Andrew McMaster (songwriter)

• Comment: Article fails general notability guidlines. Fails WP:MUSICBIO Wikicology (talk) 14:20, 4 September 2014 (UTC)

• Comment: Should be titled "Andy McMaster" when accepted to disambiguate it from the other people listed at Andrew McMaster. Huon (talk) 14:10, 15 August 2014 (UTC)

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Andy McMaster
Birth name	Andrew McMaster
Born	(1941-07-27) July 27, 1941 Calton, Glasgow, Scotland
Genres	Rhythm & Blues, pub rock, power pop, pop rock
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	Piano, organ, keyboards, vocals, bass
Years active	1965–present
Website	www.andymcmaster.net

Andrew (“Andy”) McMaster is a British musician, singer and songwriter best known for being co-founder of 70s band, The Motors, and writer of their hit songs, ‘Airport’, ‘Forget About You’ and ‘Dancing the Night Away’ (co-written with Nick Garvey), which reached number 4, 13 and 42, respectively, in the UK charts between 1977 and 1978. The official website of Andy McMaster states that he will be releasing a new solo album, ‘Ayahuasca’, at the end of 2014.

Early Life and Career

McMaster was born in Glasgow on 27 July 1941 and raised in the city’s Calton area, which is part of Glasgow’s East End. He started learning music at age 7, on accordion, and, later, piano.

Leaving school at 14, he held a series of jobs, including those of engraver, baker, bus conductor and quarryman, while making his first attempts to write songs.

He played keyboards with Glasgow bands The Board of Directors, Painted Rhythms before turning professional with The Sabres, at the age of 24. The Sabres featured Ian Clews (vocals), Stuart McKenzie (drums), Eric McLean (lead guitar), Ian MacMillan (bass) and, later, Frankie Miller (vocals) and Ronnie Miller (no relation) on bass guitar. In 1966, they travelled to Spain where they had a residency, in Torremolinos. Upon their return, The Sabres changed their name to The Motors (not to be confused with the band of the same name which McMaster would later form with Nick Garvey) before disbanding in 1967. Frankie Miller later went on to have a successful solo career and Ian MacMillan became part of Scottish pop rock band, Blue, in 1973.

In 1967, McMaster moved to London, where he was signed up by the music publishing company, Chappell’s. One of his songs, ‘Tuppenny Bus Ride’, was released by singer and television star, Anita Harris, in May 1968. In 1970, McMaster also released a solo single, on President Records, called ‘I Can’t Get Drunk Without You Babe’.

In 1972, McMaster joined pub-rock band, Ducks Deluxe. The band consisted of Sean Tyla on vocals, Martin Belmont on lead guitar, Tim Roper on drums and Nick Garvey on bass. McMaster played on the second album, ‘Taxi to the Terminal Zone’. It featured one of McMaster’s compositions, ‘Love’s Melody’, a song which was also to be later recorded by singer, James Dewar, appearing on his solo album, Stumbledown Romancer, released in 1998. ‘Taxi to the Terminal Zone’ was produced by producer/artist, Dave Edmunds, and recorded at the famous Rockfield Studios in Wales. It was released by RCA Records.

Garvey and McMaster left Ducks Deluxe in 1975. Subsequently, they collaborated together and, in February 1977, formed The Motors, the name McMaster had used, before, when The Sabres were re-named, back in 1966. The two were joined by Ricky Slaughter on drums and Rob Hendry on rhythm guitar (replaced in May 1977 by Bram Tchaikovsky). Following a live gig at the Nashville Rooms, in London, in March 1977, The Motors were, formally, signed to Virgin Records on 13th May 1977. The manager of The Motors was Richard Ogden.

The band’s first album, ‘1’, was released in May 1977 at the same time as the single, ‘Dancing the Night Away’, which reached number 42 in the UK singles chart. The rest of the album contained songs written by McMaster, Garvey and Gordon Hann.

The Motors’ second album, ‘Approved by The Motors’, was recorded at Island Studios in Basing Street, London, and contained what would prove to be the band’s biggest hit, ‘Airport’, penned by McMaster, which reached number 4 in the UK chart, in June 1978. It was produced by Peter Ker, who co-wrote the song, 'Fire', performed by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. The second single from the album, ‘Forget About You’, also written by McMaster, reached number 13 in the UK chart, in August 1978. The Motors toured Europe and the USA in the wake of the band’s success.

The Motors' third and last album, ‘Tenement Steps’, released in 1980, was recorded at The Manor Studio, Oxfordshire and produced by Jimmy Iovine at The Record Plant in New York. It included the band’s fourth and final hit, ‘Love and Loneliness’, which reached number 56 in the UK chart. Jimmy Iovine went on to become one of the world’s most successful record producers and co-founder of both Interscope Records and Beats by Dr. Dre.

McMaster and Garvey broke up The Motors after ‘Tenement Steps’ and McMaster did some solo recordings, in 1987, which yielded the release of a single, ‘No Joy’ (produced once more by Peter Ker), on GFM Records.

James Dewar’s solo album, Stumbledown Romancer, featured four songs written by McMaster on which he also played piano: ‘Love’s Melody’ (previously released by Ducks Deluxe), ‘Goodbye Love’, ‘Bright Lights’ and ‘Lay Down the Night’. Although the songs were recorded in 1981, Stumbledown Romancer was not released by Dewar’s record label, Chrysalis, until 1998.

McMaster went into retirement in the 1990s to pursue other interests. He moved to Dorset, in 2010, writing and recording new songs at Active Studios, Poole, over an eighteen-month period between 2012 and 2014. These songs formed the nucleus of a new album, ‘Ayahuasca’, which was co-produced by McMaster and Lynton Guest (ex-member of Love Affair) , with solo artists Taraneh Meen (vocals) and Christina Al-Wakil (trumpet and vocals) accompanied by musicians Pip Evans (bass and trombone), Callum Gibson (guitars), David George (drums) and, on the song, 'Switzerland', Sam Jackson (drums). The album is scheduled for release late 2014.

External websites

• www.andymcmaster.net - official website
• Andy McMaster on Facebook
• Andy McMaster on Soundcloud

Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:Scottish musicians Category:Scottish male singers Category:Scottish songwriters Category:Scottish singer-songwriters Category:Scottish rock singers Category:Scottish pop singers Category:Musicians from Glasgow