I hope that you’ve all had a fantastic 2007 and I wish you all a Sparkling and Splendid 2008.

Apologies for not updating very regularly but one thing I would like to say is that I do read all the comments in the guest book and that you are all very kind. If you have any specific questions that you think I can answer please email me through the contact link and I’ll try my best. I’m not telling you my pin number though!

Right then. This is all getting to be very exciting now. The Conspirators/Judy Dyble single is now finished and is sounding wonderful. It’s a double A side and a B side. (Yes, it’s triangular but magically it will fit any CD player) and it will be released on 3rd March 2008 as a download and as a proper CD

There will be more details soon about the release, but you just wait till you hear about the cover!

I share lead vocals with the lovely and talented Genevieve Parker on ‘One Sure Thing’ and I provide backing vocals on 'Take Me To your Leader’. ‘Connected’ is the Conspirators only, and is equally fab!

In case you were wondering, ‘One Sure Thing’ is the same song that I sang all those years ago on the first Fairport Convention album when we were young and beginning and it is a real delight to be re-visiting it again with these talented young musicians from North Yorkshire.

There are short tasterettes of each track for you to listen to:

‘One Sure Thing’
'Take Me To your Leader'
‘Connected’

I hope you like them!

News Update:

I have just been told that the Conspirators/Judy Dyble single will also be available as a limited vinyl edition, as well as CD and download.

500 will be pressed and they will be signed by the band and me.

If you are interested in pre-ordering a vinyl copy please contact Jon at Transcend Records

Helloee ……and here is the latest news….

Firstly, and this is very exciting for me, I shall be collaborating with a brilliant new young band, the Conspirators. We go into the studio at the end of October to record a double A- side and a single B-side single (no, I have no idea how that works but that’s what it is) for physical and download release in January 2008.

The songs we will be recording are a new version of ‘One Sure Thing’ all modern and updated and with the extra verse that was left out of Fairport’s version. This will be equal lead vocals between myself and Genevieve Parker, she of the fantastic voice and beautiful hair (and fellow greyhound adorer).

The second A side will be probably ‘Funny’ written by John Gillies, guitarist of the band, with Genevieve singing lead and backing vocals from me.
And the B side will be another Conspirators song yet to be decided, but just them playing.

I haven’t yet met the rest of the band, Darren Banner (lead guitar), Mike Cinnamond (bass) and Laura Goodacre (drums) but I’m sure they’re all lovely. They’re a Yorkshire based band and their website and myspace are here where you can hear their music.

http://www.theconspirators.co.uk/
and
http://www.myspace.com/theconspiratorsuk

You may have noticed (or possibly not!) that there is news of a 2-CD Anthology of my stuff called ‘Judy Dyble - Lost Voice of Folk’ appearing all over the internet, due at the end of October.

I am not absolutely sure what is happening with this. It is ‘in the pipeline’ but has got rather muddled with the takeover of Sanctuary Records, by Universal Records. So I wait and see …. Maybe next year?

Copies of Spindle and the Whorl LP are still available from Burning Shed,(see below) but they are selling quickly. There are less than 50 left…..

http://www.burningshed.com/store/singersongwriter/

Look here – I’m a verb …

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Dyble

I’m also a reluctant prog reviewer

http://www.theprogfiles.com/index.php

and a book reviewer (scroll down a bit!)

http://woodgreenbookshop.blogspot.com/

Right. That’s enough soppy stuff.

Fairport's Cropredy Convention

It's been 40 years since the beginning of ole Fairport and so this year, as it's an anniversary year, the lineup at the festival is amazing. And I shall be in there somewhere.

Tickets are selling fast so go here http://www.fairportconvention.com and have a look to see what's going on, and who's playing.

Rockwife makes the most splendid hats and she's showing them at the Great Yorkshire Showground http://www.greatyorkshireshow.com

Harrogate on the 10th,11th and 12th July 2007.

She'll be showing four times daily in the Fashion Pavilion and if I could wear hats I'd wear several of hers. All at once! her website is http://www.rockwife.com/inspirations.html and she has a myspace here http://www.myspace.com/rockwife_couture

Have you ever wondered what it was like to play at the famous Marquee Club in Wardour St which is now demolished? Well I was interviewed on that very subject and you can read it here - http://www.themarqueeclub.net

It's a fascinating site and they are always looking for people with memories of playing there or gigs, so please contact them and let them know what you remember'

2007 is the 40th anniversary of the formation of Fairport Convention. Universal are releasing (9th April 2007) a splendid collection of 'almost lost' BBC tracks of Fairport called 'Fairport Convention Live at the BBC' (what else?!). It is a 4 CD set and on disc 4 are some very rare tracks of me and my Fairport. These are 'off the radio recordings'

Amazon's review says:
Disc Four may be the most interesting of all - the 1967 material not only highlights the considerable strengths of the original lineup and the debut album ("If [Stomp]" and the rare Dylan cover "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" are near-unsurpassable Matthews showcases) but it may rehabilitate the critical reputation of the erratic, stage-shy Judy Dyble: the obscure and exquisite "Violets of Dawn" and the better-known "Chelsea Morning", "Ribbon Bow" and "One Sure Thing" feature most-excellent vocals. Also Richard's solo on "One Sure Thing" elevates it to the status of best-ever performance of the song.

To see the preview of the luscious design and exclusive guide to the recordings here is a link:
http://webbeta.sov.uk.vvhp.net/~universal/Central/catalogue/fairport.html

Well heavens! Another year nearly gone. The news page was looking a bit old so here's what has been happening lately.

At the end of September I sang live with the Songs From The Blue House at a splendid venue called 'The High Barn' in Essex. I had merely mentioned that if they'd like me to sing on their new CD I'd be happy to do so, and there I was singing 4 songs one night in my best frock. There are clips of this for your delight here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6P3_ZLhOkc
and here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IZIwfRK6rw

That was fun if rather nerve-wracking! The next day I recorded the song 'Little No-one' for the CD which should be released early next year from here
http://www.songsfromthebluehouse.com

And then there was Japan. Or rather there wasn't.....
A Japanese promoter contacted Jack McAuley to see if he would play at a Festival in Japan and whether I would go too as a revival of Trader Horne. Of course I said yes and began to prepare for it. As I hadn't seen Jack for 20 years and hadn't sung with him for nearly 40 years (!!) I organised to fly to Ireland and rehearse with him. Then it all went wrong. The sciatica back problems that I have suffered from for quite a while became really bad and the neurosurgeon said ''DO NOT FLY' and that I needed to have surgery pretty urgently. So I had to cancel the trip to Ireland and let the promoter know that I wouldn't be able to go to Japan.
My back is now operated on and I am now recovering. I haven't heard how the Festival went, but I am really sorry not to have made it to Japan this time. Perhaps they'll ask me again because I was really looking forward to it.

Anyway. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. I wonder what will happen next year? Oh yes. There'll be 40 years of Fairport at Cropredy won't there?

I am delighted to announce the very special Limited Edition Vinyl version of

JUDY DYBLE
Songs From The Spindle and The Whorl

There are only 250 pressings of these exclusive mixes on 180gm vinyl.
They have been carefully put together are housed in a handpainted custom sleeve with a lyric sheet, and are handsewn in a wax sealed cloth cover.

Only available from
Another Green World/Fungus Records
P.O. Box 12
Boscastle
Cornwall
PL35 0ZQ

£25.00 each inclusive of recorded delivery
Postal Orders/Registered Cash or Euros
Please make UK Cheques payable to L.Slade

For further information please email me

Review from the Record Collector

Judy Dyble - Songs from The Spindle & The Whorl

**** 4 Stars - Fungus 006
Essential fan rarity Dyble, formerly a member of Fairport Convention, et al, has just released this limited vinyl featuring selections from her recent solo CDs Songs From The Spindle and The Whorl.

The 180gm LP is strictly limited to just 250 copies and comes in a beautifully-produced, specially designed, hand-painted sleeve, inserted into a felt bag. The bag is stitched around the edges with the end of the stitch sealed to the sleeve in wax. A handwritten lyric sheet insert is also included.

In short, it’s sumptuous and highly recommended. You can order it from Fungus Records, PO Box 12, Boscastle, Kernow, PL35 0ZQ

'Whorl' will be out in a minute More info very very soon

Meanwhile here is my yearly 'Hooray for Fairport's Cropredy Convention'

If you don't already know about it, this Festival has been running for around 25 years in the beautiful village of Cropredy in Oxfordshire. It is basically Fairport Convention and their friends and relations and whoever they think will be good to listen to on a (mostly!) lovely weekend in August

Please go to the link below to find out who's playing and when and all the rest of the information you will need to have a lovely time. And if you book your tickets before the 31st July, they'll be cheaper!!!
A bargain!! Worth double at half the price!! Etc. Etc. Click here for more information

I sang live for the first time for five years on Saturday, 1st of April 2006. The place was the Chipping Norton Theatre. The gig was 'The Family Mahone' and the reason was that I was there was because I was presenting a Hancock Award to the band for 'Spiffingly Best Live Act 2005' and while I was doing that Doc Mahone asked me if I would sing. So I did. And it was lovely. There are photos in the photo section.

Folk Britannia BBC 4 3rd Feb, 10th Feb and 17th Feb
A three part history of British folk music.

As I thought, they didn't use my interview (sob!) but they have used a clip of early Fairport singing Reno Nevada recorded for French television in 1968.

So I'll be on it as I was 39 years ago but not as I currently am. It's called retaining the mystery.................

Talking Elephant will be releasing my new CD, ‘SPINDLE’ on 13th February 2006 (yes! my birthday!).

Once again, it has been beautifully produced and co-written by Astralasia’s Marc Swordfish and features the musicians of Astralasia. It also has contributions by Robert Fripp, on guitar and soundscape, James Asher on hammer dulcimer, Dave ‘Doc Mahone’ Russell on banjo (yes -I love a good banjo) and bouzouki and Simon House on violin.

There is an extraordinary version of ‘See Emily Play’ (trancy dancy stomping version), which Talking Elephant are considering for release as a radio single. I hope you all like it!

The sister CD ‘WHORL’ will be released later in the year and will have contributions from the same musicians as SPINDLE.

As well as the two CDs a Special Edition vinyl copy of the albums will be released in the spring. This will really be something special, but more news on this later (just to keep you guessing!).

More info on SPINDLE and the Special Edition nearer the time, so keep visiting.

Oh yes! Another thing! The Mouseproof album by GF Fitzgerald (that I mention in the discography) is going to be released as a CD being as it is Yet Another Legendary Cult errrm Thing. This time the contractual difficulties that stopped me being credited no longer exist, so, hopefully, I’ll be credited. I was listening to it yesterday. It’s pretty jolly good actually. I can’t quite work out which songs I’m on, (I know I’m on two of them, but I may be on more,) but it might just be someone singing falsetto like they did a lot in the olden days.