Ian Robert Gomm (born 17 March 1947, Chiswick, west London) is a British singer-songwriter, who was the rhythm guitarist for Brinsley Schwarz from 1970 to 1974. He was named "Best Rhythm Guitarist" by NME in 1971.[1]
After Brinsley Schwarz folded, Gomm moved to Wales, where he built his own recording studio and recorded sessions by The Stranglers, Amon Düül, and Alexis Korner. He also released his own solo debut album, Summer Holiday in 1978. The following year, Stiff/Epic issued the album retitled as Gomm with the Wind in the United States. From it he scored a Top 40 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979, with the song "Hold On" which reached #18 in the autumn of that year. This led to a gig supporting Dire Straits on their Sultans of Swing tour. Gomm also co-wrote with Nick Lowe the song, "Cruel to Be Kind", which reached #12 in both the US and UK for Lowe also in 1979.
"Hold On" has been featured as bumper music on the Coast to Coast AM radio show.
Subsequent solo albums included What a Blow, The Village Voice (which included "Louise," a song that became Phil Everly's first solo hit) and 1986's Images, his final release of the 1980s. Gomm spent the rest of the decade building a new studio, Mountain Sound, and writing more songs.
Producing and engineering work kept him busy until 1997, when he released Crazy for You. In 2000, he returned to the studio with Jeff "Stick" Davis of the Amazing Rhythm Aces, plus Pat McInerney of Nanci Griffith's Blue Moon Orchestra, to record Rock 'N' Roll Heart. It was released in 2002.[2]
Ian has finished a new 2010 album project “Only Time Will Tell” with American singer/songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols for the Relaxa Records label. They have recorded 14 new tracks together at Gwyn Jones’s Bos Studio in Llanferfyl, Mid Wales. Nashville musicians Clive Gregson and Pat McInerney also dropped by to help out in between UK touring commitments. It was mixed at The Butcher Shoppe, Nashville, Tennessee, USA by David Ferguson and mastered at Foxwood Mastering, Nashville, Tennessee, USA by Dave Shipley.
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Ian Gomm born in downtown Chiswick grew up in London and cut his teeth on The Ventures, The Everly Brothers and The Beatles. The young Gomm followed a 5-year apprenticeship in mechanical and electronic engineering with EMI.Ltd. at Hayes in London where The Beatles first records were manufactured. He sang and played lead/rhythm guitar in semi-pro groups in his spare time through the late sixties. Always leading three-piece line-ups he performed around the West London R&B circuit in clubs and pubs, as were Alexis Korner and the embryonic Rolling Stones, his band supporting new groups such as The Who, Pink Floyd and The Move. Gomm concentrated hard on his guitar playing and was eventually described as quote: "Best rhythm guitarist in Britain." (NME 1971).
Deciding to become a full time musician in September 1970 Ian gave in his notice on a Friday and on the next Monday joined the cult group Brinsley Schwarz, the country rock band managed by ex-Jimi Hendrix tour manager and soon to be Managing Director and founder of Stiff Records, Dave Robinson, who advertised in the Melody Maker for "a rhythm/lead guitarist with vocal ability to sing, write and play any other instruments, interested or into country flavoured music" for the group. Ian fitted the bill perfectly, turning the band around to be the solid, hardworking and professional Pub Rock outfit which packed out every venue they played in the early 70's. They also supported Dave Edmunds on tour and then Paul McCartney and Wings on his first major U.K. tour since the Beatles. During the six years the Brinsleys were together they regularly performed on radio and television and played at major U.K. venues, universities, colleges and rock festivals, topping the bill at the first Glastonbury Festival! They even appeared in the film 'Stardust' with David Essex. The band enjoyed a huge following in the U.K., Ireland, Holland, and Germany, recording 12 albums and 21 singles for United Artists.
When they finally split up in 1975 Ian moved with his wife Karen and family to Mid-Wales. He built a recording studio and concentrated on his own song writing career and learned how to engineer and produce records. He recorded The Stranglers, Alexis Korner, Peter Hammill and Amon Duul as well as his own solo song demos.
His fellow band member Nick Lowe preferred the hustle of London however, and after his involvement with the newly formed Stiff record label went on to form Rockpile with Dave Edmunds and Little Village with Ry Cooder. Recently having a huge success with his song 'What's So Funny About Peace Love And Understanding' sung by Curtis Stigers, which was featured in the film 'The Body Guard', and was originally recorded with Ian's musical arrangement by the Brinsleys.
Having amassed a large catalogue of his own songs Ian was signed by the newly formed independent Albion record label based in London. His first solo album titled 'Summer Holiday' was released in the UK in 1978 and used superb musicians like Herbie Flowers (bass), BarryDe Sousa (drums) and Raf Ravenscroft (saxophone) of 'Baker Street' fame. In 1979 the same album now called 'Gomm with the Wind' was released on Stiff/Epic Records in North America. A single from the album 'Hold On' took off on college radio and eventually climbed to number 12 in the U.S. Hot 100. For over 5 months he toured and played all the top venues in the U.S. attracting audiences of 20,000 or more. Firstly supporting Dire Straits on their 'Sultans Of Swing' tour, then quickly followed by his own sell out U.S. solo tour. Chart topping country star Glen Campbell covered Ian's song 'Hooked On Love' from this album. Nick Lowe also had his biggest hit around the same time reaching the U.S. and U.K. top ten with 'Cruel to be Kind' a song he co-wrote with Ian when they were in the Brinsleys.
A year later saw the world-wide release of Ian's second album 'What a Blow' which was once again produced by the legendary Martin Rushent whose other credits had by then included Shirley Bassey, The Stranglers, The Buzzcocks and The Human League. The subtly titled Ian Gomm Band embarked on a succession of European tours topping the bill at many major events.
One of Ian's old Brinsley songs 'It's Been So Long' was reworked in 1981 by Dave Edmunds on his 'Twangin' album.
U.K. recognition however still eluded him and in 1982 his third album, 'The Village Voice' was released. Phil Everly of Everly Brothers fame covered Ian's song 'Louise' from this album and promptly scored his first solo hit.
It was at this time Ian co-wrote the instrumental 'Carrillon' with Herbie Flowers the bass player who had played on most of Ian's solo recordings. Herbie had just formed a classical 'supergroup' Sky with guitarist John Williams and this track appeared on their debut album 'Sky' whose sales soon went Platinum and still sells well to this day.
Ian's continuing popularity in Holland led to the Dutch release of his fourth self-produced album 'What Makes A Man A Man?' in 1986. This was recorded in Ian's own home studio with additional studio re-mixing in Holland. It proved to be so successful that it was then released throughout Europe this time re-titled 'Images'.
Ian then spent the next few years writing new songs and finishing the building and wiring of yet another recording studio, this time on top of a Welsh mountain and cunningly called Mountain Sound Studio. After years of producing and engineering there he was finally lured back into recording his songs again. It was here he recorded his 'Crazy For You' album, which was released in 1997 on the Japanese MSI label.
The song 'Cruel To Be Kind' which he co-wrote with Nick Lowe back in their Brinsley days has been featured in three recent American film releases. 'Dead Man's Curve' (Mount Royal) in 1998, '200 Cigarettes' (Lakeshore) and 'Ten Things I Hate About You' (Touchstone) in 1999. It also has been featured on numerous '70's' compilation CD's in both Europe and America.
Ian was back at Mountain Sound Studio in Mid- Wales last Autumn 1999 laying down 12 new backing tracks for his latest album 'Rock 'N' Roll Heart'. Two Nashville musicians, Jeff 'Stick' Davis, 'The Amazing Rhythm Aces' bass player, and Pat McInerney, drummer with 'The Blue Moon Orchestra', Nanci Griffith's band, both flew over from the States especially for the project. Ian then flew back to Nashville, Tennessee this February 2000 where the rest of the album was recorded and mixed. Russell Smith, The Amazing Rhythm Aces singer and Nanci Griffith are both featured singing with Ian whilst Clive Gregson who used to be in Any Trouble and The Richard Thompson Band for many years and who now lives in Nashville plays most of the electric guitar and keyboards. The other musicians featured are top Nashville session players like Ronnie McCoury, James Hooker (Nanci's MD), Joey Mesculin, Michael Snow, Brook Langton, Chas Williams and Michael Webb. Ian's girl backing singers were 'The Chiclets' (Cathryn Craig and LeAnn Etheridge). Jack Clement's studio in Nashville was mostly used for the project. Cowboy Jack's is the place where Johnny Cash did a lot of his recording in the past. The engineer in charge of recording and mixing was David 'Fergie' Ferguson who has worked with the 'man in black' for many years.
In 2003 UK record label, Hux Records, released Ian’s first live CD titled “24 Hour Service”. This was a 1979 concert recorded in San Francisco whilst his band were on their second US tour.
The year 2005 saw Ian involved in three new CD releases.
Firstly Cherry Red Records released a new compilation CD titled "Hold On - The Very Best Of Ian Gomm". This album includes all the highlights from Ian’s six solo albums to date containing a selection of tracks representing Ian’s solo career over a 26 year period:
Hooked On Love / 24 Hour Service / Sad Affair / Hold On / Come On / Man On A Mountain / Nobody's Fool / What A Blow / Here It Comes Again / It Don't Help / I'm In A Heartache / You Can't Catch Me / Louise / Hearts On Fire / Murder In The Night / Going Through The Motions / Cheap Hearts Hurt / I Wasn't Looking For Love / Little Lost Now / Don't Cry
Excellent songwriting, musicianship and vocals from the man once described in the NME as “Britain’s best rhythm guitarist”.
The summer of 2005 saw Tokyo based Japanese recording company Air Mail Recordings release Ian’s original first three solo albums "Summer Holiday", "What A Blow" & "The Village Voice" as brand new digitally re-mastered CD's with bonus tracks, full lyrics & original artwork. They all look and sound great! Check out their website www.airmailrecordings.com and if you buy all three you get a free "Ian Gomm Talks" CD (a digital copy of the original Stiff Records promotional album for US radio staion DJ's).
In November 2005 North American label Brewery Records released "Lowe Profile" a new Nick Lowe tribute double album in the States and Japan. Ian re-recorded his version of "Cruel To Be Kind" for the project which he sang with Walter Clevenger and his Californian band The Dairy Kings via the internet! The CD is available from Brewery Records, Costa Mesa, California at www.breweryrecords.com
“One of the best moments of my musical career was back in the 70’s when Brinsley Schwarz was supporting Paul McCartney & Wings on his UK comeback tour. It was back in the hotel after the show and Linda had gone to bed early,” recalls Ian.” Paul’s personal roadie invited a few of us back to his room for a midnight sing along. He had said to me earlier at the bar how it was a shame that Paul had refused to sing any Beatles songs for years. To my surprise Paul was there too. The lights were dimmed as two acoustic guitars and a bottle of whisky miraculously appeared, I grabbed one of the guitars and Paul had the other one. I noticed that even though he was a left handed player he strummed this right-handed acoustic as a left-hander, that is in mirror reverse, it was very clever. After a few Chuck Berry songs everyone was singing along. Never being one to hold back I started strumming “Love Me Do” and to everyone’s surprise Paul was singing along too. Not only that but when we got to the middle eight I looked up to see Paul McCartney looking a my fingers to see how the chords shapes went. Come on, now he plays old Beatles songs all the time!”
Ian has just finished a new album project “Only Time Will Tell” with American singer/songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols. They have recorded 14 new tracks together at Gwyn Jones’s Bos Studio in Llanferfyl, UK, one of Mid Wales greatest little studios. Top Nashville musicians Clive Gregson and Pat McInerney also dropped by to help out in between UK touring commitments. It was mixed at The Butcher Shoppe, Nashville, Tennessee, USA by David Ferguson and mastered at Foxwood Mastering, Nashville, Tennessee, USA by Dave Shipley. To date Ian Gomm has recorded 11 solo albums and 12 solo singles. He has also branched out into the lucrative British football club record market using a number of cunning pseudonyms and notching up tracks on twelve different football supporters club CD's including a Manchester United supporters club release where he appeared as Red Deville!