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Lindisfarne

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  • The Lindisfarne Archives
    • Interviews: Lindisfarne archives
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    • A history of Lindisfarne: Part I
    • A history of Lindisfarne: Part II
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    • A history of Lindisfarne: Part IV - what happened next
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    • Radiator live in Fulham 1977
    • Alan Hull's Gibson 12-string
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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...

09/03/2017

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6 comments

  • Martin
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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

  • Samuel Darden
    Samuel Darden
    Nov 12 2019 10:56 PM
    I grew up with like Lindisfarne bands and beautiful spider solitaire games in my young age. Today I managed to get it ypur CD to replace my very badly scratched vinyl copy. Memory from younger age was the best...

    I grew up with like Lindisfarne bands and beautiful spider solitaire games in my young age. Today I managed to get it ypur CD to replace my very badly scratched vinyl copy. Memory from younger age was the best...

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