Revelations
Revelations - fold-out cover
3LP Set: Revelations REV1/2/3, April 1972 (UK) - limited edition of 5000.
Revelations | Discogs
I bought this triple LP in December 1975 on a sale for R3
(a new single LP cost then about R5.50!). [R=Rand, South African currency]
I was intrigued by the artist line-up; some of my favourites
like Bowie, Edgar Broughton Band and Gong were featured,
as well as bands I had heard of, but not heard before,
like The Grateful Dead, Pink Fairies, etc.
There was no writing on the front cover, just the wonderful pyramid pictured above.
In fact the whole sleeve unfolds into one big poster.
The track list is on a separate sheet ("The Electric Score") which was slipped
into the back of the plastic protective sleeve.
This LP also included a photo booklet of the event with weird hippy stuff
and a cut-and-fold miniature silver pyramid.
All the images can be seen at Discogs.
ALL FREE
Glastonbury Fayre was held at Worthy Farm, Pilton, near Shepton Mallet, Somerset, from Sunday June 20 to Thursday June 24, encompassing Midsummers Day. It was a fair in the medieval tradition, embodying the legends of the area, with music, dance, poetry, theatre, lights and the opportunity for spontaneous entertainments.
There was no monetary profit - it was free.
A performing schedule is included in the booklet. It is typed, but with numerous hand-written strike-throughs, crosses, additions, etc. There is an entry "'Jimi Hendrix - Rainbow Bridge' Midnight" - presumably this film was screened at midnight on the Monday night.
It seems Pink Floyd were scheduled to play at 1 a.m. on the morning of the 23rd, but their name is scratched out!
A random selection of performers from the schedule (not listed above): Traffic, Terry Reid, Toad, Magic Michael, Dave (probably Dave Cousins as his name appears next to a scratched-out Strawbs), Quintessence, Quiver, The Fantasees, Arthur Brown, The Illusions...
The festival moved to the time of the Summer Solstice and was known as the "Glastonbury Fayre". It had been planned by Andrew Kerr (Randolph Churchill's PA for many years) and Arabella Churchill who felt all other festivals at the time were over commercialised. It was paid for by the few who supported the ideal so the entrance was free and took a medieval tradition of music, dance, poetry, theatre, lights and spontaneous entertainment. It was in this year that the first "pyramid" stage was constructed out of scaffolding and expanded metal covered with plastic sheeting, built on a site above the Glastonbury-Stonehenge ley line. The musicians who performed recorded a now very rare album. The festival is also captured "a la Woodstock" by a film crew that included Nick Roeg and David Puttnam. This film was called "Glastonbury Fayre".
Acts included: Hawkwind, Traffic, Melanie, David Bowie, Joan Baez and Fairport Convention.
Attendance: estimated at 12,000.
Price: Free
Big Bucks
"Revelations" has been released on CD. I managed to get hold of a copy (it's a double disc) about 18 months ago. My copy is number 0811 of 1000 pressed, complete with all the booklets and even the same cutout pyramid (obviously scaled down!) that appeared in the original sleeve. The catalogue number is Fest 1/2, and it appears to be a German pressing. The sound quality, I must add, is not that fantastic, but for a collector, it's fine!
Hold onto your LP copy - it's worth big bucks - I was offered over 300 Pounds for mine about four years ago! Leon Economides, January 1999
Glastonbury Fayre [Unofficial Italian CD 1996 (date unconfirmed)] | Discogs
I was there!
I was actually at the Fayre in 1971 (I was then at university in nearby Bristol), and appear for about a second at the edge of one frame of the movie! I once had a copy of the original album which got lost years ago. However, when living in Holland around 1992-93 I picked up a bootleg set of the album which seems to be different from the one you mention.
This one is renamed "Glastonbury Fayre Festival", and is a double CD on Buccaneer Records (catalogue number BUC 029/2) including miniature (too small to read!) copies of the original sleeve and cutouts. It includes all the original tracks in OK quality (presumably taken from a good copy of the LPs).
I understand that the movie is now available on video, and intend to purchase a copy. Best regards, Rod Parkes, May 2000
Glastonbury Fayre [Unofficial Italian CD 1991] | Discogs
Revelations: Record One, Side One
The Grateful Dead - Dark Star....bury | Discogs
This live version of "Dark Star" from Empire Pool Wembley, London on 8 April 1972, was edited down to 24 minutes and included on "Revelations" as "Dark Star....bury". The Grateful Dead did not appear at the Glastonbury Fayre Festival, but they supplied this song for the album release.
Gong At Glastonbury
...and if you were wondering who was playing in the band - so are we. How was Peter Pussydog, the Tangerine Flash in California, and how come Laurie Allan was gigging in London with Fat Harry when Gong appeared at Glastonbury? So who in their right mind would want to work out the everyday rational reason when the result is (anyway) this recording by Venux.
Daevid Allen, 1972
In fact, Pyle and Allan are both featured on this album. The reason is that it comes from different recordings: Glastonbury in 1971 (with Pip Pyle) and Nanterre 1972 (with Laurie Allan).
Notes on Gong's Glastonbury Fayre 1971 CD, 2002
Gong - Glastonbury Fayre 1971 [CD 2002] | Discogs
No, I don't know what it all means either!
Glastonbury Fayre Film | Discogs
Digitally restored documentary by Nic Roeg with performances of:
Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come – "All Forms and Distinctions"
Family – "Drowned in Wine"
Fairport Convention – "Dirty Linen"
Gong – "Tried So Hard"
Magic Michael
Melanie – "Peace Will Come (According to Plan)"
Quintessence – "Giants"
Terry Reid (with Linda Lewis) – "Dean"
Traffic – "Gimme Some Lovin'"
Trumpton and the Riots
Tonto's Expanding Head Band
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