Guitarist Brinsley Schwarz and bassist Nick Lowe had been in the pop rock group Kippington Lodge who had unsuccessfully released a handful of singles on the Parlophone label. In '69, keyboardist Bob Andrews and American drummer Billy Rankin joined. By that time the group had grown tired of their pop rock sound and would begin to lean more on the folk rock/psychedelia style after which they changed their name to The Brinsley Schwarz Band and then just simply Brinsley Schwarz. With Nick Lowe becoming, more or less, the centre of the group with his songwriting and vocal skills, the group caught the attention of manager Dave Robinson who had founded the Famepushers Agency. In late '69 the group signed with United Artists Records. Scheduled to play New York's Fillmore East as an opening act for Van Morrison in 1970, the group, along with Robinson financed a publicity stunt of sorts. The group planned to leave for the U.S. a few days before the show for rehearsals but were denied visas on a technicality. After they were finally given their clearance, they arrived just hours before the show. Robinson's plan to have flown a handful of journalist's to the show backfired as their plane developed mechanical problems which would delay the flight to the U.S. for hours. About eighteen hours later, with the journalist's either pissed or hungover, Brinsley Schwarz finally played a competent but a not too overwhelming set which was later hailed as a flop along with their self titled debut album. Dazed by the Fillmore fiasco, the group returned to the U.K. and rented a house outside of London. After spending days and nights playing and rehearsing, they recorded and released their second album Despite It All in late '70.
Although tainted with what went on earlier in the year, Despite It All proved to be an indication of the sound of an evolving group with a country rock flavour. Guitarist/vocalist Ian Gomm joined soon after. With their Van Morrison/The Byrds/The Band influences, the group garnered a small cult following which was soon to build, particularly due to their live shows. Eventually the group gained attention from the U.K. press who dubbed Brinsley Schwarz as the purveyors of the "pub rock" sound. 1972's Nervous On The Road was the group's best reviewed album to date as the group opened up for Paul McCartney And Wings. With constant touring of pubs as well as colleges, the group wasn't able to record as much, although they did manage to record as a backing band for Frankie Miller for his 1973 release of Once In A Blue Moon. With an attempt to chart a hit, the group recorded a handful of singles which would none the less never reach high on the charts if not at all. With producer and friend Dave Edmunds the group recorded their fifth album New Favourites Of Brinsley Schwarz, released in '74, but record sales eluded them. They continued releasing a few non album singles in early '75 until they finally broke up in the spring of that year.
A finished album, It's All Over Now", recorded in 1974 did not get a proper release until 2017
source: Tripod Brinsley Schwarz Page
1. Brinsley Schwarz - United Artists 1970
Tracks:
1. Hymn to Me / 2. Shining Brightly / 3. Rock & Roll Women / 4. Lady Constant / 5. What Do You Suggest? / 6. Mayfly / 7. Ballad of a Has Been Beauty Queen
Rating : 7
2. Despite it All - Liberty 1970
Tracks:
1. Country Girl / 2. Slow One / 3. Funk Angel / 4. Piece of Home / 5. Love Song / 6. Starship / 7. Ebury Down / 8. Old Jarrow
Rating : 6
3. Silver Pistol - United Artists 1972
Tracks:
1. Dry Land / 2. Merry Go Round / 3. One More Day / 4. Nightingale / 5. Silver Pistol / 6. The Last Time I Was Fooled / 7. Unknown Number / 8. Range War / 9. Egypt / 10. Niki Hoeke Speedway / 11. Ju Ju Man / 12. Rockin' Chair
Rating : 8
4. Nervous on the Road - United Artists 1972
Tracks:
1. It's Been So Long / 2. Happy Doing What We're Doing / 3. Surrender To The Rhythm / 4. Don't Lose Your Grip On Love / 5. Nervous On The Road / 6. Feel A Little Funky / 7. I Like It Like That / 8. Brand New You, Brand New Me / 9. Home In My Hand / 10. Why, Why, Why, Why, Why
Rating : 7
5. Please Don't Ever Change - United Artists 1973
Tracks:
1. Hooked On Love / 2. Why Do We Hurt The One We Love? / 3. I Worry / 4. Don't Ever Change / 5. Home In My Hand / 6. Play That Fast Thing / 7. I Won't Make It Without You / 8. Down In Mexico / 9. Speedo / 10. Hypocrite
Rating : 5
6. New Favourites - United Artists 1973
Tracks:
1. Peace Love And Understanding / 2. Ever since You're Gone / 3. The Ugly Things / 4. I Got The Real Thing / 5. The Look Tha'ts In Your Eye Tonight / 6. Now's The Time / 7. Small Town, Big City / 8. Trying To Live My Life Without You / 9. I Like You, I Don't Love You / 10. Down In The Dive
Rating : 7
7. It's All Over Now - 1974 ( 2017)
Tracks:
1. We Can Mess Around / 2. Cruel To Be Kind / 3. As Lovers Do / 4. I’ll Take Good Care Of You / 5. Hey Baby (They’re Playing Our Song) / 6. Do The Cod / 7. God Bless (Whoever Made You) / 8. Everybody / 9. Private Number / 10. Give Me Back My Love / 11. It’s All Over Now
Rating : 6
8. Hen´s Teeth ( comp. 1967-1975 ) - Edsel 1998
Tracks:
1. Shy Boy / 2. Lady On A Bicycle / 3. Rumours / 4. And She Cried / 5. Tell Me A Story / 6. Understand A Woman / 7. Tomorrow, Today / 8. Turn Out The Light / 9. In My Life / 10. I Can See Her Face / 11. Hypocrite / 12. The Version / 13. I've Cried My Last Tear / 14. Bring Down / 15. Everybody / 16. I Like You, I Don't Love You / 17. Daytripper / 18. Slow Down / 19. I Should Have Known Better / 20. Tell Me Why / 21. There's A Cloud In My Heart / 22. I Got The Real Thing
Rating :
9. What IS So Funny About Peace Love & Understanding ( comp. + BBC ) - Hux 2002
Tracks:
1. Havin' A Party / 2. It's Been So Long / 3. She's Got To Be Real / 4. Nervous On The Road / 5. You Got Me Hummin' / 6. Mama Told Me Not To Come / 7. Play That Fast Thing One More Time / 8. I Worry / 9. Ju Ju Man / 10. Small Town Big City / 11. Everybody / 12. I Got The Real Thing / 13. Peace Love And Understanding / 14. Ann Eliza Jane / 15. In No Resistance / 16. You Don't Need To Laugh / 17. Wild Night
Rating :
10. Cruel to Be Kind ( comp. + rare ) - Hux Records 2004
Tracks:
1. Surrender to the Rhythm / 2. Range War / 3. Silver Pistol / 4. Nervous on the Road / 5. You Never Can Tell / 6. Egypt / 7. Ju Ju Man / 8. Home in My Hand / 9. Rocking Chair / 10. Do the Cod / 11. Hooked on Love / 12. Why Do We Hurt the One We Love / 13. Don't Lose Your Grip on Love / 14. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me / 15. Wait / 16. We Can Mess Around With Anything But Love / 17. Cruel to Be Kind / 18. Cried My Last Tear / 19. Give Me Back My Love
Rating :
Essential Albums!
Original albums as listed and rated on “Rate Your Music” - April 15 - 2006
288 Nervous on the Road - 1972
454 Silver Pistol - 1972
555 Brinsley Schwarz - 1970
609 Despite it All - 1970
666 New Favourites - 1974
822 Please Don't Ever Change - 1973
Check and Rate Here!
December 25 - "rateyourmusic.com"
My Suggestion For a 80 minutes (app.) Best Of Compilation:
1. What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understading ( Lowe ) New Favourites
2. Nervous on the Road ( Lowe ) Nervous on the Road
3. The Look That's in Your Eye Tonight ( Lowe ) New Favourites
4. Silver Pistol ( Lowe ) Silver Pistol
5. Cruel to Be Kind ( Lowe ) Cruel to be Kind
6. Country Girl ( Lowe ) Despite it All
7. Nightingale ( Lowe ) Silver Pistol
8. Don't Lose Your Grip on Love ( Lowe ) Nervous on the Road
9. The Ugly Things ( Lowe ) New Favourites
10. Unknown Number ( Lowe ) Silver Pistol
11. Surrender to the Rhythm ( Lowe ) Nervous on the Road
12. Range War ( Gomm ) Silver Pistol
13. Lady on a Bicycle ( Schwarz ) Hen's Teeth
14. Ju Ju Man ( Ford ) Silver Pistol
15. Now's the Time ( Clarke/Nash ) New Favourites
16. Down in Mexico ( Lowe ) Please Don´t Ever Change
17. Why Do we Hurt the one we Love ( Lowe ) Please Don´t Ever Change
18. Down in Mexico ( Lowe ) Please Don't Ever Change
19. Hooked on Love ( Gomm ) Please Don´t Ever Change
20. I Won't Make it Without You ( Lowe ) Please Don´t Ever Change
21. Hymn to Me ( Rankin/Andrews/Lowe/Schwarz ) Brinsley Schwarz
22. Love Song ( Lowe ) Despite it All
23. Rock and Roll Women (Lowe) Brinsley Schwarz
24. Shining Brightly (Lowe) Brinsley Schwarz
25. It's Been So Long ( Gomm ) Nervous on the Road
26. Dry Land ( Gom ) Silver Pistol
27. Merry Go Round ( Lowe ) Silver Pistol
28. One More Day ( Gomm ) Silver Pistol
29. Egypt ( Lowe ) Silver Pistol
30. The Last Time I was Fooled ( Lowe ) Silver Pistol
31. We Can Mess Around ( Lowe ) It's All Over Now
32. I Got the Real Thing ( Gomm/Lowe ) New Favourites
33. Everybody ( Rowe ) It's All Over Now
34. Give Me Back My love ( Lowe/Gomm ) It's All Over Now
35. As Lovers Do ( Lowe ) It's All Over Now
38. Cruel to Be Kind ( Lowe/Gomm ) It's All Over Now
LINKS:
A Tripod Brinsley Schwarz Page
Alex´ Brinsley Schwarz Page