Toshack Highway
Encyclopedia
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 FC football players from the 1970s, John Toshack
and Steve Heighway
.
s 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
.
Swervedriver
Swervedriver are an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band went on hiatus in 1998 before reforming in 2008 for a world tour, which included a performance at the high-profile Coachella Festival...
, Adam Franklin
Adam Franklin
Adam Franklin is a guitarist, singer and songwriter who has played in Swervedriver , Shake Appeal , Toshack Highway and currently releases records as Adam Franklin and tours with live band Bolts of Melody...
.
The band name derives from merging the surnames of two Liverpool FC football players from the 1970s, John Toshack
John Toshack
John Benjamin Toshack OBE is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is currently the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.As a player, he is remembered for being part of the...
and Steve Heighway
Steve Heighway
Stephen Derek "Steve" Heighway is a former footballer who was part of the hugely successful Liverpool team of the 1970s.-Life and playing career:...
.
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 synthesizerMoog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
s played through guitar effects pedals over acoustic and electric guitars
Electric Guitars
Electric Guitars were formed early in 1980 by Neil Davenport and Richard Hall who were both studying English at Bristol University. The band soon increased to a five-man line-up, with Andy Saunders , Matt Salt and Dick Truscott , they also later added two backing singers: Sara and Wendy...
. Half the record was instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
, but punctuated by spaceman samples and German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
spoken vocals – the other half featured Franklin’s laconic vocal drawl on more conventional folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
pop workouts and the album was dubbed 'Spacefolk' by one reviewer.
The second release was an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
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
Doubletracking
Double tracking is an audio recording technique in which a performer sings or plays along with their own prerecorded performance, usually to produce a stronger or "bigger" sound than can be obtained with a single voice or instrument. It is a form of overdubbing; the distinction comes from the...
vocals and the compression
Gain compression
Gain compression is a reduction in 'differential' or 'slope' gain caused by nonlinearity of the transfer function of the amplifying device. This nonlinearity may be caused by heat due to power dissipation, or by overdriving the active device beyond its linear region...
of the tape machine.
Release three was a split CD album with Canadians Sianspheric
Sianspheric
SIANspheric , is a shoegaze/dream pop-oriented rock band from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They formed in 1994, and signed with the then-fledgling record label Sonic Unyon. The following year, Somnium, their debut album, was released...
on their Hamilton, ON label Sonic Unyon
Sonic Unyon
Sonic Unyon Recording Company is an independent record label based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The retail store is located on Wilson Street near James Street North)...
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
Swervedriver
Swervedriver are an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band went on hiatus in 1998 before reforming in 2008 for a world tour, which included a performance at the high-profile Coachella Festival...
theme: ‘songs about cars that rock’.
A fourth download only EP called Birdsong EP was released in April 2006 by the Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
label, Shifty Disco
Shifty Disco
Shifty Disco is a British independent record label based in Oxford, England.The label was started by local enthusiasts in January 1997 and their early releases were often featured by John Peel on his BBC Radio 1 show...
.
Members
- Adam FranklinAdam FranklinAdam Franklin is a guitarist, singer and songwriter who has played in Swervedriver , Shake Appeal , Toshack Highway and currently releases records as Adam Franklin and tours with live band Bolts of Melody...
(vocals, guitars, songs, instrumentals, keyboards, shakers, kitchen sinks) - Locksley Taylor (bass, guitar, keyboards, leafs)
- Charlie FrancisCharlie FrancisCharles Merrick "Charlie" Francis was a sprint coach most noteworthy for being the trainer of sprinter Ben Johnson, the first competitor to be stripped of an Olympic gold medal for using banned drugs, and sprinters Angella Issajenko, Mark McKoy, and Desai Williams...
(production, bass, keyboards, fine cuisine) - Jeff Townsin (drums, big hair)
- Will FosterWill FosterWill Foster is the keyboardist for the English rock band The Tears.Previously, he played with UK art rock band Delicatessen before forming Lodger - alongside Delicatessen singer Neil Carlill, Supergrass drummer Danny Goffey, and Goffey's wife Pearl Lowe....
(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
- Toshack Highway (aka the orange album) (2000) Flower Shop/Catapult
- Everyday, Rock'n'Roll Is Saving My Life EP (2001) Space Baby
- Magnetic Morning/Aspirin Age (split 2CD release with SiansphericSiansphericSIANspheric , is a shoegaze/dream pop-oriented rock band from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They formed in 1994, and signed with the then-fledgling record label Sonic Unyon. The following year, Somnium, their debut album, was released...
(2003) Sonic Unyon - Everyday, Rock'n'Roll Is Saving My Life Vol 2 (2005) SWD (full length album of outtakes, rarities, demos etc.)
- Birdsong EP (2006) Shifty Disco (download release)