Sutherland Brothers -

The Sutherland Brothers were an English folk-rock duo from London that cut a pair of albums on Island in 1972, after which they merged with rustic-rockers Quiver for a run of five albums during the ensuing half-decade, switching to Columbia for the 1976/77 releases Slipstream and Down to Earth. The merged group initially featured bassist Bruce Thomas, who subsequently surfaced in Moonrider and ultimately scored a long-running gig in Elvis Costello‘s Attractions.

Members: Gavin Sutherland (guitar, vocals), Iain Sutherland (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Tim Renwick (guitar), Peter Wood (keyboards, 1973-75), John ‘Willie’ Wilson (drums), Bruce Thomas (bass, 1973-74)

Background

The Sutherland Brothers formed in London during 1970 when singer-guitarist-keyboardist Iain Sutherland and singer-guitarist Gavin Sutherland recast A New Generation as a two-man songwriting partnership.

Iain George Sutherland was born on November 17, 1948, in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and spent early childhood in Peterhead, where Gavin Maurice Sutherland was born on October 6, 1951.

George Sutherland worked in a local employment office and led the Melody Makers, a dance band in which he played violin and accordion. Gavin Sutherland received a first guitar at age ten, and both brothers chose music after they saw Liverpool beat groups during a family holiday on the Isle of Man. The Sutherland family moved to the English Midlands during the 1960s.

A New Generation gave the brothers an initial recording identity in 1968. Spark issued “Smokey Blue’s Away” backed with “She’s a Soldier Boy” in the UK on May 10, 1968. “Smokey Blue’s Away” adapted a theme from the second movement of Dvořák’s New World Symphony and listed Iain Sutherland with Chris Kemp.

The brothers later took factory jobs to finance a London move, then settled in West Kensington while Wayne Bardell sought a record contract for the duo. Muff Winwood heard a Sutherland demo at Island Records and booked audition time at Island’s Basing Street studio. Chris Blackwell heard the session and approved an Island deal.

The Sutherland Brothers Band

The Sutherland Brothers Band released their self-titled debut album in January 1972 on Island.

The album presents a compact mix of folk-rock and country-rock, performed by singer/guitarist Iain Sutherland, singer/guitarist Gavin Sutherland, bassist Kim Ludman, and drummer/percussionist Neil Hopwood. Iain Sutherland also plays piano and harmonica, while Gavin Sutherland adds steel guitar and percussion.

TSBB contains eleven originals: Iain Sutherland wrote “The Pie” and “I Was In Chains”; Gavin Sutherland wrote the remaining nine titles. “The Pie” glides on close two-part voices and trades the brother harmonies after the first verse. “I Was In Chains” climbs through a gradual build and keeps the vocal line close to the acoustic center.

A1. “The Pie” (4:15)
A2. “Sleeping Dog” (2:45)
A3. “Hallelujah” (3:35)
A4. “I Was In Chains” (2:35)
A5. “Medium Wave” (3:00)
A6. “Big Brother” (3:20)

B1. “Wars Of The Roses” (5:05)
B2. “Midnight Avenue” (3:15)
B3. “Sunny Street, W14” (2:45)
B4. “Where In the World” (4:30)
B5. “Long Long Day” (3:28)

Muff Winwood produced the sessions between the second and third Patto albums. The Sutherland Brothers Band features Barney Bubbles cover art, whose image places two illustrated profile portraits inside a circular leaf frame on a wood-grain field.

Island lifted “The Pie” as a January 1972 single (b/w “Long Long Day”), which reached No. 34 on the Kent Music Report. “Sailing” became the second single (b/w “Who’s Crying Now”) in July 1972. The Sutherland Brothers Band reached No. 35 on the Kent Music Report.

Lifeboat

The Sutherland Brothers released their second album, Lifeboat, in July 1972 on Island.

The album presents a folk-rock set built around the vocals and guitars of Iain Sutherland and Gavin Sutherland. Iain Sutherland adds harmonica, while Gavin Sutherland adds steel guitar and recorder. Lifeboat contains ten originals: Iain Sutherland wrote four titles, and Gavin Sutherland wrote six titles.

“Real Love” lingers around piano-led weight. “Sailing” drifts on harmonium, a low beat, and overdubbed voices, with a Celtic-tinged plainness in the original single version. “(I Don’t Want to Love You But) You Got Me Anyway” hardens the later Lifeboat sequence with full-band charge.

A1. “Lady Like You” (3:40) – I. Sutherland
A2. “Lifeboat” (2:55) – G. Sutherland
A3. “Where Do We Go Wrong” (3:45) – G. Sutherland
A4. “Ireland” (3:25) – I. Sutherland
A5. “All I Got Is You” (3:15) – I. Sutherland

B1. “Space Hymn” (3:30) – G. Sutherland
B2. “Change the Wind” (4:05) – G. Sutherland
B3. “Sailing” (2:29) – G. Sutherland
B4. “Love Is My Religion” (4:20) – I. Sutherland
B5. “Real Love” (4:45) – I. Sutherland

Muff Winwood produced the album. Lifeboat features Barney Bubbles cover design, whose image shows a small lifeboat in heavy water beside a larger vessel.

Island lifted “Lady Like You” as a November 1972 single (b/w “Annie”). In February 1973, Island issued “(I Don’t Wanna Love You But) You Got Me Anyway” as a Sutherland Brothers and Quiver single (b/w “Not Fade Away”) after the North American Lifeboat configuration. Lifeboat reached No. 77 on the Billboard 200 and No. 37 on the Kent Music Report.

Dream Kid

Sutherland Brothers and Quiver released their third album, Dream Kid, in 1973 on Island.

Dream Kid presents a guitar-led folk-rock and pop-rock set with close-voiced twin vocals, mid-tempo backbeats, and keyboard color, performed by singer/guitarists Iain Sutherland and Gavin Sutherland, bassist Bruce Thomas, drummer Willie Wilson, lead guitarist/vocalist Tim Renwick, and keyboardist Peter Wood. The album contains ten originals credited to Iain Sutherland, Gavin Sutherland, or both brothers.

“I Hear Thunder” leans into Renwick’s Quiver-hardened guitar and keeps the vocal line plain. “Seagull / Lonely Love” ebbs through pauses and lets the two fragments merge along a soft seam. “Rollin’ Away / Rocky Road / Saved by the Angel” glides through linked sections and keeps the voices smooth across the close.

A1. “You and Me” (4:20)
A2. “I Hear Thunder” (4:37)
A3. “Flying Down to Rio” (2:30)
A4. “Seagull / Lonely Love” (4:28)
A5. “Champion the Underdog” (4:16)

B1. “Bluesy World” (2:43)
B2. “Bad Loser” (2:05)
B3. “Dream Kid” (3:12)
B4. “Maker” (4:35)
B5. “Rollin’ Away / Rocky Road / Saved By the Angel” (5:55)

Muff Winwood produced the album with Richard Digby Smith as recording engineer and Bill Price as remix engineer. Dream Kid features cover art by Barney Bubbles.

In January 1974, Island lifted “Dream Kid” as a single (b/w “Don’t Mess Up”). Dream Kid placed on the Billboard 200 at No. 193 in the United States.

Beat of the Street

Sutherland Brothers and Quiver released their fourth album, Beat of the Street, in 1974 on Island.

The album blends folk-rock and pop-rock with a sharper street pulse, keyboard color, marimba accents, and ensemble choruses, performed by singer/guitarist Iain Sutherland, singer/bassist/percussionist Gavin Sutherland, drummer/percussionist Willie Wilson, lead guitarist/vocalist Tim Renwick, keyboardist/marimbist/percussionist Peter Wood, and guest bassist Terry “Tex” Comer. The album contains ten originals: Iain Sutherland wrote six titles, Gavin Sutherland wrote three titles and co-wrote “Hi Life Music” with Renwick.

“World in Action” charges through an overloaded opening and lifts into a doubled bridge. “Saviour in the Rain” centers Renwick’s guitar against a compact song line. “Annie” thickens the earlier single version and puts Renwick at the front.

A1. “World In Action” (3:25) – G. Sutherland
A2. “Saviour In the Rain” (4:00)
A3. “Devil, Are You Satisfied” (3:50)
A4. “Bone Dry” (4:05)
A5. “Beat of the Street” (3:53) – G. Sutherland

B1. “Laid Back In Anger” (3:20)
B2. “Hi Life Music” (3:03) – G. Sutherland, Renwick
B3. “Living In Love” (3:03)
B4. “Annie” (4:05)
B5. “Last Boy Over the Moon” (3:57) – G. Sutherland

Muff Winwood produced the album with Bill Price as engineer and mixdown engineer. Beat Of The Street appeared in a gatefold designed by Eckford/Stimpson with Keith Silver photography.

Island lifted “Saviour In The Rain” as an October 1974 single (b/w “Silver Sister”).

Reach for the Sky

Sutherland Brothers and Quiver released their fifth album, Reach For The Sky, in September 1975 on CBS in the UK and Columbia in the United States.

The album presents a pop-rock and country-tinged set with mid-tempo frames, steel-tinted accents, string-framed ballad material, and close harmony stacks, performed by singer/rhythm guitarist Iain Sutherland, singer/bassist Gavin Sutherland, lead guitarist Tim Renwick, and drummer Willie Wilson. David Gilmour adds pedal steel guitar on “Ain’t Too Proud.” Howard Albert adds organ on “Dr. Dancer,” and Mike Lewis arranges and conducts strings on “Moonlight Lady.” The album contains ten originals: Iain Sutherland wrote six titles, Gavin Sutherland wrote three titles, and the brothers co-wrote “Reach For The Sky.”

“When the Train Comes” barrels from a clipped opening riff through whistle effects and guitar breaks. “Arms of Mary” softens around an overdubbed finish and a wistful vocal line. “Something Special” centers a clear, easily carried tune. “Love on the Moon” coils around guitar breaks. “Ain’t Too Proud” harmonizes tightly around a faint pedal-steel color. “Dr. Dancer” chugs on a bassline with a ska-tinged beat. “Mad Trail” sprints through a funk-pressed close and a hard solo.

A1. “When the Train Comes” (4:00)
A2. “Dirty City” (3:35)
A3. “Arms of Mary” (2:40)
A4. “Something Special” (4:12)
A5. “Love On the Moon” (4:19) – G. Sutherland

B1. “Ain’t Too Proud” (3:20) – G. Sutherland
B2. “Dr. Dancer” (4:50) – G. Sutherland
B3. “Reach for the Sky” (3:22) – G. Sutherland, I. Sutherland
B4. “Moonlight Lady” (3:09)
B5. “Mad Trail” (3:57)

Sutherland Brothers and Quiver recorded the album at Morgan Studios in Willesden and CBS Studios on New Bond Street in London, with Howard Albert and Ron Albert as producers and Mike Ross-Trevor as engineer. Reach For The Sky appeared in a sleeve designed and illustrated by Rosław Szaybo.

CBS lifted “Ain’t Too Proud” as a November 1975 single (b/w “Mad Trail”). In February 1976, “Arms Of Mary” became the second single (b/w “We Get Along”) and reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 1 in Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands, and No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100. In July 1976, “When The Train Comes” followed as a single (b/w “Love On The Moon”). Reach For The Sky reached No. 26 on the UK Albums Chart, No. 31 on the Kent Music Report, and No. 195 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.

Slipstream

Sutherland Brothers and Quiver released their sixth album, Slipstream, in September 1976 on CBS in the UK and Columbia in the United States.

Slipstream presents a compact rock set with close harmony, guitar-led arrangements, keyboard shading, and added string and horn parts. The album features Iain Sutherland (vocals, guitar) and Gavin Sutherland (vocals, bass), drummer Willie Wilson, guitarist Tim Renwick, keyboardist Albhy Galuten, and percussionist Flaco Pedron. Mike Lewis arranged and conducted the string and horn parts. Slipstream contains twelve originals: Iain Sutherland wrote eight titles, Gavin Sutherland wrote three titles, and Tim Renwick wrote the instrumental “High Nights.”

“Slipstream” trims the album’s single-scale side to a compact title piece. “Love on the Side” slows into a soul-inclined line. “Secrets” braids close voices around the guitar of Renwick, whose instrumental “High Nights” closes the album.

A1. “Slipstream” (2:31)
A2. “Wild Love” (3:44)
A3. “Saturday Night” (2:28) – G. Sutherland
A4. “If I Could Have Your Loving” (3:28)
A5. “Love On the Side” (4:15)
A6. “Secrets” (3:08)

B1. “Dark Powers” (4:50)
B2. “Something’s Burning” (3:56) – G. Sutherland
B3. “Sweet Cousin” (3:00)
B4. “Midnight Rendezvous” (2:45) – G. Sutherland
B5. “The Prisoner” (4:08)
B6. “High Nights” (2:32) – Renwick

Howard Albert and Ron Albert produced the album, and Mike Ross engineered the sessions at CBS Studios on New Bond Street in London. Slipstream appeared in a sleeve designed by Rosław Szaybo, with back-cover photography by Gered Mankowitz.

CBS lifted “Secrets” as a November 1976 single, which reached No. 35 on the UK Singles Chart. “Wild Love” appeared as a 1976 single (b/w “High Nights”), followed by “If I Could Have Your Loving” as a February 1977 single (b/w “Midnight Rendezvous”). Slipstream reached No. 49 on the UK Albums Chart.

Down to Earth

Sutherland Brothers and Quiver released their seventh album, Down to Earth, in September 1977 on CBS.

Down To Earth presents a session-banded rock set with Iain Sutherland and Gavin Sutherland at the vocal center and Willie Wilson as the remaining Quiver member. The album features Iain Sutherland (vocals, guitar) and Gavin Sutherland (vocals, guitar), drummer Willie Wilson, bassists Andy Pyle and Rick Wills, keyboardist John “Rabbit” Bundrick, guitarists Mick Grabham, Ray Flacke, and Tim Renwick, and percussionists Brian Bennett and John Shearer. Iain Sutherland lone-wrote five titles.

“Ice in the Fire” fades in on piano, then rolls through a driving strum, twangy licks, barroom keys, harmonized chorus lines, and sustained leads across the final stretch. “Dark Ship” eases over twangy licks and a breezy C-major strum. Light piano and clipped taps sit under the vocal, then an angular harmonized chorus turns into a Leslie-treated refrain. “Harbour Lights” leans across a staccato fretline and two-chord passage, then opens into harmonized chorus lines, dual-vocal couplets, a picked solo with restrained runs, and an extended instrumental outro.

“Fun of the Farm” steps through a stately music-hall verse on bass-locked piano thumps, faint vibes/organ color, and hazy harmonized chorus lines. “Every Tear I Cry” bounces through an upbeat line. “Situations” accelerates through an uptempo band push. “Rock ’n Roll People” layers multi-tracked guitars under a wry lyric.

A1. “Ice In the Fire” (4:26)
A2. “Dark Ship” (5:37)
A3. “Harbour Light” (4:35) – G. Sutherland
A4. “Somebody’s Fool” (4:33)
A5. “Fun of the Farm” (5:01) – G. Sutherland

B1. “Every Tear I Cry” (4:20)
B2. “Situations” (4:18)
B3. “Oh Woman” (4:00) – G. Sutherland, I. Sutherland, Wilson
B4. “Rock ‘n’ Roll People” (4:00) – G. Sutherland, I. Sutherland
B5. “Where Lies Your Soul” (4:14) – G. Sutherland, I. Sutherland

Bruce Welch produced the UK album. Down To Earth appeared in a CBS sleeve designed by Rosław Szaybo, with artwork by J. Guttner, front photography by Chris Yates, and back photography by M. Nicholson. The cover shows a house above a dark cloud field beneath the album title and artist name.

CBS lifted “Ice In The Fire” as an August 1977 single (b/w “Where Lies Your Soul”). “Every Tear I Cry” became the second single in November 1977 (b/w “Rock ‘N’ Roll People”). In July 1978, “Somebody’s Fool” appeared as a single under the Sutherland Brothers name (b/w “Sailing”). A 1978 US Columbia issue revised the running order and added “One More Night With You,” “Sunbird,” and “When I Say I Love You (The Pie).” recorded in California.

When The Night Comes Down

The Sutherland Brothers released their eighth album, When The Night Comes Down, in September 1979 on CBS in the UK and Columbia in North America.

When The Night Comes Down presents a Los Angeles-cut set with Iain Sutherland and Gavin Sutherland restored to the duo name after the Quiver period. Personnel includes Iain Sutherland (vocals, guitar), Gavin Sutherland (vocals, guitar), drummer Mike Baird, bassist Bob Glaub, guitarist Ritchie Zito, percussionist Steve Foreman, saxophonist Jim Horn, keyboardist William D. Smith, and synthesizer player Steve Porcaro.

Producer Glen Spreen adds harmonium and harmonica, while the eleven originals comprise seven Iain Sutherland titles and four Gavin Sutherland titles. “Natural Thing” locks Zito’s lead guitar to the Sutherlands’ harmonies. “Have You Ever Been Hurt?” opens on bright harmonies. “Cruisin’” breezes through Jim Horn’s sax and close vocal blend.

A1. “Natural Thing” (3:28)
A2. “Have You Ever Been Hurt?” (3:39)
A3. “First Love” (3:47) – G. Sutherland
A4. “Easy Come, Easy Go” (3:35)
A5. “As Long as I’ve Got You” (3:16)
A6. “I’m Going Home” (3:25) – G. Sutherland

B1. “When the Night Comes Down” (3:53) – G. Sutherland
B2. “Dreams of You” (4:33)
B3. “Crusin'” (4:11)
B4. “On the Rocks” (3:56) – G. Sutherland
B5. “Crazy Town” (3:51)

The Sutherland Brothers recorded the album in Los Angeles with Glen Spreen as producer and arranger and Neil Brody as engineer. When The Night Comes Down appeared in a CBS sleeve with Tony Lane art direction. The cover shows Iain Sutherland and Gavin Sutherland behind a window, with one raised hand at the right side of the image.

CBS lifted “Easy Come, Easy Go” as a June 1979 single (b/w “On the Rocks”), which reached No. 50 on the UK Singles Chart. “As Long As I’ve Got You” followed as a July 1979 single (b/w “I’m Going Home”). “First Love” also saw single release (b/w “Crazy Town”).

Discography: