Lords Of The Ages

Formed in London in 1969, Magna Carta went on to become one of the UK’s best-loved progressive folk bands. They could even count David Bowie among their fans. Following the release of their multidisc career retrospective, When All Is Said And Done, founder member and singer-songwriter Chris Simpson discusses their legacy, working with Davey Johnstone, and that time he got into trouble with The Beach Boys’ security team…

James McNair

“After we’d finished, David [Bowie] said, ‘That was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard.’” Where improbable tales from rock’s annals are concerned, Magna Carta’s story fits the bill. They had encounters with ghosts, David Bowie and human entrails; and gigs in the Gaza Strip, Kathmandu and even the Amazon Rainforest. “I look back and think: how did it all happen?” says the group’s amiable linchpin Chris Simpson. “It does seem like a bit of a dream.” Eighty-one in July, Simpson is chatting to Prog from his home in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Upbeat despite a nasty cough and recent bouts with Covid and pneumonia, he reports, “It’s a lovely snowy morning, and adds that he’s “currently lying down”. Mention Magna Carta’s 1970 prog-folk masterpiece Seasons, or even 1973’s…

You're reading a preview of

Prog (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 138

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.