Allan Caswell

David Allan Caswell, publishing under pen name Allan Caswell, is an English-Australian songwriter and performer, author, record producer, freelance journalist and teacher. Caswell wrote "On the Inside" (the theme from the television series Prisoner) and recorded by Lynne Hamilton.[1] It was a hit record in Australia and New Zealand in 1979.

Allan Caswell
Birth nameDavid Allan Caswell
Born (1951-03-09) 9 March 1951
Chester, England
GenresCountry
Occupation(s)
  • Songwriter
  • singer
  • guitarist
  • author
  • record producer
  • journalist
  • teacher
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1966~present

In 1983, the single "The Australia's Cup" peaked at number 17 on the Australian charts.[2]

Biography

1952-1978: Early years

Allan Caswell to Stephen Castle[3] and his wife was born in Chester and grew up in North Wales, Berkshire, and South London (Mitcham) before migrating to Australia in 1966. He was educated at Wimbledon County Secondary School and later at South Sydney Boys High School.

Caswell's songwriting career started in 1973 when Chris Gilbey signed a song he had written with his brother Brian Caswell to Albert Music in Sydney. However, it was 6 years later when Allan Caswell had a song recorded.

1979-present: Music Career

In 1979, Caswell wrote "On the Inside", which became the theme for the television series Prisoner and later a major international hit song. The success of "On the Inside" triggered a succession of recordings by Patti Page, Cilla Black, The Irish Rovers, Max Bygraves and Acker Bilk, Slim Dusty, The Living End, Chad Morgan, Lynne Hamilton, James Blundell, Anne Kirkpatrick, Don Spencer, Graeme Connors, The Delltones, Doug Ashdown and Ricky May.

Caswell won his first Golden Guitar in Tamworth for Best New Talent in 1980.

In September 1983, Caswell released "The Australia's Cup", which peaked at number 17 on the Australian chart. His first and only top 100 single.[2]

In 1995, Caswell was asked by Don Spencer, on behalf of his Australian Children's Music Foundation, to work with children in Juvenile Detention teaching music and songwriting. He has helped set up similar programs in other centres. He also worked with the Foundation in their aim of making music accessible to underprivileged children.

In 2006, Caswell published his first book, "Writing Great Song Lyrics".[4]

In 2014, Caswell announced he had lost a 10-year legal battle with Sony music over similarities between his song "On the Inside" and Alabama's "Christmas in Dixie"; a song from which Alabama are estimated to have earned over $700,000.[5]

In 2016, Caswell celebrated the 50th Anniversary of his arrival in Australia in 1966 with an album called 50 Years in Oz.

In 2019, he released his autobiography My Version Of The Truth and moved to Queensland where he lives with his wife Marian in Varsity Lakes.

In 2020, Caswell released his 20th album, Tequila Amnesia.[6] He also released his third book, Secrets of Stronger Songwriting.

Discography

Studio albums
List of albums, with selected detail
Title Details
What Happened to Love?
  • Released: 1982
  • Format: LP
  • Label: Country Man (CML1003)
Handwritten
  • Released: 1987
  • Format: LP
  • Label: EMI (EMX 490059)
Heart Written
  • Released: 1990
  • Format: LP, CD, Cassette
  • Label: True Blue Records (466734 1)
Different Eyes
  • Released: 1995
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Larrikin Records (LRF 380)
Caswell Sings Caswell
  • Released: 2001
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Shoestring Production
Don't Count on It
  • Released: 2002
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Shoestring Production (SR39)
Al's Bar And Grill
  • Released: 2006
  • Format: CD
  • Label: ORIGiN (OR 079)
Rules for Love
  • Released: 2008[7]
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Allan Caswell ()
Behind Bars
Just Kidding
  • Released: March 2012[9]
  • Format: CD, DD
  • Label: Allan Caswell ()
It's a Country Song
  • Released: 2012[10]
  • Format: CD, DD
  • Label: Allan Caswell ()
Sometimes When Lose When You Win
  • Released: January 2014[11]
  • Format: CD, DD
  • Label: Allan Caswell ()
My Version of the Truth
  • Released: 2015
  • Format: CD, DD
  • Label: Shoestring Production (SR111)
50 Years in Oz
  • Released: July 2016[12]
  • Format: CD, DD, streaming
  • Label: Allan Caswell ()
Carpenter Caswell
(as Carpenter Caswell)
  • Released: 10 November 2017[13]
  • Format: CD, DD, streaming
  • Label: Carpenter Caswell/WJO (BRR20173)
Mexico
  • Released: 11 May 2018[14]
  • Format: CD, DD, streaming
  • Label: Allan Caswell ()
Tequila Amnesia
  • Released: 2020
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming
  • Label: Chihuahua Records (KEV9301)

Live albums
List of albums, with selected detail
Title Details
Warm January Morning
  • Released: 1986
  • Format: Cassette
  • Label: Allan Caswell Music (ACMe C001)
  • Note: Live at The Tamworth & District Workmen's Club (January 1986)

Singles
List of singles, with selected chart positions
Year Title Peak chart
positions		 Album
AUS
[15]
1979 "Take Me Back to Yesterday (Dedicated to a Decade Without The Beatles)"/"King of the Rodeo" - non album singles
1980 "We Used To Call It Heaven"/"First Time in My Life" -
"Sign on the Dotted Line"/"Poor Side of Heaven" -
1981 "One Armed Bandit"/"Loco Friday Night" -
1982 "Used to Be a Gold Song"/"Isn't That Like You" - What Happened To Love?
1983 "What Happened to Love?"/"It's Not Such a Bad Idea" -
"The Australia's Cup"/"Lonelyheart's Waltz" 17 non album single
1984 "Moruroa"/"Beyond the Blues" - non album single
1985 "Bulldust"/"Spirit of the Green & Gold" (with Trevor Knight) - non album single
"The Garden"
(with Australia Too)		 27 non album single
1987 "(You Can Be) Somebody's Shadow"/"Black Jack Blues Again" - Handwritten
1988 "Have You Read to Your Children Today?"/"This is Gonna Be the One" -
"Are We Having Fun Yet?"/"Funny Thing About Rainbows"
(as Allan Caswell Band)		 - non album single
1989 "You Still Take My Breath Away"/"Bald Is Beautiful" - Heart Written
1990 "I'm Gonna Take a Heartbreak"/"Still Crazy Over You" -
"Proud"/"(I've Got Those) 12 Bar Blues" -
2006 "A Little Bit of Country in Us All"[16] - Al's Bar And Grill
2007 "Strong Enough"[17] - non album single
2008 "Rules for Love"[17] - Rules for Love
2011 "It's a Country Song" - It's a Country Song
2012 "I'm an Aussie Shark" - Just Kidding
"Brave Enough to Dream"[18] - It's a Country Song
2015 "One Last Muster" - My Version of the Truth
2016 "Back When I Was Older" (with Michael Carpenter)[19] - Carpenter Caswell
2017 "Life Like It's a Trainwreck" (with Michael Carpenter)[20] -
"High Hopes" (with Michael Carpenter)[21] -
"Want That Back Again" (with Michael Carpenter featuring Felicity Urquhart)[22] -
2018 "The Roses Fall" (with The Weeping Willows)[23] - Mexico
"Feeding the Crew"[24] -
2019 "Train to Godforsaken"[25] -
"Country Copper"[26] - Tequila Amnesia
"Bad Politics" (with Damian Cafarella)[27] -
2020 "Hard Times and Struggle"[28] -
"Bordertown"[29] -
"I Do" (with Donna Fisk)[30] -
"That Holden Saved My Life"[31] - TBA
"Spin" (with Damian Cafarella)[32] -

Awards and nominations

Country Music Awards of Australia

The Country Music Awards of Australia (also known as the Golden Guitar Awards and originally named Australasian Country Music Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, in Tamworth, New South Wales, celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. Caswell has won eight awards (wins only).[33]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1980 "King of the Rodeo" New Talent of the year Won
1981 "One Armed Bandit" (with Brian Caswell) Song of the Year Won
1983 "Used to Be a Gold Song" (with Keith Potger) Song of the Year Won
1986 "The Garden" Song of the Year Won
1988 "Black Jack Blues Again" Male Vocalist of the Year Won
2007 "A Little Bit of Country in Us All" (with Drew McAlister) Vocal Collaboration of the Year Won
2016 "One Last Muster" Bush Ballad of the Year Won
2020 "Country Copper" Bush Ballad of the Year Won

Tamworth Songwriters Awards

The Tamworth Songwriters Association (TSA) is an annual songwriting contest for original country songs, awarded in January at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. They commenced in 1986. Allan Caswell has won sixteen awards.[34]

Year Nominee / work Award Result (wins only)
1988 "Black Jack Blues Again" by Allan Caswell Contemporary Song of the Year Won
"When We Were Kids" by John Williamson and Allan Caswell Country Song of the Year Won
1989 Allan Caswell Contemporary Song of the Year Won
1990 "You Still Take My Breath Away" by Allan Caswell Contemporary Song of the Year Won
Country Song of the Year Won
1991 "Panda" by Allan Caswell and Don Morrison Children's Song of the Year Won
"Proud" by Allan Caswell Contemporary Song of the Year Won
2011 "Behind Bars" by Allan Caswell Country Song of the Year Won
Contemporary Song of the Year Won
2012 "The Road That Brought Me Here" by Karen Lynne and Allan Caswell Contemporary Song of the Year Won
2013 "Skin" by Allan Caswell Comedy/ Novelty Song of the Year Won
2017 "Golden Days" by Andrew Wriggleswroth and Allan Caswell Contemporary Song of the Year Won
Country Song of the Year Won
"Back When I Was Older" by Andrew Wriggleswroth and Allan Caswell Contemporary Song of the Year Won
2019 "The Roses Fall" by Andrew Wriggleswroth and Allan Caswell Country Ballad of the Year Won
2022 "Youngie" by Allan Caswell Local Heroes Song of the Year Won

References
  1. DOUGHTY J (8 October 1987). "ALLAN CASWELL LOVES HIS COUNTRY". COURIER-MAIL. Nationwide News Pty Limited.
  2. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. pp. 22, 58. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  3. "TalilkingPerisoner". YouTube.
  4. "Writing Great Song Lyrics, , National Library of Australia's online catalogue
  5. "Allan Caswell Loses 10 Year Legal Battle With Sony ATV". noise11. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  6. "New Album … Tequila Amnesia". allancaswell. 3 May 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  7. "Rules for Love LP (DD)". allancaswell. 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  8. "Behind Bars (DD)". Apple Music. 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  9. "Just Kidding (DD)". Apple Music. 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  10. "It's a Country Song (DD)". Apple Music. 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  11. "Sometimes When Lose When You Win (DD)". Apple Music. 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  12. "50 Years in Oz (DD)". Apple Music. 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  13. "Carpenter Caswell(DD)". Apple Music. November 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  14. "Mexico (DD)". Apple Music. 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  15. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 58. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  16. "A Little Bit of Country in Us All (DD)". Apple Music. 2006. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  17. "Rules for Love". allancaswell. 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  18. "Brave Enough to Dream (DD)". Apple Music. March 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  19. "Back When I Was Older (DD)". Apple Music. September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  20. "Life Like It's a Trainwreck (DD)". Apple Music. January 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  21. "High Hopes (DD)". Apple Music. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  22. "Want That Back Again (DD)". Apple Music. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  23. "The Roses Fall (DD)". Apple Music. April 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  24. "Feeding the Crew (DD)". Apple Music. 7 May 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  25. "Train to Godforsaken (DD)". Apple Music. April 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  26. "Country Copper (DD)". Apple Music. August 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  27. "Bad Politics (DD)". Apple Music. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  28. "Hard Times and Struggle (DD)". Apple Music. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  29. "Bordertown (DD)". Apple Music. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  30. "I Do (DD)". Apple Music. 14 August 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  31. "That Holden Saved My Life(DD)". Apple Music. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  32. "Spin (DD)". Apple Music. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  33. "CMAA Winners". Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  34. "Tamworth Songwriters Association". Tamworth Songwriters Association Online. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
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