Wishbone Ash can trace its origins back to Torquay, Devon, England, a seaside resort in the southwest of the country. It was there that Martin Turner and Steve Upton first performed together; Turner on bass, Upton on drums, before moving to London in 1969 to seek fame and fortune. In the capital the decision was made to place an advertisement for a keyboard player and a lead guitarist. The resulting audition threw up two guitar leads, but nobody could decide who to choose and the trademark twin-lead sound of Wishbone Ash was born.
Ted (David) Turner and Andy Powell soon went through the poverty and growing pains of a new band, but were fortunate that Miles Copeland was championing their cause and a fairly rapid progression was achieved. The first Album, Wishbone Ash, was released in December 1970 and their second, Pilgrimage, surfaced just six months later to reach #6 in the NME charts. Great things were just 11 months away with the release of Argus (1972) -- possibly the band's best album; certainly their most commercially successful -- which reached #2 in the UK charts and went gold. Argus is considered to be one of the great rock classics of all time. The next album, Wishbone Four, only 12 months later, went silver.
After these early highs, Ted Turner decided that he had had enough, and left the band to be replaced by Laurie Wisefield. Although Laurie’s style was not to everyone’s taste, he was generally well liked by the fans and brought a slightly harder edge to the folk-tinged progressive rock that was the Wishbone Ash formula. Wisefield was a dynamic player and became an excellent partner to Andy -- they were to play together for a very successful 11 years and the MKII version of the band is very well thought of for most of its output. About this time the band became more influenced by America and would eventually move there.
The next album, There's The Rub (1974), was recorded in Florida and produced by Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk. Once again it was to do well, achieving silver disc status. There's the Rub included the instrumental piece F.U.B.B. Steve Upton was arrested in New Zealand for announcing at a concert it's full title. In New Zealand, swearing in public is a criminal offense, and when Upton announced the title at an outdoor concert, a woman sunbathing in her garden nearby complained to the mayor. Upton spent the night in jail, and the album reached #3 in New Zealand due to the publicity.
It was inevitable that a turkey was due and to fans Locked In (1976) fit this bill. This record was not released -- it escaped! Fortunately things were much better with the quality of the following albums and although the high chart positions were gone, the fans were enjoying some competent, well-crafted output.
After 11 years in the band, Martin Turner decided to leave. This move began a period of frequent changes of bass player with the likes of John Wetton and Trevor Bolder being two of the better known; however, Wishbone Ash always has attracted musicians of the highest order. A much more controversial move was the introduction of Clair Hamill to fill in some of the vocal talent Martin had taken away with him. Clair was not popular with the fans which was perhaps a little unfair. She had contributed backing vocals on Just Testing (Turner's last album (1980), which he had also produced) and had co-written the excellent Living Proof, which is still a crowd favourite today. Her stay was short-lived with Andy Powell taking on more vocal duties. Wisefield left in late 1985 and the band continued to tour with various replacements, but were very much in limbo until 1987 when a miracle occurred. Miles Copland persuaded the original lineup to reform for a project for a music charity that he was helping, and a Hammersmith Odeon concert which the BBC recorded resulted. The project produced an instrumental album Nouveau Calls (1987), which was very well received. Even better received was the fact that three years of the original lineup were to follow.
Just when things were going so well, Steve Upton decided to quit the business entirely in 1990, to be replaced by Ray Weston. Martin Turner carried on for another year before leaving to pursue a solo career, and Ted left two years later. The next five years saw lots of personnel changes, but eventually resulted in a good period of stability with Ray Weston returning and Bob Skeet joining on bass in 1998.
The new millennium has also seen stability in respect of Andy's guitar partner, with the last 6 years being filled by Ben Granfelt and subsequently Muddy Manninen, both of whom come from Finland. 2005 saw Wishbone Ash celebrate their 35th year. 2006 heralded the new album Clan Destiny (the first featuring Muddy as guitarist). 2007 saw the exit of long-term drummer Ray Weston, due to the increasingly hectic pace of band life. Joe Crabtree (formerly of The David Cross band) stepped up to fill his place. With regard to new releases, 2007 saw First Light, which features original recordings of the songs featured on their debut album, as well as some outtakes. Also released that year was the new album The Power of Eternity (partly featuring Joe Crabtree on drums), which coincided with the Autumn tour.
Wishbone Ash are still performing 150 gigs a year in the U.S. and Europe. They get very supportive crowds with good numbers turning out all over Europe -- the U.S. tends to attract smaller audiences, but very committed fans. If you want to hear classic Wishbone Ash, get ahold of Argus. Visit their web site www.wishboneash.com, where tour dates and albums, etc. can be obtained.
She Was My Best Friend
Wishbone Ash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And now it's so easy to see.
Warm at night
She sleeps so tight.
She gave me comfort
Made me smile
She was my best friend for a while.
A daylight dream of mine.
She comes with the sun.
In the morning sun
We shared the mystery of a power.
She was an angel in my darkest hour.
As I close my eyes
I can see her face
Feel inside a rhythm
I can feel her warm embrace.
She comes with the sun
In the morning sun
She gave me comfort
Made me smile.
She was my best friend for a while.
The song "She Was My Best Friend" by Wishbone Ash is a tribute to a lost friendship and a reflection on the warmth and comfort that the singer shared with his former friend. The opening line of the song, "The daylight train comes so slowly," sets a contemplative and somber atmosphere. The singer sees things more clearly now that his friend is gone, and he recalls the way she would sleep soundly at night. Although their friendship is over, he takes solace in the fact that she gave him comfort and made him smile when they were together.
The chorus of the song is all about the singer's memories of his friend, who he describes as an "angel in [his] darkest hour." She was a source of strength and support during difficult times, and the two of them shared a special bond that he remembers fondly. As the song comes to a close, the singer imagines he can still feel his friend's presence and her warm embrace. Even though she is no longer a part of his life, the memories they shared are everlasting.
Overall, "She Was My Best Friend" is an introspective and reflective song that pays tribute to the power of friendship and its enduring impact. It highlights the profound connection that two people can share, even when circumstances pull them apart.
Line by Line Meaning
The daylight train comes so slowly
The time I spent waiting for her to arrive was long and drawn out.
And now it's so easy to see.
Looking back, it's clear to me how much she meant to me.
Warm at night
She was a comforting presence in my life, especially during lonely or difficult times.
She sleeps so tight.
Despite any troubles in the world, she was able to rest soundly and find peace.
She gave me comfort
Her love and friendship provided a safe haven for me.
Made me smile
Her good nature and positive outlook had a lasting effect on me.
She was my best friend for a while.
For a time, she was the person I trusted most and enjoyed spending time with.
Well, I was no hurricane
I was not an especially strong or forceful person.
A daylight dream of mine.
She seemed like a wonderful and unattainable dream that I had hoped would one day become a reality.
She comes with the sun.
Her presence and influence always seemed to brighten my day and bring light into my life.
In the morning sun
Her cheerful and uplifting personality was especially apparent when we would spend time together early in the day.
We shared the mystery of a power.
Together, we experienced something special and profound that seemed to defy explanation.
She was an angel in my darkest hour.
When I was struggling and feeling lost, she was the one who offered me hope and light in the darkness.
As I close my eyes
When I think of her and our time together, it's as vivid and real to me as if it were happening right now.
I can see her face
Her kind, beautiful face is etched into my memory forever.
Feel inside a rhythm
The warmth and comfort of her embrace is something I can still feel deep inside me.
She comes with the sun
No matter how much time has passed, her presence still has the power to brighten my day and lift my spirits.
In the morning sun
Her warmth and positive energy were always strongest when we were together early in the day.
She gave me comfort
Her love and friendship were a source of solace and safety for me.
Made me smile.
Her infectious happiness and humor always brought a smile to my face.
She was my best friend for a while.
For a time, she was the person who knew me better than anyone else, and who I trusted and valued above all others.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Billy Auld
Sheer and utter brilliance.
Flâneur
Backing vocals by Whitney Houston's mum, Cissy - a great jazz singer.
hauntboy
Great song, and it's a pity all the websites giving the lyrics make the same copycat errors, only about 15 in total. To begin with, nowhere in this song is a train mentioned....
https://genius.com/albums/Wishbone-ash/Locked-in
hauntboy
... and a hurricane isn't either!!!!
Kamakiri Sassorichan
Ouf, the clams at 2:49 . . . mixolydian mode when a relative major pentatonic is wanted