Decameron

"Mammoth Special" 1974
"Third Light" 1975

Decameron was the contemporary folk group formed by Johnny Coppin and Dave Bell back in 1969, who then, with the addition of Al Fenn and Geoff March, went professional in August 1971. The band were originally managed by Jasper Carrott and John Starkey, and their first album was "Say Hello To The Band" in 1973 on Vertigo Records. Bass player Dik Cadbury then joined the band and they went on to record 3 more albums, and tour the UK and Europe extensively before breaking up in 1976.

In 1973 Decameron's first album "Say Hello to the Band" was released by Phonogram. Celebrated folk-rock svengali Sandy Roberton produced the album and at the end of recording he told the band he wanted to be their manager. At this point things moved up a gear – a recording deal with Mooncrest, tours in Holland, Germany and Belgium, bigger venues in the UK and the addition of another band member Dik Cadbury on bass. Not to mention a bigger van and a proper PA.

1974 saw the release of Mammoth Special, regarded by some of the band as their finest hour. "We did a fabulous promotional gig at the Commonwealth Institute in London with an Orchestra" says Al. "We were getting some really good audiences on the continent and the home crowds were growing." Dik remembers the concert with fondness: "The double bass player from the orchestra abandoned his family holiday in Cornwall and drove all the way up to London to do the one gig – that’s dedication."

A year later "Third Light" came out on Transatlantic – an evolution of Mammoth and the first airing for some of the bands best songs including Trapeze, The Ungodly and Journey's End.