Richard Thompson discography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Studio albums27
Live albums22
Singles16
| Richard Thompson discography | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio albums | 27 |
| Live albums | 22 |
| Singles | 16 |
Richard Thompson is an English songwriter, musician (primarily a guitarist), singer and record producer. He has played and sung on almost 400 releases to date. His discography consists of around 30 studio albums in which he is a named primary artist, alongside live albums, singles, compilations, fan club and boutique label releases, soundtracks and collaborations. Alongside 20 solo studio albums, he is known for his collaborative releases with first wife Linda Thompson and his work as a member of Fairport Convention. He has also appeared as a guest musician on the releases of numerous other artists.
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Credited to | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK[1] | US[2] | |||
| 1972 | Henry the Human Fly | Richard Thompson[3] | — | — |
| 1974 | I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight | Richard and Linda Thompson[4] | — | — |
| 1975 | Hokey Pokey | Richard and Linda Thompson[5] | — | — |
| Pour Down Like Silver | Richard and Linda Thompson[6] | — | — | |
| 1978 | First Light | Richard and Linda Thompson | — | — |
| 1979 | Sunnyvista | Richard and Linda Thompson | — | — |
| 1981 | Strict Tempo! | Richard Thompson | — | — |
| 1982 | Shoot Out the Lights | Richard and Linda Thompson | — | — |
| 1983 | Hand of Kindness | Richard Thompson | — | 186 |
| 1985 | Across a Crowded Room | Richard Thompson | 80 | 102 |
| 1986 | Daring Adventures | Richard Thompson | 92 | 142 |
| 1988 | Amnesia | Richard Thompson | 89 | 182 |
| 1991 | Rumor and Sigh | Richard Thompson | 32 | — |
| 1994 | Mirror Blue | Richard Thompson | 23 | 109 |
| 1996 | You? Me? Us? | Richard Thompson | 32 | 97 |
| 1997 | Industry | Richard Thompson and Danny Thompson | — | — |
| 1999 | Mock Tudor | Richard Thompson | 28 | — |
| 2003 | The Old Kit Bag | Richard Thompson | 52 | 121 |
| 2005 | Front Parlour Ballads | Richard Thompson | 54 | 197 |
| 2007 | Sweet Warrior | Richard Thompson | 39 | 111 |
| 2013 | Electric | Richard Thompson | 16 | 75 |
| 2014 | Acoustic Classics | Richard Thompson | 16 | 103 |
| 2015 | Still | Richard Thompson | 10 | 82 |
| 2017 | Acoustic Classics II | Richard Thompson | 24 | — |
| Acoustic Rarities | Richard Thompson | 84 | — | |
| 2018 | 13 Rivers | Richard Thompson | 18 | — |
| 2024 | Ship to Shore | Richard Thompson | 46 | — |
Live albums
| Released | Title | Credited to | Recorded | UK | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Small Town Romance | Richard Thompson | 1982 | — | — |
| 1995 | Live at Crawley | Richard Thompson with Danny Thompson | 1993 | — | — |
| 1996 | Two Letter Words: Live 1994 | Richard Thompson Band | 1994 | — | — |
| 1998 | Celtschmerz: Live in the UK ‘98 | Richard Thompson | 1998 | — | — |
| 2002 | Semi-Detached Mock Tudor | Richard Thompson Band | 1999 | — | — |
| 2003 | More Guitar | Richard Thompson Band | 1988 | — | — |
| 1000 Years of Popular Music | Richard Thompson | 2002 | — | — | |
| Ducknapped! | The Richard Thompson Band | 2003 | — | — | |
| 2004 | Faithless | Richard Thompson | 1985 | — | — |
| The Chrono Show | Richard Thompson | 2004 | — | — | |
| 2005 | Live from Austin, TX | Richard Thompson | 2001 | — | — |
| 2007 | In Concert, November 1975 | Richard and Linda Thompson | 1975 | — | — |
| 2009 | Live Warrior | Richard Thompson, Michael Jerome, Danny Thompson, Taras Prodaniuk, Pete Zorn | 2007 | — | — |
| 2010 | Dream Attic[a] | Richard Thompson | 2010 | 20 | 83 |
| 2011 | Live at the BBC | Richard Thompson featuring Linda Thompson | 1973–2009 | 137 | — |
| 2012 | Cabaret of Souls | Richard Thompson | 2009 | — | — |
| 2017 | Live at Rockpalast | Richard Thompson Band | 1983 & 1984 | — | — |
| 2019 | Across A Crowded Room Live at Barrymore's 1985 | Richard Thompson | 1985 | — | — |
| 2020 | Live at Rock City, Nottingham, November 86 | Richard Thompson | 1986 | — | — |
| 2021 | Live from London | Richard Thompson | 2021 | — | — |
| 2022 | Live from Honolulu | The Richard Thompson Acoustic Trio | 2006 | — | - |
| 2023 | Historic Classic Concert - Live in Nottingham 1986 | Richard Thompson Band | 1985[b] | — | - |
Compilations
| Year | Title | Credited to |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | (guitar, vocal) | Richard Thompson |
| 1976 | Live! (More or Less) | Richard Thompson |
| 1985 | Doom & Gloom from the Tomb (Vol. 1) | Richard Thompson |
| 1991 | Doom & Gloom II (Over My Dead Body) | Richard Thompson |
| 1993 | Watching the Dark | Richard Thompson |
| 2000 | The Best of Richard & Linda Thompson: The Island Records Years | Richard and Linda Thompson |
| 2001 | Action Packed | Richard Thompson |
| 2005 | Some Enchanted Evenings | Richard Thompson |
| 2006 | RT- The Life and Music of Richard Thompson | Richard Thompson |
| 2009 | Walking on a Wire | Richard Thompson |
| 2020 | Hard Luck Stories (1972–1982) | Richard and Linda Thompson |
Singles
With Linda Thompson
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||
| 1974 | "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" | — | I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight |
| 1975 | "Hokey Pokey" | — | Hokey Pokey |
| 1978 | "Don't Let a Thief Steal into Your Heart" | — | First Light |
| 1979 | "Georgie on a Spree" / "Civilisation" (double-A side) | — | Sunnyvista |
| 1982 | "Don't Renege On Our Love" | — | Shoot Out the Lights |
Solo
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Alt. Rock[8] | |||||||||||||
| 1983 | "The Wrong Heartbeat" | — | Hand of Kindness | ||||||||||
| 1984 | "Tear-Stained Letter" | — | |||||||||||
| 1985 | "When the Spell is Broken" | — | Across a Crowded Room | ||||||||||
| "You Don't Say" | — | ||||||||||||
| 1986 | "Valerie" | — | Daring Adventures | ||||||||||
| "Nearly in Love" | — | ||||||||||||
| 1988 | "Turning of the Tide" | 30 | Amnesia | ||||||||||
| 1989 | "Reckless Kind" | — | |||||||||||
| 1991 | "I Feel So Good" | 15 | Rumor and Sigh | ||||||||||
| "Read About Love" | — | ||||||||||||
| 1992 | "I Misunderstood" (Official Dutch Tour Single) | ||||||||||||
| 1994 | "I Can't Wake Up to Save My Life" | — | Mirror Blue | ||||||||||
| "Easy There, Steady Now" | — | ||||||||||||
| 1996 | "Dark Hand over My Heart" | — | You? Me? Us | ||||||||||
| 1999 | "Crawl Back (under My Stone)" | — | Mock Tudor | ||||||||||
| 2003 | "She Said It Was Destiny" | — | The Old Kit Bag | ||||||||||
| 2007 | "Dad's Gonna Kill Me" | — | Sweet Warrior | ||||||||||
| 2012 | "Haul Me Up"[c] | — | |||||||||||
| 2013 | "Good Things Happen to Bad People" | — | Electric | ||||||||||
| "Salford Sunday" | — | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | "Gethsemane" | — | Acoustic Classics II | ||||||||||
| 2018 | "Bones of Gilead" | — | 13 Rivers | ||||||||||
| "The Storm Won't Come" | — | ||||||||||||
| "My Rock, My Rope" | — | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | "Streamwalk / Treadwell No More" | — | Music from Grizzly Man | ||||||||||
| "Glencoe" | — | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | "Singapore Sadie" | — | Ship to Shore | ||||||||||
| "Freeze" | — | ||||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||||||||
With the Richard Thompson Acoustic Trio
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||
| 2022 | "(I Want to See) The Bright Lights Tonight" | — | Live from Honolulu |
With Hugh Cornwell
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||
| 2025 | "Tobacco Road" | — | Think Loud 4 Parkinson's |
Solo EPs
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Tracks |
| 2020 | Bloody Noses |
| 2021 | Serpent's Tears |
Releases with Fairport Convention
Only studio albums recorded whilst Richard Thompson was a member of Fairport Convention are listed here. After Thompson left the group, he continued to appear sporadically as a guest musician on subsequent albums, which are listed in the session work discography.
Live, particularly at Cropredy Festival, Fairport often perform in various line-ups of past and present members. Therefore, live albums which feature Thompson after he officially left the band are included here.
For more details of Fairport Convention's album releases see the Fairport Convention discography.
Studio albums
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1968 | Fairport Convention |
| 1969 | What We Did on Our Holidays |
| 1969 | Unhalfbricking |
| 1969 | Liege and Lief |
| 1970 | Full House |
Live albums
| Released | Title | Recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Live at the L.A. Troubadour | 1970 |
| 1982 | Moat on the Ledge | 1981 |
| 1984 | The Boot | 1983 |
| 1986 | House Full: Live at the L.A. Troubadour | 1970 |
| 1987 | The Other Boot | 1986 |
| 1987 | Heyday: The BBC Radio Sessions | 1968 & 1969 |
| 1988 | The Third Leg | 1987 |
| 1993 | 25th Anniversary Concert | 1992 |
| 1999 | The Cropredy Box | 1997 |
| 2003 | Cropredy 2002 - Another Gig : Another Palindrome / Festival: Cropredy 2002 | 2002 |
| 2004 | Cropredy Capers: Twenty-Five Years of Fairport Convention and Friends at Cropredy Festival | 1980-2004 |
| 2007 | Live at the BBC | 1967-1974 |
| 2018 | What We Did On Our Saturday[9] | 2017 |
| 2020 | Chicago 1970 | 1970 |
| 2023 | Full House for Sale[10] | 2022 |
Other material
| Year | Title | Year relevant material recorded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Now Be Thankful | 1970 | Standalone single, with B-side, 'Sir B. McKenzie's Daughter's Lament for the 77th Mounted Lancers Retreat from the Straits of Loch Knombe, in the Year of Our Lord 1727, on the Occasion of the Announcement of Her Marriage to the Laird Of Kinleakie'. |
| 2004 | Angel Delight | 1970 | 2004 CD version contains a bonus version of 'The Journeyman's Grace' recorded for a BBC Radio session in 1970 and featuring Thompson |
| 2017 | Fairport Unconventional | 1967-2001 | Mostly previously unreleased studio and live tracks, some featuring Thompson |
| 2017 | Come All Ye: The First Ten Years | ~1969-~1972 | Compilation of existing and newly released archive material, some featuring Thompson |
Soundtracks
Not listed here are soundtrack albums on which a Richard Thompson recording or composition is merely included, without further involvement from Thompson. Listed here are soundtracks in which Thompson had a significant creative role in creating new music.
| Year | Title | Credited to |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Marksman (Music from the BBC TV Series) | Richard Thompson and Peter Filleul |
| 1989 | Hard Cash (BBC North West documentary) first broadcast in 1990[11] | Richard Thompson and numerous other artists listed on the cover, produced by Richard Thompson and Peter Filleul |
| 1991 | Sweet Talker | Richard Thompson |
| 2005 | Grizzly Man[d] | Richard Thompson |
| 2010 | Baraboo: Motion Picture Soundtrack | Joel Savoy, Emma Beaton & Chris Stafford, additional compositions by Richard Thompson, metal compositions by Riley Sweeney Lynch and Dean Hurley, and Edison recordings from the early 20th century |
| 2019 | The Cold Blue (Original Motion Picture Score) | Music by Richard Thompson[e] |
Collaborations
Albums on which Thompson has guested or worked as a session musician are not shown here (see sections below). Listed here are albums on which Thompson played a significant creative role as a member of the group or project.
| Year | Title | Credited to |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | No Roses | Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band |
| 1972 | Morris On | Morris On |
| 1972 | Rock On | The Bunch |
| 1981 | Saturday Rolling Around | The GPs |
| 1987 | Live, Love, Larf & Loaf | French Frith Kaiser Thompson |
| 1990 | Invisible Means | French Frith Kaiser Thompson |
| 2014 | Family | Thompson |
| 2025 | In 1981 There Was… The GPs – Live In Concert[f] | The GPs |
As a featured guest
Albums in which Thompson is credited on the front cover as a featured guest (rather than simply in the notes of the musicians playing) are covered here.
| Year | Title | Credited to | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Variations on a Theme | David Thomas & the Pedestrians with Richard Thompson | |
| 1986 | An Hour with Cecil Sharp and Ashley Hutchings | Ashley Hutchings with guests Martin Carthy ○ Richard Thompson ○ Dave Whetstone | |
| 1994 | Twangin' n' A-Traddin' | The Ashley Hutchings Big Beat Combo with special guest Richard Thompson | |
| 1998 | The Bones of All Men | Mr Philip Pickett with Mr Richard Thompson and the Fairport Rhythm Section | |
| 2023 | Child Ballads: The Final Six | The London Experimental Ensemble with Richard Thompson, Wesley Stace, Sivert Høyem, Marissa Nadler and Gina Fergione |
Original recordings on 'various artist' compilations
Original recordings of new or existing compositions on 'various artist' compilations. Only the first release the recording is on is listed.
| Year | Album | Song or tune | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Over The Rainbow (The Last Concert, Live!) | "Hokey Pokey" | Live recording with Linda Thompson from 1975 |
| 1985 | Feed the Folk | "Old Horse" | With Martin Carthy, John Kirkpatrick and Howard Evans, alternative take to the one on Carthy's Out of the Cut, now more easily found on Carthy Chronicles |
| 1989 | Ben & Jerry's Newport Folk Festival 1988 | "Turning of the Tide" | Live recording from the festival |
| 1989 | Time Between – A Tribute to The Byrds | "Here Without You" | With Clive Gregson and Christine Collister |
| 1990 | Ben & Jerry's Newport Folk Festival 1988, Vol. 2: Mementos | "Two Left Feet" and "The Choice Wife" | Live recording from the festival |
| 1990 | Circle Dance—The Hokey Pokey Charity Compilation | "The May Day Psalter" | With Danny Thompson. Now more easily available on Danny Thompson's Connected compilation. |
| 1991 | The Best of Mountain Stage, Volume One | "Shoot Out the Lights" | Live solo version for the radio programme |
| 1991 | Bringing It All Back Home, Music From The BBC TV Series | "The Dimming of the Day" | With Mary Black |
| 1991 | Turn of the Decade 1989-90: Ben & Jerry's Newport Folk Festival | "She Moves Through The Fair" | Live from the festival |
| 1991 | All Through the Year — A Calendar in Music & Song | "Late November" | With Fairport Convention, Vikki Clayton and Jerry Donahue, live at Cropredy 1991 |
| 1992 | Studio Brussel: Update Live | "Misunderstood" | Live radio session |
| 1993 | Tanz & Folkfest Rudolstadt '92 | "Read About Love" | Live from the festival |
| 1993 | The World is a Wonderful Place | "The World is a Wonderful Place" | With Linda Thompson, previously unreleased, unlisted track 13 |
| 1993 | KBCO: The Best of Studio C, Volume 3 | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live radio session from 1992 |
| 1994 | In Their Own Words, Vol 1 | "I Feel So Good" | Live, solo radio session from 1992 |
| 1994 | ONXRT: Live From The Archives, Volume 2 | "I Can't Wake up to Save My Life" | Live radio session from 1994 |
| 1994 | Broadcasts Vol. 2 | "Dimming of the Day" | Live radio session on KGSR from 1994 |
| 1994 | Where Are My Headphones? Live From Studio A, Volume 2 | "Taking My Business Elsewhere" | Live, solo radio session on WCBE |
| 1995 | Troubadours of British Folk, Volume 3: An Evolving Tradition | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live version only previously available on a promotional EP for "I Misunderstood" |
| 1995 | Live at the World Cafe, Vol. 1 | "Beeswing" | Live radio session from 1992 |
| 1995 | 89.7 FM WNKU Presents Natural Alternatives | "King of Bohemia" | Live radio session |
| 1995 | KFOG Radio 104.5\97.7, Live From The Archives II | "I Feel So Good" | Live from the Suasalito Art Festival, 1994 |
| 1997 | Folk, Live from Mountain Stage | "Beat the Retreat" | Live radio session |
| 1997 | Live at the Iron Horse, Volume 1 | "From Galway to Graceland" | Live, solo radio session from 1990 |
| 1997 | E-Town Live | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live radio session in Boulder, Colorado from 1996 |
| 1997 | Georgia on Our Mind | "Georgia on My Mind" and "John the Gun" | The first as part of the Deep Sea Ensemble, the second with the Richard Thompson Band, live in 1985 |
| 1998 | Where Have All the Flowers Gone?: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Vol 1 | "If I Had a Hammer" | With Nanci Griffith and friends, vocals |
| 1998 | From the Heart of Studio A: The Folkscene Collection | "Waltzing's for Dreamers" | Live radio session for Roz and Howard Larman's 'FolkScene' on KPFK in Los Angeles |
| 1999 | Bringing It All Back Home, Volume 2 | "Waltzing's For Dreamers" | With Mary Black and Dolores Keane |
| 1999 | Other Enz: Split Enz & Beyond | "Persuasion" | With Tim Finn |
| 2000 | Live At The World Cafe, Vol. 10 | "Cooksferry Queen" | Live radio session |
| 2000 | Heart of England: In Aid of Teenage Cancer Trust | "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" | Live |
| 2000 | The Riversound Cafe | "Sights and Sounds of London Town" | Live radio session recorded live at WRSI |
| 2000 | Mixx On The Fly - Live From Studio A - WCBE Vol. 7 | "Uninhabited Man" | Live radio session |
| 2000 | Broadcasts, Vol. 8 | "Sights and Sounds of London Town" | Live radio session on KGSR |
| 2000 | KINK Live Thr3e | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live radio session from 1999 |
| 2001 | Philadelphia Folk Festival: 40th Anniversary | "Walk Awhile" and "Beeswing" | Live from previous festivals. Former with Fairport Convention, 1970 |
| 2001 | Live At The Night, Vol. 1 | "Crawl Back" | Live radio session from 2000 |
| 2002 | Evangeline Made: A Tribute to Cajun Music | "La Chanson D'Une Fille De Quinze Ans" and "Les Flammes D'Enfer" | Former with Ann Savoy, latter solo |
| 2002 | 156 Strings: Nineteen Totally Original Acoustic Guitarists | "How Does Your Garden Grow?" | Solo, for compilation curated by Henry Kaiser |
| 2002 | Heart of England, Volume 2: In Aid of Teenage Cancer Trust | "Sights and Sounds of London Town" | Live from Hampstead |
| 2002 | Shining Bright: The Songs of Lal & Mike Waterson | "Red Wine Promises" | Cover of Lal Waterson song |
| 2002 | Live at the World Cafe, Vol. 14: The Next Decade | "Persuasion" | Live radio session |
| 2003 | Crossing Jordan [soundtrack] | "Season of the Witch" | Donovan cover for TV soundtrack |
| 2003 | Live @ The World Café, Vol. 17: Three Flights Up | "I'll Tag Along" | Live radio session |
| 2003 | City Folk Live VI | "She Said It was Destiny" | Live radio session |
| 2003 | Live From The CD101 Big Room - Volume 1 | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live radio session |
| 2004 | WYEP Live & Direct: Three Decades, Three Discs | "She Said It was Destiny" | Live radio session |
| 2005 | The Bootlegs (Vol. 1 Celebrating 35 Years at First Avenue) | "Cooksferry Queen" | Live radio session from 1999 |
| 2006 | The Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited | "The Coo Coo Bird" | With Eliza Carthy, live in Los Angeles, 2001 |
| 2006 | Live At The World Cafe, Vol. 21: In The Cards | "The Hots for the Smarts" | Live radio session from 2005 |
| 2006 | Jan Donkers – Mijn Muziek | "From Galway to Graceland" | Live in Vlissingen, Netherlands, 2001 |
| 2006 | Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys | "Mingulay Boat Song" | Cover of a song by Sir Hugh S. Roberton |
| 2007 | Cool as Folk | "Tear Stained Letter" | The Richard Thompson Band, live at Cambridge Folk Festival, 2001 |
| 2007 | KFOG Radio 104.5\97.7: Live From The Archives 14 | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live radio session from 2005 |
| 2007 | Het Beste Van 25 Jaar Marktrock | "I Feel So Good" | Live from the Marktrock festival, probably from 1995 |
| 2007 | Music & Rhythm: WOMAD Worldwide 1982-2007 | "Easy There, Steady Now" | Live from WOMAD, New Zealand in 1997 |
| 2013 | Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys | "General Taylor" | With Jack Shit (aka Johnny Depp) |
| 2013 | The Beautiful Old Turn-Of-The-Century Songs | "The Band Played On" | With Christine Collister and Garth Hudson |
| 2013 | Sing Me the Songs: Celebrating the Works of Kate McGarrigle | "Go Leave" | With Linda Thompson, live cover from London, 2010 |
| 2013 | Live at the World Cafe, Vol. 36 | "Good things happen to bad people" | Live radio session |
| 2014 | The 78 Project: Volume 1 | "The Coo Coo Bird" | Recorded using a 1930s Presto direct-to-disc recorder in New York City in 2012 |
| 2014 | Cambridge Folk Festival (Celebrating 50 Years) | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live, solo recording from the 2011 festival |
| 2017 | Live At The World Cafe, Vol. 41: 25th Anniversary Edition | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live radio session from 2005 |
| 2017 | Sincerely, L. Cohen: A Live Celebration of Leonard Cohen | "Bird on the Wire" and "Story of Isaac" | Recorded live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn |
| 2019 | Jan Douwe Kroeske Presents the Best of 2 Meter Sessions, 1987-2009 | "I Feel So Good" | Live solo version |
| 2019 | Jan Douwe Kroeske Presents 2 Meter Sessions, Volume 3 | "I Misunderstood" | |
| 2019 | Vision & Revision: The First 80 Years of Topic Records | "The Light Bob’s Lassie" | Solo performance of traditional song |
| 2019 | If You're Going to the City: A Tribute to Mose Allison | "Parchman Farm" | Live cover, with George Galt |
| 2023 | Heal the Sky | "Lament for Mariupol" | Guitar instrumental |
| 2024 | Proxy Music | "I Used to Be So Pretty" and "Those Damn Roches" | With Ren Harvieu on "I Used to Be So Pretty" and Teddy Thompson on "Those Damn Roches", from an album of various artists performing songs written by Linda Thompson |
| 2025 | Think Loud 4 Parkinson's | "Tobacco Road" and "Meet on the Ledge" | With Hugh Cornwell on "Tobacco Road" and as part of Fairport's Cropredy 20 on "Meet on the Ledge". Fairport's Cropredy 20 is a group of 20 musicians, led by Fairport Convention, that came together remotely in 2020 to record this song. |
| 2025 | Sweet Relief - We Can Help! | "Humpy Back Man" | New original Thompson song for charity compilation |
Original recordings on career-spanning compilations
These are compilations dedicated to a single musician but featuring their work with several bands and featured artists from across their career. Only releases with newly released material are covered.
| Year | Title | Featured musician | Song or tune | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Guv'nor vol 1 | Ashley Hutchings | "Some Sweet Day", "You're Gonna Need My Help" and "Dear Landlord" | As a member of Fairport Convention, recorded 1967–1969 |
| 1995 | The Guv'nor vol 2 | Ashley Hutchings | "You Never Wanted Me" and "Sir Patrick Spens" | As a member of Fairport Convention, recorded 1968 |
| 1995 | The Guv'nor vol 3 | Ashley Hutchings | "Night in the City" and "Marcie" | As a member of Fairport Convention, recorded 1968 |
| 1996 | The Guv'nor vol 4 | Ashley Hutchings | "Both Sides Now" and "Fotheringay" | As a member of Fairport Convention, recorded 1967–1969 |
| 2003 | Swarb!: A Celebration of the Life and Music of Dave Swarbrick | Dave Swarbrick | various | Various tracks with Fairport Convention from 1970 onwards, "Sword Dance / Black Cow" with Fairport Convention and Linda Thompson from 1981 |
| 2007 | A Box of Pegg's | Dave Pegg | "Let It Blow" | With Fairport Convention, live at Cropredy, 2005 |
| 2010 | Sandy Denny [Box Set] | Sandy Denny | various | Thompson features on newly released material dating back to sessions with Fairport in 1968 |
| 2015 | Gathering The Threads | Judy Dyble | improvisation | An improvisation recorded with Judy Dyble in 1964. Also available, in a longer version, on Anthology: Pt. One. |
Original recordings on not-for-sale releases
Original recordings of new or existing compositions on albums that are not directly for sale (for example, promotional items for radio play, or albums accompanying a book or magazine). Only recordings which do not also appear on an official release are included.
| Year | Album | Song or tune | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Ferrington Guitars | "The Job of Journey Work" | Instrumental, from the CD with the book 'Ferrington Guitars' |
| 1996 | Launch Live | "The Razor Dance" | Recorded live for Launch disc magazine; from a limited run audio CD containing live tracks from Launch's first ten issues |
| 1999 | Rykodisc 15th Anniversary Acoustic Cafe Sampler | "Lotteryland" | Recorded live at the Acoustic Cafe |
| 1999 | Selected Tracks Live at Mountain Stage | "Bathsheba Smiles", "The Ghost of You Walks" and "Valerie" | Promo only CD release to support the release of Mock Tudor |
| 2000 | Fish Out of Water: Music Outside The Mainstream | "Waltzing's for Dreamers" | With Cry Cry Cry, live performance; CD only available via pledges to the radio station WMNF |
| 2011 | Oasis Acoustic, Volume 39 | "Hide It Away" | Live, Oasis exclusive |
| 2021 | Dylan Revisited | "This Wheel's on Fire" | With Zara Phillips on backing vocals, album with Uncut magazine in the UK |
As a guest or session musician
| Year | Title | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter | The Incredible String Band | Uncredited vocals on "The Minotaur's Song" |
| 1969 | Marc Ellington | Marc Ellington | Guitar |
| 1969 | Five Leaves Left | Nick Drake | Overdubbed electric guitar on "Time Has Told Me" |
| 1969 | Love Chronicles | Al Stewart | Guitar, under pseudonym Marvyn Prestwick |
| 1970 | Matthews' Southern Comfort | Matthews' Southern Comfort | Thompson plays guitar. Although titled simply Matthews' Southern Comfort on the cover, it is generally regarded as a solo Iain Matthews album rather than part of the later Matthews Southern Comfort discography. |
| 1970 | Strange Fruit | Gary Farr | Lead guitar |
| 1971 | Bryter Layter | Nick Drake | Electric guitar on "Hazey Jane II" |
| 1971 | Smiling Men with Bad Reputations | Mike Heron | Guitar on "Flowers of the Forest" |
| 1971 | If You Saw Thro' My Eyes | Iain Matthews | Electric and acoustic guitar, accordion |
| 1971 | Rains/Reins of Changes | Marc Ellington | Electric guitar and backing vocals |
| 1971 | Stargazer | Shelagh McDonald | Guitar on "Baby Go Slow" |
| 1971 | Street Singer | Mick Softley | Electric guitar |
| 1971 | The North Star Grassman and the Ravens | Sandy Denny | Electric guitar and acoustic guitars, bass, accordion, vocals |
| 1971 | Bless the Weather | John Martyn | Guitar |
| 1971 | 4th English Album | Françoise Hardy | |
| 1971 | Those Pleasant Days | Stefan Grossman | Electric guitar |
| 1972 | Tigers Will Survive | Iain Matthews | Guitar |
| 1972 | Jump at the Sun | John Kirkpatrick | 12-string guitar on "The Widow of Westmorland’s Daughter", under pseudonym Agnes Mirren |
| 1972 | Bright Phoebus | Lal and Mike Waterson | Guitar on all tracks except 'Red Wine & Promises' |
| 1972 | Sandy | Sandy Denny | Electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin |
| 1973 | Rosie | Fairport Convention | Electric and 12-string guitars on the track 'Rosie' |
| 1973 | Solid Air | John Martyn | Mandolin on 'Over the Hill' |
| 1973 | Urban Cowboy | Andy Roberts | Lead electric guitar on "Elaine" |
| 1974 | Like an Old Fashioned Waltz | Sandy Denny | Electric guitar on "Solo" and "No End" |
| 1974 | Fear | John Cale | Slide guitar on "Momamma Scuba" |
| 1975 | Is Having a Wonderful Time | Geoff Muldaur | Lead guitar on "Tennessee Blues" |
| 1975 | Marc Time | Marc Ellington | Backing vocals |
| 1975 | Fantasies From a Corner Seat | Harvey Andrews & Graham Cooper | Acoustic & electric guitar, mandolin & backing vocals on "Targets" |
| 1975 | Mike Heron's Reputation | Mike Heron | Electric guitar on "Down On My Knees (After Memphis)" |
| 1976 | Vanishing Trick: Poems And Songs | Brian Patten | Guitar on "Embroidered Butterflies" and "After Frost" |
| 1977 | Rendezvous | Sandy Denny | Electric guitar on "Candle in the Wind" |
| 1978 | Rise Up Like the Sun | The Albion Band | Backing vocals on "Poor Old Horse" and "Lay Me Low" |
| 1978 | Julie Covington | Julie Covington | Guitar and backing vocals |
| 1979 | Slide Away the Screen | Ralph McTell | Guitar on "Harry (Don’t Go)", "Promises" and '"Save the Last Dance for Me" |
| 1980 | Night Owl | Gerry Rafferty | Mandolin on 'Why Won't You Talk to Me?', guitar on 'Family Tree' and 'Already Gone' |
| 1981 | Teddy Boys Don't Knit | Vivian Stanshall | Guitar |
| 1981 | Smiddyburn | Dave Swarbrick | Guitar, mandolin and mandocello |
| 1981 | Thunderin' On The Horizon | Arizona Smoke Review | Guitar on "Border Song" |
| 1981 | Voices | Murray Head | Electric guitar on "Old Soho" |
| 1981 | The Sound of the Sand and Other Songs of the Pedestrian | David Thomas & the Pedestrians | Guitar and dulcimer |
| 1982 | Water of Dreams | Ralph McTell | Lead guitar on “I’m Not a Rock” and “I Want You” |
| 1982 | Out of the Cut | Martin Carthy | Guitar on "Old Horse" |
| 1983 | Fame and Wealth | Loudon Wainwright III | Electric guitar and mandolin on "Reader And Advisor" and acoustic guitar on "April Fools Day Morn" |
| 1983 | Any Trouble | Any Trouble | Electric guitar on "Falling In Love With You Again" |
| 1983 | Flittin' | Dave Swarbrick | Guitar, mandolin and mandocello on several tracks |
| 1983 | 8 | JJ Cale | Guitars |
| 1983 | Proof Through the Night | T Bone Burnett | Guitar and mandolin on "Shut It Tight" |
| 1984 | Behind the Trap Door | T-Bone Burnett | |
| 1984 | Wrong End of the Race | Any Trouble | Guitar on "Open Fire", "Lucky Day" and "Like a Man", vocals on "Baby Now That I've Found You" |
| 1985 | Gladys' Leap | Fairport Convention | Lead electric guitar on "Head in a Sack" |
| 1985 | I'm Alright | Loudon Wainwright III | Guitar and mandolin |
| 1985 | Rackbag | Folk och Rackare | Electric guitar on "Liten Kersti Stalldräng" |
| 1985 | Visions of Excess | The Golden Palominos | Electric guitar on "Boy (Go)", "Silver Bullet", "(Kind of) True" and "Buenos Aires" |
| 1986 | Electric Bluebirds | Electric Bluebirds | Guitar |
| 1986 | Supply and Demand | Dagmar Krause | Guitar and banjo |
| 1986 | More Love Songs | Loudon Wainwright III | Guitar, mandolin and vocals |
| 1986 | Expletive Delighted! | Fairport Convention | Guitar on "Hanks for the Memory" |
| 1986 | Raptures of the Deep | The Deep Sea Jivers | Guitar on "Deep Sea Jiving", "Night Train" and "(Do the) Wapping Hop" |
| 1987 | Bridge of Sighs | Ralph McTell | Lead guitar on "The Girl from the Hiring Fair" and "Bridge of Sighs" |
| 1987 | As Real as Disneyland | Julian Dawson and the Flood | Electric and acoustic guitar |
| 1987 | Time of No Reply | Nick Drake | A compilation of previously unreleased tracks. Thompson plays electric guitar on a version of "The Thoughts of Mary Jane" recorded in 1968, now more easily found on Made to Love Magic. |
| 1987 | Slam Dance (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Mitchell Froom and various artists[g] | Guitar on "A Prayer For Miss Velveteen" |
| 1987 | Blue Balloon | John Kirkpatrick | Electric and acoustic guitars |
| 1987 | Studio Romantic | Saeko Suzuki | Electric guitar on "TV Dinner" |
| 1988 | The Auld Folks on the Wa’ and other Bothy Ballads | Charlie Allan | Mandolin |
| 1988 | Temple of Low Men | Crowded House | Electric guitar solo on "Sister Madly" |
| 1988 | Hot Cajun Rhythm ’n’ Blues | Michael Doucet and Cajun Brew | Electric guitar on "Wooly Bully", "Bayou Pom Pom" and "Woman or a Man" |
| 1989 | Maria McKee | Maria McKee | Electric guitar |
| 1989 | Therapy | Loudon Wainwright III | Electric guitar on “Your Mother and I” |
| 1989 | Surprise | Syd Straw | Electric guitar on “Heart of Darkness” and “Golden Dreams” |
| 1991 | Cajun Conja | BeauSoleil | Electric guitar on "Conja (New Orleans 1786)" and "Sur Le Pont De Lyon" |
| 1991 | Drunk with Passion | The Golden Palominos | Guitar on five tracks |
| 1991 | Luck of the Draw | Bonnie Raitt | Electric guitar on "Not the Only One" |
| 1991 | Hope You Like Our New Direction | Henry Kaiser | Acoustic guitar on "Kanaka Wai Wai" and "Annihilation in Allah", plus vocals on the latter |
| 1991 | Places I Have Never Been | Willie Nile | Electric guitar and backing vocals on ‘Café Memphis’, electric guitar on ‘Children of Paradise’, acoustic guitar on ‘That’s Enough for Me’ |
| 1992 | 99.9F° | Suzanne Vega | Guitar solo on 'As Girls Go’ |
| 1992 | Be Headed | Chris Harford and the First Rays of the New Rising Sun | Acoustic guitar on "You Know Me the Best" |
| 1992 | Fat City | Shawn Colvin | Electric guitar on "Tennessee" |
| 1992 | His Master's Choice – The Songs Of Richard Thompson | Dave Burland | Guitar on five tracks |
| 1992 | The Hunter | Jennifer Warnes | Electric guitar on "Lights of Lousianne" |
| 1993 | The Assassin's Apprentice | Stephen Fearing | Electric guitar on "Down to the Wire" |
| 1993 | Fate of Nations | Robert Plant | Guitar on "Come Into My Life" |
| 1993 | Orphans & Outcasts, Volume 2: 1981–1989 | Iain Matthews | On eight tracks of 1981–1989 demos, working references and outtakes |
| 1994 | Amplified Heart | Everything but the Girl | Lead electric guitar on "25th December" |
| 1994 | Cut and Run | Danny Carnahan and Robin Petrie | Electric guitar on "Cut and Run", "Girls in Black" and "Laughing in the Dark" |
| 1994 | Longing in Their Hearts | Bonnie Raitt | Second acoustic guitar on "Dimming of the Day" |
| 1995 | Camouflage | Iain Matthews | |
| 1996 | Dreams Fly Away: A History of Linda Thompson | Linda Thompson | Richard Thompson plays on five previously unreleased tracks from their duo era |
| 1996 | Baptist Hospital | Boo Hewerdine | Guitar on "World’s End", "Holy Water" and "Greedy" |
| 1996 | Blue Aconite | Christine Collister | Guitar on "How Far the Horizon?", "Paper Wings" and "Midnight Feast" |
| 1996 | Norma Waterson | Norma Waterson | Acoustic and electric guitars |
| 1997 | Move Over Darling | Julian Dawson | Acoustic and electric guitars |
| 1997 | Who Knows Where the Time Goes? | Fairport Convention | Vocals on "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", live from Cropredy 1995 |
| 1997 | L'Amour Ou La Folie | BeauSoleil | Electric guitar on “L’Amour Ou La Folie” and acoustic guitar on “Charivari” |
| 1998 | Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful) | Nanci Griffith | Electric guitar on "You Were on My Mind" and "Desperados Waiting for a Train" |
| 1998 | The Dark Gift of Time | Christine Collister | Electric guitar on "The Whole Night Sky" |
| 1999 | Memory of the Future | Eric Andersen | Electric guitar on "Sudden Love", "Chinatown" and "Hills of Tuscany" |
| 1999 | Spark | Julian Dawson | Electric guitar on "Two Shots of Jealousy" |
| 1999 | Orphans and Outcasts Volume 3 | Iain Matthews | |
| 1999 | The Very Thought of You | Norma Waterson | Acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, hurdy‑gurdy and backing vocals |
| 2000 | Long Expectant Comes At Last | Cathal McConnell | Lap steel guitar, guitar and vocals |
| 2000 | Teddy Thompson | Teddy Thompson | |
| 2001 | Give Me a Sad Song | Linda Thompson | Richard Thompson plays on a previously unreleased song "Restless Boy", as well as previously released material |
| 2001 | Mazurka Berzerker | John Kirkpatrick | |
| 2002 | Taxi - Montreal | Crowded House | Recorded live in 1991 |
| 2002 | Fashionably Late | Linda Thompson | |
| 2002 | Spremenite Protokol | Andrej Sifrer | |
| 2003 | 12 Arrows | Judith Owen | |
| 2003 | Go Tell It on the Mountain | The Blind Boys of Alabama | |
| 2003 | So Damn Happy | Loudon Wainwright III | |
| 2004 | The Common Stone | Bob Davenport | |
| 2004 | The Ride | Los Lobos | |
| 2005 | Always | June Tabor | Thompson plays on his song "Mrs Rita" from the BBC Radio 1 documentary The Last Shift, a different recording to that on Hard Cash |
| 2005 | Lost and Found | Judith Owen | |
| 2005 | Separate Ways | Teddy Thompson | |
| 2006 | Nothing Like a Dame | Julian Dawson | |
| 2007 | Crazy Hair Day | Barney Saltzberg | |
| 2007 | Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John | Peter Case | |
| 2007 | Release the Stars | Rufus Wainwright | |
| 2007 | South of Delia | Richard Shindell | |
| 2007 | Strange Weirdos | Loudon Wainwright III | |
| 2007 | Happy This Way | Judith Owen | |
| 2007 | Upfront & Down Low | Teddy Thompson | |
| 2007 | Rewind: Unreleased Recordings | JJ Cale | Recorded between 1971 and 1993. Thompson appears on 'Seven Day Woman'. |
| 2008 | A Piece of What You Need | Teddy Thompson | |
| 2011 | Bella | Teddy Thompson | |
| 2011 | Purpose and Grace | Martin Simpson | |
| 2012 | 20 | Kate Rusby | |
| 2012 | Find the One | The Coal Porters | |
| 2012 | Marvin Country! | Marvin Etzioni | Guest on 'It Don't Cost Much', which he co-wrote with Etzioni |
| 2013 | Won't Be Long Now | Linda Thompson | |
| 2014 | Tell 'Em I'm Gone | Yusuf | |
| 2014 | Salt | Boris Grebenshchikov | |
| 2015 | Emerald | Dar Williams | |
| 2015 | Just Me and You | Emitt Rhodes | Single |
| 2015 | This Wall Between Us | Emitt Rhodes | Single, different version to that on the album Rainbow Ends |
| 2015 | What's a Man to Do | Emitt Rhodes | Single, different version to that on the album Rainbow Ends |
| 2016 | 75th Birthday Celebration | Joan Baez | |
| 2016 | Cayamo: Sessions at Sea | Buddy Miller | |
| 2016 | Rainbow Ends | Emitt Rhodes | |
| 2018 | Smalls Change | Derek Smalls | |
| 2018 | Letters Never Read | Dori Freeman | |
| 2019 | Second Hand Sexbot | Judith Owen | |
| 2020 | Meditation and KitKats | Zara Phillips | |
| 2020 | Song to a Refugee | Diana Jones | Guest on "We Believe You" |
| 2020 | Dudu Phukwana and the "Spears" | Dudu Phukwana and the "Spears" | Thompson played on an 'album of mostly unreleased 1969 recordings' that were released in 2020 packaged with the group's 1968 self-titled debut |
| 2021 | Red Willow | Michael Hays | Guest on "Road Will Rise" |
| 2022 | The Admiralty Lights: Complete Studio, Live and Rare 1964-2009 | Al Stewart | Thompson plays on some radio sessions from 1972 |
| 2024 | Julian Dawson | Julian Dawson | Guest on "Jesus and Judas" and "That's why God made Saturday night" |
DVDs and videos
| Released | Title | Credited to | Recorded | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | DTV: Rock, Rhythm & Blues | various artists | — | VHS | Music set to old Disney animated footage, includes Thompson's "Two Left Feet" |
| 1985 | Across a Crowded Room | Richard Thompson | 1985 | VHS, Laserdisc | |
| 1997 | Best of Sessions at West 54th, Volume 1 | various artists | 1997 | DVD | Thompson performs "I feel so good" live |
| 2004 | Live in Providence | The Richard Thompson Band | 2003 | DVD | |
| 2005 | Live From Austin, TX | Richard Thompson | 2001 | DVD | |
| 2006 | Mountain Stage: An Evening With Nanci Griffith, Paul Brady, Richard Thompson | Nanci Griffith / Paul Brady / Richard Thompson | 2001 | DVD | |
| 2006 | 1,000 Years of Popular Music | Richard Thompson | 2005 | DVD, with 2 audio CDs | |
| 2006 | The Harry Smith Project Live | various artists | 2001 | DVD | Thompson performs "The Coo Coo Bird" with Eliza Carthy |
| 2008 | Guitar Legends in Sevilla | various artists | 1991 | DVD | Thompson plays "Keep Your Distance" and "Jerusalem On The Juke Box", and "Running and Hiding" with Roger McGuinn, Les Paul, Robbie Robertson and Roger Waters |
| 2011 | Live at the BBC | Richard Thompson featuring Linda Thompson | 1975 to 1985 | DVD (box set, also with 3 CDs) | |
| 2011 | Spactacle - Season 2 | Elvis Costello with... | 2010 | DVD | Thompson appears on episode 3 alongside Costello and the Imposters, Levon Helm, Nick Lowe, Allen Toussaint and Ray LaMontagne. He performs "Shoot Out the Lights" solo and "Tennessee Jed", "A Certain Girl" and "The Weight" with the assembled musicians. |
| 2012 | Live at Celtic Connections | The Richard Thompson Band | 2011 | DVD, Blu-ray Disc |