Sandy Denny

[Analogman]

Fairport unconventional: Sandy Denny

Sandy Denny died 30 years ago and many, many years too soon. Her music opened up a whole world for me

April 22, 2008 3:30 PM

 

Sandy Denny was one of the emblems of my adolescence - part of a loose assortment of cultural touchstones which I assembled, like any teenager, in order to get me through the bad, spiteful days of high school. Yet, unlike many of those early crushes, her music survived the transition into adulthood. It means as much to me today as it ever did, perhaps more.

 

She died thirty years ago this week, at the age of 31, and by way of commemoration, BBC Radio 2 is tonight broadcasting a documentary on her life and work, presented by her longtime friend Bob Harris.

 

For listeners like me, she was also an important entry-point: one of those figures whose example provides a way into an entire strand of music. In this case, it yielded both extraordinary riches (early Fairport Convention, the sadly abbreviated career of Nick Drake, the phenomenally rich one of Richard Thompson) and, for me at least, stylistic dead-ends (Steeleye Span, Incredible String Band), as well as people who continue to fascinate and frustrate me to this day (Pentangle, solo Bert Jansch, Iain Matthews). But none of them - not even Thompson or Drake - surpassed Denny in my affections.

 

People often cite her alongside Dusty Springfield as Britain's greatest female vocalist. It's true: from the very beginning, she had a glorious voice, rich and intensely sensual - yet seemed occasionally unsure of how best to use it. Technically, she is a primitive. She frequently pushes against the upper edges of her register; occasionally her vibrato runs too deep. As a result, some of the songs seem to teeter on the edge of something, be it melodrama or hysteria, which only makes sense when you know something of the circumstances of her life. Her nature, by turns shy and boisterous. The nagging insecurities about her weight, her looks, her musicianship, that she sought to quell with imperious behaviour, substantial amounts of alcohol and, according to some reports, with drugs.

 

But I didn't, and don't, adore her for whatever fuck-up she might have been; the cult of the rock-martyr leaves me cold. It's the work that matters. Apart from the indisputable excellence of songs like Solo, with its typical mixture of defiance and apprehension, or the delicate, chamber-folk perfection of Fotheringay, it seems to me little short of miraculous that someone could, at 18 years of age, write something as sad and beautiful and alert to the vicissitudes of life, as Who Knows Where the Time Goes - her signature tune (and reportedly only the second song she'd ever written), subsequently covered countless times, notably by Judy Collins, Nina Simone, and Cat Power, but never bettered. It's a staggering, stupendous achievement, like Ozu making Tokyo Story as his first film.

 

The version on Fairport's Unhalfbricking is lovely, inflected as it is with Richard Thompson's mellow lead guitar - but compared to other tracks on that album, Genesis Hall or A Sailor's Life, seems perhaps a little too tasteful.

 

Although it's heretical to suggest, I actually prefer an earlier cut, from 1967, recorded during her brief partnership with the Strawbs. She's backed by acoustic guitar and a low, sonorous murmur of strings, pushing her voice to the foreground. Her phrasing is exquisite. The way she hesitates over the line, "I will still be dreaming" gives the impression that she's caught up, as she sings it, in a reverie, tugging her attention away from the moment.

 

She was then 19 years of age, her life already more than half over - though she couldn't have known that... could she? Sometimes, listening to a song like Full Moon, the last track on her final album, with its despairing lyrics ("You were all those things I'd never be"), and that gorgeous voice now ravaged by years of neglect, I'm not so sure.

 

 

Various Youtube videos.

 

Sadly, the Fotheringay take on Too Much of Nothin' is no longer up there.

 

A Wikipedia page about her.

 

A Boxful of Treasures - boxset.

 

Fairport Convention albums: Heyday (1968-1969), What We Did on Our Holidays (January 1969), Unhalfbricking (July 1969), and Liege & Lief (December 1969).

 

 

This is pretty heavy music - not exactly a happy happy joy joy deal - if you know what I mean. But it is great stuff - and people should know more than the fact that she was the female voice on The Battle of Evermore.

 

I rather like the following songs:

 

3:10 To Yuma

Autopsy

Bird On A Wire (great version of this Leonard Cohen song)

Dear Landlord (great version of this Dylan song)

By The Time It Gets Dark

I Don

[mjpuczko]

i really only know the song solo but i f'in love it.

[lost highway]

Bird On A Wire (great version of this Dylan song)

 

Thats actually a Leonard Cohen song. You should check out the original it's equally awesome. Yeah, I don't like Fairport Convention without Sandy Denny except maybe the S/T. 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes?' has got to be so classic its a freaking standard. Great voice. I need to check out the Fortheringay album.

 

Good call Analogman.

[Analogman]

Thats actually a Leonard Cohen song. You should check out the original it's equally awesome. Yeah, I don't like Fairport Convention without Sandy Denny except maybe the S/T. 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes?' has got to be so classic its a freaking standard. Great voice. I need to check out the Fortheringay album.

 

Good call Analogman.

 

 

Ha ha I meant to post Dear Landlord beside that.

[lost highway]

You are after all the Analogman. I don't think I remember Dead Landlord. Have to look through my records.

[mjpuczko]

You are after all the Analogman. I don't think I remember Dead Landlord. Have to look through my records.

 

from john wesley harding. great song.

[Analogman]

My typing is screwed for the day - anyhow - there's a book out there too. Of course, it goes on about her being a drunk - but that's no surprise.

[lost highway]

Oh I have it then. Now I want to find the Denny version and compare. Ah, the dorky ways I get through my day.

[Analogman]

Oh I have it then. Now I want to find the Denny version and compare. Ah, the dorky ways I get through my day.

 

Dear Landlord

Unhalfbricking re-release bonus track

 

Bird On A Wire

Fairport Convention - Live At The BBC

[GtrPlyr]

I love her Fairport stuff as well as the first few solo discs. Might have to pull them out tonight.

[anthony]

Wasn't she on the duet w/ Plant Zep's Battle of Evermore?

[Analogman]

Wasn't she on the duet w/ Plant Zep's Battle of Evermore?

 

Yes

[LouieB]

I got to see Sandy Denny with Fairport Convention......crazy crazy show with David Swarbuck on fiddle.

 

I just can't believe it is 30 fucking years.....The most famous song she wrote and sang and which was covered by Judy Collins and made her a ton of money was "Who Knows Where the Time Goes". In this case the time has gone very fast and very far.....

 

LouieB

[cryptique]

Her vocal on "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" is one of the most sublime musical occurrences ever.

[mpolak21]

This is the BBC Radio 2 documentary that was mentioned in the article, haven't checked it out quite yet, but will give it a listen later today. Who Knows Where The Time Goes

[Analogman]

As long as you don't mind Real Player. . .

[jff]

I have not heard her solo albums, but I'm a huge Fairport fan. I've always thought "Farewell Farewell" was Denny's most beautiful performance.

[Synthesizer Patel]

I have not heard her solo albums, but I'm a huge Fairport fan. I've always thought "Farewell Farewell" was Denny's most beautiful performance.

 

her The North Star Grassman and the Ravens album is as good as any Fairport album (well, maybe not Leige & Leif, but you get what I'm saying I hope) and also Fotheringay is equally as good. I'd get Fotheringay while you still can (even though it's not too cheap) cos it looks like it's about to shoot up in price as it's out of print. i might upload a song from each in a bit - just for anyone interested, so as to sample them.

 

also - the question is: did she fall or was she pushed?

[Analogman]

her The North Star Grassman and the Ravens album is as good as any Fairport album (well, maybe not Leige & Leif, but you get what I'm saying I hope) and also Fotheringay is equally as good. I'd get Fotheringay while you still can (even though it's not too cheap) cos it looks like it's about to shoot up in price as it's out of print. i might upload a song from each in a bit - just for anyone interested, so as to sample them.

 

also - the question is: did she fall or was she pushed?

 

Right - apparently that guy she was married to - they had a violent relationship.

[Synthesizer Patel]

Right - apparently that guy she was married to - they had a violent relationship.

 

trevor lucas? he was the other main songwriter in Fotheringay, and probably worked on a lot of her solo stuff too, as well as being her husband - he might even have played a bit with Fairport, i'm not sure.

 

i was saying that comment cos of the richard thompson song. i doubt she was pushed really. (edit. and i got it wrong anyway - it's did she jump or was she pushed!)

[Analogman]

trevor lucas? he was the other main songwriter in Fotheringay, and probably worked on a lot of her solo stuff too, as well as being her husband - he might even have played a bit with Fairport, i'm not sure.

 

i was saying that comment cos of the richard thompson song. i doubt she was pushed really.

 

What's that song then?

 

In the book I read about her, it talks about them fighting all the time - if I recall correctly.

 

I wish I had saved that video of them doing Too Much of Nothin' - her parts made the take.

[Synthesizer Patel]

the song is Did She Jump or Was She Pushed by Richard & Linda Thompson from Shoot Out The Lights

[Analogman]

Oh - I don't really know their stuff - except for one song, A Heart Needs A Home.

[cryptique]

Oh - I don't really know their stuff - except for one song, A Heart Needs A Home.

Somebody get this man copies of I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight and Shoot Out the Lights, stat!

[Synthesizer Patel]

you need to get their albums! if you like fairport and sandy denny, and that kind of stuff then you'll love their music. i imagine you can get them in america - they were remastered in england a couple of years ago and were fairly cheap to buy. if you were thinking of getting anything then get "i want to see the bright lights tonight" and "pour down like silver".