Magna Carta was founded in April, 1969, and is one of the longest running bands in the world today.
The band has seen a number of personnel changes, but the common factor has always been Chris Simpson. Song writer, poet, accoustic guitar player and vocalist, he has been largely responsible for the band's unique sound, and has had uncanny success in gathering high quality musicians around him. He founded the band with Lyell Tranter, guitarist, and Glen Stuart, vocalist extraordinaire, and their first professional gig was at the Cambridge Folk Festival. A year later the band cut the first of their 30 odd albums, six of which have gone Gold, and three Silver.
The essence of Magna Carta for the last twenty years has been Chris Simpson and Linda Simpson. Chris has been singing with Linda since 1984. They have been joined in recent years by Matt Barnhoorn, an outstanding Dutch fiddle player. In concert and on record they play with a variety of fine musicians, some of whom have been associated with Magna Carta for a long time. They continue to tour extensively.
Others used the style and instrumentation - acoustic guitars, mandolins to create what was really soft-focus pop. This is not to denigrate the music that they created: those who took the latter course, like Magna Carta, had a lasting impact which can still be heard in the music of artists from David Gray to Badly Drawn Boy. Magna Carta’s early music was extremely pretty and indebted to Simon & Garfunkel and even Peter, Paul & Mary, but Chris Simpson’s songwriting always has a distinctive English flavour and, even when almost insufferably twee - Autumn Song, delights with its period charm and ravishingly beautiful warm sound.
The music ranges from folk-pop to rock and blues, and although the 80s pick offer some distractingly period keyboards, this carefully compiled selection provides an excellent overview of a songwriter quietly dedicated to his art.
by William Pinfold
Disc 1
1. Midwinter - 3:32
2. Airport Song - 3:43
3. Elizabethan - 2:38
4. Autumn Song/Epilogue - 4:14
5. Time For The Leaving - 4:09
6. Sponge (Davey Johnstone) - 2:22
7. Wayfarin' - 3:47
8. Roll On - 3:07
9. Wish It Was - 3:35
10.Two Old Friends - 3:35
11.Father John - 6:43
12.Isn't It Funny - 2:34
13.Nothing So Bad - 3:50
14.Mixed Up Sensations/Old Man - 5:38
15.I'm Gonna Take You Down - 3:22
16.You Are Only What You Are - 3:43
17.Stop Bringing Me Down - 3:48
18.One Man's Heaven - 4:30
19.You And I - 4:27
20.Forever - 2:56
Words and Music by Chris Simpson except where stated
Disc 2
1. Slowbone - 3:01
2. Love On The Wire - 4:17
3. Visions In A Crowd - 5:00
4. Putting It Back Together - 3:15
5. Highway To Spain - 3:54
6. Danny - 3:05
7. Wild Geese - 4:21
8. Sting Of The Gin - 3:18
9. Wind On The Water - 5:03
10.Midnight Blue - 4:14
11.Blues For A Long Road Home - 3:50
12.For The Gypsy - 3:56
13.Pictures In My Pillow - 4:19
14.No Truth In The Rumour - 4:11
15.Winterlude/Ulysses - 7:02
16.Greenfields - 4:48
17.Columbus - 5:35
18.Seasons In The Tide - 4:52
Lyrics and Music by Chris Simpson
Personnel
*Chris Simpson - Vocals, Guitar
*Rick Wakeman - Keyboards
*Glen Stuart - Vocals
*Lyell Tranter - Guitar, Vocals
*Davey Johnstone - Guitar, Vocals
*Stan Gordon - Guitar, Vocals
*Tom Hoy - Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
*Nigel Smith - Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
*Graham Smith - Vocals, Bass
*Pick Withers - Drums
*Robin Thyne - Vocals, Guitar, Percussion
*Lee Abbot - Bass, Vocals
*Tom Mcconville - Fiddle, Vocals
*George Norris - Guitar, Vocals
*Al Fenn - Guitar, Vocals
*Doug Morter - Guitar, Vocals
*Paul Burgess - Drums
*Matthew Letley - Drums
*Linda Taylor - Vocals, Guitar
*John Carey - Fiddle
*Simon Carlton - Guitar, Vocals
*Gwyn Hughes Jones - Keyboards, Vocals
*Matt Barnhoorn - Violin, Mandolin, Guitar
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