Chris Stamp
Encyclopedia
Christopher Stamp is a British
psychodrama
therapist based in the state of New York
. Stamp is also known for co-founding the now defunct Track Records
and for co-managing and producing such musical acts as The Who
and Jimi Hendrix
in the 1960s and '70s.
's East End. Actor Terence Stamp
is his older brother. Their father, Thomas Stamp, was a tugboat
captain and was often absent during their childhood; he died during his service, leaving their mother Ethel (née Perrott) to raise the Stamp clan on her own for the most part.
while working at Shepperton Film Studios as an assistant director — they both worked on such films as I Could Go On Singing
, The L-Shaped Room
and Of Human Bondage
. Eventually the pair came to share a flat in west London
, and in 1963 Lambert convinced Stamp that the two should direct their own film about the burgeoning British rock
scene. "Our idea was to find a group that somehow represented the emerging ideas of our time. They would be rebellious, anarchistic and uniquely different from the established English pop scene," said Stamp.
Stamp and Lambert met the members of The Who during one of their performances at the Railway Hotel (no longer standing) in Harrow and Wealdstone. At that time the band was known as The High Numbers. Lambert said the following of the experience:
Stamp and Lambert's contrasting personalities and backgrounds also made an impression on the band; in a 1972 Rolling Stone article Keith Moon
said that the two men "were...are...as incongruous a team as [The Who] are." Lambert was an Oxford
graduate and the son of noted composer Constant Lambert
; he spoke proper and high-class English. In contrast, Stamp was five years younger, the son of a tug-boatman, and Keith Moon described Stamp as speaking “in nearly unintelligible East London cockney
.” Roger Daltrey
said the following about the pair:
Despite having had no prior experience in business management or the music industry, the duo made a move to acquire The High Numbers from their manager Peter Meaden
; Lambert had learned from The Beatles
' attorney, David Jacobs, that the band's contract with their previous manager was legally invalid. In effect, Meaden had no legal claim to the band and in 1964 he accepted a buyout
for relinquishing control to Stamp and Lambert.
By autumn of that same year Stamp and Lambert convinced the band to change their name back to The Who (a name they were using prior to Meaden's management) and began to focus on the band's Mod image. The band managers also encouraged the band's early Mod look and also encouraged the band to include more blues and James Brown
and Motown covers in their sets — since this was the sound most enjoyed by the Mod crowd.
The new band managers also shot a short promotional movie for The Who in 1964 which they would sometimes show at The Who's live performances, before the band would take to the stage. Drawing from their filmmaking backgrounds, the duo also began to focus on The Who's stage show. They sent the band for lessons on how to apply stage makeup, and began to insist that the band have control of its own stage lighting during shows, which was virtually unheard of at the time. On occasion, Stamp and Lambert even became part of the act themselves; during one performance in 1966 they lit and tossed fire bombs onto the stage as the band played.
By late 1966, with two hit albums by The Who under their belts, Stamp and Lambert established their own record label. The following year they signed artist Jimi Hendrix
and founded Track Record Records, eventually known simply as Track Records
. Soon the label released its first single, Purple Haze
, followed by their first album, Are You Experienced
. Track Records went on to profit from hit singles such as Fire
by the band Crazy World of Arthur Brown
, which reached #1 in the UK and Canada and #2 on the US Billboard charts
, as well as Eight Miles High
by Golden Earring
, which reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Stamp and Lambert also helped launch The Who's seminal rock opera
Tommy
.
During a 2005 interview, Roger Daltrey stated the following about Tommy:
Stamp and Lambert profited well from the music business and were living the lifestyles of the rock stars they managed, which (as Stamp would later admit) also included heavy consumption of drugs: "We were out to lunch, no doubt about that," he said. As the 1970s progressed, the members of The Who were beset by many physical and emotional setbacks, and Lambert's drug use also became so heavy that he began dipping into The Who's royalties. By 1975 Stamp and Lambert were ousted by the band in favour of manager Bill Curbishley
, and the pair relocated to New York City
to produce American R&B/soul
group Labelle
. Track Records folded the following year.
Following the demise of Track Records, Stamp remained in New York, but Kit Lambert had moved to Italy
, dying in 1981 of a brain haemorrhage while at his mother's London home. Stamp's drug and alcohol use continued, and in 1987 he entered a drug rehabilitation programme; the experience helped to inspire Stamp to assist others with their addictions and he began to study experimental therapies, including psychodrama
.
Chris Stamp continues to work on Who-related projects and to give interviews about his forays into the music business. He provided liner notes for the 1995 re-release of The Who's 1966 album A Quick One
, and provided a foreword to the 2005 re-release of the Who biography Anyway Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the Who 1958-1978. In 2005 he also gave an informal presentation at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
as part of their programme "From Songwriters to Soundmen: The People Behind the Hits". He also sits on the advisory board of the John Entwistle Foundation, formed in honour of the Who's bass guitarist, John Entwistle
.
therapist and addiction counsellor
. Trained at the Psychodrama Institute of New York and the Hudson Valley Psychodrama Institute, he is a Licensed Mental Health Counsellor (LMHC), a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counsellor (CASAC), a Certified Experimental Therapist (CET), and an Auricular Acupuncture Detox Specialist (ADS). He works as a consultant for the Freedom Institute in New York City and keeps a private practice in East Hampton, New York
.
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...
psychodrama
Psychodrama
Psychodrama is a method of psychotherapy in which clients utilize spontaneous dramatization, role playing and dramatic self-presentation to investigate and gain insight into their lives. Developed by Jacob L. Moreno, M.D. psychodrama includes elements of theater, often conducted on a stage where...
therapist based in the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Stamp is also known for co-founding the now defunct Track Records
Track Records
Track Records is an English record label founded in London in 1966 by Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, then managers of hard rock band The Who. The most successful artists whose work appeared on the Track label were The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Thunderclap...
and for co-managing and producing such musical acts as 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...
and Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
in the 1960s and '70s.
Childhood
Born into a working-class family, Chris and his five siblings started their lives in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's East End. Actor Terence Stamp
Terence Stamp
Terence Henry Stamp is an English actor. Since starting his career in 1962 he has appeared in over 60 films. His title role as Billy Budd in his film debut earned Stamp an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.His other major roles include...
is his older brother. Their father, Thomas Stamp, was a tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
captain and was often absent during their childhood; he died during his service, leaving their mother Ethel (née Perrott) to raise the Stamp clan on her own for the most part.
Career in film and music
Stamp started out as a filmmaker and met business partner and collaborator Kit LambertKit Lambert
Christopher "Kit" Sebastian Lambert was a record producer and the manager for The Who.-Early life:Kit Lambert was the son of noted composer, Constant Lambert...
while working at Shepperton Film Studios as an assistant director — they both worked on such films as I Could Go On Singing
I Could Go On Singing
I Could Go On Singing is a 1963 film starring Judy Garland and Dirk Bogarde.Although not a huge box office success on release, it won Garland much praise for her performance...
, The L-Shaped Room
The L-Shaped Room
The L-Shaped Room is a 1962 British drama film, directed by Bryan Forbes, which tells the story of a young French woman, unmarried and pregnant, who moves into a London boarding house, befriending a young man in the building...
and Of Human Bondage
Of Human Bondage (1964 film)
Of Human Bondage is a 1964 British drama film directed by Ken Hughes. The MGM release, the third screen adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's 1915 novel, was written by Bryan Forbes.-Synopsis:...
. Eventually the pair came to share a flat in west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and in 1963 Lambert convinced Stamp that the two should direct their own film about the burgeoning British rock
British rock
British rock describes a wide variety of forms of music made in the United Kingdom. Since around 1964, with the "British Invasion" of the United States spearheaded by The Beatles, British rock music has had a considerable impact on the development of American music and rock music across the...
scene. "Our idea was to find a group that somehow represented the emerging ideas of our time. They would be rebellious, anarchistic and uniquely different from the established English pop scene," said Stamp.
Stamp and Lambert met the members of The Who during one of their performances at the Railway Hotel (no longer standing) in Harrow and Wealdstone. At that time the band was known as The High Numbers. Lambert said the following of the experience:
Stamp and Lambert's contrasting personalities and backgrounds also made an impression on the band; in a 1972 Rolling Stone article Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
said that the two men "were...are...as incongruous a team as [The Who] are." Lambert was an Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
graduate and the son of noted composer Constant Lambert
Constant Lambert
Leonard Constant Lambert was a British composer and conductor.-Early life:Lambert, the son of Russian-born Australian painter George Lambert, was educated at Christ's Hospital and the Royal College of Music...
; he spoke proper and high-class English. In contrast, Stamp was five years younger, the son of a tug-boatman, and Keith Moon described Stamp as speaking “in nearly unintelligible East London cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
.” Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
said the following about the pair:
Despite having had no prior experience in business management or the music industry, the duo made a move to acquire The High Numbers from their manager Peter Meaden
Peter Meaden
Peter Alexander Edwin Meaden was a publicist for various musicians and the first manager for The Who. He was a prominent figure in the English mod subculture of the early 1960s....
; Lambert had learned from The Beatles
The 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...
' attorney, David Jacobs, that the band's contract with their previous manager was legally invalid. In effect, Meaden had no legal claim to the band and in 1964 he accepted a buyout
Buyout
A buyout, in finance, is an investment transaction by which the ownership equity of a company, or a majority share of the stock of the company is acquired. The acquiror thereby "buys out" control of the target company....
for relinquishing control to Stamp and Lambert.
By autumn of that same year Stamp and Lambert convinced the band to change their name back to The Who (a name they were using prior to Meaden's management) and began to focus on the band's Mod image. The band managers also encouraged the band's early Mod look and also encouraged the band to include more blues and James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
and Motown covers in their sets — since this was the sound most enjoyed by the Mod crowd.
The new band managers also shot a short promotional movie for The Who in 1964 which they would sometimes show at The Who's live performances, before the band would take to the stage. Drawing from their filmmaking backgrounds, the duo also began to focus on The Who's stage show. They sent the band for lessons on how to apply stage makeup, and began to insist that the band have control of its own stage lighting during shows, which was virtually unheard of at the time. On occasion, Stamp and Lambert even became part of the act themselves; during one performance in 1966 they lit and tossed fire bombs onto the stage as the band played.
By late 1966, with two hit albums by The Who under their belts, Stamp and Lambert established their own record label. The following year they signed artist Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and founded Track Record Records, eventually known simply as Track Records
Track Records
Track Records is an English record label founded in London in 1966 by Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, then managers of hard rock band The Who. The most successful artists whose work appeared on the Track label were The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Thunderclap...
. Soon the label released its first single, Purple Haze
Purple Haze
"Purple Haze" is a song written in 1966 and recorded in 1967 by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and released as a single in both the United Kingdom and the United States. It appeared on their 1967 album Are You Experienced...
, followed by their first album, Are You Experienced
Are You Experienced
Are You Experienced is the debut album by English/American rock band The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released in 1967, it was the first LP for Track Records...
. Track Records went on to profit from hit singles such as Fire
Fire (Arthur Brown song)
"Fire" is a 1968 song by Arthur Brown, Vincent Crane, Mike Finesilver and Peter Ker. Performed by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, it was released as a single and on the band's debut album, also called The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. The single made #1 in the UK and Canada. In October, it made #2...
by the band Crazy World of Arthur Brown
Crazy World of Arthur Brown (band)
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown were an English psychedelic rock band formed by singer Arthur Brown in 1967.-History:Their song "Fire" was one of the one-hit wonders in the United Kingdom and United States in the 1960s. "Fire" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.The line-up...
, which reached #1 in the UK and Canada and #2 on the US Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
, as well as Eight Miles High
Eight Miles High
"Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band The Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, and David Crosby and first released as a single on March 14, 1966 . The single managed to reach the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the Top 30 of the UK Singles Chart...
by Golden Earring
Golden Earring
Golden Earring are a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as the Golden Earrings . They had international chart success with the songs "Radar Love" in 1973, "Twilight Zone" in 1982, and "When the Lady Smiles" in 1984. In their home country, they had over 40 hits and made over 30 gold and...
, which reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Stamp and Lambert also helped launch The Who's seminal rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
Tommy
Tommy (rock opera)
Tommy is the fourth album by English rock band The Who, released by Track Records and Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and Decca Records/MCA in the United States. A double album telling a loose story about a "deaf, dumb and blind boy" who becomes the leader of a messianic movement, Tommy was...
.
During a 2005 interview, Roger Daltrey stated the following about Tommy:
Stamp and Lambert profited well from the music business and were living the lifestyles of the rock stars they managed, which (as Stamp would later admit) also included heavy consumption of drugs: "We were out to lunch, no doubt about that," he said. As the 1970s progressed, the members of The Who were beset by many physical and emotional setbacks, and Lambert's drug use also became so heavy that he began dipping into The Who's royalties. By 1975 Stamp and Lambert were ousted by the band in favour of manager Bill Curbishley
Bill Curbishley
Bill Curbishley is a music producer and band manager, best known for his work with English rock groups The Who and Judas Priest as well as artists Jimmy Page and Robert Plant....
, and the pair relocated to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to produce American R&B/soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
group Labelle
Labelle
Labelle is an American all female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the Philadelphia/Trenton areas, the Ordettes and the Del-Capris, forming as a new version of the former group, later changing...
. Track Records folded the following year.
Following the demise of Track Records, Stamp remained in New York, but Kit Lambert had moved to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, dying in 1981 of a brain haemorrhage while at his mother's London home. Stamp's drug and alcohol use continued, and in 1987 he entered a drug rehabilitation programme; the experience helped to inspire Stamp to assist others with their addictions and he began to study experimental therapies, including psychodrama
Psychodrama
Psychodrama is a method of psychotherapy in which clients utilize spontaneous dramatization, role playing and dramatic self-presentation to investigate and gain insight into their lives. Developed by Jacob L. Moreno, M.D. psychodrama includes elements of theater, often conducted on a stage where...
.
Chris Stamp continues to work on Who-related projects and to give interviews about his forays into the music business. He provided liner notes for the 1995 re-release of The Who's 1966 album A Quick One
A Quick One
A Quick One is the second album by English rock band The Who, released in 1966. The American record company executives at Decca Records released the album under the title Happy Jack, rather than the sexually suggestive title of the original UK release, and due to "Happy Jack" being a top 40 hit in...
, and provided a foreword to the 2005 re-release of the Who biography Anyway Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the Who 1958-1978. In 2005 he also gave an informal presentation at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
as part of their programme "From Songwriters to Soundmen: The People Behind the Hits". He also sits on the advisory board of the John Entwistle Foundation, formed in honour of the Who's bass guitarist, John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
.
Career in psychotherapy
Stamp currently works as a psychodramaPsychodrama
Psychodrama is a method of psychotherapy in which clients utilize spontaneous dramatization, role playing and dramatic self-presentation to investigate and gain insight into their lives. Developed by Jacob L. Moreno, M.D. psychodrama includes elements of theater, often conducted on a stage where...
therapist and addiction counsellor
Addiction Medicine
Addiction medicine is a medical specialty that deals with the treatment of addiction. The specialty often crosses over into other areas, since various aspects of addiction fall within the fields of public health, psychology, social work, psychiatry, and internal medicine, among others...
. Trained at the Psychodrama Institute of New York and the Hudson Valley Psychodrama Institute, he is a Licensed Mental Health Counsellor (LMHC), a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counsellor (CASAC), a Certified Experimental Therapist (CET), and an Auricular Acupuncture Detox Specialist (ADS). He works as a consultant for the Freedom Institute in New York City and keeps a private practice in East Hampton, New York
East Hampton (town), New York
The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York...
.
Discography
| Year | Album | Artist | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Magic Bus | The Who | Executive Producer |
| 1969 | Tommy | The Who | Executive Producer |
| 1971 | Who's Next | The Who | Producer, Executive Producer |
| 1973 | Quadrophenia | The Who | Executive Producer, Story Consultant |
| 1975 | Tommy (Original Soundtrack) | Various Artists | Executive Producer |
| 1988 | This is My Generation | The Who | Executive Producer |
| Who's Better, Who's Best | The Who | Executive Producer | |
| Who's Better, Who's Best: The Videos | The Who | Director, Re-editing | |
| 2001 | Who's Next (Bonus tracks) | The Who | Producer, Executive Producer |
| 2003 | No Thanks! The 70s Punk Rebellion | Various Artists | Producer |
| Tommy (Deluxe Edition) | The Who | Executive Producer | |
| 2004 | Early Collection: Magic Bus/Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy | The Who | Executive Producer |
| First Singles Box | The Who | Executive Producer | |
| Quick One (Bonus Tracks) | The Who | Liner Notes | |
| Tommy (DVD) | The Who | Executive Producer |
Filmography
| Year | Film | Genre | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Of Human Bondage | Drama | Assistant Director |
| 1994 | Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who | Documentary | Producer |
| 2006 | An Ox's Tale: The John Entwistle Story | Documentary | As himself |
| 2007 | Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who | Documentary | As himself |
TV appearances
- Chris Stamp appeared in the second episode of the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary series Pop Britannia, which originally aired on Friday, January 11, 2008.