Harvey Andrews -

Harvey Andrews is an English singer-songwriter from Birmingham who released the album Places & Faces on Decca in 1970, followed by the 1972/73 albums Writer of Songs and Friends of Mine on Cube Records. In 1976, he returned with Someday on Transatlantic Records. Between 1980 and 1987, he released three albums on self-press Beeswing Records. His songs have been recorded by Mary Hopkin, Mary Little, Hedgehog Pie, and the Angelic Upstarts.

Background

He was born Harvey John Andrews on May 7, 1943, in Stechford, Birmingham, England. He sang in a church choir as a boy and developed an interest in American folk music at college. Andrews qualified as a teacher in 1964 and supported his early music activity through teaching.

Andrews gave his first public performance on October 28, 1964, at Macdonalds Folk Club in Birmingham. He also appeared at the Ian Campbell Folk Group’s Jug o’ Punch in the city. Andrews recorded five original songs on vocals and guitar for the May 1965 Transatlantic anthology Second Wave at Pye Studios in London, with Nathan Joseph as producer. The Ian Campbell Folk Group recorded his “Death Come Easy” for Contemporary Campbells.

In June 1966, he recorded the four-song Harvey Andrews EP for Transatlantic with guitarist Martin Carthy. Birmingham City pools-office manager David Exhall also commissioned Andrews to write songs for St Andrew’s, which resulted in “Good Old Brummagem” and “Home and Away.” Birmingham City played both recordings over the ground loudspeakers, and Andrews released the songs on a club-sponsored Transatlantic single.

Andrews also performed with singer Chris Rohmann on the Birmingham folk circuit. The pair established the Broadside Folk Club at the Crown on Station Street. On February 13, 1967, they began the weekly Broadside Broadsheet for club members. The Ian Campbell Folk Group recorded another Andrews composition, “On the M1,” for the 1968 album The Circle Game.

Andrews recorded for Decca Nova in 1970 with producer Ioan Allen on the sessions that became his first solo LP, Places & Faces.

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