Brinsley Schwarz
Brinsley Schwarz | |
---|---|
Origin | England |
Genres | |
Years active | 1969–1975 |
Labels | Liberty, United Artists (UK), Capitol, United Artists (US) |
Members | Nick Lowe Brinsley Schwarz Billy Rankin Bob Andrews Ian Gomm (1970–1975) |
Brinsley Schwarz were a 1970s English pub rock band, named after their guitarist Brinsley Schwarz. With Nick Lowe on bass and vocals, keyboardist Bob Andrews and drummer Billy Rankin, the band evolved from the 1960s pop band Kippington Lodge. They were later augmented by Ian Gomm on guitar and vocals.
Formation
Brinsley Schwarz (guitar, piano, vocals) originally met Nick Lowe at
Publicity campaign
Brinsley Schwarz signed a contract with manager
Casey Kasem's version of this story, in a September 1979 episode of American Top Forty, implied that the presence of the critics was a surprise to the band.[citation needed]
Pub-rock
Later in 1970, Brinsley Schwarz released their second album, Despite It All,[7] which had a definite country sound to it. They were heavily influenced by Eggs over Easy, who they first saw perform at 'The Tally Ho' in Kentish Town, and admired their laid-back style and extensive repertoire.[4] In 1971, guitarist Ian Gomm joined the band, and they recorded their third album Silver Pistol.[7] In response to "the hype", they became anti-commercial and spent much of 1971 rehearsing, although they toured on the 'Downhome Rhythm Kings' package with Help Yourself and Ernie Graham (ex Eire Apparent), who were all managed by Dave Robinson. This led to them backing Ernie Graham on his eponymous solo album.
Brinsley Schwarz played at the second
1972's ironic take on country-rock, Nervous on the Road, also received excellent reviews.[7] It did not reach the charts, but earned them a slot opening for Paul McCartney's Wings 1973 UK Tour.[5] The same year, they also acted as Frankie Miller's band for his debut album Once in a Blue Moon. Their fifth studio album Please Don't Ever Change, issued in 1973, was less well received by the critics, and achieved poor sales.[7] However during this time they made successful appearances on The Old Grey Whistle Test with Lowe on guitar and vocals, Gomm on bass and Schwarz on piano alongside Andrews on keyboard and recorded sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show. In 1974, they arranged for Dave Edmunds to produce their sixth album The New Favourites of... Brinsley Schwarz,[7] which was more polished, and again received good reviews.[5] This association also led to their touring as Dave Edmunds' backing band, appearing on the live tracks of his Subtle as a Flying Mallet album. In addition to the albums, Brinsley Schwarz also issued a series of singles under their own name, and various pseudonyms, such as "The Hitters", "The Knees", "Limelight" and "The Brinsleys" but these all failed. They recorded a final album, It's All Over Now, in 1974 but this was not released at the time. They finally disbanded in March 1975.[7]
Subsequent careers
Brinsley Schwarz and Bob Andrews joined Graham Parker & the Rumour, which functioned as a unit through 1981. Later Andrews moved to New Orleans. Schwarz, meanwhile, continued playing as a sideman for various artists through the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Schwarz joined a reunited Ducks Deluxe in 2009, then both Schwarz and Andrews joined a reunited Rumour in 2012.
Billy Rankin joined Terraplane and then Big Jim Sullivan's Tiger. He retired from the music industry in 1977, though he was persuaded to play with a reunited Ducks Deluxe for their 30th anniversary reunion show in 2007.
Nick Lowe and Ian Gomm both began solo careers, achieving moderate mainstream success. Lowe's 1978 album
The original version of "
Discography
Studio albums
- Brinsley Schwarz (April 1970)
- Despite It All (December 1970)
- Silver Pistol (February 1972)
- Nervous on the Road (September 1972)
- Please Don't Ever Change (October 1973)
- The New Favourites of... Brinsley Schwarz (July 1974)[7]
Singles
Archive release
- It's All Over Now (recorded 1974, officially released 2017)
Compilations
- Original Golden Greats (1974) (includes two live tracks and two studio tracks not included on other albums) (LP)
- 15 Thoughts of Brinsley Schwarz (1978) (includes two singles not included on other albums) (LP)
- Surrender to the Rhythm (1991) (CD)
- Nervous On The Road/The New Favourites Of... Brinsley Schwarz (1995) (CD)
- Hen's Teeth (singles) (1998)
- Rarities (July 2000)
- What IS So Funny About Peace Love & Understanding? (BBC recordings) (2001)
- Cruel to Be Kind (BBC recordings) (2004)
- Last Orders! (2021) (early recordings for radio and television, outtakes, rehearsals, and home recordings)
Various artists albums
- Glastonbury Fayre (April 1972)
- Greasy Truckers Party (April 1972)
As a backing band
- Ernie Graham (1971) – Ernie Graham's only solo album
- Once in a Blue Moon (1973) – Frankie Miller's debut album
- Subtle as a Flying Mallet (1975) – Dave Edmunds, only the live tracks
References
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Nick Lowe Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ "The 50 Best New Wave Albums". Paste. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ ISBN 1-899855-15-7.
- ^ ISBN 0-7535-0740-4.
- ^ a b c d e Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Brinsley Schwarz Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
- ^ Ellen, Mark (15 April 2011). "Word Podcast 168: Nick Lowe". Word Magazine. Archived from the original on 16 May 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ Lynskey, Dorian (13 September 2021). "What is the most overhyped cultural artefact of all time?". The Guardian.
- ISBN 1-899855-15-7.
- ^ Sauter, Mike (30 November 2020). "The early Elvis Costello". 91.3 WYEP. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ Linden, Amy (4 December 1992). "The Bodyguard (Soundtrack)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ "Lost in Translation (2003)". IMDb. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
Further reading
- ISBN 0-7535-0740-4