Dando Shaft
| Dando Shaft | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Psychedelic folk, folk jazz, progressive folk |
| Years active | 1968–1973, 1977, 1989 |
| Labels | Young Blood, Neon/RCA, Rubber |
| Associated acts | Whippersnapper, Pentangle |
| Past members |
Kevin Dempsey Martin Jenkins Ted Kay Roger Bullen Dave Cooper Polly Bolton |
Dando Shaft is the name of a short-lived psychedelic/progressive folk and folk jazz band that was primarily active in the early 1970s. The band has attracted a measure of attention from recent compilation releases and Dando Shaft is today known primarily as one of the major influences on the progressive stream of the 1960s folk revival.
Forming in Coventry, England, in 1968, the original Dando Shaft was an all-male quintet composed of the two guitar/vocalists Kevin Dempsey and Dave Cooper, multi-instrumentalist Martin Jenkins, bassist Roger Bullen, and tabla/percussionist Ted Kay. The band's name was taken from that of the title character of a 1965 novel by Don Calhoun. Performing in local English venues for the next two years while remaining active in the folk revival scene, the band was offered a recording deal with Young Blood Records and in 1970 they recorded their debut, An Evening With Dando Shaft. The album was well-received, drawing immediate comparison to the work of fellow folk revival musicians Pentangle, but demonstrating more of an emphasis on original folk compositions as well as showcasing a more progressive use of bluegrassy multi-instrumentation (especially due to Martin Jenkins's diverse talents) and Balkan (particularly Bulgarian) rhythmic structures.
Comparisons to Pentangle were only enhanced when, after moving to London in 1970, the band grew in October of that year to include Leamington Spa singer, Polly Bolton who had previously sung with June Tabor. Bolton's contributions to the band received praise with her voice described as pure and expressive and Bolton herself has been described as a half-forgotten female vocalist of the era ranking alongside Pentangle's Jacqui McShee as well as other contemporary legends like Shirley Collins, Sandy Denny, and Maddy Prior. Creating an even more favorable impression on critics, Dando Shaft were soon signed to RCA's progressive offshoot, Neon, and in 1971 they created the eponymous album, Dando Shaft.
Despite warm critical reviews of the first two albums, neither achieved a great deal of commercial success. Nevertheless, in 1972 Dando Shaft was moved from Neon to the RCA parent label to release Lantaloon. Receiving fewer accolades for this effort than for the previous two albums, and with even less prospect of commercial success, the band began to move in the direction of mainstream rock eventually resulting in the single, "Sun Clog Dance". This shift, however, caused internal dissension and the band soon broke up with Dempsey and Bolton forming a duo for a time in the USA, and Jenkins joining Hedgehog Pie on the Newcastle-upon-Tyne label, Rubber Records.
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