reaching for the sun - the major minor anthology 1967-1969

Label: Grapefruit

• First complete anthology of late 60s recordings by highly-regarded Irish singer/ songwriter.
• Includes his best-known song, the huge European hit 'Days Of Pearly Spencer', as well as more than a dozen tracks making their CD debut.

At the height of the protest singer boom that spawned the likes of Dylan and Donovan, Irish-born music industry heavyweight Phil Solomon received a demo tape from a young Ballymena-based singer/songwriter by the name of David McWilliams.

Sensing the possibilities, the entrepreneur added McWilliams to his Irish-based roster of acts (The Bachelors, The Dubliners, Van Morrison's Them, etc) and placed the youngster on his fledgling record label Major Minor.

Launched in a blaze of publicity in mid-1967, McWilliams coupled voguish songs about social deprivation with lighter, more romantic material, with producer and occasional Beatles/ Rolling Stones associate Mike Leander providing the striking string arrangements.

Success was immediate: three charting albums were released in the space of eight months, with 'Days Of Pearly Spencer' – a swirling, cinematic slice of psychedelic pop/folk – becoming a huge hit single across Europe.

However, that punishing schedule and a puzzling lack of financial reward saw a disillusioned McWilliams turn his back on the music industry in 1969, although he would return after a three-year sabbatical to resume his career elsewhere.

A 2-CD set, ‘Reaching For The Sun’ is the first-ever compete anthology of David's Major Minor recordings. It includes mono and stereo versions of his signature tune 'Days Of Pearly Spencer' alongside more than a dozen tracks making their CD debut, including 'Who Killed Ezra Brymay', only released at the time in America.

Track Listing:

DISC ONE
• GOD AND COUNTRY
• REDUNDANCY BLUES
• THE SILENCE IS SHATTERED
• HIROSHIMA
• QUESTION OF IDENTITY
• TIME OF TROUBLE
• ECHO OF MY HEART
• IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING
• I'LL BE HOME
• LEAVES THAT FALL
• TWILIGHT
• HEY SALLY SALLY
• REACHING FOR THE SUN
• SHEELO GONE SO LONG
• MIDNIGHT SUN
• PRETTY BIRD
• DAYS OF PEARLY SPENCER
• CAN I GET THERE BY CANDLELIGHT
• FOR JOSEPHINE
• HOW CAN I BE FREE
• BROWN EYED GAL
• MARLANA
• FOR A LITTLE GIRL
• LADY HELEN OF THE LAUGHING EYES
• TIME WILL NOT WAIT
• WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH ME
• THERE'S NO LOCK UPON MY DOOR
• TOMORROW'S LIKE TODAY
1-16 The album Singing Songs By David McWilliams (UK Major Minor MMLP 2, June 1967, mono-only)
17-28 The album Vol. 2 (UK Major Minor SMLP 10, released October 1967)
DISC TWO
• THREE O'CLOCK FLAMINGO STREET
• HARLEM LADY
• FOUR SEASONS
• TURN HOMEWARD STRANGER
• LETTER TO MY LOVE
• CITY BLUES
• REFLECTIONS
• POVERTY STREET
• AND I'M FREE
• SEPTEMBER WINDS
• YOUNG MAN'S DREAM
• BORN TO RAMBLE
• THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN
• MR. SATISFIED
• THE STRANGER
• FOLLOW ME
• OH MAMA ARE YOU MY FRIEND
• I LOVE SUSIE IN THE SUMMER
• WHO KILLED EZRA BRYMAY
• FIORI NEL VENTO (Poverty Street, Italian language version)
• CORRERAI, CORRERAI (Mr. Satisfied, Italian language version)
• UN SASSO NEL CUORE (Intangible, Italian language recording)
• LO STRANIERO (The Stranger, Italian language version)
• HARLEM LADY (mono version)
• DAYS OF PEARLY SPENCER (mono version)
1-12 The album Vol. 3 (UK Major Minor SMLP 11, released February 1968)
13-14 Single, UK Major Minor MM 561, released May 1968

15-16 Single, UK Major Minor MM 592, released January 1969
17-18 Single, UK Major Minor MM 616, released June 1969
19 Single, US Kapp K 929, released July 1968
20-21 Single, Italian CBS 3583, released June 1968 22-23 Single, Italian CBS 4087, released March 1969
24-25 Single, UK Major Minor MM 533, released October 1967