Monday, July 2, 2012

Amelia Earhart, first lady of the air

Home Paddock reminds us that on this day in 1937 Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan were last heard from while attempting to make the first equatorial round-the-world flight. Conspiracy theories abound. Were they spies? Did they run out of fuel and crash into the ocean or were they captured by the Japanese? Was Noonan beheaded on Saipan?

We will never know but at least the English band Plainsong got a concept album out of it, In Search of Amelia Earhart, in 1972 when bands made concept albums. This was one of the better ones. So here they are with “True Story of Amelia Earhart”. Four musicians, four-part blissful harmonies. Lead vocalist is Iain Matthews who was between  Fairport Convention and a successful solo career in America:

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2 comments:

  1. Matthew DentithJuly 4, 2012 at 3:47 PM

    You speak of Amelia and music, but I suspect I'm one of the few readers of your blog who saw this live:

    http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Airshows&action=display&thread=7616

    Yes, verily, there was a musical about our own Jean Batten, written, composed and performed in standard am-dram style in the Taranaki town of Opunake. I went down to Opunake specially to see it (I had whanau in the orchestra) and the experience (which scarred me) will stay with me for all time.

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  2. Stephen StratfordJuly 4, 2012 at 5:17 PM

    Thanks for this - I would have liked to have seen the musical though Opunake is a bit of a stretch for a non-surfer. That link is a good 'un - I didn't know that Ms Batten was such a minx.

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