Clive Gregson - Any Trouble, Stiff and ‘the moment I thought I’d won the Lottery’
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- Clive Gregson was the leader of Any Trouble (signed to Stiff in the ‘80s) and went on to join Richard and Linda Thompson’s band, team up with Christine Collister, release over 20 solo albums and spend 15 years in Nashville working as a session musician and producer. His new group the Guilty Men have an album out soon called Invisible Confetti. Here he digs out a few old records and remembers …
… buying Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Hollies and Hendrix singles in record shops in Ashton Under Lyne.
… the launch of Any Trouble - “three good-looking blokes from Crewe fronted by their dweeb uncle”.
…when school bands had names like Blazé Vole and Dali and guitarists wore a Pete Townshend white boiler suit.
… “if you think of yourself as a guitar player, don’t stand next to Richard Thompson.”
… working with John Wood, the only man present at all three Nick Drake sessions.
… skinny ties, houndstooth suits and “why we were totally the wrong band to be signed to Stiff”.
… meeting the man whose band he stole and who’d never forgiven him.
… the five ‘60s British Invasion bands who all had to change drummers to succeed.
… “tell people you’re going to retire and you suddenly become very popular”.
… why there’s no gig circuit in Nashville.
… the Stiff Tour of American with Tenpole Tudor, Dirty Looks and Joe “King” Carrasco.
… pub circuit days playing Springsteen, Little Feat and Band covers.
… how not to make “a complete Horlicks" of recording Nick Drake’s Northern Sky.
… Wakefield Town Hall, location of “the worst gig ever”.
… why Benny and Bjorn suddenly dropped him like a hot brick.
… recording eight albums in Lockdown.
… his new band - surely ‘supergroup’?! - formed with members of Barclay James Harvest, the Mindbenders and 10cc.
This also includes a live performance of Bobby Shafto as learnt from Bert Weedon’s ‘Play In A Day’.
All information about the Guilty Men and upcoming album here:
theguiltymen.c...
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I really enjoyed this. I stayed with Clive last Autumn for two weeks. He produced my first two albums and got me on the Richard Thompson tour. We've been mates since school.
I saw Any Trouble at the Marquee (I think) in the fall of 1981 while studying abroad in London. Terrific show, memorable for many reasons.
Wonderful interview, great to hear that Clive is still putting out music
Just checked, I have one of those hand stitched copies of Nice Girls!
Nice Girls ... wow love it .never get tired of playing it. ❤
I saw Any Trouble at a Music festival in the Museum Gardens in York in 1980, in my opinion the best act on the bill, really punchy songs with great lyrics, I went out and bought the album and another single called ‘The trouble with love’ (have a listen it’s on UA-cam I think) Clive Gregson is such an underrated songwriter and a very down to earth bloke
How wonderful for me to hear Clive mention Dali I played in Dali with him, I expected Clive remembers me as a very temperamental teen 😂 we did CSNY songs I recall but I always remember The Moody Blues Question as our best song. Still follow Clive and still see him live occasionally 😊
Clive's a top bloke. Followed him for years, he has so many stories too. Bring him back soon!
Clive is quite right when he says that Richard Thompson's live band was at it's very best when he and Christine were in the band!
Loved Gregson Collister. Christine was special and is a lovely person
Wonderful interview guys
Herr Gregson lebt. Mein Bruder ist im Jahr 1980 gestorben. Er hatte Open Fire nie zu hören bekommen. 😢
No mention of the EMI America years. Weirdly I’d been trying to find out why that first rather under-rated eponymous EMI America album has never come out on CD or streaming. Clive advised it’s because UMG can’t find the masters and it’s not cost effective to master from clean vinyl. If anyone wants to fund raise to get that album out again then I’m in.
saw him a few times when the cheaters were playing.
"Where Are All The Nice Girls" is Great.
Got his early cds
A great listen.