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Ian Gomm

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Ian Robert Gomm (born 28 March 1947 in 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]

Gomm had started in around 1962/1963 in Unit 4, formed by Ian Gomm on rhythm and lead guitar, vocals, Martin Davis on bass and Simon Behar on drums, who were all pupils at Ealing County School for Boys. Soon after forming, Frank Kennington, who was older than the others, joined as lead vocalist and they became Unit 4. Mick Liber, who had previously played with Frankie Reid & The Casuals and Clay Alison and the Searchers, joined Unit 4 around July 1964 but the new line-up was short-lived. Around October 1964, Kennington left and moved to Sydney, Australia, and Unit 4 broke up.

Gomm built a recording studio in Wales in 1974, where he worked with musicians such as the Stranglers and Alexis Korner. Gomm's first solo album, Summer Holiday, came out in 1978. The album was re-titled and re-sequenced (with two extra tracks) as Gomm with the Wind. A song from the album, "Hold On", reached #18 in the United States and #44 in Canada in 1979. He re-released his best known song for Brinsley Schwarz, "Hooked on Love", with "Chicken Run" as the B-side on Stiff in 1979.

He toured with Dire Straits on their Sultans of Swing tour. His song "Cruel to Be Kind", co-written with Nick Lowe, reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart that year. "Hold On" has been featured as bumper music on the radio show "Coast to Coast AM". He released the solo albums What a Blow, The Village Voice and Images in the 1980s.[1] He continued to write songs and built a new studio. Crazy for You was released in 1997 and Rock 'N' Roll Heart, featuring Jeff "Stick" Davis and Pat McInerney, in 2002.[1]

Gomm released the 2010 album Only Time Will Tell with the American singer-songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols for the Relaxa Records label. They recorded 14 new tracks together at Gwyn Jones’s Bos Studio in Llanerfyl, Mid Wales. Nashville musicians Clive Gregson and Pat McInerney also contributed in between UK touring commitments. It was mixed at The Butcher Shoppe, Nashville, Tennessee, by David Ferguson and mastered at Foxwood Mastering, by Dave Shipley.

References

  1. ^ a b c Heather Phares (1947-03-17). "Ian Gomm | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
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