Ian Gomm

Ian Gomm first gained notice playing guitar and singing with the influential pub rock band Brinsley Schwarz. His introduction to the music industry came through an apprenticeship in EMI’s mechanical and engineering divisions, where he remained for five years while simultaneously leading a series of R&B trios that supported the Who, the Move, and Pink Floyd. In 1970 he left EMI on a Friday and joined Brinsley Schwarz the following Monday, committing himself to music full-time. His skills as vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist—recognized by NME when it named him Best Rhythm Guitarist in 1971—proved instrumental in steering the group away from its earlier folky country-rock sound toward the direct, energetic style of pub rock. The band’s first album with Gomm, Nervous on the Road, stands among its strongest recordings and contains his memorable composition “It’s Been So Long.”

Gomm remained with Brinsley Schwarz until its dissolution in 1975, after which he relocated to Wales. There he constructed a personal studio that hosted sessions for the Stranglers, Amon Düül, and Alexis Korner. At the same time he developed his own songs and signed with Albion, which issued his debut solo album, Summer Holiday, in 1978. The following year Stiff/Epic retitled the record Gomm with the Wind for the American market; the single “Hold On” climbed to number 12 on the Hot 100 and earned him an opening slot on Dire Straits’ Sultans of Swing tour. Later solo releases included What a Blow, The Village Voice—whose track “Louise” supplied Phil Everly with his first solo hit—and 1986’s Images, Gomm’s last album of the decade. He devoted the remainder of the 1980s to constructing the Mountain Sound studio and composing additional material. Production and engineering work occupied him until 1997, when he issued Crazy for You. In 2000 he entered the studio alongside Jeff “Stick” Davis of the Amazing Rhythm Aces and Pat McInerney of Nanci Griffith’s Blue Moon Orchestra to cut Rock ’N’ Roll Heart, released in 2002 and featuring further contributions from the Rhythm Aces’ Russell Smith and from Griffith.