On May12th, 1969, Fairport Convention was involved in a motorway accident that claimed the lives of drummer Martin Lamble and clothing designer Jeannie Franklyn (then-girlfriend of Richard Thompson, to whom Jack Bruce would dedicate his debut solo album). Sandy Denny wasn’t travelling with the band, choosing instead to ride with her boyfriend Trevor Lucas and his band, Eclection. After recruiting traditional fiddler Dave Swarbrick and drummer Dave Mattacks, and recuperating at Farley Chamberlayne, the band responded with their strongest album yet, Liege & Lief.

Prior to their second album, vocalist Sandy Denny-a regular at London’s Troubadour and Les Cousins folk clubs-joined Fairport Convention. She had already recorded two low-key albums, along with a third (unreleased) with the Strawbs, All Our Own Work. Spurred on by Denny’s arrival, Fairport now took cues from traditional British music-in a move similar to progressive rock’s relation with classical music-ready to set a new standard for electric folk rock.