Never Gone b/w I'll be there if You ever Want Me

Audra Clough was a country singer and songwriter from Markham, Ontario who recorded a series of independent Canadian singles during the early 1980s. Working closely with producer and songwriter Larry Coad, she developed a traditional country repertoire that combined original material with songs by established Nashville writers.

Clough’s first known release was ‘Never Gone’ b/w ‘I’ll Be There If You Ever Want Me,’ issued on Burco Records as Burco 750. Produced by Larry Coad and engineered by Gene Rice, the single was recorded at Music Mill Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. ‘Never Gone’ was written by Coad, while the reverse featured the Ray Price and Rusty Gabbard composition ‘I’ll Be There If You Ever Want Me.’

She followed it with ‘Rainy Day’ b/w ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’ on Burco 751. The record was promoted in the July 17, 1982 issue of RPM, where Clough was identified with Markham. The single again paired a Larry Coad composition with a country standard, Hank Williams’ ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.’

Clough continued recording for Burco in 1983 with ‘Take Me to the Dance’ b/w ‘Senses’ and ‘Young Heartache’ b/w ‘Nobody But a Fool.’ She wrote ‘Take Me to the Dance,’ establishing her as a songwriter as well as a vocalist. Her remaining recordings drew upon compositions by Larry Coad, Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seely, Glen Campbell, Hank Williams, Ray Price and Rusty Gabbard.

Across four known singles, Audra Clough recorded at least eight songs and established a clear connection between Ontario’s independent country scene and Nashville’s professional recording community. Her catalogue preserves the work of a traditional Canadian country performer who combined her own songwriting with carefully selected material from prominent country composers.

-Robert Williston