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"…And It Picks Me Up…Turns Me
On…Puts Me On My Feet Again…"
Hailing from Blackburn in
Lancashire, Bryn Haworth first came to notice on a series of amazing 7"
singles by SHARON TANDY and beat darlings FLEUR-DE-LYS on Immediate, Polydor
and Atlantic Records. These mid to late Sixties UK 45's now command huge money
on the collector's market. Miscredited as ‘Bryn Hayward’, Haworth then played
electric and acoustic guitars on “Get Yourself Together” on Andrew Leigh’s 1970
Polydor solo album “Magician” (ex Spooky Tooth, Matthews Southern Comfort). He
also turned up on two Jackie Lomax albums - "Home Is Where My Head
Is" from 1971 and "Three" from 1972 - both were on Warner
Brothers and have been reissued by Rhino (with extra tracks) where he plays on
almost every cut. He then took his songs to A&R man Richard Williams who
signed him to Island Records in 1973. Which is where this CD comes in...
UK released June 2004 - "Let The
Days Go By/Sunny Side Of The Street" by BRYN HAWORTH on Gott Discs GOTTCD003
(Barcode 881881000323) offers his first two albums on Island Records from 1974 and 1975 Remastered onto 1CD and breaks
down as follows (78:46 minutes):
1. Grappenhall Rag
2. All I Want
3. I Won’t Lie (This Time)
4. Ee I Love You Lass
5. Miss Swiss
6. Let The Days Go By
7. Get Yourself A Man [Side
2]
8. Time Has Come
9. Whims And Ways
10. All I Need Is A Home
11. Anywhere You Want To Be
Tracks 1 to 11 are his debut
album "Let The Days Go By" released October 1974 in the UK on Island
ILPS 9287
12. Good Job
13. Pick Me Up
14. Darlin’ Cory
15. Dance
16. Peace Of Mind
17. Give All You Got To Give
[Side 2]
18. Heaven Knows
19. Sunny Side Of The Street
20. Used
21. Thank The Lord
Tracks 12 to 21 are his 2nd
and last album for the label released May 1975 on Island ILPS 9332. Both albums were first
released on CD in Japan by Vivid Sound in 2003 in 5" card repro sleeves,
but they're hard to find now and expensive. This 2004 issue is the first
official UK CD release of these rare LPs.
Both albums featured
musicians from great British bands of the time - "Let The Days Go By"
had Pete Wingfield (formerly of Jellybread) on Keyboards, Gordon Haskell (of
Fleur-De-Lys and King Crimson) on Bass, John Porter (of Roxy Music) also on
Bass, Terry Stannard, Alan Spanner and Mel Collins from Kokomo (ex Arrival and
The Grease Band) on Drums, Bass and Saxophone - while John Rabbit Bundrick
played Hammond Organ on "I Won't Lie (This Time)". The second album
featured Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg and Dave Swarbrick from Fairport Convention
and again members of Arrival. Haworth played the mandolin and all electric and
acoustic Guitars in his unique melodic sliding style.
Packaging - each record
initially came with inner sleeves, but neither is reproduced in the 16-page
booklet - however, the booklet more than makes up for it. You get the lyrics
and full musician credits for the two albums, a 4-page history by Mark
Chatterton and even a picture of his band on tour in 1974. The colour photo on
the back of the booklet is the rear sleeve of "Let The Days Go By"
and beneath the see-through CD tray there's even a glowing NME review of his
debut album. It's very tastefully done.
The outer card wrap tells us it's digitally remastered but doesn't advise by
who or where (licensed from Universal music). The sound quality is excellent,
certainly clearer than the vinyl counterparts I've worn out after years of use.
Musically - his debut is far
removed from that Sixties psych and beat sound - it's more CSNY with religious
lyrics. It's all plucked acoustic guitars, mandolins, a gorgeous instrument
called a Harpoleck and superb slide electric guitar. Haworth made the Harpoleck
something of a feature on his albums; it looked like a Harp in your lap - or
the inside of a small piano - and when you drew the plectrum across its taught
strings, it gave a sort of elevated 12-string guitar sound - beautiful. The
second album rocked out a bit more with very catchy tunes like "Picks Me
Up" (lyrics above) - even showing a bit of menace on "Used".
If you wanted a
lay-of-the-land, "Darlin' Cory" appeared on 2009's "Meet On The
Ledge" 3CD box set featuring Island's Folk and Folk/Rock acts - it's a
Denis Blackham remaster and is available on iTunes as a purchase or a listen.
There's a certain peaceful
and positive quality about these albums that I've always loved. "Heaven
Knows" is as sweet as Seventies singer-songwriter gets. Great stuff.
Recommended.
PS:
Further places to look for
his work:
Haworth played guitar on
Badger's "White Lady" (Epic EPC 80009) and John Cale's
"Fear" (Island ILPS 9301) both from 1974. He put in lovely Mandolin
work on "Somebody Who Loves You" and menacing slide guitar on
"Like Fire" on "Joan Armatrading" - her extraordinary
"Love & Affection" album from 1976. He plays guitar on Andy
Fairweather-Lowe's 1976 album "Be Bop & Holla" (AMLH 64602).
Haworth then signed to A&M Records and released probably his most
accomplished album - the varied and beautiful "Grand Arrival" (1978
on AMLH 68462). Around this time, he even secured an end of program slot on Bob
Harris's "Old Grey Whistle Test" in the UK where he and his band did
a blistering version of "Beans On Toast" from "Grand
Arrival". "Grand Arrival" was in turn followed by "Keep The
Ball Rolling" (1979 on AMLH 68507) which featured Cliff Richard on 2
tracks and Pete Wingfield again on Keyboards. He later played on Ian Matthews
"Stealin' Home" album and several of the Gerry Rafferty Eighties
albums. He did work for Chris De Burgh, Cliff Richard, Amazing Blondel and even
Dana Gillespie. There after it was full-on Christian Music LPs on the Chapel
End and Word labels (UK only releases) and other CDs right up to the 2010 where
he's released 2 new albums and still commands a dedicated and loyal audience.
PPS: Would someone please
reissue “Smith Perkins Smith” – it was on Island Records in 1972 – they sounded
like the UK’s answer to CSNY. Only made one album but it was a sweetie…
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