Biography | Cliff Aungier was a folk singer songwriter. He grew up learning the trumpet and played for the Air Training Cadets, but was inspired to take up guitar after watching a television documentary on Big Bill Broonzy. He began playing the folk club circuit around London with the likes of Wizz Jones, Ralph McTell, Alexis Korner, Long John Baldry and Bert Jansch.
Aungier, Royd Rivers and Gerry Lockran, started a folk/blues club in 1963 at The Half Moon in Putney, initially called "Club Folksville", but changed to "Bluesville" in 1965. Cliff then met Brian Lane, who with Mike Margolis, had formed Harmar Lane Music. A single was then recorded, "Half a Picture", under the fictitious persona of Daemon Dee. RCA were impressed by the single and agreed to foot the bill for an album "The Lady from Baltimore."
Cliff was given the opportunity to record Elton John's "Your Song" since Elton had told him at that time that he did not intend to release it as a single, but Margolis told Cliff it was too downbeat. When Elton John finally did release the song, it became a worldwide hit.
It wasn't until 1984 that Cliff recorded again. "Full Moon" was recorded live at his Half Moon Club, with a line-up that included Paul Millns, Micky Moody, Nigel Portman-Smith, Nic Pentelow and Chris Hunt, along with cameo appearances by Albert Lee, Bert Jansch and Ralph McTell. |