So. Forty years, eh ? Before I know it, I’ll be hurtling into my 41st year as a musician. Believe it or not, I seem to become more and more passionate about music as the years go on. There are always going to be more songs to write—I’m not sure I’ve hit my peak yet. And there is no greater pleasure than going out with the band and playing more gigs. Maybe there will be a lot more stories to tell about the years since 1990 and beyond. ‘Bop till you drop !’ That’s what I reckon.
I’d like to think that this book is as much about you as it is about me and that’s why, as predictable as the title may seem, it had to be called The Best Years of Our Lives.
Albert Memorial, Kensington Gardens, London, 1968. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
Royal Albert Hall, London, 1968. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
My band in London, 1968. From left: Steve, Barry and Graham. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
The Richard Clapton Band in the 1970s (from left): Gunther Gorman, Iain McLennan, Michael Hegerty, me and Tony Slavich. DAVID PARKER
Performing with the band in Parramatta in 1978. BOB KING
The Richard Clapton Band in 1978, at the time the Goodbye Tiger album was released. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
An ad for a 1980 tour.
The Girls on the Avenue album cover shoot, 1975. GRAEME WEBBER
In a London cemetery, in the 1970s. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
The apartment in Kantstrasse, Berlin, c. 1983. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
The village church near the NØrre Nebel farmhouse, rented by Volker, where I wrote ‘Deep Water’ and ‘Lucky Country’, 1976. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
Kirk Lorange, me and Richard Batchens during a recording session, 1977. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
Mark Opitz and me in Paradise Studios, 1980. PHILIP MORTLOCK
The Richard Clapton Band, in the early 1980s (from left): Graham Thompson, Mark Myer, Mary Bradfield, me, Cos Russo and Harvey James. TIM BAUER
The cover shot for The Great Escape album, which was released in 1982. PHILIPMORTLOCK
An image from The Great Escape cover shoot, on the deck of the Oriana. PHILIP MORTLOCK
A concept rough for The Great Escape album cover. PHILIP MORTLOCK
In Nice and Paris, 1987. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
Andrea, her daughter Charis and me, Berlin, 1987. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
A promo shot for the Glory Road album. TIM BAUER
The cover shot from the The Best Years of Our Lives album. WENDY MCDOUGALL
The cover shot from the Harlequin Nights album. WENDY MCDOUGALL
With Jon Farriss, of INXS. PHILIP MORTLOCK
Susie and I with our baby daughters, Montana (left) and Saskia, 1990. WENDY MCDOUGALL
At Wahroonga, in 2004. BRENDAN READ
Discography
Prussian Blue
1973, Festival Records
Produced and engineered by Richard Batchens at Festival Studios
Hardly Know Myself / Southern Germany / Poor Man’s Saviour / Strange Days in Chippendale / Prussian Blue / I Wanna Be a Survivor / Last Train to Marseilles / All the Prodigal Children / Burning Ships / The Lonesome Voyager
Girls on the Avenue
1975, Festival Records
Produced and engineered by Richard Batchens at Festival Studios
Girls on the Avenue / Down the Road / Blue Bay Blues / Throw Me Down a Line / Burn Down Your Bridges / Rose Wine Café / Ode to a Slow Boat / I Fell for You / The Ride Out
Mainstreet Jive
1976, Festival Records
Produced and engineered by Richard Batchens at Festival Studios
Soldier of Fortune / Suit Yourself / Kickin’ the Moon Around / Lonesome Heart / Need a Visionary / Factory Life / Casanova’s Got the Blues / Islands of the Heart
Highway One
1976, Festival Records
Produced and engineered by Richard Batchens at Festival Studios
Capricorn Dancer / Babe Rainbow / Down the Road / Longshore Rider / Highway One / Highway One #2
Goodbye Tiger
1977, Festival Records
Produced by Richard Batchens / Engineered by John Frolich at Festival Studios
Lucky Country / Wild Child / Goodbye Tiger / I Can Talk to You / Deep Water / Out on the Edge Again / Hiding From the Light / Amsterdam
Past Hits and Previews
1978, Festival Records
Remastered by Joe Hansch at Kendun Recorders, Los Angeles
Stepping Across the Line / When the Heat’s Off plus hits from previous albums
Hearts on the Nightline
1979, Festival Records
Produced by Dallas Smith / Engineered by Alex Vertikoff at Soundcastle Studios, Los Angeles
Hearts on the Nightline / Passing Trains / Ace of Hearts / Down the Tracks / Sometimes the Fire / Mainstreet Hustle / Out on the Island / Throw Me Down a Line / Thorn in My Saddle
Dark Spaces
1980, Festival Records
Produced by Richard Clapton / Engineered by Mark Moffat at Festival Studios
I Just Can’t Make It / High Society / Shadows / Sophisticated Girl / Dark Spaces / Get Back to the Shelter / Le Club des Fools / The Working Class Life / Metropolis
The Great Escape
1982, WEA Records
Produced by Mark Opitz / Engineered by Mark Opitz and Dave Walsh at Paradise Studios, Sydney
I Am an Island / The Universal / Spellbound / Flow in Motion / The Best Years of Our Lives / Syncopation Train / I Fought the Law / All Night Long / Walk on Water
Solidarity
1984, Mushroom Records
Produced by Mark Opitz / Engineered by David Nicholas at Rhinoceros Studios, Sydney
The Heart of It / Chinatown (Richard Clapton/Tony Slavich) / Amsterdam / Kathleen (Richard Clapton/Guy Delandro) / Solidarity / Feelin’ Alright Tonight / Katy’s Leaving Babylon / Cry Mercy Sister / Atom Bomb / New World
Glory Road
1987, WEA Records
Produced by Jon Farriss / Engineered by David Nicholas at Rhinoceros Studios, Sydney, and Studios de la Grande Armée, Paris / Mixed by Chris Lord-Alge at The Hit Factory, New York
Trust Somebody / The Night Train / Glory Road / I Didn’t Wanna Make You Stay / Emperor’s New Clothes (Richard Clapton/Jon Farriss/Tim Farriss/Garry Gary Beers) / Chameleons (Richard Clapton/Jimmy Barnes/Jon Farriss) / The Underground (Jon Farriss/Richard Clapton) / Down to the Ark / Angelou / Modern Life
The Best Years of Our Lives
1989, WEA Records
Recorded by Al Wright at One Zero One, Sydney / Mixed by Al Wright, Richard Clapton and Mark Bergin at Apocalypse Studios, Crow’s Nest
Deep Water / Trust Somebody / Ace of Hearts / Blue Bay Blues / Get Back to the Shelter / The Night Train / Capricorn Dancer / Lucky Country / High Society / Girls on the Avenue / Goodbye Tiger / Angelou / Glory Road / I Am an Island / The Best Years of Our Lives
Distant Thunder
1993, Sony Music/Columbia
Produced by Richard Clapton / Engineered by Niven Garland at Rh
inoceros Studios, Sydney
Distant Thunder / Oceans of the Heart / All Fall Down (Richard Clapton/John McKay) / Happy Valley (Jon Farriss/ Richard Clapton) / Don’t Be a Stranger / Here Inside of Me / Up Where the Angels Fly / Precious / Stop Foolin’ Around (Richard Clapton/Jon Farriss) / Real Love (Richard Clapton/ John McKay)
Angeltown
1996, Gypsy Music/Village Roadshow
Produced by Richard Clapton / Engineered by Richard Clapton at Mudgeeraba, Garry Gary Beers’ home studio/ Mixed by David Nicholas at Eclipse Studios, Sydney
Dixieland / My Mind’s Eye / That Moon (Diesel/Richard Clapton) / Stay With Me / Howl (Sam McNally/Richard Clapton) / I Wish I Was in Paris / Turn My Heart Around (Richard Clapton/Diesel) / Shine a Light / The Devil in Paradise / Angeltown (Richard Clapton/Dave Leslie) / Real Life (is stranger than fiction)
The Definitive Anthology
1999, WEA Records
Girls on the Avenue / Capricorn Dancer / Lucky Country / Deep Water / Goodbye Tiger / Get Back to the Shelter / I Am an Island / The Best Years of Our Lives / Solidarity / Trust Somebody / Glory Road / Ace of Hearts / Distant Thunder / Oceans of the Heart / Calling for You ( Richard Clapton/Tim Farriss/Guy Delandro) / Little Pilgrims / Blue Bay Blues / The Universal / Walk on Water / Angelou / Real Love / Love Is Strong (Richard Clapton/Michael Hegerty/Mark Edwards) / Everybody’s Makin’ Money (Except Me)
Up and Down the Glory Road
2001, WEA Records
Lucky Country / Capricorn Dancer / Suit Yourself / Get Back to the Shelter / Real Love / Dark Spaces / Oceans of the Heart / Spellbound / Calling For You ( Richard Clapton/Tim Farriss/ Guy Delandro) / Distant Thunder / Deep Water / That Moon (Diesel/Richard Clapton) / The Underground (Jon Farriss/ Richard Clapton) / Glory Road / Ace of Hearts / Flow in Motion / I Am an Island / The Best Years of Our Lives / Girls on the Avenue / Blue Bay Blues / Goodbye Tiger
Diamond Mine
2004, Warner Music
Produced by Richard Clapton / Mixed by Rick Will at Studios 301, Sydney
Obsession (Richard Clapton/Guy Delandro) / Some Sunny Day / Bomb the Bomb / Diamond Mine / High as the Heavens / The Simple Things / Head Full of Rain / Paradise Drive / Zweite Neon / The Dark End of the Road / Tides of Time / What Does It Take to Get Lucky / All Stand Together
Rewired
2006, Warner Music
Produced by Richard Clapton
Trust Somebody / Blue Bay Blues / Liberty Bell / Glory Road / Get Back to the Shelter / Goodbye Tiger / Up Where the Angels Fly / Katy’s Leaving Babylon / High Society / Hearts on the Nightline / Capricorn Dancer / Prussian Blue / Ace of Hearts
Harlequin Nights
2012, MGM
Produced by Richard Clapton / Mixed by David Nicholas
Sunny Side Up / Vapour Trails / Blue Skies / Run Like a River / Dancing with the Vampires / Over the Borderline / Blowing Smoke Up at the Moon / One Fine Day / Skanky Town / Shady Love / Keep Your Blue Eyes Open Wide
For more details of compilations and anthologies, go to www.richardclapton.com
The Best Years of Our Lives Page 24