Richard Hudson (musician)

Richard Hudson

Richard Hudson (born 9 May 1948, Tottenham, London, England) is an English singer-songwriter and musician.

Career

Richard Hudson was a member of Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, in which he played drums and sitar and sang. In 1970, he and band-mate John Ford joined The Strawbs. Hudson and Ford began to co-write material which appeared to be aiming in a slightly different direction to the compositions of Strawbs' main writer, Dave Cousins. In 1973 after a 52-date tour to promote the album Bursting at the Seams, there were acrimonious exchanges (which both parties now regret). Hudson and Ford left to form Hudson Ford. Hudson at this point switched from playing drums to guitar and sang more lead vocals.

The punk era sounded the death knell of many progressive rock acts, including Hudson Ford. Hudson, Ford and Terry Cassidy founded the mock punk group The Monks and, more strangely, High Society, which performed a pastiche of 1930's music.

Hudson rejoined The Strawbs for their 1987 album Don't Say Goodbye and stayed on for 1991's Ringing Down the Years on which he co-wrote two tracks with bass player Rod Demick and guitarist Brian Willoughby.

In recent years he has played live gigs with The Strawbs and continues to play with a local rock 'n' roll band The Good Old Boys.

Discography

This is a list of recordings on which Richard Hudson appears as a full-time band member.

Albums

Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera

• Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera (1968)
• Ride a Hustler's Dream (1969)

The Strawbs

• Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios (1970)
• From the Witchwood (1971)
• Grave New World (1972)
• Bursting at the Seams (1973)

Hudson Ford

• Nickelodeon (1973)
• Free Spirit (1974)
• When Worlds Collide (1975)
• Daylight (1977)

The Monks

• Bad Habits (1979)
• Suspended Animation (1981)

High Society

• High Society (1984)

Singles

Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera

• "Flames"/"Salisbury Plain" (1967)
• "Mary Jane"/"Dreamy" (1968)
• "Volcano"/"A Quick B" (1969)
• "Anna Dance Square"/"Don't You Realise" (1969)
• "Black Jack Davy"/"Statesboro Blues" (1970)
• "She Keeps Giving Me These Feelings"/"There's a Hole in My Pocket" (1970)

The Strawbs

• "Where is This Dream of Your Youth"/"Fingertips" (1970)
• "Benedictus"/"Keep the Devil Outside" (1972)
• "Keep the Devil Outside"/"Tomorrow" (1972)
• "New World"/"Benedictus" (1972)
• "Here it Comes"/"Tomorrow" (1972)
• "Going Home"/"Ways and Means" (1972)
• "Lay Down"/"Backside" (1972)
• "Part of the Union"/"Will You Go" (1973)

Hudson Ford

• "Pick Up the Pieces"/"This is Not the Way to End a War (or Die)" (1973)
• "Take it Back"/Make No Mistake" (1973)
• "Burn Baby Burn"/"Angels" (1974)
• "Floating in the Wind"/"Revelations" (1974)
• "Free Spirit"/"Dark Lord" (1974)
• "When Love Has Overgrown"/What is a Day Without Love" (1975)
• "Waterfall"/"Daylight" (1976)
• "95 in the Shade"/"Lost in a World" (1976)
• "Sold on Love"/"Daylight" (1976)
• "Are You Dancing"/"Out of Your Shadow" (1977)
• "Just Say No" (2001)

The G.B.'s

• "We are the G.B.'s" / "The G.B. Jig" (1979)

The Monks

• "Nice Legs Shame About the Face"/"You'll be the Death of Me" (1979)
• "I Ain't Gettin Any"/"Inter-City Kitty" (1979)
• "Johnny B. Rotten"/"Drugs in My Pocket" (1979)
• "I Can Do Anything You Like"/"Monks Medley" (1981)

High Society

• "I Never Go Out in the Rain"/"I Could Never Live Without You" (1980)
• "Gotta Get Out of This Rut"/"Powder Blue" (1981)

Hud

• "The Actor" (2005)

External links

• http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk The Strawbs website
• http://www.highsocietyband.co.uk High Society website