Albert Hammond will be touring South Africa in October. Hammond, singer and songwriter, is known for songs like "The Free Electric Band", "The Peacemaker" and "It Never Rains in Southern California".
He wrote songs for others with frequent collaborator Mike Hazlewood. These include "Little Arrows" for Leapy Lee, "Make Me An Island" (1969) (which Hammond himself re-recorded in 1979, in a Spanish disco-style version), and "You're Such a Good Looking Woman" (1970) for Joe Dolan, "Gimme Dat Ding" for The Pipkins in 1970 (itself a cover from the Freddie and the Dreamers album, Oliver in the Overworld), "Good Morning Freedom" for Blue Mink, "Freedom Come, Freedom Go" for The Fortunes in 1971 and "The Air That I Breathe" which was a hit for The Hollies in 1974. In 1971. Hammond also sang on Michael Chapman's fourth album, Wrecked Again, and worked briefly with The Magic Lanterns on recordings of his and Hazlewood's songs and other material.
He then moved to the United States, where he continued his professional career as a musician. He is known for his hits of the 1970s, released on Columbia subsidiary Mums Records:
- "Down by the River" — US 91 (1972)
- "It Never Rains in Southern California" — US 5 (1972)
- "The Free Electric Band" (his only single to chart in the UK) — UK 19, US 48 (1973)
- "Half a Million Miles from Home" — US 87 (1973)
- "If You Gotta Break Another Heart" — US 63 (1973)
- "The Peacemaker" — US 80, South Africa 1 (1973)
- "Down by the River" — US 91 (1973)
- "I Don't Wanna Die in an Air Disaster" — US 0 (1974)
- "I'm a Train" — US 31 (1974)
- "99 Miles from L.A." — US 91 (1975)
