Steeleye Span began in late 1969, when London-born bass player Ashley Hutchings departed Fairport Convention, the band he had co-founded in 1967. Hutchings' new band was formed after he met established duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior on the London folk club scene, and the initial line-up was completed by husband and wife team Terry Woods (formerly of Sweeney's Men, later of The Pogues) and Gay Woods. The name is that of a character in the folk song Horkstow Grange, a fictitious prizefighter. With two female singers, the original line-up was unusual for the time, and indeed, never performed live, as the Woods departed the band shortly after the release of the group's debut album, Hark! The Village Wait (1970).
with vocals by Gay Woods
