Matthews’ Southern Comfort was a British folk-rock band led by Iain Matthews (known in the 1960s first as Ian McDonald, and from the late 1960s until 1989 as Ian Matthews), an English musician and songwriter. They had one commercial success: in 1971 their cover version of “Woodstock” (written by Joni Mitchell) was a number one hit single in the UK and saw heavy airplay in Canada, as well as reaching #23 in the US.
Matthews was an early member of Fairport Convention. As Fairport drew increasingly from a British traditional folk repertoire, in 1969 Matthews found out he had not been invited to a recording session and, after a short discussion with Fairport leader Ashley Hutchings, departed toward a musical direction of his own.
With Fairport members Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, and Ashley Hutchings, together with drummer Gerry Conway (of Fotheringay and later of Fairport) and pedal steel player Gordon Huntley, Matthews recorded his first solo album, Matthews’ Southern Comfort, whose sound was rooted in American country music and rockabilly. This was Matthews’ first significant experience as a songwriter, although the band also covered the likes of Neil Young and Ian and Sylvia.
Matthews then formed a working band using the name of his first album and recorded the albums “Second Spring” and “Later That Same Year”.
