No More Sad Refrains: The Life and Times of Sandy Denny

by Clinton Heylin

With Fairport Convention and solo, Sandy Denny displayed one of contemporary music’s finest voices; she also composed her own material, including "Who Knows Where The Time Goes"—a huge U.S. hit for Judy Collins—and sang on Led Zeppelin IV. However, Sandy tragically got caught in a spiral of drink and drugs and died at age 31 in 1978. Best-selling Dylan biographer Heylin draws on hours of new interviews to tell Sandy’s story.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, History

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[minnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandy Denny was the singer in 60’s\70’s folk rock group Fairport Convention, she left and formed Fotheringay with future husband Trevor Lucas, then went solo. Sandy had an achingly beautiful voice but was also a brilliant songwriter, she died in 1978 aged 31 of a brain haemorrhage after a recent fall. This book I finished in two days, and anyone interested in British folk would find it worth reading. Numerous interviews, with folk deities such as Richard and Linda Thompson, and Sandy’s close friends, merge with the writers opinions, to give a fairly clear picture of Sandy’s life and music. The parallels with Janis Joplin are unbelievable, two totally different voices but like Janis, Sandy could drink most people under the table and partied with the likes of Keith Moon but underneath she was insecure. This is a sad book, and by the end of it Sandy’s moodswings and negligent behavior have taken their toll on her husband who runs away with their baby daughter. The writer analyses the lyrics and music in a fairly in depth way, so I wouldn’t say this was a sensationalised look at Sandy’s life. My only critiscism was strange punctuation and brackets on everything which became irritating after a while.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Odd one this. While Heylin seemingly rates Sandy's music and lyrics very high, he does not seem to appreciate the core of musicians she worked with for a number of years. His hatchet job on Trevor Lucas is not fair. They were not role models as a married couple, they both did things that would probably make Amy Winehouse blush. One could argue that when the absolute most critical point hit that Trevor Lucas made one of the wisest choices of his life in taking the baby back to Australia though, for which he is lionized for in the book. I think it was Dave (Peggy) Pegg who said on another occasion about this time how hard it was-everyone loved Sandy, but everyone loved Trevor as well. But I thought the book was just sloppy, and not at all as in depth as it could have been. Patrick Humphries bio of Richard Thompson is much better written, with almost the same cast of characters for the early years of his career as this book. So why the big difference? Humphries is definitely a fan, but his objectivity wins out, something Heylin does not have. Disappointing, but I gave it an extra star if only because it is the ONLY book about this amazing performer.

[Esther · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the best singer songwriters of the late 60s/70s. Dead at age 31 supposedly from a brain injury from falling down stairs. But drugs and alcohol played their part. Its a tragic read, bucket loads of original talent and one of the best voices, but she was crippled with low self esteem, self doubt, a wanker of a husband and really odd parents (where it all came from probably) Following the fateful fall down the stairs whilst visiting her parents, her mum refused to take her to hospital to get checked out because she was drunk and oh the social shame. A couple of weeks later she has a hamorage (bad spelling) and boom gone. So sad she could have been saved. As a biography, this is not what Sandy Denny deserves. The author clearly has an agenda and is overtly critical of people at times which is annoying to read. If you're thinking who? You probably know Led Zep's The Battle of Evermore. Thats Sandy blowing Robert Plant out of the water.

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally shelled out for this disappointing book. I have really liked Clinton Heylin's other books ("Behind the Shades" and "From The Velvets to the Voidoids") so it's doubly disappointing. Heylin does not seem particularly engaged with or sympathetic to his subject. His writing seems tossed off and sloppy. Huge contrast to "Behind The Shades" where his obvious obsession with Dylan shines through on every page. This book is also rife with spelling and grammatical errors.

It's great to see images from Sandy Denny's notebooks that are reproduced in the book (including the original handwritten lyrics for "Who Knows Where The Time Goes"). Very cool.

She apparently had a pretty big, unrequited crush on Pete Townshend (which the "Electric Eden" book refers to, but details are in this book). That blows my mind.

I hope there is another, better Sandy Denny bio someday.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is sad that Sandy Denny did not create more. It is sad that both she and her husband, Trevor Lucas, did not live long enough to raise their daughter and her half-brother, or have more children. It is also sad that substance abuse and what was probably bipolar disorder destroyed yet another magnificent talent. It deglamorized those times for me. I used to think it would have been cool to be part of the 60s British folk rock scene. Now, I realize that it was just another case of people not getting paid what they were worth, of self-destructive behavior and troubled relationships, of unfulfilled potential. I am glad that people like Joe Boyd at least got some of these talented people recorded for posterity. I hope projects like Thea Gilmore's continue to bring Sandy's unproduced lyrics to public consciousness.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the fresh surge of interest in Sandy Denny since the turn of the millennium, multiple biographies of the great English voice have appeared. However, I would rate Mick Houghton’s I’ve Always Kept a Unicorn as the best one to start with. This one by Clinton Heylin is lighter on detail, and the selection of photos is meagre. One hears more firsthand testimony from close friends and acquaintances of Denny in the Houghton book. Moreover, there are some annoying idiosyncrasies in Heylin’s writing (e.g. a love for writing lil’ and ol’ in folksy style) and a number of typos in the ebook version.

Nevertheless, there is some trivia that readers will find only here. So, Heylin’s account is worth reading, alongside Philip Ward’s Sandy Denny: Reflections on Her Music, for particularly keen fans of the singer who have read the superior Houghton biography and want to know more.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the most moving biography I’ve read.

Incredibly detailed and beautifully written.

Looking to reading his Dylan biography

Outstanding

[Hilary Blake · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interested to read about her life but I don't like the style of the writer and it feels like it's just been pulled together from other quotes. I don't think I'll spend anymore time on it. Disappointing

[Mary Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a sad, sad book. For someone like myself who is a major Sandy Denny Fan going back to just before her death, this book as other's have pointed out, has a definite agenda of the Author. There is so much GOOD that Sandy did and have in her life, I found myself reading this sobbing. Yes, she drank. Yes, she even partied Bonham under the table from what I understand. She was fully misunderstood by her family, and in the end died as a consequence of their negligence based on bad understanding of Alcoholism and getting her help.

If you really want something that will tell you more about Sandy and those who loved her, listen to a copy of the Strawb's song, "down through the Years". You'll realize how much she meant to people, even if her family treated her like scum.

It's a tell all and poorly executed. No one really 'gets' why she died (from the facts in the book) or clearly why Trevor took Georgia to Aus. Until you read in a yahoo group on Sandy Denny, the 'truer' story; Trevor did it out of love for both Sandy and Georgia, to avoid Sandy's parents from having total control over his daughter and estranged dead wife. Who can blame him?

Please at some point see Georgia pick up a lifetime achievement in England video, where her musician friends literally did CD tribute to raise money for Georgia to pick it up; it will break your heart. PS I own a copy of the CD from Flegling Records, Bee's Knees. That is more precious than reading this tell all that falls short of the mark.

[Terry Mccumiskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book well written and very intersing.

[SmokingMirror · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5