" BABBACOMBE" LEE (LP) November 1971
Babbacombe Lee Cover
UK		 Babbacombe Lee - UK / USA / Canadian Back Cover
Back Cover -
UK / USA / Canada		 Babbacombe Lee - Later UK Back Cover
Later UK -
Non Gatefold
Back Cover		 Babbacombe Lee - Radio Play LP Cover
USA - DJ Copy
Babbacombe Lee - Australian Back Cover
Australia - Back Cover		 Babbacombe Lee - Australian Promotional Flyer
Australia - Promotional Flyer		 Babbacombe Lee - NZ Back Cover
New Zealand - Back Cover		 Babbacombe Lee - Japan - Front Cover
Japan - Front Cover
Babbacombe Lee Sticker
Sticker		 Babbacombe Lee - Insert Booklet
Booklet		  
TRACKS:
Side One:
(The Verdict) ¥ 0'28"
Little Did I Think (Dave Swarbrick) 2'19"
I Was Sixteen (Simon Nicol / Dave Pegg) / John My Son (Simon Nicol / Dave Pegg) 3'30"
Instrumental 1'14"
Sailor's Alphabet (Trad. Arr. A.L. Lloyd) 5'42"
John Lee (Dave Swarbrick) 3'07"
(Newspaper Reading) § 0'46"
Breakfast In Mayfair (Simon Nicol)

3'07"
Side Two:
Trial Song (Dave Swarbrick, Dave Swarbrick / Dave Pegg) 3'55"
Cell Song (Dave Swarbrick) 3'34"
The Time Is Near (Dave Pegg) 2'33"
Dream Song (Dave Swarbrick, Dave Swarbrick/ Dave Pegg) 5'25"
Wake Up John (Dave Swarbrick / Dave Pegg)

5'23"
Notes:-
¥ Read by Philip Sterling-Wall
This instrumental consists of parts of two themes that were 'borrowed' : the first being from the BBC Radio Programme " The Navy Lark" - St. Ninian's Isle (Ronald Cooper) and the second from the children's TV show " Captain Pugwash" - Trumpet Hornpipe (Trad.)
§ Read by A.L. Lloyd
The LP was not split into individual tracks but into five segments (3 on side A & 2 on Side B). The one exception was a specially Banded For Radio Play DJ Copy issued to USA Radio Stations (A& M SP4333-DJ) which also had the individual tracks printed on a sticker on the front cover).

Notes:
  • " Lament For A Poor Man's Son" written by Dave Swarbrick was another song from this project but was not recorded for this album. It was however played live on the subsequent tour.
  • Late one night Peggy, Swarb and Martin Carthy, after a few beers, went into the studio and recorded an alternate " X-Rated" version of " Sailor's Alphabet" which was occasionally sung live - usually as an encore.
  • In late 1974, the band re-recorded the tracks from the album plus incidental music for a BBC2 documentary narrated by Melvyn Bragg about John Lee. One of the most interesting aspects of this was hearing Sandy Denny singing the lead in a version of " Breakfast In Mayfair" . The programme was broadcast in the BBC2 " 2nd House" Series as " The Man They Couldn't Hang - John Lee" on 1st February 1975 and was due to be re-broadcast in " 2nd House 2nd Run" on 21 June 1975. However due to coverage of the Cricket World Cup Final over-running it was cancelled..
ISSUES:
UK Island Records ILPS 9176 (November 1971) (Gatefold Sleeve) (Inner sleeve with lyrics and 8-Page booklet inserted into inner sleeve telling a shortened story of John Lee). The first 500 copies came with a sticker saying " Don't Hang Babbacombe Lee" . Later copies reverted to ordinary non-gatefold sleeve.

There are some copies with the 5th Island centre and in a gatefold sleeve that shows EMI Records Ltd printed round the record label
USA A& M Records SP 4333 (February 1972) (Gatefold)
A& M Records SP-4333-DJ (February 1972) (Special Copy Banded for Radio Play)
AUSTRALIA Island Records SIL 934457 (1972) (Gatefold)
Island Records IL 34457 (1973) (Gatefold)
CANADA A& M Records SP4333 (1972)
NEW ZEALAND Island Records SIL 934457 (1972) (Non-Gatefold but with smaller-sized 8-Page Booklet inserted into sleeve)
GERMANY Island Records 85 805 IT (1972) (Sleeve printed in England)
Island Records 200 572 XOT (Mid 1980's)
JAPAN King/Island ICL-18 (April 1972) (Gatefold Sleeve) (Booklet translated into Japanese and copies came with a sticker saying " Don't Hang Babbacombe Lee"
SPAIN Island Records 85.805-1 (1972)
ITALY

Island Records ILPS 19176 (1972) (Gatefold Sleeve with booklet in main sleeve with LP
See separate entry for CD issue
Also see book section and Money For Old Rope : The Continuing Story Of John Lee
Musicians:
Dave Swarbrick Vocals, Fiddle, Viola, Mandolin
Simon Nicol Vocals, Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Electric Dulcimer
Dave Pegg Vocals, Bass Guitar, Mandolin
Dave Mattacks

Drums, Harmonium, Electric Piano, Tambourine
Recorded: August - September 1971 at Sound Techniques, London
Produced by: John Wood & Simon Nicol
Sound Engineer: John Wood
Complex Sleeve Design:

 Roberta Nicol
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Updated: 31 December 2004