Iain Matthews (born Ian Matthews MacDonald, 16 June 1946) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. He was an original member of the British

folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...

band

Fairport Convention Fairport Convention are an English British folk rock, folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson (musician), Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Marti ...

from 1967 to 1969 before leaving to form his own band,

Matthews Southern Comfort Matthews Southern Comfort (MSC) is a British country rock/folk rock band, formed in 1970 by former Fairport Convention singer Ian (later Iain) Matthews. The original line-up consisted of Matthews, lead guitarist Mark Griffiths (who later becom ...

, which had a UK number one in 1970 with their cover of

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...

's "

Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...

". In 1979, his recording of

Terence Boylan Terence Curtin Boylan (born 1946) is an American singer-songwriter. Brought up in Buffalo, New York, Terence Boylan first appeared on local radio in the late 1950s performing a song he had written at the age of 11. While still in his mid teens, ...

's "Shake It" reached No. 13 on the US charts. Born in

Barton-upon-Humber Barton-upon-Humber () or Barton is a town and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England. The population at the 2011 census was 11,066. It is situated on the south bank of the Humber Estuary at the southern end of the Humber Bridge. It is sou ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

, Matthews was known in the 1960s as Ian MacDonald. He changed his name to Ian Matthews (his mother's maiden name) in 1968 to avoid confusion with Ian McDonald of

King Crimson King Crimson were an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald (musician), Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. Guitarist Fripp remained the only constant member throughout the ...

. In 1989 he changed the spelling of his first name to Iain, and has been known as Iain Matthews ever since. Influenced by both

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

and

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...

, Matthews has performed solo and as a member of various bands. He was a member of

during the band's early period when they were heavily influenced by American folk rock and sang on their first three albums before leaving in 1969. He initially embarked upon a solo career before forming the bands

and

Plainsong Plainsong or plainchant (calque from the French ; ) is a body of chants used in the liturgies of the Western Church. When referring to the term plainsong, it is those sacred pieces that are composed in Latin text. Plainsong was the exclusive for ...

. Later in his career he was also a member of the bands Hi-Fi, No Grey Faith, and More Than a Song. In the 2000s he twice revived Plainsong and Matthews Southern Comfort (MSC) and continues to tour regularly with the current version of MSC. A new MSC album, ''The New Mine,'' was released in March 2020, and a vinyl-only album ''Fake Tan'', recorded with Norwegian band the Salmon Smokers, was released in September 2020. In a career spanning over fifty years, Matthews has featured on over 100 albums. In 2018 he published an autobiography co-written with author and broadcaster Ian Clayton, ''Thro' My Eyes: A Memoir'', about his life in the music industry.

Origins

Matthews' family moved to

Scunthorpe Scunthorpe () is an industrial town in Lincolnshire, England, and the county's third most populous settlement after Lincoln, England, Lincoln and Grimsby, with a population of 81,286 in 2021. It is the administrative centre and largest settleme ...

, Lincolnshire, when he was twelve years old. After leaving school at sixteen he worked as an apprentice signwriter for a local painting and decorating firm. During the British pop music explosion of the mid-1960s he sang with local bands in Scunthorpe. He moved to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

in the spring of 1965 and took a job in a

Carnaby Street Carnaby Street is a Pedestrian zone, pedestrianised shopping street in Soho in the City of Westminster, Central London. Close to Oxford Street and Regent Street, it is home to fashion and lifestyle retailers, including many independent fashion ...

shoe shop, Ravel. In 1966 he formed a trio, The Pyramid (later just 'Pyramid'), a short-lived English surf music band, with Al Jackson and Steve Hiett (born 1940, died 2018). Hiett later became a world-renowned fashion photographer. The Pyramid released one single, "Summer of Last Year", in January 1967 on Deram Records. A remaining song, "Me About You," surfaced on Matthews' ''Orphans & Outcasts Volume 3'' compilation album in 1999.

Fairport Convention

In the winter of 1967 Matthews was recruited by Ashley Hutchings as a vocalist for

, where he sang with Judy Dyble on their self-titled first album ''Fairport Convention'' and with

Sandy Denny Alexandra Elene MacLean Denny (6 January 1947 – 21 April 1978) was an English singer-songwriter who was lead singer of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention. She has been described as " guably the pre-eminent British folk-rock sin ...

on ''What We Did On Our Holidays''. During the recording of ''Unhalfbricking'' in 1969, as Fairport increasingly drew their material from a traditional British folk repertoire, Matthews was not invited to a recording session. After a discussion with producer

Joe Boyd Joe Boyd (born August 5, 1942) is an American record producer and writer. He formerly owned Hannibal Records. Boyd has worked with Pink Floyd, Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny who was in Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson, Nick Drake, The ...

and Hutchings, he left the band and departed on a musical direction of his own.

Matthews Southern Comfort

In 1969 Matthews recorded his debut solo album, '' Matthews' Southern Comfort'', which was rooted in American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

and

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...

. He made the album with ex-Fairport colleagues Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol and Ashley Hutchings, plus guitarist Mark Griffiths, drummers Ray Duffy and

Gerry Conway Gerard Francis Conway Thomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" (" Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, science ficti ...

, pedal steel guitarist Gordon Huntley, and keyboardists Dolly Collins and Roger Coulam. This was his first significant experience recording as a songwriter. The band also performed

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...

and

Ian and Sylvia Ian & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson. They began performing together in 1959 (full-time in 1961), married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975. History Early ...

covers. He formed a working band, Matthews Southern Comfort (using the name of his first album, but without the apostrophe), and released two more albums, '' Second Spring'' (1970 – UK #52) and '' Later That Same Year'' (1970). The band went through several line-ups and toured extensively for the next two years. They had one commercial success with

's "

", which was a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart in October 1970. It received heavy airplay in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, reaching No. 5, as well as peaking at No. 23 on the Billboard singles charts in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1971. Matthews left Southern Comfort and the band released three albums of their own on

Harvest Records Harvest Records is a British-American record label belonging to Capitol Music Group, originally created by EMI in 1969. History Harvest Records was created by EMI in 1969 to market progressive rock music, and to compete with Philips' Vertigo ...

Plainsong

In 1971 Matthews recorded two solo albums, ('' If You Saw Thro' My Eyes'' and ''Tigers Will Survive''), on

Vertigo Records Vertigo Records is a British record company. It was a subsidiary of the Philips/Phonogram record label, launched in 1969 to specialise in progressive rock and other non-mainstream musical styles. Today, it is operated by Universal Music Group#B ...

. Under the sponsorship of former Yardbird

Paul Samwell-Smith Paul Granville Samwell-Smith (born Paul G. Smith, 8 May 1943, in Brentford, West London, England) is an English musician and record producer. He was a founding member and the bassist of the 1960s English rock band the Yardbirds, which launched ...

, and in the company of like-minded British semi-folkies (notably ex-Fairporter Richard Thompson), he formed the band

with Andy Roberts, previously of The Liverpool Scene. The band's line-up consisted of Matthews, Roberts, guitarist Dave Richards and American

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), keyboard bass (synth bass) or a low br ...

Bob Ronga. In 1972 Plainsong released '' In Search of Amelia Earhart''. The album included a cover of Dave McEnery's "

Amelia Earhart's Last Flight "Amelia Earhart's Last Flight" is a song written by Red River Dave McEnery shortly after Amelia Earhart's disappearance. It was copyrighted in 1939, and was first performed by David McEnery on a pioneer television broadcast from the 1939 New Yo ...

", plus a song by Matthews, "True Story of Amelia Earhart's Last Flight". The song is based on research that suggested

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...

may have been spying on Japanese bases in the

Pacific islands The Pacific islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of several ...

. It also included "Even the Guiding Light", an answer to Thompson's "Meet on the Ledge".

Moving around

After Plainsong collapsed as a result of a bandmate's

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

, and with his musical career now based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, Matthews released several more albums with ''ad hoc'' bands: ''Valley Hi'' (1973), produced by

Michael Nesmith Robert Michael Nesmith (December 30, 1942 – December 10, 2021) was an American musician, songwriter, and actor. He was best known as a member of the Monkees and co-star of their The Monkees (TV series), TV series of the same name (1966–1968) ...

(formerly of the

Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees'' television series, they were one o ...

); '' Journeys from Gospel Oak'' and '' Some Days You Eat The Bear'' (1974); ''Go For Broke'' (1976) and ''Hit and Run'' (1977). None of these met with commercial success. ''Valley Hi'' featured a cover of the

Steve Young Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Bu ...

song " Seven Bridges Road", arranged by Matthews and Nesmith with multitracked harmony, all parts of which were sung by Matthews. This version became famous after being covered live by

the Eagles The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles, six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s in ...

in 1980 and released on '' Eagles Live''. His albums were not successful, and Matthews moved from

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

and from Columbia to the small Rockburgh label, where he scored a hit single in 1978 with a cover of

's " Shake It" which reached No. 13 on the US charts and No. 6 in Canada. He had a moderately successful follow-up with Robert Palmer's " Give Me an Inch". The

North American North America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the sou ...

rights for his album '' Stealin' Home'' and its follow-up '' Siamese Friends'' were held by the small Canadian label

Mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the n ...

, and when label owner Shelly Siegel died in 1979 Matthews' association with the label ended. His song "Shake It" is heard at the beginning of the 1980 movie ''

Little Darlings ''Little Darlings'' is a 1980 American teen comedy-drama film starring Tatum O'Neal and Kristy McNichol and featuring Armand Assante and Matt Dillon. It was directed by Ronald F. Maxwell. The screenplay was written by Kimi Peck and Dalen ...

'' and in the game '' The Warriors'' from

Rockstar Games Rockstar Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in New York City. The company was established in December 1998 as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, using the assets Take-Two had previously acquired from BMG Interactive. Foun ...

. Matthews' official website states that at this point he "had been struggling for nearly 15 years" and was still living hand to mouth, with nothing to show for his efforts "but a string of out-of-print albums and the loyalty of those musicians and fans who shared his vision." He moved from Los Angeles to

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, where he teamed up with David Surkamp, formerly of the

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

band Pavlov's Dog, to form the

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...

band Hi-Fi. This band's repertoire included Matthews originals, Neil Young's " Mr. Soul" and

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

's " When You Were Mine". Matthews worked in an A&R capacity at

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...

and then

Windham Hill Records Windham Hill Records was an independent record label that specialized in instrumental acoustic music. It was founded by guitarist William Ackerman and Anne Robinson (née McGilvray) in 1976 and was popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The label was ...

Later career

From 1977 Fairport Convention held an annual reunion festival at Cropredy in Oxfordshire and in the mid-1980s there was interest in reviving the band and recording new material. Matthews was invited to perform as a part of the band at the 1986 Cropredy Festival and this led to an album, '' Walking a Changing Line'' (1988) on

, a tribute to Jules Shear of Jules and the Polar Bears. Matthews moved to

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

, and recorded several albums for a series of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

independent labels. He appeared with Andy Roberts at the 1992

Cambridge Folk Festival The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival, established in 1965, held in the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is known for its eclectic mix ...

, which inspired the first of what became several versions of

. In 2000 Matthews moved to

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

, where he became involved in independent music projects and collaborations, including the Sandy Denny tribute band No Grey Faith and another revival of Plainsong. ('No Grey Faith' being an anagram of "Fotheringay," the name of the

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

in Northamptonshire in which

Mary Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

was imprisoned, the title of a song that Denny had recorded for Fairport Convention, and the name of a short-lived band Denny had led in the 1970s.) Matthews moved to Horst in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and in 2008 produced ''Joy Mining'' with the Dutch

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

ensemble Searing Quartet. In September 2010 he released the first Matthews Southern Comfort album in 40 years and returned to a major record label. Since 2003 Matthews has worked with Dutch pianist and composer Egbert Derix. They met when Matthews, a jazz fan, came to a concert of Derix's Searing Quartet in Cambrinus ( Horst, The Netherlands). Matthews invited Derix to join the 2003 tour of his 1970 album ''If You Saw Thro' My Eyes'' and they played a series of concerts with Eric Coenen (

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

), Arthur Lijten (

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

) and Ad Vanderveen (

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

). After the tour Matthews and Derix started writing together, resulting in the 2008 album ''Joy Mining.'' Matthews and Derix started their own label, MatriX. In 2012, the Iain Matthews/Egbert Derix album ''In the Now'' was released by

Verve Records Verve Records is an active American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Ca ...

. ''Joy Mining'' and ''In the Now'' had separate releases in the United Kingdom and United States. In December 2011, Matthews performed as Matthews Southern Comfort with his Dutch band at the 2nd Great British Folk Festival at Butlins Skegness and performed a set of old and new songs. In January 2014 he toured as part of the Gene Clark No Other band, performing

Gene Clark Harold Eugene Clark (November 17, 1944 – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds. He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best ...

's album '' No Other'' with singers including

Robin Pecknold Robin Noel Pecknold (born March 30, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter, who serves as the principal songwriter and vocalist for indie folk band Fleet Foxes, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. He is known for his distinct baritenor ...

of the

Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes are an American indie folk band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2006. The band currently consists of Robin Pecknold (vocals, guitar), Skyler Skjelset (guitar, mandolin, backing vocals), Casey Wescott (keyboards, mandolin, backin ...

In January–February 2015, Matthews and Derix toured in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

to promote the US releases of their albums. Dutch filmmakers Peter Jong and Olivier Hamaker made a documentary about the making of ''In the Now''. Matthews can also be heard on Egbert Derix' solo album ''Paintings in Minor Lila'' (2012), on which the music of British

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

band

Marillion Marillion are a British neo-prog band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock, becoming the mo ...

is featured. The album had contributions by Matthews, Marillion singers

Fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

and

Steve Hogarth Steve Hogarth (born Ronald Stephen Hoggarth, 14 May 1956), also known as "h", is an English musician. Since 1989, he has been the lead singer of the rock band Marillion, for which he also performs additional keyboards and guitar. Hogarth was f ...

, and

Supertramp Supertramp were a British rock band formed in London in 1970. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), the group were distinguished for blending p ...

saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

John Helliwell. Matthews was guest vocalist in 2011 on the Helliwell/Derix Quintet tour in The Netherlands. Matthews and Derix co-wrote eight songs for Matthews's solo album ''The Art of Obscurity'' (2013).

Thro' My Eyes: A Memoir

In 2018 Matthews released an autobiography, ''Thro’ My Eyes: A Memoir''. The book was co-written with

Featherstone Featherstone is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, two miles south-west of Pontefract. Historic counties of England, Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, in 2011 ...

-based author and broadcaster, Ian Clayton. Clayton was contacted in 2010 by Matthews who had read his book ''Bringing It all Back Home'', described by Record Collector magazine as "one of the best books about popular music ever written". It was several years before the project came to fruition as a co-written book. ''Thro’ My Eyes: A Memoir'' was published by

Pontefract Pontefract is a historic market town in the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district in West Yorkshire, England. It lies to the east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the ...

-based Route Publishing in August 2018 in two editions, Standard and Deluxe. The Deluxe edition included an exclusive 2-CD compilation of 23 songs from Matthews’ career. The book describes Matthews’ life and musical career, from his beginnings in Barton-upon-Humber and

; moving to London in the 1960s and joining Fairport Convention; forming Matthews Southern Comfort in 1970 and having a #1 hit with their version of Joni Mitchell’s "Woodstock"; forming Plainsong with Andy Roberts in 1972; spending years in America as a solo artist; and returning to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

in 2000 to continue making albums and touring. Matthews also described watching and playing

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

as a boy in Scunthorpe, a failed trial as a potential professional footballer with Bradford Park Avenue, and his life-long love of

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

. A live concert recording of Plainsong in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in 2007 revealed him telling the audience that the words of his song "Busby's Babes", from the 1990 album ''Pure And Crooked,'' were displayed in the Manchester United Museum. Matthews and Clayton promoted the book in 2019 with a concert tour of 11 venues in England and Scotland, entitled "Words And Music". in which Matthews and Clayton talked about episodes from the book and Matthews performed live. He was joined on stage on one night at The Greys in

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

by former Plainsong bandmate Andy Roberts. A paperback version of the book, with new artwork and an updated discography, was published by Route in March 2021.

Videography

Ian Matthews

* ''London Revisited'' VHS Tape (1984) Castle Hendring (live concert recorded at the

Marquee Club The Marquee Club was a music venue in London, England, that opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. It was a small and relatively cheap club, in the heart of London's West End of London, West End. It was the location of the first ...

in London, 9 March 1984) * ''Live In London'' DVD (2005) Magada International (same live concert at the Marquee Club as the ''London Revisited'' VHS tape) * ''I Can't Fade Away'' DVD (2006) Cherry Red Films (same live concert at the Marquee Club as the ''London Revisited'' VHS tape)

Iain Matthews

* ''Compass & Chart Volume 1'' (1994) VHS Tape Perfect Pitch (83-minute video retrospective by Michael Solomon documenting his time with Fairport Convention, Matthews Southern Comfort and Plainsong, and containing rare solo performances and interviews) * ''Zumbach's Coat'' (2004) CD + DVD Blue Rose/Perfect Pitch (DVD features 6 songs live by Iain and Ad Vanderveen) * ''Osolomeo'' (2006) DVD + CD Inbetweens Records (DVD is ''A Night In

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

'' solo concert from October 1993) * ''Contact'' (2007) CD + DVD Blue Rose (with Richard Kennedy and Mike Roelofs, live in

Heilbronn Heilbronn () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn (district), Heilbronn District. From the late Middle Ages on, it developed into an important trading centre. At the begi ...

, Germany, December 2004) * ''Live at Rockpalast –

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

1983'' (2017) DVD + 2CD MIG

Matthews Southern Comfort

* ''Fairport Convention and Matthews Southern Comfort:

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, l ...

1970'' (2000) DVD Voiceprint ( Tony Palmer film, total playing time 32 minutes)

More Than a Song

* ''Witness'' (2003) DVD Inbetweens Records (DVD has live clips of 3 full songs plus backstage footage and interviews. Total playing time 22 minutes)

Ad Vanderveen and Friends

* ''Late Bloomer Adventures'' (2004) DVD Sonic Rendezvous (Iain Matthews duets with Ad Vanderveen on three tracks)

Hi-Fi

* ''Complete Works'' (2006) CD + DVD Blue Rose (live footage of Hi-Fi, plus interviews with Iain Matthews and David Surkamp) * ''The Complete Collection'' (2012) CD + DVD Rockville Records (re-issue of ''Complete Works'', CD has 3 extra tracks compared to the 2006 version)

With Egbert Derix

* ''Afterwords'' (2010) CD + DVD MatriX (live concert at Acoustic Alley,

Den Haag The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

, 18 October 2009) * ''That Is to Say'' (2012) DVD MatriX (live concert at The Music Star, Norderstedt, Germany, 12 May 2012 + 3 bonus tracks recorded 10 October 2010) * ''The Making of 'In the Now' '' (2014) DVD

Omnivore An omnivore () is an animal that regularly consumes significant quantities of both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize t ...

(~40-minute documentary about the making of the album)

With
Nanci Griffith Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She often appeared on the PBS music program ''Austin City Limits'', starting in 1985 during season 10. In 1990, Griffith appeared on th ...

* ''Other Voices, Too'' (1998) VHS Tape Elektra (Iain Matthews plays on this live performance filmed at The Armadillo in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, 26/27 November 1998)

Discography

The Pyramid

* "The Summer of Last Year" / "Summer Evening" (1967) UK Deram (Iain Matthews’ first recording (45rpm single))

Solo albums

* '' Matthews' Southern Comfort'' (1969) UK Uni/US

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

* '' If You Saw Thro' My Eyes'' (1971) UK and US

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...

* ''Tigers Will Survive'' (1972) UK and US Vertigo * ''Valley Hi'' (1973) UK and US Elektra * '' Journeys from Gospel Oak'' (1974) UK Mooncrest * '' Some Days You Eat the Bear...Some Days the Bear Eats You'' (1974) UK and US Elektra * ''Go for Broke'' (1976) UK

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

/US Columbia * ''Hit and Run'' (1977) UK CBS/US Columbia * '' Stealin' Home'' (1978) UK Rockburgh/US

* '' Siamese Friends'' (1979) UK Rockburgh/US Mushroom * ''Discreet Repeat'' (1979) Rockburgh * ''Spot of Interference'' (1980) UK Rockburgh/US RSO * ''Shook'' (1984) Line Records/

Polydor Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

(

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

) * '' Walking a Changing Line'' (1988) Windham Hill * ''Nights in Manhattan'' (1988) Taxim Records (live at The Bottom Line in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, May 1988) * ''Pure and Crooked'' (1990) Gold Castle * ''Live Alone: Notebook Series No. 2'' (1991) Perfect Pitch * ''Orphans & Outcasts Volume I 1969-1979'' (1991) Dirty Linen * ''Skeleton Keys'' (1992) Europe Line Records/US Mesa Bluemoon Recordings (different artwork) * ''Intimate Wash: Notebook Series No. 3'' (1993) Perfect Pitch * ''Orphans & Outcasts Volume II 1981-1989'' (1993) Dirty Linen * ''The Soul of Many Places'' (1993) Elektra (compilation album) * ''The Dark Ride'' (1994)

Watermelon The watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, that has a large, edible fruit. It is a Glossary of botanical terms#scandent, scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, and is plant breeding ...

* ''Pure and Crooked'' (1994) Watermelon (5 bonus tracks) * ''Camouflage: Notebook Series No. 4'' (1995) Perfect Pitch * ''God Looked Down'' (1996) Watermelon * ''The Seattle Years 1978–1984'' (1996)

Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and cast recording, original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as ...

(compilation album) * ''Nights in Manhattan (And Points West)'' (1997) DCC (4 bonus tracks) * ''Excerpts from Swine Lake'' (1998) Blue Rose/US Tangible (4 bonus demo tracks) * ''Orphans & Outcasts Volume 3'' (1999) Perfect Pitch * ''A Tiniest Wham/A Live Wham'' 2CD (2000) Blue Rose (Germany)/Perfect Pitch (UK); (2001) Last Call (France); CD2 Iain Matthews & the Swinelakers live in Nürnburg, Germany, September 1998 * ''If You Saw Thro' My Eyes'' (remaster) (2003) MK2 Records * ''Zumbach's Coat'' (2004) MK2 Records/Perfect Pitch * ''Zumbach's Coat'' CD + DVD (2004) Blue Rose/Perfect Pitch (DVD features 6 songs live by Iain and Ad Vanderveen) * ''Sparkler'' 2CD (2005) Blue Rose (CD1 ''Best of the Texas Recordings 1989-2004''; CD2 ''If You Saw Thro' My Eyes Live'') * ''If You Saw Thro' My Eyes Live'' (2006) Vinyl Japan/ItsAboutMusic * ''Osolomeo'' DVD + CD (2006) Inbetweens Records (DVD is ''A Night in Colorado'' solo concert from October 1993; CD is Iain and Andy Roberts at the Brosella Festival July 1992) * ''Journeys from Gospel Oak (Expanded Edition)'' (2006) Castle Music (includes 5 songs rerecorded in 2006 as bonus tracks) * ''Go for Broke'' (2007) Vinyl Japan (limited edition Japanese CD of ''Go for Broke'' + 6 live bonus tracks recorded in

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

June 1976) * ''Hit and Run ''(2007) Vinyl Japan (limited edition Japanese CD of ''Hit and Run'' + 7 live bonus tracks recorded at rehearsals in Los Angeles) * ''Stealin' Home'' (2007) Vinyl Japan (limited edition Japanese CD of ''Stealin' Home'' + 9 live bonus tracks recorded at

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

in November 1978) * ''Contact'' (2007) Blue Rose, CD + DVD (with Richard Kennedy and Mike Roelofs, live in Heilbronn, Germany, December 2004) * ''Rhino Hi-Five: Ian Matthews'' (2007)

Rhino A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

/Elektra/

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

(5-track digital EP) * ''Collected'' (2011) Universal (57-track 3CD career retrospective, all tracks chosen personally by Matthews) * ''If You Saw Thro' My Eyes (remaster)'' (2012)

Esoteric Western esotericism, also known as the Western mystery tradition, is a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas and currents are united since they are largely distinct both from orthod ...

/Cherry Red * ''Tigers Will Survive'' (2012) Esoteric/Cherry Red (original album remaster + bonus track) * ''The Art of Obscurity'' (2013) MK2 Records/Omnivore Music/ Fledg'ling * ''Stealin' Home'' (2014) Omnivore (original album remaster + 9 live bonus tracks recorded at Texas A&M University in November 1978) * ''Live at Rockpalast – Hamburg 1983'' (2017) MIG (DVD + 2CD: CD1 is the audio version of the DVD; CD2 contains the studio versions of all the songs) * ''Walking a Changing Line'' 2CD (2017) MIG (original album remaster + CD2 of outtakes) * ''A Baker's Dozen'' (2017) MK2 Records * ''Thro' My Eyes'' (2018) Route (2CD compilation released as part of the Deluxe edition of his "Thro' My Eyes" biography)

Box sets

* ''The Original Notebook Series'' (2002) Coast To Coast (Limited edition 5CD archival box set containing ''Live Alone'', ''Intimate Wash'', ''Camouflage'', ''Nights In Manhattan And Points West'', plus a fifth, then unreleased CD, ''Woodshedding'') * ''Orphans And Outcasts'' (2019) Cherry Red Records (4CD box set containing remastered versions of ''Orphans And Outcasts Volumes 1-3'', plus a fourth CD of newly curated outtakes and demo recordings)

Slimline series

* ''Amen'' (2009) Perfect Pitch (live at Café de Amer,

Amen Amen (, ; , ; , ; , ) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic practices as a concluding word, or as a respons ...

with Bart Oostindie and Mike Roelofs) * ''Woodshedding'' (2009) Perfect Pitch (single CD issue of CD5 from the ''Original Notebook Series'' box set)

2-in-1 reissues / remasters

* ''If You Saw Thro’ My Eyes / Tigers Will Survive'' (1992) Vertigo * ''Stealin’ Home / Siamese Friends'' (1999) Line Records * ''Valley Hi / Some Days You Eat The Bear'' (2003) Water Records * ''Stealin’ Home / Siamese Friends'' (2005 remaster)

BGO Records BGO Records (Beat Goes On) is a British record label specializing in classic rock, blues, jazz, and folk music. In 1965, Andy Gray opened Andys Records and set up a market stall in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Year by year he opened up more shops. ...

* ''Spot Of Interference / Shook'' (2005 remaster) BGO Records * ''Go For Broke / Hit And Run'' (2006 remaster) BGO Records * ''The Dark Ride / God Looked Down'' (2006 remaster) BGO Records * ''Pure And Crooked / Skeleton Keys'' (2009 remaster) BGO Records * ''Valley Hi / Some Days You Eat The Bear'' (2017 remaster) BGO Records * ''If You Saw Thro’ My Eyes / Tigers Will Survive'' (2024 remaster) BGO Records

Groups

Fairport Convention * ''

'' (1968) UK Polydor/US Cotillion * '' What We Did On Our Holidays'' (1968) UK

Island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

/US A&M (US release has an entirely different cover to the UK release) * '' Unhalfbricking'' (1969) UK Island/US A&M * ''The History Of Fairport Convention'' (1972) Island (2LP compilation) * ''Fairport Chronicles'' (1972) A&M (2LP compilation) * ''Heyday: The

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Sessions 1968-69'' (1986) UK Island/US

Hannibal Hannibal (; ; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Punic people, Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Ancient Carthage, Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War. Hannibal's fat ...

* ''The Other Boot'' (1987) Dirty Linen (2 Cassette, the official bootleg of the 1986 Fairport Cropredy reunion) * ''Meet On The Ledge The Classic Years (1967-1975)'' (1999) UK Island/US A&M * ''What We Did On Our Holidays - An Introduction To Fairport Convention'' (1999) Island Masters * ''The Other Boot/The Third Leg'' (2001)

Woodworm A woodworm is the Xylophagy, wood-eating larva of many species of beetle. It is also a generic description given to the infestation of a wooden item (normally part of a dwelling or the furniture in it) by these larvae. Types of woodworm Woodbo ...

(3CD, the official bootleg of the 1986/1987 Cropredy Festivals) * ''Heyday: The BBC Sessions 1968-1969 Extended'' (2002) Island Remasters (8 bonus tracks) * ''Cropredy 2002. Another Gig; Another Palindrome'' (2002) Woodworm * ''Fairport Convention'' (2003) Island Remasters (Remastered CD with 4 bonus tracks, including a rare studio version of

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...

’s " Suzanne" featuring Matthews on solo vocal, also two live tracks from French TV and the first single) * ''What We Did On Our Holidays'' (2003) Island Remasters (Remastered CD with 4 bonus, including a rare BBC live recording from February 1969) * ''Across The Decades'' (2003) Snapper (2CD compilation) * ''The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood (Live At The Cropredy Festivals 1986 and 1987)'' 2CD (2004) Shakedown * ''Cropredy Capers (Twenty Five Years Of Fairport Convention And Friends At Cropredy Festival)'' (2004) Free Reed (4CD Box Set) * ''Live At The BBC'' (2007) Island Remasters (4CD Box Set) * '' More Things We Did On Our Holidays (The Cropredy Festivals)'' (2011) 2CD

Secret Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controver ...

(same as ''The Other Boot''/''The Third Leg'') * ''Come All Ye: The First Ten Years'' (2017) UMC (7CD Box Set) * ''What We Did On Our Saturday'' (2018) 2CD (Live At 50th Anniversary Cropredy Festival) Matty Grooves Matthews Southern Comfort * '' Second Spring'' (1970) UK Uni/US Decca (US release has an entirely different cover to the UK release) * '' Later That Same Year'' (1970) UK Uni/US Decca/ US Reissue Pickwick * ''One, Two, Three... Too Good! '' (1970 German vinyl release)

Teldec Teldec (Telefunken-Decca Schallplatten GmbH) is a German record label in Hamburg, Germany. Today the label is a property of Warner Music Group. History Teldec was a producer of (first) shellac and (later) vinyl records. The Teldec manufacturing ...

/ MCA (2LP best of compilation) * ''The Best Of Matthews Southern Comfort'' (1971 Japanese vinyl release) Victor Co. of Japan/MCA * ''Best Of Matthews Southern Comfort'' (1974 vinyl; 1989 CD) MCA Records * ''Ian Matthews’ Best In Early 70s'' (1979 Japanese vinyl release) Victor Musical Industries/MCA * ''Matthews Southern Comfort Meet Southern Comfort'' (1987 vinyl compilation) See for Miles * ''Scion'' (1994) UK Band Of Joy/US Dutch East India Trading (collection of outtakes and BBC recordings) * ''The Essential Collection'' (1997) Half Moon (retrospective of 1970s recordings) * ''Matthews’ Southern Comfort/Second Spring'' (1996) BGO Records * ''Later That Same Year'' (2008 CD) BGO Records (original album remaster + 4 bonus tracks) * ''Fairport Convention & Matthews Southern Comfort - Live In Maidstone 1970'' (2009) Voiceprint (Soundtrack to the Tony Palmer film, two tracks by Matthews Southern Comfort) * ''Kind Of New'' (2010) Brilliant/Genepool * ''Kind Of Live'' (2011) Perfect Pitch * ''Kind Of New/Kind of Live'' (2012) 2CD Esoteric / Cherry Red * ''Matthews Southern Comfort: A Simple History Vol.1'' (2017) MK2 Records (2017 tour album) * ''Like A Radio'' (2018) MIG * ''Bits And Pieces'' (2018) MIG (4-track limited edition 10" white vinyl EP including and alternative mix of "Woodstock") * ''The New Mine'' (2020) MIG * '"Hey Superman" (2020) (Digital single) * "

With a Little Help from My Friends "With a Little Help from My Friends" is a song recorded by English rock band the Beatles for their 1967 album '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. It was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and is sung by drummer Ringo Starr (a ...

" (2022) (Digital single) * " I Feel Like I’m Fixing To Die Rag" (2023) (Digital single) * "

Spinning Wheel A spinning wheel is a device for spinning thread or yarn from fibres. It was fundamental to the textile industry prior to the Industrial Revolution. It laid the foundations for later machinery such as the spinning jenny and spinning frame, ...

" (2023) (Digital single) * ''The Woodstock Album'' (2023) Must Have Music Plainsong * ''In Search Of Amelia Earhart'' (1972 vinyl) UK and US Elektra * ''In Search Of Amelia Earhart ''(1991 CD) Japan Elektra/ Warner-Pioneer Corporation * ''And That’s That - The Demos'' (1992) Taxim Records * ''On Air - Original BBC Recordings'' (1992) Band of Joy (BBC recordings from 1972) * ''Dark Side of the Room'' (1992) Line Records * ''Voices Electric'' (1994) Line Records * ''Sister Flute'' (1996) Line Records * ''On Air'' (1997)

Strange Fruit "Strange Fruit" is a song written and composed by Abel Meeropol (under his pseudonym Lewis Allan) and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. The lyrics were drawn from a poem by Meeropol published in 1937. The song Protest song, protests the Lynch ...

(original BBC album + 2 extra tracks) * ''New Place Now'' (1999) Blue Rose (Germany)/Spin Along (UK)/Tangible (US) * ''Live In

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

'' (1999) Plainsong (4-track mini-CD, live in Thalgau, 6 July 1997) * ''A To B'' (2001) Spin Along (6-track mini-CD) * ''In Search Of Amelia Earhart'' (CD 2001) Perfect Pitch * ''Pangolins'' (2003) Blue Rose Records * ''Plainsong'' (2005) 2CD Water Records (remaster of ''In Search Of Amelia Earhart'', unreleased second album ''Now We Are 3'', plus radio sessions, live recordings and singles) * ''Fat Lady Singing'' (2012) Blue Rose Records * ''Reinventing Richard: The Songs of

Richard Fariña Richard George Fariña (; March 8, 1937 – April 30, 1966) was an American Folk music, folksinger, songwriter, poet and novelist. Early years and education Fariña was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, the son of an Irish mother, Ther ...

'' (2015) Fledg'ling * ''In Search Of Amelia Earhart'' (CD re-issue 2016) Man In The Moon Hamilton Pool * ''Return To Zero'' (1995) Watermelon Hi-Fi * ''Demonstration Record'' (1981) SP&S Records (US)/(1982) Butt Records (UK) * ''Moods for Mallards'' (1982) First American Records (US)/(1983) Shanghai Records (UK) * ''Complete Works'' (2006) CD + DVD Blue Rose * ''The Complete Collection'' (2012) CD + DVD Rockville Records (CD has 3 extra tracks compared to the 2006 version) No Grey Faith * ''Secrets All Told – The Songs Of

'' (2000) Perfect Pitch/Unique Gravity More Than A Song * ''More Than A Song'' (2001) Perfect Pitch/Coast To Coast * ''Witness'' (2002) Turtle Records (live in

) * ''More Than A Song'' (2003) Under The Radar (US release contains two bonus live tracks, "Anchor" and "Lamb In Armor"). Iain Matthews & The Salmon Smokers * ''Woodstock b/w Keep On Sailing'' (2019) New Noise (limited edition 45rpm single) * ''Fake Tan'' (2020) New Noise (vinyl LP) * ''Fake Tan'' (2021) Talking Elephant (CD release with Keep On Sailing as a bonus track) The Matthews Baartmans Conspiracy * ''Distant Chatter'' (2021) Talking Elephant

Collaborations with other artists

With Julian Dawson * ''Songs From The Red Couch'' (1996) Iglhauser (live in Thalgäu, 4 August 1996) * ''Flood Damage'' (2002) Key-Wi (live in Thalgäu, 29 November 2002) With Ad Vanderveen * ''The Iain Ad Venture'' (2000) Blue Rose * '' Ride The Times'' (2010) Turtle Records * ''Greetings From Grolloo'' (2024) RADZ Records With Elliott Murphy * ''La Terre Commune'' (2001) Blue Rose/Perfect Pitch/Eminent With Elliott Murphy and Olivier Durand * ''Official Blue Rose Bootleg Series'' 2CD (2001) Blue Rose (live in

Solingen Solingen (; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 25 km east of Düsseldorf along the northern edge of the Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr. After Wuppertal, it is the second-largest city in the Bergisches Land, and a member of ...

, 1 June 2001) * ''CD Ticket'' (2001) Blue Rose (2-track CD, "Cortez The Killer"/"I Don't Wanna Talk About It" recorded live in Germany, 27 May 2001) With Searing Quartet * ''Joy Mining'' (2008) Perfect Pitch With Egbert Derix * ''Afterwords'' (2010) CD + DVD MatriX (CD live at Café Thembi,

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; ; ; ) is a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital city, capital and largest city of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. Maastricht is loca ...

, 17 May 2009; DVD live at Acoustic Alley, Den Haag, 18 October 2009) * ''In The Now'' (2012) Verve/Fledg'ling (UK), Omnivore (US) * ''That Is To Say'' (2012) DVD MatriX (live concert at The Music Star, Norderstedt, Germany, 12 May 2012 + 3 bonus tracks recorded 10 October 2010) * ''The Making Of 'In The Now' '' (2014) DVD Omnivore (~40-minute documentary about the making of the album) With Andy Roberts * ''Live At The Bonington Theatre, Nottingham 1991'' (2021) Angel Air With Jim Fogarty * ''The Heart Of Saturday Night'' (2021) Limited edition live album recorded in Voorhees, NJ in 2011 and sold exclusively to fans on tour or by direct mail order

As a featured artist

With Nanci Griffith * '' Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful)'' (1998) Elektra With Nick Vernier Band * ''

'' (2009) Brinker Media download With Nick Vernier Band and Emitt Rhodes * '' Time Will Show The Wiser'' (2010) Brinker Media download

As a guest artist

Matthews featured as a guest artist on the following albums, either singing lead vocals, harmony vocals or playing guitar. * Marc Ellington: ''Marc Ellington'' (1969)

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), simply branded Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, its world headquarters have been situated in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarter ...

* Marc Ellington: ''Rains/Reins Of Changes'' (1971) B&C * Andy Roberts: ''Nina And The Dream Tree'' (1969) Pegasus * Long Dancer: ''It Was So Simple'' (1972) Rocket * Allan Taylor: ''The Lady'' (1969)

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

* Marc Ellington: ''Restoration'' (1973) Philips * Andy Roberts: ''Urban Cowboy'' (1973) Elektra * Bob Neuwirth: ''Bob Neuwirth'' (1974) Asylum * Steve Gillette: ''Back On The Street Again'' (1975) Outpost *

Jackie Lomax John Richard Lomax (10 May 1944 – 15 September 2013) was an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his association with George Harrison, who produced Lomax's recordings for the Beatles' Apple record label in the late 1 ...

: ''Livin' For The Lovin' '' (1976) Capitol * Richard Thompson: '' (guitar, vocal)'' (1976) Island *

Julie Covington Julie Covington (born 11 September 1946) is an English singer and actress, best known for recording the original version of " Don't Cry for Me Argentina", which she sang on the 1976 concept album '' Evita''. Early life Julie Covington was born ...

: ''

'' (1978)

Virgin Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...

* Richard and Linda Thompson: '' First Light'' (1978)

Chrysalis A pupa (; : pupae) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their life cycle, the stages the ...

* Matinee Idols: ''Leaving Limbo'' (1982) DVG Records (12" EP) * Any Trouble: ''Any Trouble'' (1983) EMI America * Bourgeois Tagg: ''Bourgeois Tagg'' (1986) Island USA * Fred Simon: ''Usually/Always'' (1988) Windham Hill * Christine Albert: ''You Are Gold'' (1990) Gambini Global Recordings (cassette-only release) * Eric Taylor: ''Eric Taylor'' (1995) Watermelon * Denice Franke: ''You Don't Know Me'' (1997) de nICE giRL * Mike Rosenthal: ''Mike Rosenthal'' (1999) Red Truck * Rainravens: ''Rose Of Jericho'' (1999) Blue Rose * Jeff Talmadge: ''Spinning Of The World'' (2000) Bozart * Ad Vanderveen: ''Here Now'' (2000) Hunter Music * Ad Vanderveen: ''The Moment That Matters'' (2003) Blue Rose * Willy Russell ''Hoovering The Moon'' (2003) WR Ltd. * Ad Vanderveen & The O'Neils: ''Live, Burgerhaus, Heilbron'' (2004) Blue Rose * BJ Baartmans: ''Where Lovers Go'' (2004) Inbetweens * Jelle Paulusma: ''iRECORD'' (2008) Munich * BJ Baartmans: ''Voor en Achter'' (2010) Continental Europe (2CD compilation) * Lorrie Singer and Bradley Kopp: ''A Deep Oasis'' (2011) Redboot * Egbert Derix: ''Paintings In Minor Lila'' (2012) Eggy D * Bart de Win: ''Easy To See'' (2012) Shine A Light * Henning Kvitnes: ''Scandicana'' (2012)

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parloph ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

* Pete Mancini: ''Foothill Freeway'' (2017) Paradiddle

Unique compilation albums

Compilations containing unique Matthews material not available elsewhere: * Various Artists ''2 Meter Sessions, Vol.4'' (1993) Radio Records: Iain Matthews "A Cross To Bear", recorded 8 September 1992, NOB radio session * Various Artists ''SXSW Live, Vol.3'' (1994)

SXSW South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

: Iain Matthews "God Looked Down", recorded Austin, Texas 17/19 March 1994 * Various Artists ''Broadcasts Vol.2'' (1994) KGSR 2CD set: Iain Matthews "Evening Sun", recorded live for 107.1 KGSR/Radio Austin, Austin, Texas 1994 * Various Artists ''Liner - New Tracks 2.'' (1994) Line Records promo CD: Iain Matthews & Ian Cussick "Meet On The Ledge", recorded live at the Knust Club, Hamburg * Various Artists ''Three Two One It's Alive From Studio A'' (1995) WCBE: Iain Matthews "Jumping Off The Roof", WCBE radio sessions 1995 * Various Artists ''What's That I Hear? The Songs Of

Phil Ochs Philip David Ochs (; December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976) was an American songwriter, protest song, protest singer (or, as he preferred, "topical singer"), and Political Activist, political activist. Ochs was known for his sharp wit, sardonic h ...

'' (1998) Siced Bread Records: Iain Matthews "Flower Lady" * Various Artists ''Live Pa Halkaer Kro'': Iain Matthews "I Drove", Danish radio recordings released 2000. * Various Artists ''30 Jaar Hubert On The Air'' (2003) L1 Records 3CD set: More Than A Song "Ballad Of Gruene Hall", “Heart Of A Man” and “Bare Necessities”, 1Limburg Dutch radio session * Various Artists '' Tønder Festival 2003'' (2003) Millstream Records: Plainsong "Barbed Wire Fence (live)”. * Various Artists ''Tønder Festival 2012'' (2012) Millstream Records: Plainsong "Charlie (live)” * Various Artists ''Ever After: Tree Of Life'' (2016) Fyify! Records & Publishing : Iain Matthews "Alone Again Blues (live).

Line Records compilations

* Various Artists ''Another

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

Gift from Line - 1987'' (1987) 2CD set, Line Records promo compilation : Ian Matthews "Shorting Out". In addition, several tracks recorded in the 1980s as Ian Matthews appear on a Line Records compilation series, Der Sampler. * ''Der Sampler 1'' (1986): "Wild Places" * ''Der Sampler 9'' (1986): "For The Lonely Hunter" * ''Der Sampler 10'' (1986): "Gimme An Inch Girl" * ''Der Sampler 11'' (1986): "Carefully Taught/Stealin’ Home" * ''Der Sampler 13'' (1986): "Hearts On The Line" * ''Der Sampler 15'' (1986): "Polly" * ''Der Sampler 36'' (1989): "Wild Places" * ''Der Sampler 39'' (1989): "See Me" * ''Der Sampler 40'' (1989): "Carefully Taught/Stealin’ Home"

Blue Rose Records compilations

Matthews tracks appeared on various Blue Rose Records compilation albums, either as a solo artist, with Plainsong, or with Elliott Murphy. * ''Blue Rose Collection Vol.4'' (1998): Iain Matthews "Where the Big Dogs Run" * ''Blue Rose Collection Vol.6'' (1999): Plainsong "Following Amelia", Iain Matthews "Gimme An Inch" live in Nuremberg. * ''Blue Rose Collection Vol.7'' (2001): Iain Matthews "The Power And The Glory", "Timing", "Mercy Street" * ''Blue Rose Collection Vol.8'' (2001): Elliot Murphy & Iain Matthews "One Cold Street" * ''Blue Rose Collection Vol.10'' (2003): Plainsong "Barbed Wire Fence" * ''Blue Rose Collection Vol.11'' (2004): Iain Matthews "Power" * ''The Blue Rose Christmas Party 2006'' (2007): : CD1 with Julian Dawson "Rain On The Roof", "Can't Buy Me Love" : CD2 Iain Matthews solo "The Frame", "Southern Wind"; with Julian Dawson "Crazy Love"; with Julian Dawson & Ad Vanderveen "Funk And Fire"; with Elliott Murphy & Olivier Durand "

Blind Willie McTell Blind Willie McTell (born William Samuel McTier; May 5, 1898 – August 19, 1959) was an American Piedmont blues and ragtime singer, songwriter and guitarist. He played in a fluid, syncopated finger picking guitar style common among many Eas ...

" : CD3 The Blue Rose Rockestra - Iain Matthews "Da Doo Ron Ron", " Brown Eyed Girl", "I Believe In You", " For What It’s Worth/ Feeling Alright" * ''Various Artists – 1995 – 2015 / 20 Years Blue Rose Records – Best of Americana Rock Music Past and Present'' (2CD) (2015): Iain Matthews "Funk and Fire" * ''Various Artists – 20 Years Blue Rose Records – Best of Americana Rock Music Vol. 2 Past and Present'' (2CD) (2015): Plainsong "Barbed Wire Fence"

Blue Rose Nuggets series

Unique Iain Matthews tracks also appear on several Blue Rose Nuggets compilation albums: * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 1'' (2002): Iain Matthews with Elliott Murphy and Olivier Durand "Girl with the Clouds in Her Eyes", live at Burgerhaus Heilbron-Bockingen, 27 May 2001. * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 2'' (2003): Iain Matthews and The Swinelakers "Reno Nevada", live at Hirsch, Nurnburg, 28 September 1998. * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 3'' (2003): Plainsong "Needle in the Hay". * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 4'' (2004): Iain Matthews "Funk and Fire". * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 8'' (2004): Iain Matthews "Cartwheel Avenue". * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 11'' (2005): Plainsong "Even the Guiding Light" recorded live at the Hospitalkirche in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany, 8 May 2003 * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 14'' (2005): Iain Matthews "The Limburg Girl and the Travelling Man". * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 23'' (2007): Iain Matthews with Mike Roelofs, Richard Kennedy, and Sean Staples "Funk and Fire", live. * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 24'' (2007): Iain Matthews (as part of the Blue Rose Rockestra) "For What It's Worth/Feelin' Alright", live. * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 27'' (2007): Plainsong "Footsteps Fall". * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 32'' (2008): Iain Matthews with Elliott Murphy "Close to the Bone" * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 33'' (2008): Iain Matthews "Something Mighty" * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 36'' (2009): Iain Matthews "Something Mighty" * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 42'' (2010): Iain Matthews with Elliott Murphy "Big Umbrella" * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 46'' (2010): Plainsong "Here Comes the Rain". * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 54'' (2012): Iain Matthews "The Onliest" * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 57'' (2012): Plainsong "Sloth". * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 86'' (2018): Iain Matthews "Like Dominoes" * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 92'' (2018): Iain Matthews "Touching the Fleece" * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 95'' (2019): Plainsong "I Can't Let Go". * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 96'' (2019): Iain Matthews "Sister" * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 97'' (2019): Iain Matthews with Elliott Murphy "The Ballad of the Soldier's Wife" * ''Blue Rose Nuggets 100'' (2019): Iain Matthews with Elliott Murphy "I Don't Wanna Talk About It" recorded live in Heilbronn, Germany on 27 May 2001

Other compilation albums

Iain Matthews tracks appear on some 90 compilation CDs, a listing of which can be found on the Discogs website. The Matthews Southern Comfort 1970 #1 UK single "Woodstock" appears on over 200 compilation CDs, a listing of which can be found on the Discogs website. Various tracks from Plainsong also appear on 17 compilation CDs, a listing of which can be found at the following link on the Discogs website.

Billboard/RPM charts

Hot 100 Singles * "

", Matthews Southern Comfort (Band) (No. 23, No. 5 Canada, 1971) * "Mare, Take Me Home", Matthews Southern Comfort (Band) (No. 96, No. 86 Canada, 1971) * "Tell Me Why", Matthews Southern Comfort (Band) (No. 98, 1971) * " Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)" (No. 96, No. 68 Canada, 1972) * " Shake It" (US No. 13; Canada No. 6, 1979) * " Give Me an Inch" (No. 67, 1979)The US single on Mushroom Records listed the song title as "Give Me an Inch", per the original version by Robert Palmer; other versions of the single outside the US listed the song as "Gimme an Inch Girl" per the title on the Stealin' Home album. Easy Listening (Adult Contemporary) * "Woodstock – Matthews Southern Comfort (Band)" (No. 17, No. 22 Canada, 1971) * "Shake It" (No. 21, No. 32 Canada, 1979) * "Give Me an Inch" (No. 43, 1979) * "Don't Hang Up Your Dancing Shoes" (No. 42, 1979)

References

External links

*
Discography at Music CityBiography on music.com
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Iain 1946 births Living people People from Scunthorpe English male singer-songwriters English record producers English folk rock musicians British soft rock musicians Decca Records artists Vertigo Records artists Fairport Convention members Windham Hill Records artists Elektra Records artists RSO Records artists 20th-century English singers 21st-century English singers Musicians from Lincolnshire 20th-century English male singers 21st-century English male singers

Origins

Fairport Convention

Matthews Southern Comfort

Plainsong

Moving around

Later career

Thro' My Eyes: A Memoir

Videography

Ian Matthews

Iain Matthews

Matthews Southern Comfort

More Than a Song

Ad Vanderveen and Friends

Hi-Fi

With Egbert Derix

With Nanci Griffith Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She often appeared on the PBS music program ''Austin City Limits'', starting in 1985 during season 10. In 1990, Griffith appeared on th ...

Discography

The Pyramid

Solo albums

Box sets

Slimline series

2-in-1 reissues / remasters

Groups

Collaborations with other artists

As a featured artist

As a guest artist

Unique compilation albums

Line Records compilations

Blue Rose Records compilations

Blue Rose Nuggets series

Other compilation albums

Billboard/RPM charts

References

External links

With
Nanci Griffith Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She often appeared on the PBS music program ''Austin City Limits'', starting in 1985 during season 10. In 1990, Griffith appeared on th ...