No Roses
Encyclopedia
No Roses is an album by Shirley Collins
and the Albion Country Band
. It was recorded at Sound Techniques
, and Air Studios in London
, in the summer of 1971. It was produced by Sandy Roberton and Ashley Hutchings (Shirley Collins' husband at the time). It was released in October 1971 on the Pegasus label.
It is very unusual to have 27 musicians and singers on an album of traditional folk songs. It happened because people simply dropped in during recording sessions and were asked to join in. At the time, the most unusual sound was the hurdy-gurdy, now heard much more frequently. "The Murder of Maria Marten" is broken into segments, with a heavy-rock alternating with Shirley's voice accompanied by a simple drone. Shirley had used a similar technique on "One Night As I Lay on My Bed" on "Adieu To Old England".
Shirley Collins
Shirley Elizabeth Collins MBE is a British folksinger who was a significant contributor to the English Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s...
and the Albion Country Band
Albion Country Band
The Albion Band, also known as The Albion Country Band and The Albion Dance Band, were an English electric folk band, brought together and led by musician Ashley Hutchings...
. It was recorded at Sound Techniques
Sound Techniques (studio)
Sound Techniques was a popular London recording studio at 46a Old Church Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 founded in December 1964. The premises were originally built as a dairy. It quickly became one of the top independently-owned studios in England. In 1976 the original location in Old Church Street...
, and Air Studios in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in the summer of 1971. It was produced by Sandy Roberton and Ashley Hutchings (Shirley Collins' husband at the time). It was released in October 1971 on the Pegasus label.
It is very unusual to have 27 musicians and singers on an album of traditional folk songs. It happened because people simply dropped in during recording sessions and were asked to join in. At the time, the most unusual sound was the hurdy-gurdy, now heard much more frequently. "The Murder of Maria Marten" is broken into segments, with a heavy-rock alternating with Shirley's voice accompanied by a simple drone. Shirley had used a similar technique on "One Night As I Lay on My Bed" on "Adieu To Old England".
Personnel
- Shirley CollinsShirley CollinsShirley Elizabeth Collins MBE is a British folksinger who was a significant contributor to the English Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s...
- vocals - Ashley HutchingsAshley HutchingsAshley 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...
- electric bass guitar - Richard Thompson - electric guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar
- Maddy PriorMaddy PriorMaddy Prior is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span.-Early life:...
- vocals - Colin RossColin Ross (pipemaker)Colin Ross is an English folk musician, playing fiddle and Northumbrian smallpipes, and a noted maker of Northumbrian smallpipes, Border pipes and Scottish smallpipes, and one of the inventors of the modern Scottish smallpipes. Ross is also a fiddler, and played both Northumbrian smallpipes and...
- Northumbrian small pipes - Simon NicolSimon NicolSimon John Breckenridge Nicol is a guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He was a founder member of British folk rock, or electric folk group Fairport Convention and is the only founding member still in the band...
- electric guitar - Lal and Mike WatersonThe WatersonsThe Watersons were an English folk group from Hull, Yorkshire. They performed mainly traditional songs with little or no accompaniment. Their distinctive sound came from their closely woven harmonies.-Career:...
- vocals - Royston Wood - vocals
- Barry DransfieldBarry DransfieldBarry Dransfield is an English folk singer, fiddler, cellist and guitarist. He has appeared as a session musician on numerous albums by other artists, and has released his own albums as well. Lord of All I Behold was voted Melody Maker folk album of the year...
- fiddle - Dave Bland - concertina, hammer dulcimer
- Ian WhitemanIan WhitemanIan Whiteman is a musician, calligrapher and graphic designer from England.- Musical career :Whiteman's early musical career included the band The Action, a 1960s London-based mod and soul music-influenced pop group; he was in Mighty Baby for a while before becoming a session musician, backing...
- piano - Roger Powell - drums
- Lol CoxhillLol CoxhillLowen Coxhill, generally known as Lol Coxhill is a free improvising saxophonist and raconteur...
- alto saxophone - Alan Cave - bassoon
- Tony Hall - melodeon
- Dave MattacksDave MattacksDave Mattacks is a rock and folk drummer. Best known for his work with Fairport Convention, Mattacks has also worked both as a session musician, and as a performance artist...
- sticks, drums - Dolly CollinsDolly CollinsDorothy Ann Collins, known as Dolly Collins , was an English folk musician, arranger and composer. She was the older sister of Shirley Collins....
- piano - John Kirkpatrick - accordion
- Nic JonesNic JonesNicolas Paul "Nic" Jones is an English folk singer, fingerstyle guitarist and fiddle player whose professional career spanned the years 1964-1982. He recorded five solo albums, and was a frequent guest performer.-Biography:...
- vocals and fiddle - Tim RenwickTim RenwickTimothy John Pearson 'Tim' Renwick is an English guitarist.-Career:Renwick started playing guitar in the 1960s. He performed with many bands, including Little Women, Wages of Sin, Junior's Eyes, The Hype, Quiver and Lazy Racer...
- electric guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar - Francis Baines - hurdy-gurdy
- Alan Lumsden - ophicleide
- Steve Migden - French horn
- Trevor Crozier - jaw harp
Track listing
- Claudy Banks (Trad, from Ron and Bob Copper)
- Little Gipsy Girl (Trad)
- Banks of The Bann (Trad)
- Murder of Maria MartenRed Barn MurderThe Red Barn Murder was a notorious murder committed in Polstead, Suffolk, England, in 1827. A young woman, Maria Marten, was shot dead by her lover, William Corder. The two had arranged to meet at the Red Barn, a local landmark, before eloping to Ipswich. Maria was never heard from again...
(Trad) - Van Dieman's Land (Trad)
- Just As The Tide Was A'Flowing (Trad)
- White Hare (Trad)
- Hal-An-Tow (Trad)
- Poor Murdered Woman (Trad)