The Woods Band

A newly re-mastered edition of the 1971 self-titled album by The Woods Band. Husband and wife Terry and Gay Woods had been members of the first line-up of Steeleye Span (also featuring ex-Fairport Convention member Ashley Hutchings, Tim Hart, and Maddy Prior).

The Woods departed that group shortly after the release of their debut album to form their own band. After working with various musicians (including briefly the former King Crimson members Mike Giles and Ian McDonald), The Woods Band finally settled on a stable line-up when Ed Deane and Pat Nash joined the fold.

In 1971, the Woods Band signed to the newly established Greenwich Gramophone Company (a "Progressive" imprint of songwriter Les Reed’s Chapter 1 Records) and recorded their only album at Morgan Studios in September that year. Produced by former Colosseum bassist Tony Reeves, The Woods Band featured both traditional and original material and utilized both traditional and electric instrumentation, taking on more of a rock influence than the early Steeleye Span.

Upon its release, the album was well-received, and The Woods Band undertook a series of concerts with their fellow label mates Samurai and Open Road, beginning to develop a cult following. However, Greenwich Gramophone ceased operations in 1972, leaving the band without a recording contract, and The Woods Band ended, with Terry and Gay Woods continuing to record and work as a duo. Terry Woods was later a member of The Pogues.

This Esoteric Recordings edition has been newly re-mastered and features an illustrated booklet with a new essay.