🎵 AotW AOTW: Sandy Denny NORTH STAR GRASSMAN & RAVENS (A&M

[LPJim]

Sandy Denny
NORTH STAR GRASSMAN & RAVENS
A&M SP4317

This 1971 solo album by Singer-Songwriter Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention features several veterans of that English folk-rock group as supporting players.

Side One:
Late November 4:27/ Blackwaterside 4:10/ The Sea Captain 3:07/ Down in the Flood (Bob Dylan) 3:17/ John the Gun 4:35.

Side Two:
Next Time Around 4:22/ The Optimist 3:22/ Let's Jump the Broomstick (Charles Robins) 2:40/ Wretched Wilbur 2:34/ The North Star Grassman & the Ravens 3:25/ Crazy Lady Blues 3:21.

All selections written by Sandy Denny except where indicated. Produced by Denny, Richard Thompson and John Wood (engineer).

Reissued on CD in 1987 by Hannibal, a Rykodisc label, as HNCD 4429.

JB -- happy to be back after several days of technical difficulty

 

[Dave]

Glad this AOTW is finally getting its own proper thread! This is the only Sandy Denny album I think I ever had, though I had one song of hers (from another LP) on the ALTEC/ODDYSSEY Various Artists sampler.

I had one fairly beat up, though still good and good playing copy of NORTH STAR GRASS MAN & RAVENS (Yeah, figure out a way to make THIS title fit!) and I like the way she did Bob Dylan's "Down In The Flood", though Blood, Sweat & Tears did it best.

JB -- happy to be back after several days of technical difficulty

...well we thought you took a "well deserved" Family Vacation...! :goofygrin:

Dave

 

[LPJim]

A vacation would be nice, but I was sidelined several days by a virus. Not me, the computer. It was that AOL pop-up thing that was going around. Wasn't sure I'd get back yesterday, so I e-mailed the track list to Mr. Bill as a back-up plan.

Led Zep fans probably know this already, but Sandy Denny was the female voice on "The Battle of Evermore" from LED ZEP IV.

JB

 

[Dave]

A vacation would be nice, but I was sidelined several days by a virus. Not me, the computer. It was that AOL pop-up thing that was going around. Wasn't sure I'd get back yesterday, so I e-mailed the track list to Mr. Bill as a back-up plan.

Led Zep fans probably know this already, but Sandy Denny was the female voice on "The Battle of Evermore" from LED ZEP IV.

JB

Well, we're glad you and your computer are alright! And you can still get that AOTW delivered! I'm fighting a "computer deficiency", myself, as I tend to get kicked off and at least AUTOMATICALLY logged back on!

Yes, Led Zeppelin was the first group I was into and bought the entire works of--on vinyl and cassette. So I know all about Sandy Denny's appearance on Led Zep's Fourth.

Appearing courtesy of Island Records, too. Did that presage her tenure with A&M? I'm assuming she was with Fairport Convention at the time, as that's I frequently read in articles on Rock Groups about Led Zeppelin and her contribution to the song and album. As well as her death from a tragic fall down a flight of stairs.

Dave

 

[Mr Bill]

...so I e-mailed the track list to Mr. Bill as a back-up plan.

Jim,

I never got an email. We should verify our email addressses in an A&M Corner private message. Some things I've sent you have bounced back and as I said I haven't received anything from you of late. I also have some more AOTW questions -- conflicting numbers and data and the like...

--Mr Bill

 

[LPJim]

Sandy dropped in and out of Fairport, which she joined after a very brief stint with the Strawbs. Her first FC appearance was on the 2nd self-titled album (not to be confused with the 1st non-A&M one), whose U.K. title was WHAT WE DID ON OUR HOLIDAY.

Her most famous composition, "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" from UNHALFBRICKING (SP 4206), became a hit for Judy Collins. Denny left FC after LIEGE & LIEF (SP 4257) but returned in 1975 for RISING FOR THE MOON (Island) while simultaneously doing solo projects. Among these were FOTHERINGAY (SP 4269) and THE BUNCH (SP 4354 - with other FC members).

All of these titles were licensed to A&M by Island, who released them in the U.K. Hannibal Records or Island reissued the entire catalog on CD, with the exception of SP 4257, which A&M retained. That album never charted but holds the distinction of never having been out of print since its 1970 release.

JB
PS to Mr. Bill: my e-mail address has not changed, but this virus cleanup probably has interfered with recent transmission.