Peter Sinfield
Encyclopedia
Peter John Sinfield is an English poet, lyricist and artist, most famously known as the lyricist and co-founding member of early incarnations of King Crimson
, whose debut album In the Court of the Crimson King
has been regarded as one of the most influential progressive rock albums ever released.
In 2005, Sinfield was noted as a "Prog rock hero" in Q
magazine, for his impressive lyrical contribution and creative influence while working within the rock music industry.
As a lyricist, Sinfield has a distinctive approach to the sounds of words, filled with surreal (and sometimes fiercely sexual) imagery, and a special facility with water-images and ideas involving the sea. Later on in his career he adapted his writing for pop music, and co-wrote a succession of hits that were to be sung by artists such as Celine Dion
, Cher
, Cliff Richard
, Leo Sayer
, Five Star
and Bucks Fizz
.
, London, to mixed English-Irish ancestry and a bohemian, activist, bisexual mother Deidre (also known as Joey or Daphne). He seldom had contact with his father Ian. Up until the age of eight, he was raised largely by his mother's German housekeeper Maria Wallenda, a high wire walker from the circus act The Flying Wallendas
, after which he was sent to Danes Hill School
in Oxshott
. It was there that Sinfield discovered a love of words and their use and meanings, with the guidance of his tutor John Mawson. He came to devour books of all kinds, especially poetry. He left school at sixteen and worked briefly as a travel agent, believing that this would "allow him to see the world". He then went on to work for a computer company for six years, travelling around Europe when he could and hanging around with friends from the Chelsea School of Art. To compete with his art school friends, Sinfield began learning to play the guitar, and write poetry in the mid 1960s, and made a living on market stalls selling handmade kites, lampshades, paintings and customised clothing. He spent a number of years drifting around Morocco
and Spain before returning to England. Sometime in 1967, he started a band that did not have a lasting future, but one of the members was Ian McDonald
, who was impressed with Sinfield’s talents as a lyricist, if not his abilities as a singer or guitarist.
, a failed progressive pop trio consisting of Michael Giles
, Peter Giles, and Robert Fripp
, who were looking to do more with music than their three-man line-up could manage. McDonald let the others know that he was already working with someone who could write lyrics. In their primordial form, Giles, Giles & Fripp, augmented by McDonald and ex-Fairport Convention
vocalist Judy Dyble
, recorded an early version of the McDonald-Sinfield song "I Talk to the Wind
", which later became part of King Crimson's repertoire.
Peter Giles exited the group at about this time, to be replaced by Greg Lake
, and Sinfield joined around the same timespan. In his own words, "I became their pet hippie, because I could tell them where to go to buy the funny clothes that they saw everyone wearing". Sinfield also came up with the name King Crimson. Sinfield loved working with the band and, in addition to writing the phantasmagorical lyrics that came to be part of King Crimson's trademark, he also ran the group's light-show at their concerts. Apart from writing lyrics for In the Court of the Crimson King
(1969), In the Wake of Poseidon
(1970), Lizard
(1970) and Islands
(1971), and offering advice on artwork, album design, and other details of the band's releases, Sinfield's musical role in the band was limited over the first four albums. He was not a good enough singer to contribute to the band's vocals, and the presence of Robert Fripp
made his guitar playing superfluous. It was during the recording of the song "Lizard" that his influence reached its peak. Fripp became involved with other projects (most notably the Centipede orchestra), which left Sinfield with much of the responsibility for the final version and design of the album, including the uniquely ornate jacket. Even so, the relationship between Sinfield and Fripp had become increasingly strained as the band progressed. On their next album, Islands, Sinfield began exploring new lyrical territory, with more sexual imagery juxtaposed with the languidly surreal title track. On 1 January 1972, however, following a tour of the United States, Sinfield exited the band and broke up his partnership with Fripp.
, which represented King Crimson and Roxy Music
, and it was while Sinfield was producing Roxy Music's debut album and their hit single
"Virginia Plain
", that he first decided to try his own hand at recording a solo album. In 1973 he wrote English lyrics for the Italian group Premiata Forneria Marconi
(also known as PFM) and produced their first album for ELP's Manticore Records
, titled, Photos of Ghosts
.
Sinfield's debut album, Still, united numerous former (Greg Lake
, Mel Collins
, Ian Wallace
) and future (John Wetton
) Crimson alumni. Sinfield intended Still as the start of a solo career, but while working on it, he was approached by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
, who needed a lyricist of Sinfield's calibre. Still was originally released on ELP’s own Manticore label in 1973, but Sinfield found himself subsumed into Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Already having a fear of the stage which he had little time to overcome due to writing demands, his solo career was stillborn, while he worked with the trio for the next few years, giving their music more lyrical facility than ever before. During this time, Sinfield lived with his first wife Stephanie in The Mill House, Surrey
, which was loaned to him by ELP. His neighbour was Gary Brooker
of Procol Harum
, with whom he co-wrote five songs on Brooker's first solo album No More Fear of Flying. He also released a book containing his previous lyrics and poems titled Under the Sky (named after one of the lyrics from Still). In 1975, his song co-written with Greg Lake called "I Believe in Father Christmas
" was released.
to live as a tax exile
, and enjoyed his first break from continual work in the music industry. Here he met a circle of artists, actors and painters and members of the Chelsea Arts Club
such as Peter Unsworth and Barry Flanagan
, eventually parting from his first wife. During his time in Ibiza Sinfield had a break from songwriting and was able to spend his time travelling, socialising and reflecting, which he had been unable to do for the previous decade.
During the late 1970s, he continued to move in communities around Spain. In 1978, following the success of his previous lyrics for Emerson, Lake & Palmer
, Sinfield was asked by ELP to produce lyrics for their album Love Beach
, now regarded by many (including Sinfield himself) to be the worst of all ELP's albums. In 1978 he also narrated Robert Sheckley
's In a Land of Clear Colours, an audio sci-fi story released the following year on a limited edition of 1000 vinyl records. The backing music for the story was provided by Brian Eno
, with whom Sinfield had previously worked while producing Roxy Music. By the time he returned to London in 1980, with his new Spanish wife (a model and runner-up for Miss Spain
), he discovered that progressive rock
music was no longer in demand, and that punk
had emerged in the UK.
In 1978–1980 Sinfield also wrote the lyrics for the English versions of Alla fiera dell'est
(Highdown Fair) and La pulce d'acqua
(Fables and Fantasies), by Italian singer-songwriter Angelo Branduardi
.
, a composer and fellow songwriter who Sinfield worked with to create hits such as "The Land of Make Believe" by Bucks Fizz
, which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart
, and became one of the biggest-selling hits of the decade. While re-educating himself to adapt to the pop music industry with the help of Hill, he returned to Spain, where he was already established in the communities within Ibiza and Barcelona, and as his career progressed, moved into a house in Majorca. At this time, he appeared on Spanish television programme Musical Express, where he was interviewed and performed a set with Boz Burrell, Tim Hinkley, Michael Giles, Bobby Tench, Mel Collins and Gary Brooker.
In the United Kingdom, he continued to release hits with Hill, such as "I Hear Talk" by Bucks Fizz and "Have You Ever Been in Love" by Leo Sayer
(which they wrote with John Danter). He also co-wrote Five Star
's "Rain or Shine" with Billy Livsey
. After divorcing his wife and leaving Majorca, he returned to the UK around 1990 to a flat in Holland Park
and continued to write lyrics for popular music
. In 1993, he re-released his solo album as Stillusion. In the same year, he and Hill released "Think Twice" by Celine Dion
, which went on to become a massive hit and won an Ivor Novello Award
for "Best Song Musically and Lyrically". Sinfield and Hill had won an Ivor Novello a decade previously, for the Leo Sayer track, "Have You Ever Been in Love".
ed.
During this time Sinfield wrote an increasing number of haiku
. After his appearance at the Genoa Poetry Festival at the Ducal Palace in June 2010, he has turned his creative energies more towards poetry.
He is still active as a writer, and gives interviews to the media concerning progressive music and his career as a songwriter. He appeared in the 2009 BBC
documentary Prog Rock Britannia: An Observation in Three Movements.
. He is still active within the songwriting community and is a member of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors
committee. He underwent heart surgery in 2005, from which he is now fully recovered. He is a devoted herbalist
and researcher of alternative medicine
and has used various natural remedies to cure his own and others' health complaints. Sinfield's other main interests include cooking and gardening.
had an important influence on his writing, as well as the works of William Blake
, Kahlil Gibran, Shakespeare, Enid Blyton
and various science fiction writers.
Musically he was largely influenced by Bob Dylan
and Donovan
. Hearing Donovan's opening line of "Colours": "Yellow is the colour of my true love's hair"' was, Sinfield stated, the defining moment when he decided he had the desire and ability to start writing songs.
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, whose debut album In the Court of the Crimson King
In the Court of the Crimson King
In the Court of the Crimson King is the 1969 debut album by the British progressive rock group King Crimson. The album reached No. 5 on the British charts, and is certified gold in the United States....
has been regarded as one of the most influential progressive rock albums ever released.
In 2005, Sinfield was noted as a "Prog rock hero" in 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...
magazine, for his impressive lyrical contribution and creative influence while working within the rock music industry.
As a lyricist, Sinfield has a distinctive approach to the sounds of words, filled with surreal (and sometimes fiercely sexual) imagery, and a special facility with water-images and ideas involving the sea. Later on in his career he adapted his writing for pop music, and co-wrote a succession of hits that were to be sung by artists such as Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...
, Five Star
Five Star
Five Star are a British pop / R&B group, formed in 1983. Comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson, they were known for their flamboyant image, matching costumes and heavily choreographed dance routines...
and Bucks Fizz
Bucks Fizz (band)
Bucks Fizz are an English pop group who achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up". The group was formed in January 1981 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists: Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and...
.
Early life
Sinfield was born at FulhamFulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, London, to mixed English-Irish ancestry and a bohemian, activist, bisexual mother Deidre (also known as Joey or Daphne). He seldom had contact with his father Ian. Up until the age of eight, he was raised largely by his mother's German housekeeper Maria Wallenda, a high wire walker from the circus act The Flying Wallendas
The Flying Wallendas
The Flying Wallendas is the name of a circus act and daredevil stunt performers, most known for performing highwire acts without a safety net. They were first known as The Great Wallendas, but the current name was coined by the press in the 40s and has stayed since...
, after which he was sent to Danes Hill School
Danes Hill School
Danes Hill School is an independent preparatory school in Oxshott, Surrey, England. It is the largest coeducational preparatory school in England...
in Oxshott
Oxshott
Oxshott is a village in Surrey, England with a growing population of around 6,100. Neighbouring settlements include: Chessington, Claygate and Cobham. It is situated in fields and woodlands between Esher and Leatherhead on the A244, five minutes by car from both the A3 and the M25 London Orbital...
. It was there that Sinfield discovered a love of words and their use and meanings, with the guidance of his tutor John Mawson. He came to devour books of all kinds, especially poetry. He left school at sixteen and worked briefly as a travel agent, believing that this would "allow him to see the world". He then went on to work for a computer company for six years, travelling around Europe when he could and hanging around with friends from the Chelsea School of Art. To compete with his art school friends, Sinfield began learning to play the guitar, and write poetry in the mid 1960s, and made a living on market stalls selling handmade kites, lampshades, paintings and customised clothing. He spent a number of years drifting around Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Spain before returning to England. Sometime in 1967, he started a band that did not have a lasting future, but one of the members was Ian McDonald
Ian McDonald (musician)
Ian McDonald is an English multi-instrumental musician, best known as a founding member of progressive rock group King Crimson, formed in 1969, and of the hard rock band Foreigner in 1976. He is well-known as a rock session musician, predominantly as a saxophonist...
, who was impressed with Sinfield’s talents as a lyricist, if not his abilities as a singer or guitarist.
King Crimson
In 1968, McDonald decided to join Giles, Giles and FrippGiles, Giles and Fripp
Giles, Giles and Fripp were an English late 1960s band, featuring brothers Michael Giles on drums and vocals, Peter Giles on bass guitar and vocals, and Robert Fripp on guitar.-Career:...
, a failed progressive pop trio consisting of Michael Giles
Michael Giles
Michael Giles is an English drummer, best known as a co-founder of King Crimson in 1969...
, Peter Giles, and Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
, who were looking to do more with music than their three-man line-up could manage. McDonald let the others know that he was already working with someone who could write lyrics. In their primordial form, Giles, Giles & Fripp, augmented by McDonald and ex-Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
vocalist 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...
, recorded an early version of the McDonald-Sinfield song "I Talk to the Wind
I Talk to the Wind
"I Talk to the Wind" is the second track from the British progressive rock band King Crimson's debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King....
", which later became part of King Crimson's repertoire.
Peter Giles exited the group at about this time, to be replaced by Greg Lake
Greg Lake
Gregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
, and Sinfield joined around the same timespan. In his own words, "I became their pet hippie, because I could tell them where to go to buy the funny clothes that they saw everyone wearing". Sinfield also came up with the name King Crimson. Sinfield loved working with the band and, in addition to writing the phantasmagorical lyrics that came to be part of King Crimson's trademark, he also ran the group's light-show at their concerts. Apart from writing lyrics for In the Court of the Crimson King
In the Court of the Crimson King
In the Court of the Crimson King is the 1969 debut album by the British progressive rock group King Crimson. The album reached No. 5 on the British charts, and is certified gold in the United States....
(1969), In the Wake of Poseidon
In the Wake of Poseidon
In the Wake of Poseidon is the second album by the progressive rock group King Crimson. By the time this album was released, the band had already undergone their first change in line-up, however they still maintained much of the style of their first album, In the Court of the Crimson King.Greg Lake...
(1970), Lizard
Lizard (album)
Lizard is the third album by the British band King Crimson, released in 1970. It was the second recorded by a transitional line-up of the group that never had the opportunity to perform live, following In the Wake of Poseidon...
(1970) and Islands
Islands (King Crimson album)
Islands is the fourth album by the British band King Crimson, released in 1971.The last King Crimson studio album before the group's trilogy of Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and Red, it is also the last to feature the lyrics of Peter Sinfield and the last to feature the band's...
(1971), and offering advice on artwork, album design, and other details of the band's releases, Sinfield's musical role in the band was limited over the first four albums. He was not a good enough singer to contribute to the band's vocals, and the presence of Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
made his guitar playing superfluous. It was during the recording of the song "Lizard" that his influence reached its peak. Fripp became involved with other projects (most notably the Centipede orchestra), which left Sinfield with much of the responsibility for the final version and design of the album, including the uniquely ornate jacket. Even so, the relationship between Sinfield and Fripp had become increasingly strained as the band progressed. On their next album, Islands, Sinfield began exploring new lyrical territory, with more sexual imagery juxtaposed with the languidly surreal title track. On 1 January 1972, however, following a tour of the United States, Sinfield exited the band and broke up his partnership with Fripp.
ELP, Roxy Music, PFM and Still
In 1972, Sinfield remained associated with E.G. RecordsE.G. Records
E.G. Records was a UK-based artist management company and independent record label, mostly active during the 1970s and 1980s. The initials stand for its founders, David Enthoven and John Gaydon. The pair signed on as managers of King Crimson in early 1969, during the formative stage of the band and...
, which represented King Crimson and Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
, and it was while Sinfield was producing Roxy Music's debut album and their hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
"Virginia Plain
Virginia Plain
"Virginia Plain" is a song by British glam rock group Roxy Music, released as their debut single in August 1972. Written by Roxy frontman Bryan Ferry, "Virginia Plain" was recorded by his band in July 1972 at London's Command Studios...
", that he first decided to try his own hand at recording a solo album. In 1973 he wrote English lyrics for the Italian group Premiata Forneria Marconi
Premiata Forneria Marconi
Premiata Forneria Marconi is an Italian progressive rock band. They were the first Italian group to have success abroad, entering both the British and American charts. Between 1973 and 1977 they released five albums with English lyrics...
(also known as PFM) and produced their first album for ELP's Manticore Records
Manticore Records
Manticore Records was the record label launched by Emerson, Lake & Palmer's production company Manticore in 1973. The manticore is featured in the artwork for the album Tarkus by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, . Initially the label was jointly owned with Island Records, but that partnership was dissolved...
, titled, Photos of Ghosts
Photos of Ghosts
Photos of Ghosts is the first English language album by the Italian progressive rock band Premiata Forneria Marconi, also known as "PFM". Released in the U.S. in October 1973, it was the first album by an Italian rock group to appear on the American charts...
.
Sinfield's debut album, Still, united numerous former (Greg Lake
Greg Lake
Gregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
, Mel Collins
Mel Collins
Mel Collins is a British saxophonist and flautist and session musician.He has worked in a wide variety of contexts ranging from R&B and blues rock to jazz, but is perhaps known for his work in progressive rock, as with King Crimson, Camel and the Alan Parsons Project.-Career:Collins has worked...
, Ian Wallace
Ian Wallace (drummer)
Ian Russell Wallace was a rock and jazz drummer, most visible as a member of progressive rock band, King Crimson from 1971 to 1972; but known best in the musical community with his contributions as a session musician on his drum kit.-Early years:Wallace formed his first band, The Jaguars, at...
) and future (John Wetton
John Wetton
John Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
) Crimson alumni. Sinfield intended Still as the start of a solo career, but while working on it, he was approached by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
, who needed a lyricist of Sinfield's calibre. Still was originally released on ELP’s own Manticore label in 1973, but Sinfield found himself subsumed into Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Already having a fear of the stage which he had little time to overcome due to writing demands, his solo career was stillborn, while he worked with the trio for the next few years, giving their music more lyrical facility than ever before. During this time, Sinfield lived with his first wife Stephanie in The Mill House, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, which was loaned to him by ELP. His neighbour was Gary Brooker
Gary Brooker
Gary Brooker, MBE, is an English singer, songwriter, pianist and founder of the rock band Procol Harum. Brooker was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours on 14 June 2003, in recognition of his charitable services.-Early life:Brooker was born in...
of Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...
, with whom he co-wrote five songs on Brooker's first solo album No More Fear of Flying. He also released a book containing his previous lyrics and poems titled Under the Sky (named after one of the lyrics from Still). In 1975, his song co-written with Greg Lake called "I Believe in Father Christmas
I Believe in Father Christmas
"I Believe In Father Christmas" is a song by Greg Lake , with lyrics by Peter Sinfield.Although it is often categorised as a Christmas song this was not Lake's intention...
" was released.
Ibiza years
After naively overestimating his wealth and underestimating his percentage of royalties from ELP, he moved to IbizaIbiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
to live as a tax exile
Tax exile
A tax exile is one who chooses to leave a country with a high tax burden and instead to reside in a foreign nation or jurisdiction which takes a lower portion of earnings. Going into tax exile is a means of tax mitigation or avoidance.-Legal status:...
, and enjoyed his first break from continual work in the music industry. Here he met a circle of artists, actors and painters and members of the Chelsea Arts Club
Chelsea Arts Club
The Chelsea Arts Club is a private members club located in London with a membership of over 2,400, including artists, poets, architects, writers, dancers, actors, musicians, photographers, and filmmakers...
such as Peter Unsworth and Barry Flanagan
Barry Flanagan
Barry Flanagan RA OBE was a Welsh sculptor, best known for his bronze statues of hares.-Biography:Barry Flanagan was born in Prestatyn, North Wales. He studied at Birmingham College of Art and Crafts before going on to St. Martin's School of Art in London in 1964. Flanagan graduated in 1966 and...
, eventually parting from his first wife. During his time in Ibiza Sinfield had a break from songwriting and was able to spend his time travelling, socialising and reflecting, which he had been unable to do for the previous decade.
During the late 1970s, he continued to move in communities around Spain. In 1978, following the success of his previous lyrics for Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
, Sinfield was asked by ELP to produce lyrics for their album Love Beach
Love Beach
Love Beach is a studio album by English progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer released in 1978. It was the band's final album of original material until Black Moon and was produced to satisfy contractual obligations with the group's record company. It was a critical and commercial...
, now regarded by many (including Sinfield himself) to be the worst of all ELP's albums. In 1978 he also narrated Robert Sheckley
Robert Sheckley
Robert Sheckley was a Hugo- and Nebula-nominated American author. First published in the science fiction magazines of the 1950s, his numerous quick-witted stories and novels were famously unpredictable, absurdist and broadly comical.Sheckley was named Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and...
's In a Land of Clear Colours, an audio sci-fi story released the following year on a limited edition of 1000 vinyl records. The backing music for the story was provided by Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, with whom Sinfield had previously worked while producing Roxy Music. By the time he returned to London in 1980, with his new Spanish wife (a model and runner-up for Miss Spain
Miss Spain
Miss España is the main annual beauty pageant of Spain that selects the official representative to the Miss Universe pageant. Runners-up go to Miss World, Miss International and Miss Earth.-History:...
), he discovered that progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
music was no longer in demand, and that punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
had emerged in the UK.
In 1978–1980 Sinfield also wrote the lyrics for the English versions of Alla fiera dell'est
Alla fiera dell'est
Alla fiera dell'est is an album by the Italian singer-songwriter Angelo Branduardi. It was released in 1976 by Polydor and won the prize of Italian music critics in the same year...
(Highdown Fair) and La pulce d'acqua
La pulce d'acqua
La pulce d'acqua is an album of the Italian singer-songwriter Angelo Branduardi. It was released in 1977 by Polydor. A French edition, entitled La demoiselle, was published in 1979; and English edition, entitled Fables and Fantasies and with lyrics written by Peter Sinfield, was released in...
(Fables and Fantasies), by Italian singer-songwriter Angelo Branduardi
Angelo Branduardi
Angelo Branduardi , is an Italian folk singer and composer who scored relevant success in Italy and European countries such as France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.- Biography :...
.
Pop years
Upon his return to London in 1980, his publisher introduced him to Andy HillAndy Hill (composer)
Andy Hill is a British music producer and songwriter who scored many hits during the 1980s and 90s...
, a composer and fellow songwriter who Sinfield worked with to create hits such as "The Land of Make Believe" by Bucks Fizz
Bucks Fizz (band)
Bucks Fizz are an English pop group who achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up". The group was formed in January 1981 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists: Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and...
, which reached No. 1 in 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 ...
, and became one of the biggest-selling hits of the decade. While re-educating himself to adapt to the pop music industry with the help of Hill, he returned to Spain, where he was already established in the communities within Ibiza and Barcelona, and as his career progressed, moved into a house in Majorca. At this time, he appeared on Spanish television programme Musical Express, where he was interviewed and performed a set with Boz Burrell, Tim Hinkley, Michael Giles, Bobby Tench, Mel Collins and Gary Brooker.
In the United Kingdom, he continued to release hits with Hill, such as "I Hear Talk" by Bucks Fizz and "Have You Ever Been in Love" by Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...
(which they wrote with John Danter). He also co-wrote Five Star
Five Star
Five Star are a British pop / R&B group, formed in 1983. Comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson, they were known for their flamboyant image, matching costumes and heavily choreographed dance routines...
's "Rain or Shine" with Billy Livsey
Billy Livsey
Billy Livsey is an American songwriter, keyboardist, and producer from Nashville, Tennessee. He has worked for many musicians including Tina Turner, Kevin Ayers, 801, Gerry Rafferty, Five Star, and Kenny Rogers.-References:*...
. After divorcing his wife and leaving Majorca, he returned to the UK around 1990 to a flat in Holland Park
Holland Park
Holland Park is a district and a public park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in west central London, England.Holland Park has a reputation as an affluent and fashionable area, known for attractive large Victorian townhouses, and high-class shopping and restaurants...
and continued to write lyrics for popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. In 1993, he re-released his solo album as Stillusion. In the same year, he and Hill released "Think Twice" by Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, which went on to become a massive hit and won an Ivor Novello Award
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...
for "Best Song Musically and Lyrically". Sinfield and Hill had won an Ivor Novello a decade previously, for the Leo Sayer track, "Have You Ever Been in Love".
Haiku
There had been rumours of a second solo album, and Sinfield worked on it for a couple of years with vibraphone player and programmer Poli Palmer, formerly of Family. It was always a challenging project, made slightly more so by Sinfield's quadruple bypass operation in 2005. After a period of convalescence, Sinfield attempted to restart the project but it flounderFlounder
The flounder is an ocean-dwelling flatfish species that is found in coastal lagoons and estuaries of the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.-Taxonomy:There are a number of geographical and taxonomical species to which flounder belong.*Western Atlantic...
ed.
During this time Sinfield wrote an increasing number of haiku
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
. After his appearance at the Genoa Poetry Festival at the Ducal Palace in June 2010, he has turned his creative energies more towards poetry.
He is still active as a writer, and gives interviews to the media concerning progressive music and his career as a songwriter. He appeared in the 2009 BBC
BBC
The 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 Prog Rock Britannia: An Observation in Three Movements.
Personal life
Sinfield now lives in AldeburghAldeburgh
Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...
. He is still active within the songwriting community and is a member of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors was founded in 1947.It represents its members within the industry, to the government and to the European Commission....
committee. He underwent heart surgery in 2005, from which he is now fully recovered. He is a devoted herbalist
Herbalist
An herbalist is:#A person whose life is dedicated to the economic or medicinal uses of plants.#One skilled in the harvesting and collection of medicinal plants ....
and researcher of alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
and has used various natural remedies to cure his own and others' health complaints. Sinfield's other main interests include cooking and gardening.
Influences
Sinfield had a fairly unusual and colourful upbringing, being an only child (bar his adopted brother, Dennis) of a bisexual mother who ran a hair salon and one of the first burger bars in London in the 1950s. He grew up in a bohemian household, and claims to have vivid memories of extravagant and wonderful Christmases, later inspiring the lyrics for his hit "I Believe in Father Christmas", which recalled a lost and naive faith in Father Christmas. Sinfield claimed that A Poet's Notebook by Edith SitwellEdith Sitwell
Dame Edith Louisa Sitwell DBE was a British poet and critic.-Background:Edith Sitwell was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, the oldest child and only daughter of Sir George Sitwell, 4th Baronet, of Renishaw Hall; he was an expert on genealogy and landscaping...
had an important influence on his writing, as well as the works of William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
, Kahlil Gibran, Shakespeare, Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
and various science fiction writers.
Musically he was largely influenced by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
. Hearing Donovan's opening line of "Colours": "Yellow is the colour of my true love's hair"' was, Sinfield stated, the defining moment when he decided he had the desire and ability to start writing songs.
External links
- Song Soup On Sea – Official website of Peter Sinfield.
- An Interview with Peter Sinfield