Light Up the Fire - 50th Anniversary memories

 This autumn was, incredibly, the 50th anniversary of the release of the single Light Up the Fire. On the Parchment Tribute site Facebook page, we asked for memories of the release. The memories that were shared included some from people closely associated with the band. Here are their stories:

Dixie Dean, who worked with the band, said: "Seems like another lifetime ago. Still remember my first trip out with the band in the trusty Transit van they had. We went down the M6 and M1 and exited around Newport Pagnell. I remember not judging the speed too well on reaching the roundabout and feeling like we were on 2 wheels!"

Brian said: "I remember Keith Rycroft singing it to me for the first time, in a church hall in Liverpool!"

He went on: "He did it solo just for me! We were in The Gospel Messengers together for some years, but this occasion was in preparation for a mixed-media production in our church. These led into the formation of 'Roundabout Releases' in Liverpool with Ian Sparks and Alan Godson."

Steve said: "Trinity Folk including John & Sue were forerunners of Parchment while Keith was in Dovetail. My brother once guested on bongos when TF(Trinity Folk) supported Larry Norman in Liverpool in early 1972"

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He added: "Sue and John went to Holy Trinity Church in Anfield and were at the heart of TF and the band grew from their friendship and talent!"

He went on: "I remember the day the single was released. A group of us went to Radio Merseyside and put in handwritten requests for it to be played. Then when it was played turned the radio to full volume so the neighbours could hear the unforgettable mandolin intro from John."

Anne said: "As I recall they were on Top of the Pops. However the film was lost. I always hoped someone had recorded it on VHS. Up to now noone came forward. Or that it wasn't lost, just misplaced in the archive. "

A commenter on this site recalled: "Light up the fire was played a lot on Radio Luxemburg which helped it become a hit in the UK . Lux 208 was the station to listen to then and they made many records hits that would not have been . I would never have heard of it at the time otherwise . It was played over and over for weeks ."

Steve, another one, said: "I remember promoting it as part of the Festival of Light. Later I saw Parchment perform at Hildenborough Hall in Kent when I was a student there."

And here is my memory:

"I heard the album first and heard it unseen. I was a young teenager and decided to buy my first album (vinyl).  It was going to be something new, something gospel, not something my friends or my brother and his friends already had (which was mostly prog rock). I may have got it from Buzz magazine or perhaps from the Jesus Liberation Front catalogue (anyone remember them?). People were talking about this album and I had no idea what it would sound like.

"My older brother had a state of the art stereo system and offered to play it. He'd suggested buying a Larry Norman - he was knowledgeable. I expected something quite happy, clappy. And to some extent Light Up the Fire, the track is like that. Very upbeat with a strong chorus. But from that first mandolin lick we knew we were listening to something different.

"I can still remember the clarity of the sounds emerging from those stereo speakers. What I didn't know what that the album combined John Pantry's exceptional production skills with the musicianship, songwriting talents of each of the three members of the band, all supported by their eclectic collection of stringed instruments.

"For, once the chorus of Light Up the Fire fades out, the album becomes anything but 'happy, clappy', It's folky, allusive, even mystical and full of melody and sweet chords and sounds from those instruments. Til the Morning Comes, the second track, has a deceptively simple and captivating chord sequence - but what is it about?  It's introspective and joyful. Then comes Roundabout. More sweet sounds and  Sue McClellan spinning a melody and song from one word. Was it the motorway roundabout or the arts project in Liverpool? 

"Still my favourite ever album. Every spring I load the tracks onto my phone and celebrate the season. Part of the journey of this site has been to find anything out there that is as good. It's been a journey without arrival! "PF.

Please add your memories here or on Facebook.

Here is the story of the song https://parchmentmusic.blogspot.com/2012/06/the-story-of-light-up-fire.html

The sleeve single covers shown here are, in order: Italy, France, UK, promo Austria. And here is that strange Spanish sleeve: