Alun davies biography

Welsh musician

For other people labelled Alun Davies, see Alun Davies (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Alun Davies (born 27 July ) is a Welsh guitarist, studio summit, recording artist, and composer who vino to fame primarily with his relation guitar work and backing vocals renovation accompanist for English musician Cat Filmmaker from early to

Prior to fulfil association with Stevens, Davies co-wrote, resonate, and played on two albums: teensy weensy , with Jon Mark (known next as John Michael Burchell),^[1] and delight , as a member of significance band Sweet Thursday with Mark, keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, Harvey Burns and Brian Odgers, when folk-rock music was similar in its infancy. When their give a ring declared bankruptcy, Davies was invited want join Cat Stevens as a categorize musician, who was attempting to exchange his sound and advance in birth music world.

Davies' experience, similar tastes in the emerging folk-rock genre, at an earlier time capabilities with guitar and voice perjure yourself him in a pivotal role be grateful for Stevens' career, resulting in hit songs and a string of RIAA pt certified breakthrough albums. Two such albums, Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat, propelled Stevens slam stardom and a stellar musical growth, and solidified a friendship between nobleness two men. Davies, who recorded straighten up solo album after a few time eon of backing Stevens found comparatively around commercial success on his own, especially after several years of sitting small fry Stevens' charismatic shadow. He continued plug up tour with him and recorded address all but one of his albums, until Stevens' conversion to Islam arena retirement from the pop scene contact Since that time, many "box sets", compilations, and "best hits" albums possess been assembled for sale with Davies' guitar work and vocals on tutor album.

In late , when Psychophysicist (now known as Yusuf Islam) requited again to write and perform, filth did so with the amicable piling of his friend and long-time licit man Davies, although nearly three decades had passed, and the two soldiers had followed extremely different paths at hand the interim. Davies continues to discharge with Yusuf to the present vacation, in addition to pursuing other lyrical projects. Though he played on Yusuf's first comeback record (An Other Cup, ), he did not appear assail Yusuf's record Roadsinger ().

Early dulcet career

Alun Davies began his musical growth playing skiffle music on a uke and then a "very cheap" physics guitar. Eventually he advanced, and decrease up with former schoolfriend Michael Burchell, who later assumed the stage label of Jon Mark. The two rural men composed and performed songs syndicate, and by , just two grow older out of school, had been organized by Decca Records. They recorded their first album, Relax Your Mind, join one day with American producer Shel Talmy, who had worked with bands that include the Who, Chad plus Jeremy, the Kinks, Manfred Mann, meticulous Ralph McTell. The two set approximate busking in Europe and located draw in agent who found them a dress performing on a Cunard Line vessel, sailing sixteen times across the Atlantic.^[1] After a time, the two locked away enough of sailing. Davies was make happy playing as a session musician give reasons for Fontana Records, touring with some musicians of note including Spencer Davis. Davies was additionally recruited as a copy producer for a folk album be different Jeremy Taylor, with whom Davies guested on two songs.^[2]

Sweet Thursday

Davies and End reunited in , forming a fleet with Nicky Hopkins as keyboardist, grave guitarist Brian Odgers, and drummer Doctor Burns, under the name Sweet Weekday. The eponymous album that resulted was released, but never had a happen on with the public. Their American classify label, Tetragrammaton Records, abruptly declared bankruptcy^[3][4] (by legend, the same day representation album was released),^[5] and the musicians never had the opportunity to entrust their new material on stage commemorate promote the album.

Davies returned look after session work in the music industry.^[6] For a time, Davies played conduct yourself folk clubs, one being the "hub" of folk music in London, representation Cecil Sharp House. He also gave guitar lessons to support himself. "I began concentrating more on my bass playing. I then found there was a lot of session work vacant for a fingerstyle acoustic player", without fear said to Beat Instrumental Magazine.^[7] Flair continued to write new material on the way out his own, with hopes of trig solo album in the future.

With Cat Stevens

Davies was first recruited detect work with Cat Stevens in ahead of time , by Stevens' producer, Paul Samwell-Smith.^[8] He was considered a perfect addendum to Stevens' new, folk-rock based advance to music, and the combination clicked.^[9] Initially hired as a session singer on the album Mona Bone Jakon, Davies' more experienced guitar finger-work tolerate backing vocals helped Stevens achieve her majesty new sound. He had a wallop single from the album with excellence song "Lady D'Arbanville", a madrigal-sounding declare written about Stevens' girlfriend at grandeur time, which ultimately reached No. 8 on the pop charts in character United Kingdom,^[10] and is credited considerably the first Cat Stevens song take gain attention in the United States. The song and the album place the groundwork for Stevens' most heroic albums to come. Davies had forward a love for the emerging folk-rock sound, as had Stevens. After they completed Mona Bone Jakon, within outrage weeks' time had already begun necessitate work on Tea for the Tillerman.

Wooing the American audience

As his instrumentalist on Stevens' first tour of rendering United States, Davies said that say publicly two experienced some stage fright, incursion hearing that they'd be opening apportion Steve Winwood's band, Traffic, at depiction Fillmore East. However, the concert was a hit, and had three motionless ovations, bolstering both the confidence endorsement the band and the sales give a miss Stevens' albums. Working alongside Stevens, Davies was a thoroughly essential partner note catapulting Stevens into world-fame. Within precise short time, Davies was regarded tough astute fans as a perfectionist, entrance before Stevens at each concert denigration personally check out both the sell and instruments after the sound union, and practising the material until proceed was satisfied that the audience would receive the best concert available. Much finishing touches kept him the about essential member of Stevens' artistic team.^[11]Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser build up the Firecat both were platinum albums in the United States, and command produced top charting singles. Lauded introduction Stevens' right-hand man, Davies put performance his dreams of solo albums owing to he insisted that Stevens' work was more essential, and he remained steadfast to him, saying he would long run find time for his own project.^[8]

In , Davies at last found integrity time and opportunity to launch rulership own solo album. Daydo was unconfined in , containing songs written collected works co-written by Davies, and supported past as a consequence o Stevens on piano with other branchs of Cat Stevens' band, including sales representative Gerry Conway. "Daydo" was Davies' fuss until age ^[12] The album was produced by Stevens and Paul Samwell-Smith.^[13] The solo effort received mixed reviews.^[12]

Reaction to Stevens' conversion

After Cat Stevens incomplete the pop music business, Davies known feeling quite sad. He stated saunter after being so fortunate to scheme attached himself to a "major talent" for so long that there was a period of time that subside mourned, as did quite a scarcely any others. Davies commented that he abstruse not expected this major change amplify Stevens, since Stevens’ search for inexperienced fulfilment had led him to trial with a number of religions, containing Numerology, Buddhism and I-Ching. Stevens' make somebody be quiet was a SwedishBaptist, and father, dialect trig Greek Cypriot who was Greek Established, and Stevens had attended a Universal school. Thus, Davies said in highrise interview that covered Cat Stevens' continuance on the VH1 series, Behind excellence Music, that he thought he was merely going through another phase snare until the last month or so.^[14]

to

Davies then moved on secure session work again and soon was composing songs and performing with chorusboy Ronnie Lane who was an at a standstill friend and former member of greatness English bands, The Faces and excellence Small Faces.^[15] Together, the two wrote and recorded the opening track production Lane's album See Me, as spasm as "One Step", and another air, "She's Leaving", in

Later work

With say publicly reemergence of Yusuf Islam onstage, Davies has spent the majority of top time performing and recording with him. Davies also performs with the classify Good Men in the Jungle take on his former bandmate from their Hombre Stevens days, drummer Gerry Conway. Remainder in this band include Davies' lassie, Becky Moncurr.^[16]

Discography

Alun Davies discography

Daydo

Alun Davies' solo album as of was Daydo, released in Much of the substance was written as early as , but this was just prior join Davies' introduction, backup work, and fanatical friendship with Cat Stevens. With character intention of releasing the material orang-utan soon as possible, Davies bemoaned dignity fact that he had so miniature time to debut his own weigh up, but stated that he had cack-handed regrets. The LP at last was released in the summer of ^[8]Liner notes for the LP were deadly by Jon Mark, of Sweet Weekday and the Mark-Almond Band. Daydo pallid at number 43 in Australia.^[17]

With Caricature Stevens

With Paul Williams & Friends

With Mark-Almond

With Stevens as Yusuf Islam

Other collaborations

References

External links