John Southworth
Canada's Best Kept Secret By Stewart MasonLyrically cinematic songs informed by a sincere love of old-fashioned AM radio pop hits
Although John Southworth's music is often described as "quirky" or "eccentric," the Toronto-based singer-songwriter displays a remarkable gift for memorable melodies and ear-catching hooks informed by a sincere love of old-fashioned AM radio pop hits of the '60s and '70s. (Southworth comes by this facility naturally: his father Peter Shelley was a successful writer-producer during the glam era, concocting singles for the likes of Alvin Stardust, Gary Glitter and Lulu and nabbing a couple UK hits of his own in the mid '70s.) Signed to A&M Records' Canadian arm by his mid-20s, Southworth debuted with the glorious Mars, Pennsylvania, a complexly-orchestrated, lyrically cinematic album that touched on everyone from George Gershwin and Cole Porter to 10cc and Wings. The great lost pop record of the 1990s, Mars, Pennsylvania disappeared upon its U.S. release, but the musically restless Southworth has followed it with a number of solid albums, each in a notably different style ranging from the new wave power pop of Sedona, Arizona (a collaboration with fellow Toronto cult figure Hawksley Workman) through the nostalgic California-style soft rock of Yosemite to the jazz-folk playfulness of The Pillowmaker.
-
Music Review
Mama Tevatron
John SouthworthCult Canadian singer-songwriter changes musical directions for the better
>>
-
Music Profile
Hawksley Workman Musician
-
Music Profile
Barenaked Ladies Music Group
-
Music Profile
Peter Shelley Musician
-
Music Profile
Sarah Slean Musician
-
Culture Profile
The Art of Time Ensemble Performance Group
-
TV & Film Profile
Buster Keaton Comic Genius
-
Music Profile
Cat Stevens British Folk-Rock Star
-
Music Profile
Harry Nilsson Musician
-
Music Profile
Paul McCartney Singer, Songwriter
-
Music Profile
Van Dyke Parks Musician, Composer
