Gottle O'Geer

Gottle O'Geer (credited to "Fairport" and to "Fairport Featuring Dave Swarbrick" in the US) is the eleventh studio album by English folk rock band Fairport Convention. The album was released through Island Records in May 1976.

Gottle O'Geer
Studio album by
Fairport Convention
ReleasedMay 1976
Recorded
[1]
GenreFolk rock
Length30:35
LabelIsland
ProducerBruce Rowland
Fairport Convention chronology
Rising for the Moon
(1975)		 Gottle O'Geer
(1976)		 The Bonny Bunch of Roses
(1977)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]

The departure of Sandy Denny, Trevor Lucas and Jerry Donahue following Rising for the Moon in 1975 left Fairport Convention reduced to Dave Swarbrick, Dave Pegg and Bruce Rowland, and contractually obliged to produce one more album for Island Records. This album was the result, and Allmusic described it as "listless".[2]

The venture was originally intended to be a solo album for Swarbrick, who later said of it: "Gottle O'Geer, I would like to say once and for all was not ever supposed to be a Fairport album. It was to be my solo album, and I wish, along with most other people, that it had remained that way. Chris Blackwell, who to my mind is the richest, clueless, most unscrupulous pillock it was ever my misfortune to meet, had other ideas."[3] As such, the basic line-up of Swarbrick and rhythm section was augmented by numerous guest performers.

Simon Nicol was asked to assist in sorting out the project: "... there was plenty on tape but it was a bit of a ragbag really. Peggy and Swarb asked me if I'd come in to engineer it for them. It was huge fun to be involved in. Island just gave us the keys and said 'turn out the lights when you leave' so there were a lot of all-night sessions in the studio."[4]

The album's title comes from the reputed inability of less skilled ventriloquists to pronounce "bottle of beer".[5]

Track listing
Side one
  1. "When First into This Country" (Traditional) – 2:30
  2. "Our Band" (Dave Swarbrick) – 2:04
  3. "Lay Me Down Easy" (Rowland, Swarbrick) – 5:15
  4. "Cropredy Capers" (Pegg, Rowland, Swarbrick) – 3:09
  5. "The Frog Up the Pump" (Jig Medley) (Traditional) – 3:16[6]
Side two
  1. "Don't Be Late" (Rowland, Swarbrick) – 3:24
  2. "Sandy's Song" (Sandy Denny) – 3:37[7]
  3. "Friendship Song" (Benny Gallagher, Graham Lyle) – 3:01
  4. "Limey's Lament" (Rowland, Swarbrick) – 4:35
Bonus track on 2007 CD re-release
  1. "Angles Brown" (Pegg, Swarbrick) – 4:00

Personnel

Fairport

Additional personnel
  • Simon Nicol – electric guitar (9)
  • Martin Carthy – acoustic guitar (4)
  • Nick Judd – piano (2, 4)
  • Robert Palmer – harmonica, backing vocals (6)
  • Benny Gallagher – accordion (8), backing vocals (2, 6, 9)
  • Graham Lyle – dobro (8), backing vocals (2, 6, 8)
  • Jimmy Jewell – saxophone (6)
  • Henry Lowther – trumpet, flugelhorn (6)
  • Eric Johns – electric guitar (1, 7)
  • Ian Wilson – electric guitar (4)
  • Bob Brady – backing vocals (6)
  • Roger Burridge – backing vocals (6)
  • Engineering: Simon Nicol (assisted by Dick Cuthell at Island and Tony Cox at Sawmill)[1]

Release history
  • 1976, May : UK LP Island ILPS 9389
  • 1999 : UK CD Island IMCD 262
  • 2007, February : UK CD Island 984,587-6

References
  1. "Fairport: Gottle O' Geer". Reinhard Zierke. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  2. "Gottle O'Geer review". Allmusic. Rovi. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  3. "Innerviews: Dave Swarbrick – Bewitched by the muse". www.innerviews.org. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  4. "History: Simon Nicol writes about Fairport – Fairport Convention's official website". www.fairportconvention.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  5. Burton, Maxine; et al. (2008). Improving Reading – Phonics and Fluency. National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy, University of London. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-906395-07-0. Note the lip movement for 'big'. This is, of course, the origin of the ventriloquist's 'gottle o' gear'.
  6. This was an updated version of a demo originally recorded by Swarbrick and Martin Carthy "Dave Swarbrick, Martin Carthy: Frog Up the Pump". Reinhard Zierke. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  7. Also titled "Take Away the Load", this was written by Sandy Denny for Swarbrick and his wife. Denny's demo later appeared on Who Knows Where the Time Goes? and A Boxful of Treasures "Sandy Denny: Take Away the Load (Sandy's Song)". Reinhard Zierke. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
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