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Pentangle (band)

From Alfawiki
Pentangle
Company typeMusical group
IndustryMusic
Founded1967 in London, England
Headquarters
London
,
England
ProductsMusic albums, live performances

Pentangle is a folk rock group originating from London, England, established in 1967. The founding members—Jacqui McShee (vocals), John Renbourn (vocals, guitar), Bert Jansch (vocals, guitar), Danny Thompson (double bass), and Terry Cox (drums)—maintained a consistent lineup throughout their initial period (1967–1973). A reformed edition of the band has been performing since the early 1980s.

The band's name, Pentangle, symbolizes the quintet of musicians and alludes to the pentagram featured on a shield described in the Middle English narrative Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a literary work that particularly interested Renbourn.

In 2007, the original ensemble reunited to accept a Lifetime Achievement honor at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and recorded a concert that was broadcast on BBC radio. The following year, they undertook a twelve-date tour across the United Kingdom.

Formation

Pentangle came together in 1967. Renbourn and Jansch, both London-based artists with individual careers and a collaborative album titled Bert and John, shared accommodation in St John's Wood. McShee brought experience from managing a folk club in Sutton, Surrey, and had previously worked with Renbourn before Pentangle's inception.

Thompson and Cox were jazz musicians who had collaborated in Alexis Korner's band as well as Duffy Power's Nucleus, which included guitarist John McLaughlin. Thompson had met Renbourn through performances at the Les Cousins club and earlier television engagements.

In 1967, promoter Bruce Dunnet organized a Sunday night venue at the Horseshoe Hotel on Tottenham Court Road for Jansch and Renbourn. McShee joined as vocalist, with Thompson and Cox soon becoming part of the lineup. Renbourn credits himself with initiating the band's creation but recognizes Jansch's instrumental role in arranging steady gigs to refine their musical style.

While rooted in folk traditions, Pentangle's members brought varied musical backgrounds: McShee from traditional folk; Cox and Thompson from jazz; Renbourn influenced by early music; and Jansch drawing from blues and contemporary figures such as Bob Dylan.

Commercial success

Pentangle’s inaugural performance at London's Royal Festival Hall on 27 May 1967 was sold out. That same year, they toured Denmark—where they were mistakenly labeled as a rock'n'roll group—and also performed throughout the UK under the management of Nathan Joseph of Transatlantic Records. Early in 1968, with new manager Jo Lustig, they shifted focus from club venues to concert halls, becoming more streamlined and professional.

They signed with Transatlantic Records, releasing their self-titled debut album in May 1968. This record featured an entirely acoustic sound and was produced by Shel Talmy, who employed innovative recording methods to enhance the clarity of guitar tones. Their June 1968 concert at Royal Festival Hall contributed material for their second album, Sweet Child (released November 1968), which combined live recordings with studio tracks on a double LP.

The release of Basket of Light in mid-1969 marked their highest commercial achievement, driven by the successful single "Light Flight," which served as the theme for BBC’s pioneering color drama series Take Three Girls. Pentangle also supplied incidental music for this program. The album climbed to number five on the charts. By 1970, their acclaim peaked with work on the soundtrack for Tam Lin, numerous television appearances, and tours across both the UK and US—including a performance at Carnegie Hall. Their fourth album, Cruel Sister (October 1970), emphasized traditional songs but failed commercially, reaching only number 51 on the charts.

Later period of original group

In March 1971, Pentangle unveiled Reflection, a mix of traditional tunes and original compositions; however, it garnered only a modest critical reception. The pressures of touring became increasingly apparent—producer Bill Leader observed frequent changes in band membership.[1] The group parted ways with Transatlantic amid a contentious dispute over royalties; the label asserted contractual authority to withhold payments,[2] while manager Jo Lustig's agreement contained provisions that limited potential legal claims against him.[3] To capitalize on their song rights, Pentangle established their own publishing firm, Swiggeroux Music, in 1971.

The final album by the original ensemble was Solomon's Seal, which Warner Brothers/Reprise released in 1972. A UK tour supporting the album included acts such as Wizz Jones and Clive Palmer's COB but was cut short due to Thompson's illness. On January 1, 1973, Jansch left the band, with Melody Maker announcing "Pentangle Split."[4]

Later versions

A reunion was arranged in the early 1980s, by then Jansch and Renbourn had renewed their solo careers, McShee was raising a young family, Thompson was engaged in session work, and Cox was running a restaurant on Minorca. The reassembled Pentangle performed at the 1982 Cambridge Folk Festival without a drummer since Cox had suffered a broken leg. They toured Italy, Australia, and Germany, with Cox initially playing while confined to a wheelchair.

Renbourn departed to pursue classical music studies at Dartington College of Arts. New members included Mike Piggott (1982), Nigel Portman Smith (1986), and Gerry Conway (1987), leaving McShee and Jansch as the sole original participants. In 1989, Rod Clements briefly replaced Piggott before Peter Kirtley took over in 1990. This formation—Jansch, McShee, Portman Smith, Kirtley, and Conway—produced three albums: Think of Tomorrow, One More Road, and Live 1994. Their last tour occurred in early 1995 before Jansch exited to concentrate on his solo career.

Jacqui McShee's Pentangle

In 1995, McShee assembled a trio with Conway and Spencer Cozens, releasing About Thyme under their GJS label. The record featured guest artists such as Ralph McTell, Albert Lee, Mike Mainieri, and John Martyn, reaching number one on fRoots magazine’s British folk chart. Saxophonist Jerry Underwood and bassist/guitarist Alan Thomson joined subsequently; with endorsement from original members, the group adopted the name Jacqui McShee's Pentangle. Their initial five-member album, Passe Avant, appeared via Park Records in 1998. A live performance from 2000 in Chipping Norton was issued as At the Little Theatre.

Following Underwood’s passing in 2002, flautist/saxophonist Gary Foote became part of the band in 2004. The ensemble released Feoffees' Lands in 2005 on GJS Records. The 2011 compilation Live In Concert gathered notable live recordings from 1997 through 2011. Jacqui McShee's Pentangle has maintained consistent touring activity across the UK with this lineup.

Sustained enthusiasm for the original ensemble

Interest in Pentangle's founding members remained strong despite lineup shifts and evolving musical directions, leading to the release of no fewer than nineteen compilation albums from 1972 through 2016. Among these, The Time Has Come 1967 – 1973 stands out as a notable 4-CD anthology featuring rare tracks and live recordings, issued in 2007 with insightful liner notes by Colin Harper and Pete Paphides.

The 2004 album 1968–1972 Lost Broadcasts gathered BBC radio session performances, including "The Name of the Game," a track previously used as a BBC theme yet never formally recorded before.

In 2008, the original members reunited, appearing on BBC’s Later... with Jools Holland and embarking on a UK tour that included a significant concert at the Royal Festival Hall—the same venue where they had recorded their Sweet Child album four decades earlier. They also served as headliners at Wales’ Green Man Festival. Topic Records released a double live CD titled Finale - An Evening with Pentangle in 2016, capturing highlights from this reunion tour.

During 2011, the band performed several shows, including appearances at Glastonbury and Cambridge festivals. Unfortunately, Bert Jansch’s battle with throat cancer caused delays before his passing on 5 October 2011 at age 67. John Renbourn later died in 2015 due to a suspected heart attack.

Pentangle’s track "Let No Man Steal Your Thyme" was featured in Ben Wheatley’s 2020 Netflix film Rebecca.

Musical style

Pentangle’s signature sound is characterized by a distinctive jazz influence combined with the interplay of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn’s twin guitars. Although frequently categorized as folk-rock, bassist Danny Thompson preferred describing their music as "folk-jazz," while Renbourn dismissed the folk-rock label, emphasizing rhythms aligned with traditional song structures rather than conventional rock beats. This approach resulted in intricate time signatures; for instance, "Market Song" from Sweet Child alternates among , , and , whereas "Light Flight" from Basket of Light incorporates , , and .

Ritchie Unterberger noted that their style defied easy classification beyond folk rock or traditional folk genres. Henry Raynor of The Times observed that their sound melded elements of pop, folk, jazz, and experimental music. Early compositions such as "Bruton Town" and "Let No Man Steal Your Thyme" fuse folk with jazz, blues, and early music influences. Pete Townshend praised their work for its originality and inventiveness.

By the release of their fourth album, Cruel Sister (1970), Pentangle had shifted back toward traditional folk infused with electric guitar elements during a period when British folk rock was gaining momentum. This album drew parallels to Fairport Convention’s Liege and Lief and Steeleye Span’s Hark! The Village Wait, establishing Pentangle among the pioneers of British folk rock.

Their musical palette also embraced blues, classic rock, and pop components. In their final two records, they revisited their folk-jazz origins; however, evolving audience preferences increasingly favored British folk rock. Colin Harper remarked that Pentangle’s "progressively delicate music was nearing its sunset."

Awards

In January 2007, the five founding members of Pentangle were honored with a Lifetime Achievement award presented by Sir David Attenborough at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Producer John Leonard acknowledged Pentangle as one of the most impactful groups of the late twentieth century, underscoring their profound influence on music. The band reunited for their first performance together in over two decades, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 7 February 2007.

Members

Present lineup
  • Jacqui McShee – lead vocals (1968–1973, 1981–present)
  • Spencer Cozens – keyboards, vocals, guitar (1995–present)
  • Alan Thomson – bass guitar, guitars (1995–present)
  • Gary Foote – flute, saxophone (2002–present)
Previous members
  • Bert Jansch – guitar, vocals (1968–1973, 1981–1995; reunion appearances 2008, 2011; deceased 2011)
  • Terry Cox – drums, vocals (1968–1973, 1981–1987; reunion appearances 2008, 2011)
  • Danny Thompson – double bass (1968–1973, 1981–1986; reunion appearances 2008, 2011; deceased 2025)
  • John Renbourn – guitar, vocals (1968–1973, 1981–1982; reunion appearances 2008, 2011; deceased 2015)
  • Mike Piggott – guitar, violin (1982–1989)
  • Nigel Portman Smith – bass, keyboards (1986–1995)
  • Gerry Conway – drums (1987–2024; deceased)
  • Rod Clements – guitar, mandolin (1989–1990)
  • Peter Kirtley – guitars, vocals (1990–1995)
  • Jerry Underwood – saxophone (1995–2002; deceased)

Timeline

Albums

Singles

  • "Travellin' Song"/"Mirage" (1968) GB S BigT B1G109
  • "Let No Man Steal Your Thyme"/"Way Behind The Sun" (1968) Reprise 0784
  • "Once I Had a Sweetheart"/"I Saw an Angel" (1969) Transatlantic BIG124 UK Chart Position 46
  • "Light Flight"/"Cold Mountain" (1969) Transatlantic BIG128 UK Chart Position 43 (re-entered at UK Position 45)
  • "Play the Game"/"Saturday Movie" (1986) UK Making Waves SURF 107
  • "Set Me Free"/"Come to Me Easy" (1986) UK Making Waves SURF 121

Compilations

  • This is Pentangle (1971)
  • History Book (1972)
  • Pentangling (1973)
  • The Pentangle Collection (1975)
  • Anthology (1978)
  • At Their Best (1983)
  • Essential Vol 1 (1987)
  • Essential Vol 2 (1987)
  • Collection (1988)
  • A Maid That's Deep in Love (1989)
  • Early Classics (1992)
  • Anniversary (1992)
  • People on the Highway, 1968–1971 (1992)
  • Light Flight (1997)
  • The Pentangle Family (2000)
  • Light Flight: The Anthology (2001)
  • Pentangling: The Collection (2004)
  • The Time Has Come (2007)
  • The Albums (2017)
  • Pentangling (2021) (Renaissance Records, Vinyl Reissue)
  • Basket Of Light (2021) (Renaissance Records, Vinyl Reissue)

DVDs

  • Pentangle: Captured Live (2003)
  • Jacqui McShee: Pentangle in Concert (2007)
  • Folk Rock Legends (Steeleye Span and Pentangle) (2003)

External links

Year Album Title Chart Positions Record Label
UK
1968 The Pentangle 21 Transatlantic
Sweet Child —
1969 Basket of Light 5
1970 Cruel Sister 51
1971 Reflection —
1972 Solomon's Seal — Reprise
1985 Open the Door — Spindrift
1986 In the Round —
1989 So Early in the Spring — Green Linnet
1991 Think of Tomorrow — Ariola
1993 One More Road — Permanent
1995 Live 1994 — Hypertension
1995 (Jacqui McShee's Pentangle) "About Thyme" Featuring Gerry Conway and Spencer Cozens — Hypertension
1998 (Jacqui McShee's Pentangle) "Passe Avant" "—" "Park Records"
"2000" (Jacqui McShee's Pentangle) "At The Little Theatre" "—" "Park Records"
"2005" (Jacqui McShee's Pentangle) "Feoffees' Lands" "—" "GJS Records"
"2011" (Jacqui McShee's Pentangle) "Live in Concert: Recorded On Tour 1997 - 2011" "—" "GJS Records"
"2016" "Finale - An Evening with Pentangle" "—" "Topic Records"
"2021" LP Reissue "The Pentangle" "—" "Renaissance Records"
"2021" LP Reissue "Basket of Light" "—" "Renaissance Records"
"2021" LP Reissue "Cruel Sister" "—" "Renaissance Records"
"2021" LP Reissue "Pentangling" "—" "Renaissance Records"
"2023" "Reunions: Live & BBC Sessions 1982 - 2011" "—" "Cherry Red Records"
  1. ↑ Harper p.229
  2. ↑ Harper p.235
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Harper p.236
  4. ↑ Harper p.239
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