Albion Heart, released in 1995, was the second album of the long running Albion Band's acoustic phase and the first to contain both Chris While

Chris While

Chris While is an award-winning songwriter, singer and musician, known particularly for her powerful and moving vocals and the quality of her compositions and live performances. She has enjoyed success both as a solo artist, a songwriter and as a member of a number of notable and influential...

 and Julie Matthews

Julie Matthews

Julie Matthews is an award-winning singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. She has been a member of some of the most influential British folk duos and groups and is acknowledged internationally as a major songwriter, with her work being covered by a wide range of artists and...

, marking the beginning of their highly successful collaboration. It benefits from their song writing and instrumental talents, but is almost unique in the history of the band for its lack of traditional English instruments or tunes.

History

After the departure of fiddle player Ashley Reed and the return of singer-songwriter Julie Matthews, the band toured extensively and began rehearsing material brought in by Matthews and new songs composed in various combinations and individually by band leader Ashley Hutchings

Ashley Hutchings

Ashley Stephen Hutchings is an English bassist, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, band leader, writer and record producer. He was a founder member of three of the most noteworthy English folk-rock bands in the history of the genre; Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Albion Band...

, Matthews and While. This formed the basis of this recording at the Courtyard Recording Studio, Stockport, England. Live performances of this set were released as Albion Heart on Tour (Talking Elephant, 2004).

Reception and Significance

The album had a mixed response in the folk and roots press of the time because of its lack of traditional material. Although Hutchings probably produced some of his best original compositions for this album, it was noted that it was dominated by the writing talents and harmonies of While and Matthews, which they were to build upon for their long musical partnership as a duo.

Track listing

1. Albion Heart (4:51)
2. Appalachian Front-Porch Game (4:16)
3. Colours of Love (3:33)
4. Man in the Bottle (3:05)
5. The Devil in Me (4:08)
6. Rebecca Johnson (5:07)
7. Close Your Eyes (3:10) (Composed for the TV series Ridgeriders)
8. Crocodile Line (3:45)
9. Love Is an Abandoned Car (4:48)
10. Gypsy (4:54)
11. Get Up and Do It Again (3:42)
12. Long, Long Road (3:31)

Credits

• Track 1 Julie Matthews, Chris While (Circuit Music)
• Tracks 2, 6, 8 Ashley Hutchings (Really Wicked)
• Tracks 3, 5, 9, 11 Julie Matthews (Circuit Music)
• Track 4 Ashley Hutchings, Julie Matthews, Chris While (Really Wicked / Circuit Music)
• Track 7 Ashley Hutchings, Chris While (Really Wicked / Circuit Music)
• Tracks 10, 12 Chris While (Circuit Music)

Production

• Recorded at Courtyard Recording Studio, Stockport, England, December 1994 and January 1995.
• Engineered by Tim Woodward
• Produced by the Albion Band
• Photos by Brian Ledgard

Personnel

• Ashley Hutchings
  Ashley Hutchings
  Ashley Stephen Hutchings is an English bassist, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, band leader, writer and record producer. He was a founder member of three of the most noteworthy English folk-rock bands in the history of the genre; Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Albion Band...
  
  , acoustic bass guitar, vocals;
• Julie Matthews
  Julie Matthews
  Julie Matthews is an award-winning singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. She has been a member of some of the most influential British folk duos and groups and is acknowledged internationally as a major songwriter, with her work being covered by a wide range of artists and...
  
  , keyboards, acoustic guitar, vocals;
• Simon Nicol
  Simon Nicol
  Simon John Breckenridge Nicol is a guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He was a founder member of British folk rock, or electric folk group Fairport Convention and is the only founding member still in the band...
  
  , acoustic guitar, mountain dulcimer, vocals;
• Chris While
  Chris While
  Chris While is an award-winning songwriter, singer and musician, known particularly for her powerful and moving vocals and the quality of her compositions and live performances. She has enjoyed success both as a solo artist, a songwriter and as a member of a number of notable and influential...
  
  , acoustic guitar, vocal