Chris Bell (musician)
Encyclopedia
Christopher Branford "Chris" Bell (January 12, 1951December 27, 1978) was an American
singer, songwriter
and guitarist
born in Memphis
, Tennessee
. Along with Alex Chilton
, he led the power pop
band Big Star, which recorded albums during the early 1970s. Bell left the group after Big Star's first album, #1 Record
(1972), failed to find commercial success, although some of his musical and lyrical contributions surfaced on the band's second album, Radio City
(1974). Bell recorded as a solo artist for the remainder of the 1970s; two of these influential solo recordings, "I Am the Cosmos" and "You and Your Sister
", were released on a 1978 single on Car Records
. These two songs became popular among collectors of Big Star-related items, and were later included on Bell's posthumously released 1992 solo album I Am the Cosmos
.
and other British Invasion
groups like The Yardbirds
and The Who
. One of Bell's early groups included Memphis natives Richard Rosebrough and Terry Manning
, with whom he continued to work for the rest of his music career. In 1964 and 1965, Bell played lead guitar in a British Invasion
-influenced group called the Jynx (the name is a takeoff on The Kinks
) with local musicians, including lead vocalist Mike Harris, rhythm guitarist David Hoback, drummer DeWitt Shy, and bassist Bill Cunningham, and later, bassist Leo Goff. Other lead vocalists at some of the group's shows and rehearsals (though not present on their recordings) included local teens Ames Yates, Vance Alexander, and Chilton. Chilton, who attended nearly every Jynx show and sang lead vocals for a couple of weeks, soon joined the Box Tops
with Cunningham, as the Jynx split up in 1966. Bell continued to perform and record in Memphis throughout the rest of the decade; by the late 1960s, he had turned his focus more toward writing original songs.
, Terry Manning
, Tom Eubanks, Andy Hummel, Richard Rosebrough, Vance Alexander, and Steve Rhea. Recordings by these groups appear on the various artists collection Rockin' Memphis 1960's–1970's Vol. 1 and Rock City, released in 2003.
Bell asked Chilton to join several months after the group had started performing. Eventually, during a period of recording demos and tracks for their first album, the group settled on the name "Big Star." The lineup for Big Star's first album was composed of Bell (guitars/vocals), Chilton (guitars, vocals), Hummel (bass, vocals), and Stephens (drums, vocals). Bell and Chilton wrote most of the group's songs, with occasional writing contributions from Hummel and Stephens. Bell was even more influenced by the music of the British Invasion
than Chilton, and he steadfastly retained his Beatles-oriented pop influences throughout his career.
Along with Ardent Studios
founder John Fry and engineer Terry Manning
, Bell is credited with much of the mixing and engineering work done on the first Big Star album, #1 Record. After this album failed to achieve commercial success (partially due to confusion by its soul-oriented distributor Stax
in marketing the album), Bell left the band in 1972. He struggled with depression for the rest of his life, stemming partly from his repressed homosexuality
and dependence on heroin, both of which he tried to deal with through a strong belief in Christianity
. According to his brother David, Bell may have left Big Star due to a belief that he was overshadowed by the more famous Chilton. David Bell also reported a brief reunion during the recording of Big Star's second album, Radio City, which led to Bell's collaborating with the group members to write a couple of songs on the album, including "O My Soul" and "Back of a Car."
and Shoe Recording in Memphis
with old friends including Rosebrough, Manning, Cunningham, Ken Woodley, and occasionally Chilton and Jim Dickinson
. One of Bell's better known solo songs from this period is "You and Your Sister
," featuring Bell's guitar work and vocals, Chilton's backing vocal, and Cunningham's string arrangements and bass work. In the 1970s, Bell also played in a group with local songwriter Keith Sykes.
During the late 1970s, a few of Bell's pop song lyrics began to reflect the influence of his interest in Christian spirituality. Although he released "I Am the Cosmos" backed with "You and Your Sister" as a single in 1978 on Chris Stamey
's Car Records
label, none of his solo material was released on a full length album during his lifetime. At this time, Bell worked at his father's restaurant and continued to grapple with clinical depression.
Almost 14 years after his death, the songs from his Car Records single and several of his other 1970s recordings were released on 1992's I Am the Cosmos
full-length CD on Rykodisc
. As with his work with Big Star, the album received highly favorable critical reviews. Giving the album an "A-", Robert Christgau
wrote that it was "clear from Bell's very posthumous solo album . . . that Big Star was his idea."
In 2009, I Am the Cosmos was re-released in a two-CD version by Rhino Handmade with alternate versions and additional tracks.
TR-7
sports car, sometime after 1 a.m. He was on his way home from his father's restaurant in East Memphis
. The car struck a wooden light pole on the side of the road, killing him instantly. His funeral was held the next day, December 28, the birthday of former band mate Chilton.
, Ian Moore, Teenage Fanclub
and The Replacements began touting the recordings of Big Star as significant works. This Mortal Coil
, which had earlier recorded versions of post-Chris Bell Big Star songs, recorded versions of "I Am the Cosmos" and "You and Your Sister" on their 1991 album Blood. Big Star's pop gem "In the Street," which had featured the tight harmonies of Bell and Chilton, was chosen as a representative song of the 1970s decade by the producers of the television show That '70s Show
in 1998. Cheap Trick
recorded a version of the song for the show with revised lyrics in 1999, also included on That '70s Show Presents That '70s Album: Rockin'.
Later, Bell's song "Speed of Sound" appeared on the Flaming Lips album Late Night Tales: The Flaming Lips. Bell's version of "Speed of Sound" is heard over the opening credits to the film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
.
Icewater and Rock City
Big Star
Solo
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, 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...
and 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...
born in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Along with Alex Chilton
Alex Chilton
William Alexander "Alex" Chilton was an American songwriter, guitarist, singer and producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star...
, he led the power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
band Big Star, which recorded albums during the early 1970s. Bell left the group after Big Star's first album, #1 Record
Number 1 Record
#1 Record is the debut album by the American power pop group Big Star. It was released in 1972 by Memphis-based Ardent Records. Though many critics praised the album's elegant vocal harmonies and refined songcraft , #1 Record fared quite dismally in terms of...
(1972), failed to find commercial success, although some of his musical and lyrical contributions surfaced on the band's second album, Radio City
Radio City (album)
On its release in January 1974, Radio City met with general acclaim. Record World judged the musicianship "superb"; Billboard described the album as "a highly commercial set", and Cashbox called it "a collection of excellent material". However, sales were thwarted by an inability to make the album...
(1974). Bell recorded as a solo artist for the remainder of the 1970s; two of these influential solo recordings, "I Am the Cosmos" and "You and Your Sister
You and Your Sister
You and Your Sister is a song by Memphis-born musician and Big Star member Chris Bell that appears on his only solo album I Am the Cosmos...
", were released on a 1978 single on Car Records
Car Records
Car Records was a record label founded in 1977 by Chris Stamey of the powerpop group the dB's. Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Stamey moved to New York City and started his label where he released the band's first single " Wanted to Know"/"If and When" under the name Chris Stamey and...
. These two songs became popular among collectors of Big Star-related items, and were later included on Bell's posthumously released 1992 solo album I Am the Cosmos
I Am the Cosmos
I Am the Cosmos is the only solo album by the American pop-rock musician Chris Bell, eventually released in 1992, having been recorded over a period of two to three years during the mid-1970s. Bell had previously been a member of Big Star....
.
Early career
Prior to his later, more famous work in the 1970s with Alex Chilton, Bell played in a number of Memphis bands beginning in the 1960s. He had started playing music at age 12, influenced heavily by The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and other British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
groups like The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
and The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
. One of Bell's early groups included Memphis natives Richard Rosebrough and Terry Manning
Terry Manning
Terry Manning is a music producer, songwriter, photographer and recording engineer known for work in rock, rhythm and blues, and pop music genres....
, with whom he continued to work for the rest of his music career. In 1964 and 1965, Bell played lead guitar in a British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
-influenced group called the Jynx (the name is a takeoff on The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
) with local musicians, including lead vocalist Mike Harris, rhythm guitarist David Hoback, drummer DeWitt Shy, and bassist Bill Cunningham, and later, bassist Leo Goff. Other lead vocalists at some of the group's shows and rehearsals (though not present on their recordings) included local teens Ames Yates, Vance Alexander, and Chilton. Chilton, who attended nearly every Jynx show and sang lead vocals for a couple of weeks, soon joined the Box Tops
Box Tops
The Box Tops were a Memphis rock group of the second half of the 1960s. They are best known for the hits "The Letter," "Neon Rainbow," "Soul Deep," "I Met Her in Church," and "Cry Like A Baby," and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period...
with Cunningham, as the Jynx split up in 1966. Bell continued to perform and record in Memphis throughout the rest of the decade; by the late 1960s, he had turned his focus more toward writing original songs.
Big Star
The group later known as Big Star stemmed from two Bell band projects that began in the late 1960s while he recorded and performed live in groups named Icewater and Rock City. These groups featured a revolving set of musicians including Jody StephensJody Stephens
Jody Stephens is an American drummer, who has played in Big Star and Golden Smog . When not on tour with Big Star, he works at Ardent Studios, which is where Big Star has recorded all of their albums...
, Terry Manning
Terry Manning
Terry Manning is a music producer, songwriter, photographer and recording engineer known for work in rock, rhythm and blues, and pop music genres....
, Tom Eubanks, Andy Hummel, Richard Rosebrough, Vance Alexander, and Steve Rhea. Recordings by these groups appear on the various artists collection Rockin' Memphis 1960's–1970's Vol. 1 and Rock City, released in 2003.
Bell asked Chilton to join several months after the group had started performing. Eventually, during a period of recording demos and tracks for their first album, the group settled on the name "Big Star." The lineup for Big Star's first album was composed of Bell (guitars/vocals), Chilton (guitars, vocals), Hummel (bass, vocals), and Stephens (drums, vocals). Bell and Chilton wrote most of the group's songs, with occasional writing contributions from Hummel and Stephens. Bell was even more influenced by the music of the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
than Chilton, and he steadfastly retained his Beatles-oriented pop influences throughout his career.
Along with Ardent Studios
Ardent Studios
Ardent Studios is a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee. Ardent Records/Ardent Music is the in-house label.- History :Ardent Studios was founded by John Fry and was initially a studio in his family's garage, where he recorded his first Ardent Records 45's. In 1966 the operation moved...
founder John Fry and engineer Terry Manning
Terry Manning
Terry Manning is a music producer, songwriter, photographer and recording engineer known for work in rock, rhythm and blues, and pop music genres....
, Bell is credited with much of the mixing and engineering work done on the first Big Star album, #1 Record. After this album failed to achieve commercial success (partially due to confusion by its soul-oriented distributor Stax
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
in marketing the album), Bell left the band in 1972. He struggled with depression for the rest of his life, stemming partly from his repressed homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and dependence on heroin, both of which he tried to deal with through a strong belief in Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. According to his brother David, Bell may have left Big Star due to a belief that he was overshadowed by the more famous Chilton. David Bell also reported a brief reunion during the recording of Big Star's second album, Radio City, which led to Bell's collaborating with the group members to write a couple of songs on the album, including "O My Soul" and "Back of a Car."
Solo work
Bell concentrated on solo work after leaving Big Star, recording demos at Ardent StudiosArdent Studios
Ardent Studios is a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee. Ardent Records/Ardent Music is the in-house label.- History :Ardent Studios was founded by John Fry and was initially a studio in his family's garage, where he recorded his first Ardent Records 45's. In 1966 the operation moved...
and Shoe Recording in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
with old friends including Rosebrough, Manning, Cunningham, Ken Woodley, and occasionally Chilton and Jim Dickinson
Jim Dickinson
James Luther "Jim" Dickinson was an American record producer, pianist, and singer who fronted, among others, the Memphis based band, Mudboy & The Neutrons.- Biography :...
. One of Bell's better known solo songs from this period is "You and Your Sister
You and Your Sister
You and Your Sister is a song by Memphis-born musician and Big Star member Chris Bell that appears on his only solo album I Am the Cosmos...
," featuring Bell's guitar work and vocals, Chilton's backing vocal, and Cunningham's string arrangements and bass work. In the 1970s, Bell also played in a group with local songwriter Keith Sykes.
During the late 1970s, a few of Bell's pop song lyrics began to reflect the influence of his interest in Christian spirituality. Although he released "I Am the Cosmos" backed with "You and Your Sister" as a single in 1978 on Chris Stamey
Chris Stamey
Chris Stamey is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. After a stint playing with Alex Chilton, and a brief partnering with Mitch Easter under the name Sneakers, he formed The dB's, whose stewardship he would share with Peter Holsapple.In 1977 in New York, Chris founded the...
's Car Records
Car Records
Car Records was a record label founded in 1977 by Chris Stamey of the powerpop group the dB's. Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Stamey moved to New York City and started his label where he released the band's first single " Wanted to Know"/"If and When" under the name Chris Stamey and...
label, none of his solo material was released on a full length album during his lifetime. At this time, Bell worked at his father's restaurant and continued to grapple with clinical depression.
Almost 14 years after his death, the songs from his Car Records single and several of his other 1970s recordings were released on 1992's I Am the Cosmos
I Am the Cosmos
I Am the Cosmos is the only solo album by the American pop-rock musician Chris Bell, eventually released in 1992, having been recorded over a period of two to three years during the mid-1970s. Bell had previously been a member of Big Star....
full-length CD on Rykodisc
Rykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
. As with his work with Big Star, the album received highly favorable critical reviews. Giving the album an "A-", Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
wrote that it was "clear from Bell's very posthumous solo album . . . that Big Star was his idea."
In 2009, I Am the Cosmos was re-released in a two-CD version by Rhino Handmade with alternate versions and additional tracks.
Death
Bell died on 27 December 1978 at the age of 27 when he lost control of his small TriumphTriumph Motor Company
The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company. The Triumph marque is owned currently by BMW. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg initiated S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them with his own...
TR-7
Triumph TR7
The Triumph TR7 is a sports car manufactured from September 1974 to October 1981 by the Triumph Motor Company in the United Kingdom. It was initially produced at the Speke, Liverpool factory, moving to Canley, Coventry in 1978 and then finally to the Rover plant in Solihull in 1980...
sports car, sometime after 1 a.m. He was on his way home from his father's restaurant in East Memphis
East Memphis, Memphis
East Memphis is a region of Memphis, Tennessee, that includes several defined and informal subdivisions/neighborhoods such as Colonial Acres, White Station-Yates, Sherwood Forest, Normal Station, High Point Terrace, Belle Meade, Normandy Meadows, St. Nick, Pleasant Acres, Balmoral, and Ridgeway...
. The car struck a wooden light pole on the side of the road, killing him instantly. His funeral was held the next day, December 28, the birthday of former band mate Chilton.
Influence
Bell's music and that of Big Star became popular with alternative rock musicians in the 1980s through word of mouth. Eventually, well known artists including R.E.M.R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, Ian Moore, Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub are an alternative rock band from Bellshill, Scotland. The band is composed of Norman Blake , Raymond McGinley , Gerard Love and Francis MacDonald , with songwriting duties shared equally among Blake, McGinley and Love...
and The Replacements began touting the recordings of Big Star as significant works. This Mortal Coil
This Mortal Coil
This Mortal Coil was a gothic dream pop supergroup led by Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British record label 4AD. Although Watts-Russell and John Fryer were technically the only two official members, the band's recorded output featured a large rotating cast of supporting artists, many of whom...
, which had earlier recorded versions of post-Chris Bell Big Star songs, recorded versions of "I Am the Cosmos" and "You and Your Sister" on their 1991 album Blood. Big Star's pop gem "In the Street," which had featured the tight harmonies of Bell and Chilton, was chosen as a representative song of the 1970s decade by the producers of the television show That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
in 1998. Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
recorded a version of the song for the show with revised lyrics in 1999, also included on That '70s Show Presents That '70s Album: Rockin'.
Later, Bell's song "Speed of Sound" appeared on the Flaming Lips album Late Night Tales: The Flaming Lips. Bell's version of "Speed of Sound" is heard over the opening credits to the film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Peter Sollett and starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings. Written by Lorene Scafaria and based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, the story tells of teenagers Nick and Norah , who meet when...
.
Discography
The Jynx- Greatest Hits! — (Norton Records, 10-inch vinyl EP, 2000)
- Various artists: Garage Beat '66, Vol. 2: Chicks Are for Kids! — (Sundazed Music CD, 2004)
Icewater and Rock City
- Various artists: Rockin' Memphis: 1960s–1970s, Volume 1 — (Lucky Seven Records CD, 2003)
- Rock City — (Lucky Seven Records CD, 2003)
Big Star
- #1 RecordNumber 1 Record#1 Record is the debut album by the American power pop group Big Star. It was released in 1972 by Memphis-based Ardent Records. Though many critics praised the album's elegant vocal harmonies and refined songcraft , #1 Record fared quite dismally in terms of...
— (Ardent RecordsArdent RecordsArdent Records, often shortened to "Ardent," is a Memphis record label founded by John Fry in 1959. Ardent of the 1960s and 1970s featured pop music acts and was distributed by Stax Records from 1972 until 1975. It is best remembered today for Big Star, whose first two albums, released in 1972...
LP, 1972) - Radio CityRadio City (album)On its release in January 1974, Radio City met with general acclaim. Record World judged the musicianship "superb"; Billboard described the album as "a highly commercial set", and Cashbox called it "a collection of excellent material". However, sales were thwarted by an inability to make the album...
— (Ardent Records LP, 1974)
Solo
- "I Am the Cosmos"/"You and Your Sister" — (Car Records single, 1978)
- I Am the CosmosI Am the CosmosI Am the Cosmos is the only solo album by the American pop-rock musician Chris Bell, eventually released in 1992, having been recorded over a period of two to three years during the mid-1970s. Bell had previously been a member of Big Star....
— (Rykodisc LP/CD, 1992)
External links
- Chris Bell's Find a Grave page
- Chris Bell Facebook page
- Big Star Page at Harmonē
- The Unofficial Big Star Homepage
- Judith Beeman's Back of a Car Big Star zine site
- Jeff the Joker's Alex Chilton, Big Star & the Box Tops: Interviews & Reviews
- Photos of Chris Bell performing in the Jynx
- Norton Records listing for Greatest Hits! 4-song EP by the Jynx
- Big Star (Rykodisc site)