Fairport Convention "Matty Groves" (First Time Reaction)

[@L33Reacts]

Are there any other classic songs like this or any other Fairport Convention songs I should check out? Leave em here! I appreciate it... I loved this so much. These guys and gals rock so hard.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

The whole album is great. Try Tam Lin or the Deserter or Crazy Man Micheal. Nothing else like those songs. Also the group Pentangle is in a similar style. They have high quality video from the era too.

[@treehopper1000]

The whole album. also the album "What We Did On Our Holidays". The tracks "Sloth" and "Sailors Life"

[@goonbelly5841]

"Farewell, Farewell" from the same album.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@ oh yeah that one too.

[@pongosnodgrass7014]

"The Hexhamshire Lass" from the Fairport Nine album is fantastic too

[@Veni_Vidi_Vortice]

Dave Swarbrick was the true master of folk violin. Always worth a listen.

[@jimmeltonbradley1497]

This is proper English Folk-Rock. Sandy Denny was a vocal queen and Richard Thompson is a legend. Dave Swarbrick is the fiddle player. Even in the UK they are not as highly regarded as they really ought to be. Saw them twice in the 60s and they just knocked me out. You can see where Appalachian music has its roots.

[@Coquinagirl]

Sandy’s lilting song is very atmospheric and pleasing. Thank you, Flint Slim and Lee! Very new to me.

[@alantattersall3190]

I always loved Fairport Convention and recently I was fortunate enough to buy the pub in their historical village, Cropredy. The band played at the pub as they had done since the 60's. Magical. A picture of the Brasenose Arms graces their album Fairport 9.

[@corawheeler9355]

I like Fairport Convention .. nice songs ... they have a connection to Tull : )

[@marthagavey9321]

❤👩‍🦰❤aaahh! I really enjoyed this!! Not familiar with them but with my Gaelic background, hence light red hair, I immediately gravitated to this! Sandy has a lovely voice and great band! It's all that for sure, bravo Flint Slim and Lee! 👏

[@abbynormal60]

I saw Richard Thompson solo, at the Fillmore in San Francisco in the mid 90''s. It was mind blowing watching him.

[@VereinPlatzhirschamHirschenpla]

Sandy is magic!

[@annuvynarawn392]

O wow. Fairport! Seriously you are blessed to have such a wide range of recommendations. I am a huge fan. Folk is a key to the past.

[@michaelabbott9080]

My local band...and what a great song..

[@elvwood]

Absolute classic! It wouldn't be a Fairport set without this one. If you want to see how it's developed over the years - and obviously the band play it so often they want to change it up a bit - and if you want a laugh at the same time, check out the 2007 live video with the story animated in lego! It was projected on the screen at the event and doesn't start at the beginning, so there's a period of blankness for the first minute while they let the audience guess the track.

[@jimmeltonbradley1497]

Try "A Sailor's Life" from their 3rd album Unhalfbricking next. It was their first real move towards recording English folk music in the "rock" style.

[@markdrechsler5660]

Pretty stellar, too.

[@Kerazen123]

That song transported me to another place. 😮

[@trevorfolker3665]

Lee - this is my band since 1967 - so much to recommend. Other suggestions here are great - but if I could add a couple of mt own: a Sailor's Life - where Dave Swarbrick had been roped in as a session man, and to get the electric violin feel (when electric violins were not a thing) they taped an old analog telephone receiver to the bridge of the violin to act as an electric pick up. And also Sloth, essentially a jam session with few words and solos from fiddle and guitar, and often on live version the bass guitar as well. As you seem to love Richard Thompson's guitar, choose the album versions of these - or for Sloth, any of the early 1970s recordings. Some live versions of this song, notably at their annual festival in Cropredy, England, have beeen known to wander on past the 20 minute mark.....

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Really great album. Sandy Denny Richard Thomson etc.

[@flintslim4074]

Tam Lin from the same LP. You might think about playing all three (4 w. Heyday--Live at the BBC) Fairport Convention LP's fr. 1969 when Sandy Denny was in this band.

[@goonbelly5841]

Divorce was settled rather differently back in those days.⚔⚰

[@JohnnyBabylon90]

Great Reaction perfect selection much love ❤️

[@freda1182]

Enjoyed that! Thanks!

[@Paul-tk2my]

Good comment on the ‘ho down’ aspect- so true. Check out She Came Through The Fair- either by Fairport or Richard on his own. His live version version brings a tear to my eye. Thompson and Swarbrick used to duel on stage. You HAVE to see that!

[@richgaluppo4417]

Somehow I missed out on this genre, so I'm now in process of assembling my UK folk collection with Box Sets by Fairport, Steeleye Span and Sandy. Plus Fotheringay, Albion Country Band, and all those cool triple cd Grapefruit label boxes. Enjoy

[@MattyBurckley]

Madfish Records just released an excellent Fairport Boxset covering from 1982 Cropredy through to 1990, "It All Came Round Again" it's expensive, but worth every cent!

[@shirleybhs9zd6li5i]

Wonderful folk song, like minstrel's singing stories moving from town to town. I'll have to look up this group for more. Thanks, Flint Slim for a very enjoyable pick. Blessings and joy to all.

[@tbangert2584]

Look up Richard & Linda Thompson recordings. "The Great Valerio" or "Walking on a Wire"

[@MattyBurckley]

Look for an album called The Bones of All Men - a collaboration between Richard Thompson and Phil Pickett - an early music scholar/performer who also has collaborated with The Albion Band. It features The Fairport Rythm section aka Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg and Dave Mattacks.

[@brianparker663]

That really is an excellent, but sadly obscure, album.

[@bobmessier5215]

"Hiring Fair" is one of my favorite tunes by Fairport. Check out the live performances at the Cropredy Festival in the 2000's with Simon Nichol on guitar and lead vocals.

[@jurgenschmidt2759]

When you like the folky style here, then you will probably like Ronnie Lane's music too. You have already reacted to songs with him on bass for the Faces and Small Faces, but his solo music is fantastic too. Listen to "The Poacher", "Roll on baby" or "Oh la la", you won't regret it.

[@MisterWondrous]

Love these folks. Have you yet heard "Harry's Game", which I think Clannad may have performed? You'd dig.

[@amnril]

This song reminds me so much of Hark ! The Village Wait album by Steeleye Span from 1970, another British Rock Folk band.

[@ROUGHSEES]

Tam Lin is also another great song from this forgotten classic album. You would enjoy it too.

[@ronbock8291]

The entire Liege and Lief record is well worth a listen, in my top 5 records of all time. Dave Mattacks is awesome.

[@davidrauh8118]

On this album there are so many great tunes. Tam Lin was the first I heard and ran out and bought the album. Other favorites are Farewell, Farewell and the instrumental medley is killer.

[@UFOS4]

I missed out on the band back in the stone age, too many others grabbed my attention. Sorry I missed them, but not now! This album is now on my ipod, ipad and into my soul. I absolutely love this! Thank you!

[@BettyArmitage]

Hi ….. Since it’s Christmas….could you react to “Thank God it’s Christmas” by Queen….this was the only Christmas song that they ever recorded. Also, “A Winters Tale” has a Christmas vibe to it ….this was the last song Freddie Mercury ever wrote and he sings it beautifully. Thank you.

[@thruppence-ys9zp]

I don't know if they'll get views, but Fairport Convention is ... I don't have the words. We can't all grovel before the lowest common denominator

[@lucinda6244]

This is great! I hadn't heard Fairport Convention before, but I was familiar with this song. When I was a child (10ish) my parents had a album set called American Folk Singers and Balladeers which had this song sung by Joan Baez. It is a slower and longer version. I really didn't know what Lord Arlen's wife and Matty Groves were up to or why Lord Arlen was curious about Matty Groves' opinion of his sheets (uh, they're fine; clean, no bedbugs.) While I didn't know exactly what they were up to, I did feel that "But it's best I like your fair, young bride, who lies in my arms asleep" was not a good answer. We used to sing this and other ballads from this set on road trips. They just about all had blood and gore, but this one added infidelity. It was my mother's least favorite. I like this FC version a lot.

[@olias056]

I guess this follows Stephen Stills thought.. If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with. :)

[@shiannesmith6877]

OMG her voice

[@lbd-po7cl]

Every track on this album is pure gold. The interplay between Richard Thompson on guitar and Dave Swarbrick (Swarbs) is legendary. You might also want to try some Richard and Lynda Thompson - Dimming of the Day, Walking on a Wire, A Heart Needs a Home , and much more. Richard and his wife Lynda were a duo through the 70s till their divorce in the early 80s, and are one of the best husband and wife duos ever - Richard’s songwriting and guitar, and Lynda’s exquisite voice to rival that of Sandy Denny.

[@KeithMcbride-fy3hy]

Try Tam Lin

[@Kerazen123]

I wish I could sing like Sandy...

[@charleskurtz9744]

Great song. My grandson now has the album. Steeleye Span are good , too.

[@RalphSpoiledsport]

Oh! it's "Shady Grove" in Appalachia.

[@brewstergallery]

Hey Lee, nearly anything from this groundbreaking LP is worth a few hundred listens, Unhalfbricking, What We did on our Holidays....all are wonderful. Sandy Denny was a force of nature, she was the only person ever to sing with Led Zep on an LP. Richard Thompson is the sublime guitarist on this and still performs like the giant that he is. The drummer Dave Mattacks is beyond belief.

[@shiannesmith6877]

I loved that so much. Now, I have to go add this to my Spotify 😂

[@mikecaetano]

Also check out the version of "Matty Groves" released by Doc Watson in 1966.

[@matthewzuckerman6267]

Alternate lyrics Fairport often sing: "How do you like my feather bed? / How do you like my sheets? / And how do you like my curtains I bought in a sale last week?"

[@ragnarmyhr7238]

First album I bought was the concept album, "Babbacombe" Lee. The man the couldn't hang.

[@CatherineKlause]

You should do " John Barleycorn" by Traffic. That's a great folk song too

[@MarkPatrie]

Sandy Denny was the only female vocalist to accompany Led Zeppelin check her out on "Battle Of Evermore" One of my favorite Richard Thompson songs is from later in his career, "52 Vincent Black Lightning"

[@alankinkle5207]

The Banks of the Nile is another great one from Ms. Denny. Another excellent British female singer you should check out is Annie Haslam, the lead singer from the group called Renaissance. Her voice is right up there with Sandy’s.

[@alankinkle5207]

Oops! I forgot to recommend a song. I would start with “Mother Russia” from their album ‘Turn of the Cards’ or “Carpet of the Sun”, from ‘Live at Carnegie Hall’.

[@Julian-q7x]

Liege & Lief is a terrific album!

[@davidhanson8681]

RT once said his goal on electric guitar was to make it sound like bagpipes!

[@garyrausch1184]

The roots of American Bluegrass are in the British Isles

[@Tzarchasm09]

Fotheringay: the song, (by Fairport Convention - absolutely haunting) and the band - Sandy again with top musicians, including the bendmaster Jerry Donohue. Check out "John the Gun" & "Nothing More"

[@nimbusco8956]

One of my favorite albums. Trivia: I’ve read that this song is a marriage between the British ballad (Matty Groves/Little Musgrave/etc) and an Appalachian tune “Shady Grove”. But Appalachian music is rooted in English and Scottish music, so it’s not really out of place. Fairport Convention is well worth exploring. As others have said, though, they are not likely to pull viewers. Maybe a video with a Fairport song and a one by a more popular band (Tull?) would perform?

[@davidsouth9979]

She Moves Through The Fair by Fairport Convention or Tam Lin.

[@pancentricism]

Another related band (both started by Ashley Hutchings) is Steeleye Span. Their lead singer, for most of their time is Maddy Prior. Suggest you listen to their version of Tam Lin live (on Park Records youtube channel)

[@DTH3000]

Delve into the Richard Thompson universe! You will be blown away!

[@KeithMcbride-fy3hy]

I believe they were on at the at Festival along with Pink Floyd Frank Zappa Lef Zeppelin Jefferson Airplane etc great festival

[@hoppers13]

Hey, Lee, you should dig up the many TV series of the “Transatlantic Sessions”. The best of British and American folk musicians jamming. Pure joy.

[@TheLjff]

Maybe try Fotheringay - short but beautiful. Or Farewell, Farewell - already planned in for the end of my funeral!

[@thereunionparty]

From this album you could not go wrong with "Come All Ye", "Farewell, Farewell" or "Crazy Man Michael". Alternatively, before they went down the traditional English folk road the Fairports were great interpreters of Bob Dylan. You've already done "Percy's Song" so I would suggest "I'll Keep It With Mine" from What We Did On Our Holidays.

[@rockandrollpaddy]

Hava a listen to Planxty's version of this (Little Musgrave), preferably the live version from the 2004 Vicar St Dublin concert. It's spellbinding.

[@yes_head]

Easily their best and my fave FC album. But yeah, where do you think we in the USA got all that old folk music from to begin with? 😄

[@brianparker663]

If you enjoyed the amazing interplay between RT and Swarb on this, I suggest you give a listen to ten minute epic "Sloth" from the next album "Full House" (studio version - not one of the many live ones which lack the discipline of the original).

[@mikeross14]

"Steel eye Span" "Demon Lover!"or "All around My Hat!" I Don't know who was first" Fairport Convention" or "Steel eye Span?" Maddy Pryor or Sandy Denny? Love both bands!

[@brianparker663]

Steeleye is (they're still rockin') a spin-off from Fairport, having been founded by FC bassist Ashley Hutchins.

[@donaldb1]

It would sound like a hoedown because American country music surely owes a lot to European, and particularly English, folk music.

[@michaelkeefe8494]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/enW9lYhjqNOkitUsi=1_3jnqTN9pJ2Qt0j. Don't know how you'd treat it on the channel, but Richard T's thousand years of popular music is pretty interesting....

[@MattyBurckley]

he even makes Oops! I Did it Again listenable.

[@donaldanderson6604]

Agreed. It is very funny. ​@@MattyBurckley

[@ddthor]

I saw him perform the record (with Harry Shearer’s wife, Judith Owen).

[@delorangeade]

You're right to pick out Dave Mattacks, but everything about the band is right on this one.

[@JamesDimond-l7u]

They decent but not gonna pull views

[@stuarthastie6374]

Is sealers life Toss the feathers Tam Linn Correction.....A SAailors Life

[@billythedog-309]

Murder, rape and incest - the common currency of English folk music. Nothing at all to do with anything celtic.

[@michaelcullen5308]

This is too trad folk for me. Their songs "Now Be Thankful" and "Meet on the Ledge" are much better.