He's The Don

The Selda gig last night was very good - thanks for asking. While we were in the pub afterwards, my cool friend Mister F made a special request for a feature on Don Fardon. I'm happy to oblge.

In the unlikely event that there is anyone who doesn't know already, here is a potted history. Don was born in Coventry, a town with a strong musical tradition including the likes of The Specials, Selecter, Edgar Broughton, Jigsaw, The Enemy and... er... Lieutenant Pigeon.

He started his career with The Sorrows who were, in modern parlance, a freakbeat group (one of the more ludicrous genres to have been imposed on the past by modern hipsters). He went solo in the mid 1960s and enjoyed a reasonable degree of success. His biggest hit, "Indian Reservation", went top three in the UK and top twenty in the US in 1968. You won't be hearing that today though - Mister F has banned me from playing it in case he comes across as too populist.

Don will be 69 years young in a couple of weeks time, and I'm pleased to say he is still going strong. His version of "I'm Alive" was reissued in the Netherlands last year and went into the top twenty, and he is gigging again with The Sorrows. Keep up the good work, Don.

"Cara-Lin" - The Sorrows (1965)

"On The Beach" - Don Fardon (1970)

"Lady Zelda" - Don Fardon (1973)

"Belfast Boy" - Don Fardon (1970)

Regular readers will have guessed which two Coventry artists from the list above we have in the clips section. Well, you're half right.



Oh, alright then.