What We Did on Our Holidays

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What We Did on Our Holidays
Studio album by Fairport Convention
Released	January 1969
Recorded	June-October 1968
Genre	Rock
Length	38:07
Label	Island ILPS 9092 A&M SP-4185 (USA) Hannibal (reissue)
Producer	Joe Boyd
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (A-) link
Fairport Convention chronology
Fairport Convention (1968) What We Did on Our Holidays (1969) Unhalfbricking (1969)
Singles from "What We Did on Our Holidays"
"Meet on the Ledge" b/w "Throwaway Street Puzzle" Released: December 1968, Island Records WIP 6047 "I'll Keep It With Mine" b/w "Fotheringay" Released: 1969, USA-only

What We Did on Our Holidays is the second album release by the band Fairport Convention and was the first to feature Sandy Denny, whose "haunting, ethereal vocals gave Fairport a big boost", according to Allmusic's reviewer.^[1] The album also showed a move towards the folk rock for which they became noted, including tracks later to become perennial favourites such as "Fotheringay" and the song traditionally used to close live concerts, "Meet on the Ledge".^[2]

The album has been described by author Richie Unterberger as "a near-ideal balance between imaginative reworkings of traditional folk songs ... quality covers of contemporary folk-rock singer-songwriters, some quite obscure ... and original folk-rock material by various members".^[3] Simon Nicol has cited the album as his favourite.^[4]

The cover features a sketch of the band performing, described in the album credits as "from a blackboard assaulted by Fairport Convention"^[5] and the reverse of the original sleeve a photograph of the band performing. The Island Masters 1990 re-release IMCD 97 also features a portrait of Sandy Denny.

In the USA, the album was released by A&M Records (SP-4185), containing an identical track listing but featured new cover art, and was retitled "Fairport Convention."

Contents 1 Track listing 1.1 Side one 1.2 Side two 2 Bonus tracks on reissue 3 Personnel 3.1 Production and other credits 4 References

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Side one

1. "Fotheringay" (Sandy Denny) - 3:06
2. "Mr Lacey" (Ashley Hutchings) - 2:55
3. "Book Song" (Iain Matthews, Richard Thompson) - 3:13
4. "The Lord Is in This Place...How Dreadful Is This Place" (Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny)^[6] - 2:01
5. "No Man's Land" (Richard Thompson) - 2:32
6. "I'll Keep It With Mine" (Bob Dylan) - 5:56

[edit] Side two

1. "Eastern Rain" (Joni Mitchell) - 3:36
2. "Nottamun Town" (Trad. arr. Sandy Denny, Iain Matthews, Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Ashley Hutchings, Martin Lamble) - 3:12
3. "Tale in Hard Time" (Richard Thompson) - 3:29
4. "She Moves Through the Fair" (Trad. arr Sandy Denny, Iain Matthews, Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Ashley Hutchings, Martin Lamble) - 4:14
5. "Meet on the Ledge" (Richard Thompson) - 2:50
6. "End of a Holiday" (Simon Nicol) - 1:07

[edit] Bonus tracks on reissue

1. "Throwaway Street Puzzle" (Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson)
2. "You're Gonna Need My Help" (McKinley Morganfield)^[7]
3. "Some Sweet Day" (Felice and Boudleaux Bryant)

[edit] Personnel

• Sandy Denny (as Alexandra Elene MacLean Denny) - Vocals, Acoustic & 12-String Acoustic Guitars, Organ, Piano, Harpsichord
• Iain Matthews - Vocals, Congas
• Richard Thompson - Electric, Acoustic & 12-String Acoustic Guitars, Piano Accordion, Vocals
• Ashley Hutchings - Bass, Backing Vocals
• Simon Nicol - Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Electric Autoharp, Electric Dulcimer, Backing Vocals
• Martin Lamble - Drums, Percussion, Violin, Tabla & Footsteps

with:

• Bruce Lacey & his Robots on "Mr. Lacey"
• Claire Lowther - Cello on "Book Song"
• Kingsley Abbott - Coins on "The Lord Is In This Place...," Backing Vocals on "Meet on the Ledge"
• Paul Ghosh, Andrew Horvitch & Marc Ellington - Backing Vocals on "Meet on the Ledge"
• Peter Ross - Harmonica on "Throwaway Street Puzzle"

[edit] Production and other credits

• Recorded at Sound Techniques, London and Olympic Studio No. 1, London (except "The Lord Is In This Place..." recorded at St. Peter's Church, Westbourne Grove, West London). Further work recorded at Morgan Studios
• Engineered by John Wood, Sound Techniques, London
• Photography by Richard Bennett Zeff & Annie Brown
• Design by Diogenic Attempts Ltd.

[edit] References

• Fansite
• Allmusic.com

v • d • e Fairport Convention Maartin Allcock · Dan Ar Braz · Bob Brady · Roger Burridge · Gerry Conway · Sandy Denny · Jerry Donahue · Judy Dyble · Tom Farnell · Roger Hill · Ashley Hutchings · Martin Lamble · Chris Leslie · Trevor Lucas · Dave Mattacks · Iain Matthews · Simon Nicol · Dave Pegg · David Rea · Bruce Rowland · Ric Sanders · Dave Swarbrick · Richard Thompson · Paul Warren Discography Studio albums Fairport Convention (1968) · What We Did on Our Holidays (1969) · Unhalfbricking (1969) · Liege & Lief (1969) · Full House (1970) · Angel Delight (1971) · Babbacombe Lee (1971) · Rosie (1973)  · Nine (1973)  · Rising for the Moon (1975) · Gottle O'Geer (1976)  · The Bonny Bunch of Roses (1977) · Tipplers Tales (1978) · Gladys' Leap (1985) · Expletive Delighted (1986) · In Real Time (1987) · Heyday (1987)  · Red and Gold (1989) · The Five Seasons (1990)  · Jewel in the Crown (1995) · Old New Borrowed Blue (1996)  · Who Knows Where the Time Goes (1997)  · Cropredy 98 (1999)  · The Wood and the Wire (1999) · XXXV (2001) · Over the Next Hill (2004) · Sense of Occasion (2007) Singles "If I Had a Ribbon Bow" (1968) · "Meet on the Ledge" (1968) · "I'll Keep It With Mine" (1969) · "Si Tu Dois Partir" (1969) · "If (Stomp)" (1970) · "Now Be Thankful" (1970) Live albums Fairport Live Convention (1974) · Live at the L.A. Troubadour (1977) · Farewell Farewell (1979) · Moat on the Ledge - Live at Broughton Castle (1982) · House Full (1986) · 25th Anniversary Concert (1992) · Heyday: BBC Radio Sessions, 1968-1969 (2002) · The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood (2004) · Journeyman's Grace (2005) · Off the Desk (2006) · Live at the BBC (2007) Compilations History of Fairport Convention (1972) · Tour Sampler (1975) · The Woodworm Years (1991) · Rhythm of the Times (2003) Box sets The Cropredy Box (1998) Related Articles Fairport's Cropredy Convention (Cropredy Festival) • Jethro Tull

v • d • e Sandy Denny Solo albums It's Sandy Denny · The North Star Grassman and the Ravens · Sandy · Like an Old Fashioned Waltz · Rendezvous · Gold Dust Albums with Fairport Convention What We Did on Our Holidays · Unhalfbricking · Liege & Lief · Fairport Live Convention · Rising for the Moon · Heyday Albums with Fotheringay Fotheringay Collaborations Alex Campbell and his Friends · Sandy and Johnny · All Our Own Work · Rock On · Sandy Denny and the Strawbs Compilations Who Knows Where the Time Goes? · The BBC Sessions 1971-1973 · Live at the BBC · A Box of Treasures Guest appearances "The Battle of Evermore" (with Led Zeppelin) · Tommy (with The Who) · Galleries (with The Young Tradition) · Ragtime Cowboy Jew (with Stefan Grossman)