Tom Evans
I Am Myself (Demos: 1967-1970)
album
compiled by Tom Brennan
last updated: June 5, 2024

Y&T Music, YT-30
Released: 2024 June 7

In July of 1967, Tommy Evans was recruited in Liverpool from his group, The Calderstones, when the Iveys were checking out the local groups at a place called The Mardi Gras on July 23, 1967, during a night off from gigging while searching for a replacement for guitarist, Dave Jenkins.

*Tom Evans confirmed, “We were playing a gig when these long-haired weirdies walked in. You couldn’t miss them – blokes in Liverpool were wearing their hair all short and moddy at the time. They dragged me on one side and asked if I was interested in songwriting, and offered me a place in the group.” In another interview, Tom added, “I had a career in engineering at the time and found the prospects of turning professional – living on seven pounds a week in London, with people I didn’t know – pretty slim. But nevertheless, I agreed to go down there and hear these songs they had written. I listened to their songs and spent an evening fiddling with this Revox tape recorder, laying down one of my songs. They liked the outcome and I liked their songs. So I went back to Liverpool and thought about it.”

*Tom’s first Revox demo was Good Times Together. It’s a happy-go-lucky tune and, for one so inexperienced, Tom showed a good ear for harmony and backing vocal arrangements. Tom really took to making demos, as he had frequently dabbled with songwriting ideas from an early age.”

*Excerpts from: Dan Matovina, “Without You - The Tragic Story Of Badfinger”

Track details:
01. Hello (1:53)
Starting off this collection is Tommy’s, “Hello,” his social commentary about different groups of people in society. What he manages to accomplish with all his overlapping vocal parts for a demo recording is nothing short of amazing.
02. I Am Myself (1:52)
The acoustic guitar title song, originally had only verses, as can be heard in the reprise at the end of the album, then a chorus was added to make it “I Am Myself”. Evans adds what sounds like a wooden flute part to add another unique element to the demo.
03. Our First Night Together (1:22)
Demoed on electric guitar, it describes the expectations for a first date.
04. Water Lily (2:14)
With its percussion, slide guitar, and wobble board, this demo paints a sonic picture of a distant water world somewhere. Some of its lyrics and melody sound inspired by Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man.”
05. Goldfish (1:56)
When Tommy first joined The Iveys, their musical mentor/manager Bill Collins told him the same thing as the others -- to keep writing songs about anything for practice, so they will eventually improve and write hits. “Goldfish” is one of the results of this exercise. (Pete Ham wrote a song about a slug). Similar to The Everly Brothers' “Long Time Gone,” but with a completely different vocal line and approach, this is about a silly little boy’s pet goldfish who he likes to feed Milkybar, bread, cheese and jam on occasion. This fun song is a great example of the humor that Tommy brought to his music.
06. How Does It Feel [original demo] (2:20)
Performed on acoustic guitar with reverb. The Iveys' version of this song was previously released on the Cherry Red/RPM album, "Treacle Toffee World" in 2008.
07. Honey Lovin' Ways (1:39)
Sung in a slightly slurred voice and performed on electric guitar.
08. Uncle C (1:28)
A partially erased 1970 acoustic guitar demo about Badfinger's musical manager Bill Collins. This first appeared in edited form (cutting out a few mistakes) on the bonus CD that accompanied the 1st edition of the Dan Matovina biography about Badfinger, "Without You - The Tragic Story of Badfinger" released in 1997. Here for the first time, all of what survives of this demo recording appears unedited as originally performed.
09. I Should Have Loved You [original demo] (1:57)
Performed on acoustic guitar with no chorus lyrics. The complete version by The Iveys appeared on the 2022 CD release, "Golden Delicious Demos."
10. Fisherman [original demo] (2:28)
Tommy's solo version performed on acoustic guitar (doubled) including a flute part. The Iveys released their version on the Apple Records LP, "Maybe Tomorrow" in 1969.
11. Dancing Girl (2:42)
Performed on acoustic guitar with electric guitar solo including backing vocals added to double-tracked lead vocals. Some bass guitar notes are also thrown in for good measure.
12. I Don't Want The Bother (2:05)
Tommy's double-tracked acoustic guitar demo about rejection.
13. Handsome Malcolm (2:20)
A rocker about a man who broke up relationships by luring away girlfriends from their boyfriends with his good looks.
14. In My World Of Yesterday (1:59)
An acoustic guitar demo about celebrating today as being an improvement over yesterday.
15. No Escaping Your Love [original demo] (2:01)
The double-tracked solo acoustic guitar demo of The Iveys' B-side to "Dear Angie" from 1969.
16. Good Times Together (2:09)
Inspired by The Everly Brothers and written in Liverpool a few years earlier while a member of The Calderstones, Tommy's first demo was recorded in the late summer of 1967 on the Revox tape machine The Iveys used to record their demos. This also first appeared in 1997 with "Uncle C."
17. The Leaves (0:54)
This is one of several attempts on acoustic guitar of this unfinished song idea which only consists of one verse. While this is very short, it is still vocally pleasant.
18. Stay By Me, Baby (2:50)
A rare early piano demo with double-tracked vocals, with added organ part and acoustic guitar overdubbed using the sound-on-sound technique on the Revox twin-track reel-to-reel tape machine.
19. A Simple Song (2:26)
A unique love song featuring distorted electric guitar with both rapping and screaming vocal parts.
20. Wine, Women And Song (3:52)
This can only be described as a Liverpudlian style folk song, describing the life and times of a bloke named Charlie. Tommy plays acoustic guitar on this with his whistling parts overdubbed. In addition, his vocals are doubled on the choruses.
21. I Am Myself reprise (0:29)
These are some unused verse lyrics from an earlier demo take.

Tom Evans – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano

Compilation, editing and engineering – Tom Brennan
Mastering and restoration - Kevin McElligott

Special thanks to Marianne Evans, Stephen Evans, Bob Jackson, Kent Gray.

All songs written by Thomas Evans
℗ All songs admin by Kobalt Music Pub America Inc. o/b/o Estate of Thomas Evans
Product © Estate of Thomas Evans