NEWS ABOUT MAGNA CARTA

April 2014	Short update Time flies, and I have not updated the site for several years, as some of you had noticed. I have now updated the 2012 CD release of "No Thuth In The Rumour", the album that is now finally on CD. It has six bonus tracks and a different song order. Unfortunately two songs of the original album are missing on the CD, I don't know why, it is a pity for historical reasons. But of you are a real fan, you will probably have the original vinyl version. Brand new album announced: "The Fields Of Eden" Other - spectacular - Magna Carta news is the recording of "The Fields Of Eden" in 2014. This album, with new songs(!), will hopefully be released this year! More spectacular news from the Magna Carta site As you most probably know, the tapes of the Magna Carta concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on June 23rd, 1971 at London’s Royal Albert Hall, were recently rediscovered. According to Chris these recordings simply sound stunning! After battling many years Chris has (late last year) obtained the rights to the recordings of Magna Carta and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing the full 'Seasons' album in 1971! Here's the tracklist: introduction (Michael van Stratten) Parliament Hill Elizabethan Sea and Sand The Boatman The Mason's Apron Seven o'clock Hymn Old John Parker Seasons (with John Dankworth and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) These recordings will be released shortly on Repertoire Records.
September 2010	Short update Sorry, I have not updated the site for a while. Lack of time and after the official farewell concert at Theater Carré in Amsterdam, not much has happened, of course. But there have been some new releases. Songs of Wasties Orchard was re-released by Repertoire Records. And the biggest news is that Prisoners on the Line has finally been released on CD!! It took 31 years. So strange and sad, because this has been one of my favourite Magna Carta albums. Well, you can now order it from Repertoire Records. There was also a re-release of the very first album (simply called "Magna Carta"), but that album was already out on CD, so the real fans probably have that one. If not, check it now, again at Repertoire Records (big thanks to them for keeping Magna Carta alive!)
December 2007	Finally a bigger update With Christmas coming in a few days, finally I found some time for the necessary update of this site. Now you can find more about the latest albums: - Tomorrow Never Comes (2CD) - Backroads (CD re-release) - Deserted Highways of the Heart (2CD) Unfortunately also some sad news: in 2009 Magna Carta will stop touring. More information about this on the official Magna Carta homepage
September 2007	A word by Walter Goyen (maker of this site) Hi, Sorry people, this website has not been updated for a long time, even though there have been several new developments. For some good news: there are some new albums: - Tomorrow Never Comes (2CD) - Backroads (CD re-release) - Deserted Highways of the Heart (2CD) I even had the pleasure of designing the last one. I also found several unknown older releases that should be mentioned in the album list. But unfortunately I was too busy to update this discography site that you are now visiting. More information will follow... Unfortunately, there have also been some sad personal developments within Magna Carta. Because of that, Linda has written a personal message for the Magna Carta friends, which you can read below (and it will also be placed on the official Magna Carta homepage). For now I can only wish everyone all the best. I hope that before the end of this year I will find some time to update my site with all the details about the new albums. Love Walter
September 2007	A word by Linda Simpson Hi, Everyone knows that Chris and I are splitting up and that our marriage is over. It has been, and still is, a hard time - and the fact that it has to be played out publicly makes it even harder. Many people have written suggesting solutions and ways that we can get back together and, although we appreciate the love behind these ideas, it has to be said that there is no turning back for us now. I have been very lucky because a friend came along and suggested I read a book by Lynn Grabhorn called 'Excuse me your life is waiting' - it is helping to turn me around. The theme of the book is something that I have always believed in, and used many times, but I had lost the thread in all the pain and horror of splitting up. Thanks to rediscovering the way to do it, I am now facing life in my normal optimistic frame of mind (most of the time anyway) and so Chris and I can continue to work together long enough to make and tour one final album. If anything should happen in that time to make me want to go on a little longer then I might do so, but I also have plans for a future of my own and so can't stay forever. It would be nice to go out on a high note and that's what we're aiming for. Neither of us will give up on the music business and dividing our talents might actually be a good thing to do now - we'll have to wait and see what happens there. So don't worry - Magna Carta is safe for now. I doubt that it will ever completely disappear as its legacy alone should be enough to carry it forward ad infinitum. So please folks - no more helpful advice - we're on the right path now. Love Linda
October 2006	New album: "Backroads", HARVEYCD02 Sorry, fans, I have been extremely busy for the last couple of months, so I did not have time to update my site, even knowing about this exciting news: there is another new Magna Carta album, called "Backroads"! I have to apologize even more for the delay, because I was the first one to see the new album sleeve (since I had the honour to design it). The new CD will be for sale at the new Dutch tour, that just started. The album contains several new tracks & new recordings, plus some songs from previous albums. One very special track is the song that many fans have been asking for: a (live) recording of "Fields of Eden", the title track of the 2005 live tour! The album opens with a beautiful a capella track by Linda and ends with bonus track 15, a nice poem by Linda. For the fans who have not heard the legendary 1966 Paul Stewart (= Chris Simpson) recordings, Backroads offers one track of that historical album. Backroads was released in September 2006 in The Netherlands by Dee 2 Records. New DVD: "Airport Song" Another news is the re-release of "Ticket to the Moon", the live DVD recorded in Holland. It was released in the All Stars series. Product code: AS 13266. EAN code: 8712273132662. More information and a sleeve photo will follow.
June 2006	Exciting historical new album: "Paul Stewart - That's the way it goes" For the 'old Magna Carta' fans, this is maybe the most exciting news in decades! Did you think that the first album "Magna Carta" aka "Same" was really the first material of Chris Simpson? Then you'll be shocked to hear that already in 1966 Chris recorded a unique album and some singles under the pseudonym of 'Paul Stewart'. Finaly these songs have been released on CD for you fans! Sixteen unique 'new' tracks from 1966/1967! With "I don't want to know", a beautiful song that twelve years later would be re-written and re-recorded as the beautiful "Song for John" from Prisoners on the Line (1978). You'll be charmed and amazed to hear the 'original'! And listen to rocking songs like "Talkin'". The charming "A time for the sleeping" and the title track "That's the way it goes." The interesting instrumental "Messin' around." The Kinks' influence in "Saturday mornin' man". And of course the 1967 B-side "Too too good", which Chris describes as "outrageously seasoned with vintage Dylan." This fantastic new album can be compared with the Hamburg tapes of the Beatles. Rough, pure, the great sixties, with some Dylan and Kinks influences, but clearly the great Chris Simpson. You'll be flabbergasted to hear his very first compositions. A true 'must-have' for every Magna Carta fan! Music sample: "That's the way it goes" Music sample: "I don't want to know" Music sample: "Too too good" More information: Paul Stewart - That's the way it goes.
April 2006	New concert tours in 2006 Lots of new concerts are planned for 2006! Unfortunately I am too busy to keep the concert information up-to-date, so I decided just to make a link to the official Magna Carta CONCERT CALENDAR. You should also take a look at the great List of Songs on the official Magna Carta homepage! Webmaster John Gardner has done a fantastic job. I updated the Offical album list with some recently traced LP's from Portugal, Spain and - to my big surprise - even an LP from Brasil! So Magna Carta has released albums in every continent of the world, from Europe to Canada, the USA, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, Korea, South-Africa, Brasil and many more countries!
January 2006	"Putting it back together" re-released in Japan In 2005 we finally enjoyed the CD release of "Took a long time". Now in Japan, they re-released the same album under the alternative name "Putting it back together". It is a nice mini-LP paper / cardboard sleeve edition, with the typical Japanese OBI. The item code is AIRAC-1171, Air Mail Recordings / ARCHIVE, 4948722205364. The album was released at January 25, 2006. This CD is also released in a Japanese limited edition 4CD box set, named "BRITISH LEGEND COLLECTION VOL. 21". This box set contains three other albums: Honeybus "Story" (AIRAC-1168) Rod Demick & Herbie Armstrong “Little Willie Ramble” (AIRAC-1169) Paul Korda “Passing Stranger” (AIRAC-1170). I also found Japanese and Brazilian(!) vinyl versions of this album. See Official albums.
January 2006	New concert tours in 2006 There are new Dutch tours planned!! Magna Carta will visit Holland again in April/May 2006 and in October/November 2006. Unfortunately at the moment I have a big shortage of time, so I just put the rough information on the Concert dates page.
November 2005	Two re-releases These two 2CDs were released at the end of 2005 in Germany, by Ambitions (Membran Music Ltd), Licensed by Talking Elephant Records. Unfortunately they don't offer any new material. See the comments at the Official albums.
November 2005	Problem with Lord of the Ages CD, as sold on the tour Linda Simpson has a message for people who bought the 'Lord of the Ages' CD at the recent Dutch concert tour: "We have a problem with some copies of 'Lord of the Ages', which have a glitch on the first track. We apologise for this and anyone who has bought one should return it to: Magna Carta C/O 't Eekhoornnest Birkstraat 118b 3768 HL Soest (The Netherlands) We will replace the CD and refund the postage. Please don't forget to include your name and address for the return." Linda
November 17, 2005	Rare Gibson J-200 guitar (sold) Chris Simpson of Magna Carta is going to sell his very special Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar. Update: The guitar has been sold. It's a circa 1959 Gibson J-200, currently owned by Chris Simpson of Magna Carta, which has been autographed by some famous stars. It is believed to have been owned at one point by Bob Dylan. This is a rare chance to buy a one off collectors guitar. It comes in a well travelled hard case. The famous auction house Bonhams in Londen will sell this rare Gibson. The guitar featured the sleeve of Magna Carta's Old Masters and New Horizons. Signed by many superstars This specific Gibson J-200 is a unique guitar. First of all: it is a Gibson J-200!! Second, it is not only signed by Chris Simpson himself, but also by many other very famous (folk) artists, like: Don and Phil Everly (The Everly Brothers) Carl Perkins Lonnie Donegan John Renbourn Stefan Grossman Bert Jansch Richard Thompson Albert Lee Rick Wakeman Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley's guitarist; see the small photo on the right and see more photos; Elvis also played on a Gibson J-200.) About Bonhams Bonhams is not only the world’s fastest growing auction house, it is also the world’s oldest and largest auctioneer of fine art and antiques still in British ownership. The name Bonhams is recognised worldwide throughout all sectors of the fine art, antiques and collectors market, and several of its departments are established world leaders within their fields. More info: - This site - more photos of the guitar - Bonhams - home page
October 2005	New album: 2CD + bonus DVD "In Tomorrow" !! The best CD news of 2005: Magna Carta will release a brand new album, with 2 CDs plus a bonus DVD!! The title track is a re-recording of "In Tomorrow", the subtle song on "Prisoners on the Line". DISC 1 - The first CD, titled 'mostly studio', has 15 tracks (some with two combined songs). It contains recordings with 'the chaps', as Chris and Linda use to say with lots of love for the many Magna Carta sidemen. Guest appearences: the great Lee Abbott on bass. Also Jonathan Barrett and Eddy Jackson on bass on additional tracks. John Shepherd and Paul Burgess on drums. Derek Nash; sax. Nippy Noya; percussion. Frank Schaafsma and Ian ‘Stewy’ Stewart; mouth harp. Rick Wakeman, Tony White and Mike Berridge; piano. Vic Emmerson ‘late of 10cc and Sad Café’; keyboards and production. Will Jackson is here and there on keyboards and guitar. Music sample: "In Tomorrow" Music sample: "Don't stop me" Music sample: "Only love knows how" DISC 2 - The second CD, titled 'mostly live', offers 14 tracks. This CD is a 'must have' for anyone who ever visited a recent Magna Carta concert. It reveals the warmth and beauty of Chris and Linda as they perform now: the miracle of just two voices and two guitars. The intimacy, the power and the love. With occasional guest appearances of the talented Dutch Matt Barnhoorn (violin) and Lee Abbott (bass). The live CD tracks are taken from many recordings worldwide, from Damascus to Tunis; Caraccas to San José; Madrid to Grassington. Music sample: "Boulder to Birmingham" Music sample: "Life in the old dog" Music sample: "You say" Music sample: "You" DISC 3 - The 2CD set also offers a free bonus DVD with excerpts from the Magna Carta live DVD "Ticket to the Moon". The set is completed by an eight page booklet. The new album will be released by River Records. The EAN number of the new album is 5055134101159. A word by a fan Walter Goyen (maker of the website that you are now reading) designed the sleeve and booklet for the new album. Walter: "I am a Magna Carta fan for appr. 30 years now. This new album offers a wonderful combination of studio and live recordings. Two new CDs and a bonus DVD! As a big fan, of course I already have the original "Ticket to the Moon" DVD. But for anyone who never saw it, this bonus DVD will be a lovely introduction to a Magna Carta concert. And a great memory for anyone who has seen them already. I hope people will rush out and buy the full DVD too. The studio CD is superb ("Don't stop me" might be a hit single!). My personal favorite is the live CD. It is Magna Carta reduced to the bare essentials: just Chris and Linda, only in some tracks supported by bass or violin. These live recordings demonstrate what a great team Chris and Linda are on stage. Two guitars and two voices in perfect harmony. Linda's amazing singing. Anyone who ever heard her sing "You Say" or "Boulder to Birmingham" live on stage will admit: this is music at it's VERY BEST. And I really LOVE Chris' song of "You". There are more than 30(!!) Magna Carta albums now, but this one is definitely going to be one of my absolute favorites. To all the concert visitors I want to say: you REALLY MUST buy this new album!! No regrets. Promised!!" The new album is planned to be released at the new Dutch tour. So check the CD sales corner after the concert! Or check River Records. More info about "In Tomorrow" (photo, track list).
October 2005	Magna Carta homepage is back! The Magna Carta homepage is back alive, thanks to the new web master John Gardner. You can find articles about Magna Carta, their biography, the latest news and concert information, a brief discography, a guest book and more. This web site was originally Nelson Silva's inspiration, and he gave freely of his time and skills to develop it. Much of the current design and text has been inherited from the results of his efforts. Nelson has also provided a couple of interesting personal contributions to the Articles section of the site.
September 2005	"In Concert" (re)released on CD! More great CD news: Repertoire has (re)released the great "In Concert" album of 1972 on CD! This album was recorded in the famous and prestigious 'Concertgebouw' in Amsterdam (The Netherlands). The catalogue number of the new cd is REPUK1075. Music sample: "The Boatman" Music sample: "Old John Parker" Music sample: "Ring Of Stones" So 2005 has already brought us three historical Magna Carta albums on CD! And there are plans to release another CD with brand new live and studio tracks by Chris and Linda. Stay tuned, it might be released rather soon. What a great year!
September 2005	Extra concerts There are some updates of the Dutch concert tour, and there are even plans for a gig in Langenthal, Switzerland (Oct. 29). See concerts.
July 2005	Concerts in the UK There are some new Italian and UK concerts planned in July (not August!) and September. See concerts. I added more album and vinyl photo's on the album pages of Magna Carta (Same), Seasons and Prisoners on the Line. And one of the biggest changes: the "Singles" chapter has been updated. A lot of sleeve photo's now. Not completed yet, but a big improvement.
June 2005	"Took a long time" and "Live in Bergen" finally on cd! Great news: two classic Magna Carta albums "Took a long time" (1976) and "Live in Bergen" (1978) are finally released on cd! In many countries "Took a long time" was released as "Putting in back together". It contains classic songs like the two title tracks, plus "Sun ain't gonna rise", "Wild bird", "Painted eyes", three Tom Hoy songs (among which the jazzy "Princess") and the Bob Dylan cover "Tomorrow's a long time". In that time, Magna Carta featured Chris Simpson, Tom Hoy and Nigel Smith. The album was followed with a 63 date tour, probably the longest ever undertaken by an English band. Music sample: "Took a long time" Music sample: "Putting it back together" Music sample: "Princess" The album "Live in Bergen", a favourite for many fans, is an amazing live recording of a concert in Bergen (Norway). The atmosphere is superb. The band had to play one concert in Norway, right in the middle of a busy Dutch tour. The concert started almost immediately after they left the airplane. However, the performance is brilliant. The audience gets crazy and the recording breathes an uncomparable air. The opening track "No place to sleep" symbolizes the bands tour busy schedule. "Dink's Song" is a pure Simpson composition, with a beautiful violin melody. The evergreen "Lord of the Ages" has an amazing guitar sound. "Fragments" shows Tommy Hoy at his best. And of course there is "Forever", the classic track from "Prisoners on the Line". "Live in Bergen" is maybe one of the most stunning live recordings ever! The cd will have a totally new sleeve! Music sample: "No Place To Sleep" Music sample: "Dink's Song" Music sample: "Forever" The two cd's will be released by Talking Elephant in July 2005. "Took a long time" has cd number TECD078, and "Live in Bergen" TECD079. Concerts in Italy, Spain and the UK There are plans to do some concerts in Italy, Spain and the UK. Linda said the concerts in Italy and Spain will probably be later this year, but no exact dates are know yet. Please stay tuned for more info, we'll keep you informed as soon as we know more details.
May 2005	An extra 'Friends' concert at Thursday, May 5 at 't Eekhoornnest in Soest!! Chris asked me to put the whole tour schedule on this site, with a lot of thanks to the Friends website. 2005 may become a very important Magna Carta year. There are plans to release several old and new albums! A brand new "Fields of Eden" and possibly a Linda solo album. Plus two old albums that were never released on cd yet. And the year ends with a big Dutch winter tour. So stay tuned on this site, we will inform you as soon as we know more.
April 2005	Magna Carta does a small concert tour in The Netherlands! It starts at April 15 in Slochteren. In October / November / December they will return for a big Dutch tour. See tour schedule for the exact tour schedule. This brand new website is offered Chris and Linda, in honour of Magna Carta's 35th anniversary last year. As many other sites, this one is 'still under construction', but one is not supposed to call it like that. ;-) I have plans to add lots of sound fragments and more details on the albums. There will be photo's of each lp, showing the backside, the inside (with fold-out-covers) and the circles of the lp's. It just takes lots of time, so please be patient.
Febr. 2005	I (Walter) started building this site.
More news	This website is mainly focussed on the Magna Carta discography. For more news on Magna Carta, you can also check the website by the Friends of Magna Carta. The real Magna Carta homepage is under construction. There are plans to make a major update by the end of 2005. We'll keep you informed.