Babbacombe Lee

Description

This reissue faithfully reproduces the original 1971 version from Island Records UK in a gatefold sleeve, an inner sleeve with the lyrics, an 8-page booklet, a promotional poster, and a sticker; it is pressed on high-quality 180g vinyl. 'Babbacombe' Lee was Fairport Convention's foray into the concept album so beloved by bands in the 70s. Instead of looking at something fantastical or progressive, the band returned to the story of John "Babbacombe" Lee, the man they could not hang: the gallows failed three times after he was convicted of the murder of Emma Keyse in Torquay in 1885. Dave Swarbrick found the details of the trial in a thrift store, and the band turned the story into an album. Released in late 1971 with period ephemera telling the story, 'Babbacombe' Lee had episodes listed rather than tracks. It contained the most original material of any Fairport album to date and was seen as a huge step forward in folk-rock. A few weeks after the album's release, Dave Mattacks and Simon Nicol left the band, leaving Swarbrick and bassist Dave Pegg to guide Fairport into their next chapter. Today, 'Babbacombe' Lee is one of the band's most enduring albums.