Howard Werth -

Howard Werth is an English singer, guitarist, and songwriter who made four albums with the folk-psych band Audience. He reemerged in 1975 with the Charisma album King Brilliant, produced by Gus Dudgeon with assorted players informally dubbed “The Moonbeams.” In 1978, Werth cut the standalone single “Obsolete” for the L.A. new wave label Dangerhouse. His final release, 6 of 1 and Half a Dozen of the Other, appeared in 1982 on the self-run Metabop Records.

Background

Howard Alexander Werth was born March 26, 1947, at Mother’s Hospital in Clapton, East London. He developed an early interest in American rock ’n’ roll, then absorbed jazz and R&B in his teens.

Werth studied art in the early 1960s and secured design work at Pye Records, where he prepared record sleeves for The Kinks and Sandie Shaw. He moved into work for IPC magazines near the end of the decade yet maintained a parallel career as a guitarist on the London club circuit.

Lloyd Alexander Real Estate

In late 1963, Werth teamed with tenor saxophonist Steve Lloyd Reeves in the Lloyd Alexander Blues Band, named after their middle names. By late 1966, the pair joined singer Billy Cox and members of Walthamstow group the Blue Dukes in an expanded soul/R&B lineup. Hammond organist Tony Crisp and drummer Dave O’Brien came from the Blue Dukes, while Bruce Evans occupied the bass position. Lloyd Alexander played the Upper Cut in Forest Gate and the Flamingo in Soho from early 1967, then worked a circuit of clubs and ballrooms across southern England.

In August 1967, Evans and Reeves cleared out for bassist Trevor Williams and tenor saxophonist Keith Gemmell. The reconfigured band became Lloyd Alexander Real Estate, which appeared on President Records with the October 1967 single “Gonna Live Again” (b/w “What’cha Gonna Do (When Your Baby Leaves You)”), their sole release. Real Estate continued through the following year and played their final show in 1969 at Club La Bamba in Tunbridge Wells.

Audience

In early 1969, Werth regrouped with Gemmell and Williams in Audience, a psychedelic folk-rock quartet with drummer Tony Connor. Audience soon gained a residency at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho and signed with Polydor for their debut album. They also scored cues for Bronco Bullfrog, a 1969 teen drama by director Barney Platts-Mills.

Audience moved to the fledgling Charisma label for their 1970–72 albums Friend’s Friend’s Friend, The House on the Hill, and Lunch. Werth served as chief songwriter and developed an amplified nylon-string guitar setup as a central part of their sound. They folded after a 1972 tour with Rory Gallagher.

Solo

Werth remained under contract to Charisma and began work with Elton John producer Gus Dudgeon. The first sessions produced “Lucinda” and “Fading Star” with musicians from Kokomo plus Elton guitarist Davey Johnstone. While Werth developed the album, the surviving Doors approached him about replacing Jim Morrison in a proposed reunion. Werth rehearsed with the group in England, but Ray Manzarek abandoned the plan and Werth resumed the Dudgeon sessions.

Charisma issued “Lucinda” in February 1974 (b/w “Jonah”) under Werth’s name. Dudgeon continued the album with guitarist Bob Weston (Ashkan, Fleetwood Mac), pianist Mike Moran, bassist Fred Gandy, and Hookfoot drummer Roger Pope as the principal studio lineup. Werth completed King Brilliant after roughly two years of work with Dudgeon and secured American release through Elton John’s Rocket Records.

Discography: