Arranging 'Dingly Dell'...

Dingly Dell, the title track - and final track - on the band's third album, features a sparse, haunting arrangement. featuring guitar, bass, and orchestra.

The basic track was recorded during the 'Fog On The Tyne' sessions but all agreed that the song didn't fit with the rest of the album, so we held it over for the next one. Alan wanted strings on the track but we didn't want anything syrupy, we were after a more sinister effect. Ray Laidlaw and Alan took a trip to York to meet with Ray's brother Paul to discuss him dong the arrangement. A few weeks later they assembled in Island Record's Basing Street Studios to overdub Paul's arrangement for the string section to the existing track. The session players were mostly in their forties and fifties and were a little dismissive of Paul, then only about twenty one. That all changed when they heard the results. Alan and the group were delighted and they felt they'd created something truly memorable...

Listen to the final result below...

5 comments

Martin Berwickshire
Sep 3 2017 10:33 PM

Always loved this track I remember buying the l.p. and playing the track over and over again due to the way the whole song built up a true Alan hull classic

Always loved this track I remember buying the l.p. and playing the track over and over again due to the way the whole song built up a true Alan hull classic
Mick Fisher Barry, South Wales
Oct 1 2017 3:33 PM

Always loved this song. The strings were a surprise at the time, but they really work well.

Always loved this song. The strings were a surprise at the time, but they really work well.
Bob wheeler
Oct 17 2017 10:57 PM

I was expecting Why can't I be satisfied on it. But still a great album that suffered from a inferior production

I was expecting Why can't I be satisfied on it. But still a great album that suffered from a inferior production
Paul Laidlaw
Feb 3 2018 1:27 AM

I loved doing this. It wasn’t just a string section though, there were four woodwind players and two French horns as well. Limited studio space meant that the three sections had to be overdubbed separately which made it a bit tricky to keep in unison (the verse doesn’t really have a pulse so finding a downbeat was a challenge). The lads liked it though as did Bob Johnston, so much so that they asked me to add an orchestral arrangement to “All Fall Down” as well which I wrote overnight and recorded the next day. Happy times.

I loved doing this. It wasn’t just a string section though, there were four woodwind players and two French horns as well. Limited studio space meant that the three sections had to be overdubbed separately which made it a bit tricky to keep in unison (the verse doesn’t really have a pulse so finding a downbeat was a challenge). The lads liked it though as did Bob Johnston, so much so that they asked me to add an orchestral arrangement to “All Fall Down” as well which I wrote overnight and recorded the next day. Happy times.
Brendan Stavanger
May 1 2018 9:09 AM

Discovered this song late in my Lindisfarne listening, and it's a firm favourite with me. I feel my pulse slow, and slip into easy deep breathing, disconnect from the world for a few minutes and float free, for a while anyway. 30 odd years ago now, but from my 16 year-old self and me - many thanks

Discovered this song late in my Lindisfarne listening, and it's a firm favourite with me. I feel my pulse slow, and slip into easy deep breathing, disconnect from the world for a few minutes and float free, for a while anyway. 30 odd years ago now, but from my 16 year-old self and me - many thanks

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