Andrew McMaster (songwriter)

Andy McMaster
Birth name Andrew McMaster
Born (1941-07-27) 27 July 1941
Calton, Glasgow, Scotland
Genres Rhythm and blues, pub rock, power pop, pop rock
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Piano, organ, keyboards, vocals, bass
Years active 1965–present
Associated acts The Motors, Ducks Deluxe, James Dewar
Website www.andymcmaster.net

Andrew "Andy" McMaster (born 27 July 1941) is a Scottish songwriter, best known for writing the lyrics and music of hit songs "Airport"[1][2][3][4][5] and "Forget About You" [6][7][8] by The Motors and co-writing, with Nick Garvey, "Dancing the Night Away",[9] which reached numbers 4, 13 and 42 respectively, in the UK charts between 1977 and 1978.[10][11] The Motors single, "Tenement Steps", was also written by McMaster and peaked at number 17 in the Netherlands chart, in August 1980.[12] He also wrote works that were recorded and released by Anita Harris,[13] Alex Harvey,[14] Ducks Deluxe,[15] and James Dewar.[16]

Career

McMaster was born in Glasgow and raised in the city's Calton area, which is part of Glasgow’s East End. In May 1968, one of McMaster's songs, "Tuppenny Bus Ride", was released by singer and television star, Anita Harris.[13][17] He co-wrote a song, "Broken Hearted Fairytale", with Alex Harvey,[14] which appeared on Harvey's solo album, Roman Wall Blues, released in 1969.[18] In 1970, McMaster released a solo single, on President Records, called "I Can’t Get Drunk Without You Babe".[19]

In 1972, McMaster joined pub-rock band, Ducks Deluxe, as a keyboard player. The band consisted of Sean Tyla on vocals, Martin Belmont on lead guitar, Tim Roper on drums and Nick Garvey on bass. McMaster played on the second album, Taxi to the Terminal Zone[20] and it featured one of his compositions, "Love’s Melody",[15] a song which was also, later, to be recorded by singer, James Dewar, on his solo album, Stumbledown Romancer.[16]

In February 1977, McMaster co-formed The Motors with ex-Ducks Deluxe member, Nick Garvey. The band’s first album, 1, featured the single, "Dancing the Night Away", co-written by McMaster and Garvey, reaching number 42, in the UK singles chart, in September 1977.[11] The Motors’ second album, Approved by the Motors, was released the following year.[21] On the album was a song that would prove to be the band’s biggest hit, "Airport", penned by McMaster, going to number 4 in the UK chart, in June 1978,[11] and which he wrote "while living under the Heathrow flightpath" according to an interview in the August 2015 issue of Record Collector magazine.[22] The second single from the album, "Forget About You", also written by McMaster, reached number 13 in the UK chart, in August 1978.[11]

After The Motors, McMaster wrote and recorded some solo recordings, in 1987, but only one song, a single, "No Joy", was released.[23]

James Dewar's solo album, Stumbledown Romancer, featured four songs written by McMaster on which he also played "organ, piano and synthesisers":[24] "Love’s Melody" (previously released by Ducks Deluxe), "Goodbye Love", "Bright Lights" and "Lay Down the Night".[16] Although the songs were recorded in 1981, Stumbledown Romancer was not released by Dewar's record label, Chrysalis, until 1998.[16][25]

References

  1. ↑ McMaster, Andy (1978). "Airport Sheet Music (Digital Download)" (sheet music). Sheetmusicdirect.com. Music Sales Group. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  2. ↑ McMaster, Andy. 'Airport' Printed Sheet Music (1976). Island Music Ltd (IS 5193 5)
  3. ↑ "BMI | Repertoire Search". repertoire.bmi.com. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "Motors, The - Airport". Discogs. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  5. ↑ 40, Stichting Nederlandse Top. "The Motors - Airport". Top40.nl. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  6. ↑ McMaster, Andy. 'Forget About You' Printed Sheet Music (1976). Island Music Ltd (ID 2001 6)
  7. ↑ "BMI | Repertoire Search". repertoire.bmi.com. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "Motors, The - Forget About You". Discogs. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  9. ↑ "Motors, The - Dancing The Night Away". Discogs. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  10. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Motors − Biography & History". All Music. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Roberts, David (2002). British Hit Singles (15th Edition). Guinness World Records. p. 340. ISBN 085112-187-X.
  12. ↑ 40, Stichting Nederlandse Top. "The Motors - Tenement Steps". Top40.nl. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Record Details (Anita Harris single)". 45cat. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  14. 1 2 Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. 1 January 1971. p. 75.
  15. 1 2 "Ducks Deluxe". TrouserPress.com. 1 July 1975. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Stumbledown Romancer". Procolharum.com. 22 July 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  17. ↑ "Anita Harris - We're Going On A Tuppenny Bus Ride". Discogs. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  18. ↑ "Alex Harvey - Roman Wall Blues". Discogs. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  19. ↑ "Andrew McMaster (pre: Motors) - 1.Can't Get Drunk Without You Baby". Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  20. ↑ "Ducks Deluxe – Ducks Deluxe/Taxi To The Terminal Zone". Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  21. ↑ Edwards, Gavin (11 June 2015). "20 Rock Albums Rolling Stone Loved in the 1970s That You Never Heard". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  22. ↑ Geesin, Joe (August 2015). "The Motors". Record Collector (443): 29.
  23. ↑ "Andy McMaster - Discography". 45cat. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  24. ↑ Fields, Robert (2009). Minstrels, Poets & Vagabonds. Paisley: macdonald media publishing. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-9553126-9-4.
  25. ↑ "Stumbledown Romancer - James Dewar | Credits". AllMusic. 11 May 1998. Retrieved 13 September 2015.

External links

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