Ashley Hutchings profile picture

Ashley Hutchings

About Me

PLEASE NOTE: This site is NOT run by Ashley Hutchings, but is an UNOFFICIAL site, run in deep appreciation of Ashley's music and his HUGE contribution to English folk music and dance.
ASHLEY HUTCHING'S RAINBOW CHASERS
Ashley Hutchings' remarkable and incredible contribution to the British Folk Revival has often been compressed into the shorthand, that goes something like this: Father of Folk-Rock, Alchemist of Electric Morris,The Guv'nor, founder-member of Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, the many Albion Bands, The Ashley Hutchings All-Stars, The Ashley Hutchings Big Beat Combo,The Ashley Hutchings Dance Band, and his many solo albums, though even these have many members of the various bands associated with Ashley.
This, however, does not even begin to detail the full scope of his accomplishments. Ashleys' enormous importance and contribution, as band-leader, arranger, musician, and above all popularist of English-based folk music is centred upon his own particular blend of tradition and innovation.
Ashley Hutchings was born on 26th January 1945,in Southgate, Middlesex, and spent his early years in the Muswell Hill area of North London. His father, Leonard, was a pianist with his own dance band - Leonard Hutchings and His Embassy Five. The young Hutchings followed his passionate interest in all forms of popular music. During the early sixties he led a number of short-lived groups - the Still Waters, the Blue Reeds, Dr. K's Blues Band, Tim Turner's Narration and the Ethnic Shuffle Orchestra. Skiffle, R'n'B and the singer-songwriters of North America provided the repertoire for the early bands that eventually became Fairport Convention, or as rumour had it, very nearly, Electric Rhutabaga.......
Ashley Hutchings being interviewed by Bob Harris in 2006....in which Ashley talks about his entire career.
And here are Ashley Hutchings Rainbow Chasers singing DAMN THE DAY at Cropredy 2007

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 01/06/2006
Band Website: http://ashleyhutchingsillustrated.googlepages.com/
Influences: DR. K's BLUES BANDFAIRPORT CONVENTIONSTEELEYE SPAN
THE ALBION CHRISTMAS BAND
THE LARK RISE BAND
THE BYRDS
TIM TURNER'S NARRATION
THE MOTHER OF ALL MORRIS
THE WILD SIDE OF TOWN
THE ALBION COUNTRY BAND
'A Lark In The Morning'
Martin Carthy With Steeleye Span - 1970

Sounds Like: Ashley Hutchings
Record Label: TALKING ELEPHANT
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

FAIRPORTS CROPREDY CONVENTION 2008

Some EXCELLENT news! Fairport's Cropredy Convention - 2008. "We are pleased to announce that the dates for this year's festival are 7-9 August" ..taken from Fairport Convention's main site.
Posted by on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:57:00 GMT

THE LARK RISE BAND

Ashley Hutchings is off again!  This time with his new venture, The Lark Rise Band, celebrating the wonderful stories of Lark Rise To Candleford. You can read all about the band, their gigs, an...
Posted by on Sat, 05 Jan 2008 12:56:00 GMT

THE ALBION BAND WINTER TOUR 2007

ALBION BAND WINTER TOUR08-12-2007 : Hailsham Pavillion (uk) 09-12-2007 : TBC (Italy) 10-12-2007 : TBC (Italy) 11-12-2007 : TBC (Italy) 12-12-2007 : The Sage - Gateshead (uk) 13-12-2007 : The Met - Bur...
Posted by on Sun, 04 Nov 2007 03:02:00 GMT

Twangin' n' A-Traddin

Here he is again!  This time with a few other paths to amble down as well...  Ashley Hutchings Big Beat Combo: http://skiffle.n.roll.googlepages.com/twangin%27n%27a-traddi n
Posted by on Fri, 23 Mar 2007 14:55:00 GMT

Rainbow Chasers upcoming gigs for NOV and DEC 2007

Taken from The Rainbow Chasers Myspace page, two upcoming dates for November and December   ..> 11/09/2007 08:00 PM - Abingdon, Oxfordshire, - Tel: 01274588614..> ..> 1...
Posted by on Sat, 24 Feb 2007 14:02:00 GMT

The Etchingham Steam Band

Yes, we're very pleased to be able to bring you our new site on The Etchingham Steam Band. Yet another of Ashley's bands. That man never stops does he!   We very much hope that you'll ...
Posted by on Wed, 21 Feb 2007 12:15:00 GMT

The Compleat Dancing Master

Personnel John Kirkpatrick & Ashley Hutchings with Philip Pickett, Bert Cleaver, Simon Nicol, Roger Swallow, Rod Skeaping, Jeremy Montagu, Dave Mattacks, Gary Watson, Bernard Hepton, Fr...
Posted by on Thu, 29 Jun 2006 05:58:00 GMT

WE WON!!!!

Reprinted from Billy Bragg's Blog and what joyful news it is too!!!!   A STATEMENT FROM THE BARD HIMSELF. PLEASE LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT MYSPACE IS SAFE AGAIN! BELOW THE STATEMENT IS A COPY OF THE...
Posted by on Wed, 28 Jun 2006 05:18:00 GMT

SORRY THERE'S NO MUSIC!!

Thanks to three incredible people on Myspace, Lizzie Cornish (God Beless you Lizzie!) that  wonderful performer and all round nice guy, Billy Bragg, and Sarah, in Billy's office, we here discover...
Posted by on Sat, 03 Jun 2006 13:49:00 GMT

Ashley's Links

From time to time we'll be adding links related to and about Ashley Hutchings Hark The Village Wait: Steeleye Span - The Ashley Hutchings Years The Prospect Before Us - part of our visual album collec...
Posted by on Fri, 02 Jun 2006 05:42:00 GMT