Richard Anthony Hewson

Richard Anthony Hewson (born 17 November 1943) is an English producer, arranger, conductor and multi-instrumentalist, who created the studio group RAH Band.

Richard Anthony Hewson
Birth nameRichard Anthony Hewson
Born (1943-11-17) 17 November 1943
Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England
GenresJazz-funk, synthpop, electronic
Occupation(s)Record producer, arranger, conductor, multi-instrumentalist
Instrument(s)Various
Years active1966–present
LabelsDJM, RCA, various
Websitewww.therahband.com

Career

Hewson began in the late 1960s as an arranger, and has worked with musicians such as the Beatles ("I Me Mine" and "The Long and Winding Road"), the Bee Gees (Melody), James Taylor ("Carolina in My Mind"), Herbie Hancock, Clifford T. Ward, Supertramp, Pilot (Pilot), Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Art Garfunkel, Leo Sayer, Paul McCartney (Thrillington), Mary Hopkin ("Those Were The Days"), Al Stewart, Chris de Burgh, Fleetwood Mac and Chris Rea. He also arranged strings on several Cliff Richard albums, I'm Nearly Famous (1976),[1] Every Face Tells a Story (1977) and Green Light (1978).[2] Hewson also worked with the British band Jigsaw, including arrangements for their hit single, "Sky High".[3]

Apart from his own RAH Band project, he was a producer in the 1980s for Toyah Willcox, Five Star, and Shakin' Stevens. He was a co-producer and conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra on Cliff Richard's 1983 live album Dressed for the Occasion (which included the UK hit single "True Love Ways").[2] In recent years, he has written music for television shows and advertising spots. His song "Pearly" was recorded by The Pearls.

The RAH Band

Hewson founded The RAH Band – of which he was the sole member and which took its name from his initials – in 1977, to release an instrumental called "The Crunch". The piece climbed to number 6 in the UK Singles Chart.[4] The song also peaked at number 16 in Australia.[5] Hewson played all the musical instruments himself. The arrangement involved the use of no synthesisers, only conventional guitar and keyboards with pedal effects. He was later featured on Top of the Pops.[6] A number of jazz funk releases followed. The second big hit single for the RAH Band was in 1985 when the soul ballad, "Clouds Across the Moon", also reached number 6 in the UK chart.[4] Vocals were provided by his wife Liz, also known as "Dizzy Lizzy".

In July 2007, Hewson released a remixed "Clouds Across the Moon '07", which featured vocalist Emma Charles.[7]

The RAH band's releases were issued under a variety of record labels, including Good Earth Records, DJM, KR Records, TMT Records and RCA.[4]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions
UK
[8]
AUT
[9]
SWE
[10]
The Orchestrah
(as the Orchestrah)
Love Is
(as the Richard Hewson Orchestra)
Contemporary Themes
(as Richard Hewson)
  • Released: 1978
  • Label: Standard Music Library
  • Formats: LP
The Crunch & Beyond
(as RAH Band)
  • Released: May 1978
  • Label: Ebony
  • Formats: LP, MC
3
RAH Band
(as RAH Band)
  • Released: 8 May 1981[11]
  • Label: DJM
  • Formats: LP, MC
Going Up
(as RAH Band)
  • Released: 1983
  • Label: TMT
  • Formats: LP, MC
Mystery
(as RAH Band)
  • Released: March 1985
  • Label: RCA
  • Formats: CD, LP, MC
60 42
Something About the Music
(as RAH Band)
  • Released: 2002
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: CD
  • Originally set for release in 1987
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

Title Album details
Upper Cuts
  • Released: 27 April 1984[12]
  • Label: S.O.U.N.D. Recordings
  • Formats: LP
  • Mini-album
Past, Present & Future
  • Released: October 1985
  • Label: RCA
  • Formats: LP, MC
The Best of Rah Band
  • Released: October 1995
  • Label: Music Club
  • Formats: CD, MC
Greatest Hits
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: Connoisseur Collection
  • Formats: CD
Perfumed Garden: The Best of Rah Band
  • Released: 25 November 1996
  • Label: Trattoria/Polystar
  • Formats: CD
  • Japan-only release
21st Century Remixes
  • Released: 8 December 2004
  • Label: Polystar
  • Formats: CD
  • Japan-only release
The Very Best of the RAH Band
  • Released: November 2005
  • Label: Shocking Music
  • Formats: CD
The Definitive Collection
  • Released: 2009
  • Label: Toolboxx
  • Formats: CD
  • Continental Europe-only release
12 Inch Remixes
Unreleased Trax from the 70s to the 2000s
  • Released: 5 February 2010
  • Label: Toolboxx
  • Formats: digital download
Producers Choice
  • Released: 24 April 2020
  • Label: Atjazz
  • Formats: 2xLP, digital download

EPs

Title Album details
Love Without End
(as the Richard Hewson Orchestra)
  • Released: January 1977
  • Label: EMI
  • Formats: 7"
Satisfied E.P.
(as RAH Band)
  • Released: 2000
  • Label: Reform House
  • Formats: 12"
  • Germany-only release
Chain'd
(as RAH Band)
  • Released: 10 September 2010
  • Label: Shocking Music
  • Formats: digital download

Singles

(Unless stated, the main artist is RAH Band)

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK
[8][13][14]
AUS
[15]
BEL
(FL)

[16]
FRA
[17]
GER
[18]
IRE
[19]
IT
[20]
NL
[21]
SWE
[22]
"Spicks and Specks" (as the Richard Hewson Orchestra; Portugal-only release) 1971 Melody (soundtrack)
"Love for Hire" (as the Richard Hewson Orchestra) 1976 Love Is
"Shark Bite" (as the Richard Hewson Orchestra) Non-album single
"Love Bite" (as the Richard Hewson Orchestra; US and the Netherlands-only release) Love Is
"The Crunch" 1977 6 16 The Crunch & Beyond
"What Shall We Do When the Disco's Over?" (as the Richard Hewson Orchestra) Non-album singles
"Jiggery Pokery"
"Is Anybody There?" 1978 The Crunch & Beyond
"Tokyo Flyer" 1980 Non-album single
"Falcon" 35 RAH Band
"Slide" 1981 50
"Downside Up"
"Riding on a Fantasy" Going Up
"Winter Love" 1982
"Perfumed Garden" 45
"Tears and Rain"
"Sam the Samba Man" 1983 80
"Messages from the Stars" 42
"Questions (What You Gonna Do)" 109 Non-album single
"Are You Satisfied? (Funka Nova)" 1985 70 Mystery
"Clouds Across the Moon" 6 6 28 5 19 8 9
"Sorry Doesn't Make It Anymore" 90
"What'll Become of the Children?" Past, Present & Future
"The Crunch '85"
"Sweet Forbidden" 1986 Non-album single
"Dream Street" (featuring Nadia Flasch)
"Across the Bay" 1987
"Morocko" (as Shock Taktix)
"Run 4 the Sun"
"This Is Not Jazz"/"Time Beat Time" (as Shock Taktix) 1988
"Nice Easy Money (Intruders in the House)"
"Time Keeps Tearing Us Apart (The Homecoming)"
"Silverbird" 1989
"Looks Like I'm In Love Again" (as Key West featuring Erik) 1993 46
"Let Your Love Shine" (as Key West & P. P. Arnold)
"Let Your Love Shine" (as Key West & Debbie Sharp) 1995
"Living for the Nightlife" 1996
"Clouds Across the Moon" (Tiefschwarz remix; Germany-only release) 1999 85
"Turn My Love Around" 2008
"Living for the Nitelife" (featuring Susanna)
"No Way (To Treat Your Lover)" (featuring Susanna) 2009
"Vapour Trails" (featuring Susanna)
"Space Gypsy" 2011
"Vapour Trails" (featuring Funmilayo) 2014
"Gypsy Girl" 2018
"Silly Questions" (featuring Nina Schofield) 2019
"One Day We'll Smile Again" (featuring Bella Hutton) 2021
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

References

  1. Three songs were arranged by Richard Hewson on the I'm Nearly Famous album: "Lovers", "Such is the Mystery", "If You Walked Away" - I'm Nearly Famous (LP) (liner notes). Cliff Richard. EMI Records. 1976. EMC3122.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. Lewry, Peter; Goodall, Nigel (1991). Cliff Richard The Complete Recording Sessions 1958–1990. London: Blandford. pp. 107–122, 131. ISBN 0-7137-2242-8.
  3. "45cat - Jigsaw - Sky High / Sky High - Splash - UK - CPI 1". 45cat.com. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  4. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 448. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 245. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Only one in RAH Band" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 89, no. 37. 17 September 1977. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  7. Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "RAH BAND | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  9. "Das österreichische Hitparaden- und Musik-Portal". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  10. "swedishcharts.com - Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  11. "New Albums" (PDF). Music Week. 9 May 1981. p. 28. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  12. "Shannon: remixed and re-issued" (PDF). Music Week. 28 April 1984. p. 30. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  13. "UK Singles Charts: 1983 (including chart panel sales)". UKMIX Forums. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  14. "KEY WEST FEATURING ERIK | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  15. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 245. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  16. "ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  17. "lescharts.com - Les charts français". lescharts.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  18. "Suche - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  19. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  20. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Rah Band".
  21. "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  22. "swedishcharts.com - Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
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