Days of Pearly Spencer

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Before the year 1967 was out, he had recorded three albums of his own compositions, an extraordinary feat of creativity given that some of today's top artists take three years to record one album.

The recording was produced by Mike Leander who formed a sweeping orchestral arrangement for the song. Leander had previously provided arrangements for such records as " She's Leaving Home" by The Beatles and Marianne Faithfull's " As Tears Go By." [4] McWilliams was born in the Cregagh area of Belfast and moved to Ballymena at the age of three. [1] He began playing guitar and writing songs in his early teens. After leaving Ballymena Technical College in 1963, he started an apprenticeship at the Shorts missile factory in Antrim, and also started a local dance band, the Coral Showband. [1] [2] [3] He was a well-respected football player, and had a trial with Linfield as a goalkeeper. [2] [4] He recorded a demo of some of his own songs, which was heard by music industry entrepreneur Phil Solomon, who had previously managed The Bachelors and Van Morrison's band Them and also had close business ties with Ronan O'Rahilly's pirate radio station Radio Caroline. [1] [5] Solomon convinced close friend and well established songwriter Dominic Behan to take McWilliams under his wing to the point that McWilliams moved into the Behan family home in West London, an environment within which he was able to focus on songwriting; the impact of Behan's influence is difficult to determine but, it can be seen that McWilliams' live performances became much more self-assured, a key to future success. Following a period of five months in Behan's household, Solomon was able to negotiate a contract with CBS Records, which released his first, unsuccessful single "God and My Country" in 1966, before signing McWilliams to his own new Major Minor label. McWilliams and Behan were to remain close friends until the death of Dominic Behan in 1989. Days of Pearly Spencer" (or in later releases " The Days of Pearly Spencer") is a 1967 song written and originally performed by Northern Irish singer-songwriter David McWilliams, [1] [2] and included on his second album David McWilliams Vol. 2. [3] Although it charted in several countries in continental Europe and in Australia, the original version was not a chart success in either the United Kingdom or Ireland. The song was rerecorded by McWilliams with a new arrangement in his album Working for the Government (1987). In 1992, a cover version by English pop singer Marc Almond reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and number eight in Ireland. On one occasion at a party in London, David McWilliams accidentally broke a prized Appalachian lap dulcimer owned by Billy Connolly. Mortified, he asked how he could best make amends. Connolly replied that a copy of his latest album for his brother, a keen fan, would be more than adequate.

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Richie Unterberger described the song as "[McWilliams's] best song, with a dark edge, swirling violins, and an effective dab of psychedelia in the megaphone-distorted vocals on the song's chorus." [10] In 2002, The Independent called the song "dreamy". [3] In 2012, Stuart Bailie of Radio Ulster called "Harlem Lady", the A-side, a "quality tune" and "Pearly Spencer" a "remarkable record". [4] Charts [ edit ] Chart (1967–1968) A French language version also exists by French 1960s singer Frank Alamo titled "Je connais une chanson" about an impossible love. Marc Almond – The Days of Pearly Spencer" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 31 January 2020.

Mandy Bingham recorded 'The Days of Pearly Spencer' in just one take at the Millbank studios in Lisburn, and such was the emotion of the day, and her haunting and spine-chilling delivery, that even producer Michael Mormecha said he had goosebumps. The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Days of Pearly Spencer". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 31 January 2020. Having his first single, "God and My Country", flop, McWilliams entered a Belfast recording studio to record some demos. Around that time, Mervyn Solomon overheard his tapes, and was impressed enough to telephone his brother Phil Solomon. Because McWilliams was already signed to CBS, who manufactured Major Minor's recordings, Phil Solomon offered to take McWilliams off their hands. The offer was accepted, and Solomon took McWilliams with him to London to record the song. Originally, the song was a poignant ballad. [3] The title was presumably a play of words on a line from the Victorian hymn, "We rest on thee", "the gates of pearly splendour". The Days of Pearly Spencer (inlay). The Vietnam Veterans. Music Maniac Records. 1988. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link)David Samuel McWilliams (4 July 1945 – 8 January 2002) was a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Northern Ireland, best known for his 1967 song " Days of Pearly Spencer". Ned Raggett (29 October 1991). "Tenement Symphony – Marc Almond". AllMusic . Retrieved 1 June 2014. The video clip created for the song contains footage of the singer playing his guitar on the wharf close to the Oudegracht, the main canal in the centre of Utrecht, the Netherlands, easily recognizable for those who live(d) in that city.