Harvey Andrews – Writer Of Songs LP (McTell, Wakeman)

Harvey Andrews – Writer Of Songs on vinyl LP. RE. 1972 UK folk, features Ralph McTell and Rick Wakeman. Ships from Germany.

Album Overview

About Writer Of Songs

A reissue vinyl pressing of Harvey Andrews' acclaimed 1972 folk album, backed by an extraordinary roster of British folk and rock musicians including Ralph McTell, Rick Wakeman and Cozy Powell.

Writer Of Songs is an album by English singer-songwriter Harvey Andrews, originally released in 1972 via Cube Records. Praised by NME as uncluttered, the product of an uncluttered mind, the record features guest contributions from a genuine who’s who of the British folk scene, including Ralph McTell on acoustic guitar throughout, Rick Wakeman on piano, and Cozy Powell on drums. This listing is a reissue vinyl pressing from a Berlin based eBay seller.

In this article
  • Who is Harvey Andrews
  • About Writer Of Songs
  • The extraordinary session lineup
  • Pressing details and buying advice
Key Takeaways

Fast Facts

  • Artist Harvey Andrews is an English folk singer-songwriter, well respected within the folk music world for his socially aware songwriting.
  • Release Writer Of Songs originally came out in 1972 via Cube Records (catalogue HIFLY 10).
  • Session lineup Features Ralph McTell on acoustic and twelve-string guitar, Rick Wakeman on piano, and drummers Cozy Powell and Dave Mattacks, alongside bassist Danny Thompson and Fairport Convention’s Dave Pegg.
  • Standout tracks Includes Soldier, inspired by a real 1971 Belfast incident, and the socially aware Unaccompanied, performed without music.
  • Reception Praised by NME, Folk Review and Sounds, which named Soldier its song of the year.

Harvey Andrews Featuring Ralph McTell And Rick Wakeman – Writer Of Songs (LP, RE)

Folk Classic
Harvey Andrews Featuring Ralph McTell And Rick Wakeman – Writer Of Songs -…

Reissue vinyl LP, Intercord / Cube Records

LP Folk Reissue

Reissue vinyl pressing of Writer Of Songs, sold by a Berlin based eBay seller with 100% positive feedback.

Key specs

Pressing Specifications

Harvey Andrews Featuring Ralph McTell And Rick Wakeman
Artist
Writer Of Songs
Album
Intercord (originally Cube Records)
Label
LP, Album, Reissue
Format
1972
Original Release Year
Folk, Singer-Songwriter
Genre
Berlin, Germany
Ships From

Who Is Harvey Andrews?

Harvey Andrews is an English folk singer-songwriter well respected within the folk world for his purity of voice and socially conscious lyricism, even if his name never quite reached wider mainstream household recognition. His songwriting style blended traditional folk themes of love, beauty and sadness with pointed social commentary, delivered in a manner NME once described as completely free from the dross that drags down many singer-songwriter albums, praising Andrews as the mind of a very important writer of songs.

About Writer Of Songs And Its Extraordinary Session Lineup

Produced by John Worth and released via Cube Records in 1972, Writer Of Songs assembled a genuinely remarkable roster of British folk and rock talent around Andrews' own songwriting. Ralph McTell contributed acoustic and twelve-string guitar across nearly every track, while future Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman added piano, and drummers Cozy Powell, later of Rainbow and Whitesnake fame, and Dave Mattacks of Fairport Convention traded time behind the kit. Bassist Danny Thompson and Fairport Convention's own Dave Pegg rounded out a lineup that Folking.com called a veritable who's who of the folk mafia of the era. The album's most celebrated song, Soldier, was inspired by a real 1971 incident in Belfast in which Sergeant Michael Willetts of the Parachute Regiment cleared civilians from a police station room after the Provisional IRA planted a bomb inside, a haunting, socially aware piece that Sounds magazine named its song of the year.

Critical Reception

The songs are completely free from the dross that drags down a goodly number of our singer-songwriter albums, the mind of a very important writer of songs.
NME
This is an outstanding record which does justice to Harvey's varied and formidable talent. It should be welcomed with open arms.
Folk Review
My award for the song of the year goes to his stark, moving, haunting, unforgettable song Soldier.
Sounds
Best for
Fans of British folk and the wider Ralph McTell and Fairport Convention circle Collectors interested in early session work from Rick Wakeman and Cozy Powell
Not for
Listeners wanting light, casual folk listening
Pros
  • Features Ralph McTell, Rick Wakeman, Cozy Powell and Dave Mattacks among its session lineup
  • Widely praised by NME, Folk Review and Sounds upon release
  • Includes the historically significant, award-winning song Soldier
  • Socially aware, purely delivered folk songwriting throughout
Cons
  • A reissue rather than an original 1972 pressing
  • Serious subject matter on tracks addressing the Troubles in Northern Ireland
  • Niche appeal outside British folk collectors
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Writer Of Songs by Harvey Andrews?

It is a 1972 folk album featuring an extraordinary cast of session musicians including Ralph McTell, Rick Wakeman and Cozy Powell.

Is this an original pressing or a reissue?

This listing is a reissue vinyl pressing, following the original 1972 Cube Records release.

What is the song Soldier about?

It was inspired by a real 1971 incident in Belfast, in which a British soldier died clearing civilians from a police station room after the Provisional IRA planted a bomb inside.

Who plays on this album?

Ralph McTell, Rick Wakeman, Cozy Powell, Dave Mattacks, Danny Thompson and Dave Pegg all contribute, among other respected British folk and rock musicians.

Does this listing ship outside Germany?

The seller is based in Berlin and lists a fixed shipping cost; check the current listing for up to date international shipping options and rates.

Where to buy

Where To Buy This Pressing

Offers: 1
Folk Ships from DE
€4.86
in stock
Sold by glasshouserecords (100% positive feedback) on eBay.de.
Conclusion

Worth The Spin?

  • A widely acclaimed early 1970s British folk record
  • Features an extraordinary session lineup including McTell, Wakeman and Cozy Powell
  • Best suited to fans of British folk and the wider Fairport Convention circle

Writer Of Songs remains a genuinely important entry in British folk history, and this listing offers a reissue pressing from a highly rated German seller.

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