People Power: The Remarkable Retrieval of the Duffy Power BBC Sessions

Author's Note: the longed-for compilation of Duffy's Parlophone singles mentioned at the end of this piece did indeed (shortly after) come to pass, in the form of the stunning 2CD set Leapers & Sleepers on RPM (the singles plus many previously unreleased gems from the Parlophone era). It was followed by a second 2CD set Vampers & Champers, for which I provided the sleevenote, containing an expanded version of the Innovations material along with further '60s and early '70s gems. The album of new Duffy Power recordings which I'd flagged in this piece as imminent was, alas, not to be at that time. Happily, at the time of this bit of writing (and let's hope I'm not jinxing it yet again) – in September 2011 – that very album, entitled True, is due before year's end on Market Square Records. Fingers crossed...