Biography
British folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist Cliff Aungier spent his formative years in Croydon, a district of South London. Early exposure to the recordings of American blues figures such as Big Bill Broonzy and Blind Lemon Jefferson, together with the work of British folk contemporaries Ralph McTell and Bert Jansch, helped shape his style and drew him into the expanding U.K. folk circuit. By 1963 he was appearing regularly at prominent London venues including the Marquee, the 100 Club, and the Half Moon, where he frequently shared the stage with harmonica player Royd Rivers in a duo format. Two years later the pair issued the Jimmy Page-produced single Wanderin' on Decca, and in 1966 Aungier released the solo single “Half a Picture” on EMI Columbia, attracting attention from key industry figures. In 1967 he contributed several tracks to Alex Campbell and His Friends, an album that also included Paul McNeill and an as-yet-unknown Sandy Denny.
Following three further singles in 1968—one of them the near-hit “My Love and I”—RCA agreed to finance his first full-length record. The resulting LP contained eight original compositions, covers of songs by the Bee Gees and Bob Dylan, and the title track “The Lady from Baltimore,” written by Tim Hardin. Although the album enjoyed regional success, misguided management advice (including a decision not to record the then-unknown Elton John composition “Your Song”) and growing disillusionment with the music business kept wider recognition out of reach. Aungier resurfaced in the mid-1980s with the live album Full Moon, issued on his own Aries label and featuring guest appearances by McTell, Jansch, and Albert Lee. His latest release to date is The Acoustic Blues, while Castle reissued the long-unavailable The Lady from Baltimore in 2003.
Following three further singles in 1968—one of them the near-hit “My Love and I”—RCA agreed to finance his first full-length record. The resulting LP contained eight original compositions, covers of songs by the Bee Gees and Bob Dylan, and the title track “The Lady from Baltimore,” written by Tim Hardin. Although the album enjoyed regional success, misguided management advice (including a decision not to record the then-unknown Elton John composition “Your Song”) and growing disillusionment with the music business kept wider recognition out of reach. Aungier resurfaced in the mid-1980s with the live album Full Moon, issued on his own Aries label and featuring guest appearances by McTell, Jansch, and Albert Lee. His latest release to date is The Acoustic Blues, while Castle reissued the long-unavailable The Lady from Baltimore in 2003.
Albums
