Sandy Denny died 21st April 1978

Yes, silent pressing and sounds great.

 

Sandy was quite simply the best thing in 20th century pop music, ever. No qualifiers.

 

When the only person who could possibly compete with you is Elvis, then you're doing pretty well for yourself...

 

Oh, I'd forgotten that. I have the Sandy Denny/Strawbs collaboration. I must dig that out and give it a listen.

 

I had always thought that this - along with pretty much everything else on the album - was documenting the breakdown of Richard and Linda's marriage, which was a pretty ferocious parting of the ways.

I've never seen or read anything which would point to this being about Sandy's death - I'd be more than happy to be wrong, if someone can provide a link to a definitive statement fro either Richard or Linda about this.

Best Wishes,
David

 

Well, this is what Thompson said in an interview:

"You don’t sit down to moralise or write about your philosophy every time you write a song. You just write a story. It’s fiction and it’s fun to make something up, it’s an enjoyable process. Then you look at it afterwards and you think, ‘Oh that’s obviously about me or about someone I know, and that reflects what I believe.’ With a song like "Did She Jump or Was She Pushed?" I sat down to write a story. It could be about Sandy [Denny] or a couple of other people that I know…. I don’t think it is about any person in particular. It’s a bit like detective fiction, it has some of the same goriness and detail. In good detective fiction there’s always a corpse, otherwise you feel unsatisifed. The song doesn’t really give any answers, it just asks the moral questions."

I Shot A Man In Reno: Richard Thompson & Reno

I do think it's a bit weird and maybe even irresponsible for him to suggest that it could be about Sandy. Why associate her with that gory imagery? And nothing about the song fits: Sandy did not die until weeks after the fall, and why turn it into a question of jumping or being pushed? Wasn't it rather a case of falling? How do you jump down a staircase anyway?

 

Richard has stated the album is not about his breakup. He notes the songs were written long before the breakup. The album was initially recorded with Rafferty in the fall of 1980. The Joe Boyd produced version was released and his breakup was in 1982.
Of course as many of us know, breakups can simmer long before they occur.

 

And this one did indeed simmer before then spectacularly becoming extremely heated.

David

 

Sandy's death was a result of her fall.. The controversy , such that it has been, and partially fuelled by some who have profited from keeping such controversy alive, was around how clean/sober Sandy may or may not have been at the time of her fall and whether this may have contributed to her accident and eventual demise.

I don't put a huge amount of stock in that comment by Richard. Sandy was certainly hard-living and definitely no angel but the 'She' of the song was probably a composite picture of a number of fictitious characters Richard had in mind when shaping the song and certainly referenced his own circumstances at the time.

I remain as unconvinced as ever that this was a song about Sandy and, more particularly, not a song about Sandy's death.

Best Wishes,
David

 

Linda Thompson has posted some recollections of Sandy's funeral on her fb page.

Someone (a musician, but LT can't recall who) was lamenting all the song she'd never write. Richard (in full Sufi mode) said :'They were never meant to be written.' The other musician took umbrage at this and tried to deck Richard. The vicar who conducted the service seemed to have no idea who she was, or how significant she'd been.

I don't believe that Did She Jump.....was about Sandy or about anyone in particular. RT may have seemed insensitive in using such a title but that probably didn't occur to him until later.

 

Yes, Sandy's death was a result of her fall, but it was not instantaneous, as is the case with the person in the song.

It does trouble me that Thompson links the song to Sandy, unprompted. But the whole comment is weird. Consider:

With a song like "Did She Jump or Was She Pushed?" I sat down to write a story. It could be about Sandy [Denny] or a couple of other people that I know….

Thompson knew "a couple of other people" in addition to Sandy who died from mysterious fall-related injuries?

 

Hadn't even heard of Fairport yet by '78 but I caught up.

I was thinking of her yesterday 'cuz Fairport music to me is perfect music for fall.

40 years. Who knows where the time goes? Farewell, farewell.

 

Many of the non-performing photo stills of Sandy did not do her any justice at all. Put her with her guitar, piano, and singing with the band, and her beauty just radiates.

 

If it were me, I wouldn't have published it, let alone perform and release it.

I believe his version of the story, but it's surprising the connotation didn't
jump in front of him immediately.

For the record, I know that LP is one of his most popular, but I've not delved.

 

I think a lot of folks get the impression she was a depressed person.
That interview from '74 suggests otherwise – she seemed a very bubbly person.

It's too bad she didn't stick with Fairport, though there was one more major reunion
in the cards. I read about Judy Dyble's departure, which was, ah, poorly played.

 

Not a big fan of Shoot out the Lights, nor of Thompson's solo work in general.

 

On her part or the band's? Met Matthews and he was very diplomatic about his split, saying they were "Going in different directions." Given the bands move to traditional material and his toward American country, I'd say it's more or less true.

I'm glad he and Denny reunited shortly after for Thro' My Eyes cuz it's a fantastic song and performance by them both.

 

Given the consistent praise he gets, you're in the minority as far as I can tell. But so am I. Huge fan of Fairport, the extended family, solo works, and sister bands (like Steeleye Span and Trees), but I know absolutely nothing about Thompson's solo work. I just never got around to it.

 

I wouldn't say you are not a fan so much as just not familiar. If you ever get the chance to check his post fairport work you could change your mind.

 

At present I have no judgments either way. It just never came up on my radar. I'm steeped in others (most notably Denny, Matthews, Hutchings, Maddy Prior, Jansch and Swarb) but haven't got around to Thompson yet. I'm sure I will at some point.

EDIT: I do enjoy seeing/hearing his credits on other people's albums.

 

One of my favorite experiences was seeing him at cropredy in 1992 with the fairport full house lineup. I've probably seen him over 100 times.

 

I desperately wanted to see the Cropredy show last year but couldn't make it. Alas...

And Full House was the most triumphant thing the band could've done following Denny's departure. That's a point in most bands career where the downward trajectory would've started but they turned course for more (artistic not necessarily financial) success. I've always had to tip my hat to them for that alone.

 

Believe me - Iain is being very diplomatic in referencing his departure from the band in those terms.

They may well have been going in different directions but Iain's dismissal from the band was ruthless and speedy with there being no time or room for discussion/negotiation. Ashley dismissed him in a very peremptory way.

Bestt Wishes,
David

 

Sandy's is such a sad story. The family home - depicted on a Fairport's album cover - is just up the road from where I live and I always think of her when I pass by. She's buried nearby, which is another constant reminder. The local hospital where she died is currently being converted in to expensive apartments, which makes me sad for some reason. Love both her and her fabulous music.

 

Neither have I. In fact, there's much Fairport I'm not familiar.
Not a bad thing – LOTS to look forward!

While I've seen "Heyday" in the library, I've not delved either.
To correct.