Al Wade "...Sings Country Style" (SRT Records, 197-?) (LP)

Hank Wangford - see artist discography

Roy Warhurst "Country Feelin' " (Hit Records, 1972) (LP)

Bert Weedon "...Remembers Jim Reeves" (Contour Records, 19--?) (LP)
A tribute album made up of guitar instrumental versions of old Jim Reeves hits... The Contour label was apparently a UK subsidiary of the American budget label, Pickwick Records, and it seems likely these tracks may have been released in the States as well.

Wells Fargo "Scarred And Grey" (Tank Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Norman Stagles & Wells Fargo)

Wells Fargo "Who's Buying?" (Tank Records, 1979) (LP)

Wells Fargo "Pushin' Time" (Tank Records, 1979-?) (LP)
(Produced by Norman Stagles & Wells Fargo)

Houston Wells & The Marksmen "Western Style" (Parlaphone Records, 19--?) (LP)

Tracy Wells "Country Roads" (Outlet Records, 197-?) (LP)
On her debut album, this Irish gal from Carrickfergus does not come off as a very convincing country singer, although the barebones, pop-inflected backing does sound like a very authentic pub band, so it's a tradeoff. Most of her material draws on "girl singers" such as Skeeter Davis, Loretta Lynn, Connie Smith and Jean Shepard, and the material is all country covers, mostly Top 40 hits such as "D.I.V.O.R.C.E.," "Once A Day," "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad," along with classics like "Jambalaya," "Second Fiddle" and "A Church, A Courtroom Then Goodbye," as well as older ballads like "Banks Of The Ohio." And of course there's an inevitable rendition of John Denver's "Country Roads," as well as a version of "Paper Roses," which presumably takes its cue from the big Marie Osmond hit, placing this album's release around 1974 or thereabouts. Despite what some twangfans might consider an iffy start, Wells had a pretty good career, recording numerous albums before quitting the business in the '80s. She later moved to the United States, where she started to record again and also became interested in Southern Gospel.

Tracy Wells "Other Side Of The Morning" (Ross Records, 1982) (LP)

Dave West & The Cripple Creek "The Country Sound Of Dave West & The Cripple Creek" (Map Records, 197-?) (LP)

Dodie West "Walk Through This World" (Decca-UK, 1976-?) (LP)

Gordie West "Alberta Bound" (Westwood Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Gordon Davies)
Although Calgary native Gordie West was a Canadian, his first two albums deserve including here since they were both recorded and released in the UK, with backing by a number of British country enthusiasts -- Stewart Barnes (lead guitar), Billy Bennett (rhythm guitar), Steve Hughes (bass), Gary Thtlewaite (bass and steel guitar) and Slim Pickins (dobro and steel), with Gordie West singing and playing acoustic. A youthful singer with an affinity for older country material, West was no novice when he cut these albums: he'd been singing and playing in local bands since the early 1960s, but didn't take it seriously until around 1974, when he quit his day job as a power plant engineer, and started touring across Canada and the UK, including a lot of lounge and pub shows. While his voice wasn't very powerful or varied, he had an appealing presence, and though there's a lot of western and regional material (including three separate songs with "Alberta" in the title) there's also a modern flair with a little hint of rock'n'roll in the mix that positions West as an improbably bridge between old and new, between Hank Snow, say, and someone like Corb Lund... with perhaps a whiff of Slim Whitman in the mix as well. Some of this is fun, some of it's a bit thin... maybe best in small doses?

Gordie West "Love And Dreams" (Westwood Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Gordon Davies)
This second album on Westwood features mostly the same set of UK pickers... I guess Gordie West only made two albums, both for the Westwood label, although he continued to play shows for decades back in Canada -- most notably at the Calgary Stampede. Eventually he formed The Gordie West Band with bassist Mike Dygert and a floating number of additional musicians.

Jim West & The Texans "If I'd Left It Up To You" (Gemini Records, 1971-?) (LP)
Billing themselves as an "East Anglian country band," this British combo featured lead vocals by the aptly-named Jim West, a relatively prolific composer who added several original tunes to the British country canon on each of his albums. This disc includes three originals by Jim West, "Man In The Shadows," "Quarter Past Blues Time" and "You're Mine Pretty Girl All Mine," while producer Tony Palmer contributes one called "The Light In The Sky." Palmer was a regionally-based based in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk who worked with a variety of local artist, including Mr. Vest, who recorded on his labels for several years, including an early single or two. This album features a different lineup than on the second album, with Jim West on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, Terry Aspinall (bass), Philip Joiner (lead guitar), Philip Seargent (drums), and pedal steel player Gerry Thain... It's not clear if the gals pictured on the front cover were also in the band, although there were two women credited on the next album, and I would guess that it's the same singers on both records. [Note: Although this disc had a higher catalog number than the Wild Country LP below, it's listed on the back cover of that disc as being the band's first album.]

Jim West & The Texans "Wild Country" (Gemini Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by B. Anthony Palmer)
Billing themselves as an "East Anglian country band," this British combo featured lead vocals by the aptly-named Jim West, who also contributed a trio of original songs -- "Let Me Love Again," "There Are Times," and "The Thorns On The Vine Can Be Cruel" -- which are augmented by two from their group's lead guitarist, Jim Williams, "Tupelo, Mississippi" and "There Goes A Fool." The rest of the band included Mike Crowe (bass), Terry Packham (pedal steel) and Phil Sargeant (drums), with backing vocals by Norma Cathrow and Barbara Maezey, who may have also sang with other local bands in the late 'Sixties. Most of the repertoire was made up of crowd-pleasing American country hits -- stuff like "Break My Mind," "Sing Me Back Home," "Crystal Chandeliers," and the like, but the wealth of original material is certainly worth noting. The band had also released at least one earlier single for Tony Palmer's City Music label, though these may have been their only two full albums.

West Virginia Country Band "Fresh Tracks" (Rox Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Kenny Johnson)
A pretty straightforward English pop-country band from Kirby, Merseyside, just east of Liverpool. The group included Mike Brown on lead guitar, Bobby Donegan (drums), Kenny Johnson (rhythm guitar), Eric Lloyd (pedal steel), Colin Sayers (keyboards), Arthur Thornhill (bass), and Keith Thornhill on rhythm guitar. Along with producer-songwriter Kenny Johnson, the Thornhills seem to have been the guiding force behind the band -- Keith Thornhill was West Virginia's lead singer, while his brother Arthur sang lead on a particularly chirpy rendition of "Margaritaville." This is a very indie-sounding set, with thin production and not a lot of instrumental oomph, though to be fair some of that may be due to the production style of the time. More than half the album is made up of an eclectic selection of American country songs, including two from Whitey Shafer, one from Larry Gatlin, and a surprisingly engaging cover of the schmaltzy Marty Robbins chestnut, "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife." The album also showcases several originals, including three songs which seem to have been co-written by Kenny Johnson (though only credited to his last name): "Charleston West Virginia," "Losing Your Love," and "Today," which is really more of a soft-pop number, with several stronger, catchier tunes rounding out the album on Side Two. Not immediately electrifying, but these guys won me over.

The Western Echos "Four In The Morning" (Avenue Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Gordon Smith)
I guess I'd file these country-lovin' Brits under "well meaning..." Although objectively the overall impact of this album is underwhelming, they clearly had a strong appreciation for authentic country music, both in their choice of repertoire (Louvin Brothers, Ray Price, Webb Pierce) and in their simple, back-to-basics approach, with spare arrangements centered around Ken Pierce's steel guitar and some sweet licks on bandleader Roy Mullins' mandolin. There are several contending influences at play -- straight-ahead old-school honkytonk, tempered by a bluegrass-ish flair, particularly on the Jim & Jesse-influenced mandolin riffs, and a western-folkie strand as well. Where they fall flat is both on the vocals and on the overall delivery -- you can really hear them trying to hit their marks, and it sounds very effortful, in that we-only-have-a-little-bit-of-studio-time way that sometimes impacts these indie albums. Okay, so they sounded a little stiff, but so what? I guess there's no way to know how much looser they were live (or even how frequently they played) but perhaps one can read between the lines on the damned-by-faint-praise liner notes from British country critic Bryan Chalker, who goes out of his way to underscore that he hasn't even listened to the record, and had only seen the band play once, noting their "rough edges," as well as their rugged spontaneity. Harsh. On three tracks, they bring in a ringer, vocalist Pete Sayers, who has a smooth, folkie tone, and closes the album with a version of "Hobo's Lullaby." On balance, though, I'd say this is worth checking out, at least if you're into the more obscure threads of where country music crept into the English musical landscape.

The Westerners "Just Us" (Westwood Recordings, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Dusty Gordon & David Whitely)
One of several UK groups sporting the Westerners monicker... This group was a showcase for steel guitar player Bill Edwards, with backing by guitar pickers Pete Jones and Ron Jones, as well as drummer Steve Thomas.

The Westerners "Steel Appeal" (Westwood Recordings, 1975) (LP)

The Westerners & Will Conrad "Following Country" (DTS Records, 1974) (LP)
This was a different group than the one above, backing instead lead singer Will Conrad. These Westerners included Pete Wright (rhythm guitar), Trevor Baker (lead guitar), Graham Wright (drums), and Pete Harpin on bass, with Hughie Joe guesting on banjo. This was recorded at the Dave Tewes' DTS studios, in Kent.

The Tom Weston Four "Branded" (Tank Records, 1977) (LP)

Paul Wheater "Mirror Of A Man" (Mortonsound Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Ted Taylor & Chester)

Paul Wheater "Mirror Of A Man" (SRT Productions, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ted Taylor & Chester)

Cliff Whelan "Country Boy" (Sweet Folk & Country Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Alan Green)

Cliff Whelan "Hangin On" (I + B Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Basil Hendricks & Tony Campbell)

Nancy Whiskey "A Double Whiskey" (Nancy Whiskey Records, 1976) (LP)
Perhaps not as "country" as we might fancy, but still worth noting here. Nancy Whisky was a folksinger from Scotland who started performing in London in the late 1950s, during the pre-Beatles skiffle boom... Eventually she opened her own club, The Princess Louise, which became a hotbed of UK roots and twang. She's backed here by Fred Pay (piano), Bob Kelly (piano), Adrian Burns (guitar), Sid Sheward (bass) and Derek Bush (drums)

Freddie White "Freddie White" (Mulligan Music, 1979) (LP)

Don Whitfield "The Don Whitfield Country Sound" (Country Music Recordings, 1974) (LP)

The Wichita Linemen (UK) "The Wichita Linemen" (Hillside, 1975) (LP)
This appears to be an English country band that had the same idea for a bandname as the guys who were actually from Wichita... A little confusing, sure, but the world's a crazy place!

The Wichita Linemen (UK) "Lightning Bar" (Hillside Records, 1977) (LP)

The Wild Bunch "Almost There" (Westwood Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Dusty Gordon & David Whiteley)

The Wild Bunch "Please Be With Me" (Sweet Folk And Country Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Dusty Gordon & David Whiteley)

Wild Honey "Sweet Country" (Country House Records) (LP)

John Wildwood "Good Old Country Music" (Tank Records, 197--?) (LP)

William Wasp "William Wasp" (Folklore Heritage/Country Music Recordings, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Alan Green)
A bluegrass/old-timey trio from Worthing, Sussex, UK... It's perhaps worth noting -- before the alphabetization police show up -- that "William Wasp" is the band name, with the trio comprised of Bob Britton (guitar), Harry Smith (banjo) and Bob Pett (mandolin).

Alan Williams "The Country Side Of Me" (Tank Records, 197--?) (LP)

Alan Williams "Mixed Feelin' " (Tank Records, 197--?) (LP)

Alan Williams "Lonesome Leavin' Blues" (Tank Records, 197--?) (LP)

Roy Williams Trinity "A Touch Of Class" (Hillside Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Allison & Roy Williams)

Ann Williamson "Country Evergreens" (Decca/Emerald Gem Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by John Anderson & George Doherty)
The first solo album from singer Ann Williamson, a gal who I think was from Northern Ireland, but who built her career working in Scotland and the north of England. She was discovered by former skiffle star Lonnie Donnegan and worked in his band for a while, later joining various showbands led by The Alexander Brothers, Calum Kennedy and Andy Stewart; she was also a featured performer on Stewart's early 'Seventies TV program, Scotch Corner, and toured North America with Stewart's troupe. This country-themed album is a bit anodyne, with early-career Anne Murray as an obvious touchpoint. Williamson had a nice, pleasantly crystalline voice, though not a lot of individuality or innate charisma comes through on these slightly antiseptic recordings. Additionally, the producers had odd takes on the material... As promised, the repertoire was largely country classics, stuff like "Room Full Of Roses," "Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On," "Dear John Letter," "I Can't Stop Loving You," etc. but the arrangements have a curious tone, with the late-'Seventies studio crew injecting mild hints of contemporary rock and funk (sort of) in a way that may have been meant to approximate the poppy fusions going on in Nashville, but feels a bit alien to the music, rather than a genuine synthesis of styles. It's not a harsh or glaring contrast, nothing actively unpleasant, but it doesn't quite gel. Also, her phrasing is a bit rigid, most notably on a version of "Bonaparte's Retreat," an old fiddle tune originally based on a light, lilting bounce, but here a bit paint-by-the-numbers and inert. Williamson really leans into a syrupy version of "How Great Thou Art," perhaps foreshadowing a later side hustle singing Christian music; she also reverted to performing the sort of tamed, touristy Celtic-themed pop she started out singing with Andy Stewart, et.al., and recorded quite a few albums over the years,

Ann Williamson "More Evergreens" (Decca/Emerald Gem Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by John Anderson & George Doherty)
Though still predominantly filled with country material, this also includes several mainstream pop songs, stuff like "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" and "Blueberry Hill," alongside "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain," "Heaertaches By The Number," "Release Me" and whatnot. There are also several gospel oldies, again, presaging her side career as a Christian artist.

Ann Williamson "More Evergreens" (Mint Julep Records, 198-?) (LP)
(Produced by John Anderson & George Doherty)
This was pretty much a straight country record, with a more contemporary orientation... She kicks things off with a version of Crystal Gayle's "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," and also covers "Heaven's Just A Sin Away." There's still room in there for oldies by Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and the Everly Brothers, though. No date on the disc, or info about the backing band. Oh. well.

Tex Withers "Sings Country Style" (Avenue Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Alan Cady & Mel Gordon)
An English country singer who performed throughout the 1960s and '70s, Alan "Tex" Withers (1933-1986) had a pretty sketchy biography, due in no small part to his own self-mythologizing. He was apparently a Londoner, born and bred, but Withers insisted that he had been born in the United States, and that his parents had abandoned him because of his physical abnormalities... Withers was a "little person" who stood about 4'6" and had a hunched back, he suffered from tuberculosis and eventually lost his voice due to a throat infection. He also had a really good voice, and once he threw himself into performing, he became one of the UK's best-known country singers. Withers even made it to Nashville, where he performed as a guest on the Grand Ole Opry, and recorded this album with a Music City studio crew. After losing his voice, his career collapsed, as did his fortunes -- Withers died in his mid-fifties, bankrupt and in poor health, although well-remembered for his flamboyant career and highly-regarded recordings.

Tex Withers "The Grand Ole Opry's Newest Star" (1973) (LP)

Tex Withers "Blue Ribbon Country" (Arran Records, 197-?) (LP)

Tex Withers "Tex Withers" (RCA Victor, 1976) (LP)

Tex Withers "Feelin' Country" (Top Spin Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Basil Hendricks)

Wychwood "Early Sunday" (DTS Records, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Tewes & Trevor Thomas)
A country covers band from Kent, England, with a lineup including Glen Baulch (bass), Jeff Eatwell (steel guitar), Vic Kimber (drums), Roger Manning (piano), Dave Thomas (guitar), and Trevor Thomas (lead vocals and guitar). The repertoire is heavy on well-known big players -- Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, with faves like "Crystal Chandeliers," John D. Loudermilk's "Break My Mind," and "King Of The Road," along with a few mildly unexpected entries from the likes of Neil Diamond and Elton John. I'm not sure how long this band was together, or how many of the bandmembers worked else where, though their steel player -- as Geoff Eatwell -- played on several albums by several different band, including a long stint with the group Plain Loco.

Stacey Wylde "Heaven From Now On" (Look Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by David Whitely)
Hailing from Stoke-On-Trent, in the north of England near Manchester, singer Stacey Wylde started her musical career at age eleven and had been in show business off and on for much of the 1950s and '60s before finding herself drawn into the country music twangosphere. According to the liner notes, it was a conversation in 1969 with British country star Stu Stevens that turned her towards twang, a move that was cemented several years later when she formed her own band, Blazing Saddles, and cut her first country single, in 1975. Along the way she played in northern cabaret spots such as the Batley Variety Club, Nottingham's Heart Of The Midlands, and Talk Of The North, in Manchester. This was Wylde's first album, and is notable for several original songs credited to Ms. Wylde, including the title track, along with "Bring Me Fun," "Did You Know He Left Me," "For Now I Know You're Mine," "Nashville," and "Since She Took You Off My Hands." As on many UK albums of this era, the liner notes neglect to inform us who was backing her, whether it was her band, or studio pickers, etc.

Stacey Wylde "A Legend In My Time" (SRT Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Stacey Wylde)
A fine set of country covers from English country gal Stacey Wylde, who veers between a resolutely rootsy approach on Side One, and grander, schmaltzier, more countrypolitan pop arrangements on Side Two. (I wouldn't recommend her heavily orchestrated renditions of the Skeeter Davis oldie, "End Of The World" or Don Gibson's "Legend In My Time," though her jaunty attacks on songs like "Jambalaya" and "Blanket On The Ground" are kinda fun.) Ms. Wylde leans heavily into a faux American hillbilly drawl, but has a nice set of pipes; better the exaggerated twang than the bombastic belting of her pop mode. The liner notes proclaim her "Britain's top female country singer," though I'm not sure what metrics were involved in that determination. In contrast to her earlier album, this is all cover material, with no originals... There's also mention of her having made a trip to Nashville, where she spent several month and recorded an album -- this one, I guess? -- though the specific details are vague, and no musician credits are included, alas. She seems to have released at least one more record, a CD called By Request, though I don't have all the details about that one; not even sure if it's a country album.

Hick Music Index