This is a resolutely incomplete, non-definitive guide to British (and Irish) country music, or at least the small sliver of it visible to me, here in the distant American colonies. There have been an awful lot of UK (and Irish) twangbands, dating back many decades, and many remain quite obscure, even on the isles. But I will keep banging away and tracking down as many artists as I can find. As always, any helpful comments, corrections and suggestions are welcome.
This page covers the Letter "O"
Des O'Connor "Sing A Favourite Country Song" (Pye Records, 1972) (LP)
Dessie O'Flaherty "Country Time" (Emerald Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by George Doherty)
I'm just gonna take a wild stab at this and guess that Mr. O'Flaherty was from Ireland... And, indeed, he was a member of Dublin's fabled Miami Showband, a long-lived group which frequently toured in Northern Ireland, and was caught up in the "Troubles" of the 1970s era. O'Flaherty joined the group in 1975, after a horrific event known as the Miami Showband Massacre, in which a Unionist paramilitary hit squad ambushed their tour bus and murdered several bandmembers, then tried to frame it on the IRA... The group re-formed, with O'Flaherty as a new vocalist, and he also apparently made a stab at a solo career, as this country set shows. It's a cheerful set of songs, mostly covers of amiable American tunes, stuff like "Sneaky Snake," "Ravishing Ruby" and "Rainy Day Woman." Dunno if he did any other stuff on his own, though he remained a Miami Showband member until 1981...
Oily Rags "Oily Rags" (RCA/Signature, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Chas Hodges & Dave Peacock)
Funky roots music, UK style. Oily Rags featured bassist Dave Peacock and pianist Chas Hodges, who later recorded as the duo of Chas & Dave -- Hodges had previously been in the English rock band Heads Hands & Feet, with hotshot guitarist Albert Lee. (This album's opening track, "Come Up And See Me Anytime," resurfaced on Lee's 1979 album, Hiding, a nod towards his old pals...) This is a fun, bluesy, laid-back set, mixing original songs with tasty cover tunes such as "Time To Kill" by the Band, Lee Dorsey's "Holy Cow," Kris Kristofferson's "Jody And The Kid," and even the English music hall oldie, "Boiled Beef And Carrots," an anti-vegetarian anthem proclaiming the virtues of a traditional working-class diet. This entry hinted at the direction Chas & Dave would take with their funky, relaxed "rockney" style of pub rock blues, mixing Cockney humor with an American rural vibe. Before the Heads Hands band broke up in 1973, Hodges and other members had backed countrybilly legend Jerry Lee Lewis on a UK session, and Jerry Lee's signature sound often creeps into his piano style, as well as some richly authentic country touches... These guys really "got" American roots music, and played it to perfection, crafting a first album that was both subtle and stunning. Highly recommended!
One-Time Syncopated Codpiece "...Once More With Feeling" (John Hassell Recordings, 1971) (LP)
Kooky, spaced-out, acoustic freak folk nuttiness from Leeds, UK. Kind of like the unplanned love child of The Mamas & Papas and The Fugs... if, you know, entire bands could kanoodle together and produce one single child. Anyway, this album isn't really country, per se (not by a longshot) but I do love weird old stuff from the 'Seventies... Also, I wanted to pose this question: what is it about the letter "O" that inspires so many bizarre band names? Seriously. I'm asking.
Orange Blossom Sound "Bluegrass And Orange Blossoms" (Epic Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Johnston & Roger Churchyard)
An eclectic British quartet who came to the attention of agent Mervyn Conn, one of the organizers of the Wembley music festival, who booked them at Wembley and at big concerts in London and elsewhere. Producer Bob Johnston caught one of their shows and got them into the studio, the result being this album, a pretty solid mix of progressive bluegrass, country and folk. The band consisted of fiddler/bandleader Roger Churchyard, Charlie Gaisford on banjo and guitar, Michael Artes on bass and lead guitar by Ian McCann. Some of their vocal arrangements seem left over from a Kingston Trio-type folk era, while many songs have a distinctly John Hartford-ish feel. These guys were pretty good, though I think this was the only record they made.
Orange Blossom Sound "The Exciting Orange Blossom Sound" (Hallmark Records, 1969) (LP)
This album came out on the British wing of the Pickwick Records cheapo-label empire, presumably right after the Capitol album above, though I suppose either one could have been recorded first. Same lineup, though there's only one song in common, "Orange Blossom Special, " of course. The band had been doing live performances on various BBC programs, as well as playing concerts, and still included fiddler Roger Churchyard, though at some point he left the band to pursue work as a session musician and later released a solo album along with his wife Judi Churchyard, billing themselves as Roger & Judi. The rest of the band soldiered on, but I'm not sure what other work the individual members did beyond Orange Blossom Sound.
Orange Blossom (Sound) "Keep On Pushing" (Westwood Recordings, 1974) (LP)
Shortening their name to simply "Orange Blossom," Artes, Gaisford and McCann well... kept on pushing, and recorded one more album, bringing in Andrew Townend as their new fourth member, playing both fiddle and mandolin. The music branches out a bit from their bluegrass roots, but still sits firmly in the acoustic stringband terrain.
