Recorded at the Marquee Studios, London
Tape Ops also by Bunny & Steve
1999 CD Reissue Notes:
Remastered at Turan Audio, Oxford.
CD design at Darker Than Blue.
This compilation (P) and (C) 1999 Luminous Records.
2002 CD Reissue Liner Notes:
Former AUDIENCE mainman Howard Werth's first solo LP is reissued here along with a bonus track from the 1975 album sessions. A renowned songwriter and musician, with his trademark electro nylon strung guitar, Howard is also a well respected vocalist - he was asked to work with The Doors, and still records with Ray Manzarek.
King Brilliant remains a fine achievement, and is accompanied by notes on Howard's career and original photographs
Howard Werth kick-started his music career with The Lloyd Alexander Blues Band in the sixties (and he doesn't remember it because he was there!), playing a range of music covering the r'n'b/soul/Motown/psychedelia spectrum, and gigging round the circuit at that time, which included such West End all-night haunts as The Flamingo and the Whiskey A Go-Go (later the become The Wag Club), as well as thriving suburban venues such as the Blue Opera Clubs. These places all attracted the Motown mods, the art school blues and psychedelic crowds that dominated what was the burgeoning underground scene of that time. The Lloyd Alexander Blues Band supported U.S. blues legends such as Jimmy Reed, and were the house band at the Uppercut Club in East London at a time when artists such as Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix played there (Hendrix wrote Purple Haze in the dressing Room).
Howard was searching for a new set of cultural references and musical triggers to draw from, which culminated in him forming Audience in 1969. After a debut album for Polydor, Audience recorded three more great albums for Charisma (now available through Virgin, along with a compilation). At the end of a very productive and hard working four years - which saw Audience play extensively around Britain, Europe and America (supporting Rod Stewart and The Faces in 1971) - the band were exhausted and in need of new impetus, and split up.
It was at this point that Howard began to work on his first solo album "King Brilliant". Gus Dudgeon produced and the core of the Elton John band provided the backing, with the help of Bob Weston, fresh from his time with Fleetwood Mac. The first two tracks to be laid down were "Lucinda", a single that received a lot of airplay, and "Fading Star", which were recorded with members of Kokomo plus Davey Johnstone from Elton's band. Because of the limitations of vinyl, the track "Mechanical Dream", recorded during the sessions, had to be left off - and this hidden gem (which had never even been mixed) appears here for the very first time. A haunting, atmospheric piece, it fits perfectly with the rest of the material.
It was during the making of this album that Howard was approached by The Doors and asked to fill the space left by Jim Morrison. The Doors flew to England, and Howard spent some time rehearsing with them, but after some agonising and deliberation, Ray Manzarek decided against The Doors reforming and the project floundered.
However Howard was later to reunite with Ray in Hollywood, where they worked together extensively on Howard's songs, some of which would later be re-worked to form the basis of the album "Six Of One", which was originally released on Howard's own METABop! label. It is now reissued on Luminous.
Howard has stayed involved with music and following the reissue of these two classic solo albums, will be issuing a brand new recording on Luminous shortly. He is also planning to go back on the road playing selected gigs. He will also be contributing to an upcoming Doors tribute album at the request of Ray Manzarek
Other albums featuring Howard Werth currently available on CD:
Audience - Audience (DISC 1941 CD)
Howard Werth - 6ix Of 1ne... And 1/2 A Dozen Of The Other (DISC 1943 CD)
This compilation (C) & (P) 2002 by Disconforme, S.L., under license from Howard Werth. All right reserved.
P.O. Box BP144 - Andorra
disconforme@andornet.ad
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Unauthorzed copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting prohibited.
D.L. and 454/2001.
Made in Spain
File under: Pop rock
8 436006 49 5
King Brilliant (1975) - 