Chris Rea
Encyclopedia
Chris Rea
is an English
singer-songwriter
, recognisable for his distinctive, husky voice
and slide guitar
playing. 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)
". By 2009, Rea had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.
He is well known for his 1978 hit song "Fool (If You Think It's Over)
" that charted #12 on the Billboard Hot 100
and spent three weeks at #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
. The book Guinness Rockopedia described him as a "gravel-voiced guitar stalwart".
, the son of an ice-cream producer, Camillo Rea (died 2010), who, together with his brother, Gaetano, owned an ice-cream factory and ran twenty-one cafés. Rea attended St Mary's College, which was a Catholic boys' grammar school, in Middlesbrough, at that time.
and Ry Cooder
. 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 later created Whitesnake
. Rea then went on to form the band Beautiful Losers, which he left when he secured a solo recording deal with Magnet Records
and released his first single, entitled "So Much Love", in 1974. 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.
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. The first single
taken from the album, "Fool (If You Think It's Over)
," was Rea's biggest hit in the United States, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100
and reaching #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 #30 when re-released in late 1978 to capitalise on its US achievement.
The singer Elkie Brooks
enjoyed greater success with the song in 1982, when she charted her cover version
at #17. It was also the first record
played by Radio Caroline
, after a long period off the air. 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, entitled Deltics
. Rea has since spoken about the difficult working relationship that he had with Dudgeon at the time, 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
.
Rea's second and third albums failed to provide any 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".
With the success of "Water Sign" Rea began to focus his attention on touring continental Europe and built up a significant fan base there. 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). 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 reworkings of his earlier work.
His next full album was to be his major breakthrough. The Road to Hell
(1989) enjoyed massive success and became his first #1 album in the UK. This accomplishment could not be mirrored in the US, where it only reached #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. His next album, Auberge
, was also a European hit, reaching the top spot in the UK.
, which reached #4 in the UK. The album returned Rea to the rockier sound of Road to Hell, and 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. A period of ill health meant his next album did not appear until 1998. The Blue Cafe
made the UK Top 10, though it proved to be Rea's last. In 1999, 10 years after Road to Hell, Rea released The Road to Hell: Part 2
, which received no promotion and never made the Top 40. In 2000, he released King of the Beach, receiving critical praise and a healthy Top 30 placing.
In 2000 a remix of Rea's 1986 "On the Beach" single by York
was released and enjoyed moderate success on the dance floor.
, Rea underwent an operation called a Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy)
, with a predicted 50% chance of survival. In 2001, Rea promised himself that if he recovered, he would be returning to his blues roots. This near brush with death was the catalyst for a change in musical direction and motivation. 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. 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." 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).
(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 #53 in the UK chart when first released in 1988, re-entered at #33 nineteen years later in December 2007, making it the first time the song had made the UK Top 40. In a live interview on the BBC Radio 4
programme Today on December 16, 2009 Rea said he wrote “Driving Home for Christmas” many years before he first recorded it. His wife 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”.
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 hits over the last thirty years, many of them less well known, as well as more recent songs from his "blues" period. There are also two new songs "Come So Far, Yet Still So Far to Go" and the ballad "Valentino", a song about his dog that had died. The album was Rea's highest charting album in 15 years, reaching #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 an Irish musician Paul Casey
. The tour ended on 5 April in Belfast
, United Kingdom.
In September 2011, Chris Rea will release "The Santo Spirito Project" containing two feature-length films on DVD written and directed by Chris and 2 accompanying CDs of related songs and music.
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 in 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. In later years the chain folded except for one shop operated by Camillo himself. Chris Rea holds a season ticket with Middlesbrough F.C.
.
," 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 (UK users only) and was released on The Very Best of Chris Rea
(2001).
. 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. 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
. The Times
reported in 2009 that Rea has been a longtime supporter of the Conservative Party. 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.
, Parting Shots
, alongside 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.
He also had a cameo
role in the 1996 film
, La Passione, for which he wrote the soundtrack
.
is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, recognisable for his distinctive, husky voice
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
and slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
playing. 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)
The Road to Hell (song)
- 12" vinyl single :Magnet YZ431T- CD single :Magnet YZ431CD and YZ431CDP - Cassette single :Magnet YZ431C- Chart performance :...
". By 2009, Rea had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.
He is well known for his 1978 hit song "Fool (If You Think It's Over)
Fool (If You Think It's Over)
"Fool " is the title of a popular song from 1978 by the British singer-songwriter Chris Rea. Rea also wrote the song, which appears on his 1978 debut album, Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?....
" that charted #12 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and spent three weeks at #1 on the U.S. Billboard adult contemporary chart. The song was later covered by Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
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
The Road to Hell
The Road to Hell is a 1989 album by Chris Rea, and is one of Rea's most famous albums. The second part of the two part title track, "The Road to Hell ," is also one of Rea's most famous songs...
and Auberge
Auberge
Auberge is an album by Chris Rea, released in 1991. The album as well as the title song was mostly notable for the association of the Caterham Super Seven that he owned, in which he called it the "Blue Seven". That car appeared on the album cover, illustrated in oil by renowned motoring artist...
, topped the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. The book Guinness Rockopedia described him as a "gravel-voiced guitar stalwart".
Early life
Rea was born in Middlesbrough, EnglandEngland
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...
, the son of an ice-cream producer, Camillo Rea (died 2010), who, together with his brother, Gaetano, owned an ice-cream factory and ran twenty-one cafés. Rea attended St Mary's College, which was a Catholic boys' grammar school, in Middlesbrough, at that time.
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 WalshJoe Walsh
Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
and Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
. A natural left-hander, Rea nevertheless learned to play the guitar right-handed. In 1973, he joined the Middlesbrough band Magdalene, replacing David Coverdale
David Coverdale
David 'Jack' Coverdale is an English rock singer, most famous for his work with the his own hard rock band Whitesnake which achieved massive commercial success.-Early life:...
who later created Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
. Rea then went on to form the band Beautiful Losers, which he left when he secured a solo recording deal with Magnet Records
Magnet Records
Magnet Records was a record label started in 1973 by Michael Levy and acquired by Warner Bros. Records in 1988 for an estimated £10m.Artists on the label included Alvin Stardust, Matchbox, Adrian Baker, Silver Convention, Guys 'n' Dolls, Darts, Kissing the Pink, Bad Manners, David D'Or, Blue Zoo...
and released his first single, entitled "So Much Love", in 1974. In 1977 he performed on Hank Marvin
Hank Marvin
Hank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
's album The Hank Marvin Guitar Syndicate and also guested on Catherine Howe
Catherine Howe
Catherine Howe is an English singer-songwriter. She is an Ivor Novello Award winner who has earned critical acclaim in dozens of music magazines both in the UK and the US, including Folk Album of the Year from the Sunday Times.Howe began an acting career in the late 1960s, and has since gained a...
's EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, The Truth of the Matter.
Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?
Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?
Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? is the debut album by Chris Rea, released in 1978 .The first single lifted from the album, "Fool ", is arguably Rea's best known song, and remains his biggest hit in the United States, peaking at number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching number one on...
was Rea's debut album. It was released in June 1978 and produced by Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's music producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, Gus Dudgeon
Gus Dudgeon
Angus Boyd Dudgeon , most commonly known as Gus Dudgeon was an English record producer, most notable for production of many of Elton John's recordings.-Early career:...
. The title of the album was a reference to "Benjamin Santini," the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
that Rea's record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
suggested he should adopt. The first 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...
taken from the album, "Fool (If You Think It's Over)
Fool (If You Think It's Over)
"Fool " is the title of a popular song from 1978 by the British singer-songwriter Chris Rea. Rea also wrote the song, which appears on his 1978 debut album, Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?....
," was Rea's biggest hit in the United States, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and reaching #1 on the Adult Contemporary Singles chart. "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" was nominated for a Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
, losing out to Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
'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
UK Singles Chart
The 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 ...
on its first release, and only reached #30 when re-released in late 1978 to capitalise on its US achievement.
The singer Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
enjoyed greater success with the song in 1982, when she charted her cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
at #17. It was also the first record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
played by Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is an English radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly...
, after a long period off the air. Another cover of "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" by Kenny Craddock
Kenny Craddock
Kenny Craddock was an instrumentalist, composer and producer. Throughout his career he worked with artists including Ringo Starr, Ginger Baker, Billy Bragg, Gerry Rafferty and Alan White...
was used as the theme tune for BBC
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
, Joking Apart
Joking Apart
Joking Apart is a BBC television sitcom written by Steven Moffat about the rise and fall of a relationship. It juxtaposes a couple, Mark and Becky , who fall in love and marry, before getting separated and finally divorced...
.
Dudgeon went on to produce Rea's next album, entitled Deltics
Deltics
Deltics is an album by Chris Rea, released in 1979. The title is a reference to the Deltic-class locomotives that were used on the UK East Coast rail network in the 1960s and 1970s.-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "Twisted Wheel" – 05:15...
. Rea has since spoken about the difficult working relationship that he had with Dudgeon at the time, who he felt 'smoothed out' the blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
influenced elements of his music in order to make it sound more like that of Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
or Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
.
Rea's second and third albums failed to provide any 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".
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, entitled "Water 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.With the success of "Water Sign" Rea began to focus his attention on touring continental Europe and built up a significant fan base there. It was not until 1985's Shamrock Diaries
Shamrock Diaries
Shamrock Diaries is an album by Chris Rea, released in 1985.This album represents the beginning of a creative and commercial zenith for Rea. Shamrock Diaries was a huge seller in Europe, reaching the Top 20 in several countries including Germany, The Netherlands and Great Britain...
and the songs "Stainsby Girls" and "Josephine" that UK audiences began to take notice of him. His following albums were On The Beach
On the Beach (Chris Rea album)
-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "On the Beach"# "Little Blonde Plaits"# "Giverny"# "Lucky Day"# "Just Passing Through"# "It's All Gone"# "Hello Friend"# "Two Roads"# "Light of Hope"# "Auf Immer und Ewig"# "Freeway"# "Bless Them All"...
(1986) and Dancing with Strangers
Dancing with Strangers
-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "Joys of Christmas" - 5:15# "I Can't Dance to That" - 4:19# "Windy Town" - 4:25# "Gonna Buy a Hat" - 4:25# "Curse of the Traveller" - 6:26# "Let's Dance" - 4:07# "Que Sera" - 5:23# "Josie's Tune" - 2:19...
(1987). 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
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
twice. His following album was the New Light Through Old Windows
New Light Through Old Windows
New Light Through Old Windows is a 1988 album by Chris Rea. The album consists primarily of re-recordings of songs released on earlier Rea albums, as well as two new songs, "Working on It" New Light Through Old Windows is a 1988 album by Chris Rea. The album consists primarily of re-recordings of...
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, which saw studio reworkings of his earlier work.
His next full album was to be his major breakthrough. The Road to Hell
The Road to Hell
The Road to Hell is a 1989 album by Chris Rea, and is one of Rea's most famous albums. The second part of the two part title track, "The Road to Hell ," is also one of Rea's most famous songs...
(1989) enjoyed massive success and became his first #1 album in the UK. This accomplishment could not be mirrored in the US, where it only reached #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
Band Aid (band)
Band Aid was a charity supergroup featuring British and Irish musicians and recording artists. It was founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia by releasing the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for the Christmas market that year. The single...
project's single in December 1989. His next album, Auberge
Auberge
Auberge is an album by Chris Rea, released in 1991. The album as well as the title song was mostly notable for the association of the Caterham Super Seven that he owned, in which he called it the "Blue Seven". That car appeared on the album cover, illustrated in oil by renowned motoring artist...
, was also a European hit, reaching the top spot in the UK.
After Auberge
After Auberge, Rea released God's Great Banana SkinGod's Great Banana Skin
God's Great Banana Skin is a 1992 album by Chris Rea. The album wasn't released in the USA, though some tracks later appeared on the US release of Rea's following album Espresso Logic.-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "Nothing to Fear" - 9:10...
, which reached #4 in the UK. The album returned Rea to the rockier sound of Road to Hell, and the single "Nothing to Fear" gave him another Top 20 hit. A year later Espresso Logic
Espresso Logic
Espresso Logic is a 1993 album by Chris Rea. The US edition of the album has a significantly different track listing than other editions, as it also features songs from Rea's previous album, God's Great Banana Skin , along with "If You Were Me", a track recorded with Elton John for his 1993 Duets...
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
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
, although he was eliminated in the first round. A period of ill health meant his next album did not appear until 1998. The Blue Cafe
The Blue Cafe
The Blue Cafe is a 1998 album by Chris Rea.-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "Square Peg, Round Hole" - 3:58# "Miss Your Kiss" - 4:05# "Shadows of the Big Man" - 4:49# "Where Do We Go from Here?" - 4:32# "Since I Found You" - 4:37...
made the UK Top 10, though it proved to be Rea's last. In 1999, 10 years after Road to Hell, Rea released The Road to Hell: Part 2
The Road to Hell: Part 2
The Road to Hell: Part 2 is a 1999 album by Chris Rea, released ten years after the first The Road to Hell.- Track listing :All songs by Chris Rea, except track two by Ditcham/Rea.# "Can't Get Through" - 8:17# "Good Morning" - 5:23# "E" - 6:06...
, which received no promotion and never made the Top 40. In 2000, he released King of the Beach, receiving critical praise and a healthy Top 30 placing.
In 2000 a remix of Rea's 1986 "On the Beach" single by York
York (group)
York is a German electronica music duo, founded in 1997 by musicians and brothers Torsten and Jörg Stenzel. Producing downtempo, Chillout, House and Trance, their productions are known for catchy guitar hooks, atmospheric soundscapes and delicate dance textures....
was released and enjoyed moderate success on the dance floor.
Fighting pancreatitis and back to the blues
After being diagnosed with pancreatitisPancreatitis
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. It occurs when pancreatic enzymes that digest food are activated in the pancreas instead of the small intestine. It may be acute – beginning suddenly and lasting a few days, or chronic – occurring over many years...
, Rea underwent an operation called a Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy)
Pancreaticoduodenectomy
A pancreaticoduodenectomy, pancreatoduodenectomy, Whipple procedure, or Kausch-Whipple procedure, is a major surgical operation involving the pancreas, duodenum, and other organs...
, with a predicted 50% chance of survival. In 2001, Rea promised himself that if he recovered, he would be returning to his blues roots. This near brush with death was the catalyst for a change in musical direction and motivation. The resulting Blue Guitars
Blue Guitars
Blue Guitars is a Blues album released by Chris Rea on October 14, 2005 consisting of eleven CDs, one DVD and a full colour book, including paintings by the artist, liner notes and song lyrics. The album is an ambitious project with the 137 songs recorded over the course of 1½ years with a work...
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. 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." In 2002, Rea released Dancing Down the Stony Road
Dancing Down the Stony Road
Dancing Down the Stony Road is a 2002 album by Chris Rea, released on his own label, Jazzee Blue. The album has also been released under the shorter title Stony Road with different cover art on Edel...
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)
Blue Street (Five Guitars)
Blue Street is a 2003 album by Chris Rea.-Track listing:# "Blue Miles" - 6:17# "Blue Street" - 7:03# "Big C" - 5:49# "Big C Big Sea" - 2:42# "Hofner Break" - 1:37# "Heading for the City" - 4:33# "1st Snow Mingus" - 8:17...
(an instrumental jazz-blues album) and then The Blue Jukebox
The Blue Jukebox
The Blue Jukebox is a 2004 album by Chris Rea. The cover artwork is inspired by Edward Hopper's Nighthawks painting.-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "The Beat Goes On" - 4:31# "Long Is The Time, Hard Is The Road" - 5:27# "Let's Do It" - 5:01...
. He has worked with David Knopfler
David Knopfler
David Knopfler is a British singer-songwriter, rhythm guitarist, pianist and cofounder of the critically acclaimed rock band Dire Straits....
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. 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 vinyls, which included a hardback book in the style of a slightly tatty 12" vinyl sleeve. The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Blue NotesThe Return Of The Fabulous Hofner Blue Notes
The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes was released by Chris Rea in 2008. It comprises 3CDs and 2 x 10" Vinyl records in an 80 page hardback book. It is the second album of his project, the 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
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London.
His song "Driving Home for Christmas
Driving Home for Christmas
"Driving Home for Christmas" is a single written by Chris Rea and released in December 1988 as a non-album single. The song peaked at #53 in the UK Single Chart in 1988, and re-entered the chart in 2007, peaking at #33. In 2000, Michael Ball released a version of the song for the album Christmas...
", which originally reached #53 in the UK chart when first released in 1988, re-entered at #33 nineteen years later in December 2007, making it the first time the song had made the UK Top 40. In a live interview on the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
programme Today on December 16, 2009 Rea said he wrote “Driving Home for Christmas” many years before he first recorded it. His wife 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”.
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 hits over the last thirty years, many of them less well known, as well as more recent songs from his "blues" period. There are also two new songs "Come So Far, Yet Still So Far to Go" and the ballad "Valentino", a song about his dog that had died. The album was Rea's highest charting album in 15 years, reaching #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 an Irish musician Paul Casey
Paul Casey (musician)
Paul Casey is an Irish songwriter, guitarist and singer.Paul's song Blow away the clouds was recently used on MTV's The Real World Brooklyn ....
. The tour ended on 5 April in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, United Kingdom.
In September 2011, Chris Rea will release "The Santo Spirito Project" containing two feature-length films on DVD written and directed by Chris and 2 accompanying CDs of related songs and music.
Family life
Rea is the son of Camillo Rea, (died December 2010) an immigrant from Italy and Winifred, of Irish descent (died September 1983). 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 in Cookham
Cookham
Cookham is a village and civil parish in the north-easternmost corner of Berkshire in England, on the River Thames, notable as the home of the artist Stanley Spencer. It lies north of Maidenhead close to the border with Buckinghamshire...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. 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. In later years the chain folded except for one shop operated by Camillo himself. Chris Rea holds a season ticket with Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
.
Other interests
Rea is a huge fan of motor racing and races a Ferrari Dino and a 1955 Lotus 6. He recorded a song, "SaudadeSaudade
Saudade ) is a unique Galician-Portuguese word that has no immediate translation in English. Saudade describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves. It often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never return...
," in tribute to three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
. It featured prominently in the BBC documentary that can be watched in full here (UK users only) and was released on The Very Best of Chris Rea
The Very Best of Chris Rea
The Very Best of Chris Rea is a 2001 compilation album by Chris Rea. The last track was originally written and recorded in 1994 as a tribute to the formula 1 racing driver Ayrton Senna who died in a crash at Imola on May 1 that year...
(2001).
Politics
In August 2008, it was erroneously reported that Rea had donated £25,000 to the Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. 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. 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
Retraction
A retraction is a public statement, by the author of an earlier statement, that withdraws, cancels, refutes, diametrically reverses the original statement or ceases and desists from publishing the original statement...
. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported in 2009 that Rea has been a longtime supporter of the Conservative Party. Rea supported the Conservative Candidate for Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough (UK Parliament constituency)
Middlesbrough is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
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 filmComedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
, Parting Shots
Parting Shots
Parting Shots is a 1999 film starring Chris Rea, Felicity Kendal, Oliver Reed and Joanna Lumley. It was the last film directed by Michael Winner to date....
, alongside John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
, Bob Hoskins
Bob Hoskins
Robert William "Bob" Hoskins, Jr. is an English actor known for playing Cockney rough diamonds, psychopaths and gangsters, in films such as The Long Good Friday , and Mona Lisa , and lighter roles in family films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Hook .- Early life :Hoskins was born in Bury St...
and Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS is a British actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her roles in British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, and Sensitive...
. Rea played a character who was told that cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
gave him six weeks to live, and decided to kill those people who had badly affected his life.
He also had a cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
role in the 1996 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, La Passione, for which he wrote the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
.
Discography
- Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? is the debut album by Chris Rea, released in 1978 .The first single lifted from the album, "Fool ", is arguably Rea's best known song, and remains his biggest hit in the United States, peaking at number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching number one on...
(1978) - DelticsDelticsDeltics is an album by Chris Rea, released in 1979. The title is a reference to the Deltic-class locomotives that were used on the UK East Coast rail network in the 1960s and 1970s.-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "Twisted Wheel" – 05:15...
(1979) - TennisTennis (album)-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea# "Tennis"# "Sweet Kiss"# "Since I Don't See You Anymore"# "Dancing Girls"# "No Work Today"# "Every Time I See You Smile"# "For Ever And Ever"# "Good News"# "Friends Across the Water"# "Distant Summers"# "Only With You"...
(1980) - Chris ReaChris Rea (album)Chris Rea is a self-titled album by the artist of the same name, released in 1982.-Track listing:All songs written by Chris Rea# "Loving You"# "If You Choose to Go"# "Guitar Street"# "Do You Still Dream?"# "Every Beat of My Heart"...
(1982) - Water Sign (1983)
- Wired to the MoonWired to the Moon-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea# "Bombollini"# "Touché d'Amour"# "Shine, Shine, Shine"# "Wired to the Moon"# "Reasons"# "I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It"# "Ace of Hearts"# "Holding Out"# "Winning"-Personnel:...
(1984) - Shamrock DiariesShamrock DiariesShamrock Diaries is an album by Chris Rea, released in 1985.This album represents the beginning of a creative and commercial zenith for Rea. Shamrock Diaries was a huge seller in Europe, reaching the Top 20 in several countries including Germany, The Netherlands and Great Britain...
(1985) - On the BeachOn the Beach (Chris Rea album)-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "On the Beach"# "Little Blonde Plaits"# "Giverny"# "Lucky Day"# "Just Passing Through"# "It's All Gone"# "Hello Friend"# "Two Roads"# "Light of Hope"# "Auf Immer und Ewig"# "Freeway"# "Bless Them All"...
(1986) - Dancing with StrangersDancing with Strangers-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "Joys of Christmas" - 5:15# "I Can't Dance to That" - 4:19# "Windy Town" - 4:25# "Gonna Buy a Hat" - 4:25# "Curse of the Traveller" - 6:26# "Let's Dance" - 4:07# "Que Sera" - 5:23# "Josie's Tune" - 2:19...
(1987) - The Road to HellThe Road to HellThe Road to Hell is a 1989 album by Chris Rea, and is one of Rea's most famous albums. The second part of the two part title track, "The Road to Hell ," is also one of Rea's most famous songs...
(1989) - AubergeAubergeAuberge is an album by Chris Rea, released in 1991. The album as well as the title song was mostly notable for the association of the Caterham Super Seven that he owned, in which he called it the "Blue Seven". That car appeared on the album cover, illustrated in oil by renowned motoring artist...
(1991) - God's Great Banana SkinGod's Great Banana SkinGod's Great Banana Skin is a 1992 album by Chris Rea. The album wasn't released in the USA, though some tracks later appeared on the US release of Rea's following album Espresso Logic.-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "Nothing to Fear" - 9:10...
(1992) - Espresso LogicEspresso LogicEspresso Logic is a 1993 album by Chris Rea. The US edition of the album has a significantly different track listing than other editions, as it also features songs from Rea's previous album, God's Great Banana Skin , along with "If You Were Me", a track recorded with Elton John for his 1993 Duets...
(1993) - La PassioneLa PassioneLa Passione is a 1996 album by Chris Rea, and the soundtrack for the movie with the same title, also written by Rea. Shirley Bassey provides vocals on two tracks.-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "La Passione" - 4:55...
(1996) - The Blue CafeThe Blue CafeThe Blue Cafe is a 1998 album by Chris Rea.-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "Square Peg, Round Hole" - 3:58# "Miss Your Kiss" - 4:05# "Shadows of the Big Man" - 4:49# "Where Do We Go from Here?" - 4:32# "Since I Found You" - 4:37...
(1998) - The Road to Hell: Part 2The Road to Hell: Part 2The Road to Hell: Part 2 is a 1999 album by Chris Rea, released ten years after the first The Road to Hell.- Track listing :All songs by Chris Rea, except track two by Ditcham/Rea.# "Can't Get Through" - 8:17# "Good Morning" - 5:23# "E" - 6:06...
(1999) - King of the Beach (2000)
- Dancing Down the Stony Road / Stony RoadDancing Down the Stony RoadDancing Down the Stony Road is a 2002 album by Chris Rea, released on his own label, Jazzee Blue. The album has also been released under the shorter title Stony Road with different cover art on Edel...
(2002) - Blue Street (Five Guitars)Blue Street (Five Guitars)Blue Street is a 2003 album by Chris Rea.-Track listing:# "Blue Miles" - 6:17# "Blue Street" - 7:03# "Big C" - 5:49# "Big C Big Sea" - 2:42# "Hofner Break" - 1:37# "Heading for the City" - 4:33# "1st Snow Mingus" - 8:17...
(2003) - Hofner Blue NotesHofner Blue NotesHofner Blue Notes is a 2003 album by Hofner Blue Notes, a project by Chris Rea. The project was continued with The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes.-Track listing:# Spy# Expectations# Hofner Blue Notes# Paris in Minneapolis# São Paulo Blue...
(2003) - The Blue JukeboxThe Blue JukeboxThe Blue Jukebox is a 2004 album by Chris Rea. The cover artwork is inspired by Edward Hopper's Nighthawks painting.-Track listing:All songs by Chris Rea.# "The Beat Goes On" - 4:31# "Long Is The Time, Hard Is The Road" - 5:27# "Let's Do It" - 5:01...
(2004) - Blue GuitarsBlue GuitarsBlue Guitars is a Blues album released by Chris Rea on October 14, 2005 consisting of eleven CDs, one DVD and a full colour book, including paintings by the artist, liner notes and song lyrics. The album is an ambitious project with the 137 songs recorded over the course of 1½ years with a work...
(2005) - The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes (2008)
- Still So Far To Go: The Best of Chris ReaStill So Far To Go: The Best of Chris Rea-Disc One:# "Fool "# "On The Beach"# "Let's Dance"# "Diamonds"# "Loving You"# "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat"# "I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It"# "Stainsby Girls"# "Josephine"# "It's All Gone"# "Loving You Again"...
(2009) - Santo Spirito BluesSanto Spirito Blues-Track listing:# "Dancing My Blues Away"# "Rock and Roll Tonight"# "Never Tie Me Down"# "The Chance of Love"# "The Last Open Road"# "Electric Guitar"# "Money"# "The Way She Moves"# "Dance With Me All Night Long"# "Think Like A Woman"# "You Got Lucky"...
(2011)