John Howard profile picture

John Howard

New Album "Barefoot With Angels" Due January 21st!

About Me


In the mid-'70s, I was signed to CBS Records and recorded three albums, (now referred to rather epically as 'The Kid Trilogy'). My debut set, Kid In A Big World, first released in 1975, was produced by Tony Meehan at Abbey Road and by Paul Phillips at Apple Studios.
It was reissued by RPM Records at the end of 2003 after being unavailable, apart from the occasional rare vinyl shop, for many years. The reissue got a five-star review in Uncut Magazine, and they made the album one of their Top 20 Best Reissues Of 2004. In April that year, I returned to the stage after a 25 year lay-off, with a show at the Jermyn Street Theatre, London. It got a five-star review in The Guardian.
This led to RPM releasing my other '70s material, the albums Technicolour Biography and Can You Hear Me OK?, which had never been released before. The latter featured the two singles I recorded with Trevor Horn producing in '78/'79.
Through the early part of the '80s I continued to record with people like Chris Rainbow, Nicky Graham and Steve Levine, releasing my last single, aptly titled Nothing More To Say But Goodbye, in 1984. I then moved into A & R, where I worked with artists like Elkie Brooks, Maria Friedman, Hazell Dean, Madness and the legendary and rather wonderful Crickets and apart from making the occasional (unreleased) recording with friends, as far as I was concerned my own career as a recording artist was well and truly over.
I retired from the music business in 2000, fully expecting to get a part-time job in a second-hand bookshop or something, relaxing into a life in the country. However, due to the revived interest in my music through the RPM reissues I have, much to my surprise and joy, started writing, recording and gigging again. I feel 19 years old again, only realising the truth whenever I look in the mirror.
So, a creative period is upon me once more. My first new album, The Dangerous Hours, cowritten with poet/lyricist Rob Cochrane, came out in July '05 on Bad Pressings, and received four-star reviews in The Guardian and Uncut. Followed by As I Was Saying, which was the first new album of my words and music for over thirty years, on Cherry Red Records in November '05, which also got lovely write-ups, the reviewer in Plan B magazine naming it his Album of 2005. It even prompted Chris Roberts to write in his review of the album in Uncut, "He's a British Jimmy Webb", which, as a huge fan of Jimmy's since I was a teenager, made my year!
The most recent release, Same Bed, Different Dreams was first issued in France on Euro-visions Records in May '06. It received really encouraging write-ups in the French music press, including one in the influential Les Inrocks mag where Celine Remy wrote: "A genuine hidden treasure of eccentric pop. Of a time when Elton John preferred writing to shopping." And now in 2007, available internationally through Cargo Records, Same Bed has received four star reviews from Snaz Music and Musicomh.
All my albums are also now available on iTunes.
Click here to find John on iTunes: ..

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 2/4/2006
Band Website: kidinabigworld.co.uk
Band Members: iTunes link to all John's Albums and E.P.'s: ..

KID IN A BIG WORLD (RPM 271) (John's debut album recorded 1974 and released in 1975, reissued by RPM in 2003 with added bonus tracks including previously unreleased demos, a rare B side and an alternative mix of Goodbye Suzie)

TECHNICOLOUR BIOGRAPHY (RPM 282) (the planned follow-up to Kid In A Big World, never completed or released, until RPM's 2004 CD release, with added bonus cuts including alternative versions of Kid In A Big World, Family Man and Goodbye Suzie plus the theme song from the 1975 Peter Fonda movie 'Open Season')

CAN YOU HEAR ME OK? (RPM 293) (the completed follow-up to Kid In A Big World, planned for February 1976 release but not issued until 2005 by RPM, includes John's 1976 single 'I Got My Lady' plus the Trevor Horn-produced 1978/79 singles, and a 1975 video clip of John performing 'I Got My Lady')

Record Label Weblink for the three RPM albums:
www.cherryred.co.uk/rpm/artists/johnhoward.htm

AS I WAS SAYING (CDBRED 293) (released by Cherry Red in 2005, this was John's first album release for thirty years featuring his words and music, with Andre Barreau on guitar and Phil King on bass) www.cherryred.co.uk/cherryred/artists/johnhoward.php

THE DANGEROUS HOURS (BP 1001) (released by Bad Pressings in 2005, this was John's first collaboration with poet/lyricist Robert Cochrane) www.cargorecords.co.uk/release_zoom.php?item=1148

SAME BED, DIFFERENT DREAMS (euro 009) (released in France by Eurovisions in 2006, then by Cargo internationally in 2007, John began work on this album in early '04, but completion was delayed till early '06, also features bonus cuts of outtakes from As I Was Saying and The Dangerous Hours) www.cargorecords.co.uk/release_zoom.php?item=3659

THERE ARE ALSO TWO OTHER JOHN HOWARD ALBUMS WHICH ARE NOT COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE BUT CAN BE PURCHASED FROM JOHN'S WEBSITE:

A DIFFERENT ROOM - THE ELECTRONIC YEARS (kid 1002) (a collection of demos, singles and rarities recorded 1977-1990, many previously unavailable)

THE PROS AND CONS OF PASSION (kid 1001) (recorded in 1996 but never released, though three tracks from the album are now available as an iTunes exclusive E.P., "Walk On The Wild Side") www.kidinabigworld.co.uk/discography.html

During 2007 I will be recording and releasing a series of E.P.s as iTunes Exclusives. Here are those currently available from iTunes:

Walk On The Wild Side/Angels, Punks and Raging Queens/Walk On The Wild Side (Miles' Mix) Cat. No. icons 001

My Beautiful Days/Echoes Of A Better Time/My Beautiful Days (live version) Cat. No. beautiful 1

The Bewlay Brothers/Suzanne/(Talk To Me Of) Mendocino Cat. No. icons 002

iTunes Link: ..
AND DUE FOR RELEASE JANUARY 21ST 2008:
BAREFOOT WITH ANGELS (HPR 009) Brand new album, 12 new songs, released on CD in January 2008 on Hanky Panky Records, you can pre-order the album on Amazon by going to www.amazon.co.uk/Barefoot-Angels-John-Howard/dp/B000W01H6O/r ef=sr_1_6

HERE ARE SOME QUOTES FROM PRESS REVIEWS FOR JOHN´S ALBUMS:

"Same Bed is in many parts a wiser grandparent to Kid In A Big World...On this very fine album there are 16 tracks that have their own agenda, they are sung by a man who has had a life and wants you to share in that world, are you ready for the challenge?"
TONY BARTOLO, SNAZ MUSIC ****Review of 'Same Bed, Different Dreams'

"His pristine velvet tones startlingly unfettered by the years...the writing (is) now laced with the kind of tragicomic poignancy and arch wisdom only decades in the sidleines can command....Dear Glitterheart and The Time of Day are heartbreaking classics of elegant balladeering in anyone's book."
DICKON EDWARDS, PLAN B MAGAZINE, Review of 'As I Was Saying'

"Thirty years on, he still sounds astonishing - a man making up for lost time with enviable panache...the intervening decades have done nothing to blunt the edge on Howard's songs"
ALEXIS PETRIDIS, THE GUARDIAN **** Friday Review of 'The Dangerous Hours'

"It's terrific - all end-of-the-affair gloom, undercut by effete pragmatism...Howard's end? Hardly."
MAX BELL, UNCUT ****Review of 'Can You Hear Me OK?'

"Stripped of band and orchestrations, the writing shines through. Howard's thrilling voice soars on the Nilsson-like Hall of Mirrors"
STEVE RIPPON, RECORD COLLECTOR ****Review of 'Technicolour Biography'

"Kid In A Big World is a magnificent collection of rococo balladry and florid vignettes from a singer-songwriter who might have rivalled Elton or Bowie..."
PAUL LESTER, UNCUT *****
Influences: I've written a blog which details how the following artists and others affected and influenced my songwriting, which you might want to peruse. Oddly enough the blog is called My Influences. But, in brief, here are those who I guess influenced me the most:

The Beatles, Brian Wilson, Jimmy Webb, George Martin, Laura Nyro, David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Jim Croce, Roy Harper, Burt Bacharach, Bob Dylan, The Everly Brothers, Joni Mitchell, Noel Coward, Lerner and Loewe, Leonard Cohen, Scott Walker, Ray Davies, Joe Meek, Jacques Brel, Gilbert O'Sullivan ('70/'71 period), The Ronettes, Tony Meehan, The Incredible String Band, Stephen Sondheim, Terry Riley, Kenny Everett, Harry Nilsson, The Turtles, Judy Garland, Roxy Music, Edvard Grieg, Jean Genet, Edith Piaf, Marvin Gaye, Dylan Thomas, Samuel Barber, Sonny & Cher ('65/'66 period), Mamas & Papas, Dusty Springfield, Roy Orbison, Phil Spector, Cole Porter

Sounds Like: Currently, the Top 10 John Howard Tracks Downloaded From iTunes are:
1. Goodbye Suzie
2. The Bewlay Brothers
3. My Beautiful Days
4. Walk On The Wild Side
5. Gone Away
6. Suzanne
7. Echoes Of A Better Time
8. Kid In A Big World
9. (Talk To Me Of) Mendocino
10. The Flame

And the Top 3 JH Albums Downloaded from iTunes are:
1. Kid In A Big World
2. In The Room Upstairs
3. Barefoot With Angels
To check on the whole list of JH tracks on iTunes go to:
..


The wonderful Cherry Red Records now have a Download Shop, and you can find two of my albums on there. The link to the Shop is:

secure1.mppglobal.com/ishop/202/ProductListing.aspx?do=s& ;n=artist&ues=true&pt=MusicTrack%2cMusicAlbum&f= John+Howard&cm=1440&

..


John Howard Podcast: www.Podcastbrewery.com/podcasts/JohnHoward/Johnhoward.php


John Howard Discography: www.kidinabigworld.co.uk/discography.html


John Howard News and Reviews and Weblinks: www.kidinabigworld.co.uk/news.html


JOHN HOWARD ON BBC RADIO 4's MIDWEEK: includes an interview with John about his recording career and where he talks about his then new album As I Was Saying (the programme was first broadcast December 28th 2005): To hear the programme go to
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/midweek_20051228.shtml
and click on the 'Listen Again' option
Record Label: Several, see albums listing above
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

In The Bliss Of A Stolen Moment

If you go to my record label Hanky Panky´s My Space in my Top Friends list or click on www.myspace.com/hankypankyrecords and go to the Music Player on there, first song in the list is a track fro...
Posted by John Howard on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 06:14:00 PST

Four New Tracks On My Music Player

There are now four new tracks up on my Music Player. Thought it was about time I put some different stuff up there. The four tracks are the title track from my new forthcoming (in January) album ...
Posted by John Howard on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 05:36:00 PST

Barefoot With Angels Released January 21st

My new album Barefoot With Angels is now due for CD release on January 21st 2008 on Hanky Panky Records via Cargo Records distribution. There were a couple of production delays which have no...
Posted by John Howard on Thu, 11 Oct 2007 09:52:00 PST

The iTunes Exclusive E.P.s - Details Here

iTunes Exclusives I now have three E.P.s on iTunes, not available in the shops. Here for your delectation and delight (?!) are the press releases for each one: The Bewlay Brothers E.P. Cat....
Posted by John Howard on Mon, 21 May 2007 06:14:00 PST

In The Room Upstairs - New Live Album on iTunes

My new live album, In The Room Upstairs, recorded in May and June 2006 at Manchester's Briton's Protection, is now on iTunes. Due for a CD release in Spring '08, the album has been given an ...
Posted by John Howard on Tue, 05 Jun 2007 12:21:00 PST

My Influences - For Those Who Love Lists

My influences, as I think with all songwriters, stem from my childhood, through my teens, into my early twenties. When I listened to the radio and bought my first 45, Christmas 1960, at the age of sev...
Posted by John Howard on Mon, 07 May 2007 04:10:00 PST

There Are More Stars In Heaven & Earth 4

1. Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles this is the one that made me want to be a recording artist. Bless its Liverpool Docks. 2. Surf's Up - The Beach Boys Surf's Up when I'm down. 3. Doris Dreams...
Posted by John Howard on Mon, 15 May 2006 10:24:00 PST

There Are More Stars In Heaven & Earth 3

Yes, I couldn't leave it at 12 Discs for the Desert Island. So, I've got 20 more for you to see, consider, agree with, disagree with, but, as with anything like this, it's a personal opinion. These I ...
Posted by John Howard on Mon, 15 May 2006 12:02:00 PST

There are more stars in Heaven and Earth 2

Couldn't stay away...more platters of perfection for those who love lists... 1. Photograph - Ringo Starr This is a beautiful record, Ringo was coming up with such great singles early '70s time - ...
Posted by John Howard on Sat, 10 Jun 2006 06:48:00 PST

There Are More Stars In Heaven and Earth

1. It Won't Be Long - The Beatles From the Fabs' second album, 'With...', one of their best LPs. This opens Side 1, and what a start! The enthusiasm and joy at being the biggest British band around (t...
Posted by John Howard on Tue, 13 Jun 2006 11:29:00 PST