Ian Samwell - Career

Career

In 1958, Samwell heard Harry Webb performing at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho. This led to him joining Harry Webb's group, as a guitarist. Shortly afterwards, the group was renamed Cliff Richard and The Drifters who later became Cliff Richard and The Shadows.

They signed a recording contract with EMI's Columbia Records and Samwell wrote "Move It", which was inspired by Chuck Berry. The song was initially intended as the B-side of their debut single "Schoolboy Crush", but Jack Good ensured that it became the A-side of their release. The song reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart and is generally accepted as the first rock and roll song to be written in the United Kingdom.

Samwell played rhythm guitar on Move It, but was edged out of the band when Hank Marvin and Jet Harris joined. He was then offered a songwriting contract and wrote Richard's second hit single, "High Class Baby" and several of other early songs also for Richard, such as "Dynamite". In 1959 he wrote "Say You Love Me Too", which was recorded by The Isley Brothers and became the first song by a British songwriter to be recorded by an American R&B act.

In the summer of 1961, Samwell hosted some lunchtime record dance sessions at the Lyceum Ballroom in London, using his own collection of R&B and country rock’n’roll records. Then in August, he was appointed first resident DJ on Sunday and Tuesday sessions, playing in front of a fast growing audience of a couple of thousand, mainly made up of new exploding Mod Scene. Later music historian Dave Godin stated that: "In some ways, the Lyceum was the first place that could merit the name discothèque". He was also a Disc Jockey at The Orchid Ballroom Purley, during this period.

He went on to work with other artists, as a staff producer at Warner Bros. Records in London. Samwell discovered the band America and produced their first album, America in 1972. Samwell is also credited with persuading their guitarist Dewey Bunnell, to change the name of "Desert Song" to "A Horse With No Name", which became an international chart success. In 1974 Samwell produced the first of three successful albums with Hummingbird whose lineup included Bobby Tench and other former members of The second Jeff Beck Group.

Samwell underwent a heart transplant in the 1990s and died in Sacramento, California on 13 March 2003, aged sixty six. Before his passing in 2003, Ian had been active in the Sacramento, CA music scene. At which time he worked closely with several local acts including Michael Gregory Band.