Meet on the Ledge
Encyclopedia
"Meet on the Ledge" was Fairport Convention
's second single.
The song was taken from the album What We Did on Our Holidays
. BBC Radio 2
's Sold On Song TOP 100 songs as voted for by Radio 2 listeners put their early song "Meet On The Ledge" at Number 17. They had performed "Meet on the Ledge" on the 1969 launch of From the Roundhouse (a short-lived BBC-TV youth and arts programme about the London "underground scene"). The song appears to represent some kind of confrontation with death, perhaps the loss of a friend or even a sense of one's own mortality. The song's title comes from a large, low hanging tree limb which Thompson, as a child, used to play on, and which he and his friends had dubbed "The Ledge".
The song became Fairport Convention's unofficial anthem. At their concerts and, particularly, at the ongoing Cropredy Festival
, it is often performed as the last song and a signal to fans that there will be no more encores.
Thompson was somewhat uncertain of his own vocals at the time of the first recording. Instead Sandy Denny
and Ian Matthews
took the honours. Thompson re-recorded it on the album Small Town Romance
(a bonus track), but does not give it any special prominence in his repertoire. He was still in his teens when he wrote it. Fairport Convention re-recorded the song in 1987, releasing it as a track on the album In Real Time: Live '87
and as a single to tie in with the band's 20th anniversary. Of the latter release, band member Ric Sanders
quipped at the time "We're going to release it every 20 years until it's a hit". It was covered by Eleanor Shanley, Noel Murphy and the Continental Drifters
. The title has been used for a compilation album by Fairport Convention and a book about them. On the 1972 compilation History of Fairport Convention
it is the first track.
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
's second single.
The song was taken from the album What We Did on Our Holidays
What We Did on Our Holidays
- Personnel :* Sandy Denny - vocals, acoustic & 12-string acoustic guitars, organ, piano, harpsichord* Iain Matthews - vocals, congas* Richard Thompson - electric, acoustic & 12-string acoustic guitars, piano accordion, vocals...
. BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's Sold On Song TOP 100 songs as voted for by Radio 2 listeners put their early song "Meet On The Ledge" at Number 17. They had performed "Meet on the Ledge" on the 1969 launch of From the Roundhouse (a short-lived BBC-TV youth and arts programme about the London "underground scene"). The song appears to represent some kind of confrontation with death, perhaps the loss of a friend or even a sense of one's own mortality. The song's title comes from a large, low hanging tree limb which Thompson, as a child, used to play on, and which he and his friends had dubbed "The Ledge".
The song became Fairport Convention's unofficial anthem. At their concerts and, particularly, at the ongoing Cropredy Festival
Cropredy Festival
Fairport's Cropredy Convention is an annual festival of folk and rock music held on the edge of the village of Cropredy in Oxfordshire, England. It has taken place in August since 1976....
, it is often performed as the last song and a signal to fans that there will be no more encores.
Thompson was somewhat uncertain of his own vocals at the time of the first recording. Instead Sandy Denny
Sandy Denny
Sandy Denny , born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny, was an English singer and songwriter, perhaps best known as the lead singer for the folk rock band Fairport Convention...
and Ian Matthews
Iain Matthews
Iain Matthews is an English musician and songwriter. He was born Iain Matthew McDonald, in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. He was known in the 1960s first as Ian McDonald, then as the 1960s progressed, as Ian Matthews...
took the honours. Thompson re-recorded it on the album Small Town Romance
Small Town Romance
Small Town Romance is a live album by Richard Thompson .Before and after the "Tour From Hell" to promote the Richard and Linda Thompson album Shoot Out the Lights, Richard played solo shows in the USA in 1982. Three of these shows were recorded for radio broadcasts...
(a bonus track), but does not give it any special prominence in his repertoire. He was still in his teens when he wrote it. Fairport Convention re-recorded the song in 1987, releasing it as a track on the album In Real Time: Live '87
In Real Time: Live '87
In Real Time: Live '87 is an album by folk rock band Fairport Convention. Although appearing to consist of recordings of concert performances, the album was largely recorded at The Mill studio, Farnham, Buckinghamshire, with audience responses dubbed on later, reputedly taken from a recording of a...
and as a single to tie in with the band's 20th anniversary. Of the latter release, band member Ric Sanders
Ric Sanders
Richard 'Ric' Sanders is a British violinist who has played in jazz-rock, folk rock, electric folk and folk groups, including Soft Machine and Fairport Convention.-Biography:...
quipped at the time "We're going to release it every 20 years until it's a hit". It was covered by Eleanor Shanley, Noel Murphy and the Continental Drifters
Continental Drifters
The Continental Drifters was an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1991 and dissolved in New Orleans, Louisiana about a decade later...
. The title has been used for a compilation album by Fairport Convention and a book about them. On the 1972 compilation History of Fairport Convention
History of Fairport Convention
The History of Fairport Convention is the first compilation of tracks by Fairport Convention, released in 1972.At the time it was released, it appeared that the band had folded. The cover had a "family tree" by Pete Frame on the front. Another unusual aspect of the album was that a piece of ribbon...
it is the first track.