Iain Matthews
Iain Matthews (actually Iain Matthew McDonald; born June 16, 1946 in Scunthorpe , Lincolnshire ) is a British folk singer and guitarist . In 1970 he had a number one hit in Great Britain with Woodstock as the lead singer of the band named after him, Matthews Southern Comfort . From 1971 he published his works as Ian Matthews, from 1990 as Iain Matthews.
biography
The beginnings
Matthews grew up in Scunthorpe, where he played with local acts The Classics and The Rebels . He later moved to London to join the surf band Pyramid in 1966 , which he soon left. After Ashley Hutchings became aware of him, he became a member of the Fairport Convention in mid-1967 and changed his last name from MacDonald to Matthews after the release of the first album to avoid confusion with King Crimson musician Ian MacDonald . But Matthews didn't last long at the Fairport Convention either. During the recording of Unhalfbricking in 1969, he turned his back on the band.
Matthews Southern Comfort
In the same year, Matthews gathered the band Matthews Southern Comfort , whose first single Colorado Springs Eternal was released in November 1969. The LP Matthews' Southern Comfort was released in January 1970. Musicians of the band were besides Matthews: Gordon Huntley (pedal steel guitar), Carl Barnwell (guitar, vocals), Mark Griffiths (guitar), Andy Leigh ( bass ) and Ray Duffy ( drums ). Matthews Southern Comfort recorded two more albums in 1970: Second Spring and Later That Same Year. In addition, on October 31, 1970, the band brought a cover version of Joni Mitchell's Woodstock to number 1 on the UK singles chart . Despite the band's popularity, Matthews separated from her in November of that year by unceremoniously leaving the stage during a gig. The band continued as Southern Comfort and released three more albums in 1971/1972 ( Frog City, Southern Comfort and Stir Don't Shake ).
Plainsong and solo projects
Also in 1971 and 1972, Matthews released two other solo albums on Mercury Records : If You Saw Thro 'My Eyes and Tigers Will Survive. At the beginning of 1972 he founded the folk band Plainsong . However, the contract with Mercury Records obliged Matthews to record another solo album. Journey from Gospel Oak was recorded in just five days . Matthews then sat in the studio with Plainsong for Elektra Records and recorded In Search of Amelia Earhart . Only a little later, Matthews separated from Plainsong again, as Elektra refused to release the follow-up album.
Matthews then moved to California and was able to win Michael Nesmith as a producer for his next two solo works. The 1973 production Valley Hi and Some Days You Eat the Bear, Some Days the Bear Eats You from 1974 both appeared on Elektra, but sold so badly that the Matthews label was fired. His next contract, as a result of which the albums Go for Broke (1976) and Hit and Run (1977) came on the market, he was then able to sign with Columbia Records .
But this contract didn't last long either, and Matthews started a collaboration with producer Sandy Roberton . In 1978 Stealin 'Home was released on Roberton's own Rockburgh label . The album was a success and contained Matthews' biggest single hit in the US, Shake It (number 13 on the charts). However, the follow-up albums Siamese Friends from 1979 and Spot of Interference from 1980 flopped completely, so that Rockburgh finally went bankrupt .
Withdrawal, comeback, reunions
After founding the very short-lived band Hi-Fi (together with singer David Surkamp from the band Pavlov's Dog ) and the release of their album Moods for Mallards , his new record company, Matthews' next solo LP Shook, decided to release it exclusively in Germany in 1983 Bring to market. As a result, Matthews withdrew from the music scene. In 1986 he played at a Fairport Convention reunion concert , and in 1988 Walking a Changing Line, dedicated to Jules Shear's songs , was released.
In the 1990s, Matthews re-recorded a number of albums. There was also a reunion of Plainsong and the establishment of Hamilton Pool . In 2000 Matthews' studio album Tiniest Wham was released . He also recorded the Sandy Denny -Tribut Secrets All Told with the band No Gray Faith and worked with Elliott Murphy in 2001 . His penultimate album Zumbach's Coat (2004) recorded Matthews in Texas with Bradley Kopp ; for the first edition in Germany there was a DVD of a concert in Heilbronn from the same year.
In 2006 a best of his work with hi-fi and a DVD with interviews were released. In 2010 there was a collaboration with the Dutch musician Ad Vanderveen. In the same year, A Kind of New was released by the Matthews Southern Comfort group. In 2014 he presented The Art of Obscurity, again in collaboration with Bradley Kopp, his new work announced as the “last solo album”.
Discography
Albums
The most important solo and band albums; in addition there are other works with Fairport Convention and Plainsong as well as in various other projects:
- 1970: Matthews Southern Comfort - Matthews' Southern Comfort
- 1970: Matthews Southern Comfort - Second Spring (UK Charts # 52)
- 1970: Matthews Southern Comfort - Later That Same Year (US # 72)
- 1971: Ian Matthews - If You Saw Thro 'My Eyes
- 1971: Ian Matthews - Tigers Will Survive
- 1972: Ian Matthews - Journey from Gospel Oak (released 1974)
- 1972: Plainsong - In Search of Amelia Earhart
- 1973: Ian Matthews - Valley Hi
- 1974: Ian Matthews - Some Days You Eat the Bear, Some Days the Bear Eats You
- 1975: Matthews Southern Comfort - The Best of Matthews Southern Comfort (compilation)
- 1976: Ian Matthews - Go for Broke
- 1977: Ian Matthews - Hit and Run
- 1978: Ian Matthews - Stealin 'Home (US # 80)
- 1979: Ian Matthews - Siamese Friends
- 1980: Ian Matthews - Discreet Repeat (Compilation)
- 1980: Ian Matthews - Spot of Interference
- 1983: Hi-Fi - Moods for Mallards
- 1983: Ian Matthews - Shook
- 1987: Matthews Southern Comfort and Southern Comfort - Matthews Southern Comfort Meet Southern Comfort
- 1988: Ian Matthews - Walking a Changing Line (Windham Hill Records)
- 1990: Iain Matthews - Pure and Crooked
- 1990: Iain Matthews - Skeleton Keys
- 1991: Iain Matthews - Nights in Manhattan - Live (live)
- 1993: Iain Matthews - The Soul of Many Places (compilation 1972–1974)
- 1993: Plainsong - The Dark Side of the Room
- 1994: Iain Matthews - The Dark Ride
- 1994: Matthews Southern Comfort - Scion (BBC footage from 1970)
- 1995: Ian Matthews - Camouflage
- 1996: Iain Matthews - God Looked Down
- 1998: Iain Matthews - Excerpts from Swine Lake
- 2000: Iain Matthews - A Tiniest Wham
- 2004: Iain Matthews - Zumbach's Coat
- 2006: Iain Matthews - Osolomeo
- 2007: Iain Matthews - Contact
- 2008: Iain Matthews & Searing Quartet - Joy Mining
- 2010: Iain Matthews & Egbert Derix - Afterwords (live CD with live DVD)
- 2014: Iain Matthews - The Art of Obscurity
- 2018: Matthews Southern Comfort - Like a Radio
- 2020: Matthews Southern Comfort - The New Mine
Singles
with chart placement:
- 1970: Matthews Southern Comfort - Woodstock (UK # 1, US # 22/1971, DE # 27, AT # 15)
- 1971: Matthews Southern Comfort - Mare, Take Me Home (US # 96)
- 1971: Matthews Southern Comfort - Tell Me Why (US # 98)
- 1972: Ian Matthews - Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home) (US # 96)
- 1978: Ian Matthews - Shake It (US # 13)
- 1979: Ian Matthews - Gimme an Inch Girl (US # 67)
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Matthews, Iain |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | MacDonald, Ian Matthew (real name); Matthews, Ian (first stage name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British folk guitarist and singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 16, 1946 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Scunthorpe , Lincolnshire, England |