Colin Harper
Encyclopedia
Colin Harper is an Irish music journalist. He was born in Belfast
and graduated in 1989 from Queen's University, Belfast. As a writer for the Belfast "Irish News" he wrote unsiged features on local bands and famous bands on tour. During the mid-nineties he had articles published in popular music magazines such as Q
and Mojo
.He also contributed both theatre and music reviews to The Irish Times.
He became a regular witer of liner notes for compilations of folk, acoustic and prog-rock artists appearing on record labels including Windsong, Demon
, Castle
, Hux and Snapper
. His long time admiration of Bert Jansch
led to his biography of Jansch "Dazzling Stranger" (its title taken from a song by Alan Tunbridge
) This was launched at the Edinburgh Book Festival. He followed this up by being the driving force behind the tribute album "People On The Highway: A Bert Jansch Encomium" (2000). He also contributed the Jansch documentary "Dreamweaver" on Channel 4 in 2000.
In 2003 he took a post as librarian at a Belfast music college, but continued to work as a journalist, mainly for Mojo and "Record Collector", until 2007. In support of the charity World Wide Fund for Nature
he organised two benefit compilation albums - "The Wildlife Album" (2004) and "Live In Hope: The Wildlife Album 2" (2005). His other annotated CD compilations include the collected works of Atomic Rooster
and Andy Roberts
. 'Freedom & The Dream Penguin', a collection of his songs - fronted by guest vocalists including Judy Dyble
, Alison O'Donnell
, Janet Holmes, Paul Casey and Brian Houston - was released in 2008, credited to The Field Mouse Conspiracy.
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...
and graduated in 1989 from Queen's University, Belfast. As a writer for the Belfast "Irish News" he wrote unsiged features on local bands and famous bands on tour. During the mid-nineties he had articles published in popular music magazines such as Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
and Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
.He also contributed both theatre and music reviews to The Irish Times.
He became a regular witer of liner notes for compilations of folk, acoustic and prog-rock artists appearing on record labels including Windsong, Demon
Demon Music Group
Demon Records is a United Kingdom record label founded in 1980 by former United Artists A&R executive Andrew Lauder and Jake Riviera who had previously started Stiff Records...
, Castle
Castle Communications
Castle Communications was a British independent record label founded in 1983 by Terry Shand, Cliff Dane and Jon Beecher. The company was acquired by the American music distributor Alliance Entertainment in 1994 and in 2000 it was absorbed into Sanctuary Records Group...
, Hux and Snapper
Snapper Music
Snapper Music is an independent record label founded in 1996 by former head of Castle Communications Jon Beecher, Dougie Dudgeon and funded by the late Mark Levinson from Palan Music Publishing. In 1999 Snapper broke away from its parent company in an MBO in association with ACT and CAI venture...
. His long time admiration of Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
Herbert "Bert" Jansch was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s, as an acoustic guitarist, as well as a singer-songwriter...
led to his biography of Jansch "Dazzling Stranger" (its title taken from a song by Alan Tunbridge
Alan Tunbridge
-Life and work:Normally painting in oils, Alan Tunbridge has also designed a great number of book dust-jacket illustrations, mainly in Scraperboard....
) This was launched at the Edinburgh Book Festival. He followed this up by being the driving force behind the tribute album "People On The Highway: A Bert Jansch Encomium" (2000). He also contributed the Jansch documentary "Dreamweaver" on Channel 4 in 2000.
In 2003 he took a post as librarian at a Belfast music college, but continued to work as a journalist, mainly for Mojo and "Record Collector", until 2007. In support of the charity World Wide Fund for Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
he organised two benefit compilation albums - "The Wildlife Album" (2004) and "Live In Hope: The Wildlife Album 2" (2005). His other annotated CD compilations include the collected works of Atomic Rooster
Atomic Rooster
Atomic Rooster were an English progressive rock band, composed of former members of the The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Throughout their history, keyboardist Vincent Crane was the only constant member, and wrote the majority of their material. Their history is defined by two periods, in the early...
and Andy Roberts
Andy Roberts (musician)
Andrew "Andy" Roberts is an English musician.He gained a violin scholarship to Felsted School. He then attended Liverpool University. He has played with The Liverpool Scene, Plainsong, The Scaffold, Roy Harper, Chris Spedding, Pink Floyd, Hank Wangford, Kevin Ayers, Vivian Stanshall and Grimms...
. 'Freedom & The Dream Penguin', a collection of his songs - fronted by guest vocalists including Judy Dyble
Judy Dyble
Judith Aileen Dyble, better known as Judy Dyble , is an award winning British singer/songwriter most notable for being one of the vocalists with, and founder members of, Fairport Convention and Trader Horne; in between these she was very briefly with Giles, Giles and Fripp, which evolved into...
, Alison O'Donnell
Alison O'Donnell
Alison O'Donnell is an Irish musician, solo and band singer and songwriter. Born Alison Bools in Dublin to an English mother and Irish father, raised in Dalkey and educated at Holy Child, Killiney, County Dublin.-Childhood:...
, Janet Holmes, Paul Casey and Brian Houston - was released in 2008, credited to The Field Mouse Conspiracy.
External references
- http://www.colin-harper.com/
- http://www.getreadytorock.com/best_of_2006b.htm