Billy Sage "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" (Canassee Records, 19--?) (LP)

Sagebrush "Sagebrush" (Westwood Records, 1975) (LP)

Haydn St. James "All The Gold In California" (Horshoe Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Haydn St. James)

Santa Fe "Santa Fe" (Tank Records, 197--?) (LP) >

Sarah (Jory) "Sarah's Steel Line" (1980) (LP)

Sarah (Jory) "Sarah On Steel" (Sarah Records, 1984) (LP)

Sarah (Jory) "Cross Country" (Sarah Records, 1985) (LP)
The cover shows Ms. Jory posed near highway signs for London/Exeter... She's backed on this album by Al Cody (rhythm guitar), Colin Potts (drums), Alan Perchard (bass), lead guitars by Des Richards and Bob Howe, Paul Bale (keyboards), and Drew Taylor on fiddle. The repertoire includes country classics such as "Beneath Still Waters," "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain," "Crazy Arms" and "Rose Coloured Glasses" (with an adorable British re-spelling!) This was Jory's third album (with many more to follow...)

Pete Sayers "Pete Sayers' Grand Ole Opry Road Show's Gramaphone Record" (Transatlantic Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Ian Grant)
Picker-singer Pete Sayers spent several years in the late '60s and early '70s working for WSM-TV in Nashville, and following his return to London in December, 1971, he decided he wanted to help the UK up its game, countrywise. Sayers started the Cambridge-based Grand Ole Opry England, a combination music venue, recording studio and, eventually, a live band featuring him, along with fiddler Gerry Hale, along with mandolinist Anne Barraclough and Nick Barraclough on guitar, as well as banjo picker Stan Rahn, a North Carolina native who was in the band while stationed at the USAF military base at Middenhall. The repertoire on this album reflects the eclectic ethos Sayers set forth for his club, with a heavy dose of bluegrass, leavened by faux-cowboy oldies such as "I'm An Old Cowhand," hippie-dippie country rock ("You Ain't Going Nowhere"), classic rockabilly ("Great Balls Of Fire") and some original, Brit-centric tunes, such as "Pickin' And Grinnin' For The Beeb." I'm not sure how long the club or the band held together, but Sayers certainly had a grand, expansive vision.

Pete Sayers "Watermelon Summer" (Transatlantic Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Ian Grant & Pete Sayers)
As on the previous album, this is an admirably diverse disc, with deep roots in the twangses of yesteryear. The set includes covers of the gospel oldie, "Turn Your Radio On," as well as "Through The Bottom Of The Glass," "Fire On The Mountain" and the hapa haole Hawaiian classic, "Ukulele Lady," which had recently been revived by Arlo Guthrie around the time Sayers cut this record. The Barracloughs are both still on board, though their American banjo plunker Stan Rahn has moved on, to be replaced by bassist Allen Smith.

Pete Sayers "Bye Bye Tennessee" (Nashville International, 1978) (LP)

Pete Sayers "Bogalusa Gumbo" (Response Records, 1979) (LP)

Pete Sayers "Cy-Clone" (Country Roads, 19--?) (LP)

Clive Scott & The Skywegians "Best Of Country And Western" (Deacon Records, 1970) (LP)
A fun set of authentic-sounding Euro-British pub-country... Clive Scott was apparently an English expat who grew up in England and in Malaysia, and wound up marrying a Norwegian gal and moving to Norway. This band, which was made up of Clive Scott, his daughter Claudia Scott and a whole slew of Scandinavians, had been touring the UK for a couple of years by the time this album came out, and thus found a London label to record with. And it's pretty good. A strong, thumping beat, plenty of twang, good song selection (Johnny Cash, George Jones, Buck Owens) and a nice, upbeat vibe... Methinks this is an accurate reflection of what '60s country bands sounded like in the pubs -- pleasantly rough around the edges, but also played with confidence and authority. Recommended!

Ellie Scott "Look For Me" (Tank Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Sheriff)

Glen Scott "Recaptured" (SRT Productions, 1980) (LP)

Johnny Scott "Johnny Scott Entertains" (Ace Records, 1981) (LP)

Rod Secluna "Contrasts" (SRT Productions, 1980) (LP)
A mix of country and pop covers, with a definitely tilt towards the twang. Not a lot of info about Mr. Secluna, who was from the Kentish town of Gillingham, near Chatham ... This appears to have been his only album, although he was an active local performer in the Medway borough at least through the early 2000s. Here he covers artists as disparate as JJ Cale, Waylon Jennings, Elvis Presley, Marty Robbins and Jimmie Rodgers. No info on the musicians backing him, alas.

The Severn Valley Country Sound "Just For You" (Tank Records, 197--?) (LP)

Gerry Sharpe "Country Storme" (Tank Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Gerry Storme)

Gerry Sharpe "Can't Keep Taking (And Not Giving)" (Tank Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Gerry Storme)

Frank Sheen "Tribute To Johnny Cash: Frank Sheen Plays Smash Hits Cash Style" (MFP/Music For Pleasure Records, 1972) (LP)
Reissued a few times on various budget labels, this seems to have been the lone album from showband singer Frank Sheen, who may have been Irish, although I've only seen him described as a "UK artist." Both copies of this album that I've seen were too scuffed up to buy, so I don't know exactly how Cash-like he actually sounded, although the songs were definitely all recognizable, brand-name hits.

Peter Shelley "Girls And Places" (Magnet Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Gerry Kitchingham & Peter Shelley

Tony Sheridan "Tony Sheridan And The Elvis Presley TCB Band" (Cayman Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Barnes, Glen D. Hardin & Gordon Shyrock)
A latter-day rockabilly and blues-pop set from English rocker Tony Sheridan (1940-2013) famous as an almost, kinda-sorta Beatle, having led a skiffle-era rock band called Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers, which included John, Paul, George and erstwhile drummer Pete Best, circa 1960. (If you've heard the demo-ish Beatles rarity "My Bonnie," that was the Beat Brothers band.) What's of most interest to twangfans here, is the backing by the fabled TCB Band, which included superpicker guitarist James Burton, bassist Emory Gordy Jr., and Glen D. Hardin on keyboards, as well as drummer Ron Tutt, and Beatles confrere Klaus Voorman sitting in on bass. (The album cover bills them as Presley's old band, but country fans might be equally familiar with Burton, Gordy and Hardin as core members of the mid-1970s Emmylou Harris Hot Band...) The TCB crew did do for-hire, though they had worked as Sheridan's backing band circa 1978, both for the recording of this album and during a gig as the headliner at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany, a spot where Sheridan and the Fab Four had played in the early 'Sixties. Anyway, this album is pretty standard, nostalgia-laced retro rock'n'roll, all old rock tunes you'd recognize in an instant, played with finesse but not too smoothly... That Hot Band sound is familiar and comforting to many a listener, even if the repertoire isn't all that challenging or fresh. Worth a spin, but not all that country.

Dave Sheriff "...With Four Card Express" (Tank Records, 197--?) (LP)
The band, Four Card Express, also had an album of their own (see above)...

Dave Sheriff "I'll Be Alone Tonight" (Tank Records, 197--?) (LP)

Dave Sheriff "Fill My Hat With Silver" (Tank Records, 197--?) (LP)

Ben Sherman "Country Music Man" (Tank Records, 1978-?) (LP)

Shiloh "The Battle Of Shiloh Church" (Cambrian Records, 1979-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob McClure)

Shiloh "South Of The Border" (Cambrian Records, 19--?) (LP)

Shiloh "A New Brand" (Cambrian Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob McClure)

Shiloh "Fan Fare" (SRT Productions, 1980) (LP)

Brendan Shine "Country And Irish" (Play Records, 19--?) (LP)

Memphis Short "I'm Just Me -- Country Style" (Tank Records, 1978) (LP)

Memphis Short "Wheeler Dealer Man" (Tank Records, 1980) (LP)

Sidewinder "All Wound Up" (Tank Records, 19--?) (LP)

Silver Wings "Kentucky County" (County Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by D. Tompkins)
Twang music from Bedfordshire, by a band that included Ray Hine (lead guitar), Dave Nicholson (rhythm guitar), Jed Oatham (bass and pedal steel), Pete Scott (drums). The set is mostly covers of classic and contemporary hits, although one track, "Daddy Sing My Song," was written by Hine and Nicholson.

George C. Smith "The Country World Of George C. Smith" (Emerald Gem Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Tommy Scott)
A Liverpudlian who recorded his first album in 1973 under the pseudonym Georgie Cash, George C. Smith switched to his real(?) name a couple of years later and seems to have enjoyed a fair amount of success in Ireland and the UK, recording at least three albums over the next few years. He may have toured Canada as well, as this disc was also issued in Canada on the Broadland label. Though mostly cover songs, this spotlights some original material, including a reprise of "Cash Versus Cash," from his earlier album, and Smith's "Mother I Love You."

George C. Smith "Dreams And Schemes" (Decca Records, 1977) (LP)

George C. Smith "Sings Country Gems" (Jungle Records, 1980) (LP)

Martin Smith "You're That Part Of Me" (Look Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Whitely)
Starting out in talent shows and local cabarets, singer Martin Smith graduated to competing in "song contests" across England and Ireland... Winning several such contests between 1978-81, Smith recorded two albums in the UK before briefly trying his luck in Nashville. He's backed here by a bunch of UK twangsters -- Kevin Fryer (lead guitar), Gary Thistlethwaite (pedal steel), Kevin Thistlethwaite (guitar and mandolin), Norman Helm (bass), Pete Major (piano and synthesizer) and Dave Wilson on drums --on a set dominated by early 'Seventies cover songs, stuff like Rick Nelson's "Garden Party," "For The Good Times," "Me And Bobby McGee," "Okie From Muskogee," etc. The title track was an original song, though, co-written with Eric Leyland, with whom Smith would continue to collaborate -- his second album is almost half their own material. (It's worth noting that steel player Gary Thistlethwaite also did some other session work around this same time, notably on Canadian expatriate Gordie West's two UK albums...

Martin Smith "Meet Me Halfway" (Look Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Whitely)
This second album was recorded with a much larger band, though also with a lot of the same musicians as before... Of particular interest are the five original songs written or co-written by Eric Leyland, as well as one more called "Emptiness," which was just credited to Mike Smith. Curiously, there's also a cover of a UK-friendly tune ("Cup O' Tea") penned by an obscure Louisiana folkie, Harlan White, a contemporary of Guy Clark, whose lone album from 1976 is pretty darn obscure... Guess Martin Smith scored a copy, though!

Smokey & Sam "Age'in Romeo" (Hillside Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Smokey & Sam Sinclair)
Sam Sinclair and Smokey Sinclair were a husband-wife duo from Suffolk, England who recorded this indie album at a studio in Ipswich, mainly as a love-letter to each other, but also in tribute to the American roots music they clearly both revered... Neither was a particularly strong singer, but their backing band was pretty good, and this album is packed with original material (and several nice cover songs) including Smokey's affectionate homage to her hubby, the adorably mis-apostrophed "Age'in Romeo," which gives a wink and a nod to the foibles of middle-aged men. She wrote several songs on here, he adds a few as well. I don't know if the Sinclairs played at pubs, or what, but this is certainly a charming memento of the British country scene, back in the days of disco. Oh, and for those of you keeping track of steel guitarists, sideman Roger Peachy adds some nice licks on this disc.

Diane Solomon "The Diane Solomon Showcase" (Philips Records, 1974) (LP)

Diane Solomon "Live On Tour: Recorded At The 1981 Glen Campbell Tour" (Bulldog Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Howard Kruger, Chris Blake & David Chapman)
An American country singer who emigrated to the UK in the early 1970s, Diane Solomon became a popular folk and country singer, even landing her own TV show on the BBC. She recorded several albums, including this live set made when she joined Glen Campbell as part of his UK road show. This album was recorded on May 8, 1981 at the Cornwall Coliseum, with a compact backing band that provides non-nonsense backing for Solomon's songbird-pretty, but rather bland vocals, which are very much in the Anne Murray/Karen Carpenter Top Forty soft-pop tradition. The arrangements are underpinned by gentle, soothing keyboard fills, buoyed by some decent pedal steel, courtesy of Maurice Hipkiss, as well as a solid rhythm section, which keeps things moving along. Solomon was okay for the style, although you can see why she left the States to forge a career abroad: even for a transitional pop-culture era like 1981, this has a slightly fly-trapped-in-amber feel to it -- this kind of music was about three or four years out of date, which contributes to the record's lackluster feel. Still, fans of gooey post-countrypolitan pop may really enjoy this disc (as well as any of Solomon's other records) although outlaws and twangfans need not apply.

Sounds Country "Sounds Country" (SRS/Steenhuis Recording Studios, 1974) (LP)
These lads originally called themselves "The Southern Gentlemen," in reference to their origins in England's southern coast, near Canterbury, but as their press release rather glumly informs us, some guy left the band and took the name with him, so they opted for Sounds Country instead. The group consisted of Roger Baker (on bass), Ted Barrett (lead guitar), Gary Blackmore (rhythm guitar and lead vocals), and drummer Tim Relf on drums. Relf, who was a veteran of the early 1960s Kentish rock scene, having cycled through numerous blues and psych bands, and continued to gig with a number of rock and roots bands in years to come -- as far as I know, he was not directly related to rock musician Keith Relf, founding member and former lead singer of the legendary Yardbirds.

The Sounds Country Band "Breakthrough" (Dude Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by John Edmed)
Well, here's a twist: it turns out that in this case, it was the drummer leading the band, or at least keeping it together. Tim Relf was the only member left from the group's previous incarnation, though he lined up a bunch of folks to pitch in a few years later. In addition to Mr. Relf on drums, this lineup included bassist Paul Craswell, John Edmed (pedal steel), Trevor Hills (piano), Sheila Lesley (lead vocals), Brian Merralls (vocals and guitar), Mark Sherwood (vocals and lead guitar) and Gary Swinard on both electric and acoustic guitar. Several members took turns singing lead, and were involved in numerous other projects, in particular Paul Craswell, who worked in several different folk, country and bluegrass bands, later seems to have moved to Australia, along with the folk/roots band Treacle Line, which also included Dave Craswell (who I assume was his brother). Tim Relf and producer John Ehmed also backed Brighton-based country singer Bill Hurren on an earlier album for Dude Records recorded around this same time.

Southern Breeze "Reserved Just For You" (SRT Records, 1978) (LP)

New Southern Comfort "Some Of Ours And Some Of Theirs" (Look Records, 1976) (LP)

The Southern Eagle String Band "Old Timey Revival" (Folk Variety Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Weize & Juergen Feuss)
This band was, in fact, a UK duo -- Chris Comber and Mike Paris -- working through a set of old-timey tunes, many of American vintage. Not sure about Mr. Paris, but Comber lived in Bexleyheath, Kent, and while most of the record is just them as a duo, cowgirl legend Patsy Montana sings on one track, "Whisper Your Mother's Name." (Quite a coup!) The whole project was under the auspices of Richard Weize, who went on the found the ever-astounding Bear Family label a few years later in 1975, keeping the Folk Variety imprint handy for much of the '70s for newly-commissioned, folkier material.

The Southern Ramblers "Blue Grass Special" (Philips Records) (LP)

Southern Sunshine "Hillbilly Overdrive" (Tank Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Riddel)

Splinter "The Place I Love" (A & M Records/Dark Horse, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by George Harrison)
Sure, it's a bit of a stretch to add this spacey '70s rock record to our list of "country-rock" albums... But since it's basically sort of a secret George Harrison solo album, and since we all dig George's love affair with rockabilly and twang, it's worth checking out, both for the country stuff, and the Beatles-y pop. On paper, the British band Splinter was the Newcastle-based pop duo of Bill Elliott and Bobby Purvis, though Harrison was a heavy presence on their first album, playing numerous instruments, singing harmony and definitively shaping the album's sound. In short, if you like Harrison's early solo stuff, or the Badfinger albums, you oughta love this as well. George plays lead guitar, 12-string, dobro, mandolin and Moog, impishly disguising himself under a variety of easily-cracked pseudonyms ("Hari Georgeson", "Jai Raj Harisein," etc.) This was the first record released by Harrison's Dark Horse label, and the sessions included several powerhouse players drawn from the post-Beatles crew -- Klaus Voorman, Billy Preston, Gary Wright and the like. Several songs, such as "Somebody's City" and "China Light," have a powerfully Harrison-ian feel, with the keening, sensitive vocal style, and the song "Costafine Town" was a successful pop single in the UK. The twangier tunes include the acoustic-oriented "Drink All Day," which showcases some sweet dobro licks courtesy of Mr. Georgeson... This disc was not a huge commercial success, but it is a lovely album, with haunting melodies and a very recognizable sound. Definitely worth a spin!

The Spey Valley Trio "Whispering Hope" (Grampian Records, 1975-?) (LP)
This band was formed by highlands country guitarist Frank Coutts after his longtime musical partner Willie Sutherland passed away in 1973. The new group included Frank Coutts on rhythm guitar, Brian Henderson on lead guitar, drummer John Hunter, lead singer Mike Spence, and steel player Chic Ralph, who was a veteran of several local rock and country bands. According to the Scotsbeat blog, Frank Coutts was a butcher by trade, and had also played with in a band led by Nat Fraser and with a country group called The Renegades. He was in the early stages of throat cancer when he recorded the Spey Side Trio albums, and later relied on a singer named David Davidson as his frontman in the early 1980s. Mr. Coutts died young, at age 48, although I'm not sure of the exact year.

The Spey Valley Trio "Sing Me Back Home" (Grampian Records, 1975) (LP)

Springfield "Great Guns" (Look Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Whiteley)

Stampede "Stampede" (SRT Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Ted Taylor)

Stan & The Rustlers "Branded" (Ellie Jay Records, 19--?) (LP)
Is it just me, or is this cover art a little bit sexist? So hard to tell. This semi-anonymous country band recorded on a custom label in Coventry, UK and comes shrouded in slightly more mystery than usual. Not all the bandmembers are identified by name: the lineup includes "Big Ron" (lead guitar), Kermit Keith (percussion), Hallo Rivers (keyboards) and lead singer "Stan The Man," and since the repertoire is (mostly?) cover songs, no songwriter credits help pierce the veil. It's probable that Stan was actually erotic photographer Nicholas Staveley Stanley (MBE), who is credited with the "design concept" and photography. (If so, he seems to be the same Nick Stanley who helped popularize go-cart racing in the Coventry area... further research may be needed.) No release date, either, alas.

Pete Stanley & Roger Knowles "Banjo Bounce" (Transatlantic Records, 1973) (LP)

Pete Stanley & Roger Knowles "Picking And Singing" (Transatlantic Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Ritchie Gold)
A dazzlingly good bluegrass'n'old-timey set from British banjoist Pete Stanley and guitar picker Roger Knowles... This is really quite good -- an excellent repertoire, performed with vigor and conviction. There's a bluesy folk feel to many tracks that reminded me of Norman Blake... And indeed, they cover Norman Blake's "Last Train From Poor Valley," along with tunes by Charlie Poole, Red River Dave, J. E. Mainer, John Prine and the Osborne Brothers... An unusual album for the Transatlantic label, but a good one!

Pete Stanley & Brian Golbey "When The Dealing Is Done" (Waterfront Records, 1979) (LP)

The Star Accordion Band "Country Favourites" (Igus Records, 1984-?) (LP)
(Produced by J. Carmichael)
The Scottish bothy equivalent of an easy-listening instrumental album... Although billed as "all stars," the musicians on this album were not credited. The repertoire is legitimately country -- brief medleys of country classics such as "Crystal Chandeliers," "Green Green Grass Of Home," "Hey Good Looking," "Jamabalaya," "Country Roads," "Little Old Wine Drinker Me," et.al. You get the idea. But it's all filtered through a cookie-cutter accordion dance band sound; not unlike the many "old time" polka albums from the Great Lakes region and Canada that cover similar territory.

Ringo Starr "Beaucoups Of Blues" (Apple Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Pete Drake)
On his second solo album, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr indulged his love of country music, a predilection towards twang which ran back to his winning rendition of the Buck Owens classic, "Act Naturally," as well as two songs he wrote himself, "What Goes On" and "Don't Pass Me By." With veteran pedal steel player Pete Drake acting as the album's producer, Ringo helmed a quick Nashville session that included tons of top talent, pickers such as Charlie Daniels, Jerry Reed, Ben Keith, Jerry Kennedy and Dave Kirby, as well as a teenage Jeannie Kendall singing a duet on "I Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way." That was one of several songs written by Chuck Howard; off-the-radar songsmiths Sorrells Pickard and Buzz Rabin also contributed material, giving this album a fresher flavor than if Ringo had gone in for a bunch of country cover tunes (this in contrast to his first album, which was a reverential set of jazz-pop standards...)

Freddie Steady's Wild Country "Lucky 7" (Heartland Records, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Goodman, Wes McGhee & Jim Yanaway)
A joyful though uneven record, with Austin-based roots rebel Freddie Steady (ne Fred Krc) plowing through a generally uptempo set of twang, super-white, slick-sounding soul/blues and a few power-pop tunes. He's backed almost entirely by Brits and British expats, with a lineup that includes Fred Krc ("rhymes with search") on drums, washboard and lead vocals, joined by B.J. Cole on lap and pedal steel, John Gordon (bass), Bob Loveday (fiddle), Wes McGhee (bass, guitar and piano), Rory McLeod (harmonica), and Geraint Watkins on accordion and piano... The country stuff is the richest and most resonant, although they seem to be pretty into all of it... Right on the edge of the "Americana" scene, this sounds sort of like Dave Edmunds or Rockpile, I suppose, just not as powerful or propulsive. But still definitely worth a spin, particularly for the twang. (Also released in America, on the Amazing Records label.)

Stealin' Corn "Lonely Street" (Tank Records, 1976-?) (LP)

Stan Stennett "With A Touch Of Country And Western" (Cambrian Records, 1970) (LP)

Stan Stennett "Sings Country And All That Jazz" (Line Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Ian MacKay & John Milner)

Dane Stevens "For A Rainy Day" (Tank Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Young & Dane Stevens)
A 'Sixties rocker from Colchester, Essex, Dane Stevens moved through a variety of bands including a rockabilly band named The Deepbeats and a stint with a '70s Welsh rock group called Dealer. In the early 'Seventies Stevens got into country music, recording his first set of twangtunes for Tank Records in the mid-'70s. He stuck with country and has recorded several more albums since this one.

Scott Stevens "Dreamin' Country" (Klub Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Calum Malcolm & Nat Sanderson)

Stu Stevens "Returning Your Call" (Granite Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Miki Dallon)
An odd yet strangely alluring album of wayyyyy over the top countrypolitan ballads sung by British baritone Stu Stevens (1937-2016), a singer from Nottingham, England who first recorded in 1969 on Columbia in the UK, then made appearances on Lonnie Donegan's TV show. In the early 'Seventies he made a push into the American market, appearing on the Grand Ole Opry and cutting this album for Cliffie Stone's label in LA. The lyrics are majestically pretentious, matched by the sweeping, swooping, kookily baroque arrangements, courtesy of arranger Tom Parker, who also is credited on a few of the songs themselves. Stevens really throws himself into it, with robust bellows and a vocal tone that reminds us of croaky crooners such as Dave Dudley and Hank Snow, sung in a grandiose, post-Glen Campbellian style that weds Nashville Sound loftiness to West Coast experimentalism. I struggled through this record the first time 'round, and then it really grew on me. If you savor 'Seventies pop-country kitsch, you're gonna want to check this one out.

Dave Sterling "Putting In Overtime At Home" (Tank Records, 1977) (LP)

Gary Stevens "My Type Of Country" (Tank Records, 197--?) (LP)

Stu Stevens & Sons "Together Again" (Eagle Records, 1977) (LP)

Stu Stevens "The Loner: Stories In Song, v.2" (Eagle Records, 1977) (LP)

Dougie Stevenson "Steel On My Mind" (Country House Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Sydney Devine & Bill Garden)
A solo set by Scottish pedal steel player Doug (Dougie) Stevenson, who anchored country star Sydney Divine's band throughout the 1970s, and did a considerable amount of session work on the side. The musicians on this album include guitarist Duncan Findlay, Bill Garden (keyboards), Alan Gregory (drums) and a guest appearance from Shoji Tabuchi, a Japanese-born fiddler who moved to America and was a regular on the Branson-area mini-opry scene... The songs are mainly covers of pretty standard American country hits, including a version of Mickey Newberry's dreadful "American Trilogy" medley, though there may be one original, a track called "Steel Bar Brew," which seems to be unique to this album. Worth noting: Findlay and Stevenson seem to have worked together as studio session musicians on several other projects; they also were both later in a Christian country-rock band called the New Life Singers, which was based in Northern Ireland.

Dougie Stevenson "Scottish Steel Guitar Chillout Album" (BSG Productions/Scotdisc Records, 2018) (LP)
Amazingly, this was only his second solo album, with Stevenson applying his steel skills to traditional Celtic material, sentimental songs, and some more modern stuff such as the theme to the Outlander TV show.

Gerry Storme "Country Storme" (Tank Records, 197--?) (LP)

The Stringdusters "The Stringdusters" (Country Music Recordings, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Alan Green)
A Welsh band, apparently. The group was comprised of Lawrence Ashley on bass, Dave Howard (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Richie Galvin (drums) and Alan Willey on lead guitar... The repertoire was mostly (if not all) cover songs...

Stringband "Legacy" (Look Records, 1981) (LP)

Stringband "By Request" (Yellow Rose Records, 1987) (LP)

John L. Sullivan "Tear Time" (Mint Julep Records) (LP)

Suffolk Punch "Bartender Blues" (1979) (LP)
(Produced by Barry Dye)

John L. Sullivan "Tear Time" (Mint Julep Records) (LP)

The Sundown Band "All Alone Together" (Folk Heritage Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Alan Green)

The Sundowners "Homespun Country, Volume One" (Hillside Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Allison & Dave Allison)
Not to be confused with the Chicago-based old coot cowboy band, this English country group from Suffolk is fascinating in more ways than one. Bandleader Jock "Slim" Albins is credited with forming the first country band in Ipswich, and kept it together for decades -- this particular incarnation features his son Tony Albins on lead guitar, and a variety of singers, including a gal identified only as "Carol (sadly no last name was given) who sings with a charmingly English accent layered into the American-style twang, reminding me a bit of Maddy Prior. They also had a guy named Raj playing drums, so they were an integrated group as well. The repertoire is all covers of American country hits, well-chosen and earnestly delivered, though if the truth be told neither the performances or the production values will blow you away. But if you want to hear a totally charming, totally earnest set of British country enthusiasts singing their little hearts out, this is a nice record to check out.

The Sundowners "Homespun Country, Volume Two" (Hillside Records, 1975-?) (LP)
And, yes, they made a Volume Two...!

Anne Sutherland "Country Girl" (Grampian Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Johnson)

Willie Sutherland & Frank Coutts "Thinking Of You" (Grampian Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by James W. Johnson)

Willie Sutherland & Frank Coutts "Count Your Blessings" (Grampian Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Johnson)

Willie Sutherland & Frank Coutts "In Country Mood" (Grampian Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Johnson)

Willie Sutherland "Memories" (Grampian Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Johnson)

Hick Music Index