Albert Hammond

Biografie

• Albert Hammond (born May 18, 1944) is a British-born, Gibraltar-raised pop and rock singer-songwriter, best known for the singles “It Never Rains in Southern California” and “The Free Electric Band” and as a prolific songwriter for other artists.

  Born in London, England following his mother’s evacuation from their home in the British colony of Gibraltar, Hammond and family subsequently moved back after the war. Becoming fluent in both English and Spanish, Hammond’s earliest musical excursions came singing in his local church choir, after which, inspired by the time’s pop music, he learned to play the guitar. The singer’s first group, the Diamond Boys, was formed in 1958 alongside friend Richard Cartwright. Playing mainly English and Spanish rock and roll songs, with influences drawn from the Everly Brothers, the Brook Brothers, and the Kalin Twins, the pair had by this point dropped out of school to concentrate on their music. Hammond soon developed a knack for songwriting, which was apparent on his debut single “New Orleans / Fools in Love” released on Parlophone Records.

  Whilst not hitting the big time with the Diamond Boys, the group set the scene for future pop/rock releases in Spain, after which Hammond formed the British vocal group the Family Dogg. Alongside Mike Hazlewood, who had insisted on Hammond pushing his songwriting to the limits, and Steve Rowland, the Family Dogg released the charting single “A Way of Life” in 1969. Following an unsuccessful album release the band split, and Hammond developed a reputation as a prolific songwriter. Penning the songs “Little Arrows” by made famous by Leapy Lee, “Make Me an Island” and “You’re Such a Good Looking Woman” by Joe Dolan among a host of others, the singer-songwriter also found time to contribute vocals to Michael Chapman’s fourth album “Wrecked Again”.

  Following a period of courting labels, Hammond ultimately singed with Bobby Roberts’ Mums Records, and issued his debut single “Down by the River”. The single charted at No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100, however it was his subsequent single “It Never Rains in Southern California” that introduced Hammond as a recording artist around the world. Charting at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, the record sold over a million worldwide, taken from the 1972 album of the same name.

  Subsequent singles included the “Half a Million Miles from Home”, “I’m a Train”, and the U.S. No. 1 “When I Need You” – co-written by Carole Bayer Sager taken from his 1976 album “When I Need You”. The musician's career progression had markedly taken an upward turn throughout the ‘70s, with Hammond collaborating with the likes of Johnny Cash, Richard Carpenter, John Bettis, and Art Garfunkel. Working with producer Phil Ramone and lyricist Hal David, the singer-songwriter spawned the No. 1 adult contemporary single “99 Miles from L.A.”, after which he began focusing on his Spanish-speaking output.

  The prodigious artist toured extensively around Latin America in the early ‘80s, and subsequently produced Lani Hall’s “Es Facil Amar” for which he earned a Grammy Award. In 1981 Hammond found success in the Philippines with the singles “When I’m Gone” and “Your World and My World”, following which he penned the single “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before” made popular by Julio Iglesias and WIllie Nelson. Hammond went on to write songs for the likes of Starship, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, and Aswad, as well as crafting his own releases well into the new millennium.

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