The album failed to make an impact on its original release, but it was subsequently championed by many musicians, including Billy Bragg, Arcade Fire, Richard Hawley and Jarvis Cocker.

(Notably, Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson, who perform "Red Wine & Promises" together on the finished album, became engaged to one another during the recording sessions.

Of this repertoire, versions of Lal's "Never the Same", "To Make You Stay" and "Red Wine and Promises", Mike's "Shady Lady" and their collaboration "The Scarecrow" survived as demo recordings.

For instance, a postman – who might be Graham Gordon[citation needed], who is credited in the liner notes – happened to deliver a package during the recording of "Magical Man" and was invited to join in with the chorus.

'"[1] In his 2011 book Electric Eden, Rob Young describes Bright Phoebus as "a curious response to the new directions in folk-rock that were taking place at the time.

"[11] Young compares the album's alternating "shades and sunny intervals" with the unpredictability of English weather – a balancing act resolved by the "triumphant sun" of the title track, which refers to phoebus - a different name of the ancient Greek solar god Apollo.

[citation needed] A re-release of Bright Phoebus was announced in May 2017[12] with a complete set of remasters by David Suff and Marry Waterson, and sleeve notes by Pete Paphides.

[15][8][16] The Domino Recording Company was found to be guilty of copyright infringement in relation to the 2017 re-issue of Bright Phoebus and Celtic Music's claims to the rights in the album were upheld by the UK High Court, based on the fact that they purchased the Leader and Trailer labels in 1990.

In his September 1998 The Independent obituary for Lal Waterson Karl Dallas claims that a Top of the Pops performance of "Rubber Band" was in discussion, but ultimately called off.

[1] Rubber Band: performed live by Fairport Convention during their 1979 tour (first released in 1980 as a single with "The Bonny Black Hare" on the B-side)[18] The Scarecrow: June Tabor on Abyssinians, 1983; Dick Gaughan on Shining Bright: The Songs of Lal & Mike Waterson, 2002 Fine Horseman: Anne Briggs on The Time Has Come, 1971; Promise and the Monster, Swedish folk group, on Feed the Fire, 2016 Danny Rose: Billy Bragg & The Blokes on Shining Bright: The Songs of Lal & Mike Waterson, 2002 Bright Phoebus: Emily Barker & the Red Clay Halo on Despite The Snow, 2008 To Make You Stay: Offa Rex on The Queen of Hearts, 2017 Child Among the Weeds: Lady Maisery on Tender, 2022 Red Wine & Promises has been covered by Tony Capstick, June Tabor, Grace Notes, Richard Thompson, Victoria Williams and The Unthanks.