrictions of time for the finished CD, most song introductions and between-song talk are omitted; however, a composite audience tape from an earlier date on the same tour (at Croydon, on 11 November) preserves much of the latter and also the contributions of the original lineup. (A tape of the Birmingham show on 16 November also exists, although the audio quality is somewhat poorer.)
In an interview with Sandy recorded in late 1977, posted by Karl Dallas, she can be heard discussing the upcoming tour and her choice of musicians and material, among other subjects.
Track listing
All tracks credited to Sandy Denny unless otherwise stated
# "I Wish I was a Fool For You (For Shame of Doing Wrong)" (
Richard Thompson) - 4:32
# "Stranger to Himself" - 3:45
# "I'm a Dreamer" - 4:53
# "Take Me Away" - 4:42
# "Nothing More" - 4:15
# "The Sea" - 5:10
# "The Lady" - 3:45
# "Gold Dust" - 3:53
# "Solo" - 4:46
# "John the Gun" - 4:47
# "It'll Take a Long Time" - 4:59
# "Wretched Wilbur" - 2:59
# "
Tomorrow Is a Long Time
"Tomorrow Is a Long Time" is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan. Dylan's version first appeared on the album ''Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II'' compilation, released in 1971. It was subsequently included in the triple LP compilation ''Mas ...
" (
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 ...
) - 3:57
# "The North Star Grassman" - 3:46
# "One More Chance" - 8:21
# "No More Sad Refrains" - 2:27
# "
Who Knows Where the Time Goes
"Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" is a song written by the English folk-rock singer and songwriter Sandy Denny. Denny originally recorded the song as a demo in 1967, singing and playing guitar on the track. Later that year, she briefly joined the ...
?" - 6:38
Personnel
* Sandy Denny - vocals, piano, acoustic guitar
*
Pat Donaldson
Fotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock group, formed in 1970 by singer-songwriter and musician Sandy Denny on her departure from Fairport Convention. The band drew its name from her 1968 composition "Fotheringay" about Fotheringhay C ...
- bass guitar, backing vocals
*
Dave Mattacks
David James Mattacks (born 13 March 1948) is an English rock and folk drummer. Best known for his work with Fairport Convention, Mattacks has also worked both as a session musician and as a performing artist. Apart from playing the drums, he i ...
- drums
* Pete Willsher -
pedal steel guitar
The pedal steel guitar is a Console steel guitar, console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all s ...
(misspelled Wilsher on sleeve)
*
Trevor Lucas
Trevor George Lucas (25 December 1943 – 4 February 1989) was an Australian folk singer, a member of Fairport Convention and one of the founders of Fotheringay. He mainly worked as a singer-songwriter and guitarist but also produced many albums ...
- acoustic guitar, backing vocals
* Rob Hendry - electric & acoustic guitar at original concert, largely replaced by
Jerry Donahue
Jerry Donahue (born September 24, 1946, Manhattan, New York City) is an American guitarist and producer primarily known for his work in the British folk rock scene as a member of Fotheringay and Fairport Convention as well as being a member of ...
for the CD release
*
Simon Nicol
Simon John Breckenridge Nicol (born 13 October 1950) is an English guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He was a founding member of British folk rock group Fairport Convention and is the only founding member still in the ...
and
Chris Leslie
Christopher Michael Leslie (born 28 June 1972) is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Shipley from 1997 to 2005 and Nottingham East from 2010 to 2019. A former member of the Labour Party, he defected to form ...
- backing vocals added for the CD release (did not perform at original concert)
Production credits
* Recorded by
John Wood at the Royalty Theatre 22/11/77
* Mixes produced by Jerry Boys & Jerry Donahue
* Engineered by Jerry Boys at Livingstone Studios
* Executive Producer (Restoration) - Trevor Wyatt
* Mastered by Donal Wheelan at Chop 'Em Out, London
Notes
References
{{Authority control
Sandy Denny albums
1998 live albums
Island Records live albums