Crate Digging:
Fotheringay by Fotheringay

BY NEAL MARTIN | AUGUST 14, 2019Since
inception in 2003, a self-imposed rule of my Album of the Month is that it must
be new. Looking forward is fundamental to music, its lifeblood. That will
continue; however, since I have re-engaged with vinyl, rediscovered that vital
connection with the music I adore and now idle away weekends in second-hand
record shops, I am going to highlight an album or perhaps single that I have
acquired in the previous month that might pique the interest of Vinous readers.
I might re-evaluate a well-known favourite or it could be obscure. The only
rule is quality. What you will certainly glean is the eclecticism of my musical
tastes.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1565815723887-fotheringay+copy.jpg"> 

This
month we go back to the early Seventies and English folk. I fell in love with
Fairport Convention, Bert Jansch, Pentangle and of course, Nick Drake, in my
late twenties. At the centre of this scene is one of England’s finest female
singers, Sandy Denny. She formed Fotheringay, named after the castle where Mary
Queen of Scots was imprisoned, after leaving Fairport Convention, and was joined
by band-mates Trevor Conway, Gerry Conway, Jerry Donahue and Pat Donaldson. Their
album is a mixture of original and covers: a rollicking version of Dylan’s “Too
Much of Nothing” and Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Way I Feel”. Both are excellent. However,
it is Denny’s own compositions that elevate this into one of greatest and I
would argue, overlooked folk albums of the era. Her vocals never sounded so
plaintive and ethereal. It is difficult to put my finger on exactly why, but
Denny’s voice, her timbre and inflection, makes her sound as if she is singing
from centuries back in history, like medieval princess pining from her castle
tower to a lost prince. Listen to “The Sea”, “The Pond and the Stream” or the spectral
“Winter Winds” and lose yourself. Legendary producer, Joe Boyd, imbues all the
arrangements with immense clarity so that the listener can appreciate the
outstanding musicianship and, not unlike Nick Drake, gives it a sense of
timelessness.

The
album was a moderate success but it proved to be their solitary release, Denny
persuaded by Boyd to embark upon a solo career. She had her own demons,
deep-set insecurity and an alcohol problem, which led to her untimely passing in
1978 (spookily, in the same hospital where I underwent my own surgery.) I
already owned the CD, but hankered for an original vinyl copy printed the
famous pink Island “i” label. I chanced upon one whilst crate-digging at the
Guildford record fair. At £70.00 it was not cheap, but the record was in almost
mint condition and can abide just a bit of wear and tear on the glorious gatefold
sleeve. If you are normal and do not need an original copy, Fotheringay was
reissued on vinyl a couple of years back, or you can stream the album on Spotify,
Tidal etc.

The
brief lifespan of the group means that there is not much to find, however that
is partially compensated by this stunning live set on German TV program “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LiH8_h-1SM">Beat Club</a>”.

Wine Recommendation

I
should nominate a bottle from the same year as the record’s release. So I
recommend a bottle of 1970 Pichon-Lalande, one of the better wines from the
estate in that era and cheaper than Latour.&nbsp;

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