John Howard

A British singer-songwriter whose elegant, tuneful pop reflected clear influences from Elton John and Paul McCartney, John Howard produced recordings that never crossed into mainstream success. His first album, the 1975 release Kid in a Big World, highlighted both his melodic skill and his fondness for unconventional touches, characteristics that later gave his music lasting resonance. Strong songwriting ultimately triggered renewed attention in the 2000s once RPM reissued Kid in a Big World and added unreleased 1970s tracks, enabling Howard to restart his recording career. Over the two decades that followed, he steadily expanded a substantial discography with regular new albums that continued into the 2020s.

Attempts to break into the business began in the late 1960s when the classically trained pianist sent a tape of original songs to Apple Records without result. After changing his professional name from Howard Jones—unrelated to the 1980s pop artist of the same name—to John Howard, he turned down an invitation to join the group that would become Iron Maiden. Instead he played the college circuit and folk clubs before signing a management deal with Stuart Reid, who represented Hurricane Smith. CBS UK offered a contract in late 1973, and Kid in a Big World was recorded with ex-Shadows drummer Tony Meehan producing and Argent members Bob Henrit and Rod Argent among the session musicians. The single “Goodbye Suzie” appeared in late 1974, followed by the album in February 1975, yet poor promotion kept it from making an impression. Work began on a second album that remained unfinished, partly because CBS intervened to push for a more commercial sound. RPM finally issued those demos in 2004 under the title Technicolour Biography. The label next released another demo set, Can You Hear Me OK?, in 2005, while Bad Pressings brought out The Dangerous Hours, Howard’s first new album in three decades. Cherry Red then issued As I Was Saying before the end of 2005.

Further activity produced Same Bed, Different Dreams in 2006, Barefoot with Angels the following year, and Navigate Home in 2009. An archival collection of Navigate Home demos surfaced in 2011, the same year Exhibiting Tendencies appeared. In 2012 Howard completed some 1970s demos as fully realized recordings and released them as You Shall Go to the Ball!. Additional digital albums followed over the next several years, most notably the 2015 set John Howard & the Night Mail, which marked his first work with a full band in some time. Across the Door Sill arrived in 2016. Howard published the memoir Incidents Crowded with Life in 2018, the same year You Are the Cosmos issued the compilation The Hidden Beauty 1973-1979 of rare and unreleased earlier material. The label followed with Cut the Wire in 2019 and To the Left of the Moon’s Reflection in 2020, Howard’s first new album to receive an American release. LOOK: The Unknown Story of Danielle Du Bois appeared in 2022.