Doug Ashdown
Encyclopedia
Douglas "Doug" Wesley Ashdown (born 1942, Adelaide
) is an Australian folk, country singer-songwriter who had a minor hit with "Winter in America" aka "Leave Love Enough Alone", which reached No. 13 on the Dutch Singles Chart in 1978. In 1988 the song was covered by Dutch singer René Froger
, and in 1994 by Australian group The Robertson Brothers
. Ashdown reached No. 53 on the Australian Go-Set
Singles Chart with "The Saddest Song of All" released in August 1970. In 1977, his album, Trees won the TV Week
, an Australian television entertainment magazine, King of Pop Award for 'Best Album Cover'.
, South Australia, at the age of 17 he travelled to England to play in a rock
band. In 1961 he was back in Adelaide and played guitar alongside Bobby Bright
as vocalist in The Bowmen. By 1965, as a solo singer-songwriter, he released his first album, This Is Doug Ashdown. His 1960s popular singles were "Something Strange" in 1968, and in 1969, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On
" (cover
of the Jerry Lee Lewis
' hit).
In 1970 he signed with the independent label, Sweet Peach, and issued "The Saddest Song of All" in August which peaked at No. 53 on the Australian Go-Set
Singles Chart. The song was written by Ashdown and Jim Stewart, who became his long-term producer and co-writer. The associated album, The Age of Mouse, was the first double LP album
of original material released by an Australian. Ashdown and Stewart relocated to the United States, living in Nashville
. While in Nashville, the pair co-wrote "Just Thank Me", for David Rogers
, who released it in 1973—it peaked at No. 17 on the US Country Music Singles Chart. They also co-wrote "Leave Love Enough Alone" which Ashdown released in 1974 upon relocation to Sydney. He had a minor hit with it when it was renamed as "Winter in America" and released in 1976, it peaked at No. 14 in Melbourne and No. 30 in Sydney.
In 1977, his album, Trees won the TV Week
, an Australian television entertainment magazine, King of Pop Award for 'Best Album Cover'. He continued to release singles and albums and had minor chart success into the 1980s. As from April 2010, his most recent album was The Folk Centre Concert in 2007.
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
) is an Australian folk, country singer-songwriter who had a minor hit with "Winter in America" aka "Leave Love Enough Alone", which reached No. 13 on the Dutch Singles Chart in 1978. In 1988 the song was covered by Dutch singer René Froger
René Froger
René Froger is a Dutch singer.He was born and spent his first years in the Jordaan, a neighbourhood in Amsterdam. His father, Bolle Jan, had a cafe that Froger started performing in. He began with Ted de Braak and Mini en Maxi and in 1987 he released his first single, Love Leave Me...
, and in 1994 by Australian group The Robertson Brothers
The Robertson Brothers
The Robertson Brothers is an Australian band of brothers who are probably most famous for their song that was the theme song for Home and Away from 2000 to 2006.-Home and Away:...
. Ashdown reached No. 53 on the Australian Go-Set
Go-Set
Go-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble...
Singles Chart with "The Saddest Song of All" released in August 1970. In 1977, his album, Trees won the TV Week
TV Week
TV Week is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in December 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV.The publication is still publishing weekly...
, an Australian television entertainment magazine, King of Pop Award for 'Best Album Cover'.
Biography
Douglas Wesley Ashdown was born 1942 in AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia, at the age of 17 he travelled to England to play in a rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band. In 1961 he was back in Adelaide and played guitar alongside Bobby Bright
Bobby & Laurie
Bobby & Laurie were a popular Australian singing duo of the 1960s, featuring Laurie Allen and Bobby Bright . Their regular backing band were The Rondells...
as vocalist in The Bowmen. By 1965, as a solo singer-songwriter, he released his first album, This Is Doug Ashdown. His 1960s popular singles were "Something Strange" in 1968, and in 1969, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On
"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" is a song best known in the 1957 rock and roll/rockabilly hit version by Jerry Lee Lewis.-Origins of the song:...
" (cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
' hit).
In 1970 he signed with the independent label, Sweet Peach, and issued "The Saddest Song of All" in August which peaked at No. 53 on the Australian Go-Set
Go-Set
Go-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble...
Singles Chart. The song was written by Ashdown and Jim Stewart, who became his long-term producer and co-writer. The associated album, The Age of Mouse, was the first double LP album
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
of original material released by an Australian. Ashdown and Stewart relocated to the United States, living in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. While in Nashville, the pair co-wrote "Just Thank Me", for David Rogers
David Rogers (singer)
David Rogers was an American country music artist. Between 1968 and 1984, Rogers charted thirty-seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, reaching Top Ten with the hits "Need You" and "Loving You Has Changed My Life," both at #9...
, who released it in 1973—it peaked at No. 17 on the US Country Music Singles Chart. They also co-wrote "Leave Love Enough Alone" which Ashdown released in 1974 upon relocation to Sydney. He had a minor hit with it when it was renamed as "Winter in America" and released in 1976, it peaked at No. 14 in Melbourne and No. 30 in Sydney.
In 1977, his album, Trees won the TV Week
TV Week
TV Week is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in December 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV.The publication is still publishing weekly...
, an Australian television entertainment magazine, King of Pop Award for 'Best Album Cover'. He continued to release singles and albums and had minor chart success into the 1980s. As from April 2010, his most recent album was The Folk Centre Concert in 2007.
Albums
- This Is Doug Ashdown (CBSCBS RecordsCBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
SBP 233283, 1965) - The Real Thing (CBS SBP 233317, 1966)
- Source (CBSSBP 233516, 1968)
- The Age of Mouse (Sweet Peach, 1970, 2002 re-issue)
- Doug Ashdown Live (Sweet Peach SPB-501, 1971)
- Leave Love Enough Alone (Billingsgate L35294, 1974, re-released as Winter in America, Festival Records / Infinity, 1976)
- Trees (Ash, 1977, 1997 re-issue)
- Empty Without You (Festival, 1977)
- The World for the Right Kind of Man (CBS, 1983)
- Love Lives Love Grows (Larrikin, 1987)
- No Cheap Grace (NashWest/Roadshow, 1997)
- Really and Sincerely (1999)
- Homesong (2000)
- Doug Ashdown and Friends Live - The Blues and Then Some (2001)
- A Career Collection" (1965–2000) (2004)
- The Folk Centre Concert" (2007)
External links
- Official website
- [ Doug Ashdown] at Allmusic