Trevor Spencer

Last updated

Trevor Spencer
Origin Adelaide, Australia
GenresPop, rock
Occupation(s)Songwriter, record producer, musician
Instrument(s)Drums, percussion
Years active1969–present
Labels A & M Records, Bradley's Records

Trevor Spencer (born 21 May 1947 in Adelaide, Australia) is an Australian songwriter, record producer and drummer. He studied drums and percussion from the age of 10. By the age of 14, he was playing professionally in bands in Adelaide and Melbourne, where he met his songwriting and musical partner Alan Tarney. [1]

Contents

Career

In 1967 Trevor Spencer (born: 21 May 1947) was a founding member of psychedelic pop-progressive rock group James Taylor Move. In 1969 he moved to Ham in England and after forming his first band, Quartet, he became a studio drummer for acts such as Cliff Richard, Marvin and Farrar and Olivia Newton-John.[ citation needed ]

Quartet recorded one album with Decca records which remains unreleased but two singles were released on Decca: "Joseph"/"Mama where did you fail" (1970) F13072 and "Now"/"will my lady come" (1970) F12974.

During the 1970s, he was a house songwriter for ATV Music London. In 1976 he was one half of Tarney-Spencer Band along with Alan Tarney (ex-James Taylor Move). [2] They signed a ten-album deal with A & M Records, but met with little success and after three album releases, the group disbanded and discontinued their contract with agreement by the record company. [3]

In 1973 he was part of Cliff Richard's Eurovision song contest entry in 1973 along with John Farrar, Alan Tarney and Terry Britten with six songs in which "Power to all our friends" was chosen and came second.

He then moved into record production and worked for many major labels as a freelance producer before moving to Perth. In 1986 he bought the Sh-boom studios in Perth with co-owner Gary Taylor. Soon after, Hank Marvin bought his own studio within the Sh-boom complex, The Nivram studios.

During his career, Spencer has been involved in the performing, production and composing with various artists which has resulted in the sales of over 20 million records worldwide. [1]

Selected discography

With The Tarney-Spencer Band

Albums:

Singles:

Notable singles:

Notable albums:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Marvin</span> English musician; guitarist for the Shadows

Hank Brian Marvin is an English multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter. He is known as the lead guitarist for the Shadows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shadows</span> English instrumental rock group

The Shadows were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre-Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard from 1958 to 1968, and have joined him for several reunion tours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Welch</span> English musician

Bruce Welch is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, singer and businessman best known as a founding member of the Shadows.

John Clifford Farrar is an Australian music producer, songwriter, arranger, singer, and guitarist. As a musician, Farrar is a former member of several rock and roll groups including The Mustangs (1963–64), The Strangers (1964–70), Marvin, Welch & Farrar (1970–73), and The Shadows (1973–76). In 1980, he released a solo eponymous album. As a songwriter and producer, he worked with Olivia Newton-John from 1971 to 1989. He wrote her U.S. number-one hit singles: "Have You Never Been Mellow" (1975), "You're the One That I Want", "Hopelessly Devoted to You" (1978), and "Magic" (1980). He also produced the majority of her recorded material during that time, including her number-one albums, If You Love Me, Let Me Know (1974), Have You Never Been Mellow (1975), and Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1982). He was a co-producer of the soundtrack for the film Grease (1978).

Marvin, Welch & Farrar were a 1970s British and Australian popular music group formed by Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch, both members of The Shadows – as a change of direction manoeuvre during 1970 to 1973 – and John Farrar. The distinction was that while The Shadows were famous for their instrumental work, Marvin Welch & Farrar were a trio, vocal harmony group. They have been favourably compared to USA folk close harmony group Crosby Stills Nash and Young and The Hollies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Britten</span> Musical artist

Terence Ernest Britten is an English-Australian singer-songwriter and record producer, who has written songs for Tina Turner, Cliff Richard, Olivia Newton-John, Status Quo and Michael Jackson amongst many others. Britten won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1985 for "What's Love Got to Do with It".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Don't Talk Anymore (Cliff Richard song)</span> 1979 single by Cliff Richard

"We Don't Talk Anymore" is a song recorded by Cliff Richard, written by Alan Tarney and produced by the Shadows' rhythm guitarist, Bruce Welch. It was released in 1979 as a single and reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in August 1979, remaining there for four weeks, Richard's tenth UK number one and his first since "Congratulations" in 1968.

Tarney/Spencer Band were a rock band formed in London in 1975 with Trevor Spencer on drums and Alan Tarney on lead guitar, bass guitar and lead vocals. Both had been in Australian bands, including James Taylor Move, prior to relocating to the United Kingdom, where they formed the duo. The group issued three albums, Tarney and Spencer (1976), Three's a Crowd (1978) and Run for Your Life (1979). Their single, "No Time to Lose" (1979), received airplay in the United States on album-oriented rock radio stations. It charted on the Billboard Hot 100 in both 1979 and again in 1981 upon re-issue. By the end of 1979, Tarney/Spencer Band had broken up and both founders undertook careers as songwriters, session musicians and record producers.

<i>Olivia</i> (Olivia Newton-John album) 1972 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Olivia is the second studio album by the British-Australian singer-songwriter Olivia Newton-John, released in 1972. Two of its songs were released as singles. In its initial release, it was not issued in the United States, though it was sold there as an import. A digitally remastered version was released in 1995.

Alan Tarney is an English record producer and musician. He was born in Northside, Workington, Cumberland, but spent his teenage years in Adelaide, Australia, where he met his songwriting and musical partner Trevor Spencer. He is best known for his association with Cliff Richard and producing "Take On Me" by a-ha.

<i>Im Nearly Famous</i> 1976 studio album by Cliff Richard

I'm Nearly Famous is the eighteenth studio album by Cliff Richard, released in May 1976.

<i>Every Face Tells a Story</i> 1977 studio album by Cliff Richard

Every Face Tells a Story is the nineteenth studio album by Cliff Richard. Released in March 1977, it followed up Richard's comeback album, I'm Nearly Famous. The album peaked at No.8 during a 10-week run on the UK Album Chart and spawned three hit singles. "Hey Mr. Dream Maker" was released as the first lead single in November 1976 and reached number 31 in the UK Singles Chart. "My Kinda Life" was released as a single in late February 1977 and peaked at number 15 in the UK. The third single, "When Two Worlds Drift Apart" was released in late June and reached number 46 in the UK.

<i>Rock n Roll Juvenile</i> 1979 studio album by Cliff Richard

Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile is the 22nd studio album by Cliff Richard, released in 1979. It featured his biggest-ever single, "We Don't Talk Anymore", which was a UK No. 1 hit and the No. 4 hit "Carrie".

<i>Im No Hero</i> 1980 studio album by Cliff Richard

I'm No Hero is the 23rd studio album by Cliff Richard, released in 1980. The album includes three hit singles, of which "Dreamin'" and "A Little in Love" were top 20 hits in both the UK and the US.

"There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)" is a song best known for the 1974 recording by American country music artist Conway Twitty, who took it to number 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart. The song was written by Troy Seals and Denny Rice and originally released on Troy Seals' 1973 debut album Now Presenting Troy Seals.

<i>Stronger</i> (Cliff Richard album) 1989 studio album by Cliff Richard

Stronger is the 29th studio album by British singer Cliff Richard, released in October 1989. The album was produced by Alan Tarney and includes the singles "The Best of Me"(UK No. 2), "I Just Don't Have the Heart", "Lean on You" and "Stronger Than That". The album reached platinum, peaking at number 7 on the UK Albums Chart.

Kevin Peek was an Australian guitarist, playing both rock and classical music, best known for his work with the progressive rock band Sky.

James Taylor Move was a short-lived Australian/British psychedelic pop, progressive rock group from Adelaide. It was formed by Kevin Peek on guitar, Trevor Spencer on drums, Alan Tarney on organ, and Robert John Taylor on lead vocals and bass guitar.

<i>Dressed for the Occasion</i> (Cliff Richard album) 1983 live album by Cliff Richard

Dressed for the Occasion is an album by English singer Cliff Richard, recorded live with the accompaniment of the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in November 1982. It was released in May 1983 on the EMI label and reached No. 7 in the UK Albums Chart and No. 30 in Australia. It was certified Silver in the UK.

<i>The Whole Story: His Greatest Hits</i> 2000 greatest hits album by Cliff Richard

The Whole Story: His Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by Cliff Richard, released in 2000. It includes 46 of Richard's biggest hits, from his first single "Move It" to his then most recent single, "The Millennium Prayer". The album reached number 6 in the UK Albums Chart.

References

  1. 1 2 Planet Studios archive. "Trevor Spencer Biography". Archived from the original on 15 June 2005. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  2. Allmusic. "Tarney-Spencer group" . Retrieved 5 January 2009.{{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  3. The Shadows archive. "Alan Tarney Biography". Archived from the original on 21 June 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2008.