Label: Universal Island Records (Europe), IMCD 308/982 150-1
Style: British Folk Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 50:11
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 300 Mb
The album follows John "Babbacombe" Lee's life story. The events of his life are described in song, from his boyhood through his conviction for murder, sentence of death, and the failure to carry out the execution. The songs describe his boyhood poverty, his time in the Royal Navy, and his being invalided out. The album then describes how Lee went to work in the service of a Miss Keyes. While Lee was in her service, she was murdered, and he was accused, tried and convicted of the crime, and sentenced to death; however, when authorities attempted to hang him, the gallows failed three times, resulting in his release. These events are all told in song, and all but one of those songs are originals.
Dave Swarbrick has explained that he conceived the album after discovering a file of old newspaper clippings in a junk shop; this file contained John Lee's own copies of the newspaper articles and was bound by him, signed and dated 30 January 1908.
Because of its relatively complete narrative structure, "Babbacombe" Lee is regarded by the authors of The Electric Muse (1975) as a rock opera, and because of the band's musical style, in particular the first folk rock opera.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22Babbacombe%22_Lee)
01. The Verdict [Read by Philip Sterling-Wall] (00:28)
02. Little Did I Think (02:19)
03. I Was Sixteen (Part 1) (01:29)
04. John My Son (00:44)
05. I Was Sixteen (Part 2) (01:17)
06. St Ninian's Isle; Trumpet Hornpipe (01:14)
07. Sailors Alphabet (05:50)
08. John Lee (03:04)
09. Newspaper Reading (Read by A.L. Lloyd) (00:46)
10. Breakfast In Mayfair (03:09)
11. Trial Song (03:55)
12. Cell Song (03:35)
13. The Time Is Near (02:31)
14. Dream Song (05:24)
15. Wake Up John (Hanging Song) (05:25)
16. Farewell To A Poor Man's Son (BBC TV, 1975) (04:55)
17. Breakfast In Mayfair (BBC TV, 1975) (03:59)
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