"The Pentangle" was the 1968 debut album of the band Pentangle: Terry Cox, Bert Jansch, Jacqui McShee, John Renbourn and Danny Thompson. It brought together their separate influences of folk, jazz, blues, early music and contemporary song-writing. One of the band's most commercially successful albums, it reached number 21 in the British charts.
By the time that the album was produced, the members of Pentangle were already accomplished musicians, in their own fields, and had played together in various combinations. Jansch and Renbourn were recognised as solo artists and played together regularly, including their recording of the Bert And John album. McShee had sung folk and blues in pubs and clubs, and had recorded with Renbourn on Another Monday. Cox and Thompson were experienced session musicians and had played together in Alexis Korner's band.
Richie Unterberger's said of the album "If it was more a folk-jazz-blues stew than it was folk-rock, it certainly rocked with a beat, and was executed with vocal harmonies, vocal and instrumental solo trade-offs, and a daring, irreverent spirit that immediately connected with rock-oriented listeners. And rock listeners, rather than folk ones, probably comprised the majority of the Pentangle's audience.""The Pentangle" was the 1968 debut album of the band Pentangle: Terry Cox, Bert Jansch, Jacqui McShee, John Renbourn and Danny Thompson. It brought together their separate influences of folk, jazz, blues, early music and contemporary song-writing. One of the band's most commercially successful albums, it reached number 21 in the British charts.
By the time that the album was produced, the members of Pentangle were already accomplished musicians, in their own fields, and had played together in various combinations. Jansch and Renbourn were recognised as solo artists and played together regularly, including their recording of the Bert And John album. McShee had sung folk and blues in pubs and clubs, and had recorded with Renbourn on Another Monday. Cox and Thompson were experienced session musicians and had played together in Alexis Korner's band.
Richie Unterberger's said of the album "If it was more a folk-jazz-blues stew than it was folk-rock, it certainly rocked with a beat, and was executed with vocal harmonies, vocal and instrumental solo trade-offs, and a daring, irreverent spirit that immediately connected with rock-oriented listeners. And rock listeners, rather than folk ones, probably comprised the majority of the Pentangle's audience."false2025-11-07 23:55:30The Pentangle20012001-01-012001-01-0153Folk RockRock1272722198919aeb16342-8d7c-431b-82af-ef199065e897a4e31e59-e662-4cf4-bd4f-d7bf712bc21ff8be2e9d-0cf5-4ae5-b77f-7e6e30735e04/media/data/media5/Music/The Pentangle/The Pentangle (1968)/folder.jpgThe PentangleThe PentanglePentangle are a British folk rock band, formed in London in 1967. The original band was active in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and a later version has been active since the early 1980s. The original line-up, which was unchanged throughout the band's first incarnation (1967–1973), was Jacqui McShee (vocals); John Renbourn (vocals and guitar); Bert Jansch (vocals and guitar); Danny Thompson (double bass); and Terry Cox (drums).
The name Pentangle was chosen to represent the five members of the band. It was also the device on Sir Gawain's shield in the Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, which held a fascination for Renbourn.
In 2007, the original members of the band were reunited to receive a Lifetime Achievement award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and to record a short concert that was broadcast on BBC radio. The following June, all five original members began a twelve-date UK tour.