Toshack Highway
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Toshack Highway is the musical group formed by the lead singer and guitarist from Swervedriver, Adam Franklin. The band name derives from merging the surnames of two Liverpool F.C. football players from the 1970s, John Toshack and Steve Heighway.
History
The first full length debut, Toshack Highway and released by Catapult Records in the U.S. and Flower Shop in Europe in 2000, showcased a full band sound of electric keyboards and bubbly Moog synthesizers played through guitar effects pedals over acoustic and electric guitars. Half the record was instrumental, but punctuated by spaceman samples and German language spoken vocals – the other half featured Franklin’s laconic vocal drawl on more conventional folk pop workouts and the album was dubbed 'Spacefolk' by one reviewer.
The second release was an EP of four-track recordings titled Everyday, Rock'n'Roll Is Saving My Life released by Space Baby in 2001, much more a back to basics affair with Franklin on his own playing simple melodic pop songs accompanied by electric and acoustic guitars, shakers, double-tracked vocals and the compression of the tape machine.
Release three was a split CD album with Canadians Sianspheric on their Hamilton, ON label Sonic Unyon entitled Magnetic Morning. Reunited with the drummer and producer of the first eponymous release, this five-song release contains elements of folk, country, psychedelia and in "The Streets That Spin Off" came close to an old Swervedriver theme: ‘songs about cars that rock’.
A fourth download only EP called Birdsong EP was released in April 2006 by the Oxford label, Shifty Disco.
Members
- Adam Franklin (vocals, guitars, songs, instrumentals, keyboards, shakers, kitchen sinks)
- Locksley Taylor (bass, guitar, keyboards, leafs)
- Charlie Francis (production, bass, keyboards, fine cuisine)
- Jeff Townsin (drums, big hair)
- Will Foster (piano, a drink or two)
- Ron Lowder (drums, southern drawl)
- Mike Taylor (piano, sideburns)
- Andrew Lindsay (bass, rye & coke)
- Matt Durrant (drums, falling off drums)
Discography
| Year | Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Toshack Highway Released: 11 April 2000 Label: Catapult / Flower Shop Format: LP, CD | |
| 2001 | Everyday, Rock'n'Roll Is Saving My Life EP Released: 1 October 2001 Label: Space Baby Format: CD | Includes an acoustic 4-track version of Swervedriver’s "The Hitcher" |
| 2003 | Magnetic Morning Released: 20 May 2003 Label: Sonic Unyon Format: CD | Double CD split with Sianspheric |
| 2005 | Everyday, Rock'n'Roll Is Saving My Life Vol.2 Released: 15 November 2005 Label: Sonic Wave Discs Format: CD | Compilation of previously unreleased demos and live recordings from 1995-2005 |
| 2006 | Birdsong EP Released: 10 February 2006 Label: Shifty Disco Format: internet download | Contains two versions of "Birdsong", which later appear on Adam Franklin’s debut album Bolts of Melody, and two versions of "Theme from LSD" demo from Everyday, Vol.2 |
| "Syd’s Eyes" Released: 26 September 2006 Label: Black Mountain Music Format: 7" single | Includes the B-side "Silver Freight Train" |