Among Ashley's contemporaries at the college were many musicians, including (in the year ahead) Pete Townshend,[1] Ronnie Wood[2] and Roger Ruskin Spear.
In 1967, Ashley qualified with a BA Hons and returned to London to start his first job as a graphic designer at The Observer, working with record producer Austin John Marshall.
At this time Marshall also played the early demo tapes to the folk critic Karl Dallas, who interviewed Ashley for Melody Maker.
He also hired a number of musicians to back Ashley, including members of Fairport Convention and Pentangle, plus a section of the London Symphony Orchestra, directed by Kirby.
This line-up included ex-Fairport members, Hutchings, Simon Nicol and Dave Mattacks, plus American fiddler Sue Draheim and ex-Young Tradition singer, Royston Wood.
They performed in clubs and colleges, and at Cambridge Folk Festival, and also held a residency at Roy Guest's Howff in London's Primrose Hill.
With help from Anthea Joseph and Heather Wood "Merlins" was host to many of the folk scene's leading players, including Sandy Denny and A L Lloyd.
In spring 1975 Ashley undertook a six-week solo tour of the US and Canada, opening shows for many artists including Leon Redbone, Tracy Nelson, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman and Jonathan Edwards.
"[10][11] Back in the UK he recorded the follow-up, Speedy Return, and undertook a series of solo tour supports for a variety of headline bands, including Supertramp, Planxty, Isotope, Gong and Fruup.
During the CND campaign of the 1980s he performed from the main stage at the Glastonbury Festival (with Bruce Rowland and Chris Leslie) and also solo to 250,000 peace protesters in Hyde Park, London.
Later, he took part in the blockade of the nuclear weapons factory at Burghfield and was eventually arrested for obstruction in the mass sit-in at the USAF base at Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire.
First they released an anthology of Ashley's work, The Test of Time (1999) and, shortly after, an upgraded version of his debut album, entitled Stroll on Revisited.
Then, in 2001, Ashley signed a two-album deal with Topic Records, and in April they released Everyday Lives, his first studio album for ten years.
Back on the road, Ashley performed as a solo artist and in duos with Al Fenn and Dik Cadbury, as well as making occasional guest appearances with Fairport Convention.
[20] Aside from his own albums, and the bands of which he has officially been a member, Steve Ashley has also performed on stage, TV, radio and recording sessions with a number other musicians.
In 1973, at the request of folk singer Anne Briggs, Ragged Robin collaborated with her on arrangements and recording sessions for her album Sing a Song for You.
In 1975 he recorded his songs "Old John England" and "Fire and Wine" for BBC Two's show The People's Echo in a band with Dave Pegg (bass), Richard Byers (guitar) and Bob Critchley (drums).
Joining Ashley on stage were Fairport members, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg and Bruce Rowland, plus Chris Leslie and the melodeon player, Martin Brinsford.
In 1980, Ashley opened a fundraising concert for Friends of the Earth with the classical guitarists John Williams and Gerald Garcia headlining at London's Roundhouse.
[21] Together they worked on two of Deakin's TV documentary films, The Ballad of the Ten Rod Plot and Stable Lads, with Ashley writing and recording music for both.
In August 2007, Ashley also performed his song, "Best Wishes" with Fairport at the Cropredy Festival, and again at Birmingham Town Hall – as part of Dave Pegg's 60th birthday celebrations in November 2007.
Artists who have recorded or performed Ashley's songs include: The Arizona Smoke Review, Phil Beer, Anne Briggs, Maggie Boyle, The Bushwackers, Fil Campbell, Paul Downes, Fairport Convention, Jo Freya, Grace Notes, Green Diesel, Wizz Jones, Tom McFarland, Ralph McTell, Steph Miller and The Winter Station, Johnny Moynihan, Dobe Newton, O'Hooley and Tidow, The Owl Service, St Agnes Fountain, Show of Hands, Martin Simpson, Sproatly Smith, Christine Wheeler and Bill Zorn.