Biography
In 1970 the British folk-rock trio Jade issued their lone and little-known album Fly on Strangewings, a recording whose atmosphere aligned more closely with Fairport Convention’s 1968-1969 period than any other release outside the band itself. Lead singer and acoustic guitarist Marian Segal delivered vocals whose timbre and phrasing recalled those of Sandy Denny, Fairport’s female singer of the late 1960s. The group wove together strands of contemporary folk-rock and traditional British folk within their compositions, harmonies, and instrumental settings, yet they leaned less heavily on traditional repertoire than Fairport had by the close of 1969, thereby evoking the earlier Fairport albums What We Did on Our Holidays and Unhalfbricking more than the tradition-focused Liege & Lief. Jade’s songwriting and arrangements, occasionally enriched by orchestral touches, carried a slightly stronger pop orientation than the work of their obvious counterparts. Although Fly on Strangewings lacked the depth and individuality of Fairport Convention’s initial records, it remains a worthwhile discovery for admirers of the early Fairport sound featuring Sandy Denny.
Marian Segal had shared a school band with future Fleetwood Mac guitarist Danny Kirwan before she began performing in London folk clubs around 1966. That same year she teamed with singer, acoustic guitarist, and banjo player Dave Waite to form a duo; Waite had previously belonged to the folk group the Countrymen, whose 1962 single “I Know Where I’m Going” achieved modest British success. Toward the end of the decade the pair shifted from traditional material toward contemporary and original songs and came under the management of Jon Miller, who maintained a partnership with noted British music publisher Dick James. Secured to James’ DJM label, they were introduced by producer Miller to singer and keyboardist Rod Edwards, who completed the trio. The resulting album gained additional texture from session contributions by Michael Rosen, formerly of the British folk-rock ensemble Eclection, Pete York of the Spencer Davis Group and Hardin & York, Pentangle’s Terry Cox, future Jefferson Starship member Pete Sears, leading session drummer Clem Cattini, and Mick Waller, who had performed with both Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart.
When the album appeared in Britain under the name Jade in mid-1970, an American act already using that name prompted Bell Records to credit the U.S. edition, released in mid-1971, to Marian Segal With Silver Jade. The group performed across the States during summer 1971 yet disbanded that autumn, at which point Segal had already begun work on an unfinished solo project. Segal and Waite subsequently performed for several years as the Marian Segal Band with rotating accompanists, though they secured no further recording contract before parting in the mid-1970s. In 2003 Fly on Strangewings resurfaced on CD, augmented by both sides of a previously unreleased 1971 single that featured John Wetton on bass.
Marian Segal had shared a school band with future Fleetwood Mac guitarist Danny Kirwan before she began performing in London folk clubs around 1966. That same year she teamed with singer, acoustic guitarist, and banjo player Dave Waite to form a duo; Waite had previously belonged to the folk group the Countrymen, whose 1962 single “I Know Where I’m Going” achieved modest British success. Toward the end of the decade the pair shifted from traditional material toward contemporary and original songs and came under the management of Jon Miller, who maintained a partnership with noted British music publisher Dick James. Secured to James’ DJM label, they were introduced by producer Miller to singer and keyboardist Rod Edwards, who completed the trio. The resulting album gained additional texture from session contributions by Michael Rosen, formerly of the British folk-rock ensemble Eclection, Pete York of the Spencer Davis Group and Hardin & York, Pentangle’s Terry Cox, future Jefferson Starship member Pete Sears, leading session drummer Clem Cattini, and Mick Waller, who had performed with both Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart.
When the album appeared in Britain under the name Jade in mid-1970, an American act already using that name prompted Bell Records to credit the U.S. edition, released in mid-1971, to Marian Segal With Silver Jade. The group performed across the States during summer 1971 yet disbanded that autumn, at which point Segal had already begun work on an unfinished solo project. Segal and Waite subsequently performed for several years as the Marian Segal Band with rotating accompanists, though they secured no further recording contract before parting in the mid-1970s. In 2003 Fly on Strangewings resurfaced on CD, augmented by both sides of a previously unreleased 1971 single that featured John Wetton on bass.
Albums
Singles
