Sandy DennyCountry of origin:England Type of music generally:Traditional and contemporary folk and folk/rock Status:Sandy Denny died in 1978 (she was born in 1947). Her solo discs were remastered and re-released in 2012, and new compilations come out fairly frequently. Most recent is I've Always Kept a Unicorn (compilation, 2016). See also:Official Sandy Denny site Comparisons:Really there is no comparison to her amazing voice and few people had similar careers. Richard Thompson is perhaps the closest similar figure, and her singing style is a little like Linda Thompson especially when she sang with Richard. Sandy Denny is one of those figures cited as a point of comparison for others, but no one comes close enough. (Neile) Covers/own material:Early in her career she sang many covers and a lot of traditional material; later she focused on her own excellent songwriting. General comments:In the liner notes for The BBC Sessions 1971–73 Robin Denselow writes that Sandy Dennywas blessed with a remarkable voice, that was both delicate, sensitive and powerful, and an eclectic taste that meant that she could switch effortlessly between different styles and eras of popular music.... Then there was Sandy the singer-songwriter, the composer of a unique catalogue of exquisite, often gentle melancholy ballads....This describes her well. Sandy Denny has one of the most amazing voices ever and is an extraordinary interpreter of songs—those written by others and her own. I definitely consider her one of my own personal vocal goddesses. Many people in North America particularly don't know of her or haven't heard her best work because it is only now available here and the '70s sound of the first two albums to be easily found in the U.S. put them off. It may take some looking for find her best work—but you won't regret it. The power of her voice and her songwriting abilities are timeless. Sandy Denny is an abiding love of mine. I still strongly remember the first time I heard her voice when a friend of mine played a side of the Electric Muse compilation that came out in the '70s for me. When Fairport Convention's "Tam Lin" (from their album Liege and Lief) came on it blew the top off my head and I've never been the same. I think it was the day I acquired both my love of female vocals and of electrified traditional music. One of the few times when hearing one song opened a whole new world for me. Recommended first album:The Best of Sandy Denny is readily available and a great starting point. There is also a new compilation, also from her solo work, Listen, Listen, which is only available in the U.K. Fairport Convention's Liege and Lief is essential listening for fans of electric folk. It's easy to expand from there. I highly recommend Who Knows Where The Time Goes (the 3-CD box set) and of her four solo albums, Sandy is my personal favourite. Gold Dust: Live at the Royalty is an excellent example of her later songwriting and the power of her live performance. (Neile) Recordings include:A complete database of recordings is available at The Sandy Denny website
The Original Sandy DennyRelease info:1967 (re-released 1991), Mooncrest Records, UK, Crest CD 002 Availability:Can be found in U.S. and U.K. Ecto priority:Must have if you like her other recordings but not a first priority. (Neile) Comments:This is a collection of her first recordings, before her work with The Strawbs and before Fairport Convention. The arrangements are quite simple—lively guitar and vocals. Her voice is the feature of this collection of folk songs both traditional and '60s—even this early it's clear to hear that her voice is a force to be reckoned with, moving from gutsy folk/rock to light and beautifully lyrical ballads. If you're a fan of '60s folk, you'll love this—if you're a fan of the female voice, this will knock you over. (Neile) The North Star Grassman and the RavensRelease info:1971—Island (U.K.)—IMCD 133; re-released Ryko/Hannibal (U.S.)—4429 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Must have for lovers of British folk. (Neile) Group members:Sandy Denny—vocals, piano, acoustic guitars Guest artists:Richard Thompson—electric & acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, bass, accordion, vocals Produced by:Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson & John Wood Comments:This is my second favourite of Sandy's solo albums. A collection that really grows on you, and of course Sandy's voice is sensational. It's got kind of a gritty, jumpy flavour because of the choice of songs like "Let's Jump The Broomstick" and Dylan's "Down In The Flood". It also has some classic moody Sandy ballads, like "Late November", "John The Gun", "Next Time Around", "Wretched Wilbur", the traditional "Blackwaterside", "The North Star Grassman And The Ravens" and the delightful "Crazy Lady Blues". Highly recommended. (Neile) SandyRelease info:1972—Island (U.K.)—IMCD 132 848 746-2 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Must have for lovers of Celtic or British folk. (Neile) Group members:Sandy Denny—vocals, piano, acoustic guitars Guest artists:Richard Thompson—guitars, mandolin Produced by:Trevor Lucas Comments:This is my favourite solo Sandy Denny album. It's amazing to me that it's the only one of the four that is exceptionally hard to find in the U.S. All the songs on this are Sandy's own, except a cover of Dylan's "Tomorrow is a Long Time". I have obsessed over several songs on this collection, including "Bushes and Briars" and "It Suits Me Well" and there are other excellent songs here like the knockout "Quiet Joys of Brotherhood" and "The Lady". Good music, great voice. Don't miss this. When I was reviewing it for this page I found I couldn't bear to skip ahead and had to listen to this all the way through. I almost hit repeat, too. (Neile) Like An Old Fashioned WaltzRelease info:1973—Island (U.K.)—ILPS 9258; Ryko/Carthage (U.S.)—4425 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:low (higher for fans) Guest artists:"Sandy plays and singers with: Pat Donaldson, Gerry Conway, Dave Pegg, Dave Mattacks, Danny Thompson, Alan Skidmore, Ian Armit, Jean Rouseel, Jerry Donahue, Trevor Lucas, Richard Thompson, Diz Disley & Rabbit. Produced by:Trevor Lucas and John Wood Comments:I like Sandy Denny, but her material and arrangements tend to be so uneven I think of her as a song artist instead of an album artist. I wonder what kind of music she'd be doing now if she were still alive. So many of her songs here are pure schmaltz that I cringingly picture her as a lounge singer. Whatever, her good songs are very, very good, and her bad songs (and bad arrangements that ruin good songs) are to wince for. Her voice, always truly wonderful, makes her a frustrating artist to listen to, because I want her material to be as good as her voice always is. (vickie@enteract.com) RendezvousRelease info:1977—Island (U.K.)—ILPS 9433; Hannibal (U.S.)—4423 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:low (higher for fans) Guest artists:Musicians—John (Rabbit) Bundrick, Jerry Donahue, Timmi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg, Steve Winwood, Junion Murvin, Brother James, Jimmy Haines, Nigel Frank Ricotti, John Gillespie, Dick Cuthell, Richard Thompson, Billie Livesay, Bob Weston Produced by:Trevor Lucas Comments:A very uneven album. (vickie@enteract.com) The Best of Sandy DennyRelease info:1987—Hannibal (U.S.)—HNCD 1328 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Must have—unless you have Who Knows Where The Time Goes, the box set from which these songs come. (Neile) Comments:This is a wonderful compilation of Sandy's voice, including material from her solo albums, from Fairport Convention, and Fotheringay. It includes "Tam Lin" which alone is worth the price of the disc. An excellent introduction to her work. (Neile) Who Knows Where The Time Goes (3-CD Box Set)Release info:1985—Rykodisc—5301 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Highly, highly recommended Compiled and produced by:Trevor Lucas and Joe Boyd Comments:This posthumously-released record collected together all sorts of material recorded by Sandy during her career. It included tracks which had been released, demos of tracks which had been released, live versions of tracks which had been released and songs which had never been released, and examples of her solo and group work, her traditional folk songs and contemporary rock. Incredible listening all the way through. This compilation will show you why people continue to be touched by her music 20 years after her death and the absolutely undated quality of her music. (Neile) The Attic Tracks, 1972–1984by Sandy Denny, Trevor Lucas & Friends
Release info:1995—Raven Records, P.O. Box 2027, East Ivanhoe 3079, Australia Availability:Australia, and can be found in the U.S. and U.K. Ecto priority:Recommended for Sandy fans. Guest artists:Sandy Denny, Trevor Lucas and friends Comments:There will never be another voice like Sandy Denny's. Some tracks here than are among her best work. The Trevor Lucas stuff is good, but for me it's the Sandy rarities that make this worth tracking down. The cd was compiled by Trevor Lucas' friend John Penhallow, whom he and subsequently his widow and children gave access to his personal collection of tapes. The cd includes Sandy's last recorded song, "Moments" and a French language version of "Listen, Listen" one of Sandy's most affecting songs which doesn't lose any of its power in translation. There are also two solo tracks, "One More Chance" and "Rising For The Moon" she recorded for the other members of Fairport Convention to learn for their 1975 album, Rising For The Moon—these are stunning vocals, simply backed by piano and "Rising For The Moon" also has a metronome ticking in the background. What a voice! The liner notes call her version of Little Feat's "Easy To Slip" blistering, and they're right—so is "Losing Game", a Flying Burrito Brothers cover. "Still Waters Run Deep" was recorded at the time of Rendezvous—a nice track. "The King And Queen Of England", as the booklet says, is a lovely, plaintive song—simply Sandy and her piano. "No End" is an extended solo version of the songs from Like an Old Fashioned Waltz and shows how lovely that album would have been without the production popular in those days. The cd ends with 3 tracks from what would become Gold Dust: Live at the Royalty. The individual tracks here are amazing. (Neile) The BBC Sessions 1971–73Release info:1997—Strange Fruit—SFRSCD006 Availability:Extremely hard to find because of a legal dispute. Only 3,500 copies released Ecto priority:Now supplanted by the Live at the BBC compilation Group members:Sandy Denny—vocals, piano, guitar Guest artists:Hughie Burns—guitar Produced by:Jeff Griffin, John Muir, Tony Wilson Comments:Damn. No one has a voice like this—rich and expressive in both traditional songs and her own. Such a delight to find alternate live & radio versions of these great songs. I especially like the simple arrangements (with some of her work the style of the arrangements can be a barrier for me really enjoy the songs). I could listen to Sandy forever. This was the single most expensive disc I bought in 1997 and worth every penny—it's a total knockout: just Sandy, piano, guitar. It gives me shivers. It's hard to think of enough superlatives to describe this collection. Sandy's voice is exquisite—rough, powerful, gentle, sweet, a force of life itself. Gold Dust: Live At The Royalty (The final concert)Release info:1998—Island/Polygram—IMCD 252 524493-2 Availability:Available in the U.K. Ecto priority:Highly recommended for Sandy fans Group members:Sandy Denny—vocals, piano, guitar Guest artists:Dave Mattacks—drums Produced by:Trevor Wyatt—executive producer Comments:From her last gig in 1977. Still my favorite singer after all these years. Not the CD to start with but a definite necessity for all Sandy fans. (ABershaw@aol.com) Listen, ListenRelease info:1999—Island (U.K.) Availability:U.K. Ecto priority:Recommended as a possible starting place for her solo work Comments:The 17 tracks on this compilation are all taken from her four solo albums (The North Star Grassman and The Ravens, Sandy, Like an Old Fashioned Waltz, and Rendezvous), with nothing from either Fotheringay or Fairport Convention (her group work) or from the recent live album, Gold Dust and no new previously unreleased material. There is some overlap with The Best of Sandy Denny. Given that The Best of Sandy Denny does include some of her work with Fotheringay and Fairport Convention, I would recommend that compilation over this one. (Neile) No More Sad Refrains: The AnthologyRelease info:2000—A&M Records (U.S.)—314 542 747-2 Availability:Wide in the U.S. Ecto priority:Essential for Sandy Denny fans, highly recommended for others Comments:This two-disc collection has recordings from all of Sandy's incarnations with the exception of her very early work (like with The Strawbs) and also has a couple of demos and two tracks from a one-off gathering of English folkrockers, The Bunch. I would say it's an excellent introduction for someone new to Sandy. Rather than attempting to pull together the loose ends of her career as the box set does, it's an attempt to show the range of her career. Highly recommended for fans who will want the rarities here and to those new to Sandy's work. (Neile) The 20th Century Masters—The Millennium Collection: The Best of Sandy DennyRelease info:2002—A&M Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Recommended Comments:Just finished listening to the "Millennium Collection". Really it's not bad for a one-CD, 10-song album. No substitute for No More Sad Refrains or anything else, but good remasterings, some nice photos (nothing you haven't seen of course) and good liner notes from Dave Thompson. Not much Fairport Convention/Fotheringay material. (EGoodst285@aol.com A Boxful of TreasuresRelease info:2004—Fledg'ling Records—NEST 5002 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Highly recommended for Sandy Denny fans Comments:A 5-CD set of live and rare tracks, many of which appear elsewhere (such as on the Who Knows Where The Time Goes box set compilation and The Attic Tracks, 1972–1984) but a few of which are only available here. This is lovelingly compiled and the booklet alone, full of well-reproduced pictures and an excellent long article, is worth the price of admission. Of the discs, though, my favourite is disc 5, Home recordings, with 12 demo versions, 2 alternate tracks, and 3 live Fairport Convention tracks. Lovely, lovely stuff. Her voice is jaw-droppingly powerful. (Neile) Live at the BBCRelease info:2007—Universal ISland Records—984 992-8 Availability:U.K. Ecto priority:Essential for the Sandy Denny fan Comments:3-CD + 1 DVD compilation. One disc of "in session" recordings, one of "in concert" and one of "off-air" recordings, as well as a DVD (PAL format) with the three available live tracks of Sandy solo, as well as bonus diary, photos, and a discography. The attractive packaging includes a very nice attached booklet of photos, etc., but really this is a case where it's the wonderful unavailable-elsewhere music that is the star. This includes all the material on the so-briefly-released 1997 compilation, The BBC Sessions 1971–73 and then some. The recordings include material from 1966 all the way through 1973. Highly, highly recommended. But I warn you that you're going to also want the companion Fairport Convention Live at the BBC set. (Neile) Sandy DennyRelease info:2010—Universal ISland Records—532 869-5 Availability:Limited release physical copy + iTunes (UK [and Australia?] only for now) Ecto priority:Highly, highly recommended for fans of Sandy Denny Comments:This lovingly produced limited-edition box set is a work of art in itself, and is clearly a labour of love and a fitting tribute to Sandy's all-too-brief career. It is beautifully designed, with newly commissioned artwork and a wonderful attention to detail. Yes, I'm gushing, I know. It includes: 19 CDs; a gorgeous 72-page hardcover book with photos, sleeve notes, recollections of Sandy; reproductions of a notebook of Sandy's handwritten lyrics, a promo poster, a 1974 press pack; postcards. The CDs include studio outtakes and home demos and her complete studio recordings (all her solo work, and work with Fairport Convention, Fortheringay, and The Strawbs). As someone involved in the production explains, the box set includes:...the duet with ian Matthews, and 'it's a boy' from Tommy—we couldn't secure permission for 'Battle of Evermore' as zep don't allow their music to be compiled (music weaver comp was a rare complicated exception). Fotheringay 1 & 2 are included and Sandy's performances with the band at Rotterdam. The only things not on here are some tracks on other people's albums where sandy performs bv's only or plays piano, where sandy's contribution was not significant enough to merit inclusion—also this material is available officially elsewhere for the curious/completist.I am on a Sandy Denny listserve where people have had various quibbles with choices made during production of the set, but I am just thrilled that it exists, despite already owning so many other collections of her music. The set is unique and a wonderful, deep collection of her work. Heartbreaking that she could produce all this and not be a household name and have died so tragically young. Truly an amazing thing, and I agree with the forward in the book—Sandy Denny deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as the best 20th-century vocalists, such as Billie Holiday. If nothing else, this set is proof of that. Further info:If you're interested in joining the Sandy Denny/Trevor Lucas mailing list, send an email message to: SandyDennyList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Thanks to Neal Copperman for work on this entry.
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