Steeleye Span
Title Storm Force Ten
Lineup Mark V
Label Chrysalis LP ©1977
Storm Force Ten
Side 1
1 Awake, awake
2 Sweep, Chimney Sweep
3 The Wife of the Soldier
4 The Victory
Side 2
1 The black freighter
2 Some rival
3 Treadmill song
4 Seventeen come Sunday

Another punning title, referring not only to the tenth album, but to the turbulent state of the band at the time. As Maddy puts it[1]:

Maybe it was these other pressures, but more likely the hectic touring/recording/rehearsing schedule that finally took its toll. Exhaustion and towering egos are a bad combination. Our desire for variety, though Lord knows we'd had plenty, spurred a dispute that ended with Bob and Pete leaving the band to work in a project dear to their hearts, that of the King Of Elfland's Daughter which was finally made and incorporated the talents of Mary Hopkin, Frankie Miller, Chris Farlowe and even Hammer Horror star Christopher Lee. I had recorded Silly Sisters with June Tabor and was starting work on a solo project. Rick, Tim and Nigel all had outside music business interest. There was of course work still outstanding to be done and we were assured by the management that it would be bad news to cancel. We debated and Tim again leapt into the breach by suggesting Martin, again he comes into the band on a regular basis, but doesn't take his coat off. This time he brought the loveable and talented John Kirkpatrick with him and for the next 18 months and two albums Storm Force Ten and Live At Last! we had a completely different sound.


Last updated: Sun, 9 Apr 16:45:56 2017 +1200