Tony Goodacre "Roaming Round In Nashville" (Outlet Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Bill McBurney & Keith Murray)
A popular English country star, singer-guitarist Tony Goodacre (1938-2022) was known for championing homegrown UK songwriters. Originally hailing from Leeds, Mr. Goodacre started out in a an early 'Fifties skiffle band, later gravitating towards straight-up American-style country music by decade's end. In the late '60s he formed a band with steel guitarist Arthur Leyfield, who plays on here... Apparently Cliff Ledger & His Country Boys also back them on this album.
Tony Goodacre "Grandma's Feather Bed" (Outlet Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Clarke, Ian Grant, Cliff Ledger & Keith Murray)
Since Mr. Goodacre is pictured on the front cover with a huge gaggle of kids (his own, one would assume...) you might think this was an album of children's music, though instead the connection is to Goodacre's rendition of the 1973 John Denver hit, "Grandma's Feather Bed." The family is all gathered around a big, fluffy bed... get it? Anyway, the album kicks off with the title track, then moves into another solid set of country tunes, dominated by eight songs that were written by British composers, with highlights that include covers of "Old Shep" and Ralph McTell's "Streets Of London," as well as a few off-the-beaten-track numbers such as "Grand Ole Opry Ballad," "When A Woman Leaves Home" (definitely not a children's song!) and the curiously-titled "The Morning Past The Night Before." This was recorded in several sessions, both in London and Yorkshire, and features a wide-ranging cast of musicians, most of whom were regular members of the Goodacre entourage, among them Anne Barraclough and Nick Barraclough, Gerry Hale, Sammy King, Cliff Ledger, Pete Sayers and steel players Jim Cumberbatch and Arthur Layfield.
Tony Goodacre "Thanks To The Hanks" (Outlet Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Clarke, Col Fey & Billy McBurney)
An homage to country music's many Hanks: Locklin, Snow, Thompson, Williams, et. al. The title track and album opener was penned by guitarist and sometimes-solo artist Pete Sayers, who was a mainstay of Goodacre's mid-1970s band... He also, curiously, gives a shout-out to George Hamilton IV who, despite not being a Hank himself, had spent a hefty chunk of his 'Seventies career in Europe, and helped Goodacre out along the way. The lineup on this album included Tony Goodacre on vocals and guitar, along with Don Ange (keyboards), Bill Clarke (lead guitar and piano), Gerry Hale (fiddle), Sammy King (bass), Arthur Layfield (lap steel guitar) and Pete Sayers playing dobro and guitar... Most of these guys also appear on Goodacre's next album, Written In Britain, the following year. Also worth noting are the album's liner notes, penned by Hank Snow, which I imagine was quite a coup for Goodacre at the time.
Tony Goodacre "Written In Britain (And Sung Country Style)" (Outlet Records, 1977) (LP)
A fine example of Tony Goodacre's policy of championing UK talent, this features original songs by Sammy King, Gordon Mills, Tom Springfield, Roger Whittaker and others, including a few tunes apiece from Pete Sayers and Terry McKenna, who both play guitar on this album. The title track was something of a statement of purpose, penned by Tony Goodacre himself; also notable is a cover of the Olivia Newton-John hit, "Let Me Be There," which was composed by the late John Rostill, and a song called "Yesterday," which is credited to some bloke named McCartney. The sessions boasted a huge roster of musicians, including Anne and Nick Barraclough, Pete Sayers, and steel players Gordon Huntley and Arthur Layfield.
Tony Goodacre "Mr. Country Music" (Outlet Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Clarke & Bernie Vaughn)
The first side of this album was recorded at Bradley's Barn studio in Nashville, with a slew of Music City studio pros, notably lead guitar Greg Galbraith, Sonny Garrish playing steel, drummer Jerry Kroon, The Sudie Calloway Singers, and others. Side Two was another Yorkshite affair, with Goodacre backed by his hometown team, including Bill Clarke, pianist Tony Cervi, Sammy King and Arthur Layfield.
Tony Goodacre "You Made My Life Complete" (Outlet Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Clarke)
Tony Goodacre "Live In Ilkley" (Sylvantone Records, 1980)
Tony Goodacre "Twenty-Fifth Anniversary" (Sylvantone Records, 1981)
Tony Goodacre "Red Roses" (Sylvantone Records, 1983)
Tony Goodacre/Various Artists "The Sylvantone Showcase" (Sylvantone Records, 1985)
A collection of original material recorded for Goodacre's own Sylvantone label. Artists include Tony Goodacre and his wife, Sylvia, Stu Page, Geoff Ashford and the Jeannie Dee Trio.
Tony Goodacre "The Tony Goodacre Collection: Fifteen Songs Old And New" (Sylvantone Records, 1986)
A popular English country star, singer-guitarist Tony Goodacre (1938-2022) was widely known for championing homegrown UK songwriters. Originally hailing from Leeds, like many postwar musicians Mr. Goodacre started out in an early 'Fifties skiffle band, playing amped-up, frenetic folk music and stripped down pop numbers. By decade's end, he gravitated towards straight-up American-style country music and while he covered his fair share of American twangtunes, he went out of his way to find and promote original material from other British artists. In the mid-1960s he collaborated with steel guitarist Arthur Leyfield, and eventually started his own band, Goodacre Country, with Leyfield and a tight-knit of other musicians forming the core of a group that continued recording together through the 'Eighties. Here's a quick look at his work...
