Tam Lin - Liege & Lief Fairport Lineup Cropredy 2007

[Jamiecal100]

What a great version of this classic Fairport convention song. Chris While's singing nails it! The rest of the band nails it too. It would be cool if they did small venues in the USA. But who among us still remembers Fairport and Sandy Denny? Wow...

[TheArbiter74]

I love Sandy Denny!!!

[Gooseberry51]

Great performace.. love this guys and Chris While is such a good singer... she really got the feel of the song like we old people:) want to hear.. she's great!

[rickinbutler]

Not as good as the original but as close as you'll get.

[daf827]

Amazing how Chris While's vocal timbre so closely resembles Sandy's. It's almost as if she's channeling Sandy! Thanks for posting. Must have been a great concert.

[bermudadog]

This is pretty sweet, these guys are freakin masters- then and now. Yes, Sandy is the greatest ever but Fairport is eternal!!!!

[elbinkogrande]

This version is okay.

But it does not have the DRIVE and URGENCY of the original. A too deliberate a rhythm.

[Decepticonx7]

Ya know, I love this song, and the Liege & Lief version in particular, but this performance sounds godawful. Maybe it's a tough song live, or maybe it's just been too long?

Apparently my mother almost named me "Tam Lin" but my dad put his foot down on the subject. That probably spared me some beatings on the playground.

[rustedrainbow]

and before hes a snake and all that crap, hes a black horse, and a brown horse and then a white horse...meh...its an alright song, but its not the ballad, its a whole other ball game. I'll shush now...but im going to check out the Reynardine one, because i know that one too.....actually that one was not HALF BAD...a lot less superfluous stuff done to that one.

[nimbusco]

You're right, Fairport was trying to play a new game when they first did this about 40 years ago (just before I was born!). They wanted to create popular music that used traditional English music as its basis. But they never claimed to be purists. Alteration is part of the game with folk music, though. Every widely distributed folk ballad was collected in multiple versions with name changes, etc.

[rustedrainbow]

I just have to say...not that you can find many othe versions recorded...but this is the crap version...shes called bloody MARGARET for a start. Where the cack did Janet come from.

My dad used to sing me to sleep with a much more, i won't say better, but dramatic, interesting, i don't know the lyrics were just far more authentic and beautiful. Obviously i'm biased. But if you take traditional folk ballads and put them to random electric instruments its not really going to be the best is it.

[OthiemAlWalid]

wow, if you want to say you prefer the child-balad one just say it, don't insult the fairport version, keep in mind that THIS might be the version some people grew up listening to and loving. have you heard the original off of Liege&Lief? its much better put together than the live version.

[ym2413a]

Margaret?

I've always heard her as Janet.

Even my music professor said her name was Janet back when studying composition.

[flmntresses]

omg...i cannot believe this. my favorite song from my youth and it seems no one knows it. i remember it taking literally an "Act of God" to get the LP back then (of which i still have, of course)....thank you thank you thank you

[MysticJourney]

I can't believe this. This is Fabulous! So many memories of Sandy Denny! I Loved Her! I was only about 16yo when I first heard her. I loved her from that day forward. Who is the woman singing here? She is very good and does a great job.

Thank you.

[grebztinmas]

YouTube's internal mail wasn't working, so here's my reply to yours: Chris While is singing. Yes it's Dave Swarbrick on violin ( and that's him and me in the picture on my page).

Merry Christmas.

[PamK36]

Does anyone know why they did not pkay "Reynardine"? (At least I can't find a clip of it on here.)

[grebztinmas]

They did. I just couldn't hold the camera over my head for the whole set. They also did Farewell, Farewell, which I also didn't get.

[Laurabirdsong]

Here here!

[balaustine]

Best ballad ever. And this is the only rendition (I've heard) that captures the spirit of the song.

[PeterOzanne]

GRRRRREAT to see this, thanks!. Is there a site where ì could chat with some of you Fairporters? There are too few people these days who take the trouble to get into the lyrics and history of trad ballads like this one, but lovers of story still abound in special places.

[ianw2112]

Try Googling Talkawhile.

A great Fairport discussion site !

[MITCHWILD]

Try googling Talkawhile.

[karpen]

I think that Chris While did a phenomenal job. I simply can't imagine anyone giving a better performance under these extraordinary circumstances..WOW !!! A great performance of a truly great recording by all.

[kelvinator3]

Bringeth back memories of yet another wonderful Cropredy! Great voice, best track on the album. See you all again Aug 2008 !

[infinitebadger]

A hugely emotional evening for everyone who has followed Fairports since the beginning. I was standing in the middle in front of the sound tower feeling like I was 18 again. An experience to treasure forever. Thanks for posting this.

[Tibspan]

Thanks for this - green with envy that I wasn't there.  This is the best track on THE best folk album ever. Bought it in '69 and still play (the CD) in the car.