Gay Woods
Encyclopedia
Gay Woods is an Irish singer. She was one of the original members of Steeleye Span
.
(b 1947). Gay's elder brothers shared Terry's love of hillbilly music and blues. Gay and Terry performed together in 1963 at Dublin's Neptune Rowing club and got married in May 1968. Performing as a duo, they sang Carter Family songs and occasionally Irish songs. Terry became a member of Sweeney's Men
, who played English and American folk music, plus their own compositions. That summer the band performed at Cambridge Folk Festival. Gay was not in the band. The following summer Gay and Terry Woods went to Keele folk festival where Terry met up with Ashley Hutchings
who was then still with Fairport Convention
. Terry and Ashley had an instant rapport.
took place in early November 1969. Johnny Moynihan
, Terry and Gay Woods, Andy Irvine
and Ashley Hutchings met at the Prince of Wales pub in Highgate
. The following day Johnny said he wouldn't be joining Steeleye because of his dislike of Terry Woods. Irvine also dropped out, deciding to tour around the Balkans
instead. To replace them Ashley then asked Bob and Carol Pegg, then the Dransfield brothers, and finally Tim Hart
and Maddy Prior
, who accepted. Ashley's departure from Fairport Convention became public in the NME
on 22 November 1969.
Gay felt very neglected at this time, because Tim and Maddy were still gigging as a duo, and she was the breadwinner after Sweeney's Men broke up in November. A friend of Terry offered the new band a house in Winterbourne Stoke
as a rehearsal place. Photographs taken that winter in the Wiltshire
village appear on some editions of the liner notes of the album "Hark! The Village Wait
". In March 1970 there was a BBC
radio session of the material, and they recorded it in April. The studio time was very fraught, with Terry and Tim almost at daggers drawn. Gay and Terry went to Nottingham
immediately after the recording, and received a phone call a week later to say that they had been replaced by Martin Carthy
. This rankled so much with Terry that he refused to appear in the grand reunion of Steeleye Span, "The Journey" in 1995.
", Ireland's version of the Incredible String Band. They gigged in Holland and Germany. The band fell apart shortly afterwards. Terry returned to Ireland to recruit Ed Deane and Pat Nash to his new project, The Woods Band. They recorded their only album in 1971. It was issued with a luxury gatefold embossed with gold Celtic designs. It sounds more like a successor to "Hark! The Village Wait" than an album by four people from Ireland. The record label, Greenwich, collapsed after the band had toured with the group Greenslade
. The album received good reviews but poor sales. Collectors have valued the original album at 70 pounds, and the 1977 reissue at 15 pounds.
Reduced to a duo, they recorded four albums 1975 - 1978 and a single. The songs are mostly their own compositions, with accompaniment on dulcimer, banjo and acoustic and electric guitars. Gay had one stillbirth, then in 1979 she had a miscarriage. It was her darkest hour. In despair she stopped wanting children and returned to being a typist. Then in 1980 Terry and Gay (on Mulligan Records) approached Garvan Gallagher and Trevor Knight (then of "Metropolis") about contributing to a new Woods Band demo. After recording theses demo tapes, Gay suddenly ceased to be passive. She broke up with Terry Woods and formed a group, Auto Da Fe
, with Trevor Knight and three Dutch musicians. Theo Wanders, Carel van Rijn and Wout Pennings. Their sound was New Romantic, similar to Marc Almond or Annie Lennox. Their singles were very much of their time and received strong airplay in Ireland, which guaranteed that their live concerts were profitable. There were eight singles, a compilation and an album "Tatitum". Phil Lynott
and Midge Ure
did some session work with them. These throwaway releases brought more money than anything she had done previously.
In 1988 Gay withdrew from music to give birth to a child by Trevor Knight.
The Woods Band
Gay and Terry Woods
Gay and Terry Woods
Auto Da Fe
Steeleye Span (With Gay Woods)
Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span are an English folk-rock band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. Along with Fairport Convention they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat"....
.
Early years
Gabriel Corcoran was born in Dublin, a neighbour of her future husband Terry WoodsTerry Woods
Terence 'Terry' Woods , is an Irish folk musician, specialising in playing the mandolin and cittern. He is known for his membership in such folk and folk-rock groups as The Pogues, Steeleye Span, Sweeney's Men, The Bucks and, briefly, Dr. Strangely Strange. Prior to being a founder member of...
(b 1947). Gay's elder brothers shared Terry's love of hillbilly music and blues. Gay and Terry performed together in 1963 at Dublin's Neptune Rowing club and got married in May 1968. Performing as a duo, they sang Carter Family songs and occasionally Irish songs. Terry became a member of Sweeney's Men
Sweeney's Men
Sweeney's Men was an Irish traditional band. They emerged from the late 1960s Irish roots revival, along with groups such as The Dubliners and the Clancy Brothers. The founding line-up in May 1966 was 'Galway Joe' Dolan, Johnny Moynihan and Andy Irvine....
, who played English and American folk music, plus their own compositions. That summer the band performed at Cambridge Folk Festival. Gay was not in the band. The following summer Gay and Terry Woods went to Keele folk festival where Terry met up with Ashley Hutchings
Ashley Hutchings
Ashley Stephen Hutchings is an English bassist, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, band leader, writer and record producer. He was a founder member of three of the most noteworthy English folk-rock bands in the history of the genre; Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Albion Band...
who was then still with Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
. Terry and Ashley had an instant rapport.
Steeleye Span, 1969-1970
The first tentative rehearsal for the new band which was to become Steeleye SpanSteeleye Span
Steeleye Span are an English folk-rock band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. Along with Fairport Convention they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat"....
took place in early November 1969. Johnny Moynihan
Johnny Moynihan
John "Johnny" Moynihan , is a folk singer based in Dublin, Ireland. He is often credited as being responsible for introducing the bouzouki and the Irish bouzouki into Irish music in the mid 1960s. Known as "The Bard of Dalymount", as a young man he played in the band Sweeney's Men with Andy Irvine,...
, Terry and Gay Woods, Andy Irvine
Andy Irvine (musician)
Andrew Kennedy 'Andy' Irvine is a folk musician, singer, and songwriter, and a founding member of the popular band Planxty. He is an accomplished player of the mandolin, bouzouki, mandola, guitar-bouzouki, harmonica and hurdy-gurdy....
and Ashley Hutchings met at the Prince of Wales pub in Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
. The following day Johnny said he wouldn't be joining Steeleye because of his dislike of Terry Woods. Irvine also dropped out, deciding to tour around the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
instead. To replace them Ashley then asked Bob and Carol Pegg, then the Dransfield brothers, and finally Tim Hart
Tim Hart
Tim Hart was an English folk singer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of electric folk band, Steeleye Span.-Early years:...
and Maddy Prior
Maddy Prior
Maddy Prior is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span.-Early life:...
, who accepted. Ashley's departure from Fairport Convention became public in the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
on 22 November 1969.
Gay felt very neglected at this time, because Tim and Maddy were still gigging as a duo, and she was the breadwinner after Sweeney's Men broke up in November. A friend of Terry offered the new band a house in Winterbourne Stoke
Winterbourne Stoke
Winterbourne Stoke is a village in Wiltshire, England, located around 5 km west of Stonehenge. It is sited on the A303 road, close to its junction with the B3083.-External links:...
as a rehearsal place. Photographs taken that winter in the Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
village appear on some editions of the liner notes of the album "Hark! The Village Wait
Hark! The Village Wait
Hark! The Village Wait was the 1970 debut album by the electric folk band Steeleye Span. The album is the only one to feature the original lineup of the band, as they broke up and reformed with a slightly altered membership immediately after its release, without having ever performed live...
". In March 1970 there was a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio session of the material, and they recorded it in April. The studio time was very fraught, with Terry and Tim almost at daggers drawn. Gay and Terry went to Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
immediately after the recording, and received a phone call a week later to say that they had been replaced by Martin Carthy
Martin Carthy
Martin Carthy MBE is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon and later artists such as Richard Thompson since he emerged as a young musician in the early days...
. This rankled so much with Terry that he refused to appear in the grand reunion of Steeleye Span, "The Journey" in 1995.
1970-1988
In the summer of 1970 Gay and Terry joined "Dr. Strangely StrangeDr. Strangely Strange
Dr. Strangely Strange were an experimental Irish folk group, formed in Dublin in 1967 by Tim Booth , vocals and guitar, and Ivan Pawle bass and keyboards.-Career:...
", Ireland's version of the Incredible String Band. They gigged in Holland and Germany. The band fell apart shortly afterwards. Terry returned to Ireland to recruit Ed Deane and Pat Nash to his new project, The Woods Band. They recorded their only album in 1971. It was issued with a luxury gatefold embossed with gold Celtic designs. It sounds more like a successor to "Hark! The Village Wait" than an album by four people from Ireland. The record label, Greenwich, collapsed after the band had toured with the group Greenslade
Greenslade
Greenslade is an English progressive rock band. It was originally formed in the autumn of 1972 with the following line-up:* Dave Greenslade - keyboards...
. The album received good reviews but poor sales. Collectors have valued the original album at 70 pounds, and the 1977 reissue at 15 pounds.
Reduced to a duo, they recorded four albums 1975 - 1978 and a single. The songs are mostly their own compositions, with accompaniment on dulcimer, banjo and acoustic and electric guitars. Gay had one stillbirth, then in 1979 she had a miscarriage. It was her darkest hour. In despair she stopped wanting children and returned to being a typist. Then in 1980 Terry and Gay (on Mulligan Records) approached Garvan Gallagher and Trevor Knight (then of "Metropolis") about contributing to a new Woods Band demo. After recording theses demo tapes, Gay suddenly ceased to be passive. She broke up with Terry Woods and formed a group, Auto Da Fe
Auto Da Fe
Auto Da Fe were an Irish new wave musical group formed in Holland in 1980 by former Steeleye Span singer Gay Woods and Trevor Knight. The band's sound incorporated keyboards and electronics. Woods stated "It was the happiest musical time I ever had so far. I learned so much. I was ridding myself...
, with Trevor Knight and three Dutch musicians. Theo Wanders, Carel van Rijn and Wout Pennings. Their sound was New Romantic, similar to Marc Almond or Annie Lennox. Their singles were very much of their time and received strong airplay in Ireland, which guaranteed that their live concerts were profitable. There were eight singles, a compilation and an album "Tatitum". Phil Lynott
Phil Lynott
Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician who first came to prominence as a founding member, principal songwriter, and frontman of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy....
and Midge Ure
Midge Ure
James "Midge" Ure, OBE is a Scottish guitarist, singer, keyboard player, and songwriter...
did some session work with them. These throwaway releases brought more money than anything she had done previously.
In 1988 Gay withdrew from music to give birth to a child by Trevor Knight.
Steeleye Span, 1995-2000
In 1994 she received an invitation to rejoin Steeleye Span. By this stage Gay was financially very savvy, and after recording three albums (plus a concert) with Steeleye she broke with them, over money. The last song she recorded with them, "I See the Blood Upon The Rose" (on Bedlam Born), is the one she is most proud of. The most recent news is that she was studying for a degree in psychology at the University of Essex.Discography
Steeleye Span- - Hark! The Village WaitHark! The Village WaitHark! The Village Wait was the 1970 debut album by the electric folk band Steeleye Span. The album is the only one to feature the original lineup of the band, as they broke up and reformed with a slightly altered membership immediately after its release, without having ever performed live...
(1970)
The Woods Band
- - The Woods Band (1971)
Gay and Terry Woods
- - Backwoods (1974)
- - The Time Is Right (1973)
- - Renowned (1976)
- - Tenderhooks (1978)
- - Gay and Terry Woods In Concert (1995)
Gay and Terry Woods
- - Lake Songs From Red Water (Compilation) (2003)
Auto Da Fe
- - Tatitum (1985)
Steeleye Span (With Gay Woods)
- - Time (1996)
- - Horkstow Grange (1998)
- - The Journey (live) (1999)
- - Bedlam Born (2000)
External links
- http://www.homestead.com/gaywoods/biography.html
- http://music.yahoo.com/ar-22356940-bio--Gay-Woods
- http://www.huxrecords.com/bio8.htm