Richard Hewson

Richard Anthony Hewson (born 17 November 1943) is an English producer, arranger, conductor and multi-instrumentalist, who created the studio group RAH Band.

Career Hewson began in the late 1960s as an arranger, and worked with musicians such as the Beatles ("I Me Mine" and "The Long and Winding Road"), the Bee Gees (Melody), James Taylor ("Carolina in My Mind"), Herbie Hancock, Clifford T. Ward, Supertramp, Pilot (Pilot), Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Art Garfunkel, Leo Sayer, Paul McCartney (Thrillington), Mary Hopkin ("Those Were The Days"), Al Stewart, Chris de Burgh, Fleetwood Mac and Chris Rea. He also arranged strings on several Cliff Richard albums, I'm Nearly Famous (1976), Every Face Tells a Story (1977) and Green Light (1978). Hewson also worked with the British band Jigsaw, including arrangements for their hit single, "Sky High".

Apart from his own RAH Band project, in the 1980s he was a producer for Toyah Willcox, Five Star, and Shakin' Stevens. He was a co-producer and conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra on Cliff Richard's 1983 live album Dressed for the Occasion (which included the UK hit single "True Love Ways"). The song also peaked at number 16 in Australia. Hewson played all the musical instruments himself. Although seen as belonging to the synthpop genre, the arrangement did not use synthesisers, only conventional guitar and keyboards with pedal effects. He was later featured on Top of the Pops. A number of jazz funk releases followed. The second big hit single for the RAH Band was in 1985 when the soul ballad, "Clouds Across the Moon", also reached number 6 in the UK chart.

The RAH band's releases were issued under a variety of record labels, including Good Earth Records, DJM, KR Records, TMT Records and RCA.

Released: 1974 Label: Philips Formats: LP — — —

Released: 1976 Label: Splash/Private Stock Formats: LP — — —

Released: 1978 Label: Standard Music Library Formats: LP — — —

Released: May 1978 Label: Ebony Formats: LP, MC — 3 —

Released: 8 May 1981 Label: DJM Formats: LP, MC — — —

Released: 1983 Label: TMT Formats: LP, MC — — —

Released: March 1985 Label: RCA Formats: CD, LP, MC 60 — 42

Released: 2002 Label: Self-released Formats: CD Originally set for release in 1987 — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Compilation albums Title Album detailsUpper Cuts Released: 27 April 1984 Label: S.O.U.N.D. Recordings Formats: LP Mini-albumPast, Present & Future Released: October 1985 Label: RCA Formats: LP, MCThe Best of Rah Band Released: October 1995 Label: Music Club Formats: CD, MCGreatest Hits Released: 1995 Label: Connoisseur Collection Formats: CDPerfumed Garden: The Best of Rah Band Released: 25 November 1996 Label: Trattoria/Polystar Formats: CD Japan-only release21st Century Remixes Released: 8 December 2004 Label: Polystar Formats: CD Japan-only releaseThe Very Best of the RAH Band Released: November 2005 Label: Shocking Music Formats: CDThe Definitive Collection Released: 2009 Label: Toolboxx Formats: CD Continental Europe-only release12 Inch Remixes Released: 18 September 2009 Label: Toolboxx Formats: digital downloadUnreleased Trax from the 70s to the 2000s Released: 5 February 2010 Label: Toolboxx Formats: digital downloadProducers ChoiceReleased: 24 April 2020 Label: Atjazz Formats: 2xLP, digital download

EPs Title Album detailsLove Without End(as the Richard Hewson Orchestra) Released: January 1977 Label: EMI Formats: 7"Satisfied E.P.(as RAH Band) Released: 2000 Label: Reform House Formats: 12" Germany-only releaseChain'd(as RAH Band) Released: 10 September 2010 Label: Shocking Music Formats: digital download

Singles (Unless stated, the main artist is RAH Band) Title YearPeak chart positionsAlbum UK AUS BEL(FL) FRA GER IRE IT NL SWE "Spicks and Specks" (as the Richard Hewson Orchestra; Portugal-only release)1971—————————Melody (soundtrack)"Love for Hire" (as the Richard Hewson Orchestra)1976—————————Love Is"Shark Bite" (as the Richard Hewson Orchestra)—————————"Love Bite" (as the Richard Hewson Orchestra; US and the Netherlands-only release)—————————Love Is"The Crunch"1977616———————The Crunch & Beyond"What Shall We Do When the Disco's Over?" (as the Richard Hewson Orchestra)————————— "Jiggery Pokery"—————————"Is Anybody There?"1978—————————The Crunch & Beyond"Tokyo Flyer"1980—————————"Falcon"35————————RAH Band"Slide"198150————————"Downside Up"—————————"Riding on a Fantasy"—————————Going Up"Winter Love"1982—————————"Perfumed Garden"45————————"Tears and Rain"—————————"Sam the Samba Man"198380————————"Messages from the Stars"42————————"Questions (What You Gonna Do)"109————————"Are You Satisfied? (Funka Nova)"198570————————Mystery"Clouds Across the Moon"6—628—51989"Sorry Doesn't Make It Anymore"90————————"What'll Become of the Children?"—————————Past, Present & Future"The Crunch '85"—————————"Sweet Forbidden"1986————————— "Dream Street" (featuring Nadia Flasch)—————————"Across the Bay"1987—————————"Morocko" (as Shock Taktix)—————————"Run 4 the Sun"—————————"This Is Not Jazz"/"Time Beat Time" (as Shock Taktix)1988—————————"Nice Easy Money (Intruders in the House)"—————————"Time Keeps Tearing Us Apart (The Homecoming)"—————————"Silverbird"1989—————————"Looks Like I'm In Love Again" (as Key West featuring Erik)199346184 ———————"Let Your Love Shine" (as Key West & P. P. Arnold)—————————"Let Your Love Shine" (as Key West & Debbie Sharp)1995—————————"Living for the Nightlife"1996—————————"Clouds Across the Moon" (Tiefschwarz remix; Germany-only release)1999————85————"Turn My Love Around"2008—————————"Living for the Nitelife" (featuring Susanna)—————————"No Way (To Treat Your Lover)" (featuring Susanna)2009—————————"Vapour Trails" (featuring Susanna)—————————"Space Gypsy"2011—————————"Vapour Trails" (featuring Funmilayo)2014—————————"Gypsy Girl"2018—————————"Silly Questions" (featuring Nina Schofield)2019—————————"One Day We'll Smile Again" (featuring Bella Hutton)2021—————————"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.