Mark Knopfler appears courtesy of Phonogram Records
Cliff Richard appears courtesy of EMI Records
CD Reissue Notes:
There is no doubt at all that the most influential vocal duo of the rock era is The Everly Brothers, Don (born 1937) and Phil (born 1939). Because they are siblings, their vocal harmonies are simply the finest you'll ever hear, and this is not a subject for debate, OK?
The Everlys started recording in 1955, had accumulated 36 US hit singles by 1969 (including four Number Ones), and split up in July, 1973, by which time they were reportedly sick of the sight of each other. Both embarked on solo careers, although neither was significantly successful immediately. Phil's first solo album, 'Star Spangled Springer', was released in late 1973, and featured assistance from Duane Eddy (who produced it), James Burton and the then little known Warren Zevon. It included the original version of 'The Air That I Breathe', later a huge hit for The Hollies, but few took any notice. All the other tracks on the album, including the critically acclaimed 'Snowflake Bombardier' were written by Phil, either solo or with his longtime friend Terry Slater, an Englishman - the two had met back in 1963 when The Everly Brothers headlined a UK tour which also included Bo Diddley, Little Richard and (at the bottom of the bill) The Rolling Stones. The band which backed several of the acts on the tour was The Flintstones, a group cast in the mould of the better known Sounds Incorporated. Slater was guitarist with The Flintstones. The result was a long friendship between Phil and Slater - the latter moved to the US in the mid-1960s, and became bass player in the combo behind Don and Phil. This trio's other members were Sonny Curtis (an early associate of Buddy Holly and a hugely influential songwriter who wrote both 'Walk Right Back', an Everly Brothers classic from the early Sixties, and 'I Fought The Law', a major hit by The Clash!) and Crickets drummer Jerry Allison... Slater later returned to England, working in the record industry and also remaining in touch with Phil.
In 1974, Slater convinced Pye Records in England to sign Phil as a solo artist, and two albums resulted: 'There's Nothing Too Good For My Baby' (US title 'Phil's Diner') was released at the end of that year, and 'Mystic Line', on which Warren Zevon co-wrote a couple of songs with Phil and also played keyboards and was responsible for arrangements, followed it in 1975, but neither sold well. Between 1975 and 1979, Phil adopted a low profile, his only public appearance outside occasional shows at the Los Angeles country/rock venue, The Palomino, being a minor cameo role in the 1978 Clint Eastwood movie, 'Every Which Way But Loose', in which he can be briefly seen singing a duet with Eastwood's co-star Sondra Locke. The music for the film was produced by Tommy 'Snuff' Garrett, who also produced Phil's next album, 1979's 'Living Alone', which was released (and swiftly deleted) by Elektra in the US, but has yet to be released domestically in Britain, which is a pathetic state of affairs.
In 1981, Phil signed with Curb Records, releasing a couple of excellent singles, notably 'Dare To Dream Again', which should have been a massive worldwide pop hit - it was in the style of the classic 'All I Have To Do Is Dream', certainly one of the most timeless and memorable early hits by The Everly Brothers - but which ultimately only managed a seven week spell in the US country chart. A second single, 'Sweet Southern Love', was only marginally more successful, and Phil and Curb parted company. However, one significant bonus accrued from Phil's brief visit to London for interviews to promote 'Dare To Dream Again' - Cliff Richard, a long-time Everlys fan, had invited him to appear in a TV documentary series, and the response from their televised duets was so positive that some future joint recording project was discussed.
In 1982, Phil signed to Capitol Records in Britain and was placed in the hands of producer Stuart Coleman, who was hot at that time, having produced a number of big hits by 'the Welsh Elvis', Shakin' Stevens. An initial recording session resulted in four tracks, the most impressive of which was 'Louise', written by Ian Gomm, a singer/songwriter who had emerged in the 1970s with Brinsley Schwarz, the group which also included Nick Lowe. When it was released in late 1982, 'Louise' became Phil Everly's first solo hit single in Britain, although its peak position (just inside the Top 50) was rather less than its quality deserved (as will be heard here). As a backing band, Coleman used many of the finest and most respected British musicians of the time. On drums was Terry Williams, a Welshman who at various times has played with Man, Rockpile (with Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe) and, during their 'Brothers In Arms' period, Dire Straits. On rhythm guitar (and contributing the six string bass solo on 'Louise') was another erstwhile member of Rockpile, Billy Bremner. Stuart Coleman himself played bass, while on keyboards was Pete Wingfield (a notable performer who played in a mid-1970s Van Morrison Band and became a UK Top 10 hitmaker in his own right in 1975 with 'Eighteen With A Bullet'). In addition, some of the tracks also featured second drummer Howard Tibbie and another Welsh guitarist (and Edmunds associate), Mickey Gee.
When Phil returned to Europe to promote the 'Louise' single, Coleman took the opportunity to record more tracks, again using Williams, Bremner, Wingfield, Gee and himself, but with two significant additions: Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler (another long-time Everly Brothers admirer) added his trademark talents on guitar to several of the recordings, and Cliff Richard asked if he could sing on a couple of tracks. Cliff also provided one of the songs on which he performed, 'I'll Mend Your Broken Heart' (which was written by Stewart Blandamer, then saxophonist with Q Tips, the soul group from which Paul Young emerged to stardom), but ultimately the major Phil & Cliff duet was 'She Means Nothing To Me'. This became a UK Top 10 single, the first in which Phil had been involved since 1965, when 'The Price Of Love' was the last major smash hit by The Everly Brothers. 'She Means Nothing To Me' was written by John David, yet another Dave Edmunds associate - as John Williams, David had been a member of Love Sculpture, the trio fronted by a young Edmunds which reached the UK Top 5 in late 1968 with a frantic rocking instrumental of Khachaturian's classical piece, 'Sabre Dance', Williams/David (the alias was doubtless to prevent confusion with both the British classical guitarist and later leader of Sky, and the American soundtrack composer) continued to work sporadically with Edmunds during the 1970s and 1980s, as did Mickey Gee. Quite why 'I'll Mend Your Broken Heart' did not follow the hit duet up the chart is something which is explained later, but other excellent tracks from the Coleman sessions were similarly ignored, such as 'God Bless Older Ladies (For They Made Rock & Roll)', an earlier version of which had been included on 'Star Spangled Springer' nine years before, while another song co-written by Phil and Terry Slater, 'Better Than Now', had previously appeared on 1975's 'Mystic line' album. Both these latter tracks now featured participation from Mark Knopfler.
However, not all the 'Phil Everly' album which was released in 1983 consisted of tracks produced by Stuart Coleman. Some time before the latter recordings were returning him to the UK chart, Phil had also cut a few new tracks for Capitol in the US with Kyle Lehning as producer, and one of these was also included on this LP. Phil's revival of the 1970 McGuinness Flint classic, 'When I'm Dead And Gone', which involved such luminaries as Dash Crofts (of Seals & Crofts) and Christine McVie (of Fleetwood Mac), was on the album as it was originally released. Maybe the problem was that something regarded by the rock world as a highly significant event was starting to take shape on the other side of the Atlantic, and it must be said, could only render all discussions of future solo careers by Don & Phil futile.
In retrospect, it is clear that once again The Everly Brothers were ahead of their time when they announced that they would reunite. Haven't reunions of once successful bands become a continuing feature of rock history ever since? Don and Phil spent much of the rest of 1983 preparing for this historic event, which occurred on September 22 & 23 at London's Royal Albert Hall, and was a huge success, spawning a double live album and several TV documentaries. Ever since, they have remained a duo, so there has been no opportunity to discover whether Phil's solo career would have blossomed after a Top 10 single and this album, which briefly reached the UK chart in mid-1983. It remains the most successful project in commercial terms released by either of The Everly Brothers, and the intervening ten years has not dimmed it's excellence.
John Tobler, 1993
Remastered at Sound Recording Technology, Cambridge 1993
The copyright in this sound recording is owned by EMI Records Ltd.
Licensed from EMI Records Ltd.
(C) 1993 BGO Records
All rights of the manufacturer and of the owner of the recorded work reserved. Unauthorised public performance, broadcasting and copying of this compact disc prohibited.
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