3 Forgotten Folk Songs From 1969 You Need To Remember

The 1960s folk revival may have peaked by the middle of the decade, but several influential artists carried on the tradition to the end of the decade and beyond. While Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and others helped bring roots music to mainstream audiences, many worthwhile tunes from the era have since been overlooked. This list highlights three forgotten folk songs from 1969 you need to remember.

“Fotheringay” by Fairport Convention

Referencing a ruined castle in an English village, Sandy Denny sings about a girl in solitude, where her guarded castle feels more akin to a prison. Layers of acoustic guitars, including gorgeous phrases by Richard Thompson, cycle and repeat like the girl’s lonely days. One after the other, slowly slipping away into the past. It appears on the group’s second studio album, What We Did On Our Holidays, released in December 1968.

Folk diehards certainly know Fairport Convention, but for others, the group remains an undiscovered gem. “Fotheringay” appeared as the B-side to Fairport Convention’s 1969 single, and Bob Dylan cover, “I’ll Keep It With Mine”.

“Saturday Sun” by Nick Drake

Nick Drake struggled to gain much attention for his music during his lifetime. As he struggled with depression, Drake also seemed to be fading from view. “Saturday Sun” is a swinging lounge tune closing Five Leaves Left. It was his debut album, and the title suggests emptiness, desertedness, waiting for the wind to blow the remaining leaves away. Over piano chords and a jazzy groove, Drake observes the recurring sun while staring at passersby.

Meanwhile, the lazy vibe almost feels like a shrug. Whatever warmth or light the sun brings won’t shine down on Drake here. So instead, he sits, crooning another heartbreaking tune. Years later, someone listened. Check out Beck’s modern folk gem, “Sunday Sun”.

“Poison” by Bert Jansch

Bert Jansch’s band Pentangle backs him on his sixth solo release. And Birthday Blues shows why the Scottish guitar legend gained a cult following that includes Jimmy Page, Neil Young, and Johnny Marr. “Poison” is a folk-rock track that could have easily been buoyed by electric guitars. But the power of Jansch’s acoustic playing gives the song a unique kind of heaviness.

Here, Jansch questions the idea of a benevolent creator. He notices how easily nature could kill him with an invisible toxin. Mother Nature sounds nurturing, but she’s sure fond of laying deadly traps for living things.

Photo courtesy of Island Records/Bryter Music