The Faerie Shaman Rides Again
Though I never knew him personally, Gwydion Pendderwen loomed large in the Bay Area Pagan community when I first became a part of it in the early 1980s. My first affinity group participated in the protests at Lawrence Livermore Labs in May, 1982 in conjunction with activists from Reclaiming. I remember a buzz that day when a certain man came onto the scene: Gwydion had come down from the mountains to protest nuclear weapons research with the rest of us. It was something special that a prominent Pagan not normally associated with the overtly political Reclaiming would step across the aisle, as it were, and lend his considerable voice to the actions we were espousing. There was a feeling of hope in the air, too, that this might be the start of a larger Pagan presence in the anti-nuclear movement. A few short months later, Gwydion was killed in a car accident, and the Pagan community lost a charismatic, talented man. Gwydion’s influence continued on, however, in the two albums of music he had made, Songs for the Old Religion (1975) and The Faerie Shaman (1981), and in the Faery Tradition which he helped shape.
After his death, Gwydion’s music was distributed by Nemeton, the publishing branch of Church of All Worlds, and was promoted in Green Egg magazine, for years the pre-eminent Pagan rag in the US. Once I started Serpentine Music in 1992, I would regularly scour the Green Egg classifieds looking for notices of new Pagan cassettes on the market to review or consider carrying through Serpentine. Ah, the quaint days of pre-internet Paganism! In those days, I carried Gwydion’s two albums on cassette because the original vinyl records had long sold out and apparently never been re-printed. I think Gwydion’s master recordings had also been lost, because the Songs for the Old Religion tape started with the sound of a needle being dropped onto an LP, followed by a scratchy, very low-fidelity audio transfer.
Sometime in the mid-90s Nemeton released both of Gwydion’s albums in a double CD set. I remember talking to Orion Stormcrow who was handling their production and distribution, hoping he would be able to get some better sound quality on a digital re-master. I guess they didn’t have the funds to do it, because when the CD came out you could still hear the needle dropping into the grooves, along with all the pops and scratches of the old LP they used as a master.
In 1995 my then-coven was having a day out on the town in SF. We were in Uma’s Tools of Magic shop in the Haight when I spied a copy of The Faerie Shaman LP high on a dusty shelf and bought it immediately. Uma couldn’t figure out whether to sell it for practically nothing because it had been sitting there for so long, or to charge me a premium because I obviously valued it so highly. That was the first time I remember thinking that it might still be possible one day to do a quality re-master of Gwydion’s music if I could find a well-preserved copy of his first album and got the equipment together to do the transfer.
But over the ensuing years Church of All Worlds kept their CD in stock, and my LP stayed stashed away on a shelf still unopened. Then, along with shakeups within CAW, Gwydion’s music became increasingly difficult to keep in stock until in 2004 not only were the CDs impossible to get, but my phone calls and emails were going unanswered as well. Finally last fall I went through an all-out effort to find out who if anyone was still in charge of keeping his music available, and had no success. I contacted my friend Anna Korn, who was one of the executors Gwydion named in his will and has always tried to keep his legacy alive. The year before I had gathered the hardware and software necessary for a fairly high-quality digital transfer from vinyl, in order to produce The Best of Pagan Song collection. With Anna’s encouragement (and the loan of her well-preserved copy of Songs for the Old Religion), I then started looking into what it would take to legally re-master and re-release The Music of Gwydion.
There is nothing like producing an album to make you absolutely sick of whatever music it is you’re producing, no matter what you thought of it before. For weeks or even months you must listen to it repeatedly over as many different sound systems as you can, not as a music lover listening for enjoyment but as a technician looking for any and every flaw, which it is then your responsibility to correct, or at least acknowledge and decide to live with. I have probably listened to Gwydion’s music more in the last six months than I ever have in the past 13 years of selling it. I definitely hit the wall with listening fatigue towards the end as I always do, but I also came away with a renewed respect for Gwydion’s accomplishments as a songwriter and recording artist.
His tunes are catchy, with great hooks and nice chord progressions. Gwydion was a master wordsmith and gifted storyteller, and his finely crafted lyrics are always well-matched to the music. His music is a product of its culture and times: late 70s and early 80s Paganism, heavy on the Celtic themes and folk music instrumentation. But any sense of his music being dated is eminently forgivable simply because it is well-made and heartfelt. It stands on its own as some of the finest Pagan music made to date, and now that I am free to listen to it for enjoyment, I am thrilled to be able to offer it to the public again, in a new edition that is the best I could make it.
More than two decades after his death, Gwydion’s life and musical legacy still loom large in Pagan culture. For those who are already familiar with his work, I am sure the re-release of The Music of Gwydion will be immediate cause for celebration. I also look forward to seeing Gwydion’s influence on a new generation of listeners, some of whom I hope will become Paganism’s next batch of bards and songwriters. We are in need of new artists who are inspiring, and who aren’t afraid to work hard at their craft for the beauty and satisfaction such creations bring. The Music of Gwydion is at the printer’s right now, and will be shipping through Serpentine Music in a couple weeks’ time, with all royalties going to benefit Gwydion’s forested home in Mendocino County, in accord with his final wishes. 23 years after his untimely death, the Faerie Shaman will ride again!
November 29th, 2005 at 12:14 pm
Congratulations!
December 1st, 2005 at 5:27 am
This is great news, I’ve been looking for copies for years.
Rebecca
December 1st, 2005 at 8:15 am
As the instigator of the original “Songs for the Old Reigion” and one of the main participants, I wish to let everyone know that the claim on CAW’s productions of it to ownership of the copyright to “The Sungod” is false. I wrote it in 1970 or thereabouts. I never assigned copyright to Gwydion or anyone else. And CAW has failed to respond to several requests that they correct the information.
Thank you.
Dana Corby
December 1st, 2005 at 2:53 pm
I’m looking forward to this — Still miss him.
Nice to run into you in the blogsphere, sugar!
December 1st, 2005 at 11:52 pm
Greetings!
I came onto the pagan scene at the beginning of the ’80s, and at that point, Gwydion’s music was a legend. But being up here in Canada, I couldn’t find any of his recordings. Now I can get a chance to listen to them!!!!
I’ve also done some work remastering analog music…and I know how hard it can be to get a decent sound out of CD, as the digital realm does change the music, and you need to fiddle with it to make sure the EQ levels are somewhere near flat when it’s played. I have one CD that someone recorded from an out of print vinyl recording, and it nearly toasted my subwoofer! On the other hand, one of my favourate bands, FM, went to do a release of their first album, Black Noise, and found out that the masters had disappeared! So they had to create a master from vinyl. All went very well, as they had access to a NoNoise(tm) machine, and they created a CD for testing. Off they went to a friend’s place who was a super-audiophile…the type that has suspended speakers, tube amps, etc. So the played the test CD, and it sounded great! But in the moments of silence, or in quiet passages in the music, they noticed the woofers (for of course, the guy had no grills on his speakers) going in and out rapidly. Then the “Oh, sh*t!s” started, and they were beginning to panic, thinking that they had goofed up on the mastering, but their friend looked at them, and said “You know, if you were not playing a CD, I would guess that is turntable rumble.” That trigged an “ah ha!” moment…they had removed all the noise from the vinyl, but only in the audible range! Off for one more session, and they ended up with a CD that sounds better, in some ways, than the vinyl did. I know, as I wore out copies of the record, and the first time I listened to the CD, I heard things I had never heard! And they didn’t do any re-recording!
ttyl
Farrell
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:49 am
Hello!
I am curious…Did anyone try to get in touch with Mike Cogan of Bay Records? He is the engineer who recorded “The Faerie Shaman”. He may still have the original tapes.
I know this not just because he is listed on the credits of the “Faerie Shaman”, but from Mike himself who has fond memories of Gwydion. He also recorded my own album, “Siren Song” as is a good friend of mine…. I’d be happy to ask him.
Blessings,
Vicki Burns aka Flora Green
December 2nd, 2005 at 3:38 am
What a wonderful thing you have done. Congratulations BB Cornelia
December 2nd, 2005 at 7:21 am
Whilst I still have my old vinyl of both albums, it will be very nice to have a new CD! Thank you for your work!!!!
December 2nd, 2005 at 10:35 am
This is truly wonderful news. Gwydion’s songs were one of the strands that led me onto the path of Faery. My Teacher was very upset by the poor quality of the Nemeton CDs. We will all be thrilled to have these priceless recordings in pristine condition!
I would love a small album-style memoir of Gwydion and his circle of lovers and friends…
Many Blessings,
Shimmer
December 2nd, 2005 at 10:56 am
I want it. Does it have his original album on it too? I want Songs of The Old Religion so my grandkids can experience what their dads grew up on but I want both and I hope both are on the CD.
I am WAY excited by this. Thank you!
^ ~ ~ Penny
December 2nd, 2005 at 11:05 am
Put me on the list to inform when and where the CD is available. I remember Gwydion well from the old SCA days when he was just becoming a pagan, and followed his development with great appreciation. I’d love to have a good copy of his music.
Blessings,
Diana
December 2nd, 2005 at 12:59 pm
I’m very glad to hear that the Faery Shaman will soon be riding again! I so clearly remember hearing his “Songs for the Old Religion” when the album first came out.
My old tapes of his music just about disintegrated 10 yrs ago, and luckily we found out about CDs and bought them. Now, if only Lady Dana’s concerns can be addressed, things will be just perfect! I look forward to recommending this CD to many friends.
Blessings,
Margie McArthur
December 3rd, 2005 at 1:58 am
Great! We were talking about this at the last Pantheacon and I am so glad that this is becoming a reality! Sign me up for a copy and see you in Feb.!
April 19th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
This doesn’t relate to the current thread, except that it concerns out of stock music. I’m looking for a copy of “Libation” by Kenny and Tzipora. I wrote to Kenny Klein a couple of years ago and he referred me to a now defunct store in Canada. Do you have any suggestions?
April 30th, 2006 at 9:54 pm
Belisama, I think you’re out of luck. As far as I know the masters were lost long ago. Now, if someone had a pristine copy, I could tell them how to remaster it…
Anne
May 25th, 2006 at 7:06 pm
I’d be more than happy with an old scratchy copy on tape. :) I’d be happy to send a monetary donation to the artists and pay for postage, handling, time, etc. Pleeeeeeease, if anyone out there has a copy…
June 18th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Hi all..
I have a clean, never been played copy of both albums. Happy to transfer it over to WAV or Mp3′s. Been meaning to do this for awhile. Also have the original cassette of “Old Religion”.
Interested?
Paul
June 18th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Also…forgot to mention I have Jim Alan’s “Tales of the Songsmith” as well.
Jim was Selena Fox’s partner for a number of years in the 70′s.
July 25th, 2007 at 2:25 am
Iam Lucian (joshua VanValkenberg) my moms family is Roma Gypsys and my Dads family is Celtic Pagans, so I was rased in the Craft most of my life. I am a witch and my ansestor lived in salam mass, her name was Marry Warren she was burned at the stack. The music of the Old Ways have always fassenated me and I would like a CD
Blessed Be!!