I hear you rockin'

Oh my god, honey! It's another one of these damn guitar players!

Dave Edmunds

Rockin' the Roots

I've been a fan of Dave Edmunds for over 25 years (or thereabouts) and it still amazes me that despite over a dozen solo albums and numerous collaborations he still labors in relative obscurity. While many people of my advanced years will remember his 1971 hit "I hear you knocking," most people seem to have no clue who he is.

Dave Edmunds is not an originator as such. He hasn't written very many songs and the best of those were written with Nick Lowe. He is known primarily as an interpreter of others' material. This is not to say that he is not an original. Indeed, he is able to perform songs we've heard many times and make them his own. Additionally, he can perform a new composition and make it sound like a classic.

Born in Wales, even before me, his first exposure to the public came as vocalist/lead guitarist for a late 60's trio called Love Sculpture. After releasing a couple of albums that never found their niche, Dave returned to Wales. There he built his own recording studio where he would record his biggest hit, Smiley Lewis' "I hear you knockin'." Instead of going out and promoting his success ("I hear you knockin'" sold 3 million copies worldwide) he maintained a reclusive lifestyle, recording a great deal of material and occasionally releasing a record. A few of them were even modest hits.

Take a moment to check out my collection of thumbnail reviews (and discography) to learn about this original and talented performers output over the last 30 years.

My Loathsome Dave Edmunds Mp3 samples

Dave Edmunds Links

The Unofficial Dave Edmunds Home Page

A Dave Edmunds Tribute

DaveEdmunds, according to the Encyclopedia of Modern Pop

In the mid-70's, Dave came out of the closet with his creditable solo album release Subtle as a flying mallet. Shortly afterwards he would being his very fruitful collaboration with Nick Lowe and would sign to Led Zeppelin's new record label Swan Song. In 1977, he and Nick (bass) along with guitarist Billy Bremer and drummer Terry Williams formed Rockpile, a band which distinguished itself by playing straight ahead roots-rock and thrilling audiences all over the world.

During this time, Dave released a slew of well-received albums, including the critically acclaimed Trax on Wax 4, with his Rockpile buddies. He also charted respectably with a number of singles including "Queen of hearts" and Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk." Only the album Seconds of Pleasure would be released under the Rockpile name. Though uneven, it sold respectably, even getting Dave and the boys some attention in the US.

Then, on what must have seemed to be the verge of great success, the band broke up. Isn't that always the case? Dave however continued his solo career without a pause to mourn. He has released many albums in the ensuing years, his most recent being Plugged In, released in 1994, which he recorded at his home in California playing all the instruments heard there.

Dave has also had a distinguished career as a record producer. His credits include work for The Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, Nick Lowe, The Stray Cats, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Nowadays he performs only once in a while and rarely goes far afield. Still he has the ability to sell-out concerts and to put on a show that few contemporary artists could possibly match.

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