Steeleye Span ‎– Please To See The King

Steeleye Span – Please To See The King

Released in March 1971, Please To See The King is a landmark of British folk-rock, capturing Steeleye Span at a pivotal moment in the development of their distinctive electric interpretation of traditional music. Their second studio album introduced a new line-up featuring celebrated folk singer and guitarist Martin Carthy and classically trained fiddle player Peter Knight, whose contributions helped create a tougher, more adventurous sound than that of the band's debut.

Formed in 1969 with the aim of bringing traditional British folk songs into a contemporary band setting, Steeleye Span became one of the defining groups of the English electric folk movement. Alongside contemporaries such as Fairport Convention, they helped demonstrate that centuries-old ballads, dance tunes and narrative songs could retain their power when presented with amplified instruments and modern arrangements. On Please To See The King, that vision takes on a particularly raw and uncompromising character.

One of the album's most striking features is its powerful sound without a conventional drum kit. Instead, the music builds its momentum through interlocking guitar and bass parts, fiddle, mandolin, dulcimer, vocal harmonies and rhythmic percussion. Martin Carthy's distinctive guitar playing adds an earthy, direct quality, while Peter Knight's fiddle brings both melodic richness and driving rhythmic energy. Maddy Prior's expressive voice remains central to the band's identity, complementing the male vocal contributions of Carthy, Tim Hart and Ashley Hutchings.

The album opens with “The Blacksmith,” a traditional song given a compelling folk-rock treatment through layered vocals and an insistent instrumental arrangement. “Cold, Haily, Windy Night” draws on the darker side of the English ballad tradition, while “Jigs: Bryan O'Lynn / The Hag With The Money” brings lively Irish dance rhythms into the sequence. The combination of traditional repertoire and tightly integrated ensemble playing gives the record a sound that is at once ancient in its source material and strikingly modern in execution.

“Prince Charlie Stuart” explores the historical ballad tradition, while “Boys Of Bedlam” ventures into the unsettling world of a song associated with madness and social marginality. On the second side, “False Knight On The Road” delivers a tense, atmospheric interpretation of a traditional dialogue ballad, and “The Lark In The Morning” moves into a more celebratory, dance-oriented mood. “Female Drummer” offers another compelling example of the group's ability to reshape traditional material without losing its narrative character.

The title's significance is rooted in the traditional song “The King,” which draws on the customs surrounding the wren-hunting ceremony in parts of Britain and Ireland. The album's closing track, “Lovely On The Water,” provides a more reflective conclusion, balancing the record's muscular arrangements with the melancholy beauty of a traditional farewell song.

Produced by Sandy Roberton and recorded at Sound Techniques in London, Please To See The King helped establish Steeleye Span as one of the most important groups in British folk-rock. Its heavier instrumental approach, adventurous arrangements and commitment to traditional song make it an essential recording for anyone interested in the evolution of British roots music during the early 1970s.

For collectors of British folk, electric folk, progressive folk-rock and traditional balladry, Please To See The King is a particularly rewarding album. It captures a pioneering line-up developing a sound that respects the depth of the folk tradition while embracing the possibilities of amplified performance. More than five decades after its release, it remains a compelling example of how traditional music can be transformed without losing its identity.

Tracklist

Side A

A1. The Blacksmith
A2. Cold, Haily, Windy Night
A3. Jigs: Bryan O'Lynn / The Hag With The Money
A4. Prince Charlie Stuart
A5. Boys Of Bedlam

Side B

B1. False Knight On The Road
B2. The Lark In The Morning
B3. Female Drummer
B4. The King
B5. Lovely On The Water