Plainsong

Biography

A folk quartet formed by Iain Matthews (Ian Matthew McDonald, 16 June 1946, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England) and Andy Roberts (b. 12 June 1946, Hatch End, Middlesex, England) in 1972, Plainsong earned great critical respect without ever converting it into commercial success. With the addition of Bob Ronga and Dave Richards, they recorded their debut album, In Search Of Amelia Earhart, for Elektra Records in 1972. Loosely themed around Earhart’s disappearance, it included four excellent Matthews originals plus cover versions of Rick Cunha’s ‘Yo Yo Man’, Jim And Jesse’s ‘Diesel On My Tail’ and Paul Siebel’s ‘Louise’. While working on a follow-up, Plainsong III, Matthews and Roberts argued over direction and Ronga left, and they disbanded before its completion.

Residual interest in the band and the subsequent solo careers of Roberts and particularly Matthews resulted in the belated release of...

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