Those were the days (Mary Hopkins) (LP 431 - 433)

Mary Hopkin Postcard (Vinyl, Apple Records, 1968) **

Mary Hopkin Earth Song/ Ocean Song (Vinyl, Apple Records, 1971) *****

Mary Hopkin Live At The Royal Festival Hall 1972 (CD, Mary Hopkin Music, 2005) ***   

Genre: Apple, Dark Horse catalogue

Places I remember: The vinyl - Marbecks Records, The live CD HMV East Croyden

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Water Paper and Clay (From Earth Song/ Ocean Song)

Gear costume:  Martha, Streets Of London (From Earth Song/ Ocean Song)  

Active compensatory factors: The first one, Postcard, is a mess really - Paul McCartney was trying to provide/impose all sorts of styles on his discovery - which is why we get things like folk songs sung in Welsh, pre-rock standards like Show Business, and twee Donovan offerings along the way. 

Side two is more cohesive, but really Postcard says more about Macca's taste than Mary's.

Earth Song/ Ocean Song is a real triumph in comparison, as Mary sings material more suited to her folky approach. The backings are lovely (Toni Visconti in charge really helped) and her voice is now more mature. Her version of Streets Of London is sublime.

It's a brilliant record!

The live one is interesting for me as it is a record of her live performance just as she left Apple Records, but still singing material from her Apple years. 

It's a lovely performance too. Her innocent, winning personality is an honest one and her singing is wonderful throughout.

Where do they all belong? I may not have ever bought a Mary Hopkin album if it wasn't released on Apple Records, but I'm still very glad I heard Earth Song/ Ocean Song.