Matthews' Southern Comfort (album)

Last updated

Matthews' Southern Comfort
Matthews' Southern Comfort (album).jpeg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 1970
Recorded1969
Genre Folk rock, country rock
Length38:19
Label Vinyl: Uni (UK/Europe) and Decca (US). CD: Line and BGO
Producer Steve Barlby and Ian Matthews
Ian Matthews chronology
Matthews' Southern Comfort
(1970)
Second Spring
(1970)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Christgau's Record Guide C+ [2]

Matthews' Southern Comfort is the debut solo album by country rock/folk rock musician Ian Matthews, and was his first album after leaving Fairport Convention in 1969. The musicians who played on it with Matthews were luminaries of the British folk rock scene and included ex-Fairport colleagues Ashley Hutchings, Simon Nicol and Richard Thompson, plus Gerry Conway, the drummer from Eclection and Fotheringay. The touring and recording band Matthews Southern Comfort who went on to release two more albums, Second Spring and Later That Same Year, would not be formed till later, with only pedal steel player Gordon Huntley and Matthews appearing on all three albums. The album was released on the Uni label (a subsidiary of MCA Records) in January 1970 simultaneously with a first single "Colorado Springs Eternal", and took its name from a song, "Southern Comfort", written by Sylvia Fricker from the Canadian folk duo Ian & Sylvia, which eventually appeared as the final track on Second Spring.

Contents

The original vinyl album was reissued on CD by Line Records in Germany in 1993 and a remastered version was issued by BGO records in 1996, not in its original form but as a 2-on-1 remaster along with Second Spring.

Track listing

  1. "Colorado Springs Eternal" (Steve Barlby) - 3:13
  2. "A Commercial Proposition" (Richard Thompson) - 3:01
  3. "The Castle Far" (Steve Barlby) - 2:59
  4. "Please Be My Friend" (Ian Matthews) - 3:23
  5. "What We Say" (Ian Matthews) - 3:26
  6. "Dream Song" (Ian Matthews) - 2:13
  7. "Fly Pigeon Fly" (Steve Barlby, Hamwood) - 3:22
  8. "The Watch" (Ian Matthews, Steve Barlby, Comford) - 2:41
  9. "Sweet Bread" (Steve Barlby) - 2:34
  10. "Thoughts For A Friend" (Ian Matthews) - 3:19
  11. "I've Lost You" (Steve Barlby) - 2:28
  12. "Once Upon A Lifetime" (Ian Matthews, Steve Barlby) - 4:27

Personnel

Production

The liner notes by John Tobler for the 1996 BGO reissue revealed 'Steve Barlby' to be a pseudonym for Ken Howard and Alan Blaikely, a successful song-writing partnership in the pop music industry and Matthews' managers at the time.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairport Convention</span> British folk rock group

Fairport Convention are a British folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater They started out heavily influenced by American folk rock, with a setlist dominated by Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell songs and a sound that earned them the nickname "the British Jefferson Airplane". Vocalists Judy Dyble and Iain Matthews joined them before the recording of their self-titled debut in 1968; afterwards, Dyble was replaced by Sandy Denny, with Matthews later leaving during the recording of their third album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iain Matthews</span> English musician

Iain Matthews is an English musician and singer-songwriter. He was an original member of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention from 1967 to 1969 before leaving to form his own band, Matthews Southern Comfort, which had a UK number one in 1970 with a cover version of Joni Mitchell's song "Woodstock". In 1979 his cover of Terence Boylan's "Shake It" reached No. 13 on the US charts.

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

The Albion Band, also known as The Albion Country Band, The Albion Dance Band, and The Albion Christmas Band, were a British folk rock band, originally brought together and led by musician Ashley Hutchings. Generally considered one of the most important groupings in the genre, it has contained or been associated with a large proportion of major English folk performers in its long and fluid history.

<i>Unhalfbricking</i> 1969 studio album by Fairport Convention

Unhalfbricking is the third album by the British folk rock band Fairport Convention and their second album released in 1969. It is seen as a transitional album in their history and marked a further musical move away from American influences towards more traditional English folk songs that had begun on their previous album, What We Did on Our Holidays and reached its peak on the follow-up, Liege & Lief, released later the same year.

<i>No Roses</i> 1971 studio album by Shirley Collins and The Albion Country Band

No Roses is an album by Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band. It was recorded at Sound Techniques, and Air Studios in London, in the summer of 1971. It was produced by Sandy Roberton and Ashley Hutchings. It was released in October 1971 on the Pegasus label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Nicol</span> Musical artist

Simon John Breckenridge Nicol is an English guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He was a founding member of British folk rock group Fairport Convention and is the only founding member still in the band. He has also been involved with the Albion Band and a wide range of musical projects, both as a collaborator, producer and as a solo artist. He has received several awards for his work and career.

<i>Fairport Convention</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Fairport Convention

Fairport Convention is Fairport Convention's debut album. The band formed in 1967, with the original line-up consisting of Richard Thompson (guitar); Simon Nicol (guitar); Ashley “Tyger” Hutchings (bass); and Shaun Frater (drums), who was replaced after their first gig by Martin Lamble. They were joined by Judy Dyble (vocals), and Ian MacDonald after they made their major London stage debut in one of Brian Epstein’s Sunday concerts at the Saville Theatre.

<i>Rock On</i> (The Bunch album) 1972 studio album by The Bunch

Rock On is a 1972 one-off album of oldies covers by the Bunch, a group of English folk rock singers and musicians. The Bunch was put together by Trevor Lucas in late 1971 to record their one and only album, Rock On. This album consisted of covers of the band’s favourite songs by Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and The Everly Brothers, amongst others.

<i>If You Saw Thro My Eyes</i> 1971 studio album by Ian Matthews

If You Saw Thro' My Eyes is the 1971 album by country rock/folk rock musician Ian Matthews. It was the first of two Ian Matthews solo albums released on Vertigo, a subsidiary label of Philips/Phonogram. Guest musicians were former Fairport Convention bandmates Sandy Denny on vocals and keyboards, and Richard Thompson on accordion and guitar. The album also featured guitarist Tim Renwick, jazz pianist Keith Tippett and Matthews' future bandmate in Plainsong, Andy Roberts.

<i>Some Days You Eat the Bear</i> 1974 studio album by Ian Matthews

Some Days You Eat the Bear and Some Days the Bear Eats You is the 1974 album by country rock/folk rock musician Ian Matthews.

The Bunch were a British folk rock band, which came together in 1971 to record their one off album, Rock On.

<i>Later That Same Year</i> 1970 studio album by Ian Matthews

Later That Same Year is the 1970 album by country rock/folk rock musician Ian Matthews' band, Matthews Southern Comfort. This was Ian's third album after his departure from Fairport Convention in 1969 and was released in November 1970, shortly after the band's single "Woodstock" had reached Number One in the UK singles chart. For the US release in Spring 1971, "Jonah" was left off the album and was replaced with "Woodstock" which became the lead track. In Canada, the album reached number 52.

<i>Second Spring</i> 1970 studio album by Ian Matthews

Second Spring is a 1970 album by country rock/folk rock musician Ian Matthews' band Matthews Southern Comfort. It was Matthews' second album after his departure from Fairport Convention and was recorded with the touring band he put together following the release of his first solo LP, Matthews' Southern Comfort. It was released on the Uni label in July 1970.

<i>Rosie</i> (album) 1973 studio album by Fairport Convention

Rosie is a 1973 album by British folk rock band Fairport Convention, their eighth album since their debut in 1968.

<i>Heyday</i> (Fairport Convention album) 1987 live album by Fairport Convention

Heyday: the BBC Radio Sessions 1968–69 is an album by English folk rock band Fairport Convention first released in 1987. As its title suggests, it consists of live versions of songs recorded for John Peel's Top Gear radio programmes.

Fairport Chronicles is a 1976 compilation album of the British folk-rock band Fairport Convention, including songs from 1968 to the departure of the last original member in 1972. The double album is unique in that it was only released in the USA, features original material and American covers over the traditional material usually associated with Fairport, and includes songs from side projects. All of the material was originally issued in the USA on A&M Records, which explains the exclusion of songs taken from their first, pre-Sandy Denny album, which was only later released in the United States.

<i>The Wood and the Wire</i> 1999 studio album by Fairport Convention

The Wood and the Wire is the twenty-first studio album released in 1999 by folk rock band Fairport Convention.

<i>XXXV</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Fairport Convention

XXXV is the twenty-second studio album by Fairport Convention. It is subtitled "The 35th Anniversary Album", and was released in celebration of the band's existence from 1967–2002.

Thomas Gordon Huntley was a British musician and steel guitar player, best known for being a member of Matthews Southern Comfort. His early playing career was with the Hawaiian Serenaders in 1959, for whom he played a triple neck Fender lap steel guitar. He converted this to a pedal steel by adding an accelerator pedal from a tractor connected with bicycle brake cable. He formed the Black Stetson Boys in 1959 with John Derek, the two later playing together in Johnny and the Hounders.

Matthews Southern Comfort (MSC) was originally a British country rock/folk rock band, formed in 1970 by former Fairport Convention singer Ian Matthews. The original line-up consisted of Matthews, lead guitarist Mark Griffiths, rhythm guitarist Carl Barnwell, bass player Pete Watkins, drummer Roger Swallow and pedal steel guitarist Gordon Huntley. Watkins and Swallow, however, left the band after just a few weeks and were replaced by bass player Andy Leigh and drummer Ray Duffy.

References

  1. Worbois, Jim. Matthews' Southern Comfort at AllMusic
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved 7 March 2019 via robertchristgau.com.