Fotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock group, formed in 1970 by singer Sandy Denny on
her departure from Fairport Convention. The band drew its name from her
1968 composition "Fotheringay" about Fotheringhay Castle, in which
Mary, Queen of Scots had been imprisoned. The song originally appeared
on the 1969 Fairport Convention album, What We Did on Our Holidays,
Denny's first album with that group.
Two former members of Eclection, Trevor Lucas and Gerry Conway, and two former members of Poet and the One Man Band, Jerry Donahue and Pat Donaldson (bass), completed the line-up responsible for what was long assumed to be the quintet's only album. This folk-based set included several Denny originals, notably "Nothing More", "The Sea" and "The Pond and The Stream", as well as versions of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Way I Feel" and Bob Dylan's "Too Much of Nothing". Though, during the year of its original release, the album featured in the UK's two music papers' Top 20 (Melody Maker and NME), it did not meet commercial expectations, and pressures on Denny to undertake a solo career — she was voted Britain's number 1 singer (two years consecutively) in Melody Maker's readers poll — increased. The album peaked at No. 18 in the UK Albums Chart.
Fotheringay disbanded in January 1971, during sessions for a projected second album. Some of its songs surfaced on Denny's 1971 debut solo album, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens. Lucas, Conway and Donahue joined Fairport Convention in 1972 to record the Rosie album (on which some Fotheringay material was also used). However, Conway played on three tracks only and began session work afterwards. Both Conway and Donaldson have worked with Richard Thompson, amongst many others. Lucas and Donahue stayed with Fairport (the Nine album came out in 1973) for another couple of years, with Denny rejoining in 1974. This line-up recorded two additional albums: Fairport Live Convention (re-titled A Movable Feast in the US) and Rising for the Moon. Denny, along with Donahue and Lucas, left the band in December 1975. Conway eventually joined a reformed Fairport in 1997.
In 2007, the BBC announced that Donahue would be attempting to complete the abandoned project (which he accomplished using previously unheard takes from the original archived tapes). Permission had finally been granted and the work was completed by summer of the following year. The resulting album, titled Fotheringay 2, was released by Fledg'ling Records on 29 September 2008.
A special live performance by Fotheringay was recorded at Gruga-Halle in Essen, Germany, on 23 October 1970. The concert tapes have been re-mastered by Fotheringay guitarist Jerry Donahue, and the album was released on 2011.
A four-disc collection, Nothing More: The Collected Fotheringay, was released on March 30th 2015. This 3CD/1DVD set is the most comprehensive compilation yet of the group’s recordings, including hitherto unseen television footage, previously unreleased live recordings from a festival in Rotterdam (both from August 1970) and, for the first time, the official release of the seven existing tracks which Fotheringay recorded in session for BBC radio.
DISC ONE – “Fotheringay” - Expanded
1. Nothing More
2. The Sea
3. The Ballad of Ned Kelly
4. Winter Winds
5. Peace In The End
6. The Way I Feel
7. The Pond and The Stream
8. Too Much of Nothing
9. Banks of The Nile
10. The Sea – Demo version
11. Winter Winds – Demo version
12. The Pond and The Stream – Demo version
13. The Way I Feel – Original version
14. Banks of The Nile – Alternate take
15. Winter Winds – Alternate take
DISC TWO – “Fotheringay 2” – Expanded
1. John The Gun
2. Eppie Moray
3. Wild Mountain Thyme
4. Knights of the Road
5. Late November
6. Restless
7. Gypsy Davey
8. I Don’t Believe You
9. Silver Threads and Golden Needles
10. Bold Jack Donahue
11. Two Weeks Last Summer
12. Late November – Joe Boyd mix
13. Gypsy Davey – Joe Boyd mix
14. Two Weeks Last Summer – Joe Boyd mix
15. Silver Threads and Golden Needles - alternative 2004 version
16. Bruton Town – Rehearsal version
17. Bruton Town – 2015 version (first Time On CD)
DISC THREE – Live
1. The Way I Feel - Live in Rotterdam Previously Unreleased
2. The Sea - Live in Rotterdam
3. Too Much Of Nothing - Live in Rotterdam Previously Unreleased
4. Nothing More ( 4:55 ) - Live in Rotterdam
5. I’m Troubled - Live in Rotterdam
6. Two Weeks Last Summer - Live in Rotterdam
7. The Ballad of Ned Kelly - Live in Rotterdam
Previously Unreleased
8. Banks of The Nile - Live in Rotterdam
9. Memphis Tennessee - Live in Rotterdam
10. Interview / The Sea – BBC Top Gear
11. The Lowlands of Holland – BBC Folk On One
12. Eppie Moray – BBC Folk On One (
13. John The Gun – BBC Sounds of The 70s
14. Bold Jack Donahue – BBC Sounds of The 70s
15. Gypsy Davey – BBC Sounds of The 70s
16. Wild Mountain Thyme – BBC Sounds of The 70s
Two former members of Eclection, Trevor Lucas and Gerry Conway, and two former members of Poet and the One Man Band, Jerry Donahue and Pat Donaldson (bass), completed the line-up responsible for what was long assumed to be the quintet's only album. This folk-based set included several Denny originals, notably "Nothing More", "The Sea" and "The Pond and The Stream", as well as versions of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Way I Feel" and Bob Dylan's "Too Much of Nothing". Though, during the year of its original release, the album featured in the UK's two music papers' Top 20 (Melody Maker and NME), it did not meet commercial expectations, and pressures on Denny to undertake a solo career — she was voted Britain's number 1 singer (two years consecutively) in Melody Maker's readers poll — increased. The album peaked at No. 18 in the UK Albums Chart.
Fotheringay disbanded in January 1971, during sessions for a projected second album. Some of its songs surfaced on Denny's 1971 debut solo album, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens. Lucas, Conway and Donahue joined Fairport Convention in 1972 to record the Rosie album (on which some Fotheringay material was also used). However, Conway played on three tracks only and began session work afterwards. Both Conway and Donaldson have worked with Richard Thompson, amongst many others. Lucas and Donahue stayed with Fairport (the Nine album came out in 1973) for another couple of years, with Denny rejoining in 1974. This line-up recorded two additional albums: Fairport Live Convention (re-titled A Movable Feast in the US) and Rising for the Moon. Denny, along with Donahue and Lucas, left the band in December 1975. Conway eventually joined a reformed Fairport in 1997.
In 2007, the BBC announced that Donahue would be attempting to complete the abandoned project (which he accomplished using previously unheard takes from the original archived tapes). Permission had finally been granted and the work was completed by summer of the following year. The resulting album, titled Fotheringay 2, was released by Fledg'ling Records on 29 September 2008.
A special live performance by Fotheringay was recorded at Gruga-Halle in Essen, Germany, on 23 October 1970. The concert tapes have been re-mastered by Fotheringay guitarist Jerry Donahue, and the album was released on 2011.
A four-disc collection, Nothing More: The Collected Fotheringay, was released on March 30th 2015. This 3CD/1DVD set is the most comprehensive compilation yet of the group’s recordings, including hitherto unseen television footage, previously unreleased live recordings from a festival in Rotterdam (both from August 1970) and, for the first time, the official release of the seven existing tracks which Fotheringay recorded in session for BBC radio.
DISC ONE – “Fotheringay” - Expanded
1. Nothing More
2. The Sea
3. The Ballad of Ned Kelly
4. Winter Winds
5. Peace In The End6. The Way I Feel
7. The Pond and The Stream
8. Too Much of Nothing
9. Banks of The Nile
10. The Sea – Demo version
11. Winter Winds – Demo version
12. The Pond and The Stream – Demo version
13. The Way I Feel – Original version
14. Banks of The Nile – Alternate take
15. Winter Winds – Alternate take
DISC TWO – “Fotheringay 2” – Expanded
1. John The Gun
2. Eppie Moray
3. Wild Mountain Thyme
4. Knights of the Road
5. Late November
6. Restless
7. Gypsy Davey
8. I Don’t Believe You
9. Silver Threads and Golden Needles
10. Bold Jack Donahue
11. Two Weeks Last Summer
12. Late November – Joe Boyd mix
13. Gypsy Davey – Joe Boyd mix
14. Two Weeks Last Summer – Joe Boyd mix
15. Silver Threads and Golden Needles - alternative 2004 version
16. Bruton Town – Rehearsal version
17. Bruton Town – 2015 version (first Time On CD)
DISC THREE – Live
1. The Way I Feel - Live in Rotterdam Previously Unreleased
2. The Sea - Live in Rotterdam
3. Too Much Of Nothing - Live in Rotterdam Previously Unreleased
4. Nothing More ( 4:55 ) - Live in Rotterdam
5. I’m Troubled - Live in Rotterdam
6. Two Weeks Last Summer - Live in Rotterdam
7. The Ballad of Ned Kelly - Live in Rotterdam
Previously Unreleased
8. Banks of The Nile - Live in Rotterdam
9. Memphis Tennessee - Live in Rotterdam
10. Interview / The Sea – BBC Top Gear
11. The Lowlands of Holland – BBC Folk On One
12. Eppie Moray – BBC Folk On One (
13. John The Gun – BBC Sounds of The 70s
14. Bold Jack Donahue – BBC Sounds of The 70s
15. Gypsy Davey – BBC Sounds of The 70s
16. Wild Mountain Thyme – BBC Sounds of The 70s
