1933 Good Rockin' Charles*
1951 Chris Rea*
1951 Peter John "Pete" Haycock*
1955 Memphis Gold*
2009 John Cephas+
1951 Chris Rea*
1951 Peter John "Pete" Haycock*
1955 Memphis Gold*
2009 John Cephas+
Happy Birthday
Chris Rea *04.03.1951
Christopher Anton Rea, Künstlername: Chris Rea, (* 4. März 1951 in Middlesbrough, England) ist ein britischer Sänger, Musiker, Komponist und Gitarrist italienisch-irischer Abstammung.
Die frühen Jahre
Santo Spirito Tour (2011)
In den 1970ern spielte Rea, der zwei Brüder (Nick und Mike) und vier Schwestern (Catherine, Geraldine, Paula und Camille) hat, in der Band Magdalene als Gitarrist und Sänger. 1975 gewann die Band unter dem Namen The Beautiful Losers einen Talentwettbewerb, ein Plattenvertrag blieb allerdings aus. Rea nahm 1978 ein Soloalbum mit dem Titel Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? auf, kam mit der Auskopplung Fool (If You Think It's Over) sofort in die US Top 20 und wurde dafür ebenso für den Grammy nominiert. Mit den Nachfolgealben konnte Rea allerdings an diesen Anfangserfolg nicht anknüpfen.
1983 bis 1992
Mit Titeln seines Albums Water Sign konnte Rea 1983 erstmals Hiterfolge verbuchen, die sich 1984 und 1985 mit „Wired to the Moon“ und „Shamrock Diaries“ fortsetzten. Seine großen Hits „Josephine“, „I Can Hear Your Heartbeat“ und „Ace of Hearts“ fielen in diese Zeit. Mit den Alben On the Beach (1986) (das Musikvideo zum gleichnamigen Song wurde auf Formentera gedreht), Dancing with Strangers (1987) sowie The Road to Hell (1989) (der Titelsong war seine erfolgreichste Single-Veröffentlichung) wurde Rea zum Millionseller. Mit Auberge (1991) und God's Great Banana Skin (1992) machte er auch in den USA wieder auf sich aufmerksam.
1993 bis 2000
Weitere Alben folgten, und Rea wurde zu einem der erfolgreichsten britischen Musiker. Vor allem in Großbritannien und Deutschland wurde Rea auch als Kino- und Fernsehfilmkomponist ein Begriff (u. a. „Basic Instinct“, „Soft Top, Hard Shoulder“, „Schimanski: Blutsbrüder“, „Madhouse“, „Alles Paletti“, „Der Schattenmann“). 1996 drehte Rea einen eigenen Film, La Passione (der entfernt die eigene Familiengeschichte wiedergibt), und veröffentlichte dazu auch die Filmmusik. Mehrmals, z. B. 1999, versuchte Rea an die Erfolge der 1980er Jahre anzuschließen, aber mit schwindendem Erfolg.
2001 bis heute
Kurz nachdem ihm mit dem Album King of the Beach im Jahre 2000 ein beachtliches Comeback gelang, wurde bei Chris Rea Bauchspeicheldrüsenkrebs festgestellt. Infolgedessen mussten bei ihm in einer risikoreichen Operation wesentliche Teile des Magens entfernt werden. Die Operationen ließ Rea in Deutschland durchführen. Während seines Krankenhausaufenthaltes beeindruckte ihn besonders die Geschichte und der Lebensmut einer jugendlichen Krebs-Patientin. Sie sagte zu ihm auch die Worte: „Wir tanzen jetzt beide auf einer steinigen Straße“, die ihn direkt zu seinem nächsten Projekt „Stony Road“ führten. Die Auseinandersetzung mit seinem möglicherweise bevorstehenden Tod brachten Rea dabei die Erkenntnis, dass er in seiner gesamten Karriere niemals jene Musik auf Platte gebracht hat, die er wirklich liebte, nämlich reinen Blues. Während er zu Hause langsam wieder zur Gesundheit fand, drückte er sich mit dem Malen von Bildern aus. Nach seiner Genesung arbeitete er musikalisch seine Krankheit auf. Die daraus resultierenden Songs haben mit seinen alten Titeln kaum noch etwas gemeinsam.
Da sein bisheriges Label aber auf Reas altem Stil bestand, gründete er 2002 sein eigenes Label Jazzee Blue, um seine Vorstellungen zu verwirklichen. Dort veröffentlichte er bis 2004 vier CDs: Stony Road, The Blue Jukebox, Blue Street und Hofner Blue Notes. Anschließend widmete er sich dem großen Projekt Blue Guitars. Im Oktober 2005 veröffentlichte er mit Blue Guitars seine (vorerst) letzten Platten als Solokünstler: ein elf Alben starkes Werk (ein sog. EarBook-Tonträger) mit den unterschiedlichen Genres der Blues-Musik, zusammen mit einem Bildband, der seine Werke aus seiner Genesungszeit beinhaltet, und einer DVD. In nur 18 Monaten hatte Rea hierfür über 130 neue Songs komponiert und aufgenommen sowie über 50 Bilder gemalt.
2006 absolvierte Rea seine Abschiedstournee und lebt seitdem mit seiner Frau und den beiden Töchtern in Cookham/Buckinghamshire.
"Abschiedstournee 2006"
Mit seiner Europatournee 2006 wollte sich Rea nach beinahe 30 erfolgreichen Jahren, die ihm weltweit Schallplattenverkäufe von nahezu 30 Millionen Alben und Singles gebracht hatten, verabschieden. „Auf Tour zu gehen ist weiterhin der beste Job der Welt… wenn ich dafür einen anderen Körper hätte. Wie es mit mir gesundheitlich weitergehen wird, ist schwer zu prognostizieren. Es kann sich da auch einiges verschlechtern. Deshalb ist dies jetzt meine letzte Tournee. Ich muss und werde für mich eine andere Weise des Arbeitens finden…“, so Rea auf seiner Website.
Nachdem der letzte Vorhang der Abschiedstour am 28. April 2006 im Olympia-Theatre in Dublin gefallen war, erklärte Rea, dass er zukünftig keine Musik mehr unter seinem Namen veröffentlichen werde und nur noch Teil des Trios The Fire Flies sein werde. Zur Präsentation eines Livemitschnitts der Abschiedstour, der auf DVD erschienen ist, spielte er im Herbst 2006 ein Konzert in London, welches als „Allerletztes Live-Konzert“ angekündigt war.
Allerdings holte die Lust, auf der Bühne zu stehen und live zu spielen, Chris Rea im Jahr 2010 zurück auf eine Tournee (siehe unten).
„The Delmonts“ und „The Hofner Bluenotes“ und Autobiografie
Knapp zwei Jahre nach seinem Bühnenabschied meldete sich Rea im Winter 2007 überraschend wieder zurück. Der Grund war ein stabilerer Gesundheitszustand und der unerwartet große kommerzielle Erfolg von Blue Guitars. Mit mehr als 150.000 verkauften EarBooks (= bei jeweils 11 CDs und 1 DVD mehr als 1,8 Mio. Tonträger) brachte ihm das Projekt ein finanzielles Plus von mehreren Millionen Euro. Die Idee mit „The Fire Flies“ hatte Rea schon im Sommer 2007 verworfen, dafür ein neues Konzept entwickelt und sich folgende Legende ausgedacht: In den 60er Jahren hätte es (so Rea) in Großbritannien ein Quintett namens The Delmonts gegeben, das ähnlich wie die legendären Spotnicks mit Gitarren-Instrumentals erfolgreich war. Dieses Quintett hätte sich später in The Hofner Bluenotes umbenannt und danach auch Vokaltitel gespielt. Eines sei aber geblieben: beide Bands hätten damals den Sound der Hofner/Höfner-Gitarren in die Welt getragen. Im Frühjahr 2008 (so Rea weiter in seiner fiktiven Geschichte) kehren die inzwischen gealterten Musiker der Hofner Bluenotes wieder zu gemeinsamen Auftritten auf die Bühnen Europas zurück.
Sozusagen als Beleg präsentiert Rea hierbei seine neu formierte Liveband The Hofner Bluenotes mit den langjährigen Weggefährten Robert Ahwai an der Gitarre und Martin Ditcham an den Drums sowie den neuen Musikern Neil Drinkwater (früher u. a. bei Van Morrison und Phil Collins) am Keyboard und Ex-Whitesnake Bassist Colin Hodgkinson am Bass. Sozusagen als Vorgruppe im eigenen Konzert treten die Fünf 30 Minuten lang als The Delmonts auf, wobei Ahwai fast alle Solo-Gitarrenparts spielt und Rea lediglich Rhythmusgitarrist ist.
Zur Tour präsentierte Chris Rea zudem unter dem Titel The Return Of The Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes ein weiteres aufwändiges Earbook, bestehend aus zwei Vinyl-LPs und einer CD der Delmonts sowie zwei weiteren CDs der Hofner Bluenotes. Rea verwies bei der Vorstellung der Tonträger darauf, dass er Songs mit einem bluesigen Hauch der Sechziger machen wollte, die auch eine kleine Hommage an sein Idol B. B. King darstellten. „Es ist die Musik, die ich schon immer spielen wollte, richtige Gitarrenmusik“, erklärt Rea. Während die Delmonts in den Konzerten „ihre“ Musik spielen, präsentieren die Hofner Bluenotes live Songs aus dem Blue Guitar-Album sowie viele Chris-Rea-Klassiker in neuen Versionen. Rea kündigte im Tourbegleitheft an, wem der Auftritt der Vorgruppe The Delmonts zu kurz ausgefallen sei, der könne vielleicht später eine längere Tour erwarten.
Am 5. Oktober 2009 kam sein Best-Of-Album "Still So Far To Go - The Best Of Chris Rea" auf den Markt.
Im Januar 2010 ging Rea nach seiner Abschiedstournee 2006 erneut auf Tour und begann seine Europatournee in Deutschland.
2012 führte ihn eine weitere Tournee von Anfang Februar bis Anfang März durch 14 deutsche Städte (Santo Spirito Tour 2012).
Musikalische Besonderheiten
Reas Markenzeichen ist der Slidestil auf seiner Fender Stratocaster (Spitzname Pinky), aber auch anderen Gitarren. Die Einleitung zu Chris Reas Titel Nothing to Fear gilt als Meilenstein der modernen Slideguitar-Technik.
Privatleben
Er ist verheiratet und hat mit seiner Frau Joan zwei Töchter (Josephine, * 1983 und Julia Christina, * 1989). Seiner Frau sowie den beiden Töchtern hat er eigene Musiktitel geschrieben, die allesamt Hits wurden (Stainsby Girls, Josephine und Julia).
Christopher Anton "Chris" Rea (/ˈriːə/ REE-ə; born 4 March 1951)[1] is an English singer-songwriter, recognisable for his distinctive, husky voice and slide guitar playing.[2] The British Hit Singles & Albums stated that Rea was "one of the most popular UK singer-songwriters of the late 1980s. He was already a major European star by the time he finally cracked the UK Top 10 with his 18th chart entry; 'The Road to Hell (Part 2)'."[3] By 2009, Rea had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.[4]
He is well known for his 1978 hit song "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" that charted No.12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent three weeks at No.1 on the U.S. Billboard adult contemporary chart. The song was later covered by Elkie Brooks and was a top 20 hit in the UK.
Although Rea had limited success in the United States, two of his albums, The Road to Hell and Auberge, topped the UK Albums Chart.[3] The book Guinness Rockopedia described him as a "gravel-voiced guitar stalwart".[5]
Biography and career
Chris Rea playing slide/bottleneck on his Italia Maranello Classic Blue Sparkle! at the Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 5 March 2010 during the 2010 Still So Far To Go Tour.
Early life
Rea was born in Middlesbrough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England, the son of ice cream producer Camillo Rea who together with his brother Gaetano owned an ice cream factory and ran 21 cafés.[6]
Early career
After leaving school Rea worked in casual labouring jobs, including working in his father's ice cream business. It was at the comparatively late age of 22 that Rea bought his first guitar and began his musical career, inspired by the music of Joe Walsh and Ry Cooder.[7] A natural left-hander, Rea nevertheless learned to play the guitar right-handed. In 1973 he joined the Middlesbrough band Magdalene, replacing David Coverdale who went on to join Deep Purple and later created Whitesnake.[5] Rea then went on to form the band Beautiful Losers which he left when he secured a solo recording deal with Magnet Records[7] and released his first single entitled "So Much Love"[8] in 1974.[9] In 1977 he performed on Hank Marvin's album The Hank Marvin Guitar Syndicate and also guested on Catherine Howe's EP The Truth of the Matter.[1]
Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? was Rea's debut album. It was released in June 1978 and produced by Elton John's music producer Gus Dudgeon. The title of the album was a reference to "Benjamin Santini", the stage name that Rea's record label suggested he should adopt.[1] The first single taken from the album, "Fool (If You Think It's Over)", was Rea's biggest hit in the US, peaking at No.12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching No.1 on the Adult Contemporary Singles chart. "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" was nominated for a Song of the Year Grammy, losing out to Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are". Like most of Rea's early singles, "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" failed to appear on the UK Singles Chart on its first release and only reached No.30 when re-released in late 1978 to capitalise on its US achievement.[3]
The singer Elkie Brooks enjoyed greater success with the song in 1982 when she charted her cover version at No.17.[1][10] It was also the first record played by Radio Caroline after a long period off the air.[11] Another cover of "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" by Kenny Craddock was used as the theme tune for BBC sitcom Joking Apart.
Dudgeon went on to produce Rea's next album Deltics. Rea has since spoken about the difficult working relationship he had at the time with Dudgeon who he felt 'smoothed out' the blues-influenced elements of his music in order to make it sound more like that of Elton John or Billy Joel.[12]
Rea's second and third albums failed to provide further hit singles. By the time his fourth album was released, Rea's relationship with his record company had deteriorated to the extent that it was not even given a title but was simply called Chris Rea.[citation needed]
European breakthrough
By 1983 Rea's record company had become so uninterested in him that they released the raw demo tapes as his fifth studio album. The album "Water Sign" (likely a nod to Rea's Pisces star sign) became a surprise hit in Ireland and mainland Europe, selling over half a million in just a few months and the single "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat" taken from it entered the top 20 across Europe.[9]
With the success of "Water Sign" Rea began to focus his attention on touring continental Europe and built up a significant fan base. It was not until 1985's Shamrock Diaries and the songs "Stainsby Girls" and "Josephine" that UK audiences began to take notice of him. His following albums were On The Beach (1986) and Dancing with Strangers (1987).[5] The Dancing with Strangers tour in 1987 saw Rea sell out stadium size venues for the first time across the world, and Rea played Wembley Arena twice. His following album was the New Light Through Old Windows compilation album which saw studio re-workings of his earlier work.[5]
His next full album was to be his major breakthrough.[5] The Road to Hell (1989) enjoyed massive success and became his first No.1 album in the UK. This accomplishment could not be mirrored in the US where it only reached No.107 in spite of the single track "Texas" achieving extensive radio airplay. The title track was released as a single and reached the UK Top 10. Rea appeared on the Band Aid II project's single in December 1989.[5] His next album Auberge was also a European hit, reaching the top spot in the UK.
After Auberge
After Auberge Rea released God's Great Banana Skin which reached No.4 in the UK,[5] while the single "Nothing to Fear" gave him another Top 20 hit. A year later Espresso Logic hit the Top 10 and "Julia", written about his second daughter, gave him his eleventh Top 40 position. The album was part promoted by Rea taking part in the British Touring Car Championship, although he was eliminated in the first round.[5] A period of ill health meant his next album did not appear until 1998. The Blue Cafe made the UK Top 10. In 1999, 10 years after Road to Hell, Rea released The Road to Hell: Part 2, which never made the UK Top 40. In 2000, he released King of the Beach, hit the UK Top 30.
In 2000 a remix of Rea's 1986 "On the Beach" single by York was released and enjoyed moderate success on the dance floor.
Pancreatic cancer and return
In 2001, Rea underwent a Whipple procedure, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Having promised himself that if he recovered, he would be returning to his blues roots, the resulting Blue Guitars eleven CD collection of 137 blues-inspired tracks recorded in eighteen months, complete with his own paintings as album covers, is seen by himself as his finest work to date.[citation needed] In an interview with The Britsound Radio Show, Rea revealed that "it's not until you become seriously ill and you nearly die and you're at home for six months, that you suddenly stop to realise that this isn't the way I intended it to be in the beginning. Everything that you've done falls away and start wondering why you went through all that rock business stuff."[13]
In 2002, Rea released Dancing Down the Stony Road following recording sessions in France and the UK. (An abridged version of the album was later released under the title Stony Road.) The album was followed by a DVD of the same name, comprising a documentary and footage from a concert in Cologne. Rea set up his own JazzeeBlue label in 2003 to free himself from the pressure of record company expectations. Since then he has released the blues albums Blue Street (Five Guitars) (an instrumental jazz-blues album) and then The Blue Jukebox. He has worked with David Knopfler for two albums: Wishbones (2001) and Ship of Dreams (2004).
Blue Guitars and retirement
Following the release of the box set, Blue Guitars, in 2005, it was announced that Rea would not record any further solo albums. He has stated that he would continue to make records with some of his favourite players under the name The Memphis Fireflies.[14] A double DVD set and a separate double CD set was released in 2006, including live selections from Rea's farewell tour entitled The Road To Hell & Back.
The return
In November 2007, Rea announced a new tour and a new album featuring 38 new tracks on three CDs and two vinyl, which included a hardback book in the style of a slightly tatty 12" vinyl sleeve. The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Blue Notes (a dedication to the 1960s guitar of the same name) was released in February 2008. In writing the album, Rea dreamed up a band that had never existed — a pastiche instrumental group from the late 1950s called The Delmonts.
The release of the album was followed by a European tour. The band was introduced as "The Delmonts featuring Chris Rea", and played in various venues across the UK, including the Royal Albert Hall in London.
His song "Driving Home for Christmas", which originally reached No.53 in the UK chart when first released in 1988, re-entered at No.33 nineteen years later in December 2007, making it the first time the song had made the UK Top 40.[3] In a live interview on the BBC Radio 4 programme Today on 16 December 2009 Rea said he wrote "Driving Home for Christmas" many years before he first recorded it. His wife, a vegetarian, had come down to London to drive him home to Middlesbrough in her Austin Mini to save money because it was cheaper to drive than travel by train. Inspiration for the song came as she and Rea were stuck in heavy traffic heading out of London with a long drive to Middlesbrough ahead of them. Rea said "Driving Home for Christmas" is a "car version of a carol".[15]
In October 2009, Rhino released a new 2-disc best of compilation. Still So Far To Go – The Best of Chris Rea contained some of his best known (and lesser known) hits over the last thirty years, as well as more recent songs from his "blues" period. Two new songs were included, "Come So Far, Yet Still So Far to Go" and the ballad "Valentino", a song about his dog that had died. In actuality Chris had to give the dog to a friend as the dog was "loopy".[16] The album was Rea's highest charting album in 15 years, reaching No.8 and staying in the Top 50 for four weeks. In 2010 Rea performed on a European tour called Still So Far to Go. His special guest on stage was Irish musician Paul Casey. The tour ended on 5 April in Belfast, United Kingdom.
In September 2011, Chris Rea released "The Santo Spirito Project" containing two feature-length films on DVD written and directed by Chris and two accompanying CDs of the soundtracks and one CD of songs.
In April 2014 it was announced that Rea will embark on a UK tour in December 2014 called The Last Open Road Tour to support his new album, set for release in September. The tour will commence on 1 December in Manchester and will end on 20 December in London.[17] Rea also performed at the 2014 Montreux Jazz Festival for the first time since 2002.
Personal life
Family life
Rea is the son of Camillo Rea (died December 2010) and Winifred K. Slee (died September 1983).[6] He has two brothers, Nick and Mike, and four sisters, Catherine, Geraldine, Paula, and Camille.
He is married to Joan, with whom he has two daughters (Josephine, born 16 September 1983, and Julia Christina, born 18 March 1989). He used to live at Cookham, Berkshire. The Sol Mill Recording Studios was where he produced some of his later albums. He also produced albums for other artists such as Sylvin Marc, and Robert Ahwai on his JazeeBlue label. The property was sold in 2006.
The name Rea was well known locally thanks to the chain of Rea's Ice Cream shops owned by Rea's father.[5] In later years the chain folded except for one shop operated by Camillo himself. Chris Rea holds a season ticket with Middlesbrough F.C.[citation needed]
Other interests
Rea is a fan of motor racing and races a Ferrari Dino[18] and a 1955 Lotus 6.[19][20] He recorded a song, "Saudade," in tribute to three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna. It featured prominently in the BBC documentary that can be watched in full here [21] (UK users only) and was released on The Very Best of Chris Rea (2001).
Politics
In August 2008, it was erroneously reported that Rea had donated £25,000 to the Conservative Party.[22] This was followed by further incorrect reports in April 2010, just weeks before the UK general election, that Rea had donated a further £100,000 to the Conservatives.[23] The donations were in fact made by a businessman called Chris Rea and not the musician. This error has been acknowledged by The Daily Mail newspaper, which printed a retraction.[24] The Times reported in 2009 that Rea has been a longtime supporter of the Conservative Party.[25] Rea supported the Conservative Candidate for Middlesbrough in the 2010 general election by allowing use of his song "Steel River" to highlight the plight of the local Corus steel workers who had lost their jobs.
Films
Rea has also been an actor, playing the lead in the 1999 comedy film, Parting Shots, alongside Felicity Kendal, John Cleese, Bob Hoskins and Joanna Lumley. Rea played a character who was told that cancer gave him six weeks to live, and decided to kill those people who had badly affected his life.[5]
He also had a cameo role in the 1996 film, La Passione, for which he wrote the soundtrack.[5]
References in Rea's lyrics
Rea has acknowledged that many of his songs were 'born out of Middlesbrough,' his home town. Perhaps the most famous of these is the song "Stainsby Girls," from the album Shamrock Diaries, which he wrote and composed in tribute to his wife Joan, who had attended Stainsby Secondary Modern School years before it was renamed Acklam Grange Secondary School. The song "Steel River" on the same album refers to a nickname for River Tees[26] and reflects Rea's feelings about the industrial decline of Middlesbrough and the re-development of the town centre while he was out of the country touring:
"I went back to see me father after me mother had died and the fuckers had knocked the whole place down. I'd been gone three years, hard touring in Europe. I literally went to drive somewhere that wasn't there. It was like a sci-fi movie. The Middlesbrough I knew, it's as if there was a war there 10 years ago."
Chris Rea - Ticket For Chicago (Blue Guitars,Country Blues)
Chris Rea - Going Up To Memphis (Blue Guitars,Country Blues)
Chris Rea -- Somewhere Between Highway 61 & 49
Chris Rea - Blind Willie
MEMPHIS GOLD LIVE IN D.C,
Peter John "Pete" Haycock *04.03.1951
Pete
Haycock, Mitbegründer der Climax Blues Band, ist am 30. Oktober im
Alter von nur 62 Jahren verstorben. Der Gitarrist und Sänger erlag in
seinem Haus in der Nähe von Frankfurt, welches er sich im vergangenen
Jahr gekauft hatte, einem Herzschlag. Peter John Haycock, so sein
bürgerlicher Name, wurde in den 70er-Jahren mit der Climax Blues Band
bekannt, später war er beim Electric Light Orchestra Part II und in der
Formation The LovePower Band aktiv. Außerdem konnte er erfolgreich als
Komponist und Musiker im Filmgeschäft Fuß fassen, so ist sein
(Slide-)Gitarrenspiel unter anderem im Soundtrack von "Thelma &
Louise" zu hören. In den vergangenen Jahren war Haycock häufig mit Siggi
Schwarz und dessen Band auf Tour, zudem soll er Pläne für eine
Reaktivierung der Climax Blues Band gehabt haben.
Peter
John "Pete" Haycock (4 March 1951 – 30 October 2013)[1] was an English
musician and film score composer. He began his career as lead guitarist,
vocalist, and founding member of the Climax Blues Band.
Early life and career
Haycock was born in Stafford, and here he attended St. John's Primary School and King Edward VI Boys Grammar School. As a child, he was impressed by the guitar solos of Hank Marvin of The Shadows.[2] He played his first electric guitar at a miners club when he was 12. He then played guitar at school and college dances. Along with local boys, he formed a blues band, the Mason–Dixon Line.[3] In 1967, Haycock met Colin Cooper and joined his soul band The Gospel Truth.[2] In 1968, they founded a new band, the Climax Chicago Blues Band, and then they eventually changed its name to the Climax Blues Band, in 1970. The band's original line-up consisted of Haycock (lead guitar, vocals), Cooper (harmonica, vocals), Derek Holt (guitar, vocals), Richard Jones (bass), Arthur Wood (keyboards), George Newsome (drums).[2][4]
During the early 1970s, the Climax Blues Band went through a few personnel changes, before arriving at their most stable, creative, and successful line-up, which consisted of Haycock, Cooper, Holt (switched to bass guitar), and John Cuffley (drums). In 1976, the line-up with keyboardist Richard Jones wrote the band's biggest hit "Couldn't Get It Right". The song included the vocal harmonies of Haycock and Holt, behind Cooper’s lead. Haycock, an underrated vocalist, sang lead on several of the band's tracks, particularly on the Sense of Direction (1974), Stamp Album (1975), Gold Plated (1976), Shine On (1978), and Flying The Flag (1980).[2] albums. The band with the core line-up of Haycock, Cooper, Holt, and John Cuffley toured heavily in the 1970s and 1980s. During much of this period, Haycock played concerts with his rare trademark instrument, a gold-plated Veleno guitar, which was also on the cover of the album Gold Plated.[5]
Holt and Cuffley left in 1983. Haycock and Cooper went their separate ways after their final Climax Blues Band album together, 1983's Sample and Hold.
In May 2012, the Major League Productions Ltd record label released an until-then unknown vault recording of a 1976 live performance, featuring the Climax Blues Band at the top of their game: Climax Blues Band / World Tour 1976. Haycock provided some insightful liner notes for the CD's insert, and the recording further demonstrates the tight musicianship that was found in the band's line-up at that time.[6]
In March 2015, a 4-CD retrospective was released entitled Live, Rare, and Raw 1973-1979, featuring the band at the height of their powers, in a variety of Live settings. This release would parallel the ferocity and acclaim of Climax Blues Band's 1973 album, FM/Live. The band produced more than 15 successful albums in their heyday.[7]
Post Climax Blues Band
Though another group of musicians, which at one time was led by late former bandmate Colin Cooper, is currently calling themselves "Climax Blues Band", their lineup does not consist of any founding members, and has not found the commercial success or following that the original, "true" Climax Blues Band enjoyed during Haycock's years with the band.[8] Cooper died in 2008.
In 1984, the bandmembers went their separate ways, and Haycock went on to record several solo projects, the first of which was the album Total Climax (1986) recorded with his new band, Pete Haycock's Climax. Pete Haycock's Climax toured extensively in Europe, including Communist East Germany, as well as a well-received tour in Australia, also releasing The Soft Spot (1987). During this period, Haycock was asked by former Climax Blues Band manager, Miles Copeland, to record an instrumental album for I.R.S. No Speak, Guitar and Son, and Night of the Guitars, a live album from the tour of the same name.[9] After that tour, in 1989, Haycock teamed up with Holt and guitarist Steve Hunter to record an album under the name H Factor. The Pete Haycock Band consisted of the musicians from the Total Climax lineup, and went on to record a live album entitled Livin' It in 1992.
Haycock was approached by Bev Bevan, formerly of Electric Light Orchestra, to join the newly formed Electric Light Orchestra Part II. The group toured and recorded with Haycock in the early 1990s, releasing both a live CD and video of their performance with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra.[10] They recorded and toured together until 1993.[11]
Film scores
In the early 1990s, Haycock was asked by Hans Zimmer to collaborate on film scores for K2 (1991), and Toys (1992). Other film scores they worked on were for Drop Zone (1994), and The Dilemma (2011), among others. Haycock's slide guitar contributed to Thunderbird, the theme music for the 1991 film, Thelma & Louise.[2] Haycock was asked by Zimmer to re-create his performance, with a live symphony orchestra for the recording of Wings of a Film, which was a compilation album of Zimmer's successful film scores.[citation needed]
Haycock began composing music of his own for film and television. Along with Holt, he composed music for the 1992 film One False Move.[2] More scores would follow, and Haycock helped produce recordings for other artists.
Charity projects
In 2005, Haycock supplied all the music for the Hollister Independence Motorcycle Rally DVD charity project, for producer Jeff Byler, with proceeds benefiting Emmaus House, a shelter for battered women and children. When the DVD's producer suggested a follow-up soundtrack to the project, Haycock went back into the studio to complete the album that became Bikers' Dozen, which featured a vocal performance by John Fiddler (Medicine Head).[12]
Haycock signed on as a major contributor to the LovePower and Peace[13] charity CD project in 2009, which was spearheaded by fellow musician Robin George, and was built around George's hit song, "LovePower and Peace". Haycock contributed many trademark slide guitar tracks and donated studio time to the project, a charity effort to benefit children with cancer and other terminal diseases.
This collaboration, which included the donated talents of scores of veteran musicians,[14] also resulted in the forming a "super group" called The LovePower Band, which landed a major record deal and completed its first album, which was released in 2011.[15]
Return to the stage
After an absence from the stage and live performances, Haycock formed a new band, Pete Haycock's True Blues (featuring Glen Turner). In 2008, they toured Europe and released their first recording together: Pete Haycock's True Blues Live (featuring Glen Turner).[16][17] In April 2009, Haycock, in an interview talked about the early days with the Climax Blues Band, the transition to studio work (with and without Hans Zimmer), and his return to the stage with his new band, after an absence from live performances of fourteen years.[18]
Haycock continued to record, and perform live, and had been a featured guest performer with the Siggi Schwarz' band, and was on the same bill with ZZ Top and Johnny Winter in 2012.
2013 found Haycock coming full-circle with the formation of a super-group recording and scheduled for touring as Pete Haycock's Climax Blues Band featuring Robin George, with Haycock being joined by a lineup of musicians including George, with whom he had collaborated on the LovePower Band, and other projects. Haycock envisioned this project as a return to the "true" Climax Blues Band, and he had just completed the new album, Broke Heart Blues, before his death.[1][19][20]
Death
Haycock built a recording studio in Frankfurt, Germany where he lived for several years until his death. He died of a heart attack on 30 October 2013 in Frankfurt. The news was posted on the group’s official website. He was 62.
Pete Haycock's slide guitar
Pete Haycock Live im Okie Dokie in Düsseldorf 05.11.2006 Part I
Howlin' Wolf Come Back Home (1952)
Composed by Chester Burnett
Chester Burnett (Howlin' Wolf):Vocals & Harmonica
Willie Johnson:Guitar
Either L.C. Hubert or Bill Johnson:Piano
Unknown:Bass
Willie Steel:Drums
Recorded in Memphis, TN. October 7, 1952
Unissued until 1977
Originally issued on the 1977 album "The Legendary Sun Recordings" (Charly LP 30134) (LP) (U.K.)
This recording taken from the 1997 CD "Big Bad Blues:25 Sun Blues Classics"
Chester Burnett (Howlin' Wolf):Vocals & Harmonica
Willie Johnson:Guitar
Either L.C. Hubert or Bill Johnson:Piano
Unknown:Bass
Willie Steel:Drums
Recorded in Memphis, TN. October 7, 1952
Unissued until 1977
Originally issued on the 1977 album "The Legendary Sun Recordings" (Charly LP 30134) (LP) (U.K.)
This recording taken from the 1997 CD "Big Bad Blues:25 Sun Blues Classics"
R.I.P.
John Cephas +04.03.2009
John Cephas (* 4. September 1930, Washington, D.C.; † 4. März 2009, Woodford, Virginia) war ein US-amerikanischer Bluesgitarrist und Sänger und einer der bedeutendsten Vertreter des Piedmont Blues Stils.
Schon als Kind hörte er Bluesmusik und begann nach dem Gehör Gitarre zu spielen. Aufgewachsen in Bowling Green, Virginia, wurde er bald mit dem Piedmont Blues vertraut. Seine Inspiration kam von Musikern aus der Gegend wie z. B. Blind Boy Fuller aber auch weißen Bluesmusikern. Die Grundzüge des Piedmont Stils lernte er von seinem Cousin David Talliaferro. [1]Abseits von der Musik arbeitete er als Gospelsänger, Tischler und Fischer. 1951 wurde er zur Armee eingezogen und war Soldat in Korea.
Aber mit Beginn der 1960er-Jahre wandte er sich beruflich der Musik zu. Einige Jahre spielte er mit dem Barrelhousepianisten Big Chief Ellis zusammen.[1] Gemeinsam mit Phil Wiggins, einem Mundharmonikaspieler, den er auf dem Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington traf, bildeten sie 1978 das Duo Cephas und Wiggins, das vom deutschen Produzenten Axel Kustner 1979 entdeckt wurde. Dieser ermöglichte eine Europatournee. Die 1980er verbrachten sie, oft als Botschafter des U. S. State Departments, auf ausgedehnten Tourneen auf allen Kontinenten. [3] Als eine der ersten US-Amerikaner spielten sie 1988 auf dem Russian Folk Festival in Moskau. Auf Bluesfestivals in der ganzen Welt traten sie ebenfalls auf. Die beiden nahmen gemeinsam viele Alben auf, die exzellente Beispiele des Piedmont Blues sind, wie er in Washington und Nordvirginia gespielt wird.[4]
John Cephas gehört 1987 zu den Gründern der Washington, D.C. Blues Society.
W. C. Handy Award 1987 für Dog Days in August in der Kategorie Best Traditional Blues Album
National Heritage Fellowship 1989.
Cephas & Wiggins was an American acoustic blues duo, composed of guitarist John Cephas (September 4, 1930[1] – March 4, 2009)[2] and harmonica player Phil Wiggins (born May 8, 1954).[3] They were known for playing Piedmont blues.
History
Both musicians were born in Washington D.C., although Cephas was older by some 25 years. They first met at a jam session at the Smithsonian's Festival of American Folklife in 1975 or 1976, and played together in Wilbert "Big Chief" Ellis's band.[4] When Ellis died, they decided to continue as a duo.[5]
In 1980, Cephas & Wiggins were recorded by German archivists Siegfried Christmann and Axel Kustner.[6] These recordings were their first as a duo and they were released the following year on as a part of Living Country Blues USA series on German label L+R.[7] They also appeared around Washington, D.C. with 'the Travelling Blues Workshop', which included John Jackson, Archie Edwards, Flora Molton, and Mother Scott.[8]
In 1986, Cephas & Wiggins released Dog Days of August, their first U.S. release on Flying Fish Records. In 1989, Cephas was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship.
Two more albums followed from Flying Fish. After they left the label, they released one album from New York-based Chesky Records, and four from Alligator Records.
Cephas died of natural causes on March 4, 2009. He was 78.[9] The duo had released Richmond Blues on Folkways Records in 2008.
History
Both musicians were born in Washington D.C., although Cephas was older by some 25 years. They first met at a jam session at the Smithsonian's Festival of American Folklife in 1975 or 1976, and played together in Wilbert "Big Chief" Ellis's band.[4] When Ellis died, they decided to continue as a duo.[5]
In 1980, Cephas & Wiggins were recorded by German archivists Siegfried Christmann and Axel Kustner.[6] These recordings were their first as a duo and they were released the following year on as a part of Living Country Blues USA series on German label L+R.[7] They also appeared around Washington, D.C. with 'the Travelling Blues Workshop', which included John Jackson, Archie Edwards, Flora Molton, and Mother Scott.[8]
In 1986, Cephas & Wiggins released Dog Days of August, their first U.S. release on Flying Fish Records. In 1989, Cephas was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship.
Two more albums followed from Flying Fish. After they left the label, they released one album from New York-based Chesky Records, and four from Alligator Records.
Cephas died of natural causes on March 4, 2009. He was 78.[9] The duo had released Richmond Blues on Folkways Records in 2008.
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