Fotheringay -

Fotheringay was an English folk-rock band that released a self-titled album on Island in 1970. The following year, thet recorded a second album that was ultimately issued by archivists Fledg’ling in 2008. The band featured ex-Fairport Convention vocalist Sandy Denny immediately prior to the launch of her solo career.

Members: Sandy Denny (vocals), Trevor Lucas (guitar), Gerry Conway (drums), Jerry Donahue (guitar), Pat Donaldson (bass)

Formation

Sandy Denny formed Fotheringay after a one-year stint with Fairport Convention. She enlisted two recent members of Eclection (guitarist Trevor Lucas and drummer Gerry Conway) and two members of Poet and the One Man Band (guitarist Jerry Donahue and bassist Pat Donaldson).

Lucas migrated to England from Australia and made the 1964–65 folk albums See That My Grave Is Kept Clean and Overlander. In London, he formed Eclection: a multi-national folk-rock band with Englishman Conway and members from Norway (guitarist Georg Hultgreen), Canada (guitarist–trumpeter Michael Rosen), and a fellow Australian, singer Kerrilee Male. They recorded one self-titled album in 1968 on Elektra.

Donahue started in the duo Dek & Jerry with co-writer Dek Messecar. Their one single, “What’s The Matter With Me” (b/w “Don’t Waste Your Time”), appeared in 1966 on Philips. He linked with Donaldson (recently of Dantalian’s Chariot) in Poet and the One Man Band, a folk-rock vehicle for songwriters Tony Colton and Ray Smith. They made one self-titled album on Verve Forecast and cut a vaulted second, then morphed (without Donahue and Donaldson) into Heads Hands & Feet.

Denny first recorded for Saga Records with singers Alex Campbell and Johnny Silvo. In 1968, she cut an album with a formative lineup of Strawbs (unreleased until 1973) and joined Fairport Convention after their original female vocalist, Judy Dyble, joined a post-album Giles Giles & Fripp (and ultimately formed Trader Horne). In her year with Fairport, she fronted their second-through-fourth albums: What We Did on Our Holidays, Unhalfbricking, and Liege & Lief — all released in 1969.

She named her new band after the song “Fotheringay,” her songwriting contribution to What We Did on Our Holidays. The song itself concerns Fotheringhay Castle, a Medieval Norman Motte-and-bailey castle in Fotheringhay village in Northamptonshire. Built around 1100 AD, Fotheringhay was the birthplace of King Richard III (1452–1485) and the imprisonment and execution site of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587). Fotheringhay was dismantled in the 1630s.

Fotheringay

Fotheringay released their self-titled debut album on June 19, 1970, on Island (UK) and A&M (US).

The album blends modal folk balladry with sparse electric arrangements, framed by acoustic textures and underscored by a rhythm section with restrained pulse. Sandy Denny alternates between guitar and piano while leading with expressive vocal phrasing. Guitarist Jerry Donahue adds subtle lead lines that complement Trevor Lucas’s rhythm figures. Bassist Pat Donaldson and drummer Gerry Conway support the arrangements with understated phrasing that favors warmth over urgency.

Sandy Denny wrote five songs, including one co-written with Lucas. Lucas contributed one original and sang lead on “The Ballad of Ned Kelly.” The album includes covers by Bob Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot, and a traditional ballad arranged by the band.

A1. “Nothing More” (4:37) — Sandy Denny
A2. “The Sea” (5:32) — Denny
A3. “The Ballad of Ned Kelly” (3:34) — Trevor Lucas
A4. “Winter Winds” (2:13) — Denny
A5. “Peace in the End” (4:02) — Denny, Lucas

B1. “The Way I Feel” (4:46) — Gordon Lightfoot
B2. “The Pond and the Stream” (3:20) — Denny
B3. “Too Much of Nothing” (3:55) — Bob Dylan
B4. “Banks of the Nile” (8:04) — Traditional; arranged by Fotheringay

Sessions took place from February to April 1970 at Sound Techniques, London. Joe Boyd produced the album for Witchseason Productions. Jerry Boys handled engineering, assisted by Todd Lloyd. The process prioritized live ensemble tracking and natural room acoustics, particularly for Denny’s vocals, recorded through a Neumann U47 into an LA-2A compressor with minimal post-processing.

Fotheringay appeared in a gatefold sleeve with medieval-themed illustrations by Marion Appleton and photography by Tony Evans.

Essen 1970

On October 23, 1970, Fotheringay performed at the Grugahalle in Essen, West Germany. Four decades later, the archival label Thors Hammer issued the band’s set as Essen 1970.

The set captures the band in their final touring months, presenting live renditions of material from their debut, early takes of songs later issued on Fotheringay 2, and two otherwise undocumented covers. Performances favor subtle ensemble balance, with Sandy Denny alternating between twelve-string guitar and piano, and Trevor Lucas supplying acoustic rhythm and lead vocals on select numbers. Jerry Donahue’s electric lines cut cleanly through the live mix, supported by Pat Donaldson’s bass and Gerry Conway’s precise, understated drumming.

The set includes three Denny originals, two traditional songs arranged by the band, and covers by Bob Dylan and Chuck Berry. “John the Gun” appears in early form, prior to its 1971 studio recording. “Memphis, Tennessee” closes the set in brisk roots-rock form.

A1. “Eppie Moray” (5:03) — Traditional; arranged by Fotheringay
A2. “The Sea” (6:10) — Sandy Denny
A3. “The Ballad of Ned Kelly” (3:37) — Trevor Lucas
A4. “Gypsy Davey” (3:59) — Traditional; arranged by Fotheringay
A5. “Too Much of Nothing” (3:47) — Bob Dylan

B1. “Nothing More” (4:59) — Denny
B2. “The Way I Feel” (5:11) — Gordon Lightfoot
B3. “John the Gun” (5:47) — Denny
B4. “Memphis, Tennessee” (4:13) — Chuck Berry

The concert was recorded by Dave Aston and John Cremer on-site at Grugahalle. Jerry Donahue produced the 2011 release and handled post-production with engineers at Iris of Hollywood Studios (Los Angeles), Three Rivers Studio (West Bradford), and Bob Tucker Studios (West Hollywood). Transfers, remixing, and mastering occurred across all three locations.

Sandy Denny plays twelve-string guitar and piano. Trevor Lucas plays acoustic guitar and sings. Jerry Donahue plays electric guitar and sings. Pat Donaldson plays bass and sings; Gerry Conway plays drums and sings. The cover and artwork were designed by Astrid Grolla with photography by Linda Fitzgerald Moore and assistance from Andrew Batt.

2

Fotheringay recorded their second album in late 1970, completed and released posthumously in September 2008 on Fledg’ling Records (CD) and Stamford Audio (LP).

The album captures material prepared for a follow-up to their 1970 debut but shelved after Sandy Denny’s decision to pursue a solo career. Basic tracks, laid down by the original five-piece, combine original folk-rock numbers with traditional ballads and select covers, including songs later revisited on Fairport and Denny solo releases. Guitarist Jerry Donahue restored the multi-track tapes in 2007 and oversaw final production.

Denny contributed three originals and sang lead throughout. Lucas co-wrote two tracks with lyricist Pete Roach. The album includes songs by Dylan, Cousins, McPeake, and traditional sources arranged by the band.

A1. “John the Gun” (5:07) — Sandy Denny
A2. “Eppie Moray” (4:45) — Traditional; arranged by Fotheringay
A3. “Wild Mountain Thyme” (3:51) — Francis McPeake
A4. “Knights of the Road” (4:10) — Trevor Lucas, Pete Roach
A5. “Late November” (4:40) — Denny
A6. “Restless” (2:48) — Lucas, Roach

B1. “Gypsy Davey” (3:42) — Traditional; arranged by Fotheringay
B2. “I Don’t Believe You” (4:45) — Bob Dylan
B3. “Silver Threads and Golden Needles” (4:30) — Jack Rhodes, Dick Reynolds
B4. “Bold Jack Donahue” (7:38) — Traditional; arranged by Fotheringay
B5. “Two Weeks Last Summer” (3:51) — Dave Cousins

Initial sessions occurred in 1970 at Sound Techniques, London, with engineers John Wood and Jerry Boys. Jerry Donahue produced the completed album, which was finalized in 2007–08 using original tapes and additional studio work at Acoustic Wood (Clitheroe), Adalt (Lippstadt), Oxygen Recording (Montecito), Sonara Recorders (Atwater Village), and Iris of Hollywood (California). Additional engineering by Scott Whitley, Henno Althoff, Justin Fox, Richard Barron, and Donahue.

Sandy Denny plays guitar, piano, and harmonium. Trevor Lucas and Jerry Donahue play guitar and sing. Pat Donaldson plays bass and sings; Gerry Conway plays drums and percussion. Guests include John “Rabbit” Bundrick (organ), Sam Donahue (saxophone), and Wendy Righart Van Gelder (backing vocals).

Background

Fotheringay disbanded in January 1971. Sandy Denny released her debut solo album, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens, that September on Island with backing by Gerry Conway. Trevor Lucas produced her 1972 self-titled second album.

Meanwhile, Lucas and Jerry Donahue joined Fairport Convention, where they replaced co-founder Simon Nicol. They played on the 1973 albums Rosie (which features Conway on three tracks) and Nine. In 1974, Denny rejoined Fairport for an international tour that produced the multi-concert document Fairport Live Convention. With Fairport’s Dave Pegg and Dave Mattacks, they made the 1975 studio album Rising for the Moon, which some fans credit to “Fotheringay Convention” due to the presence of three Fotheringay members but no original Fairport members.

In 1975, Lucas and Denny (by now a married couple) left Fairport to work on her 1977 fourth solo album Rendezvous. Sandy Denny died on April 21, 1978, from a brain hemorrhage incurred from a fall down her home stairway.

Discography: