Yesterday’s anniversary of the death of Sandy Denny (37 years ago. She was 31) had me indulging myself in a Sandy-Fest. Her voice has beguiled me for many of my 58 years. A song will crop up, in these days of Shuffle and Playlists, and catch me unawares. This came on the other day. It is my favourite song that she ever sang. I adore everything about it, and it is one of those songs that I wrap around myself, for comfort, and solace, and sanctuary. My wife found me gazing out of the window as it played, looking at nothing in particular, and completely unaware that she was in the room. After several attempts to rouse me by calling my name, she leaned in and kissed me, softly, on the cheek. I could have cried. She just gets me. I am so lucky.
Sandy.
by 11 Comments
Wonderfully eloquent post, Love the way that you wove the personal and the private together
Sandy’s music lives on after all those years.
I introduced my girlfriend to some good old English folk recently, none of which she’d heard before. Nick Drake and Sandy, in particular, are now amongst her favorites.
Beautiful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYm5w5w5JVQ
This too
Bloody hell. I seem to have something in my eye.
One of my three favorite female vocalists. And please never ask me to pick them in order. Her, Linda Thompson, and Emmy Lou. I have a play list with just them, and wonderful it is too.
I first came across her on Led Zep 4 back in the day and was blown away by her vocal on “The bath,e of Evermore” – in fact I still am, every time I hear it – which changed my life, leading me into all things English folk rock.
This is the one for me. Those BBC recordings are stunning.
Yes, my favourite female singer of all time, and I suppose she always will be.
I can heartily recommend the demos and rarities 4CD box set “The Notes and the Words” that came out a few years ago. It’s just as you hope it will be: exquisite.
The illustration on the front cover of the set makes Sandy look rather like Jennifer Saunders, I think.
If you put Liege and Lief, North Star Grassman etc and Fotheringay in my box ‘fore I burn, I will leave this world content.
And her most famous song, of course:
In unashamed self-promotion, here’s something some bloke wrote about same…..
http://www.covermesongs.com/2015/04/five-good-covers-who-knows-where-the-time-goes-sandy-denny.html
So glad I caught her play live, even if but the once, in her 2nd Fairport spell, the Rising For The Moon (and Fairport Live) tour, etched into my 1975 memory banks, even if Brian “Goldbelt”Maxine was the special guest!!
I’ve been listening to Sandy since the mid 70s – she has that rare quality of strength and vulnerability that I love in singers. That little catch in the voice – similar to Dusty in some respects.
This is a lovely version of possibly my favourite song