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Julie Felix discussion (Split from Celebrity Deaths 2020)


MrTumnus

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3 hours ago, MrTumnus said:

Such a beautiful voice.  1st lady of folk indeed.

Decent singer but her TV appearances did a lot to push her into the public eye. Sandy Denny of Fairports and Maddy Prior of Steeleye Span were far superior in the UK and Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell from the US were the outstanding talents in that field. 

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7 minutes ago, Wrangodog said:

Decent singer but her TV appearances did a lot to push her into the public eye. Sandy Denny of Fairports and Maddy Prior of Steeleye Span were far superior in the UK and Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell from the US were the outstanding talents in that field. 

On par in my eyes. 

Listen to her diction. You hear every word, you can't say that about all the one's on your list.  Loved Leonard Cohen's lyrics but 'Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye' only becomes interesting when Julie starts to sing.

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1 minute ago, MrTumnus said:

On par in my eyes. 

Listen to her diction. You hear every word, you can't say that about all the one's on your list.  Loved Leonard Cohen's lyrics but 'Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye' only becomes interesting when Julie starts to sing.

We’ll agree to disagree. I'm not really that bothered about diction, there's a lot of fantastic music where the lyrics aren't that clear, sound over diction every time. Cohen is an acquired taste, but give me his mournful voice over Julie Felix's clear sound. 

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I have to say I never rated Felix that highly. Her career faded a lot after the TV exposure ended. 

Sandy Denny stands above all others in Britain for me, but I would also single out June Tabor who is still performing at a good level. 

I liked Linda Thompson too, but she has been silenced by vocal damage and stage fright. 

Joan Baez is still very good for her age. I saw Judy Collins at a festival last summer. Her voice is still remarkable, although her act was a little "cabaret" for a festival - she was accompanied on grand piano - and her memory faltered on some of her very well rehearsed anecdotes. I think she forgot a couple of lyrics too. 

But it's not a competition. All opinions are valid!  

 

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From Melody Maker, April 29, 1978, by Colin Irwin

Sandy Denny is dead. One of the greatest girl singers ever produced by Britain and a crucial influence on the folk-rock movement died at the weekend after a tragic accident. She fell down stairs at a friend's house last Monday, struck her head, and immediately went into a coma. She was rushed to hospital, but died on Friday night of a brain hemorrhage without regaining consciousness. Sandy was 31.

The disaster came as she and husband Trevor Lucas were planning to move to America to launch a new life and career after a lack of recent success in Britain. And her death came nine months after the much-desired birth of the couple's first child, Georgia.

Lucas, a fellow member of Fairport Convention during her second period with the band, was visiting Australia when the accident occurred, and immediately flew back to be with her. A quiet funeral was taking place this week to be followed by a memorial service.

News of Sandy's death stunned a music business in which she was greatly loved. Close friends from her Fairport days, like Richard Thompson and Dave Swarbrick, were shattered.

Another former colleague of many years from Fairport, Ashley Hutchings, now of the Albion Band, told MM on Monday: “Sandy was unquestionably the singer best suited to the style of music that people now call electric folk. Although she sang her own songs and those of other writers with great passion and never less than 100 percent commitment, it's in this area that her singing style was unique. She was the first, and her wonderful free-flowing and inspired singing remains unsurpassed.”

And Maddy Prior, for so long her only serious rival as the leading lady of folk, said: “It's a tragedy that a talented person in the prime of her life such as Sandy, with so much love to offer, and so much good work done in the past, could come to such a sudden and tragic end. It's a terrible waste.”

Former Fairport Convention manager Jo Lustig summed up the feelings of many: “Sandy was one of the major English girl songwriters, because she wrote like an English person and not under an American influence. She was an unfulfilled talent.”

Liege and Lief was her greatest recorded achievement. Released in December 1969, it has become acknowledged as the epochal electric folk album, an inspiration to a mass of bands, and Sandy's electrifying interpretations of traditional songs, notably Matty Groves and Tam Lin, were a vital ingredient.

Excepting a couple of minor charity appearances, her last performances took place on a British tour last November, which concluded at London's Sound Circus.

A full appreciation of Sandy Denny's work appears next week.

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Not really the thread for broadening this much further but the truth is that she and Lucas had a very unstable, adulterous marriage, partially due to her chronic alcohol problems.

Four days before her death, he had fled to his native Australia - possibly unbeknown to her - taking their baby daughter.

The fatal fall she suffered was one of many in her final months - she was unstable in more ways than one! 

 

Edited by skygod
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Yes, it was hushed up at the time, but she was a train wreck. Was lucky enough to see her with Fairports in Glasgow and with Fotheringay at a festival in Halifax. They came on stage as the rain began to fall and it didn't stop, following day was cancelled because the site was flooded. Had tickets for Joni Mitchell in Glasgow but she cancelled. Something happened in Paris and the Glasgow gig got the boot, never did see her live. Don't think I've ever seen Julie Felix live, she might have played Marymass Folk Festival when it still attracted big names. My recollection of Julie Felix was that she was popular with a broader audience because of appearing on David Frost and the later TV shows, so if your mum and dad liked her then you certainly weren't going to like her. 

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8 hours ago, skygod said:

Not really the thread for broadening this much further but the truth is that she and Lucas had a very unstable, adulterous marriage, partially due to her chronic alcohol problems.

Four days before her death, he had fled to his native Australia - possibly unbeknown to her - taking their baby daughter.

The fatal fall she suffered was one of many in her final months - she was unstable in more ways than one! 

Trevor didn't last too long either.

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There is, and before that there was a version of Fortheringay with original members Jerry Donohue, Gerry Conway and Pat Donaldson.

Plus PJ Wright, Sally Barker and the excellent Cathryn Roberts.

I saw them a couple of times but they disbanded when Donohue had a stroke. Real shame.

They were pretty good, if neither of the women had Sandy's quality. It was good to hear some songs from her solo albums too. 

 

 

Edited by skygod
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6 hours ago, Fankle said:

You certainly were!

What venue in Glasgow?

 

Green's Playhouse (Apollo) 1969. I would have said it was City Halls, Candleriggs, but a friend of mine said it was the Playhouse and that checks out with their tour list. There was another time they were due to appear but were replaced by Fleetwood Mac (old version) at the last minute. 

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13 hours ago, Wrangodog said:

Green's Playhouse (Apollo) 1969. I would have said it was City Halls, Candleriggs, but a friend of mine said it was the Playhouse and that checks out with their tour list. There was another time they were due to appear but were replaced by Fleetwood Mac (old version) at the last minute. 

Wow, didn't think they would've been big enough for that venue then, but yeah it's on the Apollo website.  They played there a few times including Sandy's brief return to the band in 1974.

 

 

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