Brinsley Schwarz

Last updated

Brinsley Schwarz
OriginEngland
Genres
Years active1969–1975
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.

Contents

Formation

Brinsley Schwarz (guitar, piano, vocals) originally met Nick Lowe at Woodbridge School where they played in school bands with Barry Landeman (keyboards, vocals) and Phil Hall (guitar). In 1964, whilst still at school, they toured RAF bases in Germany as "Sounds 4+1". [3] On leaving school, Schwarz formed "Three's A Crowd" with Pete Whale (drums) and Dave Cottam (bass). Landeman joined in 1967 and they renamed themselves "Kippington Lodge". Their first two singles, produced by Mark Wirtz, in a close-harmony pop style, both flopped. Cottam left, and Schwarz invited Lowe to join. [4] Landeman then left to join Vanity Fare, Bob Andrews joined on keyboards, and finally, Whale was replaced by Billy Rankin on drums. [3] Although the next three singles also failed, they had a residency as support band at The Marquee. The band's style was changing from pop into "a folk-rock band with psychedelic pretentions". [5] In 1969 they renamed the band after their guitarist, and performed their new music under this name, whilst continuing to play pop as Kippington Lodge. [4] One of the band's first managers, John Schofield, was at the time the lover of Hattie Jacques (who would occasionally make bacon sandwiches for the band members when they visited Schofield's home). In the early part of their career the band shared a communal home in a large old house in Beaconsfield and these premises were used as a rehearsal space by The Band, who came to the UK as part of the Warner Brothers tour. The Band borrowed Brinsley Schwarz's instruments to rehearse. [6]

Publicity campaign

Brinsley Schwarz signed a contract with manager Dave Robinson, of Famepushers, who devised a plan to earn the band extensive publicity. [7] They were to open for Van Morrison and Quicksilver Messenger Service at the Fillmore East in New York City, on 3 and 4 April 1970. Robinson would fly a plane full of British journalists to the show, so they could review it, [5] along with the winners of a Melody Maker competition, arranged in order to get pre-publicity. [4] Though the band had planned on leaving a few days early, so they could rehearse, visa problems prevented this, so they went to Canada and entered the US in a light aircraft. They arrived in New York shortly before they were due on stage, and had to use hired equipment with which they were unfamiliar. The journalists were due the following day, but their plane was delayed for four hours, so they had free use of the bar, and eventually arrived at the show either drunk or hung over. [8] The show did not go over well, and the band received a flood of negative reviews over the following weeks, including bad reviews of their first album, Brinsley Schwarz , which was released shortly after their return to the United Kingdom. [7] This incident became known as the Brinsley Schwarz Hype. [5]

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 Glastonbury Festival (1971), and one track, "Love Song", appeared on the subsequent Glastonbury Fayre album. Their solid live performances soon garnered the band a large fanbase in London, and, along with bands like Eggs over Easy, Brinsley Schwarz were soon dubbed "pub rock" by rock journalists. [9] They sounded rather like The Band, [7] with Schwarz's guitar work influenced greatly by Robbie Robertson's. In February 1972, they supported Hawkwind and Man at the Greasy Truckers Party, which was issued as a double album, and brought critical acclaim. Unfortunately, for a band known for its live performances, this was their only live album.

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 Jesus of Cool received considerable critical acclaim and reached number 22 in the UK Albums Chart. It included the track "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass", which reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart. The album also included Bob Andrews on keyboard and Dave Edmunds on guitar. Lowe also co-wrote Dr. Feelgood's top ten hit "Milk and Alcohol", which reached number 9 in 1979. Lowe's 1979 single and biggest worldwide hit "Cruel to Be Kind" was co-written with Gomm and originally recorded by Brinsley Schwarz for their unreleased final album. This version was included on the 2008 30th anniversary edition of the Jesus of Cool album. In 1979, Gomm had a hit with "Hold On", which reached number 18 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The original version of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding", which was written by Lowe and was later covered by Elvis Costello, was released by the band in 1974 on their album The New Favourites of... Brinsley Schwarz . [7] Costello knew of the song as both a fan and part-time roadie for the band, which is where he and Lowe first met. [10] Another rendition was featured on the multi-million-selling film soundtrack The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album , performed by Curtis Stigers. [11] Bill Murray's character sang the song at a party in Sofia Coppola's film Lost in Translation. [12]

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Archive release

Compilations

Various artists albums

As a backing band

Related Research Articles

<i>Silver Pistol</i> 1972 studio album by Brinsley Schwarz

Silver Pistol is an album by Brinsley Schwarz, released in 1972. It was the first album to include Ian Gomm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Lowe</span> British singer, songwriter and producer (born 1949)

Nicholas Drain Lowe is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in pub rock, power pop and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with being a vocalist, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brinsley Schwarz (musician)</span> Musical artist

Brinsley Ernst Pieter Schwarz is an English guitarist and rock musician. His family's roots are Dutch. His father was Wym Schwarz, a maths teacher, and his mother was Joan, who was English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding</span> 1974 single by Brinsley Schwarz

"(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" is a 1974 song written by English singer/songwriter Nick Lowe. Initially released by Lowe with his band Brinsley Schwarz on their 1974 album The New Favourites of... Brinsley Schwarz, the song was released as a single and did not chart.

<i>Nervous on the Road</i> 1972 studio album by Brinsley Schwarz

Nervous on the Road is a pub rock album by Brinsley Schwarz, released in 1972.

<i>Please Dont Ever Change</i> 1973 studio album by Brinsley Schwarz

Please Don't Ever Change is a pub rock album by Brinsley Schwarz, released in 1973, named after the featured Goffin/King song, also recorded by The Crickets and The Beatles.

<i>The New Favourites of... Brinsley Schwarz</i> 1974 studio album by Brinsley Schwarz

The New Favourites of... Brinsley Schwarz is the final studio album by Brinsley Schwarz, released in 1974, produced by Dave Edmunds.

<i>Brinsley Schwarz</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Brinsley Schwarz

Brinsley Schwarz is the debut album by pub rock band Brinsley Schwarz, released in April 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockpile</span> British rock and roll band

Rockpile were a British rock and roll group of the late 1970s and early 1980s, noted for their strong pub rock, rockabilly and power pop influences, and as a foundational influence on new wave. The band consisted of Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Billy Bremner and Terry Williams (drums).

Ian Robert Gomm is a British singer-songwriter, who was the rhythm guitarist for Brinsley Schwarz from 1970 to 1974. He was named "Best Rhythm Guitarist" by NME in 1971.

<i>Greasy Truckers Party</i> 1972 live album by Various artists

Greasy Truckers Party is a 1972 live album by various artists recorded at a February 1972 Greasy Truckers concert at the Roundhouse in London. The concert featured three bands, Man, Brinsley Schwarz, and Hawkwind, and musician Magic Michael. Originally a double vinyl album, in a limited edition of 20,000 and sold at just £1.50, it rapidly sold out, and became a collector's item.

In the world of British underground rock, the Greasy Truckers Party ... ... looms about as large as the Monterey International Pop Festival does in American rock lore; it wasn't the biggest gig ever played by the bands involved, but for reasons of exposure, and resulting word-of-mouth, and the excerpted live album that followed, it came to define what they were capable of.

<i>Subtle as a Flying Mallet</i> 1975 studio album by Dave Edmunds

Subtle as a Flying Mallet is the second solo album by Dave Edmunds, principally focused on sound-alike remakes of late 1950s and early 1960s hits. All of the vocals are by Edmunds, and many of the songs are true solo efforts in that Edmunds also plays all the instruments. The album produced two Top 10 singles in the UK, remakes of the Phil Spector hit "Baby, I Love You" and The Chordettes' "Born to Be with You". A 2006 reissue of the album includes two former B-sides as bonus tracks.

<i>Once in a Blue Moon</i> (Frankie Miller album) 1973 studio album by Frankie Miller

Once in a Blue Moon is the debut solo album by Frankie Miller, using Brinsley Schwarz as his backing band, showcases Miller's skills as a singer and songwriter. The song "I Can’t Change It" was featured in episode 4 of the first series of the drama series Life on Mars. It was covered by Ray Charles on his album Brother Ray Is At It Again. "After All " had already been recorded by Kenny Rogers and The First Edition on their hit album Tell It All Brother in 1970. It later appeared as the closing song in the 2011 Johnny Depp film, The Rum Diary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rumour</span> British rock band

The Rumour were an English rock band active in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known as the backup band for Graham Parker, whose early records were credited to Graham Parker & the Rumour. However, the Rumour also recorded on their own, releasing three albums: Max (1977), Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs and Krauts (1979), and Purity of Essence (1980).

<i>Quiet Please... The New Best of Nick Lowe</i> 2009 greatest hits album by Nick Lowe

Quiet Please... The New Best of Nick Lowe is a 49-track career-spanning collection of songs written by British songwriter Nick Lowe. As well as his solo work, it also features many of his collaborations with the likes of Rockpile, Brinsley Schwarz, Paul Carrack and Little Village. The compilation was released by Proper Records in the UK and Europe and by Yep Roc in the US. The collection was compiled by Gregg Geller.

Dave Charles, also known as David Charles is a British drummer, recording engineer & record producer. He often appears under both names on the same album, e.g. Help Yourself's The Return of Ken Whaley, where Dave Charles is credited with drums and vocals and David Charles as producer.

William Hector Rankin III is an English rock drummer, active in the 1960s and 1970s.

Ernie Graham was a Northern Irish singer, guitarist and songwriter, active from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s.

Malcolm Morley is an English rock singer, guitarist and keyboard player who came to fame in the 1970s. Best known as a founder of Help Yourself and as a member of Man, he continues to perform to this day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Lowe discography</span>

Nick Lowe is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and producer. His discography consists of 14 studio albums, 1 live album, 3 EPs, 23 singles, and 6 compilations. In addition, he has been a performer and producer on numerous albums by other artists.

References

  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Nick Lowe Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic . Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  2. "The 50 Best New Wave Albums". Paste . 13 October 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  3. 1 2 Joynson, Vernon (2006). The Tapestry of Delights Revisited - Kippington Lodge (1st ed.). Telford: Borderline productions. p. 483. ISBN   1-899855-15-7.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Birch, Will (2003). No Sleep Till Canvey Island – The Great Pub Rock Revolution (1st ed.). London: Virgin Books Ltd. pp.  33–60. ISBN   0-7535-0740-4.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Brinsley Schwarz Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic . Retrieved 19 March 2009.
  6. Ellen, Mark (15 April 2011). "Word Podcast 168: Nick Lowe". Word Magazine . Archived from the original on 16 May 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Larkin, Colin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 328. ISBN   0-85112-939-0.
  8. Lynskey, Dorian (13 September 2021). "What is the most overhyped cultural artefact of all time?". The Guardian .
  9. Joynson, Vernon (2006). The Tapestry of Delights Revisited - Brinsley Schwarz (1st ed.). Telford: Borderline productions. p. 120. ISBN   1-899855-15-7.
  10. Sauter, Mike (30 November 2020). "The early Elvis Costello". 91.3 WYEP . Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  11. Linden, Amy (4 December 1992). "The Bodyguard (Soundtrack)". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  12. "Lost in Translation (2003)". IMDb . Retrieved 10 December 2020.

Further reading