Christie (band)
Encyclopedia
Christie were an English
rock
band formed at the end of the 1960s. They are best remembered for their UK
chart-topping hit single
, "Yellow River
" released in 1970.
, Yorkshire
, England
) their vocalist, bassist
and songwriter
; they initially included guitarist
Vic Elmes
and drummer
Mike Blakley (born Michael Blakley, 12 January 1947, Bromley
, Kent
, England
).
Jeff Christie had initially worked with several band
s including The Outer Limits
, who released "Just One More Chance" / "Help Me Please" (1967) and "Great Train Robbery" / "Sweet Freedom" (1968), and Acid Gallery, whose single
"Dance Around The Maypole" (1969) was written
by Roy Wood
.
That year Jeff Christie offered his composition "Yellow River
" to The Tremeloes
. They recorded
it to release as a single but changed their minds and allowed Christie to use the backing track themselves. The result was a UK number one hit in June 1970, and subsequently #23 in the U.S.
, also accumulating more weeks (23) on the Hot 100 than any other entry on that chart completely inside 1970. It was a worldwide hit and was number one in 26 countries with global sales of over 3 million.
The follow-up single from October 1970, "San Bernadino
" (misspelled if referring to, for example, San Bernardino
, California
), reached UK Number 7 and Number 1 in Germany
, but only U.S. #100. Both tracks became flash songs on their eponymous debut album
of that year, and it stayed on U.S.
Billboard
200
chart
for ten weeks. But the trio
failed to sustain a lasting career, and Blakley was replaced by Paul Fenton (born 4 July 1946, Huddersfield, Yorkshire) just before the release of the band's second album, For All Mankind (1971).
Lem Lubin (ex-Unit 4 + 2
) was added to the line-up for Iron Horse (1972), but the title track proved to be the band's final hit single
. The departure of Fenton and Lubin hastened the demise of the original line-up, but Jeff Christie returned with new members Terry Fogg (drums) (born Terrence George Fogg, 25 September 1945, Chesterfield, Derbyshire), Roger Flavell (bass), and Danny Krieger (guitar). A 1974 single "Alabama" / "I'm Alive" failed to resurrect the band's fortunes, and new members Tony Ferguson (guitar) and Roger Willis (drums) were brought in to join Christie and Flavell."JoJo's Band
", written by Elmes, was a chart-topper for Jeff Christie in Argentina
and Brazil
, while the last Christie hit, "Navajo", was Number 1 in Mexico
.
Jeff Christie kept the group's name alive well into 1973 with replacement members, and cut songs for Mercury Records in the mid 1970s — he kept using the group name as an alias on material recorded for the Epic and Wizard, and took back his full name for records on the RK label in the 1980s. There were disputes over the use of the group name in the 1980s, although Jeff Christie appeared to be using it most recently, while Vic Elmes sometimes fronted a band called Christie Again in Europe.
Jeff Christie reformed the band in 1990 with members of UK band Tubeless Hearts, Kev Moore
, Simon Kay and Adrian 'Fos' Foster. They tried to represent United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991
with "Safe in your Arms", but were unsuccessful. They continued to tour for a further twelve years all over Europe
, Russia
and Israel
, recording intermittently. After a four year hiatus, and following the release of Jeff Christie's Floored Masters double album
, the 1990 line-up of Christie re-convened and embarked on a 2009 European Tour.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band formed at the end of the 1960s. They are best remembered for their UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chart-topping hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
, "Yellow River
Yellow River (song)
"Yellow River" is a popular song recorded by the British band Christie. Written by band leader Jeff Christie, the song was offered to The Tremeloes, who recorded it with the intention of releasing it as a single early in 1970...
" released in 1970.
Career
In addition to Jeff Christie (born Jeffrey Christie, 12 July 1946, St Martin's Road, LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) their vocalist, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
; they initially included guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Vic Elmes
Vic Elmes
Vic Elmes , played with several groups such as Acid Gallery and The Epics, before helping to form the band Christie in 1970...
and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Mike Blakley (born Michael Blakley, 12 January 1947, Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
).
Jeff Christie had initially worked with several band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
s including The Outer Limits
The Outer Limits (band)
The Outer Limits were a 1960s rock group formed in Leeds. They released a single for Deram Records in April 1967 and one for Immediate Records in May 1968 that was withdrawn then re-released five months later on the Instant subsidiary as IN001...
, who released "Just One More Chance" / "Help Me Please" (1967) and "Great Train Robbery" / "Sweet Freedom" (1968), and Acid Gallery, whose single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Dance Around The Maypole" (1969) was written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Roy Wood
Roy Wood
Roy Adrian Wood is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the bands The Move, Electric Light Orchestra, and Wizzard. As a songwriter, he contributed a number of hits to the repertoire of these bands.-Career:Wood...
.
That year Jeff Christie offered his composition "Yellow River
Yellow River (song)
"Yellow River" is a popular song recorded by the British band Christie. Written by band leader Jeff Christie, the song was offered to The Tremeloes, who recorded it with the intention of releasing it as a single early in 1970...
" to The Tremeloes
The Tremeloes
The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, Essex, and still active today.-Career:They formed as Brian Poole and the Tremoloes influenced by Buddy Holly and The Crickets...
. They recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
it to release as a single but changed their minds and allowed Christie to use the backing track themselves. The result was a UK number one hit in June 1970, and subsequently #23 in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, also accumulating more weeks (23) on the Hot 100 than any other entry on that chart completely inside 1970. It was a worldwide hit and was number one in 26 countries with global sales of over 3 million.
The follow-up single from October 1970, "San Bernadino
San Bernadino (song)
San Bernadino is a 1970 pop song by Christie, a UK pop band who had found success with their #1 hit single "Yellow River" which was #1 in other countries including France and Italy....
" (misspelled if referring to, for example, San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
), reached UK Number 7 and Number 1 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, but only U.S. #100. Both tracks became flash songs on their eponymous debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
of that year, and it stayed on U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
for ten weeks. But the trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
failed to sustain a lasting career, and Blakley was replaced by Paul Fenton (born 4 July 1946, Huddersfield, Yorkshire) just before the release of the band's second album, For All Mankind (1971).
Lem Lubin (ex-Unit 4 + 2
Unit 4 + 2
Unit 4 + 2 were a British pop band, who had a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1965 with the song "Concrete and Clay". The track topped the UK chart for one week.-Early days:...
) was added to the line-up for Iron Horse (1972), but the title track proved to be the band's final hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
. The departure of Fenton and Lubin hastened the demise of the original line-up, but Jeff Christie returned with new members Terry Fogg (drums) (born Terrence George Fogg, 25 September 1945, Chesterfield, Derbyshire), Roger Flavell (bass), and Danny Krieger (guitar). A 1974 single "Alabama" / "I'm Alive" failed to resurrect the band's fortunes, and new members Tony Ferguson (guitar) and Roger Willis (drums) were brought in to join Christie and Flavell."JoJo's Band
JoJo's Band
JoJo's Band is the chart-topping third single by Jeff Christie who had previously been the vocalist of the hit band Christie.The song was a moderate success in the UK....
", written by Elmes, was a chart-topper for Jeff Christie in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, while the last Christie hit, "Navajo", was Number 1 in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Jeff Christie kept the group's name alive well into 1973 with replacement members, and cut songs for Mercury Records in the mid 1970s — he kept using the group name as an alias on material recorded for the Epic and Wizard, and took back his full name for records on the RK label in the 1980s. There were disputes over the use of the group name in the 1980s, although Jeff Christie appeared to be using it most recently, while Vic Elmes sometimes fronted a band called Christie Again in Europe.
Jeff Christie reformed the band in 1990 with members of UK band Tubeless Hearts, Kev Moore
Kev Moore
Kev Moore is a Bass Player and Lead Vocalist. Formerly with Tubeless Hearts, he played with English pop band Christie from 1990 to 2003, and was featured in Graham Oliver’s Saxon on two European tours, before other commitments resulted in John Ward taking over vocal duties for the resulting...
, Simon Kay and Adrian 'Fos' Foster. They tried to represent United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991
Samantha Janus represented United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991 with the Paul Curtis-written song "A Message to Your Heart", which was placed 10th.-A Song for Europe:...
with "Safe in your Arms", but were unsuccessful. They continued to tour for a further twelve years all over Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, recording intermittently. After a four year hiatus, and following the release of Jeff Christie's Floored Masters double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
, the 1990 line-up of Christie re-convened and embarked on a 2009 European Tour.
Albums
- Christie (1970)
- For All Mankind (1971)
- Iron Horse (1972)
- Los Mas Grandes Exitos (1972)
- Navajo [released in Mexico] (1974)
- Christie Again - Greatest Hits and More (2004)
- Jeff Christie - Floored Masters (Past Imperfect) (2009)
Singles
- "There's Just No Pleasing You" / "My Little Girl" (1965)
- "Just How Wrong You Can Be" / "Blue Turns To Grey" (1966)
- "When The Work Is Thru'" (1967)
- "Just One More Chance" / "Help Me Please" (1967)
- "Great Train Robbery" / "Sweet Freedom" (1968)
- "Travelling Circus" / "Henry Long" (1968)
- "Yellow RiverYellow River (song)"Yellow River" is a popular song recorded by the British band Christie. Written by band leader Jeff Christie, the song was offered to The Tremeloes, who recorded it with the intention of releasing it as a single early in 1970...
" (1970) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
Number 1 - "San BernadinoSan Bernadino (song)San Bernadino is a 1970 pop song by Christie, a UK pop band who had found success with their #1 hit single "Yellow River" which was #1 in other countries including France and Italy....
" - UK Number 7 - "Iron Horse" - UK Number 47
See also
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
- List of Epic Records artists
- Bands and musicians from Yorkshire and North East EnglandBands and musicians from Yorkshire and North East EnglandThe following is a list of towns and cities in Yorkshire and the north east of England, each with the bands and musicians to have charted in them included...
- List of bands originating in Leeds
- List of performers on Top of the Pops