In 1978 I moved from Belfast to London where I began working for Warner Bros. in their writers studio doing sessions for, among others, Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), Gary Holton (Heavy Metal Kids/actor), Ronnie Thomas and Clive Langer (producer of Madness, Elvis Costello, Gil Evans and Hothouse Flowers). This led to my recording two albums for the sixties band The Searchers who were signed to Warner Brothers at the time.
After leaving the Warner's studio I worked with Clive Langer on his own album and several other projects including the singles ‘Remember’ by Pete Wylie (WAH) and Robert Wyatt’s ‘Shipbuilding’, which was voted single of the year in 1983. With Clive Langer and the Boxes I toured extensively throughout Europe supporting Madness and Elvis Costello, appearing at the 1980 Montreux Jazz Festival.
For a number of years I freelanced as a session musician working for Phonogram, Polydor, EMI , Stiff, Sire and Demon Records. This involved me in projects with Joan Armatrading, John Isley (Dire Straights), Desmond Dekker, Carlene Carter (step daughter of the country singer Johnny Cash), Sally Oldfield (sister of ‘Tubular Bells’ Mike Oldfield), Keith Emerson and Jack Bruce, Troy Tate, Bill Hurley, The Inmates, The Adventures, Any Trouble, Gregson and Collister and Deaf School (featuring guitarist Reeves Gabrels).
During the same period I spent two seasons in the pit at the Young Vic Theatre in London and worked on the musical drama ‘Motherland’ which explored the cultural and historical background of black residents in the Brixton area.
In 1990 I collaborated with the flautist Guo Yue to present Chinese folk music and culture to western audiences. Our concerts in England, France, Austria, Spain, Belgium and Australia (where we played the Adelaide Festival) were widely acclaimed.
From 1992 to 1998 I spent time teaching and presenting percussion workshops in primary and secondary schools in the London area, recorded tracks with Chris Difford (Squeeze) and Clive Langer for the movie ‘Still Crazy’ (featuring Billy Connolly, Stephen Rae, Timothy Spalls and Jimmy Nail), worked with Richard Thompson and Danny Thompson on Boo Hewerdine’s ‘Baptist Hospital’ album and played with contemporary folk and jazz musicians in the project Scarp.
Through 1999 I recorded and toured with fellow Belfast exile Bap Kennedy promoting his highly praised ‘Lonely Street’ album and toured with Mark Nevin (Fairground Attraction, Morrisey) promoting his ‘Mighty Doves’ record.
In 2000 I had a brief encounter with Pete Doherty’s embryonic ‘Libertines’. In the Spring and Summer of 2002 I worked with Nicky Scott & Jimmy Smyth on a project in Ireland for Belfast legend Van Morrison. The same year I recorded with John Wood and Clive Gregson on Kirsty McGee's award winning ‘Honeysuckle’ album.
2003 I moved to Portugal where I set up a studio to write and record music.
I reunited with John and Clive in 2004 for the Edwina Hayes ‘Out on my Own’ record also featuring Neill McColl and Mark Griffiths.
Between 2005 and 2007 I toured with Dr. Hook vocalist Dennis Locorriere on his ‘Lucky Ones’ and ‘Hits and History’ tours (now on DVD), recorded Ed Deane’s ‘Slideshow’ at my home and played on Any Trouble’s long awaited reunion record ‘Life in Reverse’ for the resurrected Stiff label.
2009 saw me back in Ireland to record Errol Walsh’s ‘No Borders’ album for the Huntington’s Disease charity, and Anthony Toner’s ‘Duke of Oklahoma’ record.
In 2011 I recorded with Mark Griffiths (The Shadows, The Rutles) on Clive Gregson’s ‘Bitter Sweet’ album.
In June 2013 Clive, Mark and myself reassembled for Maria Silker’s album ‘Little did I Know’, again in 2014 for Any Trouble’s ‘Present Tense’ album and in 2015 for a UK tour.
Albums
The Searchers "The Searchers" 1980
The Searchers “Play for Today” 1980
Clive Langer and The Boxes “Splash” 1980
Any Trouble “Wheels in Motion” 1981
Bette Bright “Rhythm Breaks the Ice” 1981
Christophe Johnson “Sons of Waterloo” 1983
Avant Gardeners
“Church of the Inner Cosmos” 1984
Bill Hurley “Double Agent” 1986
Keith Hancock “This World We Live In” 1986
Hobson and Lees “Hand Made” 1987
The Panic Brothers “In the Red” 1987
Gregson and Collister “Mischief” 1987
Fire Next Time “North to South” 1988
Deaf School “Second Coming” 1989
Gregson and Collister
“Change in the Weather” 1989
Stephen Fearing “Blue Line” 1990
Clive Gregson
“Welcome to the Workhouse” 1990
Late Night Band “Strange Survivals” 1990
Patrick Bouffard “Roots' n Roll” 1990
The Adventures
“Lions and Tigers and Bears”1992
Gregson and Collister “The Last Word” 1992
Guo Yue
“The Dream of the Red Mansion” 1993
Pat Shaw and Julie Matthews
“Lies and Alibis” 1994
Scarp “Scarp” 1994
Julie Mathews “Such is Life” 1996
Boo Hewerdine “Baptist Hospital” 1996
Clive Gregson “People and Places” 1996
Bap Kennedy “Lonely Street” 2002
Bap Kennedy “Moonlight Kiss”
Serendipity (Movie)
Still Crazy “Soundtrack)” (Movie)
Kirsty McGee “Honeysuckle” 2002
Ed Deane “Slideshow” 2004
Edwina Hayes “Out on My Own” 2005
Bap Kennedy “The Big Picture” 2005
Dennis Locorriere
”Hits and History” DVD 2007
Any Trouble "Life in Reverse" 2007
Errol Walsh ‘No Borders’ 2009
Anthony Toner ‘Duke of Oklahoma’ 2009
Clive Gregson’s
"Bittersweet" Album released 2011
30th Anniversary of
Robert Wyatt’s "Shipbuilding" 2013
Maria Silker’s "Little Did I Know" Album recorded June 2013
Any Trouble Stiff Box Set Released 2013
Any Trouble "Present Tense"
Album recorded September 2014
Any Trouble UK Tour December 2014
Any Trouble Leon Festival Spain December 2014
Any Trouble UK Tour 2015
Deaf School "Launderette" 2015
Martin Hughes playing the drums with Any Trouble. UK tour Liverpool 2015. Photo by Sara Porter
Singles
The Searchers "Love's Melody" 1980
Clive Langer & The Boxes
“It’s All Over Now” 1980
The Searchers “Another Night” 1980
Any Trouble “Trouble with Love” 1981
Pete Wylie WAH “Remember” 1982
Desmond Dekker “Book of Rules” 1982
Robert Wyatt “Shipbuilding” 1983
The Escape “Russian Lady” 1984
Round-a-way Wrong “Boy” 1984
Van Rumst “I’ll be seeing you” 1985
Big Heat “Watch me catch Fire” 1985
Fire Next Time “I Can’t go Back” 1987
Fire Next Time “Too Close” 1988
Gregson and Collister
“I Wouldn’t treat a Dog” 1988
Any Trouble "Glen Campbell" 2015
Audio Tracks by Martin Hughes
London Irish (Hughes)
Under Simpson's Skies (Hughes)
Lorraine Carew
Hi there Martin did you play with a band called Candy in the 70s x
Kirsty McGee
Hi Martin, Long time no see! Lifetimes actually. Hoping that your new life in Portugal is treating you well. Manchester is unusually sunny at the moment. Sending best wishes. Take care, Kirsty x
Lluís
Hi Martin,
Congratulations for the concert in Leon some weeks ago.
I would like to know if you played Live at the Venue 1981 record of Any Trouble.
Thank you.
Lluís
Martin Hughes
Thank you for your comments Luis. All the members of the band really enjoyed the show and the time spent in the beautiful city of Leon. Hopefully next year we will play more shows in Spain Regarding the Venue recording; there are two albums. One was released in 1980 and featured the original band (Clive Gregson, Chris Parkes, Phil Barnes and Mel Harley) the second (with me on drums) was recorded in 1981 but never released.
Best Wishes
Martin Hughes
Phil Nolan
Hi Martin
Am I right in thinking you played with 'Lick the Tins' for a while sometime around the late '80's?
If so, my friend Will Birch was managing them at the time, seem to remember the drummer was a bit of a perfectionist, very good though.
Phil
Martin Hughes
Well remembered. The period spent with Alison, Aidan & co. was a very happy time for me. I remained in touch with Aidan for quite a while after the band and I met Will Birch at an Any Trouble reunion gig at the Jazz Cafe in London a few years ago. If you´re in contact with any members of the band give them my love.
Martin Hughes
John, many thanks for the compliments. I don´t play as much as I should now but with the writing, teaching and grandchildren there´s not a lot of time left. I hope you´re well and happy where ever you are.
Martin
Euan Pyper
Hi Martin
I am in need of percussion lessons as I'm now part of a band here in the Algarve. We started performing about a year ago, mainly charity events and although the rest of the guys are very good with the instruments they play, I am not up to their level, yet. I know I can get by, playing tamborine, Maraccas and backing vocals but want to add a bit more depth to the band. I am awaiting delivery of a set of congas next week and want to concentrate on them for a while. I would very much appreciate if you could advise me of your rate and recommendations. I have been banging away on some bongos with a modicum of success. Thanks in anticipation. Euan
JOHN LYNN
MARTIN WHAT CAN I SAY LOVE THE KEYBOARD STUFF ALWAYS LOVED THE TIGHT DRUMMING THROUGH ALL THE YEARS GOOD TO SEE YOU ARE HEALTHY AND LIVING IN PORTUGAL AND STILL INTO IT WELL I SUPPOSE AT OUR AGE WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? BEST WISHES FOR FUTURE
FROM SOMEONE FROM A FEW LIFETIMES AGO
IF YOU CANT BE GOOD BE BRILLIAT
Chris Eaglen
Hello martin, My name is chris and i have recently moved over to Portugal near Coimbra. I'm helping to restore a house out here for a friend which finishes around the beginning of october. I have just found your web page while looking for drumming work in Portugal. I have been to Coimbra and Porto to look around and talk to locals to see what the scene is like out here for music. I haven't had much luck in finding any work so far and thought i would get in touch and ask if the algarve would be a good place for me to look. I hope you don't mind me asking this, but having read your page and having the experience that you have had, i couldn't resist asking. Hope to hear from you but if i don't good luck with future projects.
Chris Eaglen
Sarah Hughes
I like your hat! xx