Lee Fardon
Lee Fardon is an English singer/songwriter, instrumentalist and recording artist. He was born in Battersea, south London in 1953. For his 10th birthday, Lee’s father brought him a Dansette record player and Bob Dylan’s album Freewheelin, which proved to have a profound influence on his future career. In the early 70’s Fardon played as a solo artist, playing folk based rock and roll in various London folk clubs such as The Nag's Head pub in Battersea,[1] The Crypt at St Martin in the Field, Trafalgar Square, The Mandrake Club in Soho and The Half Moon pub in Putney. At this time, he began writing his own lyrics. He was signed in 1977 by Arista Records when he formed his first band, Lee Fardon and the Legionaires. The Legionares played most of the pub rock venues in London including the Hope & Anchor, Islington, Finsbury park Rainbow Theatre, The Hammersmith Odeon and the Marquee Club, where the band supported Dire Straits for four Sunday nights. By 1982 he was signed by Aura Records and formed The Lee Fardon band. [2]
Subsequently, Fardon toured with Dire Straits, was produced by Mark Knopfler and recorded with Annie Lennox. Fardon’s second album received critical acclaim, notably, Alan Jones the editor of Melody Maker wrote that “The God Given Right” was “bold, thrilling and breathtakingly assured". [3]Journalist Patrick Humphreys, in an article in Melody Maker, described Fardon as “the God given writer”.[4]
Difficult to categorize in a single genre, Fardon’s work fuses rock, folk, soul and pure poetry. As Alan Jones wrote for Melody Maker in 1981, “Lee Fardon’s songs contradict and contravene typical rock symbols…. (he) searches continually for unusual, potentially disquieting perspectives”. [5]Writing for Melody Maker a year later, journalist Patrick Humphreys described Fardon’s album, “The God Given Right”, as having “Laceratingly honest lyrics tied to irresistible melodies”.[4]
Always his own man, Fardon’s influences are nonetheless evident. Mick Wall, wrote in “Sounds” magazine in 1978, “watching him (Fardon) perform on the last night of the recent Dire Straits tour before a packed house, he reminded me of a whole host of other people.” He likens Fardon to Leonard Cohen with “traces of pure Springsteen, moments of pure Dylan, except with Lee Fardon it’s more than being a clever imitator….he really means it”.[6] In 1981, Allan Jones, writing for Melody Maker makes reference to Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and Lou Reed, but states “you know you’re listening to one man: Lee Fardon….”.[7] Following a tour in Italy in 1993, Italian journalist Mauro Zambellini, described Fardon’s work as “bitter and twisted ballads that have a close kinship with the songwriters of the calibre of Van Morrison, Paul Brady, Randy Newman”, as well as Graham Parker and Lou Reed.[8] One might add other names to the list, such as Warren Zevron, but ultimately Fardon’s style is distinctively his own.
Lee Fardon has produced a number of albums throughout his career and continues to write, record and perform his work.[9]
Career[edit]
Early career[edit]
While Fardon continued to write and perform his own material in London’s folk venues, by 1974 he was also playing bass guitar in the band Ross Stagg (who later formed the rock band Strapps), along with Jan Schelhass on Hammond organ. Schellas went on to play on two of Fardon’s subsequent albums, The God Given Right, The Savage Art of Love and EP Palestine. Fardon left Ross Stagg to join Stuart Ongley’s Paradise Band in 1975, where he met Jimmy Hall on guitar and Rob Godwin on drums. Both later joined Fardon’s own band, The Legionaires, having been signed to Arista Records for whom he recorded his first single, She’ll Break Your Heart and 3-track Ep, Fast at 17 with Annie Lennox on keyboards and vocals and his first album Stories of Adventure.[10]
Lee Fardon and the Legionnaires played live all over the UK, including a UK tour supporting Dire Straits. The Legionnaires consisted of Lee Fardon on guitar and vocals, Rob Godwin, on drums, Don Bodie on Bass, Jimmy Hall playing guitar and Carrie Booth, keyboards and vocals. Stories of Adventure was recorded in the winter of 78 at Rockfield Studios in Wales. Following a change of Arista’s personnel, they decided not to release the album and The Legionnaires disbanded. Fardon continued writing and Mark Knopfler played on and produced two tracks for him. They were never released at the time but did appear many years later on a compilation album called Lost and Found. Stories of Adventure was finally released in 1982 by Aura Records.[2] [9]
Mid-career[edit]
Having signed to Aura Records,[2] Fardon formed the Lee Fardon Band comprising Fardon on guitar and vocals, Chris Brown on drums, Colin Fardon on Bass and Jimmy Hall on guitar. The critically acclaimed The God Given Right was recorded at Bray Studios in Berkshire and released in 1982.[9] The God Given Right was listed in "The Perfect Collection" by Tom Hibbert.
There followed a busy period for Fardon and the band, touring Europe and the UK. By 1985, Fardon was back in the studio recording a new single, The Beat Sincere and album The Savage Art of Love, recorded at Rock City, Shepperton Studios and released the following year.[9] Typical of the time, this was a big production and far removed from the hard-edged earthiness of his previous work. They were released by the record label, Chord. After further European tours, Fardon’s 3-track EP Palestine was released by W.F.T. Music.
Too Close to the Fire was recorded at Room with a View studios and featured a wide array of musicians that Fardon had worked with in the past including Mick Cox, one-time guitarist with Van Morrison, Steve Smith on Keyboards, Paul Beavis on drums and Chris Childs on bass. It was released in 1991 by Italian label Musique Records.[9]
Following a catastrophic house-fire in 1997, in which most of Fardon’s recordings were lost, he managed to compile a collection of works that were held by other musicians and in 2002 released them under the title Lost and Found, including the two tracks that had been produced by Mark Knopfler. This was released by Sunray Music 1.[9]
By 2003, Fardon was back at Room with a View recording Compassion which was released by Sunray Music2. This Album proved to be particularly popular in Italy, where he had a substantial fan base. Reviews considered it to be Fardon’s best work since The God Given Right.[8] [11] [12]
There then followed a few barren years when Fardon was not writing, however he continued to perform regularly in London. During this period, in 2014, Fardon was commissioned by Ian Brown to record an acoustic style interpretation of some of his favourite early works. Fardon began work on London Clay which was released in 2015.[9]
Later-career[edit]
During 2020 and 2021, Lee Fardon wrote and recorded a new album "On the Up Beat", comprising a collection of 10 refreshingly vibrant new songs. Whilst most of the album was recorded at Room with a View in Hampshire, it started initially in a small London Studio, Attic sounds, where the rhythm section for two tracks were recorded, with guitar added at Plymouth Music Co-operative. Despite travel restrictions and social distancing imposed during the Covid Pandemic, previous band members (Paul Beavis, Dik Cadbury, Steve Dow, Steve Smith, Tony Wilson) together with some new additions (Hannah Robinson, Tony Waller and Tim Wynters), came together to create one of Fardon's finest albums.
Along with digital downloads and streaming, the hard copy cd of this album is available as a special package with a beautifully illustrated lyric book by artist Sharon Fuller.
Discography[edit]
- 1977 She’ll Break Your Heart, Don’t Stall: Lee Fardon, single, Arista 141
- 1978 Fast at 17, Demon Love, Dirty Nights on Dirty Floors: Lee Fardon and the Legionnaires, 3 track EP, Arista 201, producer: Christos Demetriou, Writer: Lee Fardon
- 1982 Stories of Adventure: Lee Fardon, LP, Aura – AIL-713
- 1982 God Given Right: Lee Fardon, LP, Aura AUL720
- 1986 The Savage Art of Love: Lee Fardon, LP, Chord 007
- 1986 The Beat Sincere, Straight to the Heart: Lee Fardon, single, Chord S2A
- 1989 Palestine: Lee Fardon, 3 track EP, W.F.T. Music
- 1991 Too Close to the Fire: Lee Fardon, LP, Musique Records MR1191
- 2002 Lost and Found: Lee Fardon, Album compilation, Sunray Music1
- 2003 Compassion: Lee Fardon, Album, Sunray Music2
- 2015 London Clay: Lee Fardon, Album, Fardon Records
- 2021 On the Up Beat: Lee Fardon, Album, LPF Records
References[edit]
- ↑ Nagg’s Head, York Rd Battersea. Wandsworth Heritage Centre
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Aura Records, London was founded by Aaron Sixx. Aura was a successful independent music company that handled highly regarded releases from artists such as Steve Marriott (Small Faces and Humble Pie), Nico (Velvet Underground). https://www.meteor17.com/aaron-sixx
- ↑ Alan Jones, Editor Melody Maker, April 24 1982
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Patrick Humphreys, Melody Maker, May 8th 1982
- ↑ Allan Jones, Editor of Melody Maker, August 8th 1981
- ↑ Mick Wall, “Sounds”, Dec 9th 1978
- ↑ Allan Jones, Melody Maker, July 18th 1981
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Mauro Zambellini, Visti Nel Mondo, 7 May 1993
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Lee Fardon: Discography
- ↑ https://eurythmics-ultimate.com/annie-lennox-and-lee-fardon-and-the-legionaires/ Annie Lennox Discography: Lee Fardon and the Legionaires: (Fast at 17 (single). Lyric ID 1735
- ↑ Claudio Garbari, Out of Time, Dec 2003
- ↑ Diego Ancordi , Le’Eco di Bergamo, 10 May 2008
External links[edit]
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