Brinsley Schwarz

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Brinsley Schwarz
Andrews, Rankin, Schwarz, Lowe, Gomm
Country	England
Years active	1969–1974
Genres	Rock Pub Rock
Labels	Capitol Records United Artists Records
Members	Nick Lowe Brinsley Schwarz Billy Rankin Bob Andrews Ian Gomm (1970-1974)

Brinsley Schwarz is a 1970s English pub rock band, named after their guitarist Brinsley Schwarz. With Nick Lowe on bass and vocals, keyboardist Bob Andrews and drummer Billy Rankin, the band had evolved into its most well-known form by 1969 after achieving some success as Kippington Lodge.

Brinsley Schwarz signed a contract with manager Dave Robinson, who developed a plan to earn the band some publicity. They were to open for Van Morrison at the Fillmore East in New York City, and Robinson would fly all the leading British rock critics to the show so they could review it. Though the band had planned on leaving a few days early so they could rehearse, visa problems prevented this and they arrived in New York right before they were to begin. The critics' plane was delayed for four hours, and they arrived at the show either drunk or hung over. The show did not go over well, and the band received a flood of negative reviews over the course of the next few weeks.

In 1970, Brinsley Schwarz released Despite It All, which had a definite country sound to it, after adding Ian Gomm. Their wild performances soon garnered the band a large fanbase at English pubs, such as 'Tally Ho' in Kentish Town. Along with other bands like Eggs Over Easy, Brinsley Schwarz was soon dubbed "pub rock" by rock journalists. They sounded, at times, very much like The Band, with Schwarz's guitar work influenced greatly by Robbie Robertson's.

1972's ironic take on country-rock, Nervous on the Road, received excellent reviews but did not reach the charts; neither did a series of singles or Please Don't Ever Change (1973). They continued recording for a time, but broke up in 1975. Schwarz and Andrews joined Graham Parker & the Rumour, while Rankin joined Terraplane and then Big Jim Sullivan's Tiger. Ian Gomm and Nick Lowe both began solo careers, with Lowe achieving moderate mainstream success, including the (1980) single "Cruel to Be Kind", an unrecorded Brinsley composition.

The original version of Elvis Costello's hit "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding," written by Lowe, was released by the band in 1974 on their album The New Favourites of Brinsley Schwarz.