Fairport Convention - Tam Lin

Liege & Lief is the fourth album by the English rock band Fairport Convention. It is the third and final album the group released in the UK in 1969, all of which prominently feature Sandy Denny as lead female vocalist. (Denny does not appear on the group's debut album from 1968.) It is also the very first Fairport album on which all songs have either been adapted (freely) from traditional British and Celtic folk material (e.g., Matty Groves, Tam Lin), or else are original compositions (e.g., Come All Ye, Crazy Man Michael) written and performed in a similar style. By introducing songs of this genre into the group's repertoire, Denny, who had previously sung and recorded traditional folk songs as a solo artist, was instrumental in this transformation. Although Denny quit the band even before the album's release, Fairport Convention has continued to the present day to make music almost exclusively within the traditional British folk idiom, and are still one of the artists most strongly associated with it.

Tam (or Tamas) Lin (also called Tamlane, Tamlin, Tomlin, Tam Lien, Tam-a-Line, or Tam Lane) is the hero of a legendary ballad originating from the Scottish Borders. The story revolves around the rescue of Tam Lin by his true love from the Queen of the Fairies. While this ballad is specific to Scotland, the motif of capturing a person by holding him through all forms of transformation is found throughout Europe in folktales.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Fairport
• Convention
• folk-rock
• music
• British
• and
• Celtic
• folk

[essexhippy]

awesome tune and awesome vid, where did you get those pictures, I would love to have those as screen savers.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx­xx

[goturhjemrythm]

@essexhippy

Most of the paintings are by John William Waterhouse, the photographs are most found on the net, and also few of my own. The music is magical, even after so many years, but of course it's also an ancient musical tradition.

[909chuck]

MY FAVE OF ALL THE EARLY WORKS, WITH ALL THE IMAGERY OF GREAT FOLK MUSIC AND THE POWER OF THE BAND. MY MY, HOW I MISS THE TIME WHEN MUSIC HAD ROOM FOR VARIETY AND FOLKS LISTENED.

[goturhjemrythm]

@909chuck Around 1970-71 Fairport Convention performed at a festival in Denmark. We were then some friends, young Lads and Lasses, who took off on bikes. One had engine problems and we were delayed. So the closest I've been hearing Fairport Convention, live, were the last numbers they gave on stage that night as we could hear them while the ferry sailed into the harbor of the city at the festival.

[Ierke]

Thanks...one of my all-time favourites!! Sandy Denny's singing is beautiful and Richard Thompson's guitar playing is fantastic!! I could listen to this "song" ANYTIME..  Thanks again.. Ierke

[tonkehar]

Just beyond words a poem from the 14th century handed down from generations to generatios to Sandy who took this poem to a song and to another level, like magic the songs flows.

[sutemohpab]

This song and Sandy's voice brings tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat.

[toecutterr6]

/ They will turn me in your arms into a lion bold! /