Doug Ashdown
Ashdown performing at the Mortlock Library, Adelaide in 2015
Ashdown performing at the Mortlock Library, Adelaide in 2015
Background information
Birth nameDouglas Wesley Ashdown
Born (1942-07-29) 29 July 1942
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
GenresRock, folk, country
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Years active1959–present
Labels
  • CBS
  • Philips
  • Sweet Peach
  • Billingsgate
  • Festival
  • Infinity
  • Ash
  • Larrikin
  • NashWest
  • Roadshow
Websitedougashdown.com

Douglas Wesley Ashdown (born 29 July 1942) is an Australian singer-songwriter who had a minor hit in Australia with "Winter in America", also known as "Leave Love Enough Alone", which also reached No. 13 on the Dutch Singles Chart in 1978.

Ashdown reached No. 46 on the Australian Kent Music Report with "The Saddest Song of All" released in August 1970.[1] In 1988, "Winter in America" was covered by Dutch singer René Froger, and in 1994 by Australian group The Robertson Brothers.

Biography

Douglas Wesley Ashdown was born in 1942 in Adelaide, South Australia. At the age of 17 he travelled to England to play in a rock band. In 1961, he was back in Adelaide and played guitar alongside Bobby Bright as a vocalist in The Bowmen.[2] By 1965, as a solo singer-songwriter, he released his first album, This Is Doug Ashdown. His 1960s popular singles were "Something Strange" in 1968, and in 1969, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On", a cover of the Jerry Lee Lewis' hit.[3]

In 1970, he signed with the independent label, Sweet Peach, and issued "The Saddest Song of All" in August, which peaked at number 46 on the Kent Music Report.[1] The song was written by Ashdown and Jim Stewart, who became his long-term producer and co-writer.[4] The associated album, The Age of Mouse, was the first double LP album of original material released by an Australian.[2] Ashdown and Stewart relocated to the United States, living in Nashville. While there, the pair co-wrote "Just Thank Me",[5] for David Rogers, who released it in 1973. It peaked at No. 17 on the US Country Music Singles Chart.[6] They also co-wrote "Leave Love Enough Alone", which Ashdown released in 1974 after relocating to Sydney.[7] He had a minor hit with it when it was renamed "Winter in America" and released in 1976. It peaked at No. 3 in Brisbane, No. 14 in Melbourne and No. 30 in Sydney.[3]

In 1977, his album Trees won the King of Pop Award for "Best Album Cover" from TV Week, the Australian television entertainment magazine.[8] Ashdown also worked with science fiction writer/songwriter Terry Dowling on recordings of Dowling's song-cycle "Amberjack", about a stranded time traveller. Ashdown contributed lead vocals and guitar to six of the tracks of Dowling's song-cycle, which were broadcast by the ABC in 1977.

He continued to release singles and albums, and had minor chart success into the 1980s.[3]

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart
positions
Certification
AUS
[1]
This Is Doug Ashdown
  • Released: 1965
  • Label: CBS (SBP 233283)
-
The Real Thing
  • Released: 1966
  • Label: CBS (SBP 233317)
-
Source
  • Released: 1968
  • Label: CBS (SBP 233516)
-
The Age of Mouse
  • Released: 1970
  • Label: Sweet Peach (SP 12001)
-
Leave Love Enough Alone
  • Released: November 1974
  • Label: Billingsgate Records (L35294)
38
Trees
  • Released: September 1977
  • Label: Ash (BGLP 1001)
98
Empty Without You
  • Released: 1977
  • Label: Festival Records (L35832)
-
The World for the Right Kind of Man
  • Released: 1983
  • Label: CBS (SBP 237882)
-
Love Lives
  • Released: 1986
  • Label: Larrikin Records (LRF207)
-
No Cheap Grace
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: Roadshow Music (17510-2)
-
Homesong
  • Released: 2001
  • Label: Sleeping Dog)
-

Live albums

List of live, with selected chart details
Title Album details
Doug Ashdown Live
  • Released: 1971
  • Label: Sweet Peach (SP 501)
Doug Ashdown and Friends Live – The Blues and Then Some
  • Released: 2001
  • Label: Sleeping Dog

Compilation albums

List of compilation, with selected chart details
Title Album details
Really and Sincerely
  • Released: 1999
  • Label: Sleeping Dog
  • A 70-minute collection of 1967-69 studio out-takes and rarities
A Career Collection 1965-2000
  • Released: 2000
  • Label: Raven Records (RVCD-132)

Charting singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Year Title Peak chart
positions
Album
AUS
[1]
1970 "The Saddest Song of All" 46 The Age of Mouse
1976 "Winter in America (Leave Love Enough Alone)" 37 Leave Love Enough Alone
1981 "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" 40 The World for the Right Kind of Man

Awards

Australian Record Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1975[10] Leave Love Enough Alone Easy Listening Male Album of the Year Won

References

Specific
  1. 1 2 3 4 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 20. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  2. 1 2 Kimball
  3. 1 2 3 McFarlane "'Doug Ashdown' entry". Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 13 September 2017.. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  4. "ASCAP ACE – Search Results for "Saddest Song of All"". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  5. ""Just Thank Me" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  6. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 359. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  7. Kruger, Debbie (July–August 2002). "They Wrote The Songs: Songwriters discuss the stories and inspirations behind their most famous songs". Aprap. Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  8. "Australian Music Awards". Ron Jeff. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  9. "Kent Music Report No 453 – 28 February 1983 > Platinum Albums 1982 (Continued)". Retrieved 26 December 2022 via Imgur.com.
  10. "Australian Record Awards Announced" (PDF). Billboard. 29 November 1975. p. 58. Retrieved 12 November 2021 via World Radio History.
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