Matthews Southern Comfort

With Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, and Ashley Hutchings from Fairport Convention, guitarist Mark Griffiths, drummer Gerry Conway, pedal steel player Gordon Huntley, and keyboardists Dolly Collins and Roger Coulam, Ian Matthews (aka Iain Matthews) recorded his debut solo album, Matthews' Southern Comfort, whose sound was rooted in American country music and rockabilly, in 1969. This was his first significant experience as a songwriter, although the band also covered the likes of Neil Young and Ian and Sylvia. He followed it up by forming a working band using the name of his first album, Matthews Southern Comfort (without the apostrophe), then released subsequent albums Second Spring (1969 – UK #52) and Later That Same Year (1970).
The band went through several different line-ups and toured extensively for the next two years, to general critical acclaim. They had one commercial success: a 1970 cover version of "Woodstock" (written by Joni Mitchell) was a number one hit single in the UK Singles Chart. It experienced heavy airplay in Canada reaching No. 5, as well as peaking at No. 23 on the Billboard singles charts in the United States in 1971. Afterwards, Matthews split with Southern Comfort, who went on to release three albums of their own on Harvest Records.
In 1971, Matthews recorded two solo albums (If You Saw Thro' My Eyes & Tigers Will Survive), on Vertigo Records. Under the sponsorship of former Yardbird Paul Samwell-Smith, and surrounded by likeminded British semi-folkies (notably another ex-Fairporter, Richard Thompson), he formed Plainsong with Andy Roberts, previously of The Liverpool Scene. The band's line-up consisted of Matthews, Roberts, guitarist Dave Richards and American bassist Bob Ronga. They were signed by Elektra, who released one album by them before the band split up.
(Read more at Wikipedia.)
== Links to Peel ==
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Matthews Southern Comfort were frequently played on Top Gear during their lifespan, both sessions and records by the band appearing in Peel's playlists. But not only was Peel a supporter of the band, he may even have been responsible for its existence. In an interview with Mojo magazine (December 2015, p.130), Ian Matthews, who had just been fired by Fairport Convention in 1969 after the band decided to concentrate on its version of British traditional folk music, is quoted as saying: "I told John Peel the part of Fairport I loved was where we would interpret contemporary American songwriters. He said, 'Well maybe you ought to develop that as something of your own.'" And indeed this was what Ian Matthews did, first with Matthews Southern Comfort, then with Plainsong, and during his solo career.
Peel was the narrator of a documentary film (see below) made at an open-air festival in 1970, directed by Tony Palmer, and featuring live performances by Fairport Convention and Matthews Southern Comfort. JP didn't pay much attention to Matthews' work after the mid-1970s, but when Plainsong reunited and recorded an album in 2003, he played a track from it on his show.
== Festive Fifty Entries ==
*None.
== Sessions ==
Two sessions. No known commercial release. Please note that Ken Garner lists the band under the spelling Matthews' Southern Comfort (with an apostrophe). Further sessions were recorded by Southern Comfort (without Ian Matthews). Matthews also recorded a solo session and sessions with Plainsong.
;Matthews Southern Comfort
1. Recorded 1970-02-02. First broadcast 14 February 1970, 18 April 1970
*My Front Pages / Blood Red Roses / Uncle Joe/Reagan’s Rag / What We Say
2. Recorded 1970-11-17. First broadcast 28 November 1970. Repeated 26 December 1970
*I Believe In You / Sylvie / And When She Smiles / And Me
;Southern Comfort
1. Recorded: 1971-03-09. First Broadcast: 20 March 1971. Repeated: 29 May 1971
*Roses (Sleepwalk) / The Dreadful Ballad Of Willy Hurricane / April Lady / Get Back Home
2. Recorded: 1972-01-18. First Broadcast: 25 January 1972. Repeated: 07 March 1972
*Old Rudd / Harlem Girl / Cosmic Jig / Lilly Brown 
;Ian Matthews
1. Recorded 1971-05-17. First broadcast 05 June 1971. Repeated 28 August 1971
*Hearts / There’s A Woody Guthrie Song / Through My Eyes / Home / Never Ending
;Plainsong (Ian Matthews, with Andy Roberts and others)
1. Recorded: 1972-01-24. First Broadcast: 01 February 1972. Repeated: 18 April 1972
*Tigers Will Survive / Seeds And Stems Again / Spanish Guitar / Any Day Woman
2. Recorded: 1972-04-24. First Broadcast: 06 June 1972. Repeated: 15 August 1972
*Truck Driving Man / Amelia Earhardt’s Last Flight / Yo Yo Man / I’ll Fly Again / The True Story Of Amelia Earhardt (not broadcast)
3.Recorded: 1972-11-27. First Broadcast: 30 November 1972. Repeated: 18 January 1973
*Nobody Eats At Lineburgh Anymore / Old Men At The Mill / Charlie, Save Your Sorrows / Home 
== Live ==
;Matthews Southern Comfort
*28 June 1970 Sunday Concert, also featuring Alan Bown
# Oh So Silently (other tracks not known)
;Southern Comfort
*18 July 1971 Sunday Concert
#River Woman
#Travellin' Light/Bad Boy
#Old Rudd
#Take A Message
#I Sure Like Your Smile
#Get Back Home
== Other Shows Played ==
;Matthews Southern Comfort
*thumb|330x330px10 January 1970: unknown
*24 January 1970: Colorado Springs Eternal (LP - Matthews' Southern Comfort) UNI
*07 February 1970: Please Be My Friend (LP – Matthews’ Southern Comfort) UNI UNLS 108
*06 June 1970: Ballad Of Obray Ramsey (7") Uni
*11 July 1970: Something In The Way She Moves (LP - Second Spring) UNI UNLS 112
*25 July 1970: D'Arcy Farrow (LP - Second Spring) UNI UNLS 112
*12 August 1976: Woodstock (7") UNI (JP: "Matthews' Southern Comfort with their cover of Joni Mitchell's Woodstock and I was rather surprised to see from Rockfile 2 that that got to number 1 in the autumn of 1970.")
;Southern Comfort
*24 November 1971: Morning Has Broken (single) Harvest
*12 September 1972: I Need Help (LP - Stir Don't Shake) Harvest
;Ian Matthews
*08 February 1972: Da Doo Ron Ron (single) Philips
*29 February 1972: The Only Dancer (LP – 2) Shelter Recording Company Inc. SW-8910
;Plainsong
*19 March 2003: Milarepa's Song (Album: Pangolins) Blue Rose Records 
== See Also ==
*Fairport Convention And Matthews' Southern Comfort
*UK Singles Chart Number Ones
*Gigography 1970 
*Disc & Music Echo: Peel Columns‎‎
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
* Official site
* Other
Category:Artists
Category:One For Ken