ARTIST: The John Wright Band
TITLE: Other Roads
LABEL: Fellside Recordings
GENRE: Folk
SOURCE: CD
BITRATE: 183 kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 59:09
RELEASE DATE: 1997-00-00
RIP DATE: 2008-06-30
Track List
----------
1. Naked To The Eyes 3:43
2. What's The Use Of Wings 4:31
3. Winds Of Freedom 4:38
4. Ghost Of The Chair 6:32
5. All The Answers 4:44
6. The Snows Of France And Holland 5:22
7. Keep Your Distance 3:33
8. What You Do With What You've 3:36
Got
9. Weakness In Me 5:02
10. Bigg Market Lasses, Queen of 5:44
all Argyll, Keep It Up
11. Angels Flying Too Close To The 3:52
Ground
12. All Used Up 3:21
13. Family 4:31
Release Notes:
Some new bands create a small buzz, others come and go, largely unnoticed. The
advent of the John Wright Band is a big buzz ... and getting bigger all the
time. By the time that you read this article you might even have seen them
perform locally since they are currently touring the length and breadth of this
country. Do you know any new groups who are presently turning down folk
festivals big and small? It's not just the amount of work that the group has -
which is huge - but their other commitments too. Fiddler Stewart is in demand
for solo activities such as teaching at Folkworks fiddle schools in his home
patch of Newcastle and when John has to tend the sheep there is little doubt
where his priorities lie! John is a freelance shepherd. So if it's lambing time,
then the music has to stop.
The last gig of the original John Wright Band was 10 February in Holland, and
Kenny, John, and Joe are no longer playing together. Kenny and John are touring
with new bands, John with a new JWB and Kenny with Real Time (with Judy Dinning
and Joe Wright).
Initially the band consisted of John (vocals), Kenny Speirs (guitar/vocal) and
Wattie Robson (fiddle). They quickly consolidated their reputation as a "class
act". At the end of 1995 Wattie left to pursue a solo career. In 1996 Kenny and
John produced the first "John Wright Band" album "The Things We've Handed Down",
which featured Wattie on fiddle. Almost immediately following the CD's release
they were joined by Stewart Hardy from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.
Kenny and John were joined for the last few months by Joe Wright (no relation) a
young fiddle player from Norfolk, after Stewart moved on.
To mark the occasion of the band splitting, they have released "John Wright Band
Live". This is a live CD, recorded at various concerts in the UK and Europe. The
CD marks the early collaboration between Kenny and John and features tracks such
as Never Be The Sun, Queen of all Argyll, Winds of Freedom, Lock-Keeper, Angel
Flying To Close To The Ground, and Kenny's lovely version of Broom o' the
Cowdenknowes.
New CD's are also in the pipe line from both John and Kenny.
Stewart, who left the band recently, will concentrate mainly on teaching, some
session work and in time, will be performing at some concerts.