Storm Force Ten / Live At Last

MADDY PRIOR - TIM HART - RICK KEMP - MARTIN CARTHY - JOHN KIRKPATRICK - NIGEL PEGRUM

Storm Force 10
1977
Recorded at Phonogram Studios, Hilversum, Holland. Sept 1977
Producers - Steeleye Span and Mike Thompson

Live at Last
1978
Recorded live at the Winter Gardens, Bournemouth. (7th march 1978)
Engineer - Mike Thompson
Mixers- Tim Hart and Mike Thompson

Martin Carthy returns and brings John Kirpatrick with him. The line up that was brought together after Peter Knight and Bob Johnson left to record their own album. This line up was only intended to stay together for enough time to finish the 10 album deal with Chrysalis.
Storm Force 10 was recorded almost 'live' as a group with very little overdubbing, with of course Live at Last recorded completely live. A further Live album has now been released - 'Live at the De Montfort Hall CD' (2019) and three additional 'Live At Last' tracks have now been released (see below).

Only one song introduced by this line up - 'Seventeen Come Sunday ' - has ever been played live by a different Steeleye line up, and only happened recently in 2019.

Maddy Prior, vocals
Tim Hart, vocals, guitars.
John Kirkpatrick, Accordion, vocals.
Martin Carthy, guitar, vocals.
Rick Kemp, bass, drums
Nigel Pegrum, Drums

Outtakes / Bonus tracks

There have been no outtakes etc from the Storm Force 10 album. This is not surprising as the album was recorded quickly and under pressure so its likely there was no spare material at all.

With regards Live At Last we have had 3 additional live tracks released on the 2022 Chrysalis Box Set 'Good Times of Old England: The Victory; Cam Ye O'er Frae France; Seventeen Come Sunday. These three additional tracks from the 'Live At Last' concert (Bournemouth 7th March 1978) do not necessarily mean we have the whole set from the concert unfortunately. Some of the the additional songs can be heard (from the same tour) on the 2019 CD 'Live at De Montfort' but there are still potentially three missing from both CD's from this tour ('Sweet Swansea/ Treadmill Song' & 'Down in the Valley', although we can't be 100% certain they were played on the night),

1. Awake, Awake

(Traditional lyrics. 5.06. Adapted and tune by Tim Hart?)
Based on chapter 4 of the 'Song Of Solomon' from the Bible. This is not the 'normal' traditional song 'Awake Awake' / 'The Drowsy Sleeper' / 'The Silver Dagger. I believe the tune to be original.

Exert from 'Song of Solomon' :
'Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.'

LIVE/RELEASES:
[1977] UK Summer 'Original Masters' tour; Nov/Dec Winter dates.
[1978] UK Farewell Tour. 'Live at the De Montfort Hall CD' (2019)

2. Sweep, Chimney Sweep

(4.45, Trad.) Originally sang by the Copper family in 1951 and here sung a capella.

LIVE/RELEASES:
[1971] UK Tour. There is a mention of Martin singing this in a 1971 gig.
[1977] UK Summer 'Original Masters' tour (probably); Nov/Dec Winter dates.
[1978] UK Farewell Tour. 'Live at the De Montfort Hall CD' (2019)
[1995] Sept: War Child Charity 'Reunion' Concert 'The Journey Concert CD' (1999)

3. The Wife of the Soldier

(2.40, Brecht).
Based on a 2nd World War poem by Brecht. Martin Carthy used to sing this version and he got it from the singing of Isla Cameron based on music by Johnny Scott.

LIVE/RELEASES:
[1977] UK Summer 'Original Masters' tour (probably); Nov/Dec Winter dates.
[1995] Sept: War Child Charity 'Reunion' Concert 'The Journey Concert CD' (1999)

4. The Victory

(8.37 based on traditional lyrics. Melody and arrangement Rick Kemp with help from Martin Carthy). I am convinced part of the melody is from 'John Barleycorn' (The Fairport Convention version.

LIVE/RELEASES:
[1977] UK Summer 'Original Masters' tour (probably); Nov/Dec Winter dates.
[1978] UK Farewell Tour.
[2024] UK Autumn 'Green Man' Tour

5. The Black Freighter

(5.59 Breicht) Also known as 'Pirate Jenny' from 'The Threepenny Opera' where a barmaid has a fantasy about getting revenge on all the rich patrons.
Partnered with Saucy Sailor when played live (and on the Live at Last Album

LIVE/RELEASES:
[1977] UK Summer 'Original Masters' tour; Nov/Dec Winter dates.
[1978] UK Farewell Tour. 'Live At Last' Album; 'Live at the De Montfort Hall CD' (2019)
[1995] Sept: War Child Charity 'Reunion' Concert. Not included in Live CD 'The Journey'

6. Some Rival

(3.23 Traditional) Known as 'Some Tyrant Has Stolen My True Love Away. Rick played acoustic guitar when played live.

LIVE/RELEASES:
[1977] UK Summer 'Original Masters' tour

7. Treadmill Song

(6.12, Trad.) Also known as 'Gaol Song'. Another one Martin Carthy introduced. The text was derived from workhouse singers in 1906 and is believed to have been written by a prison inmate. When sung live was usually a partnered with another prison song 'Sweet Swansea', a track not released officially.

LIVE/RELEASES:
[1977] UK Summer 'Original Masters' tour; Nov/Dec Winter dates.
[1978] UK Farewell Tour

8. Seventeen Come Sunday

(5.08, Trad.) Introduced and sung by John Kirpatrick. Also known as 'As I Roved Out' and faithful to the Harry Cox version (HERE) who is the source for many songs sung by Steeleye over the years.
The only new song introduced by this line up that has been played by another Steeleye line up (2019)

LIVE/RELEASES:
[1977] Various Nov/Dec Winter dates.
[1978] UK Farewell Tour 'Live at the De Montfort Hall CD' (2019)
[1995] Sept: War Child Charity 'Reunion' Concert. Not included in Live CD 'The Journey'
[2019] UK 50th Anniversary Tour. '50th Anniversary Tour DVD/CD'.; Barbican 50th Anniversary Concert - with guests Martin Carthy and John Kirkpatrick who sang in along with Benji

The Boars Head Carol

A single only release. A secular Carol arranged by John Kirpatrick

[1977] One off Nov/Dec dates.
[1978] UK Farewell Tour. 'Live at the De Montfort Hall CD' (2019)

1. Atholl Highlanders / Walter Bulwer's Polka

(5.08)

The second part of this medley is actually 'Albion Sunrise' by Richard Thompson from the Albion Band album - Battle of the Field

[1978] UK Farewell Tour. 'Live at the De Montfort Hall CD' (2019)

2. The Maid and the Palmer

(6.37 Child Ballad)

[1978] UK Farewell Tour
[1995] Sept: War Child Charity 'Reunion' Concert 'The Journey Concert CD' (1999)

3. Hunting the Wren

(3.09 Trad.) This was suggested by John and he also suggested it being mainly percussion based.

[1978] UK Farewell Tour. 'Live at the De Montfort Hall CD' (2019)

4. Montrose

(15.12 Written by Rick)
Tim commented, tongue in cheek, that this was Rick trying to out Martin Martin..! Rick said he first started working on the theme when doing Parcel of Rogues.

An Australian only single edit appears on ''A rare Collection 1972-1996' CD (1999)

[1978] UK Farewell Tour.

5. Bonnets So Blue

(3.30)

[1978] UK Farewell Tour.