David Watson (British musician)

David Watson
David Watson performing at the Royal Festival Hall, December 2014
Background information
BornLondon, England
Occupation(s)Record producer, singer, guitarist, songwriter
InstrumentsGuitar, banjo, vocals

David Watson is an English record producer, singer and musician. Born and raised in North London, he has produced albums for Paul Wassif, Mark Abis, Sam Sallon, Dylan Howe, OMD and Claudia Brücken, and has worked with artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Neil Cowley, Beth Rowley, Eric Clapton and Bert Jansch. He is the father of actress Indica Watson.

As a producer

In 2006 Watson recorded and produced Translation Volume 1 – Live in Soho by the Dylan Howe Quintet with Dylan Howe, and the album was released to critical acclaim.[1][2][3][4] This was followed by Translation Volume 2 - Standards which came out in 2007.

In 2009, Watson began work on an album by the blues/folk guitarist Paul Wassif, which featured the musicians Eric Clapton and Bert Jansch. The album Looking Up Feeling Down was recorded in London's Metropolis Studios, and was released in 2011 on Black Brown & White.[5] It turned out to be Jansch's last appearance on a record before his death in October that year.

Watson worked for over two years producing singer-songwriter Sam Sallon's debut album One for the Road which was released in 2013 on Indigo-Octagon. The album features contributions from The Rails singer Kami Thompson, guitarist Paul Wassif and pianist Neil Cowley. Mojo Magazine praised the album as "a finely crafted debut",[6] while Maverick Magazine called it "a potential album of the year".[7]

Along with Paul Humphreys of British electro band OMD, Watson produced German electropop singer Claudia Brücken's live retrospective album This Happened in 2012. The album was recorded and filmed at the Scala in London's King's Cross the previous year, and both Watson and Humphreys performed alongside guest appearances from Heaven 17, Andy Bell, Andrew Poppy and Propaganda. The live album and DVD were released on There (There) in 2012,[8] and Watson subsequently toured as a member of Brücken's band in the UK and Europe.[9] [10]

Watson has contributed to the last three albums by OMD, English Electric (2013), The Punishment of Luxury (2017) and Bauhaus Staircase (2023). Together with Paul Humphreys, Watson remixed the band's debut single "Electricity" from the original master tapes for a popular commercial for Chanel.[11]

Watson has also performed and sung with many various artists and groups. In July 2004, he sang the Italian piece "L' Ombra della Luce" by Franco Battiato with the Remasterpiece Orchestra featuring Chris Coco and Sasha Puttnam headlining at The Big Chill festival.[12]

In December 2009 he performed at A Not So Silent Night with Rufus & Martha Wainwright, Boy George, Brian Eno and other special guests at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The concert was to be the final performance of Kate McGarrigle, who died the following month.[13]

In December 2013, Watson performed and sang with Paul Wassif at the concert A Celebration of Bert Jansch at London's Royal Festival Hall alongside Robert Plant, Lisa Knapp, Donovan and various members of Pentangle, amongst others.[14][15] The concert was broadcast by BBC Four in the UK on 28 March 2014 under the name The Genius of Bert Jansch: Folk Blues and Beyond.

He is currently a member of blues folk trio, Three Pilgrims, with Mark Abis and Paul Wassif.[16]

Selected discography

References

  1. ^ "Dylan Howe Quintet Translation Volume 1 Live in Soho". Themonostery.com. 28 August 2006. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Other pop releases: Jul 30 | Music | The Observer". Theguardian.com. 30 July 2006. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  3. ^ London Evening Standard, Jazz CD of the week; published by Jack Massarik; August 2006
  4. ^ "Dylan Howe". Dylan Howe. 14 November 2004. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  5. ^ "The Home of Black Brown & White Records". Blackbrownandwhite.com. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  6. ^ Mojo Magazine; Issue 239; page 98; published October 2013
  7. ^ Maverick Magazine; Issue 121; page 88; published July/August 2013
  8. ^ Discogs https://www.discogs.com/artist/58686-Claudia-Brücken retrieved 25 March 2025.
  9. ^ "Claudia Brücken Review". Brighton Source. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  10. ^ "Claudia Brücken – This Happened (DVD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 2 March 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  11. ^ Chanel commercial https://commercial-song.net/2023/10/chanel-les-beiges-healthy-glow-sheer-powdercommercial/advert/song/?amp-1 retrieved 30th June 2025
  12. ^ "The Big Chill 2004 Line Up". Virtualfestivals.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  13. ^ rufuswainwright.com https://rufuswainwright.com/rufus-and-martha-wainwrights-a-not-so-silent-christmas-2/ retrieved 25 March 2025
  14. ^ Kitty Empire (8 December 2013). "A Celebration of Bert Jansch – review | Music | The Observer". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  15. ^ Alex Gallacher (25 March 2014). "Bert Jansch on BBC 4 Friday (28th March) | Folk Radio UK". Folkradio.co.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  16. ^ Helen Gregory (30 April 2014). "Beverley Martyn @ Bush Hall, 29 April 2014 | Folk Radio UK". Folkradio.co.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  17. ^ Discogs https://www.discogs.com/release/8216463-Jack-Adaptor-JAccuse retrieved 30/01/2024
  18. ^ "The Monostery""INDICA WATSON I That Am Lost". The Monostery. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  19. ^ "Jack Adaptor". Spotify.
  20. ^ "Cherry Red". 7 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Bandcamp". Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  22. ^ The Art of the Lie album booklet. Retrieved 16/06/2024
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