Hard Times is the fifth album by singer, songwriter and pianist Peter Skellern (1947–2017)allmusic.com/artist/peter-skellern-mn0000687269/biography retrieved 16/01/2014) released in 1975 on the Island Records label. Despite much radio airplay, "Hard Times" failed as a single and the LP slipped into decades of obscurity. As a result of this commercial failure, Skellern changed record companies again, signing with Phonogram under their Mercury subsidiary and immediately enjoying a minor hit with a cover of "Love Is the Sweetest Thing".skellernhardtimes.blogspot.co.uk/ This album has now been officially re-issued on CD by Mint Audio Records on the 3 cd set, The Complete Island & Mercury Recordings.
Track listing All tracks written by Peter Skellern except "Make Love, Not War" written by John Burrows, John Harding and Peter Skellern.
Side 1 "Hard Times” "I Guess You Wish You’d Gone Home" "Baby What a Fool I’ve Been” "Down in the Cellar" ”Goodbye, America Keep You Well”
Side 2 "Snake Bite" "Make Love, Not War” (From the musical revue Loud Reports) "A Capella” "Let’s Sleep Late" "And Then You’ll Fall"
Personnel Peter Skellern - vocals, acoustic and electric piano, percussion, organ and Moog Rob Townsend - drums George Ford - bass guitar Mick Green, Brian Alterman - guitar Chris Karan - tablas Andrew Price Jackman - string arrangements Madeline Bell, Joy Yates, Joanne Williams - backing vocals George Harrison - guitar on "Make Love Not War"
Production Producer: Meyer Shagaloff by arrangement with Johnny Stirling for Pendulum Music Ltd Engineer: Trevor Vallis Tape operators: Dave & Vaughan Recorded at: Mayfair Sound Studios Cover illustration: Tony Wright Album design: Eckford Stimpson
References