Tag Archives: Simon Nicol

Al Stewart: Modern Times

moderntimes

In January 1975, “CBS” label released “Modern Times”, the sixth Al Stewart album. It was recorded in 1974, and was produced by Al Stewart.

Personnel:

  • Al Stewart – vocals, guitar, keyboard
  • Brian Bennett – background vocals
  • David Ellis – acoustic guitar
  • Isaac Guillory- guitar
  • Simon Nicol- guitar
  • Tim Renwick- guitar
  • Stuart Cowell – dobro, guitar
  • Pete Wingfield- keyboards
  • Peter Wood- keyboards, accordion
  • Graham Smith – harmonica
  • George Ford – bass
  • Peter Moss – fuzz bass
  • Gerry Conway- drums
  • Barry DeSouza – drums
  • Tony Carr – percussion
  • Neil Lancaster – backing vocals
  • Charles Mills – backing vocals
  • Alan Parsons- string arrangements, engineer
  • Andrew Powell- arrangements

Track listing:

All tracks by Al Stewart except where noted.

  1. Carol
  2. Sirens of Titan
  3. What’s Going On?
  4. Not the One
  5. Next Time
  6. Apple Cider Re-Constitution
  7. The Dark and the Rolling Sea
  8. Modern Times – Dave Mudge, Al Stewart

Fairport Convention: What We Did on Our Holidays

what-we-did-on-our-holidays

In January 1969, “Island” label released “What We Did on Our Holidays”, the second Fairport Convention album. It was recorded June – October 1968, at “Sound Techniques”; “Olympic Studio No. 1”; “St. Peter’s Church”, and “Morgan Studios” in London, and was produced by Joe Boyd.

Personnel:

  • Sandy Denny (as Alexandra Elene MacLean Denny) – vocals, acoustic  and 12-string acoustic guitars, organ, piano, harpsichord
  • Richard Thompson– vocals, electric, acoustic and 12-string acoustic guitars, piano accordion, sitar
  • Simon Nicol– acoustic and electric guitars, electric autoharp, electric dulcimer, backing vocals
  • Ashley Hutchings– bass, backing vocals
  • Martin Lamble– drums, percussion, violin, tabla, footsteps
  • Iain Matthews– vocals, congas
  • Peter Ross – harmonica
  • Bruce Lacey and his Robots
  • Claire Lowther – cello
  • Kingsley Abbott – coins, backing vocals
  • Paul Ghosh, Andrew Horvitch, Marc Ellington – backing vocals
  • John Wood – engineer
  • Richard Bennett Zeff, Annie Brown – photography
  • Diogenic Attempts Ltd. – design

Track listing:

  1. Fotheringay – Sandy Denny
  2. Mr Lacey – Ashley Hutchings
  3. Book Song – Iain Matthews, Richard Thompson
  4. The Lord Is in This Place…How Dreadful Is This Place (based on “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground” by Blind Willie Johnson) – Ashley Hutchings, Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson
  5. No Man’s Land – Richard Thompson
  6. I’ll Keep It With Mine – Bob Dylan
  7. Eastern Rain – Joni Mitchell
  8. Nottamun Town – traditional, arranged by Sandy Denny, Iain Matthews, Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Ashley Hutchings, Martin Lamble
  9. Tale in Hard Time – Richard Thompson
  10. She Moves Through the Fair – traditional, arr. Sandy Denny, Iain Matthews, Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Ashley Hutchings, Martin Lamble
  11. Meet on the Ledge – Richard Thompson
  12. End of a Holiday – Simon Nicol

Fairport Convention: Liege & Lief

fairport_convention-liege__lief

In December 1969, “Island” label released “Liege & Lief”, the fourth Fairport Convention album. It was recorded October – November 1969, at “Sound Techniques” in London, and was produced by Joe Boyd. In 2006, the audience at “BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards” voted “Liege & Lief” the “Most Influential Folk Album of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Sandy Denny– vocals, sleeve concept, design
  • Dave Swarbrick– fiddle, viola, sleeve concept, design
  • Richard Thompson – acoustic and electric guitars, backing vocals, sleeve concept, design
  • Simon Nicol– 6-string, 12-string acoustic and electric guitars, backing vocals, sleeve concept, design
  • Ashley Hutchings– bass guitar, backing vocals, sleeve concept, design
  • Dave Mattacks– drums, percussion, sleeve concept, design
  • John Wood – engineer
  • Roberta Nicol – sleeve concept, design
  • Diogenic Attempts Ltd – design coordination
  • Eric Hayes – cover photography

Track listing:

  1. Come All Ye – Sandy Denny, Ashley Hutchings
  2. Reynardine – traditional, arranged by Fairport Convention
  3. Matty Groves – arr. Fairport Convention
  4. Farewell, Farewell – Richard Thompson
  5. The Deserter – arr. Fairport Convention
  6. Medley – arr. Dave Swarbrick
  • The Lark in the Morning
  • Rakish Paddy
  • Foxhunters’ Jig
  • Toss the Feathers
  1. Tam Lin – arr. Dave Swarbrick
  2. Crazy Man Michael – Richard Thompson, Dave Swarbrick

Cat Stevens: Numbers

numbers

On November 30, 1975, “Island” label released “Numbers”, the ninth Cat Stevens studio album. It was recorded in October 1975, at “Le Studio Morin Heights” in Quebec, Canada, and was produced by Cat Stevens.

Personnel:

  • Cat Stevens– lead vocals, acoustic, electric and twelve string guitar, piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, ARP 2600, ARP 2500
  • Barbara Massey – vocals
  • Carl Hall – vocals
  • Tasha Thomas – vocals
  • Art Garfunkel– vocals
  • Lewis Furey – vocals
  • Melba Joyce – vocals
  • Carmen Twillie – vocals
  • Brenda Russell – vocals
  • Vennette Gloud – vocals
  • Suzanne Lynch– vocals
  • Anna Peacock – vocals
  • Vincent Beck – vocals
  • Jean Roussel – vocals, piano, Yamaha organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, synthesizer, harpsichord, Hammond organ, string synthesizer, vibraphone
  • Alun Davies– vocals, acoustic and 12-string acoustic guitar
  • Simon Nicol– acoustic, electric and 12-string electric guitar
  • Gordie Fleming – accordion
  • David Sanborn– alto saxophone
  • Bruce Lynch– bass, double bass
  • Gerry Conway– vocals, drums
  • Chico Batera – congas, wind chimes, ganza, triangle, waterphone
  • Magic Children of Ottawa – vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Cat Stevens.

  1. Whistlestar
  2. Novim’s Nightmare
  3. Majik of Majiks
  4. Drywood
  5. Banapple Gas
  6. Land o’ Freelove & Goodbye
  7. Jzero
  8. Home
  9. Monad’s Anthem

Mike Heron: Smiling Man with Bad Reputations

Smiling Men

On April 30, 1971, “Island” label released “Smiling Men with Bad Reputations”, the debut Mike Heron solo album. It was recorded December 1970, at “Sound Techniques” in Chelsea, London, and was produced by Joy Boyd.

Personnel:

  • Mike Heron – guitar, keyboards
  • John Cale – vocals, bass, guitar, harmonium, piano, viola
  • Tony Cox – VCS3 synthesizer
  • Richard Thompson- guitar
  • Pete Townshend- guitar
  • Simon Nicol- guitar
  • Ronnie Lane- bass
  • Rose Simpson- bass
  • Pat Donaldson – bass
  • Dave Pegg- bass
  • Gerry Conway- drums
  • Mike Kowalski – drums
  • Dave Mattacks- drums
  • Keith Moon- drums
  • Malcolm Le Maistre- clarinet
  • Dudu Pukwana- saxophone, piano
  • Liza Strike – vocals
  • Heather Wood – vocals
  • Sue Glover- vocals
  • Sunny Leslie- vocals
  • Strangely Strange- backing vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Mike Heron.

  1. Call Me Diamond
  2. Flowers of the Forest
  3. Audrey
  4. Brindaban
  5. Feast of Stephen
  6. Spirit Beautiful
  7. Warm Heart Pastry
  8. Beautiful Stranger
  9. No Turning Back

Richard Thompson: You? Me? Us?

you me us

On April 16, 1996, “Capitol” label released “You? Me? Us?, the eighth Richard Thompson album. It was recorded in February 1996, at “The Sound Factory” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake.

Personnel:

  • Richard Thompson – vocals, guitar, mandolin, hurdy-gurdy
  • Tchad Blake– guitar
  • Simon Nicol– guitar
  • Mitchell Froom– keyboards
  • Jerry Scheff– bass guitar
  • Danny Thompson– double bass
  • Pete Thomas– drums
  • Jim Keltner– drums
  • Sid Page – violin
  • Suzie Katayama – cello
  • Christine Collister– backing vocals
  • Teddy Thompson– backing vocals

All tracks by Richard Thompson.

Disc 1 – Voltage Enhanced

  1. Razor Dance
  2. She Steers By Lightning
  3. Dark Hand Over My Heart
  4. Hide It Away
  5. Put It There Pal
  6. Business On You
  7. No’s Not A Word
  8. Am I Wasting My Love On You?
  9. Bank Vault In Heaven
  10. The Ghost Of You Walks

Disc 2 – Nude

  1. Baby Don’t Know What To Do With Herself
  2. She Cut Off Her Long Silken Hair
  3. Hide It Away
  4. Burns Supper
  5. Train Don’t Leave
  6. Cold Kisses
  7. Sam Jones
  8. Razor Dance
  9. Woods Of Darney

Richard And Linda Thompson: Shoot Out The Lights

shoot out the lights

On March 15, 1982, “Hannibal” label released “Shoot out the Lights” the sixth Richard and Linda Thompson album. It was recorded in November 1981, at “Olympic Studios” in London, and was produced by Joe Boyd.

Personnel:

  • Richard Thompson– vocals, lead guitar, accordion, hammered dulcimer
  • Linda Thompson– vocals
  • Simon Nicol– rhythm guitar
  • Dave Pegg– bass
  • Pete Zorn– bass, backing vocals
  • David Mattacks– drums
  • Stephen Corbett –cornet
  • Brian Jones – cornet
  • Phil Goodwin –tuba
  • Stephen Barnett –trombone
  • Mark Cutts – trombone
  • The Watersons (Norma, Mike, Lal, and Martin Carthy) – backing vocals
  • Clive Gregson– backing vocals

All tracks by Richard Thompson except where noted.

  1. Don’t Renege on Our Love
  2. Walking on a Wire
  3. Man in Need
  4. Just the Motion
  5. Shoot Out the Lights
  6. Back Street Slide
  7. Did She Jump or Was She Pushed? – Richard Thompson, Linda Thompson
  8. Wall of Death