Charmer (Strawbs song)
Encyclopedia
"Charmer" is a song by English
band Strawbs featured on their 1976 album Deep Cuts
.
The song was written by Dave Cousins
and Chas Cronk
. The single version has some additional overdubs compared to the version on the album.
track "Beside the Rio Grande" is a Dave Cousins composition also appearing on the album. The lyrics are an allegory
of Jesus Christ's crucifixion
.
with
Mellotron can clearly be heard on this track, therefore according to the album credits Robert Kirby is playing on this track. Both the other keyboard players are credited on the album but it is unsure which of them played on this particular track. A synthesizer
can be heard in the instrumentation but both Mealing and Holmes are credited with this instrument in the album credits.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
band Strawbs featured on their 1976 album Deep Cuts
Deep Cuts (Strawbs album)
Deep Cuts is a studio album by English band Strawbs.-Side one:#"I Only Want My Love to Grow in You" – 3:00#"Turn Me Round" – 3:42#"Hard Hard Winter" – 2:54...
.
The song was written by Dave Cousins
Dave Cousins
Dave Cousins has been the leader, singer and most active songwriter of Strawbs since 1967.-Career:...
and Chas Cronk
Chas Cronk
-Strawbs:*Hero and Heroine *Ghosts *Nomadness *Deep Cuts *Burning for You *Deadlines *Heartbreak Hill *Blue Angel *Déjà Fou *Strawbs Live at Nearfest 2004...
. The single version has some additional overdubs compared to the version on the album.
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Oyster | 7" single Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... |
2066 744 |
B-Side of the single
The B-sideA-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
track "Beside the Rio Grande" is a Dave Cousins composition also appearing on the album. The lyrics are an allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
of Jesus Christ's crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
.
Personnel
- Dave CousinsDave CousinsDave Cousins has been the leader, singer and most active songwriter of Strawbs since 1967.-Career:...
– lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound... - Dave LambertDave Lambert (British musician)Dave Lambert is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who was a member of The Strawbs in the 1970s.-Career:...
– electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Chas CronkChas Cronk-Strawbs:*Hero and Heroine *Ghosts *Nomadness *Deep Cuts *Burning for You *Deadlines *Heartbreak Hill *Blue Angel *Déjà Fou *Strawbs Live at Nearfest 2004...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Rod CoombesRod CoombesRod Coombes is an English singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:He has played professionally since he was 17, when he joined singer Lulu's backing band The Luvvers. He played with the Jeff Beck Group at the time of the release of the single "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and then joined soul band Trifle,...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
with
- Robert KirbyRobert KirbyRobert Kirby was a British born arranger of string sections for rock and folk music. He is best known for his work on the Nick Drake albums, Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter, but has also worked with Elton John, Ralph McTell, Strawbs, Paul Weller and Elvis Costello.-At Cambridge:Patrick...
– mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music... - John MealingJohn MealingJohn Mealing is a keyboards player, composer and arranger.After leaving the Don Rendell-Ian Carr Quintet in the late-Sixties, he joined the pioneering British jazz-rock band If until they came off the road in 1972...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Rupert HolmesRupert HolmesRupert Holmes is an American-British composer, singer-songwriter, musician and author of plays, novels and stories. He is best known for his number one pop hit "Escape " and the song "Him", which reached the number 6 position on the Hot 100 U.S. pop chart in 1980...
- keyboards
Mellotron can clearly be heard on this track, therefore according to the album credits Robert Kirby is playing on this track. Both the other keyboard players are credited on the album but it is unsure which of them played on this particular track. A synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
can be heard in the instrumentation but both Mealing and Holmes are credited with this instrument in the album credits.