{"title":"Martin Simpson","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"skydancers","title":"Skydancers","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSkydancers\u003c\/em\u003e is the latest album by the prolific and world-renowned English guitarist and singer-songwriter, \u003cstrong\u003eMartin Simpson\u003c\/strong\u003e. This album brings together Americana and Folk originals, as well as inspirational songs from the likes of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKnown for his innovative and eclectic approach to traditional music, \u003cstrong\u003eMartin Simpson\u003c\/strong\u003e is one of the hardest-touring musicians on the UK folk and roots circuit. \u003cem\u003eSkydancers\u003c\/em\u003e is his 12th full-length solo record for Topic Records since 1992, and 15th if you count collaborations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRecorded in Simpson's hometown of Sheffield, \u003cem\u003eSkydancers\u003c\/em\u003e features new original songs penned by Simpson, along with 18th-century broadside ballads and reworkings from the songbooks of artists such as Nancy Kerr, June Tabor, and Craig Johnson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe title track of \u003cem\u003eSkydancers\u003c\/em\u003e, commissioned by TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham, highlights the plight of the endangered Hen Harrier, reflecting Simpson's keen interest in ornithology. The album also includes personal narratives, such as the story of Billy Waters, a famous busker in 19th-century London.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMartin Simpson\u003c\/strong\u003e is joined by Grammy-winning musician\/producer Greg Leisz on pedal steel, Andy Cutting on diatonic accordion, and a host of other talented musicians on \u003cem\u003eSkydancers\u003c\/em\u003e. The double CD includes renditions of Bob Dylan's \"Buckets Of Rain\" and Joni Mitchell's \"Cactus Tree,\" among other live favorites.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to his musical achievements, \u003cstrong\u003eMartin Simpson\u003c\/strong\u003e has been nominated 23 times at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, winning Artist of The Year twice. His album \u003cem\u003eProdigal Son\u003c\/em\u003e was named album of the year in 2008, with the song \"Never Any Good\" winning best original song of the year.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Topic","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50404943364427,"sku":"2181692","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50404942152011,"sku":"2181690","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Skydancers_Deluxe_Version_7b361dab_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726572436"},{"product_id":"vagrant-stanzas-1","title":"Vagrant Stanzas","description":"\u003cp\u003eWith 'Vagrant Stanzas' Martin Simpson makes a career defining statement - fourteen splendid solo, intimate performances captured in jewel-like recordings. A splendid intimate new recording from a world class finger-style guitar maestro. In collaborate with some of the best producers and engineers in the business, including multi-Grammy Award winning mastering engineer, Silas Brown. The CD has been co-produced by Martin alongside American producer Peter Denenberg and, our own, Richard Hawley, who has produced the UK part of the CD in Sheffield, at the legendary Yellow Arch Studios. 'Vagrant Stanzas' is made up of a mixture of Martin's original compositions, including a song commissioned by BBC Radio 2 for their award winning Radio Ballads series, alongside classic songs by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Chris Wood, Leon Rosselson and, of course, the ubiquitous 'Anon' of Folk ballad fame. Includes an 8 page booklet with extensive track notes by Martin Simpson.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Topic","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50439292649803,"sku":"364789","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/02ebbdb1-21cf-419b-94bf-926d8daf9d82_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726952713"},{"product_id":"true-stories","title":"True Stories","description":"\u003cp\u003eborn in scunthorpe in 1953, simpson was a full-time musician and regular on the local folk club scene by the age of 18. after ten prolific years releasing albums predominantly comprised of traditional folk songs between 1976 and 1986, simpson and his then wife jessica moved to new york. simpson lived stateside for 14 years, the last three-and-a-half of which were spent steeped in blues living out one long party in new orleans. but something called him to cross the atlantic again. he released the bramble briar, an album marking a distinct return to his folk roots, in 2001 soon after his homecoming. since then, simpson has recorded the three most compelling and accomplished albums of his career: 'righteousness and humidity' in 2003, 'kind letters' in 2005 and 'prodigal son' in 2007. over the course of his last few albums, simpson has gradually introduced more of his own compositions. the two standout tracks on prodigal son are his own: never any good, penned about his father, and she slips away, written the day before his mother's death. both are haunting in a unique sense, the former for its honesty and imagery, the latter for the tenderness and melancholy of its slide guitar. simpson is confident 'true stories', which features cameos from radiohead drummer phil selway, bellowhead front-man jon boden and folk stalwart danny thompson, will continue in this vein. 'there's actually even more of my own stuff on it. this is a very emotionally heavy record in a lot of ways, and it has some pretty different stuff on it musically' he said. simpson has absorbed so many musical traditions into his playing over the years, but something unique about him has always shone through. now this has truly come to the surface and he has started to sing with his own voice, revealing more of himself through his musical maturity.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"No Label","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50439295500619,"sku":"315803","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_8e83f312_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1732283942"},{"product_id":"rooted","title":"Rooted","description":"\u003cp\u003eSinger, songwriter and guitar virtuoso Martin Simpson releases his brand new studio album Rooted on August 30. Produced by Andy Bell and recorded in Sheffield and Oxfordshire.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSumming up the themes of his new album, Martin says: “The music and songs embrace nature and travel, mental health, real life stories, loss, politics and history… and the threads that bind all this together can be followed back a long way, to 1965 when I got my first guitar and started to soak up material and ideas at a very rapid rate.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRooted features an array of stellar guest musicians, including Nancy Kerr (fiddle and viola), Andy Cutting (melodeon and diatonic accordion), Liz Hanks (cello), John Smith (electric guitar and vocals), Ben Nicholls (string bass and electric bass guitar), Julie Matthews (vocals), Alan Barnes (clarinet), Max Simpson (vocals), Amy Smith (vocals), Chris While (vocals) and Tom A Wright (drums and percussion). Richard Hawley and Dom Flemons contribute backing vocals and bones respectively to first single \u003ci\u003eNeo\u003c\/i\u003e. As well as vocals, Martin himself plays banjola, 5-string banjo, 6-string fretless banjo, electric bass guitar and electric and resonator guitars!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Topic","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50439298089291,"sku":"1070759","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50439298679115,"sku":"1070760","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/c0a93ead-0d93-47de-98c1-5cf665145f13_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726952766"},{"product_id":"purpose-and-grace","title":"Purpose and Grace","description":"\u003cp\u003e'purpose and grace' marks a bold and confident step for simpson. the wide-ranging repertoire and exemplary performances he has coaxed from his fellow performers make this his finest recording to date. it takes its very apposite title from the great american songwriter yip harburg - \"i am one of the last of a small tribe of troubadours who still believe that life is a beautiful and exciting journey with a purpose and grace well worth singing about\". the album marks a bold and confident step for simpson.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"No Label","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50439300088139,"sku":"343318","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/2a87ace7-d261-428b-bcf8-9b8e89a1f783_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726952787"},{"product_id":"prodigal-son-2","title":"Prodigal Son","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMartin Simpson\u003c\/strong\u003e is the complete natural musician, but his virtuosity on the guitar has often tended to unfairly overshadow his vocal and interpretive powers. His new album \u003cem\u003eProdigal Son\u003c\/em\u003e demonstrates his further growth as a player, singer, and composer, with an eclectic mix of British and American traditional and composed songs as well as some stunning compositions of his own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe has also brought in musicians of superb calibre to enhance the recording. \u003cstrong\u003eKate Rusby\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eKellie While\u003c\/strong\u003e add backing vocals, there is \u003cstrong\u003eDanny Thompson\u003c\/strong\u003e on bass and \u003cstrong\u003eAndy Cutting\u003c\/strong\u003e on accordion. The great \u003cstrong\u003eJackson Browne\u003c\/strong\u003e adds vocals to Martin's masterful take on the Randy Newman classic, \"Louisiana 1927\", a tribute to New Orleans where he lived for several years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOther highpoints are his own compositions \"Never Any Good\", which he wrote for his father, and the instrumental piece \"Mother Love\" written for his daughter Molly. Housed in a striking digipack, with outstanding photography by David Angel, the complete package is Martin's best to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"No Label","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50439305527627,"sku":"288768","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"an-introduction-to-martin-simpson","title":"An Introduction To Martin Simpson","description":"\u003cp\u003eA personally selected and sequenced compilation by Martin Simpson. This new addition to Topic's series of introductory overviews of the label's most renowned artists includes an exclusively recorded track by Martin, a wonderful solo acoustic version of Leon Rosselson's 'Palaces of Gold' from his classic 1968 album A Laugh, A Song and a Hand Grenade.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's remarkable to think that Martin Simpson is now celebrating some 45 years as a professional musician since, unlike so many of the Topic greats, Simpson was not part of the 50s folk revival or the more expansive contemporary folk scene of the 60s. Effectively, Martin Simpson has spearheaded the generation of folk musicians who only began recording in the mid-70s and is now readily acknowledged as one of the most original and skillful folk guitarists currently playing on the British and American folk scene.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was as a defining instrumentalist and interpreter of predominantly traditional British and American folk material that Simpson first established himself. Yet, as this new selection amply testifies, he has become a highly gifted songwriter. He first made a significant mark as a songwriter on 2003's Righteousness \u0026amp; Humidity with a handful of songs that included the evocative truck stop epic 'Love Never Dies'. Since then he has continued to deliver powerful compositions, none more poignant than the remarkable 'Banjo Bill' (from 2011's Purpose \u0026amp; Grace), based upon the words of Banjo Bill Cornett of Hindman, Kentucky, which testifies to the breadth and scope of Simpson's writing.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Topic","offers":[{"title":"LP | x2","offer_id":50439312441675,"sku":"1037990","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50439308509515,"sku":"1037989","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/9a31cb67-2ab2-44b7-b91e-c8b81d85d5c6_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726952838"},{"product_id":"trails-and-tribulations","title":"Trails and Tribulations","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMartin Simpson\u003c\/strong\u003e, world-renowned guitarist, singer, and songwriter, is releasing his 20th solo album in 40 years, \u003cem\u003eTrails and Tribulations\u003c\/em\u003e, on Topic Records. Produced and engineered by Andy Bell, \u003cem\u003eTrails and Tribulations\u003c\/em\u003e features some of Martin's most inventive playing yet, showcasing his virtuosity on a variety of instruments including acoustic guitars, resonator guitars, Weissenbown lap steel guitar, electric guitars, 5-string banjo, ukulele, and voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGuest musicians on the new album include Ben Nicholls on string bass and electric bass guitars, Toby Kearney on drums and percussion, Nancy Kerr on fiddle and viola, Andy Cutting on diatonic accordion and melodeon, John Smith on electric guitar and backing vocals, Helen Bell on strings, Amy Newhouse-Smith on backing vocals, and, for the first time on record, his daughter Molly Simpson on vocals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe album is available in various formats: 2LP - Double 180 Gram Vinyl in Gatefold Sleeve, 2CD - Limited Deluxe Edition includes a 6-track bonus disc and 20-page booklet with artwork not found in the standard version, and CD - Standard CD.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Topic","offers":[{"title":"CD | x2","offer_id":50471348437323,"sku":"1015542","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP | x2","offer_id":50471348633931,"sku":"1015543","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50471348240715,"sku":"1015541","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a920d4d3-3909-4463-aae6-24b7af6ce6b5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727399278"},{"product_id":"home-recordings","title":"Home Recordings","description":"\u003cp\u003eNew album of home recordings recorded during the 2020 lockdown. Includes sublime takes on songs by Bob Dylan, John Prine, Lyle Lovett and Robin Williamson.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMartin Simpson’s next album \u003ci\u003ewas\u003c\/i\u003e going to be a live one. But the lockdown put paid to all that. Even so, this cloud \u003ci\u003edoes\u003c\/i\u003e have a silver lining. And what a silver lining it is. Unable to play to audiences (Martin can average over 100 gigs a year) or go into a recording studio, the only solution was to record a new album at home and were it not for the gaggle of geese flying overhead (you can hear them on\u003ci\u003e Lonesome Valley Geese\u003c\/i\u003e) and the birds happily tweeting on the closing track, you perhaps wouldn’t know this wasn’t a studio album. Recorded by his regular producer, now neighbour, Andy Bell, the aptly-named, \u003ci\u003eHome Recordings\u003c\/i\u003e finds Martin singing and playing, literally amongst his beloved guitar and banjo collection and out on his Peak District-facing porch.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eHome Recordings\u003c\/i\u003e includes outstanding takes on Lyle Lovett’s \u003ci\u003eFamily Reserve\u003c\/i\u003e (from his 1992 album, \u003ci\u003eJoshua Judges Ruth\u003c\/i\u003e), John Prine’s\u003ci\u003e Angel From Montgomery\u003c\/i\u003e (from his 1971 debut album), Robin Williamson’s\u003ci\u003e October Song\u003c\/i\u003e (from Incredible String Band's eponymous debut album, 1966) and of course, Bob Dylan’s These Times, \u003ci\u003eThey Are A-Changin,’\u003c\/i\u003e which sounds particularly apt in the current climate. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Topic","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50473753706827,"sku":"1104769","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/6ea62303-77de-4b26-828c-1b5e5ce61d08_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727430699"},{"product_id":"prodigal-son","title":"Prodigal Son","description":"\u003cp\u003eConsidered by many in the folk world as one of Martin Simpsons finest albums, Topic are proud to present here in their 80th year the first release on the Topic Treasures imprint, deluxe issues of classic Topic albums from the label. This release is the classic album in all its glory along with a bonus disc of live tracks hand-picked by Martin Simpson himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOriginally released in 2007, Prodigal Son was hailed a classic, receiving 4- and 5-star reviews in such publications as The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Daily Express and Observer while Folk publications such as fRoots raved about its wonderment!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTracks like ‘Duncan \u0026amp; Brady’ an American ballad originally recorded by Lead Belly and ‘Good Morning Mr. Railroad Man clearly indicate Martin Simpson’s love for traditional American roots music and the wonderful Randy Newman track ‘Louisiana 1927’ delve into historical event territory.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of the stand out tracks if there is such a thing on this album of quality is ‘Never Any Good’ a song about Father and Son relationship. In truth the whole album is a true tour de force and a beautiful body of work from one of the greatest guitar players in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Topic","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50865159930187,"sku":"1059202","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/0387eed0-9bd3-4d26-8f2d-be330e76c378_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1732073716"},{"product_id":"some-kind-of-jubilee","title":"Some Kind of Jubilee","description":"\u003cp\u003eBrilliant new studio album from English folk legend and marking his 50th Anniversary in the business. Recorded at Jackson Browne's Groovemaster Studio in Santa Monica, California, and completed in Yorkshire.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Topic","offers":[{"title":"2LP - Black","offer_id":57247689572683,"sku":"R7094-9716","price":35.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"2CD","offer_id":57247689605451,"sku":"R7094-3796","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/c392cacf-ec1e-d544-0c8c-3d0e9545f11d.jpg?v=1778237622"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/martin-simpson.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}