Dave Swarbrick
Dave Swarbrick | |
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![]() Swarbrick performing in 1977 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | David Cyril Eric Swarbrick |
Also known as | Swarb |
Born | Stoneleigh, Surrey, England | 5 April 1941
Died | 3 June 2016 (aged 75) Aberystwyth, Wales |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) | |
Years active | 1960s – 2016 |
Labels |
David Cyril Eric Swarbrick (5 April 1941 – 3 June 2016) was an English folk musician and singer-songwriter. He was one of the most highly regarded musicians produced by the second British folk revival, contributing to some of the most important groups and projects of the 1960s, and he became a much sought-after session musician, which led him throughout his career to work with many of the major figures in folk and folk rock music.[1]
A member of
He also played in a series of smaller, acoustic units and engaged in solo projects. He maintained a massive output of recordings and a significant profile and made a major contribution to the interpretation of traditional British music.
History
Early career to 1968
Born on 5 April 1941 in Stoneleigh, Surrey, his family moved to Linton, near Grassington, North Yorkshire, where he learned to play the violin.[3] In the late 1940s the family moved to Birmingham, where he attended Birmingham College of Art (now absorbed into the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design at Birmingham City University) in the late 1950s, with the intention of becoming a printer.[4] After winning a talent contest with his skiffle band, playing guitar, he was introduced to Beryl and Roger Marriott, influential local folk musicians. The Marriotts took him under their wing and Beryl, discovering that he had played the violin classically up until the skiffle craze, actively encouraged him to switch back to the fiddle and he joined the Beryl Marriott Ceilidh Band.[3]
He joined the Ian Campbell Folk Group in 1960 and embarked on his recording career, playing on one single, three EPs and seven albums with the group over the next few years.[5] He contributed significantly to the BBC Radio Ballads series on recordings with the three most important figures in the British folk movement of the time A. L. Lloyd, Ewan MacColl, and MacColl's wife Peggy Seeger, as well as part of several collections to which the Ian Campbell Group contributed.[6]
From 1965 he began to work with
In 1967, Swarbrick released his first solo album Rags, Reels and Airs (Topic), with guests Martin Carthy and Diz Disley, which has since become a benchmark for generations of folk fiddlers.[citation needed]
Session work and Fairport Convention in 1969–79
In 1969, Swarbrick was working as a session musician. During recording sessions for the Unhalfbricking album, Fairport Convention's manager, Joe Boyd, hired Swarbrick to play some overdubs on the Richard Thompson-penned track "Cajun Woman".[5] Fairport had decided to play a traditional song "A Sailor's Life", which Swarbrick had previously recorded with Carthy in 1969, and he was asked to contribute violin to the session. The result was an eleven-minute mini-epic that appeared on the 1969 album Unhalfbricking and which marked out a new direction for the band.[7]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Dave_Swarbrick_%28Fairport_Convention%29_-_TopPop_1972.png/220px-Dave_Swarbrick_%28Fairport_Convention%29_-_TopPop_1972.png)
Subsequently, Swarbrick was asked to join the group and was the first fiddler on the folk scene to electrify the violin. Martin Carthy later recalled that Swarbrick had been indecisive about joining, telling Carthy: "I just played with this guy Richard [Thompson] and I want to play with him for the rest of my life."[8] Together, now with Swarbrick co-writing with Richard Thompson "Crazy Man Michael", they created the groundbreaking album Liege & Lief (1969). His energetic and unique fiddle style was essential to the new sound and direction of the band, most marked on the medley of four jigs and reels that Swarbrick arranged for the album and which were to become an essential part of almost every subsequent Fairport performance.[6] Before the album was released, key members of the band, founder Ashley Hutchings and singer, guitarist and songwriter Sandy Denny left, and Swarbrick stayed on with the band full-time, excited by the possibilities of performing traditional music in a rock context.[7] His greater maturity, knowledge of folk song, reputation and personality meant that he soon emerged as the leading force in the band and continued to be so for the next decade, encouraging the band to bring in Dave Pegg, another graduate of the Ian Campbell Folk Group, on bass.[9] However, Swarbrick was already beginning to suffer the hearing problems that would dog the rest of his career.[10]
The first album of this new line-up, Full House (1970), although not as commercially successful as Liege & Lief, sold relatively well, and remains highly regarded. Like Liege & Lief it contained interpretations of traditional tunes, including the epic "Sir Patrick Spens" and another instrumental arranged by Swarbrick, "Dirty Linen", but also contained songs jointly penned by Swarbrick and guitarist Richard Thompson, including what would become their opening live song "Walk Awhile", and the nine-minute long anti-war anthem "Sloth".[11] The partnership produced another three songs on Full House. However, the fruitful collaboration was ended when Thompson departed the band soon after.[12] The song "Sloth" has since been covered by other artists such as Plainsong and Nikki Sudden. After Swarbrick's death 2016, in poet Ian McMillan recalled how "his playing on Fairport Convention's "Sloth" broke my heart every time".[13]
As ex-Fairport Convention members embarked on their own careers, Swarbrick was often called upon to provide musical support, as he did for albums by Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson. He also played on some of the most significant folk albums of the era, including work by John Renbourn, Al Stewart and Peter Bellamy. In the second half of the 1970s, he began to release a series of solo albums.[14]
Without Thompson, Swarbrick shouldered even more responsibility for leadership, writing and singing and the result was a folk-rock opera album
The next album Rosie is chiefly notable for the title track, written by Swarbrick, which is perhaps the song most closely associated with him, but overall it was not a critical success.[17] The following release, Nine (1974), relied heavily on the writing partnership between Swarbrick and new member Trevor Lucas, but it perhaps lacked the vitality of previous collaborations. The fortunes of the band rallied when Sandy Denny rejoined in 1974 and on the resulting album Rising for the Moon Swarbrick took more of a backseat in writing and singing.[18]
After Denny's final departure from the band, Swarbrick managed to steer it through three more studio albums, turning a solo project into a Fairport album Gottle O'Geer (1976) and two albums for Vertigo; The Bonny Bunch of Roses (1977) and Tipplers Tales (1978), which sold poorly, but have since been seen as containing some of Swarbrick's best fiddle work.[19] However, all this was done amid financial and contractual difficulties and Swarbrick's hearing problems were becoming severe and were aggravated by amplified performances. In 1979 the band played a farewell concert in Cropredy, Oxfordshire, then disbanded.[20]
Return to the folk circuit from 1980
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Apart from occasional reunions, particularly at the
By the time of the Fairport reformation Swarbrick was already occupied with his next project as part of a quartet under the name
There he formed a new partnership with guitarist and singer-songwriter
For many years Swarbrick suffered steadily worsening health due to years of heavy smoking resulting in emphysema. There was considerable embarrassment for The Daily Telegraph newspaper when in April 1999 it published a premature obituary for Swarbrick after he was admitted to hospital with a chest infection.[24][25][26] He commented, "It's not the first time I've died in Coventry."[27]
Dave and Christine Pegg launched SwarbAid, including a fund-raising concert at
Later work
In 2006 Swarbrick resumed touring again with ex-Fairporter
Swarbrick's much lauded solo album Raison d'être (Shirty Records) was released in July 2010.[citation needed]
In 2014 Swarbrick released a full-length album with the Canadian musician Jason Wilson entitled Lion Rampant. The critically acclaimed album included special guests Martin Carthy, Peggy Seeger, Pee Wee Ellis and John Kirkpatrick.[31][when?]. Working with the Jason Wilson Band, brought Swarbrick back playing with a significant big group again, contributing to gigs playing around Canada and the UK. British Folk music critic Ken Hunt described the album: "Head and shoulders, the most eclectic, catholic and coherent musical banquet of 2014 thus far." Their final studio album together; Kailyard Tales, was released on 12 January 2018.[32]
In April and May 2014, Swarbrick completed a 17-venue tour of the UK, supported by folk trio Said the Maiden at his personal request.[33] The tour, organised by Helen Meisner of the Folkstock Foundation, of which Swarbrick was the patron, also featured at each venue young, up-coming folk artists, several of them from the Folkstock stable.[34]
The Autumn of 2015, saw the final UK tour for Swarbrick and Carthy.
Swarbrick died on 3 June 2016, in hospital in Aberystwyth from pneumonia;[35][36][37]
Personal life
Swarbrick was married several times. He had three children, Emily, Alexander and Isobel, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.[38][39] His last marriage was to the painter Jill Swarbrick-Banks.[39] They met in 1998 and married at Coventry Register Office the following year.[40] They lived together in Coventry and mid-Wales until his death in June 2016.[36]
Awards
In 2003, he was awarded a 'Gold Badge' by the English Folk Dance and Song Society and the 'Gold Badge of Merit' by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters. In 2004 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. At the 2006 Folk Awards he shared with current and past Fairport Convention members when they received an award when their seminal album Liege & Lief was voted 'Most Influential Folk Album of All Time' by Radio 2 listeners. At the 2007 awards Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick won the 'Best Duo' Award.[41] At the 2012 Fatea Awards, Swarbrick was awarded The Life Time Achievement Award.[42]
Discography
Taking account of his early work with the Ian Campbell Folk Group, as well as with Ewan MacColl, A. L. Lloyd and Peggy Seeger, and including his work as a guest musician on the albums of many artists, Swarbrick can be credited with over 167 album appearances.
With Fairport Convention
- Unhalfbricking (Island, 1969)
- Liege & Lief (Island, 1969)
- Full House (Island, 1970)
- Angel Delight (Island, 1971)
- "Babbacombe" Lee (Island, 1971)
- Rosie (Island, 1973)
- Nine (A&M, 1973)
- Rising for the Moon (Island, 1975)
- Gottle O'Geer (Island, 1976)
- The Bonny Bunch of Roses (Vertigo, 1977)
- Tipplers Tales (Vertigo, 1978)
With Martin Carthy
- Martin Carthy (Fontana Records, 1965)
- Second Album (Fontana Records, 1966)
- No Songs (EP) (Fontana Records, 1967)
- Rags, Reels and Airs (with Diz Dizley) (Topic, 1967)
- Byker Hill (Fontana, 1967)
- But Two Came By (Fontana, 1968)
- Prince Heathen (Fontana, 1969)
- Selections (collection) (Pegasus, 1971)
- Life And Limb (Special Delivery, 1990)
- Skin And Bone (Special Delivery, 1992)
- Both Ears and the Tail: Live at the Folkus Folk Club, Nottingham, 1966 (Atrax, 2000)
- Straws In The Wind (Topic, 2006)
- Walnut Creek (Shirty, 2014)
Solo albums
- Swarbrick (Transatlantic, 1976)
- Swarbrick 2 (Transatlantic, 1977)
- Lift The Lid and Listen (Sonet, 1978)
- The Ceilidh Album (Sonet, 1978)
- Smiddyburn (Logo, 1981)
- Flittin' (Spindrift, 1983)
- When the Battle is Over [compilation from: Swarbrick (1976); Swarbrick 2 (1977); Smiddyburn (1981)] (Conifer, 1986)
- Live at Jackson's Lane (Musikfolk, 1996)
- Dave Swarbrick, Swarb! (Free Reed, 2002)
- English Fiddler: Swarbrick plays Swarbrick (Naxos World, 2003)
- Lion Rampant (with Jason Wilson) (Wheel/Proper, 2014)
- Raison d'être (Shirty, 2010)
- Kailyard Tales (with Jason Wilson) (Wheel/Proper, 2018)
References
- ^ Eric Alper. "Musician Dave Swarbrick Of Fairport Convention Dies at 75". Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ Fairport Convention, The Cropredy Box (Woodworm, WR3CD026, 1998) disk 2.
- ^ a b c David Schofield (3 June 2016). "Dave Swarbrick obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ISBN 9780711969735.
- ^ a b c d Patrick Humphries (1997). Meet on the Ledge: Fairport Convention: the Classic Years. Virgin. p. 34.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-515878-6.
- ^ a b Patrick Humphries (1997). Meet on the Ledge: Fairport Convention: the Classic Years. Virgin. pp. 28–29, 38–39.
- ^ "Dave Swarbrick has died at 75". Folkradio.co.uk. 3 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ Patrick Humphries (1997). Meet on the Ledge: Fairport Convention: the Classic Years. Virgin. pp. 66, 74.
- ^ Patrick Humphries (1997). Meet on the Ledge: Fairport Convention: the Classic Years. Virgin. p. 35.
- ^ Patrick Humphries (1997). Meet on the Ledge: Fairport Convention: the Classic Years. Virgin. pp. 74–76.
- ISBN 978-0-19-515878-6.
- ^ "Fairport Convention's Swarbrick dies". Bbc.co.uk. 3 June 2016.
- ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ^ Patrick Humphries (1997). Meet on the Ledge: Fairport Convention: the Classic Years. Virgin. pp. 91–93.
- ^ P. Frame, Rock Family Trees (Omnibus, 3rd edn., 1993), p. 15.
- ^ Patrick Humphries (1997). Meet on the Ledge: Fairport Convention: the Classic Years. Virgin. pp. 97–99.
- ISBN 978-0-19-515878-6.
- ISBN 978-0-19-515878-6.
- ISBN 0-9525860-0-2.
- ISBN 0-9525860-0-2.
- ISBN 0-9525860-0-2.
- ISBN 0-9525860-0-2.
- ISBN 978-0-19-515878-6.
- ^ "Paper kills off musician by mistake". BBC News. 20 April 1999. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ Andrew McKie (30 August 2001). "The day I managed to 'kill off' Tex Ritter's wife". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ a b "'It's not the first time I've died'". 'The Guardian. 5 June 2004. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
- ^ "'Dave Swarbrick', official website". Retrieved 6 February 2009.
- ^ "ENTERTAINMENT | Paper kills off musician by mistake". BBC News. 20 April 1999. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ McGrath, T. J. "Liege & Lief: The Best British Folk-Rock Album of All?'". Dirty Linen. Archived from the original on 23 May 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
- ^ Colin Irwin, 'Rebel Music: Dave Swarbrick, Jason Wilson and David Francey’, Penguin Eggs, (Summer 2009), pp. 22–24; Jason Wilson, Official Website, retrieved on 2/11/09
- ^ "Wilson & Swarbrick: Kailyard Tales". Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ Madeleine Burton. "Dave Swarbrick and Said the Maiden at Harpenden Public Halls". hertsad.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "Folkstock: Dave Swarbrick and Peggy Seeger". Folkstock. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "Fairport Convention's Dave Swarbrick dies aged 75". BBC News. 3 June 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ a b Imogen Tilden. "Fairport Convention's Dave Swarbrick dies at 75". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ Stephen Addison (3 June 2016). "Fairport Convention fiddler Dave Swarbrick dies aged 75". Reuters. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ Derek Schofield (3 June 2016). "Dave Swarbrick obituary". Theguardian.com.
- ^ a b "Dave Swarbrick, musician – obituary". Telegraph.co.uk. 3 June 2016.
- ^ "Bio". Jill Swarbrick-Banks. 2015. Archived from the original on 31 October 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ "BBC 2 Folk Awards, previous winners". BBC Radio 2. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "Fatea Awards Winners & Shortlists 2012". Fatea-records.co.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
- ^ "Dave Swarbrick discography". Discogs. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- Sources
- Humphries, P. (1997). Meet on the Ledge: Fairport Convention, the Classic Years (2nd ed.). Virgin.
- Sweers, B. (2005). Electric Folk: The Changing Face of English Traditional Music. Oxford University Press.
- Redwood, Fred; Woodward, Martin (1995). The Woodworm Era: The story of today's Fairport Convention. Thatcham: Jeneva Publishing. ISBN 0-9525860-0-2.
External links
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