Days of Pearly Spencer

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As well as being an accomplished musician, David McWilliams was a talented footballer who, in different circumstances, might have joined a Cregagh-born contemporary, George Best, in the professional ranks. Signed by Linfield FC from amateur side Harryville, he immediately became the first-team goalkeeper. Unfortunately, an ankle injury kept him out of the game for four months by which time his musical career had taken off.

Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Vol.80, no.17. 27 April 1968. p.53 . Retrieved 13 September 2020.The Days of Pearly Spencer (inlay). The Vietnam Veterans. Music Maniac Records. 1988. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link) Richie Unterberger described the song as "[McWilliams's] best song, with a dark edge, swirling violins, and an effective dab of psychedelia in the megaphone-distorted vocals on the song's chorus." [10] In 2002, The Independent called the song "dreamy". [3] In 2012, Stuart Bailie of Radio Ulster called "Harlem Lady", the A-side, a "quality tune" and "Pearly Spencer" a "remarkable record". [4] Charts [ edit ] Chart (1967–1968) Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Vol.80, no.9. 2 March 1968. p.44 . Retrieved 13 September 2020. The recording was produced by Mike Leander who formed a sweeping orchestral arrangement for the song. Leander had previously provided arrangements for such records as " She's Leaving Home" by The Beatles and Marianne Faithfull's " As Tears Go By." [4]

Marc Almond – The Days of Pearly Spencer" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 31 January 2020. A recording by English singer Marc Almond titled " The Days of Pearly Spencer", with an additional verse written by Almond giving the song a more optimistic tone, [22] reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and number eight in Ireland in 1992. In a review from the parent album Tenement Symphony, Ned Raggett of AllMusic called it 'the surprise U.K. hit single of the bunch, the gentle and (for Trevor Horn) understated "The Days of Pearly Spencer", another '60s cover given the Almond treatment to good effect'. [23] Charts [ edit ] Chart (1992) a b c d e f g "David McWilliams – Obituaries, News – The Independent". Independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011 . Retrieved 1 June 2014. Having his first single, "God and My Country", flop, McWilliams entered a Belfast recording studio to record some demos. Around that time, Mervyn Solomon overheard his tapes, and was impressed enough to telephone his brother Phil Solomon. Because McWilliams was already signed to CBS, who manufactured Major Minor's recordings, Phil Solomon offered to take McWilliams off their hands. The offer was accepted, and Solomon took McWilliams with him to London to record the song. Originally, the song was a poignant ballad. [3] The title was presumably a play of words on a line from the Victorian hymn, "We rest on thee", "the gates of pearly splendour". He recorded a demo of some of his own songs, which was heard by music industry entrepreneur Phil Solomon, who had previously managed The Bachelors and Van Morrison's band Them and also had close business ties with Ronan O'Rahilly's pirate radio station Radio Caroline. [1] [5] Solomon convinced close friend and well established songwriter Dominic Behan to take McWilliams under his wing to the point that McWilliams moved into the Behan family home in West London, an environment within which he was able to focus on songwriting; the impact of Behan's influence is difficult to determine but, it can be seen that McWilliams' live performances became much more self-assured, a key to future success. Following a period of five months in Behan's household, Solomon was able to negotiate a contract with CBS Records, which released his first, unsuccessful single "God and My Country" in 1966, before signing McWilliams to his own new Major Minor label. McWilliams and Behan were to remain close friends until the death of Dominic Behan in 1989.David McWilliams was quiet and self-effacing. He was ill at ease in the world of showbusiness and he had an intense dislike for the glitter and hype of the music industry. He was more at home playing in the Fourways Inn, Ballymena, than in the Royal Albert Hall. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 11 June 2022. David Samuel McWilliams (4 July 1945 – 8 January 2002) was a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Northern Ireland, best known for his 1967 song " Days of Pearly Spencer".

The BBC refused to play the record, however, because of Solomon's involvement in the offshore radio station Radio Caroline, and thus the record failed to chart in either the UK or the Republic of Ireland. [3] In continental Europe, the song topped the French Singles Chart, reached number two on the Belgian Singles Chart, and reached number eight on the Dutch Singles Chart. [4] In Australia, the song spent two weeks at number 32 on Go-Set's national top 40, [8] reaching number 10 in Brisbane. [9] The song was rereleased on three occasions and remains a staple of "oldies" radio stations. [3] Ironically, David McWilliams's recording of the song, first made in 1967, was never a British chart hit. A quarter-of-a-century elapsed before a cover version by Marc Almond of Soft Cell entered the British Top Ten, reaching number four.DISK Days of Pearly Spencer PARLOPHONE.jpg (697x684)". Davidmcwilliams.com . Retrieved 20 June 2014. The Days Of Pearly Spencer was based on a homeless man in Ballymena who was befriended by David McWilliams. The song reflected the writer's deep humanity and his empathy with those who live on the margins of society. a b c d e f Stuart Bailie. "Stuart Bailie: The Great Northern Songbook – 3. The Days of Pearly Spencer". BBC . Retrieved 22 June 2014. Tenement Symphony (Media notes). Marc Almond. WEA. 4 October 1991. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link)