Parcel Of Rogues

Formed in 1969 by ex-Fairport Convention bassist Ashley Hutchings and the duo of guitarist Tim Hart and singer Maddy Prior, Steeleye Span’s were initially firmly rooted in an acoustic folk tradition. Guitarist Martin Carthy and fiddle player Peter Knight replaced Terry and Gay Woods for 1971’s Please To See The King, their first to enter the UK charts. In 1972, Hutchings and Carthy departed, and after adding bassist Rick Kemp and guitarist Bob Johnson, the band signed to the Chrysalis label for 1972’s Below The Salt. The album included the uncharacteristic “Gaudete:” an a cappella Christmas carol sung entirely in Latin. Released twice as a single in the UK, it finally rose to No. 14 in late 1973, offering the band a Top of the Pops appearance. But the Parcel Of Rogues album arrived first, in March, again expertly produced by Jerry Boys. Following a “less is more” technique, the essence of each traditional song is revealed by employing an absolute minimum of instrumentation. The pure psychedelia of “Alison Gross” floats between Johnson’s positively electric guitar and Kemp’s bass. Both Hart and Prior sing “The Bold Poachers” over a backing of transcendent guitars and bass, with perfectly arranged overdubs-any more would only take away from the song’s haunting beauty. “Robbery with Violins” does just that, but over Kemp’s wah-wah bass, while he offers rudimentary drums on “The Wee Wee Man.” In contrast to the Robert Burns poem “Rogues in a Nation,” whose a cappella ambles over a singular beat, Knight’s fiddle and Kemp’s sturdy bass provide rhythm to “The Weaver and the Factory Maid.” Prior’s voice shines on the track, as well as on the Scottish folk song “Cam Ye O’er Frae France.” The album was successful in the UK, rising to No. 26. Steeleye Span toured relentlessly during this period, headlining in the UK, and fortuitously opening for Procol Harum and Jethro Tull in the US.