VINYL RELICS | The Story Behind Mellow Candle’s Swaddling Songs

EPYSODE 68: Swaddling Songs, by Mellow Candle.

Guest: Mellow Candle's Alison O'Donnell.

Additional commentary by my twin brother Maurice.

This week we drop the needle on a true cult classic. Released in 1972 and largely overlooked in its time, this singular album has since become a holy grail of British folk-rock, revered for its mysticism and haunting beauty.

Led by the spellbinding voices of Clodagh Simonds and Alison Williams (now Alison O'Donnell), Mellow Candle fused pastoral folk with progressive rock flourishes, baroque arrangements, and flashes of jazz and classical influence. Tracks like “Sheep Season” and “Dan the Wing” unfold with dramatic, almost otherworldly crescendos.

With Alison's help, we explore the story behind the band, the circumstances that shaped Swaddling Songs, and why it vanished so quickly after its release, only to be rediscovered decades later by collectors and crate diggers.

Light a candle, settle in, and join us as Vinyl Relics revisits one of the most enchanting lost records of the early ’70s.

I hope you dig Swaddling Songs as much as I do.

-Farmer John

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===LINKS===

Check out all of Alison's music here:

https://alisonodonnell.bandcamp.com

 

===THE MUSIC===

Songs used in this Epysode, in order of appearance. Here's a link to a Spotify playlist for all the tracks featured:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0jtVg6Mft71ZW9Niixuma1?si=f05d853ad16b44cb

*denotes track is not available on Spotify.

BILLY NICHOLLS "London Social Degree"

OTIS REDDING “(Sittin’ On The) Dock Of The Bay”

THE SUPREMES “Reflections”

*LOVE “She Comes In Colours”

JONI MITCHELL “Blue”

*MELLOW CANDLE “Feeling High”

*MELLOW CANDLE “Tea With The Sun” 

JETHRO TULL “Teacher”

MELLOW CANDLE "Heaven Heath"

MELLOW CANDLE "Sheep Season"

MELLOW CANDLE "Silver Song"

MELLOW CANDLE "The Poet And The Witch"

MELLOW CANDLE "Messenger Birds"

MELLOW CANDLE "Dan The Wing"

MELLOW CANDLE "Reverend Sisters"

MELLOW CANDLE "Break Your Token"

MELLOW CANDLE "Buy Or Beware"

MELLOW CANDLE "Vile Excesses"

MELLOW CANDLE "Lonely Man"

MELLOW CANDLE "Boulders On My Grave"

*FOVEA HEX “A Hymn To Sulphur”

*FLIBBERTIGIBBET “Episodes”

UNITED BIBLE STUDIES “Circles & Chambers”

UNITED BIBLE STUDIES “Hoist The Drawbridge”

*MELLOW CANDLE “The Virgin Prophet”

??MYSTERY ARTIST?? Tune in next week to find out...

NEWPORT ELECTRIC "Now It's All This"

^^ That's my band. This is shameless self-promotion! Here's a Spotify link to hear all our music:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5y6kGmYnS4SWvqAfijhDdp?si=7zRH2mG6SPmkdC4ysT7oOw

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