Dave Swarbrick was such a sweetie. He used to play with Martin Carthy at the Merc (Mercury Café) when touring Denver, where I lived and played with musician friends back in the '90s. Such lovely guys who'd sit and chat with us between and after performances. No ego problems whatsoever...just regular folk for such great musicians with lots of soul. And Sandy Denny, IMO, was one of the most soulful voices of her day. Lovely woman...so sad that she, as well as Dave now, have passed on. :(
Sandy 'gets me' in an indescribable way. Every time I hear 'Full Moon' or 'No End', I get the chills and very nearly end up in tears. There's a vulnerability along with the musical prowess. I guess it's Soul. I love Sandy.
Dave Swarbrick is the violin player who speaks last and first. He could hear her footsteps when she came to visit HIM. He loved her, no doubt. And who would not. Sandy had a compassion for others and him that would enrapture any man. Dave is heartbroken over Sandy passing on. Can you imagine hearing beautiful Sandy walking up the garden path to your door to visit out of her compassion for you? She even asked the fotheringay drummer during taping if he was okay! and earlier bought the unidentified friend food and drink. She cared about others. So rare. Bittersweet. What a talent but what a heart Sandy was blessed with. Bittersweet. The greatest unknown ever in modern music was Sandy Denny.
She wasn't an "unknown" - she was and still is extremely famous. "Who knows where the time goes" is a classic and one of the most requested of all songs to be played at funerals.
that Bob Dylan's "I'll Keep It With Mine" cover she did with Fairport Convention, is truly one of the greatest cover songs ever recorded..... her voice turns it into complete masterpiece
Denny's take on George's Easy To Slip quite remarkable too. (Tho it doesn't top the original which if I'm ever asked to name just one all-time favorite song, would be my answer.)
It's been an amazing few minutes listening to these folks speak of my favorite singer. Best concert ever seeing her at Richards in Atlanta decades ago. Thanks for posting this.
Hearing Martin Carthy talk about Sandy's Royal Albert Hall show is honest and heartfelt. What he fails to mention is that Elton John was the opening act.
It’s that old conundrum isn’t it: does a true friend let a person like Sandy prop themselves up at the bar or see them home safely to live out a long and productive life in music? Ours is not to reason why I guess as hindsight is 20/20 vision.
Sandy wrote it in her late teens - which makes it all the more extraordinary. but then again, much of Nick Drake's best known workwas written before he was 20.
What the hell is Dave Mattacks talking about? It sounds like he was trying to make a beautiful poignant statement but just rambles on and on. I didn't understand anything he said. If I was an editor I would have taken it all out. No interview with Richard Thompson? No reminiscing with Linda Thompson? And they only touch on a single Fairport LP and no solo albums by Sandy? A little incomplete don't you think? And while everyone is reminicing there were no real interview questions whatsoever. I think they all deserved better.
John LaStrada - This is Part 4 of 4; see the other 3 for discussion of all the FP, FG and solo albums. No RT though, and especially missing is Joe Boyd - read his book if you haven’t. Fantastic.
