CLIVE Gregson may not quite be a household name for people outside the folk universe; but the chances are you’ve heard some of the songs he’s penned for superstars.

Now Clive has joined forces with singer Liz Simcock, and the good news is, the talented duo are heading to Bromsgrove.

A spokesman said “Clive Gregson’s songs have been recorded by many artists, including Nanci Griffith, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kim Carnes, Claire Martin, Smokie, Norma Waterson, Matt Cardle and Fairport Convention.”

Notable favourites have included “Home is where the heart is,” recorded by Fairport Convention and “I love this town”, which was a hit for Nanci Griffith.

The spokesman added: “Clive was the founder of Any Trouble, a quartet from Manchester who signed to Stiff Records in 1980 and subsequently to EMI America. They made five highly regarded albums before calling it a day at the end of 1984. Around the same time, Clive discovered Christine Collister and as a duo they built up a large international following over 7 years and 5 albums.

“From 1985 to 1992 Clive Gregson and Christine Collister were at the very top of the game in acoustic and roots music, Rolling Stone calling them “the state of the art in British folk-rock.”

In 2015 Clive asked songwriter and singer Liz Simcock to join him in a UK tour, a chance to revisit some of the songs from Gregson and Collister days.

Clive said: “Playing shows that celebrate a hugely enjoyable part of my musical career was well overdue. It had been a very long time since I performed many of those songs.”

Liz said she was delighted to be asked, and added: “I’ve always been a huge fan of Gregson & Collister and couldn’t think of anything nicer to be invited to do.

“They were what got me into writing songs and I think it’s a real privilege.”

The date for the diary is May 10, at the Bromsgrove Folk Club.

Further details at:

http://www.bromsgrovefolkclub.co.uk/