Time for the Lyon’s share

Harry Lyon.

His sax practice used to drift over a sandy, lupined empty section in Gisborne’s Cobham Place when the subdivision was still in development. When the upwardly mobile moved to a Barker’s Hill subdivision, musician Harry Lyon’s family moved with them and his practice sessions could be heard on Hillary Heights.

Nek minute, he’s co-founded Hello Sailor and hit the road. Fittingly, Lyon has just released One For The Road, a song dedicated to touring musicians, and absent friends and family. Maybe he’s missing Gisborne beaches too, because next month he releases his first solo album To the Sea.

Produced by music auteur Delaney Davidson the album showcases the Lyon style with influences that range through classic Kiwi rock, New Orleans vaudeville, Latin, Pasifika and country.

As guitarist-songwriter with Hello Sailor, Lyon’s songwriting credits include Lying in the Sand, and Watch Your Back from Hello Sailor’s award-winning first album, Hello Sailor, released in 1977. By 1981 his band was Coup D’Etat and that year Lyon’s composition Dr I Like Your Medicine was named single of the year. Another song of his, Muscles, featured on Midge Marsden’s Burning Rain album.

Lyon has also played with The Pink Flamingos, Hammond Gamble and The Legionnaires.

To the Sea will be released on October 5.