R4ELEASED 7.11.2011
Sandy Denny was the seminal English singer/songwriter, the first UK female singer/songwriter to secure a major record deal when she signed for Island in 1970. Prior to this she was a member of Fairport Convention, with whom she cut some of that band's most iconic songs. Denny recorded four hugely acclaimed albums for Island, found time for many innovative side-projects and duetted with Robert Plant on Led Zeppelin's legendary fourth album, all before her tragically early death in 1978. Years after Sandy’s passing, Thea Gilmore has blazed a fiercely independent trail since starting her recording career, which has seen her gather fans such as Bruce Springsteen and Joan Baez. The story behind "Don’t Stop Singing" spans almost 33 years and 3 continents... After Sandy Denny's death, all of her belongings were shipped to Australia when husband Trevor Lucas moved back. It was in late 2007 that the writer and designer Phil Smee was commissioned to prepare the artwork for a commemorative box set of Sandy's BBC recordings. A major Denny fan himself, for this task he was given access to many of Sandy's remaining notebooks and general paperwork. Although by no means the first person to be granted this, but he was the first to notice what appeared to be lyrics for several more songs amongst the manuscripts. Further investigation between Smee, Island records and the guardians of Sandy's estate subsequently unearthed up to twenty sets of lyrics from the manuscripts. Thea Gilmore was soon identified as the artiste with the talent, integrity and the musical and personal empathy to bring these works to fruition. Her melodic abilities and, in particular, her quintessentially English crystalline voice have on occasions been compared to Sandy... The words themselves bear the trademark qualities that Sandy carried throughout her career. At times they are troubled - Sandy's restless nature and battling of her personal demons is well documented - but always honest, economical in style, never self pitying. "Don’t Stop Singing" is a work of the rarest beauty.
Disc 1 Glistening Bay Don't Stop Me Singing Frozen Time Goodnight London Pain in My Heart Sailor Long Time Gone Song No. 4 Georgia