Andy Fairweather Low

Andy Fairweather Low - Best of Andy Fairweather Low: Low Rider - 2008 - Proper

"Andy Fairweather Low remains one of the UK's most eclectic and charismatic musicians. From heartthrob superstar with Amen Corner in the 60s, solo star in the 70s and revered session and sideman since, Andy will always be involved with great music". © 2006 Proper Records

Andy Fairweather Low has never been an instantly recognizable nane in rock music, but he's a true rock star. He's the kind of guy who has managed to keep a low profile throughout his career. You may have heard some of his great songs, most of which he penned himself, including - Wide Eyed And Legless, Reggae Tune, Bend Me Shape Me, Hello Susie, (If Paradise Is) Half As Nice, and Natural Sinner. From his early days in Amen Corner, and Fair Weather, Andy has been one of Britain's great musicians and songwriters. The 14 tracks on "Low Rider" include many of his best songs with the aforementioned bands, as well as some greatly unappreciated songs from his solo career. The tracks are re-recorded, and all his greatest hits along with some handpicked tracks are included. Andy has built up a huge reputation as a session guitarist, and as a sideman. He has played with Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Bill Wyman, The Who, Roger Waters, George Harrison, and Bob Dylan. "Low Rider" is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out Andy's great "Beginning from an End", and "La Booga Rooga" albums. Amen Corne'sr "Round " album is located @ AMECOR/ROUND

TRACKS

1 Bend Me Shape Me
2 Reggae Tune
3 Spider Jiving
4 Wide Eyed and Legless
5 Champagne Melody - Jerry Donahue, Pat Donaldson, Andy Fairweather Low, Tim Gorman, David Kemper, Peter Woods
6 La Booga Rooga
7 Hello Susie
8 Natural Sinner
9 Gin House Blues - Fletcher Henderson, Henry Troy
10 (If Paradise Is) Half as Nice
11 Hymn 4 My Soul
12 I Don't Need
13 Ashes and Diamonds
14 When You're Smiling - O. II Hammerstein, S. Romberg

All songs composed by Andy Fairweather Low, except where stated

MUSICIANS

Andy Fairweather Low - Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica
Dave Bronze - Bass, Vocals
Ian Jennings - Bass
Paul "Wix" Wickens - Piano
Steve Smith - Organ
Chris Stainton - Keyboards
Henry Spinetti - Drums
Paul Beavis - Drums, Percussion
Frank Meade - Soprano Sax
Simon Clarke - Baritone Sax
Tim Sanders - Tenor Sax
Roddy Lorimer - Trumpet
Carole Kenyon, P.P Arnold, Katie Kissoon - Backing Vocals

REVIEWS

“Amen Corner hits and solo years together for the first time. Over the past couple of decades, Low has reinvented himself as guitarist to the stars, backing everyone form Harrison to Clapton. Late Sixties Amen Corner smashes such as ‘(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice’ and ‘Bend Me Shape Me’ somehow sound less dated than at the time of release. The seventies solo hits such as ‘ Wide Eyed And Legless’ exude a gentle period charm, too. - ” Uncut ***

"This is the way to do a hits album...Andy Fairweather Low has made a great joyful record" - Maverick ****

"Respected veteren revisits his past...He may be a reluctant frontman in the 21st century, but he handles the task with effortless style" - Record collector ***

"His voice has matured to perfection and his guitar playing is as tasteful as ever. The classic Gin House Blues, slow brooding and almost sinister in its delivery, is essential listening and totally authentic. Fairweather Low's guitar sounds like the plucking of metal heartstrings - and that voice!... Warm, wise, articulate and inspired, Andy Fariweather Low is all that and then some" - Rock N Reel****

SHORT BIO

The seven million people who bought Eric Clapton's Unplugged album and the countless more who saw the MTV Unplugged TV show experienced the work of Andy Fairweather Low, who served as Clapton's backup guitarist/vocalist. But probably few in that giant audience knew that Fairweather Low had once been a teen idol and had an extensive recorded catalog in groups and as a solo star. Born in Cardiff, Wales, Fairweather Low formed Amen Corner in the mid-'60s, for which he served as lead singer. The group scored six U.K. hits from 1967 to 1969, the biggest of which was the number one "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice." Its success put Fairweather Low's attractive face on the bedroom walls of teenage girls all over Britain. Amen Corner broke up at the end of the '60s and evolved into the more progressive Fair Weather, which scored a hit with "Natural Sinner" in 1970, but broke up in 1971. Fairweather Low retired for several years, but returned as a solo artist in 1974 and made a series of albums through 1980, reaching the U.K. Top Ten with the singles "Reggae Tune" and "Wide Eyed and Legless." Gradually, however, he began to work as a sideman to more prominent British musicians, notably ex-Pink Floyd leader Roger Waters, and with the ARMS benefit group in 1987. He toured Japan with George Harrison and Eric Clapton in 1991 and has since been part of Clapton's backup band. Fairweather Low began touring with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings and, in 2006, hit the road again with Waters for the Dark Side of the Moon Tour. © William Ruhlmann, allmusic.com

MORE ABOUT ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW

Andy was born in 1948 in Cardiff, S.Wales and rose to prominence in the 1960’s as the front man and guitarist for chart topping teen idol band Amen Corner. His vocals and his distinctive voice were the perfect lead for the group. Amen Corner scored 6 memorable hits between 1967 and 1969 with ( If Paradise is ) Half As Nice reaching number 1 in January 1969 and their shows were always full of excitement and they were regular fixtures on package tours at the time. When the group split in 1969 Andy formed the band Fairweather which was signed to RCA on their progressive label Neon and for an underground progressive band it was somewhat surprising that they soon had a Top 10 single in 1970 with Natural Sinner. Andy’s first solo success was another Top 10 hit with Reggae Tune in September 1974 when after two albums with Fairweather and a brief spell off for good behaviour Andy had signed a Solo deal with A&M Records and recorded Spider Jiving which was produced by Neil Young producer Elliott Mazer and included major players such as The Memphis Horns & Nashville legend Charlie McCoy. Following up was not a problem and in 1975 he released his second album La Booga Rooga Produced by celebrated UK Producer Glyn Johns at that time fresh from working with The Eagles. Glyn Johns was again the producer of choice in 1976 for Andy’s third solo album ‘Be Bop ‘n’ Holla’. La Booga Rooga featured a great line up of musicians with such great players as Ex Eagle Bernie Leadon – Guitar, Dave Mattacks – Drums, Eddie Tan Tan Thornton – Trumpet, Kenney Jones – Drums, John ‘ Rabbit’ Bundrick – Keyboards, B.J.Cole – Steel Guitar and Georgie Fame – Keyboards and among the tracks was ‘Wide Eyed & Legless’ released late in 1975 and becoming another Solo Top 10 hit in the UK and major International hit record. In 1980 having moved labels to Warner Brothers Andy released his fourth Solo album Mega Shebang but had already started his notable contributions to other people’s records with his appearance in 1978 on The Who’s album ‘Who Are You’ which also continued through with his appearance on guitar on their Its Hard album in 1982 and contributions to Pete Townshend’s Psychderelict tour in 1993. From the work with The Who Andy moved on as the in demand player and ultimate Guitarist to the stars, building an extraordinary reputation that has endured to this day. In 1983, ex Small faces and Faces bass player Ronnie Lane, himself suffering from multiple sclerosis, set about organising some of the most significant musicians in the Rock world to tour on both sides of the Atlantic and record with the aim of raising awareness and funds for sufferers of MS. The project, A.R.M.S. – Action for Research into Multiple Sclerosis, was immensely successful ending up with a visit to the Whitehouse for some of the participants. Andy, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ronnie Wood and Steve Winwood all appeared... In the early nineties Andy joined Eric Clapton’s band with which he stayed until 2003 touring and recording the ‘Unplugged’, ‘From the Cradle’, ‘Pilgrim’, ‘Riding with the King’, ‘Reptile’, ‘One More Car One More Rider’, ‘Me & Mr. Johnson’ and ‘Back Home’ albums with him. Andy was also a regular player with George Harrison, appearing on his ‘Live in Japan’ album and, in 2002, playing several of the lead guitar parts for the Harrison tribute, ‘The Concert for George’. One of Fairweather Low’s longest musical relationships, however, has been as musical director with Roger Waters. The two have worked together since Waters’ ‘Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking’ tour of America in 1985. Since that time Andy has contributed to two of Waters’ albums – ‘Radio K.A.O.S’ in 1987 and ‘Amused to Death’ in 1992 – and played guitar and bass on the 1999-2002 ‘In the Flesh’ world tour. He also rejoined Waters for the ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ tour more recently. On November 29th, 2002, one of the most important concerts ever was staged at the Royal Albert Hall. The Concert for George was a tribute to George Harrison, under the musical direction of Eric Clapton. Featuring Joe Brown, Eric Clapton, Jules Holland and Sam Brown, Dhani Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Billy Preston, Ravi and Anoushka Shankar and Ringo Starr. Andy was a member of the Incredible House Band, which, among other great players, also included Dave Bronze, Gary Brooker, Jim Capaldi, Ray Cooper, Jim Keltner, Albert Lee and Chris Stainton. Andy is also a regular member of Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, the consequence of another relationship that stretches back to the mid-Eighties. Fairweather Low and Wyman first worked together at the Small Faces’ legendary bass player Ronnie Lane’s A.R.M.S. – Action for Research into Multiple Sclerosis – benefit concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1983. It was a charity cause that Bill revisited in 1985 with Willie & The Poor Boys, a Fifties’ style rock ‘n’ roll concept band featuring Andy who, since that time has been frequently involved in Wyman’s projects, most recently touring with the Rhythm Kings in 2005 and the summer of 2006 and 2007. But perhaps it was inevitable that one day Fairweather Low would be tempted to return to the studio in his own right. That time came in 2006. ‘Sweet Soulful Music’ reunited Fairweather Low with producer Glyn Johns - and features bassist David Bronze (Eric Clapton, Robin Trower, Procol Harum), drummer Henry Spinetti (Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Roger Daltrey) and John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick (Bob Marley, The Who, Pete Townshend) together with Roger Waters’ back-up singers Katie Kissoon, Carol Kenyon and PP Arnold. Twenty-six years is a long wait but ‘Sweet Soulful Music’ signaled a welcome return for one of the UK’s most distinctive artists, as heartily endorsed by many of the world’s greatest talents. The current band is also a who’s who of the best players on the rock scene, joining Andy on Drums is Paul Beavis (Thea Gilmore, Robbie Macintosh & Sunday All Over The World) on Keyboards is Chris Stainton (The Grease Band, Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton & The Concert For George) and on Bass is long standing associate Dave Bronze (Clapton, Concert For George, Dear Mr Fantasy tribute to Jim Capaldi). © 2006 Proper Records