Paul Ross, thanks
http://amzn.to/fTGjQP

any number of Richard Thompson songs. Not so much the big story songs that RT occasionally excels at (Vincent, Beeswing etc) but the fragile, haunting ones that few voices can cover but Sandy did superbly. 'The Ghost Of You Walks' would be my first choice.

...but ever since I read this question, and instantly thought "What Difference Does It Make?" by The Smiths, I've been hearing her sing it, in my mind's ear, and you know, it would have suited her voice down to the ground. I rest my case.

The Leisure Society's 'A Matter of Time'? There's a pastoral Englishness to their stuff that would have suited Sandy down to the ground. Slightly more leftfield, how about some of Gorky's more folky stuff? Diamond Dew from Barafundle?

I agree with the comments above regarding Richard Thompson songs. I reckon the song most Sandy Denny fans would have liked to have heard her sing would have been Dimming Of The Day. But since it was released in '75 and possibly written some time before, it doesn't fit the criteria at all.

Sandy Denny singing The Smiths would also be an excellent call. Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want maybe?

For me the thing about Sandy Denny's voice was it's quality of fragile drama and there aren't many people writing those sorts of songs any more.

Amy Wadge does a very good version of A Design For Life but her voice isn't a patch on Sandy Denny's.

Also that type of genre hopping is quite fashionable these days.

So A Design For Life would get my vote.

Shipbuilding or Just Like Honey.

because her voice (stunning but unadorned) and the song's images (overstated and incomprehensible unless you're an American mechanic, but affecting nonetheless) would have combined beautifully. Back in the realm of the possible, I wouldn't mind hearing Kate Rusby have a go at it.

I wanted to suggest "My Room" by VDGG (on the Still Life album, fact fans) - sea metaphor, melancholic - but she was still alive when it was recorded and therefore it falls outside the strict remit of the question.

So, instead, how about the McCartney / MacManus song, "So Like Candy"?

Neither are obvious choices: both songs aren't "folk", but they respond to a purity of delivery and an essential melancholic approach...

I'm going with "Amelia" by Joni Mitchell. A very beautiful song, it would be perfect for Sandy's voice and style.

I genuinely would love to have heard Sandy Denny sing a stripped-down version of 'I Will Survive'.

The deep fragility of her voice would transform the song into something entirely different and, I suspect, it may well contain a sentiment that she would have been able to identify with.

... is Elliott Smith's "Between the Bars".

... I'm not a huge Radiohead fan, but I'd love to hear her essay "Creep" and/or "Karma Police"...

- gorgeous, transportive, haunting, elemental, very English song, - crossing the twilit misty borders of Folk, Rock and Pop - , that I could easily imagine her covering if she'd had the chance.

Plus she might've made a better job of miming to it on TOTP...

Dylan's "Make you feel my love" from Time out of Mind
It really suits the female voice - and Sandy would have made it her own. Here's a nice version to give you an idea.

I know its a pretty damn fine track already but i can definately hear Sandy denny singing this and doing something different with it. A time travelling nod from one great artist with their demons to another.

Hmmmmm... tough choice. Kudos to Derek for mentioning Amy Wadge's cover of A Design For Life - cracking version.

However, having finally got round to watching the Songwriters' Circle episode with Chris Difford, Justin Currie and the fabulous Boo Hewerdine I'd have to plump for any of a number of his songs. The tune he wrote with Rosalie Deighton - "Sing To Me" would be close to the top but on balance I'd have to go for:

The Patience of Angels

Cracking song and Sandy's voice on it would be stunning.

I submitted an entry a couple of days ago but others may like to know.

....she could have done a stunning version of Only Women Bleed - maybe even better than Julie Covington's.

... but I'd like to have heard her sing Beverley Craven's 'Promise Me'. (If I'm honest, I like hearing Beverley Craven sing Beverley Craven's 'Promise Me' too.)

Bit left-field this but how about a stripped down or kitchen sink version of Beyonce's 'Crazy In Love'. That should annoy the folkies.

Does that make me a bad person?

Shipbuilding - the Elvis Costello rabble rouser

I asked Jim Irvine, who reveiwed the recent Sandy Denny box set in The Word, to judge the competition. Jim writes...

One or two readers missed the point and eulogised nicely about songs Sandy recorded. No prizes there.

Interesting bias towards gloomy indie – lots of nods for PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Morrissey, Joy Div or Echo & The Bunnymen, some more successfully argued than others.

Two people could have won with Kate Bush’s This Woman’s Work, but neither elaborated on their choice. Runner-up prizes reserved for people who wrote something.

Several wanted to hear her singing later Dylan and Richard Thompson compositions, as she always gave great readings of their songs. And two songs surprised with multiple votes: Boo Hewardine’s The Patience Of Angels and The Smiths’ How Soon Is Now. However, Chipsnorice made an eloquent case for a cover of Please Please Let Me Get What I Want. He’s right, she would sound good singing “Good times for a change” and “Lord knows it would be the first time.” More appropriate than “I am the son and the heir of a shyness that is criminally vulgar” perhaps. Runner-up.

Let’s assume toxtethogrady was being entirely serious nominating Gerthca by Chas’n’Dave, “a song wrought by complexity, machismo and sorrow”. No prize but we admire his nerve.

We also wondered if Five Centres was kidding selecting Take That Look Off Your Face by Marti Webb. But one man’s leftovers is another man’s rissoles, and maybe Sandy would have underplayed it properly.

We liked Artery1’s suggestion that Sandy could have done Leonard Cohen’s Alexandra’s Leaving, changed it into the first person and given it the flesh Cohen himself failed to find. Runner-up.

McLongWhiteCloud made an excellent rumination on The Cowboy Junkies’ Sun Comes Up It’s Tuesday Morning. Runner-up.

We’re giving first place to Retropath2 because, despite some deep-mauve prose, he seems to care about Sandy’s singing, picked an interesting cover - Townes Van Zandt’s Tower Song - and think he’d enjoy the prize.

Results:

Winner: Retropath2

Runners-up:
McLongWhiteCloud
Artery1
Ger The Boptist
Uli
Chipsnorice
Trevor_Raggatt
gatz
SweetRosemary
soapdodger

It's a lovely song. She could have done it much justice.

Thanks to Frazer and Jim. I'm really chuffed at winning a prize. I adore Sandy's music. I was lucky to see her a few times in the seventies: very treasured memories for me.

- Robin Tarry (Artery1)

As an extremely rare visitor to these shores of late, this was an unexpected pleasure, thank you very much. Those with long memories may recall I am no stranger to eulogising over members of the extended Fairport family tree. Fairfield Halls Croydon in, I think, December 1975 was my one live exposure to Ms Denny.

Hi Frazer & Jim,
I am honoured to be selected.
My love for Sandy still burns bright.

Ger

Hey Retropath2,

Congratulations on the big prize! And small world or wot - I was at that Fairfield Halls show too. It was a real Fairport masterclass marathon. Part of it is on the Fairport Live cd. Think it was probably 1974 though as I'd moved to the Midlands by 75. I have all my ticket stubs from the 70s in a folder at the back of the wardrobe somewhere. One day, I'll dig 'em out.

I emailed you with my address last night Fraser.

In the words of the great Sir Cliff - congratulations. I had forgotten all about the competition. Think I entered but with my memory I never know what.....er.

Great prizes for keeping the flame of Sandy burning rightly brightly. More competitions on the Word blog please. How about a replica blue shirt from Mark Ellen's personal tailor? A trip to a foreign football match with Fraser Lewry?

Cheers, Jim and Fraser!
Fraser maybe hand-deliver it yourself when you over for the World Cup later in the year?

... competition had slipped my mind and now this! Have emailed you with my details Fraser.
Ta muchly!

Wonderful, a large parcel greeted me in the hallway on return from the coalface yesterday. Considering I entered the competition as a cheaper way of aquiring (some of) the unreleased demos, seeing the print as a necessary evil as part thereof, may I say just how delightful and tasteful it is. All I need is to decide where to hang it, by the massed armies of recorded music seeming an obvious contender.
Hopefully the CD wil follow in due course.
Thank you again.

... hope you got my address Fraser?

I always thought Sandy Denny was terrific and this box set is a welcome addition to her memory. Back in, I think it was 1970, possibly 1971, I booked Sandy Denny as part of a double bill and presented her in concert at Newcastle City Hall. I would have been 16 at the time, one of my very earliest concert promotions. Also booked to appear was John Martyn who was supposed to go on stage first. I introduced Sandy, she walked on stage (with a stumble) to applause, gave me a kiss on the way past.....and to my horror, fell flat on her face.

Meanwhile there was no sign of John Martyn. He had missed various trains from Kings X (why I don't know) and I received a message while Sandy was performing to say that he was on a particular train which would arrive at Newcastle Central Station after Sandy Denny's set was due to finish. I called up my dad to ask for help, gave him a photo of John Martyn, asked him to go to the railway station, grab him and get him directly to the stage door as fast as possible. After a circa half an hour interval following Sandy's set, my dad arrived with John who staggered in, having no doubt spent a few hours in the train's buffet bar, carrying a guitar case. He was on stage 3 minutes later. I don't think I've promoted a concert at Newcastle City Hall by any artist, other than Lindisfarne, which went smoothly. Compared to everyone else I put on there over almost 20 years, promoting Lindisfarne was sheer perfection, nothing went wrong.....except with the hall itself.

I first promoted Lindisfarne at Newcastle City Hall (who were always good friends with the Fairports) when they first re-formed with the original Line-Up (Ray Jackson, Rod Clements, Si Cowe, Ray Laidlaw and the late, great, Alan Hull) at Christmas 1976........continued as comment:-

Whoops, I just checked a John Martyn website and the day I presented Sandy Denny at Newcastle City Hall was, according to the site and I'm sure they will be correct, "1972-10-12 UK, Newcastle, Civic Hall. Shared bill with Sandy Denny." I would have been 18 then. Got date mixed up with the date I promoted Gary Glitter's first ever show after Rock N Roll Part 2 was No 1 in the UK charts. (Some contrast with Sandy Denny!). John Martyn website wrong about venue though. It was, 100% certainly, Newcastle City Hall.

Diana Ross (and of G.T. Moore and the Reggae Guitars), I'm still waiting.
Impatient? Probably, but the above infomercial has tickled my need to hear......

At last it has arrived, waiting on the doormat as I arrived home just moments ago! Many thanks Fraser, for sorting this out, and thanks to The Word for hosting the comp. I hope everyone else is just as sorted.

here's hoping a little message will be lying on the doormat, chewed, no doubt, to ribbons by my boys.

Worth the wait. Review (for Stimpy) n/w.