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Showing posts with label Gaudette. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gaudette. Show all posts

Friday, January 1, 2021

In The 1970s Steeleye Span


This British folk group I tried not to like in the 1970s, but I failed. They were pretty good actually and they are just SO SO British. The group was formed back in 1969 by Ashley Hutchings who had just left Fairport Convention and through his folk contacts managed to pull many members into the group throughout its history. The group was named after a character from a song called Horkstow Grange. Nope I have never heard of it either.

So are you struggling to remember any of their hit songs? Well the first hit single in the 1970s was in 1972 called Gaudette which actually was a Christmas carol from the 16th century and is found  in Piae Cantonis in 1592. Maybe one of the oldest songs to hit our charts?


Gaudete, gaudete! Christus est natus
Ex Maria virgine, gaudete!

The song was sung in Latin and was still a hit. When did you last hear a Latin hit in the charts? The song had no instruments and was voices only. Despite all this it was a top twenty hit in the UK.

The group released many singles and had a cult fan base, but chart wise they only had one other hit in 1975 called All AroundMy Hat. This song dates back to the 1800s and is about a man saying goodbye to his girl as he has been found guilty of a crime and is being