{"product_id":"reaching-for-the-sun-the-major-minor-anthology-1967-1969","title":"Reaching For The Sun: The Major Minor Anthology 1967-1969","description":"\u003cp\u003eFirst complete anthology of late 60s recordings by highly-regarded Irish singer\/songwriter. Includes his best-known song, the huge European hit ‘\u003cem\u003eDays Of Pearly Spencer\u003c\/em\u003e’, as well as more than a dozen tracks making their CD debut.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt the height of the protest singer boom that spawned the likes of Dylan and Donovan, Irish-born music industry heavyweight \u003cstrong\u003ePhil Solomon\u003c\/strong\u003e received a demo tape from a young Ballymena-based singer\/songwriter by the name of \u003cstrong\u003eDavid McWilliams\u003c\/strong\u003e. Sensing the possibilities, the entrepreneur added McWilliams to his Irish-based roster of acts (The Bachelors, The Dubliners, Van Morrison’s Them, etc) and placed the youngster on his fledgling record label Major Minor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLaunched in a blaze of publicity in mid-1967, McWilliams coupled voguish songs about social deprivation with lighter, more romantic material, with producer and occasional Beatles\/Rolling Stones associate \u003cstrong\u003eMike Leander\u003c\/strong\u003e providing the striking string arrangements. Success was immediate: three charting albums were released in the space of eight months, with ‘\u003cem\u003eDays Of Pearly Spencer\u003c\/em\u003e’ – a swirling, cinematic slice of psychedelic pop\/folk – becoming a huge hit single across Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, that punishing schedule and a puzzling lack of financial reward saw a disillusioned McWilliams turn his back on the music industry in 1969, although he would return after a three-year sabbatical to resume his career elsewhere. A 2-CD set, ‘\u003cem\u003eReaching For The Sun\u003c\/em\u003e’ is the first-ever complete anthology of David’s Major Minor recordings. It includes mono and stereo versions of his signature tune ‘\u003cem\u003eDays Of Pearly Spencer\u003c\/em\u003e’ alongside more than a dozen tracks making their CD debut, including ‘\u003cem\u003eWho Killed Ezra Brymay\u003c\/em\u003e’, only released at the time in America.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Grapefruit","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50393539084619,"sku":"2049132","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/David-McWilliams-cover-jpeg_88a9817a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726420527","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/products\/reaching-for-the-sun-the-major-minor-anthology-1967-1969","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}