Clifford T Ward (the T stands for Thomas) was a singer-songwriter who could have been a major star, but for an unwillingness to tour or promote his music, and later a tragic illness which cut short his life.
Home Thoughts was his second studio album, and his first after signing for the Charisma label. It traded on his recent top 40 hit, ‘Gaye’.
If you don’t know Clifford T Ward, ‘Home Thoughts’ is a great introduction to his work. The title track is amongst my all-time top tracks, and there are other gems such as ‘Werewithal’ and ‘Where’s it going to end’. Ward combines a gift for melody with lyrical ingenuity (‘’I could be a millionaire, if I had the money…’)
Most of his work is available on vinyl if you keep an eye out. This album sold well and so is not excessively rare. My copy cost a bargain £5.
Ward had a sad end, succumbing to complications related to his multiple sclerosis in 2001. He left behind a wonderful songbook which is well worth exploring.