Editing Steeleye Span (section)

===A new direction===
Shortly after the release of their third album, the band brought in manager [[Jo Lustig]], who brought a more commercial sound to their recordings. At that time, traditionalists Carthy and Hutchings left the band to pursue purely folk projects. Their replacements were electric guitarist [[Bob Johnson (musician)|Bob Johnson]] and bass player [[Rick Kemp]], who brought strong rock and blues influences to the sound.<ref name="Larkin"/> Rick Kemp subsequently married Maddy Prior and they had two children before divorcing.  Their daughter [[Rose Kemp]] and their son Alex (who performs as Kemp) both followed their parents into the music industry.

Lustig signed them to the [[Chrysalis Records|Chrysalis]] record label, for a deal that was to last for ten albums.

With the release of their fourth album, ''[[Below the Salt (Steeleye Span album)|Below the Salt]]'', later in 1972, the revised line-up had settled on a distinctive electrified [[Rock and roll|rock]] sound, although they continued to play mostly arrangements of very traditional material, including songs dating back a hundred years or more. Even on the more commercial ''[[Parcel of Rogues (album)|Parcel of Rogues]]'' (1973), the band had no permanent drummer; however, in 1973, rock drummer [[Nigel Pegrum]], who had previously recorded with [[Gnidrolog]], [[The Small Faces]] and [[Uriah Heep (band)|Uriah Heep]], joined them, to harden up their sound (as well as occasionally playing flute and oboe).<ref name="Larkin"/>

Also that year the single "[[Gaudete]]" from ''Below the Salt'' became a Christmas hit single, reaching number 14 in the [[UK Singles Chart]],{{sfn|Roberts|2006|p=527}} although, being an [[a cappella]] piece, taken from the late [[renaissance]] song collection ''[[Piae Cantiones]]'' from [[Finland]] and sung entirely in [[Latin]], this can neither be considered representative of the band's music, nor of the album from which it was taken.  This proved to be their commercial breakthrough and saw them performing on ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' for the first time.  They often include it as a concert encore.  Their popularity was also helped by the fact that they often performed as an opening act for fellow Chrysalis artists [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]]. The Canadian single had "Royal Forester" as the b-side, and that song reached #10 on the [[RPM (magazine)|RPM]] AC charts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.4796.pdf| title=RPM AC Playlist - March 24, 1973}}</ref>

Their sixth album (and sixth member Pegrum's first with the band) was entitled ''[[Now We Are Six (album)|Now We Are Six]]''. Produced by Jethro Tull's [[Ian Anderson (musician)|Ian Anderson]],<ref name="Larkin"/> the album includes the epic track "[[Thomas the Rhymer]]", which has been a part of the live set ever since. Although successful, the album is controversial among some fans for the inclusion of nursery rhymes sung by "The St. Eeleye School Choir" (band members singing in the style of children), and the cover of "To Know Him Is to Love Him", featuring a guest appearance from [[David Bowie]] on saxophone.<ref name="Larkin"/>

The attempts at humour continued on ''[[Commoner's Crown|Commoners Crown]]'' (1975), which included [[Peter Sellers]] playing electric [[ukulele]] on the final track, "New York Girls".<ref name="Larkin"/> Their seventh album also included the epic ballad "Long Lankin" and novelty instrumental "Bach Goes To Limerick".