Madelaine Edith Prior
MBE (born 14 August 1947) is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of
Steeleye Span. She was born in Blackpool and moved to
St Albans in her teens. Her father,
Allan Prior, was co-creator of the police drama ''
Z-Cars
''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debute ...
''. She was married to Steeleye bass guitarist
Rick Kemp
Frederick Stanley 'Rick' Kemp (born 15 November 1941) is an English bass player, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and record producer, best known for his work with the British folk rock band Steeleye Span.
Projects
In the 1960s, he shot to prom ...
, and their daughter,
Rose Kemp
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
, is also a singer. Their son, Alex Kemp, is, like his father, a guitarist and has deputised for his father playing bass guitar for Steeleye Span. She was part of the singing duo 'Mac & Maddy', with
Mac MacLeod
Keith MacLeod (popularly known as "Mac" MacLeod) (9 July 1941 – 16 November 2020), was an English musician who was a part of the Hertfordshire folk and blues scene from 1959 onwards. He played in St Albans alongside Mick Softley and Maddy P ...
. She then performed with
Tim Hart
Tim Hart (9 January 1948 – 24 December 2009) was an English folk singer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of British folk rock band Steeleye Span.
Early years
Tim Hart was born in Lincoln, England, but moved to St ...
and recorded two albums with him, before they helped to found the group Steeleye Span, in 1969. She left Steeleye Span in 1997, but returned in 2002, and has toured with them since. With
June Tabor she was the singing duo
Silly Sisters. She toured with the Carnival Band, in 2007, and with
Giles Lewin
Giles Lewin is a British violinist and bagpiper. Currently a member of The Carnival Band, he was also a founding member of the folk band, Bellowhead.
Biography
He was born in Essex in 1960 or slightly earlier. At age nine, he sang the female ...
and
Hannah James, in 2012 and 2013. She has released singles and albums as a solo artist, with these bands and in several collaborations. She runs an Arts Centre called Stones Barn, in
Bewcastle
Bewcastle is a large civil parish in the City of Carlisle district of Cumbria, England. It is in the historic county of Cumberland.
According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 411, reducing to 391 at the 2011 Census. The parish ...
, in Cumbria, which offers residential courses.
Early life
Born in
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...
, Prior moved in her teens to
St Albans, where she befriended the young
Donovan Leitch and
Mac MacLeod
Keith MacLeod (popularly known as "Mac" MacLeod) (9 July 1941 – 16 November 2020), was an English musician who was a part of the Hertfordshire folk and blues scene from 1959 onwards. He played in St Albans alongside Mick Softley and Maddy P ...
in ''The Cock'' pub. She later formed a duo with MacLeod called 'Mac & Maddy'. She became a
roadie for visiting American musicians, including
Reverend Gary Davis. They gave her useful advice about singing English folk songs instead of American songs. Her father,
Allan Prior, was co-creator of the police drama ''
Z-Cars
''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debute ...
'', and wrote ''Stookie'', a 6-part series for television, about a boy with his arm in a sling. Maddy sang the title song, which was released as a single in 1985. It reappeared on the Steeleye Span album ''A Rare Collection 1972 – 1996''.
Singing career
After a brief stint with Mac MacLeod in 'Mac & Maddy' (another act formed at ''The Cock'' pub), by 1966 she began performing with
Tim Hart
Tim Hart (9 January 1948 – 24 December 2009) was an English folk singer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of British folk rock band Steeleye Span.
Early years
Tim Hart was born in Lincoln, England, but moved to St ...
, another St Albans resident, and together they recorded two albums before becoming founding members of
Steeleye Span in 1969.
They were the backbone of the group until the early 1980s when ill-health forced Hart into semi-retirement. Prior plays the
tambourine,
spoons
Spoons may refer to:
* Spoon, a utensil commonly used with soup
* Spoons (card game), the card game of Donkey, but using spoons
Film and TV
* ''Spoons'' (TV series), a 2005 UK comedy sketch show
*Spoons, a minor character from ''The Sopranos''
...
and ukulele, and always gives a sprightly performance of her individual dances. In 1974
Ralph McTell wrote "Maddy Dances" in her honour, included on his album ''Easy''.
Prior married bassist
Rick Kemp
Frederick Stanley 'Rick' Kemp (born 15 November 1941) is an English bass player, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and record producer, best known for his work with the British folk rock band Steeleye Span.
Projects
In the 1960s, he shot to prom ...
, though they have since divorced. The singer
Rose Kemp
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
is their daughter.
Prior has recorded session work, albums of her own songs and eclectic styles from medieval (with
The Carnival Band), through
British folk rock
British folk rock is a form of folk rock which developed in the United Kingdom from the mid 1960s, and was at its most significant in the 1970s. Though the merging of folk and rock music came from several sources, it is widely regarded that the ...
— Steeleye Span and Maddy Prior appeared on television with a regular BBC 4 programme ''Electric Folk'' —
prog-rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Initi ...
and
traditional songs, including session work on
Mike Oldfield
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documen ...
's ''
Incantations''. She left Steeleye Span in 1997 but returned in 2002. The 1999 album ''The Journey'' was recorded in 1995, when Maddy was still in the band, but not released until four years later. She was also one half of the duo
Silly Sisters, which helped to boost
June Tabor's career.
Since 2003 Prior has run and hosted an Arts Centre called Stones Barn in
Cumbria. Working with fellow singers and performers like Abbie Lathe and daughter Rose Kemp, Prior has offered residential courses focusing on singing, meditation, cookery and performance. Other events, hosted by other teachers, include classical Indian dances, painting and drumming. Prior campaigns on behalf of the charity
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organization. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...
.
In 1983, Maddy became the namesake for
Madelyne Pryor of the
X-Men, created by
Chris Claremont
Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is a British-born American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Claremont, Chris. ''Marvel ...
and
Paul Smith. The band was directly referenced five years after Pryor's first appearance in the comics in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #238 with Pryor's child self singing a line from "Gone to America", one of Steeleye Span's biggest hits. Claremont had previously named a one-shot character "Maddy Pryor" in ''Avengers Annual'' #10 (1981).
Recent tours and albums
Maddy Prior took to the road with
The Carnival Band in May 2007 for their "Music for Tavern and Chapel" tour. They celebrated the 300th anniversary of one of the key influences on their work,
Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include " And Can It Be", " Christ the Lord Is Risen ...
. She made a guest appearance with
The Levellers
The Levellers were a political movement active during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms who were committed to popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law and religious tolerance. The hallmark of Leveller thought was its populis ...
at the
Solfest
Solfest is a music and arts festival on the Solway Coast in the North West of England. It is held annually at North Lakes Country Park on the August Bank Holiday weekend. It has grown from a 1,800 capacity event in 2004 to a 10,000 capacity ...
Festival in Cumbria in August 2007. On recent albums
Troy Donockley
Troy Donockley (born 30 May 1964) is an English composer and multi-instrumentalist most known for his playing of Uilleann pipes. Having performed with many artists as a session player, he is most notable as a member of Finnish symphonic metal ba ...
has been a co-producer.
In December 2007 the album ''Ringing The Changes'' was issued. It is a collection of songs written by the band. In 2008 Maddy Prior appeared at the BBC's "Electric Proms". Steeleye Span toured the Eastern US, Australia and the UK beginning in 2009.
With Giles Lewin and Hannah James, Prior completed two successful UK tours, in the spring and autumn of 2012, with a third, in autumn 2013.
In November and December 2013 Prior toured with
Steeleye Span, on the Wintersmith Tour, following the release in October of their album
Wintersmith
''Wintersmith'' is a comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, set in the Discworld and written with younger readers in mind. It is labelled a "Story of Discworld" to indicate its status as children's or young adult fiction, unl ...
, a collaborative project based on the novel of the same name by
Terry Pratchett.
A short tour with
The Carnival Band in November and December, featuring carols and seasonal music, has become a regular fixture for Prior in recent years.
Awards
In 2001 Maddy Prior was awarded the
MBE for services to folk music.
In 2014 she received an
Honorary Fellowship
Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in ...
from the
University of Cumbria.
Discography
With Steeleye Span
Prior was on all the Steeleye Span albums from ''Hark! The Village Wait'' (1970) to ''Time'' (1996). She then returned for ''
Present – The Very Best of Steeleye Span
''Present – The Very Best of Steeleye Span'' is the 17th studio album by Steeleye Span, released in 2002. The album contains new recordings of previously released songs.
The project began with a poll on Peter Knight's website, asking fans ...
'' (2002) and subsequent albums.
Solo albums
*''
Woman in the Wings
''Woman in the Wings '' is the debut solo studio album by English singer Maddy Prior, the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span. The album was released in May 1978 by Chrysalis Records. It was produced by Ian Anderson, Dee Palmer and Robin Black. All ...
'' (1978) — with
Jethro Tull
*''Changing Winds'' (1978)
*''
Hooked on Winning'' (1982)
*''
Going for Glory'' (1983)
*''
Happy Families
Happy Families is a traditional British card game usually with a specially made set of picture cards, featuring illustrations of fictional families of four, most often based on occupation types. The object of the game is to collect complete famil ...
'' (as 'Maddy Prior and
Rick Kemp
Frederick Stanley 'Rick' Kemp (born 15 November 1941) is an English bass player, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and record producer, best known for his work with the British folk rock band Steeleye Span.
Projects
In the 1960s, he shot to prom ...
') (1990)
*''
Year
A year or annus is the orbital period of a planetary body, for example, the Earth, moving in its orbit around the Sun. Due to the Earth's axial tilt, the course of a year sees the passing of the seasons, marked by change in weather, the hou ...
'' (1993)
*''
Memento'' (best of) (1995)
*''
Flesh and Blood'' (1997)
*''
Ravenchild'' (1999)
*''
Ballads and Candles'' (2000)
*''
Arthur the King'' (2001)
*''
Bib and Tuck'' (2002) — as 'Maddy Prior and the Girls' with
Abbie Lathe and
Rose Kemp
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
*''
Lionhearts'' (2003)
*''
Under the Covers'' (2005) — as 'Maddy + Girls' with
Abbie Lathe and
Claudia Gibson
*''
The Quest'' (2007) (CD + DVD)
*''
Seven for Old England'' (2008)
Compilation
*''
Collections 1995 – 2005'' (2005)
Tim Hart and Maddy Prior
*''
Folk Songs of Olde England'' vol 1 (1968)
*''Folk Songs of Olde England'' vol 2 (1968)
*''
Summer Solstice
The summer solstice, also called the estival solstice or midsummer, occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the summer s ...
'' (1971)
Maddy Prior and June Tabor
*''
Silly Sisters'' (1976)
*''
No More To The Dance'' (1988)
Maddy Prior, John Kirkpatrick and Sydney Carter
*''
Lovely in the Dances'' (1981)
Maddy Prior and The Carnival Band
*''
A Tapestry of Carols'' (1987)
*''
Sing Lustily and with Good Courage'' (1990)
*''
Carols and Capers'' (1991)
*''
Hang Up Sorrow and Care
''Hang Up Sorrow and Care'' is an album by Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band. Released in 1995, it is a loose concept album, with renditions of songs that were written hundreds of years ago.
Critical reception
'' Stereo Review'' stated: "Balla ...
'' (1995)
*''
Carols at Christmas'' (1996)
*''
Gold Frankincense and Myrrh'' (2001)
*''
An Evening of Carols and Capers'' (2005)
*''
Paradise Found'' (2007)
*''
Ringing the Changes'' (2007)
*''
Vaughan Williams Carols Songs & Hymns'' (2010)
*''
A Christmas Caper: The Best of Maddy Prior & the Carnival Band'' (2012)
Maddy Prior and Martin Carthy
*''
Beat the Retreat'' (1994) Maddy Prior and Martin Carthy perform two songs, "Farewell, Farewell", and "The Great Valerio" on this Richard Thompson tribute album.
Maddy Prior, Giles Lewin and Hannah James
*''3 for Joy'' (2012)
*''Shortwinger'' (2017)
Maddy Prior singles
*"Rollercoaster" / "I Told You So" (1978)
*"Baggy Pants" / "Woman in the Wings" (1978)
*"Just the Two of Us" / "Acappella Stella" (1979)
*"Wake up England" / "Paradise" (1980)
*"The King" / "Ringing Down the Years" (1980) (with
Dave Cousins
Dave Cousins (born David Joseph Hindson; 7 January 1945) is an English musician who has been the leader, singer and most-active songwriter of Strawbs since 1967.
Career
Cousins is a founder member of the Strawbs, which started out as the Str ...
/
Strawbs)
*"To Face" / "Half Listening" (1982)
*"Deep in the Darkest Night" / "Western Movies" (1983)
*"Stookie" / "Incidental Music From "Stookie"" (1985)
*"Happy Families" / "Who's Sorry Now?" (1990)
*"I Saw Three Ships" / "Quem Pastores" / "Monsieur Charpentier's Christmas Swing" (1991) (with the Carnival Band)
*"I Saw Three Ships (Dance Doctor's Christmas Re-Mix)" / "The Boar's Head" / "Poor Little Jesus" (1992)
*"All Around My Hat" (1996) (with Status Quo), No 47
*"Forgiveness" (2000) (with Jennifer Cutting All-Stars)
*"Gaudete" / "Greenwood Side" / "Gaudete (extended mix)" (2001) (with Keltic Fusion; Maddy's voice is sampled)
*"Stuff" (2007) (with the Carnival Band and Terry Jones)
*"Secret Garden" (2007) Excalibur II - The Celtic Ring, produced and composed by Alan Simon
DVDs
*''Ballads and Candles'' (2004)
*''An Evening of Carols and Capers'' (2005)
*''Looking For a Grail Legend'' (2007) (documentary)
As a session or guest singer
She appeared on these albums:
*
Shirley Collins
Shirley Elizabeth Collins MBE (born 5 July 1935) is an English folk singer who was a significant contributor to the English Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s. She often performed and recorded with her sister Dolly, whose accompaniment on pi ...
: ''
No Roses
''No Roses'' is an album by Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band. It was recorded at Sound Techniques, and Air Studios in London, in the summer of 1971. It was produced by Sandy Roberton and Ashley Hutchings (Shirley Collins' husband at ...
'' (1971)
*
Jack the Lad
Jack the Lad were a British folk rock group from North East England formed in 1973 by three former members of the most successful band of the period from the region, Lindisfarne. They moved from the progressive folk rock of Lindisfarne into m ...
: ''It's Jack the Lad'' (1974)
*
Ralph McTell: ''
Streets...'' (1975), No 13
*
Jethro Tull: ''
Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!'' (1976), No 25
*
Wizz Jones: ''
Magical Flight'' (1977)
*
Mandalaband: ''The Eye of Wendor: Prophecies'' (1978) on the track ''Like the Wind''
*
Mike Oldfield
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documen ...
: ''
Incantations'' (1978), No 14
*
Mike Oldfield
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documen ...
: ''
Exposed
Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to:
News sources
* Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism
* '' The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website
Film and TV Film
* ''Exposé'' (film), a 1976 thriller film
* ''Exposed'' (1932 ...
'' (1979) No 16 - live album, re-released in 2005 on DVD-Video
*
Tim Hart
Tim Hart (9 January 1948 – 24 December 2009) was an English folk singer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of British folk rock band Steeleye Span.
Early years
Tim Hart was born in Lincoln, England, but moved to St ...
and Friends: ''
My Very Favourite Nursery Rhymes'' (1981)
*
Tim Hart
Tim Hart (9 January 1948 – 24 December 2009) was an English folk singer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of British folk rock band Steeleye Span.
Early years
Tim Hart was born in Lincoln, England, but moved to St ...
and Friends: ''
The Drunken Sailor and other Kids Favourites'' (1983)
*Swan Arcade: ''Diving for Pearls'' (1986)
*
Frankie Armstrong
Frankie Armstrong (born 13 January 1941) is an English singer and voice teacher. She has worked as a singer in the folk scene and the women's movement and as a trainer in social and youth work. Her repertoire ranges from traditional ballads to m ...
: ''
Till The Grass O'Ergrew The Corn'' (1996)
*
Status Quo
is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. ...
: "
Don't Stop" (1996), No 2
*Rev Hammer's Freeborn John: The Story of John Lilburne-The Leader of the Levellers (1997)
*
Ayuo
Ayuo Takahashi (born October 19, 1960) is a Japanese-born American composer, poet, lyricist, singer and performer of plucked string instruments including guitar, bouzouki, Irish harp, Chinese zheng, Japanese koto, and medieval European psaltery. ...
: ''Nova Carmina'' (1986) (Maddy Prior sings two songs from the Carmina Burana)
*
Strawbs:
Blue Angel (2003)
*
Jennifer Cutting: ''Ocean: Songs for the Night Sea Journey'' (2005)
*Rev Hammer – Freeborn John Live (2007)
Television
*
BBC Wildlife on One: Shadow of the Hare 12 April 1993
References
External links
Official websiteStones BarnPark Records Prior's Record Label
The Carnival Band*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prior, Maddy
English women singers
1947 births
Living people
Members of the Order of the British Empire
People from Blackpool
Steeleye Span members
English folk singers
British folk rock musicians
Chrysalis Records artists
The Albion Band members
Topic Records artists