Nick Heyward (born Nicholas Heyward, 20 May 1961, Beckenham, Kent[1]) is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known for his work in the New Wave band, Haircut 100.
Haircut 100
Heyward formed Haircut 100 in 1980, but they released just one official album with him, Pelican West (1982), which spawned a string of hit singles. In the middle of 1982 they began work on the second album. The band went into the recording studio and recorded the instrumentation to which Heyward would later record the vocals. It was at this time in his career that the first effects of what he was to later describe as a nervous breakdown began to take hold.[citation needed] Upon hearing the instrumentation for the second album, and putting some vocals down on it, he decided that he could not carry on within the band. He then quit to pursue a solo career in January 1983.[2] Haircut 100 recorded a third album without him in 1984, entitled Paint and Paint but broke up when it failed to repeat the success of their debut. The second album was leaked some years later as a bootleg entitled Half Baked.
Solo career
Likewise, in comparison with Haircut 100, Heyward's solo career has been modestly successful commercially, although several of his albums received positive reviews. Once on his own, Heyward's work lost much of Haircut 100's teen gloss; the music was still catchy, but the lyrics were more adult and introspective.[3]
Heyward's solo debut album from 1983, North of a Miracle, produced by Geoff Emerick, was a solid effort that won critical approval and sold well.[4] It also gave him his first solo hit, "Whistle Down the Wind".[5] "Warning Sign" was released in 1984 as a stand-alone single, and reached #25 in the UK Singles Chart.[5] Heyward's solo output in the 1980s did not have much commercial impact in the U.S.; however, his popularity — and pin-up appeal — in the UK was kept intact by North of a Miracle.[3] But it was temporary; 1986's Postcards from Home and 1988's I Love You Avenue did not grab listeners.[3] Indeed by 1988, he moved to Warner Bros. Records.[4] For the next four years, Heyward concentrated on his second career as a graphic artist, until returning in 1993 with a new album for Epic Records and tour dates alongside Squeeze.[4] Over the next two years, he toured regularly, particularly in the U.S., where he supported Belly, The Lemonheads, Mazzy Star and Therapy? (arguably the most unlikely coupling, given Heyward's reputation for gentle, pastoral songs).[4]
Heyward released From Monday to Sunday in 1993, which heralded a change to a more classic rock style.[3] The album yielded an American radio hit with "Kite" which reached #4 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.[3]
In 1995 Heyward released Tangled on the Epic label, which chimed with the Britpop zeitgeist, and provided him with his first UK Top 40 single in twelve years when "Rollerblade" reached #37 on the UK Singles Chart. After being 'discovered' by Alan McGee performing at an Ed Ball gig, The Apple Bed was released in 1998 on Creation Records.[4] However, his 1990s albums received little attention outside of his loyal fan base.[3] Creation released him from his recording contract in 1998.[3]
In 2005 Heyward appeared on week three of the 2005 reality TV programme, Hit Me, Baby, One More Time.
Heyward has released new music less frequently in recent years. Open Sesame Seed (2001), a collaboration with British actor/singer Greg Ellis, featured Ellis reading Heyward's poetry to the accompaniment of Heyward's musical backing.[3] An album of songs recorded with singer/actress India Dupre, The Mermaid and the Lighthouse Keeper, was released in 2006.[6]
Heyward's MySpace website regularly showcases his current songs, and an official website is now live.
Discography
Albums
Haircut 100
- 1981 - Live at the Rox, Southgate (November 1981 - bootleg recording)
- 01 - "Low Rider"
- 02 - "Baked Bean"
- 03 - "Love Plus One"
- 04 - "Love's Got Me in Triangles"
- 05 - "Milk Film"
- 06 - "Boat Party"
- 07 - "Lemon Firebrigade"
- 08 - "Favourite Shirts"
- 09 - "Kingsize"
- 10 - "Low Rider Jam"
- 11 - "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)" (reprise)
- 1982 - Pelican West UK #2[7]
- "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)"
- "Love Plus One"
- "Lemon Firebrigade"
- "Marine Boy"
- "Milk Film"
- "Kingsize (You're My Little Steam Whistle)"
- "Fantastic Day"
- "Baked Bean"
- "Snow Girl"
- "Love's Got Me in Triangles"
- "Surprise Me Again"
- "Calling Captain Autumn"
(above is the original album tracklisting - it was later released on CD with five extra tracks)
- 1983 - Half Baked
- "Brookfield Girl"
- "Haleys Heart"
- "I Believe in Sundays"
- "Sunny Boy Sunny Girl"
- "Club Boy at Sea"
- "Cheek to Cheek"
- "Maytime Moments"
- "Steambus Junction"
- "Blue Hat for a Blue Day"
- "Coming Home"
Solo
- 1983 - North of a Miracle
Highest UK Albums Chart placing: #10
Highest U.S. Chart placing: #178[8]
-
- 01 - "When It Started to Begin"
- 02 - "Blue Hat For A Blue Day"
- 03 - "Two Make It True"
- 04 - "On A Sunday"
- 05 - "Club Boy At Sea"
- 06 - "Whistle Down The Wind"
- 07 - "Take That Situation"
- 08 - "The Kick of Love"
- 09 - "The Day It Rained Forever"
- 10 - "Atlantic Monday"
- 11 - "Whistle Down The Wind" (instrumental reprise)
- 12 - "Take That Situation" (rhythm remix)
- 13 - "Cafe Canada"
- 14 - "Love At The Door"
- 15 - "Don't Get Me Wrong"
- 16 - "Stolen Tears"
- 17 - "When It Started To Begin" (re-recorded)
- 18 - "The Kick Of Love" (instrumental)
- 19 - "Laura"
- 1986 - Postcards from Home
- 01 - "Move It Up"
- 02 - "Over The Weekend"
- 03 - "Goodbye Yesterday"
- 04 - "Again In My Heart"
- 05 - "We've All Been Kissed"
- 06 - "Pray For A Miracle"
- 07 - "Now You've Gone"
- 08 - "Come on Baby Run"
- 09 - "Teach Til You Reach"
- 10 - "Cry Just A Little Bit"
- 1988 - I Love You Avenue
- 01 - "You're My World"
- 02 - "If That's The Way You Feel"
- 03 - "Traffic In Fleet Street"
- 04 - "Lie With You"
- 05 - "My Kind Of Wonderful"
- 06 - "I Love You Avenue"
- 07 - "Hold On (Money Don't Buy Love)"
- 08 - "Tell Me Why"
- 09 - "Pizza Tears"
- 10 - "This Is Love"
- 11 - "Change Of Heart"
- 12 - "August In The Morning"
- 1993 - From Monday to Sunday
- 01 - "He Doesn't Love You Like I Do"
- 02 - "Kite"
- 03 - "Into Your Life"
- 04 - "Caravan"
- 05 - "Ordinary People"
- 06 - "How Do You Live Without Sunshine"
- 07 - "January Man"
- 08 - "Mr Plain"
- 09 - "These Words"
- 10 - "All I Want To Know"
- 11 - "Diary"
- 12 - "Everytime"
- 1995 - Tangled
- 01 - "Kill Another Day"
- 02 - "Blinded"
- 03 - "Backdated"
- 04 - "She Says She Knows"
- 05 - "The World"
- 06 - "Carry On Loving"
- 07 - "I Love The Things You Know I Don't Know"
- 08 - "Can't Explain"
- 09 - "Believe In Me"
- 10 - "Rollerblade"
- 11 - "The Breadwinner"
- 12 - "London"
- 13 - "She's Another Girl"
- 14 - "1961"
- 1998 - The Apple Bed
- 01 - "Stars In Her Eyes"
- 02 - "In Every Place"
- 03 - "My Heavy Head"
- 04 - "The Chelsea Sky"
- 05 - "Just Like Sorrow"
- 06 - "Closer"
- 07 - "The Goodbye Man"
- 08 - "Reach Out For The Sun"
- 09 - "Today"
- 10 - "I Don't Really Know You"
- 11 - "Dear Miss Finland"
- 12 - "The Man You Used To Be"
- 13 - "3 Colours"
- 14 - "The Brightest Pearl"
- 15 - "A Beautiful Place"
[9]
- 1996 - The Greatest Hits of Nick Heyward & Haircut 100 (Camden)
- 2001 - Open Sesame Seed (with Greg Ellis)
- 2003 - The Very Best Of
- 2006 - The Mermaid & The Lighthouse Keeper (with India Dupre)
- 01 - "Indian Summer"
- 02 - "Lay The Blanket Down"
- 03 - "She"
- 04 - "Secret Garden"
- 05 - "14 Summers"
- 06 - "Other Side"
- 07 - "Please See Me"
- 08 - "Talk To Me"
- 09 - "Pure & Simple"
- 10 - "Santorini"
- 11 - "Truth Of Love"
- 12 - "Skies"
- 13 - "Virtue"
- 2009 - Favourite Songs (released 2 March 2009 - double album)
Singles
Haircut 100
- 1981 - "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)" UK #4
- 1982 - "Love Plus One" UK #3
- 1982 - "Fantastic Day" UK #9
- 1982 - "Nobody's Fool" UK #9
- 1983 - "Blue Hat for a Blue Dday" (this was released as a 12 inch test pressing with Haircut 100 on backing - very few copies exist)
[7]
Solo
- 1983 - "Whistle Down the Wind" UK #13; U.S. U.S. Contemporary #20[10]
- 1983 - "Take That Situation" UK #11
- 1983 - "Blue Hat for a Blue Day" UK #14
- 1983 - "On a Sunday" UK #52
- 1984 - "Love All Day" UK #31
- 1984 - "My Pure Lady" (Japanese only release on 7 inch)
- 1984 - "Warning Sign" UK #25
- 1984 - "Move It Up" (not released)
- 1985 - "Laura" UK #45
- 1985 - "Over the Weekend" (ballad version released only on 7 inch)
- 1986 - "Over the Weekend" UK #43
- 1986 - "Goodbye Yesterday"
- 1988 - "You're My World" UK #67
- 1989 - "Tell Me Why"
- 1993 - "He Doesn't Love You Like I Do" UK #58
- 1993 - "Kite" UK #44, U.S. Modern Rock #4[10]
- 1995 - "The World" UK #47
- 1996 - "Rollerblade" UK #37
- 1997 - "The Man I Used to Be"
- 1997 - "Today"
- 1998 - "Stars in Her Eyes"
[5]
See also
References
External links
