Silly Wizard was a Scottish folk band that began forming in Edinburgh in 1970. The founder members were two like-minded university students—Gordon Jones, and Bob Thomas. In January 1972, Jones and Thomas formed a trio with their flatmate Bill Watkins and performed under various band names in Edinburgh folk clubs. In the spring of 1972, Watkins returned to Birmingham and, in June 1972, Chris Pritchard (vocals) came in as his replacement. In July 1972, this newly formed trio were offered their first paid booking at the Burns Monument Hotel, Brig O' Doon, Scotland, and needed a band name in a hurry. The name "Silly Wizard" was chosen and the continuing stream of bookings ensured that the name became permanent. In September 1972, the trio recruited Johnny Cunningham (1957–2003) and Silly Wizard started to take off.
Hark! The Village Wait is the debut album by the British folk rock band Steeleye Span, first released in 1970. It is the only album to feature the original lineup of the band as they broke up and reformed with an altered membership immediately after its release, without ever having performed live. Therefore, it is one of only two Steeleye Span studio albums to feature two female vocalists, the other being Time (1996). A similar sound was apparent years later when Prior teamed up with June Tabor to form Silly Sisters. Overall, the album's sound is essentially folk music with rock drumming and bass guitar added to some of the songs. The banjo features prominently on several tracks, including "Blackleg Miner", "Lowlands of Holland" and "One Night as I Lay on My Bed".
The Tannahill Weavers are a band which performs traditional Scottish music. Releasing their first album in 1976, they became notable for being one of the first popular bands to incorporate the sound of the Great Highland Bagpipe in an ensemble setting, and in doing so helped to change the sound of Scottish traditional music. In 2011 the band were inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame.
Transcendental Blues is the ninth studio album by Steve Earle, released in 2000. It features Sharon Shannon on the track "The Galway Girl". The album was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category.
El Corazón is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Steve Earle, released in 1997.
Philip Martin Cunningham, MBE is a Scottish folk musician and composer. He is best known for playing the accordion with Silly Wizard, as well as in other bands and in duets with his brother, Johnny. When they played together, they would egg each other on to play faster and faster, and try, light-heartedly, to trip each other up.
Andrew McGregor "Andy" Stewart was a Scottish singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, formerly the frontman for Silly Wizard. He was born in Alyth, Perthshire. With Silly Wizard he not only sang, but also played the tenor banjo, mandolin and tin whistles.
Johnny Cunningham was a Scottish folk musician and composer, instrumental in spreading interest in traditional Celtic music.
Malinky is a Scottish folk band specialising in Scots song, formed in autumn 1998.
Sense of Occasion is the twenty-fourth studio album by British folk-rock veterans Fairport Convention, released in February 2007.
Live Wizardry is an album by Silly Wizard recorded live in concert at Sanders Theatre, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1983. Live Wizardry was released by Green Linnet Records in 1988 and contained all but two of the tracks released in 1985 on the live albums Golden Golden and Live in America. The omitted tracks are both instrumental medleys: "Mac's Fancy / The Cliffs Of Moher / "The Rose Of Red Hill / Clootie Dumplings / The Laird O' Drumblair / Sleepy Maggie" from Golden Golden and "The Green Fields Of Glentown / The Galtee / Bobby Casey's Number Two / A.B. Corsie " from Live in America.
Gordon Jones, originally from Merseyside, is a Scottish folk musician playing guitar, bohdran, bouzuki and autoharp and founding member of Silly Wizard. Performed with Silly Wizard during their entire 17 years together as well as composing and producing both music and albums for Silly Wizard, two of which received MRA awards.
Cold Blow and the Rainy Night is the third album by the Irish folk group Planxty. It was recorded in Sarm Studios, Whitechapel, London during August 1974 and released the same year. It takes its title from the third song on the album, "Cold Blow and the Rainy Night".
The Iron Behind the Velvet is an album recorded by Christy Moore in 1978, after the first breakup of Planxty. It was produced jointly by Brian Masterson and Moore, and recorded and mixed at Lombard and Keystone Studios, Dublin.
The Best of Silly Wizard is an album by Silly Wizard released in 1985 by Shanachie Records. This album has selections from previous recordings by the band.
Kiss the Tears Away is the fifth album by Silly Wizard released in 1983 on the Highway Records label in the U.K. and on the Shanachie label in the U.S. This album introduces the song "The Queen of Argyle" and "Golden, Golden" written by Andy M. Stewart.
So Many Partings is the third album by Silly Wizard released in 1979 on the Highway Records label in the U.K. and 1980 on the Shanachie label in the U.S. On this album the songs "The Valley Of Strathmore" and "The Highland Clearances" were written by Andy M. Stewart.
North Country is the third studio album by Canadian folk music group The Rankin Family. It was released by EMI on August 24, 1993. The album peaked at number 1 on the RPM Country Albums chart. A revised version was released in the United States in 1994. This version contained material from the original North Country album, 1992's Fare Thee Well Love and the Grey Dusk of Eve EP.
Andy Irvine/70th Birthday Concert at Vicar St 2012 is a live recording of a pair of concerts held at Dublin's Vicar Street venue, on 16 and 17 June 2012, to celebrate Andy Irvine's 70th birthday.
The 21 Project is the third studio album by American country music artist Hunter Hayes, released in physical format on November 6, 2015 through Atlantic Nashville. Hayes co-produced the collection with Dann Huff. The album includes five songs from his similarly-titled EP, 21, released earlier that year, as well as two new tracks. Each song is available as a studio recording, an acoustic recording, and a live performance from the Wheels Up Tour.
