Live at Treorchy
Encyclopedia
Live at Treorchy is a live album by Welsh
comedian
and singer Max Boyce
, first issued in 1974. It was his third album and his first for a major label, EMI Records
. The album contains a mixture of comedic songs and poems along with Boyce's interactions with the crowd at Treorchy Rugby Club. The album was an unexpected success going gold
and was Boyce's break through recording helping make him a household name in Wales
and beyond.
at Brangwyn hall in Swansea
. Boyce signed a contract with the EMI producer while walking along a bridle path at Langland Bay
, and was signed to a two record deal overseen by Vic Lanza, head of EMI Records’ MOR music division.
It was decided that the recording would be a live take of one of his dates on a pre-arranged tour, and the venue of Treorchy Rugby Club
was chosen. Despite the admission fee being only 50 pence, uptake was low and an audience was rounded up by offering free entry to people in nearby pubs. Amongst the audience were members of the Treorchy Male Voice Choir, who added volume during the sing along choruses. EMI had sent a three man unit to record the show, including Abbey Road sound engineer Phil Hancock, who set up the mixing desks in the club changing rooms. Recorded on 23 November 1973, Boyce was supported on the day by Welsh band Triban and the concert was compared by broadcaster Alun Williams
, though neither appeared on the finished album. Live at Treorchy album was completed in one take on one night, with the finishing mix completed at Abbey Road Studios
.
The album had a slow response on its release, but its popularity spread through word of mouth and although the album relied on Welsh humour and pathos, its content struck a chord across Britain. The success of the album allowed Boyce to give up his day job and become a professional entertainer. His follow-up album, We All Had Doctors' Papers
, released in 1975, reached number one in the UK Album charts.
Welsh historian Martin Johnes describes Live at Treorchy as 'important to an understanding of Welshness as anything Dylan Thomas
or Saunders Lewis
wrote.'
theme, including 9-3 which celebrates Llanelli RFC's
1972 win over New Zealand, The Outside Half Factory and the song to which Boyce is now most associated, Hymns and Arias. The chorus of Hymns and Arias, 'And we were singing/ hymns and arias/ Land of my Fathers/ Ar Hyd y Nos' has attained folk song status among Welsh rugby supporters and is often heard at Wales international matches.
Although Hymns and Arias had been released previously on his debut album Max Boyce in Session, it was Live at Treorchy which brought the song to a wider audience. The track was released the next year on 7" vinyl, but only as a promotional copy, and was not released to the general public. The song and album have become icons of Welsh popular culture.'
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and singer Max Boyce
Max Boyce
Maxwell Boyce MBE is a Welsh comedian, singer and former coal miner. He rose to fame during the mid-1970s with an act that combined musical comedy with his passion for rugby union and his origins in the mining communities of South Wales...
, first issued in 1974. It was his third album and his first for a major label, EMI Records
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
. The album contains a mixture of comedic songs and poems along with Boyce's interactions with the crowd at Treorchy Rugby Club. The album was an unexpected success going gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and was Boyce's break through recording helping make him a household name in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and beyond.
Album history
Welsh entertainer Max Boyce had produced two albums prior to the release of Live at Treorchy, both on Cambrian Records, Max Boyce in Session and Caneuon Amrywiol (both in 1971). Neither album was very successful and Boyce continued touring clubs around South Wales. In 1973 and still an unknown outside Wales, he was spotted by EMI record producer Bob Barrett, stealing the show from headliner Ken DoddKen Dodd
Kenneth Arthur Dodd OBE is a British comedian and singer songwriter, famous for his frizzy hair or “fluff dom” and buck teeth or “denchers”, his favourite cleaner, the feather duster and his greeting "How tickled I am!", as well as his send-off “Lots and Lots of Happiness!”...
at Brangwyn hall in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
. Boyce signed a contract with the EMI producer while walking along a bridle path at Langland Bay
Langland Bay
Langland Bay is a popular coastal holiday resort in Gower, near Swansea in south Wales. In the right conditions, it is one of the best surf beaches in Britain...
, and was signed to a two record deal overseen by Vic Lanza, head of EMI Records’ MOR music division.
It was decided that the recording would be a live take of one of his dates on a pre-arranged tour, and the venue of Treorchy Rugby Club
Treorchy RFC
Treorchy Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the village of Treorchy, in the Rhondda Valley, Wales. They formed in 1886 and by 1891 were a strong voice in the Welsh Football Union and were playing in the Rhondda Division...
was chosen. Despite the admission fee being only 50 pence, uptake was low and an audience was rounded up by offering free entry to people in nearby pubs. Amongst the audience were members of the Treorchy Male Voice Choir, who added volume during the sing along choruses. EMI had sent a three man unit to record the show, including Abbey Road sound engineer Phil Hancock, who set up the mixing desks in the club changing rooms. Recorded on 23 November 1973, Boyce was supported on the day by Welsh band Triban and the concert was compared by broadcaster Alun Williams
Alun Williams
Alun Williams, O.B.E. was a Welsh radio presenter who became one of the best known voices on BBC radio when he commentated on events such as the Coronation in 1953 and sports events including rugby, swimming and the Olympic Games.-Biography:Williams' father was a presbyterian minister and he was...
, though neither appeared on the finished album. Live at Treorchy album was completed in one take on one night, with the finishing mix completed at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
.
The album had a slow response on its release, but its popularity spread through word of mouth and although the album relied on Welsh humour and pathos, its content struck a chord across Britain. The success of the album allowed Boyce to give up his day job and become a professional entertainer. His follow-up album, We All Had Doctors' Papers
We All Had Doctors' Papers
We All Had Doctors' Papers is a live album by Welsh comedian and singer Max Boyce, first issued in 1975. It was his fourth album release and followed his break through recording Live at Treorchy. The album contains a mixture of comedic and traditional songs, along with Boyce's interactions with...
, released in 1975, reached number one in the UK Album charts.
Welsh historian Martin Johnes describes Live at Treorchy as 'important to an understanding of Welshness as anything Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
or Saunders Lewis
Saunders Lewis
Saunders Lewis was a Welsh poet, dramatist, historian, literary critic, and political activist. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist and a founder of the Welsh National Party...
wrote.'
Hymns and Arias
The songs on the album were mostly of a rugbyRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
theme, including 9-3 which celebrates Llanelli RFC's
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
1972 win over New Zealand, The Outside Half Factory and the song to which Boyce is now most associated, Hymns and Arias. The chorus of Hymns and Arias, 'And we were singing/ hymns and arias/ Land of my Fathers/ Ar Hyd y Nos' has attained folk song status among Welsh rugby supporters and is often heard at Wales international matches.
Although Hymns and Arias had been released previously on his debut album Max Boyce in Session, it was Live at Treorchy which brought the song to a wider audience. The track was released the next year on 7" vinyl, but only as a promotional copy, and was not released to the general public. The song and album have become icons of Welsh popular culture.'
Chart history
Live at Treorchy was released in 1974, and first entered the UK Album Charts on 5 July at number 35. Although reaching a peak position of 21 on 11 October 1975 it kept a presence in the charts for 38 weeks, making a final appearance 22 April 1978. The album went gold and although not Boyce's highest charting record it had the longest chart life. It sold over half a million copies.Track listing
All songs and poems written and composed by Max Boyce.- 1. 9-3
- 2. The Scottish Trip
- 3. The Ballad of Morgan the Moon
- 4. The Outside Half Factory
- 5. Asso Asso Yogoshi
- 6. Duw It's Hard
- 7. Ten Thousand Instant Christians
- 8. Did You Understand
- 9. Hymns and Arias
Personnel
- Max Boyce: (lead vocals)
- Bill Southgate: (piano and organ)
- Alan Chesterfield: (guitar)
- George Fenton: (guitar)
- Derek Boote: (bass guitar)
- Produced by Bob Barrett
- Engineered by Stuart Eltham