Stunning new box set's portrait of Harrogate musician who wowed the world but stayed true to the Dales

Boasting both hits and rarities, When All I Said And Done charts the many musical peaks of Chris Simpson on three CDS and one DVD.

Born in Harrogate and raised in the hills above Birstwith, Chris made his name with Magna Carta, the band he formed in London in the late 1960s, before spending decades thrilling concert halls across the world.

As the new box set released on Repertoire Records reveals, the talented Simpson has always remained true to his roots in the Dales no matter how far or high he has flown.

Described in the box set’s sleeves notes by broadcaster Nigel Schofield as a “man for all seasons”, Simpson’s catalogue of acoustic gems with the ever-changing Magna Carta ranges from folk to prog, blues to pop, country to calypso.

One particularly memorable track – You Are Only What You Are off 1974’s Martin’s Cafe album - features the man who got away, Magna Carta guitarist Davey Johnstone who left the band to join Elton John in the 1970s and was last seen on the Pyramid stage at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

Simpson himself, now 81, says he is proud of all his musical phases – and choices on the new compilation.

"It didn’t take much to pick the tracks for the box set,” said Simpson.

"No matter what I’ve done, it all fits like a hand in a glove.

"The material is in my heart and soul.”

The box set goes from the beginning to, what fans hope will not be, the end.

Dusted down from the vaults is a haunting slice of the blues recorded as a demo in 1965.

Magna Carta’s last new album, The Fields Of Eden, recorded in 2015 by Will Jackson, is there, as is a DVD of the band’s most recent UK concert – Ripley Town Hall in 2020.

Time moves on but When All Is Said And Done reveals Chris Simpson’s classic songwriting to be the one constant.