The Essential

The first truly comprehensive compilation of Nick Heyward – compiled by Nick Heyward. For more than 45 years Nick Heyward has been writing, recording and performing catchy, memorable and enduring songs, initially (and again, more recently) with Haircut One Hundred. Subsequently, as a solo artist he has built a consistently brilliant body of work that makes it easy to assemble - if difficult to know what to omit from - this new collection.

In an initial burst of creativity, Haircut One Hundred released their debut single 'Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)' in October '81, the first of a series of chart hits that blended upbeat power-pop with danceable grooves, setting Nick off on a career that would see him transition from teen pop idol into a respected singer-songwriter. After three more Top 10 hits (including the March '82 No. 3 'Love Plus One'), Nick and the band went their separate ways, although thankfully there was more equally fine music to come from this combination.

Nick's solo career began with the April '83 No. 13 'Whistle Down The Wind', another intelligent, melodic song displaying a well-crafted writing style that connected deeply with his loyal fanbase - a trait that continues to this day. With songs like 'Kite' and 'He Doesn't Love You Like I Do', his '93 album 'From Monday To Sunday' may have established the template for Brit Pop and saw the beginning of another credible and acclaimed phase in his career, when Nick even had a spell on the same Indie label as Oasis and Teenage Fanclub.