First complete anthology of late 60s recordings by highly-regarded Irish singer/ songwriter.
Includes his best-known song, the huge European hit 'Days Of Pearly Spencer', as well as more than a dozen tracks making their CD debut.
At the height of the protest singer boom that spawned the likes of Dylan and Donovan, Irish-born music industry heavyweight Phil Solomon received a demo tape from a young Ballymena-based singer/songwriter by the name of David McWilliams.
Sensing the possibilities, the entrepreneur added McWilliams to his Irish-based roster of acts (The Bachelors, The Dubliners, Van Morrison's Them, etc) and placed the youngster on his fledgling record label Major Minor.
Launched in a blaze of publicity in mid-1967, McWilliams coupled voguish songs about social deprivation with lighter, more romantic material, with producer and occasional Beatles/ Rolling Stones associate Mike Leander providing the striking string arrangements.
Success was immediate: three charting albums were released in the space of eight months, with 'Days Of Pearly Spencer' – a swirling, cinematic slice of psychedelic pop/folk – becoming a huge hit single across Europe.
However, that punishing schedule and a puzzling lack of financial reward saw a disillusioned McWilliams turn his back on the music industry in 1969, although he would return after a three-year sabbatical to resume his career elsewhere.
A 2-CD set, ‘Reaching For The Sun’ is the first-ever compete anthology of David's Major Minor recordings. It includes mono and stereo versions of his signature tune 'Days Of Pearly Spencer' alongside more than a dozen tracks making their CD debut, including 'Who Killed Ezra Brymay', only released at the time in America.
Track Listing:
DISC ONE
GOD AND COUNTRY
REDUNDANCY BLUES
THE SILENCE IS SHATTERED
HIROSHIMA
QUESTION OF IDENTITY
TIME OF TROUBLE
ECHO OF MY HEART
IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING
I'LL BE HOME
LEAVES THAT FALL
TWILIGHT
HEY SALLY SALLY
REACHING FOR THE SUN
SHEELO GONE SO LONG
MIDNIGHT SUN
PRETTY BIRD
DAYS OF PEARLY SPENCER
CAN I GET THERE BY CANDLELIGHT
FOR JOSEPHINE
HOW CAN I BE FREE
BROWN EYED GAL
MARLANA
FOR A LITTLE GIRL
LADY HELEN OF THE LAUGHING EYES
TIME WILL NOT WAIT
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH ME
THERE'S NO LOCK UPON MY DOOR
TOMORROW'S LIKE TODAY
1-16 The album Singing Songs By David McWilliams (UK Major Minor MMLP 2, June 1967, mono-only)
17-28 The album Vol. 2 (UK Major Minor SMLP 10, released October 1967)
DISC TWO
THREE O'CLOCK FLAMINGO STREET
HARLEM LADY
FOUR SEASONS
TURN HOMEWARD STRANGER
LETTER TO MY LOVE
CITY BLUES
REFLECTIONS
POVERTY STREET
AND I'M FREE
SEPTEMBER WINDS
YOUNG MAN'S DREAM
BORN TO RAMBLE
THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN
MR. SATISFIED
THE STRANGER
FOLLOW ME
OH MAMA ARE YOU MY FRIEND
I LOVE SUSIE IN THE SUMMER
WHO KILLED EZRA BRYMAY
FIORI NEL VENTO (Poverty Street, Italian language version)
CORRERAI, CORRERAI (Mr. Satisfied, Italian language version)
UN SASSO NEL CUORE (Intangible, Italian language recording)
LO STRANIERO (The Stranger, Italian language version)
HARLEM LADY (mono version)
DAYS OF PEARLY SPENCER (mono version)
1-12 The album Vol. 3 (UK Major Minor SMLP 11, released February 1968)
13-14 Single, UK Major Minor MM 561, released May 1968
15-16 Single, UK Major Minor MM 592, released January 1969
17-18 Single, UK Major Minor MM 616, released June 1969
19 Single, US Kapp K 929, released July 1968
20-21 Single, Italian CBS 3583, released June 1968 22-23 Single, Italian CBS 4087, released March 1969
24-25 Single, UK Major Minor MM 533, released October 1967
