Ken Nicol (musician)

Ken Nicol
Birth name Kenneth Stephen Nicol
Born 27 May 1951 (1951-05-27) (age 60)
Preston, Lancashire, England
Genres Rock, folk, electric folk
Occupations Guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer
Instruments Guitar, ukulele, banjo
Years active 1974–present
Associated acts The Albion Band, Steeleye Span
Website www.kennicol.co.uk

Ken Nicol (born 27 May 1951) is a British guitar player, vocalist and songwriter. He was a member of The Albion Band for many years and for eight years (2002–2010) played in the electric folk band Steeleye Span.

Contents

Early years

Ken Nicol was born on 27 May 1951 in Preston, England. He received his first guitar at the age of twelve, but did not start playing seriously until the age of fifteen. At the age of seventeen Nicol began performing on the regional folk club circuits, and at the age of twenty moved to London were he lived for nine years.

Breakthrough

In 1974 Nicol formed the band Nicol & Marsh's Easy Street with his then brother-in-law Pete Marsh, and it wasn't long before they landed their first major record contract with CBS. They went on to produce four albums on the CBS and Polydor labels, the last album, titled Nicol and Marsh, being recorded in Los Angeles. Working in L.A. prompted Nicol to make his home in the USA, moving there in 1979. He performed as a solo artist, and later as lead singer and co-writer for the band Versailles.

Nicol's career floundered during what turned out to be a turbulent and unsettling period in America. As a result of this he decided to return to England in 1988, and went back to work on the club circuit as a solo performer releasing the albums Tidings (1990), Living in a Spanish Town (1993) and 2 Frets From the Blues (1995).

Later years

In the 1990s Nicol became a member of The Ashley Hutchings Dance Band. He later joined The Albion Band as lead guitarist and singer, writing much of the band's material himself though also co-writing with Ashley Hutchings. The Albion Band produced four albums during Nicol's time in the band: Happy Accident, Before Us Stands Yesterday, The Christmas Album and Road Movies.

In December 2002 Nicol successfully joined forces with the legendary folk-rock band Steeleye Span on their "UK Reunion Tour". In 2004 Steeleye Span released two albums: They Called Her Babylon and Winter. This was also the year of Steeleye Span's 35th Anniversary World Tour which took the band to Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, and to theatres and festivals throughout the UK. In 2006 they released the album Bloody Men and in October 2009 the album Cogs, Wheels and Lovers.

In June 2010 he announced that he was leaving Steeleye Span.

Nicol also continues to write, tour and record as a solo artist, releasing the album Thirteen Reasons in 2005 and Initial Variations in 2008. He also regularly appears in duos with comedian/musician Phil Cool and with Albion Band/Steeleye Span founder Ashley Hutchings.

In November and December 2010 he is to perform as "special guest guitarist" with Lancashire folk group The Houghton Weavers.

Nicol also co-hosts a folk and roots music podcast called "FolkCast".

Discography

Nicol & Marsh's Easy Street

Ken Nicol solo

Ken Nicol and John St Ryan

Ken Nicol and Chris While

Steeleye Span

Ken Nicol & Phil Cool

Ken Nicol & Ashley Hutchings

Session recordings

External links

Steeleye Span
Maddy Prior • Peter Knight • Rick Kemp • Liam Genockey • Pete Zorn
Ken Nicol • Tim Hart • Bob Johnson • Nigel Pegrum • Ashley Hutchings • Martin Carthy • Tim Harries • Terry Woods • Gay Woods • John Kirkpatrick • Chris Staines • Terl Bryant • Michael Gregory • Mark Williamson
Studio albums
Hark! The Village Wait (1970) • Please to See the King (1971) • Ten Man Mop, or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides Again (1971) • Below the Salt (1972) • Parcel of Rogues (1973) • Now We Are Six (1974) • Commoner's Crown (1975) • All Around My Hat (1975) • Rocket Cottage (1976) • Storm Force Ten (1977) • Sails of Silver (1980) • Back in Line (1986) • Tempted and Tried (1989) • Time (1996) • Horkstow Grange (1998) • Bedlam Born (2000) • Present--The Very Best of Steeleye Span (2002) • They Called Her Babylon (2004) • Winter (2004) • Bloody Men (2006) • Cogs, Wheels & Lovers (2009)
Live albums
Live at Last (1978) • Tonight's the Night...Live (1992) • The Collection: Steeleye Span in Concert (1994) • The Journey (1999) • Folk Rock Pioneers in Concert (2006)  • Live at a Distance (2009)
Singles
"Rave On/ Reels/ Female Drummer" (1971) • "Jigs and Reels" (1972) • "John Barleycorn / Bride's Favourite/Tansey's Fancy" (1972) • "Gaudete / The Holly and The Ivy" (1972) • "The Mooncoin Jig" (1974) • "New York Girls/ Two Magicians" (1975) • "All Around My Hat/ Black Jack Davy" (1975) • "Rave On/ False Knight On The Road" (1976) • "Hard Times of England/ Cadgwith Anthem" (1976) • "London/ Sligo Maid" (1976) • "Fighting For Strangers/ The Mooncoin Jig" (1976) • "The Boar's Head Carol/ Gaudete / Some Rival" (1977) • "Rag Doll/ Saucy Sailor" (1978) • "Sails of Silver/ Senior Service" (1980) • "Gone To America/ Let Her Go Down" (1981) • "Somewhere In London/ Lanercost" (1985) • "Padstow / First House in Connaught/ Sailor's Bonnet" (1989) • "Following Me/ Two Butchers" (1989) • "The Fox/ Jack Hall" (1990)  • "Lord Elgin/Lord Elgin (live)" (2006)
DVDs
Classic Rock Legends (2002) • A Twentieth Anniversary Celebration (2003) • The 35th Anniversary World Tour 2004 (2005)
Related articles
Book:Steeleye Span · Category:Steeleye Span · Portal:Music
Albion Band
Studio albums
  • Shirley Collins and The Albion Country Band: No Roses (1971)
  • The Albion Country Band: Battle of the Field (1976)
  • The Albion Dance Band: The Prospect Before Us (1977)
  • The Albion Band: Rise Up Like the Sun (1978)
  • Keith Dewhurst & The Albion Band: Lark Rise to Candleford (1980)
  • The Albion Band: Light Shining (1983)
  • Shuffle Off (1983)
  • Under The Rose (1984)
  • A Christmas Present from the Albion Band (1985)
  • Stella Maris (1987)
  • The Albion Band with Chris Baines: The Wild Side of Town (1987)
  • I Got New Shoes (1988)
  • Give Me a Saddle, I'll Trade You a Car (1989)
  • The Best of 1989/90 (1990)
  • Songs from the Shows, v. 1 (1990)
  • Songs from the Shows, v. 2 (1991)
  • Acousticity (1993)
  • Captured (1995)
  • Albion Heart (1995)
  • Demi Paradise (1996)
  • Songs From The Shows (1997)
  • Happy Accident (1998)
  • BBC Sessions (1998)
  • Before Us Stands Yesterday (1999)
  • Christmas Album (1999)
  • Road Movies (2001)
Singles
  • Hopping Down in Kent / Merry Sherwood Rangers (1976)
  • The Postman's Knock / La Sexte Estampie Real (1977)
  • Poor Old Horse / Ragged Heroes (1978)
  • Pain and Paradise / Lay Me Low (1979)
  • Wings (1998)
Live albums
  • The Albion Band Live in Concert (1993)
  • Live at the Cambridge Folk Festival (1998)
  • An Evening with The Albion Band (2002)
  • Acousticity on Tour (2004)
  • Albion Heart on Tour (2004)

The Albion Band Live in Concert (2007)

Vintage Albion Band (2007)
Compilations
  • The Acoustic Years 1993-97 (1997)
  • Along the Pilgrims Way (1998)
  • The Best of 89/90 (1998)
  • Albion Heart (1999)
  • The HTD Years (2000)
  • No Surrender (2003)
  • Albion Sunrise - HTD Recordings: 1994-1999 (2004)
Related articles