Highly Talented Singer And Musician Coming To Wick

5th October 2005

Clive Gregson, who is a well respected singer/songwriter is coming up to do a solo gig at Mackays Hotel on the 12th of November. Ticket prices are £8 and will be available, this weekend, in both Wick and Thurso Music Shops.

Born and raised in Manchester, England, Clive is an accomplished singer, musician and record producer. His start in the music business was as the leader of Any Trouble, a band that made five albums and performed hundreds of gigs but which broke up at the end of 1984. Clive then released his first solo record, Strange Persuasions, described by Hot Press as "a truly exceptional piece of work." The record featured the voice of Christine Collister, and between 1985 and 1992, Gregson & Collister formed a partnership that Rolling Stone called "the state of the art in British folk-rock". Their first four albums all achieved chart success and numerous tours of the UK, USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan further established Clive's world-wide reputation as an innovative leader in the world of British folk-rock.

Throughout this period Clive was also a member of the Richard Thompson Band and in demand as a record producer and session musician. He compiled his second solo project, Welcome To The Workhouse and by October 1992 was performing as a solo artist again. He developed a fruitful songwriting partnership with Boo Hewerdine, founder member of The Bible. They toured the UK in the spring of 1993 as a fascinating trio completed by Eddi Reader, the ex-Fairground Attraction vocalist.

In November 1994, Clive released Carousel Of Noise, a mix of live and studio recordings, hailed as "brilliant" by the Manchester Evening News. The following April, Clive signed to Compass Records and released People And Places, a new studio record featuring some of his best writing and performances to date. New Country described this record as "among the year's best records..." while Pulse gave the CD a five star review. August, 1996 saw the release of I Love This Town, a CD that Clive describes as a "return to the Any Trouble sound: short, upbeat pop songs with lots of guitar...". Featuring great songs and first rate musicianship, the CD was greeted by rave reviews.

In September, 1996 Clive travelled to Dublin to take part in sessions for a new Nanci Griffith CD, Other Voices, Too. The following February he was nominated for a Nashville Music Award in the Artist/Songwriter category and in March he undertook his first solo tour of Japan. Further touring in 1997 took Clive to the UK, Europe and Canada. He also toured Europe and recorded a CD with Plainsong, a four piece group described as a "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for the '90's..." In breaks between road work, Clive set up a studio in his home and began work on a new solo album.

Throughout 1998 Clive interspersed recording with yet more touring. He was shortly re-united with legendary producer John Wood, who agreed to mix Clive's next solo project Happy Hour. The year 1998 ended with his appearance as a special guest on Nanci Griffiths', Other Voices Too tour.

Happy Hour was released in April, 1999 to glowing reviews: "Gregson has come up with one of his best ever records..." Dirty Linen. The album is a truly solo project. No other musicians were involved and the sound is sparse and intimate. His song Fred Astaire has already established itself as a firm favourite with fans and was recently recorded by Norma Waterson.

April of 1999 saw a reunion of the Gregson/Hewerdine/Reader Trio with some dates in the U.S.A. Boo and Clive then did a tour in Japan culminating in a SRO Tokyo show. Back in Europe over the summer, Clive played festivals both solo and with Boo and Eddi. The year concluded with a solo tour of the UK with several shows in Europe and a week at Ronnie Scott's in Birmingham with the Trio. When not on the road, Clive is busy in the studio, playing on album projects for Boo Hewerdine, Ian Gomm and Andy West among others. The new millenium saw Clive join forces with Boo for their first UK tour as a duo, more Trio dates, a guest appearance with Nanci Griffith & The Atlanta Symphony various solo summer festivals and more session work. The year ended with Clive's most successful solo UK tour to date.

Clive's next CD Comfort & Joy was released in 2001. Much solo touring followed to promote the album, including a trip to Japan and Clive's first solo dates in the USA in almost five years. The warm reception for the album and live shows kept Clive busy on the road throughout 2002. The year also saw the first official label release of Carousel Of Noise and a compilation of Any Trouble tracks from their Stiff era, Girls Are Always Right. The latter met with a great response from critics and fans alike and even showed up on the Amazon.com best sellers list.

In October 2003, Clive managed to fall off a ladder, breaking his left arm and shoulder. These injuries required a fairly lengthy healing process and the cancellation of touring and recording commitments for a while. Happily, the end of January 2004 saw Clive back in the studio playing on sessions for a new Nanci Griffith CD and a couple of weeks later he played his first solo gig since the accident. Luckily, his solo CD Long Story Short had been completed the week before his accident and the album was released in the UK on Fellside Recordings on May 1st, 2004.

Clive Gregson web site http://www.clivegregson.com