Fotheringay
Country of origin:
England
Type of music generally:
Folk/rock, some traditional and contemporary folk
Status:
Disbanded in early 1971, after one official release. Most recent release, Nothing More (boxed set compilation, 2015)
See also:
Wikipedia's entry on FotheringayThe Ectophiles' Guide entries for Sandy Denny and other bands Sandy Denny was part of, Fairport Convention and Sandy Denny & The Strawbs
Comparisons:
Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Sandy Denny's solo work
Covers/own material:
Own & covers
General comments:
For me, Fotheringay is Sandy Denny's band, though her husband, Trevor Lucas, also strongly influenced the band's sound and does about half the lead singing and original songwriting. The overall sound is very '70s folk/rock: rocking folk tunes, and lyrical ballads, with strong musicianship and of course Sandy Denny's remarkable voice—her vocals are exquisite here.
Fotheringay was their only release at the time they broke up, but subsequently the early tracks for their prospective second album were released in 2008 as Fotheringay 2, a live recording appeared in 2011, and in 2014 the definitive, nearly exhaustive collection Nothing More, was released. (Neile)
Recommended first album:
Fotheringay for those who just want to hear the best of this band; Nothing More for someone who wants nearly everything the band did.
Recordings:
- Fotheringay (1970)
- Fotheringay 2 (recorded in 1970, released in 2008)
- Essen 1970 (live 1970, released in 2011)
- Nothing More (boxed set compilation, 2015)
Fotheringay
Release info:
1970—Island; re-released Ryko (U.S.) and Fledg'ling (U.K.)
Availability:
Wide in the U.S. and U.K.
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for fans of Sandy Denny, Fairport Convention, and/or folk/rock
Group members:
Sandy Denny—vocals, piano, guitar
Trevor Lucas—vocals, guitar
Jerry Donahue—lead guitar, backing vocals
Gerry Conway—drums, backing vocals
Pat Donaldson—bass, backing vocals
Guest artists:
Linda Peters [Thompson]—backing vocals
Tod Lloyd—backing vocals
Produced by:
Joe Boyd
Comments:
A lovely collection mostly of Sandy Denny's compositions but with two traditional tunes ("Banks of The Nile" and "Gypsy Davey"), and a few great covers (of Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Dylan, and Dave Cousins). A classic moment in British folk/rock and also delightful listening—the rocking tunes are fun, and the ballads are powerful, lyrical, affective. "Banks of The Nile" is particularly stunning. Note that "Gypsy Davey" and the Dave Cousins cover are bonus tracks on the Ryko/Hannibal re-release—bonus tracks on the Fledg'ling release are four live tracks, one of which is the Cousins cover, plus "Nothing More," "Banks of the Nile," and "Memphis, Tennessee" (Chuck Berry cover). (Neile)
Fotheringay 2
Release info:
2008—Fledg'ling—FLED 2066
Availability:
Europe and by import
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for Fotheringay fans
Group members:
Sandy Denny—vocals, piano, 12-string guitar, harmonium
Trevor Lucas—vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Jerry Donahue—lead electric guitar, acoustic guitar, alto guitar, backing vocals
Pat DOnaldson—bass, duet, backing vocals
Gerry Conway—drums, percussion, backing vocals
Guest artists:
John "Rabbit" Bundrick—organ
Wendy Eighart Van Gelder—backing vocals
Sam Donahue—saxophone
Produced by:
Jerry Donahue
Comments:
Fotheringay had just begun to lay down these tracks when the band broke up. Shelved for years, band member Jerry Donahue finally spearheaded this effort to put the tracks together and complete the album as best they could with the material available. It's remarkably successful, especially considering they had apparently expected to re-record much of this, especially the vocals. But Sandy Denny's vocals here are magnificent. Her gorgeous version of "Wild Mountain Thyme" gives me shivers. "Gypsy Davey" is one of their best traditional versions, "Two Weeks Last Summer," a Dave Cousins cover, is lovely and dreamy. I'm so glad this materials is available. Hooray to Jerry Donahue for persevering and making this collection happen. (Neile)
Essen 1970
Release info:
2011—Thor's Hammer (Germany)—THCD 006
Availability:
Europe and by import
Ecto priority:
Recommended only for Fotheringay and Sandy Denny fans
Group members:
Sandy Denny—vocals, piano
Trevor Lucas—vocals, guitar
Jerry Donahue—guitar, backing vocals
Pat DOnaldson—bass, backing vocals
Gerry Conway—drums, backing vocals
Comments:
A fairly decent quality recording of a live concert in Essen, Germany in 1970. It features classic Fotheringay tracks, but like most of their works I think it's uneven—fans of Trevor Lucas's vocals might like it more than I do, as they alternative lead vocals here. I do enjoy the songs that feature Sandy Denny, and am happy to have them even if as a whole the album doesn't feel essential. I love hearing what she did with songs live and wishing I could have been there to hear her. Includes a terrifically fun cover of Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee." Get up and dance! (Neile)
Nothing More
Release info:
2015—Universal
Availability:
Europe and by import
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for Fotheringay fans
Group members:
Sandy Denny—vocals, piano
Trevor Lucas—vocals, guitar
Jerry Donahue—guitar
Pat DOnaldson—bass
Gerry Conway—drums
Comments:
A boxed set compilation that has nearly all the Fotheringay materials available, including both Fotheringay and Fotheringay 2, 10 unreleased tracks (BBC and live recordings from a Rotterdam concert) and a DVD of four songs recorded by the group for the German TV show Beat Club. Also an informative booklet with rare photographs. Terrific for completists. (Neile)
Further info:
If you're interested in joining the Sandy Denny/Trevor Lucas mailing list, send an email message to: SandyDennyList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
