“Who Knows Where the Time Goes” by Fairport Convention

Sandy Denny wrote "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" long before Fairport Convention got hold of it: she cut a first demo in 1966, when it was only the second song she had ever finished, and taped it again during her spell with the Strawbs. After she joined Fairport in 1968, the band gave it a proper home on Unhalfbricking, her second album with them, released in 1969.

It's a hushed, wondering meditation on time slipping away, and Denny sings it with a calm that makes the ache hit harder. Ashley Hutchings' bass and Martin Lamble's drums move in soft and patient behind her, never crowding the melody. Joe Boyd produced alongside the band and Simon Nicol, and John Wood engineered, keeping the sound warm and close, as if the whole thing were being played in the next room.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.