Andrew Fairweather-Low (born 2 August 1946, Ystrad Mynach, Hengoed, Wales[2]) is a Welsh guitarist, songwriter and vocalist. He was a founding member of 1960s British pop band, Amen Corner,[3] and in recent years has toured extensively with Roger Waters, Eric Clapton and Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings.
Early career
Fairweather-Low first found fame as a founder member of the pop group Amen Corner in the late 1960s. They had four successive Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart, including the #1 single "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" in 1969.[4][5] The overnight success and Fairweather-Lowe's teen idol looks, as music journalist William Ruhlmann noted at Allmusic; "... put his attractive face on the bedroom walls of teenage girls all over Britain".[3]
The band split in two in 1970, with Fairweather-Low leading Dennis Byron (drums), Blue Weaver (organ), Clive Taylor (bass) and Neil Jones (guitar) into a new band, Fair Weather. The band scored a UK Singles Chart #6 hit with "Natural Sinner" in July 1970, although the outfit's only album, Beginning From An End, failed to chart.[6] After twelve months Fairweather-Low left to pursue a solo career, releasing five albums up to 1980 on A&M.[3] These spawned further single chart success with "Reggae Tune" (1974), and "Wide Eyed and Legless", a #6 Christmas time hit in 1975.[6]
In the late 1970s and 1980s he worked for numerous artists, doing mainly session work, generally as backing vocalist and/or guitarist on albums by Roy Wood, Leo Sayer, Albion Band, Gerry Rafferty, Helen Watson and Richard and Linda Thompson. In 1992 he started working for Eric Clapton (having earlier appeared in his band in the 1983 ARMS concerts for Ronnie Lane) and, while he has continued to do session work for various people, including Dave Edmunds, Fairweather-Low has spent most of his time since the early 1990s playing in Clapton's backing band, plus appearing on various albums and tours, including the 1999 Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris collaboration and notably Clapton's Unplugged concerts, as well as on From The Cradle.
In 1992, he played guitar on George Harrison's Live in Japan, along with the rest of Clapton's band,[3] and in 2002, he played several of the lead guitar parts for the Harrison tribute The Concert for George. He also played guitar and bass on Roger Waters' "In The Flesh" world tour from 1999-2002. In 2004 he appeared in the Stratpack concert, celebrating 50 years of the Fender Stratocaster.
With The Who and Pete Townshend
In 1978, Fairweather-Low sang backing vocals on the Who album Who Are You, specifically on the tracks "New Song", "Had Enough", "Guitar and Pen", "Love is Coming Down", and "Who Are You". After filling in on guitar during rehearsal for the Who's 1982 album It's Hard (Pete Townshend was in rehab), he ended up on the album itself, playing rhythm guitar on the song "It's Your Turn". Fairweather-Low later appeared on Townshend's 1993 album Psychoderelict and the accompanying concert tour.
With Roger Waters
Fairweather-Low has worked with Roger Waters since Waters' The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking tour of America in 1985. He contributed to two of Waters' albums – Radio KAOS in 1987 and Amused to Death in 1992. He also played guitar and bass on the 1999-2002 In the Flesh world tour and was playing on Waters' Dark Side of the Moon Live world tour in 2006[3] and 2007, but was not able to perform with him in 2008.[7] His role was picked up by session guitarist Chester Kamen.
With Joe Satriani
In 1995, Fairweather-Low played rhythm guitar on Joe Satriani's self-titled CD, along with Nathan East on bass and Manu Katché on drums.[8]
Work since 2000
Andy Fairweather-Low with Roger Waters in Ottawa; 6 June 2007
In 1999 and 2000 he played in Roger Waters' In the Flesh tour. Whilst in 2001, Fairweather-Low accompanied Eric Clapton on his world tour and is featured on the 2002 album One More Car, One More Rider, which also features accompaniment by Billy Preston, Steve Gadd, Nathan East and David Sancious.
In 2002 Fairweather-Low featured on From Clarksdale To Heaven - Remembering John Lee Hooker with, amongst others, Jeff Beck, Gary Brooker, Jack Bruce and Peter Green.
By 2005 he toured extensively with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings.[3] Some of the concerts were recorded for UK television, as part of their "50 Years Of Rock 'n' Roll" tribute. In April 2005 he played in the Gary Brooker Ensemble's charity concert at Guildford Cathedral, Surrey, in aid of the Tsunami Appeal.
In 2006 Fairweather-Low toured with Roger Waters once more, this time for the latter's The Dark Side of the Moon tour, and with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. In the same year Fairweather-Low toured with Chris Barber and the Big Chris Barber Band reprising many of his earlier hits, including "Gin House Blues" and "Worried Man Blues". Some of these performances form part of Barber's latest CD, Can't Stop Now, featuring new arrangements by Barber's staff-arranger and trombonist, Bob Hunt.
Also in 2006 Fairweather-Low released Sweet Soulful Music. It was his first solo album in twenty six years.
In 2007, he continued touring with Roger Waters' Dark Side of the Moon Tour. Later in 2007 he was on the road again with the Sweet Soulful Music tour, at venues such as the Stables in Wavendon, The Ferry in Glasgow and the Library Theatre, Darwen, Lancashire. Fairweather-Low also wrote "Hymn for My Soul" - the title track of Joe Cocker's 2007 album. Cocker's tour of 2007/08 bears the same title.
In May 2008 'Andy Fairweather Low & The Low Riders' started a UK tour, the Low Riders being Paul Beavis, Dave Bronze and Richard Dunn.
In 2009, Fairweather-Low joined Eric Clapton's band for a series of 11 concerts held at the London's Royal Albert Hall. He became part of Clapton's touring band with drummer Steve Gadd and keyboardist Tim Carmon throughout May 2009.[9]
Views and advocacy
Fairweather-Low is a supporter of the Countryside Alliance and has played concerts to raise funds for the organisation. [10]
Solo album discography
- Spider Jiving (1974)
- La Booga Rooga (1975)
- Be Bop 'N' Holla (1976)
- Andy Fairweather Low (1976)
- Mega Shebang (1980)
- Wide Eyed And Legless: The A&M Recordings (First three albums on a double CD release) (2004)
- Sweet Soulful Music (2006)
- Best of Andy Fairweather Low - Low Rider (2008)
- Live in Concert (DVD) 2008
References
External links
