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14 Oct 08 - 12:28 PM (#2465403) Subject: Close to the Wind - any info? From: Chris Green Hi all I'm looking for some background info on the song 'Close to the Wind' by Stuart Marson. I found it in the DT but apart from the lyrics and a note on how to pronounce Daventry there isn't much. Does anyone know if it's based real events? How did he come to write it? Any light that could be shed would be much appreciated! Cheers in advance Chris |
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14 Oct 08 - 12:37 PM (#2465413) Subject: RE: Close to the Wind - any info? From: Nick I first heard it on a Dave Swarbrick - Simon Nichol album and I seem to remember there was a bit of background. I have the album at home and so will have a look - from memory the writer is a local schoolteacher to Culworth and I think that the song is based upon real events. There's quite a lot of information here which may (or may not) be relevant: Culworth gang info Great song. |
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14 Oct 08 - 12:43 PM (#2465423) Subject: RE: Close to the Wind - any info? From: Nick If you only came across it here have you heard it? If not let me know and I'll get you a copy of it etc Chords are: D D/B* A G - Em A D D D/B* A G - Em A D G D/F# Em A D D/B* A G - Em A D D/B - x20032 |
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14 Oct 08 - 02:24 PM (#2465518) Subject: RE: Close to the Wind - any info? From: Eric the Viking You can hear it on "Close to the wind" by Fairport convention. (CRESTCD035) |
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14 Oct 08 - 06:34 PM (#2465723) Subject: RE: Close to the Wind - any info? From: Chris Green Hi guys Sorry - should have mentioned that I've already heard the song! Thanks for the info though - that's really useful. Cheers Chris |
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14 Oct 08 - 06:45 PM (#2465733) Subject: RE: Close to the Wind - any info? From: Peace The correct title it seems is "Too Close to the Wind." That might help people who are looking for info. TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND (DT Lyrics) Farewell to you, my faithful Nancy And a thousand times adieu; For the constable comes up from Brackley Market And a hundred volunteers too. No more will we hide in the forest For fear they might run us to ground For the wild sea, we'd sailed upon it Too close to the wind. For twenty years, we have roved the highways Of Northamptonshire. From Daventry* down to the southern byways We robbed both the rich and the poor. For ofttimes our families were starving And the highway it kept them alive, So the wild sea, we sailed upon it Too close to the wind. Tonight I lie in a darkened dungeon Condemned on the gallows to die, While the man who gave us away is only Bound for Australia. No man could be found to defend us Naught but abuse came our way, For the wild sea, we'd sailed upon it Too close to the wind. |
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14 Oct 08 - 06:48 PM (#2465735) Subject: RE: Close to the Wind - any info? From: Peace I found some neat sites with a google of northhamptonshire highway robberies Please note the unintentional misspelling. |
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14 Oct 08 - 06:54 PM (#2465743) Subject: RE: Close to the Wind - any info? From: irishenglish Always been one of my favorites in the 80's on Fairport, although it was on a Swarbrick Nicol album originally as has already been mentioned. I always suspected it might be an amalgamation of known incidents from throughout England put together within the song, but I have no proof of that, its just my thought. You could try over on the talkawhile forum. Both Simon Nicol and recently, Swarb himself post on there, and try to set the record straight. ALso a lot of deeply knowledgeable people of every aspect of the Fairport history who might know for sure. |
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14 Oct 08 - 07:20 PM (#2465771) Subject: RE: Close to the Wind - any info? From: Chris Green irishenglish - what a blindingly obvious idea! (that nonetheless hadn't occurred to me!) Am on my way over there now. Thanks! |
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14 Oct 08 - 07:53 PM (#2465802) Subject: RE: Close to the Wind - any info? From: GUEST,Gerry There's a nice recording by the Australian group, Tracey-Munro-Tracey, on the album Nightpiece. I don't think that LP ever made it to CD. |
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14 Oct 08 - 10:26 PM (#2465879) Subject: RE: Close to the Wind - any info? From: irishenglish dueling, glad to be of help. One last thing though. I just remembered the intro to it that I have on a Cropredy album. I just listened to it, and according to Simon's introduction, the song IS a true story, about one of the last group of people to be publically executed en masse in Culworth. One other thing is that on all the Swarbrick/Nicol/Fairport versions I have, there is another verse at the end. Going to look in the DT to see if its there, otherwise, I'll post. |
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14 Oct 08 - 10:28 PM (#2465882) Subject: RE: Close to the Wind - any info? From: irishenglish Oops, that verse is there, just wanted to make sure they were included from the one Peace put in. |
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15 Oct 08 - 04:04 AM (#2466013) Subject: RE: Close to the Wind - any info? From: Chris Green Thanks guys! |
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20 Aug 09 - 05:31 AM (#2704479) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST,George H I am from the village of Culworth, in Northamptonshire. It's about an 18th or 19th century group called the Culworth gang, who were highwaymen (robbing coaches etc). They were finially betrayed by a fellow gang member, and hanged. This son is based on a letter sent from one of the highwaymen to his wife on his last night alive. Very moving, and a classic Fairport song. |
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20 Aug 09 - 05:56 AM (#2704489) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: Mr Happy Fairport Convention: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWxoH8zIpHc |
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27 Aug 09 - 06:14 PM (#2710196) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST,Scrimnet Stuart Marson was a local schoolteacher, and sang around the Northamptonshire folk clubs. This song was written for a Radio Northampton song competition way back in the 1980s. Of course it won. Last I heard some years ago he became quite ill. I know not how he is these days as I have moved away from The Shire |
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27 Aug 09 - 06:16 PM (#2710198) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST,Scrimnet Forgot to mention, that it is, as already been mentioned, based on true events from Northamptonshire. |
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29 Sep 09 - 05:54 PM (#2734523) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST,zpc RE: pronunciation of Daventry - I live in Northampton, and having only ever heard it said as it's spelled, I did make a point of asking a few born-and-bred types if that was the way it had always been... Could find no-one who remembered anyone ever saying 'Danetree' - but I admit not exhaustive research - does anyone have a counter-case? ...now Northamptonshire, that I've heard mispronounced a time or three... |
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12 Feb 10 - 10:56 AM (#2837133) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST,Graham Shakespeare referred to "Daintree" in Henry IV Part 1, and it was apparently commonly so pronounced at least until WW2. Like so many local pronunciations, it's now rarely heard. |
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12 Feb 10 - 02:29 PM (#2837367) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: Irene M Thank you so much for the link to Youtube. I hadn't heard this, although Stuart Marson's LP Night Falls On The Orchestra has long been a favourite of mine. He did 15 minutes of radio in the 70s, which I taped and then spent years asking about him at festivals, until someone at Wath On Dearne was able to fill me in. I think Stuart was a geography teacher, cos if you Google him, you get a geography text book come up. |
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09 Jun 11 - 01:02 PM (#3167761) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST,Bob Plews The writer, Stuart Marson, is a long standing friend of mine and Too Close to the Wind, very much based on real events, is about the Culworth Gang - google this for all the info you need. Regards Bob Plews |
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29 Jul 11 - 10:16 AM (#3197899) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND G C G C C G G em hm C Farewell to you, my faithful Nancy C D G And a thousand times adieu; G em hm C For the constable comes up from Brackley Market C D G And a hundred volunteers too. C G No more will we hide in the forest am C D For fear they might run us to ground G em D C For the wild sea, we'd sailed upon it C D G Too close to the wind. G em hm C For twenty years, we have roved the highways C D G Of Northamptonshire. G em hm C From Daventry* down to the southern byways C D G We robbed both the rich and the poor. C G For ofttimes our families were starving am C D And the highway it kept them alive, G em D C So the wild sea, we sailed upon it C D G Too close to the wind. G em hm C Tonight I lie in a darkened dungeon C D G Condemned on the gallows to die, G em hm C While the man who gave us away is only C D G Bound for Australia. C G No man could be found to defend us am C D Naught but abuse came our way, G em D C For the wild sea, we'd sailed upon it C D G Too close to the |
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29 Jul 11 - 10:28 AM (#3197906) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser) I vaguely remember a fourth verse from the Simon Nicol/Dave Swarbrick version but I can't remember how it went. Maybe I'm imagining it. |
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30 Jul 11 - 05:26 AM (#3198376) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: Nick Verse 4 The clouds they rise over Northampton market, And the crowds pour into the town, And the people will throng in the streets until sunset, 'Til the hangman cuts us down. And fifty children of Culworth Their fathers are taken away, For the wild sea they sailed upon it Too close to the wind |
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26 Aug 11 - 08:10 AM (#3212966) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser) That's the one! |
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28 Aug 11 - 06:01 AM (#3213884) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST,Penny K i have been singing this song for some time now, and i wanted to know where it came from. i'm taking history for one of my gcses (as i'm still in school) and i found the information on the culworth gang fascinating! thank you! also, when i sing it with guitar, i hadnt tried using an Em chord (i was just using G, C and D) but i shall try that now. thanks again! |
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19 Oct 11 - 06:21 AM (#3241180) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST,Jane Daventry pronounced as it's spelt. |
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19 Oct 11 - 06:23 AM (#3241183) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST,Jane Performance by "All Strung Out": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24HsRz6OxZg |
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11 Sep 15 - 02:20 PM (#3736799) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: JennyO I came across this thread while looking for the author of the song. I know it well from the lovely singing of Nigel Walters in the Wheeze and Suck Band. He has been singing it for years but I didn't know its history till now. Very interesting! |
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15 Mar 16 - 08:20 AM (#3778968) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST,JohnC I live in Byfield, the next village to Culworth (pronounced Cul'uth by older locals). It's a great song and tune but rather immoral in that most local villages were just as poor 2-3 hundred years ago but didn't turn to robbery. Why celebrate the ones that did? Also,the Culworth gang,as I understand, were widely hated as they stole from anyone, not just the rich. They were also quite leniently treated--only two ringleaders were hanged(at Northampton, near the present racecourse),one was transported to Australia (almost as bad in those days)but most got fairly short prison sentences. BTW,"Danetree" is no longer used in speech but still occurs in the titles of local businesses,eg "Danetree Stationers". |
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22 Sep 17 - 02:48 AM (#3878078) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST,Marilyn Lawson-James I have onky recently found out about this ballad and listened to it for the first time after receiving family history information, apprently John Smith, one of those hanged was my 8 times Grt Uncle. |
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03 Sep 18 - 05:42 AM (#3947768) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GUEST Does anyone know where to get the piano music for it? Such an amazing song! We've been singing for ages at family reunions> |
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05 Aug 20 - 03:12 AM (#4067347) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: Greum I'm late to the party (as usual) but Stuart Marson is still singing. He has his own website at http://stuartmarson.com/ |
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24 Aug 20 - 01:53 PM (#4069462) Subject: RE: Origin: Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: Greum Having heard Stuart Marson sing his own song, he pronounces Daventry in the modern manner, not as Danetree. |
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27 Nov 23 - 06:17 PM (#4192484) Subject: RE: Origin: Too Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: Joe Offer Here are the Digital Tradition lyrics. Any corrections? TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND Farewell to you, my faithful Nancy And a thousand times adieu; For the constable comes up from Brackley Market And a hundred volunteers too. No more will we hide in the forest For fear they might run us to ground For the wild sea, we'd sailed upon it Too close to the wind. For twenty years, we have roved the highways Of Northamptonshire. From Daventry* down to the southern byways We robbed both the rich and the poor. For ofttimes our families were starving And the highway it kept them alive, So the wild sea, we sailed upon it Too close to the wind. Tonight I lie in a darkened dungeon Condemned on the gallows to die, While the man who gave us away is only Bound for Australia. No man could be found to defend us Naught but abuse came our way, For the wild sea, we'd sailed upon it Too close to the wind. The clouds they rise over Northampton market, And the crowds pour into the town, And the people will throng in the streets until sunset, 'Til the hangman cuts us down. And fifty children of Culworth Their fathers are taken away, For the wild sea they sailed upon it Too close to the wind. *pronounced Dane-tree @outlaw @death Recorded by Clyde Davenport, Clydescope. filename[ CLOSEWND RG |
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28 Nov 23 - 04:32 PM (#4192540) Subject: RE: Origin: Too Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: GerryM Joe, the lyrics I got off the recording by Tracey-Munro-Tracey differ in several small ways from what you have posted. Which version is closer to what Stuart Marson wrote, I cannot say. Too Close To The Wind Stuart Marson As recorded by Tracey-Munro-Tracey Farewell to you, my faithful Nancy Ten thousand times adieu; For the constable has come up from Brackley Market And a hundred volunteers too. No more need we hide in the forest For fear they might run us to ground And the wild sea, we sailed upon it Too close to the wind. For fifteen years, we have roamed the highways Of Northamptonshire. From Daventry* down to the southern byways We've robbed both the rich and the poor. For ofttimes our families were starving And the highway it kept us alive, And the wild sea, we sailed upon it Too close to the wind. And now I lie in a darkened dungeon Condemned on the gallows to die, While the man who gave us away is only Bound for Australia. No man could be found to defend us And naught but abuse came our way, And the wild sea, we sailed upon it Too close to the wind. Now the clouds they rise over Northampton market, And the people all come into town, And the crowds will walk through the streets until sunset, When the hangman cuts us down. And fifteen children of Culworth Their fathers are taken away, And the wild sea we sailed upon it Too close to the wind. |
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28 Nov 23 - 07:30 PM (#4192545) Subject: RE: Origin: Too Close to the Wind (Stuart Marson) From: rich-joy Denis Tracey / Lynne Tracey / Jock Munro's NIGHTPIECE is now here on YT : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S8lT1Zbbuc "Too Close to the Wind" is track 6 of 10. I recall a magic concert in Darwin in 1985 from Denis & Lynne (where this song was included) ...... Cheers, R-J |