Rachel Fuller
Encyclopedia
Rachel Fuller is a British
musician. She is a successful independent pop music artist, a composer and occasional collaborator with rock musician and partner to Pete Townshend
.
, England, Fuller later moved with her family to Southend-on-Sea
. She started playing piano at the age of six and composing music at the age of ten, and her original ambition was to be a concert performer. She attended St. Michaels, a private school in Leigh
, where her mother was the school deputy. At fifteen Fuller won an organ scholarship to Oxford
, but turned it down, explaining that she would not feel comfortable there.
Rachel Fuller's teenage years were filled with numerous music competitions, songwriting with her best friend Mikey Cuthbert
and a lengthy stint as an organist in a funeral home, where she performed up to eleven times a day.
, Fuller met The Who
's Pete Townshend
in 1996, becoming the arranger for his The Lifehouse Chronicles
album and subsequent concerts at London's Sadler's Wells Theatre. They currently reside in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
.
With Townshend she co-wrote a song titled "It's Not Enough
" featured on The Who's studio album Endless Wire
, released in 2006. This song also appeared in Pete Townshend's musical The Boy Who Heard Music
, along with the song "I Can Fly," written solely by Fuller. Townshend later contributed material to Fuller's musical Ash.
Cigarettes and Housework, her first album, was released in 2004 after she was signed to Universal Records
by Doug Morris
. The album includes musical contributions from Townshend, Pino Palladino
and Mark Brzezicki
. The track "Around This Table" featured a spoken vocal from her friend Jerry Hall
, who invited Fuller in turn to appear as her sidekick on VH1
's reality program Kept
. Fuller appeared as herself in the episode "Gamesmanship".
Fuller has collaborated with Delerium
, performing her own track "Touched" on their 2003 Nettwerk release Chimera, and her song "Wonderland" was picked for the soundtrack of the movie Shall We Dance?
released in 2004 on the Casablanca label, starring Richard Gere
and Jennifer Lopez
. In 2006 she released an EP of five songs, called Shine. The songs were partially or wholly reworked versions of ones she had previously released on her first blog, or added to her profile on the Independent Artists Company website.
, a live webcast of music and guests, including The Flaming Lips
, E
, The Raconteurs
, Foy Vance
, and Martha Wainwright
from Townshend's Oceanic studios in London
and also from the road at U.K. summer music festivals. Though casual in presentation, the broadcasts utilise state-of-the-art satellite broadcast technology and they are an attempt to change the way live performances of musical artists can be accessed.
In 2006 and 2007, Fuller went on tour with The Who, producing live webcasts of In the Attic and performing her own music live at various venues, including South by Southwest
in Austin, Texas.
, West London. The project involved Fuller limiting her contact with the outside world, remaining solely in Kew from July 20–28 (arriving the evening of the 20th), and limiting her excursions to its few local shops.
Fuller shared the flat with no one aside from Townshend's dog, Whistle, and online fans following each step of the process via a dedicated 'Week In Kew' website. She crafted one song each day, writing lyrics on the walls of the flat and documenting the experience in the website blog. Fuller also involved her fans by providing interactive services including a live chat room and forum where users could leave feedback and listen to song samples as they were produced.
At the close of her week in Kew, Fuller made the entire album available for free on the website. The songs are a reflection of the artistic process Fuller experienced, joining personal stories with observations and reflections on her time spent in Kew, as well as a homage to her chat room fans.
in Dalston Kingsland, North-East London as part of the Grimeborn Festival
. With a book by Jack Shepherd, Ash revolves around the lives of and relationship between a teenager, Sarah, who works as an organist in a crematorium and feels caged, and her mother Louise, who by contrast lives a life with even more abandon than that her daughter herself desires. The show examines themes of life and death and contemporary attitudes to both.
Fuller and Jack Shepherd had been introduced by a mutual friend who worked at the Globe Theatre
. Ash contains autobiographical elements of Fuller's life, and as part of research, she and Jack Shepherd visited Southend Crematorium in early 2008.
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...
musician. She is a successful independent pop music artist, a composer and occasional collaborator with rock musician and partner to Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
.
Early life
Born in IpswichIpswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
, England, Fuller later moved with her family to Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
. She started playing piano at the age of six and composing music at the age of ten, and her original ambition was to be a concert performer. She attended St. Michaels, a private school in Leigh
Leigh-on-Sea
Leigh-on-Sea , sometimes called Leigh, is a civil parish in Essex, England. It is part of Southend-on-Sea for administrative purposes. It became a civil parish in 1996. The council tax was increased to support it. A town council was formed. Leigh is the only parish in Southend...
, where her mother was the school deputy. At fifteen Fuller won an organ scholarship to 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...
, but turned it down, explaining that she would not feel comfortable there.
Rachel Fuller's teenage years were filled with numerous music competitions, songwriting with her best friend Mikey Cuthbert
Mikey Cuthbert
Mikey Cuthbert is an English singer-songwriter still based in Essex. Cuthbert's work is published by Eel Pie Recording Production Limited, Pete Townshend's publishing company....
and a lengthy stint as an organist in a funeral home, where she performed up to eleven times a day.
Early career
As an in-demand orchestrator, her works recorded by the London Chamber OrchestraLondon Chamber Orchestra
The London Chamber Orchestra ' is the longest established professional chamber orchestra in the UK. Based in London, LCO has a residency at St John's Smith Square in Westminster.-History:...
, Fuller met 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...
's Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
in 1996, becoming the arranger for his The Lifehouse Chronicles
The Lifehouse Chronicles
Lifehouse Chronicles is a box set released in 2000 by Pete Townshend with the focus on the box being the formerly "abandoned" Lifehouse rock opera. The set contains song demos by Pete Townshend; including solo versions of "Baba O'Riley", "Won't Get Fooled Again", and "Who Are You", and the...
album and subsequent concerts at London's Sadler's Wells Theatre. They currently reside in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...
.
With Townshend she co-wrote a song titled "It's Not Enough
It's Not Enough
"It's Not Enough" is a song recorded by The Who, written by Pete Townshend and his partner Rachel Fuller, and featured on The Who's 2006 album Endless Wire. The song also appears on a re-issue of The Who's compilation album Then and Now and in Pete Townshend's rock musical The Boy Who Heard Music...
" featured on The Who's studio album Endless Wire
Endless Wire (The Who album)
Endless Wire is the eleventh album by the English rock band The Who released on 30 October 2006, through Polydor Records and the following day in the United States by Universal Republic. It was their first new album of original material in twenty-four years following the release of It's Hard in 1982...
, released in 2006. This song also appeared in Pete Townshend's musical The Boy Who Heard Music
The Boy Who Heard Music
The Boy Who Heard Music is a rock opus that began life as an Internet novella written by musician and songwriter Pete Townshend. Townshend wrote in the foreword to the novella that he typically sketches out his opera in this way to lay out the plots and storylines, but in this case he published the...
, along with the song "I Can Fly," written solely by Fuller. Townshend later contributed material to Fuller's musical Ash.
Cigarettes and Housework, her first album, was released in 2004 after she was signed to Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
by Doug Morris
Doug Morris
Doug Morris is an American music executive. He is the current Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment. He previously served as Chairman and CEO of the Universal Music Group from 1995 to 2011.-Life and career:...
. The album includes musical contributions from Townshend, Pino Palladino
Pino Palladino
Pino Palladino is a Welsh bass guitarist who gained fame playing primarily rock and roll, blues rock, and rhythm and blues music, although he has been lauded for his ability to play most genres of popular music, including jazz, neo soul, and funk...
and Mark Brzezicki
Mark Brzezicki
Mark Brzezicki is a rock drummer, who is primarily known for his work with Big Country, and was a member of the groups The Cult, Ultravox, and Procol Harum. He has also played with Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Midge Ure, Fish, The Pretenders and many others...
. The track "Around This Table" featured a spoken vocal from her friend Jerry Hall
Jerry Hall
Jerry Faye Hall is an American model and actress, also known for her long-term relationship with Mick Jagger, with whom she had four children.-Early life:...
, who invited Fuller in turn to appear as her sidekick on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's reality program Kept
Kept
Kept is a reality television series that centered on Jerry Hall searching for a kept man. The show premiered on the American cable network VH1 in late May 2005. When Hall narrowed the list down to twelve, she spirited them off to London and eliminated them one by one.The final three consisted of...
. Fuller appeared as herself in the episode "Gamesmanship".
Fuller has collaborated with Delerium
Delerium
Delerium is a band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, formed in 1987, originally as a side project of the influential industrial music act, Front Line Assembly...
, performing her own track "Touched" on their 2003 Nettwerk release Chimera, and her song "Wonderland" was picked for the soundtrack of the movie Shall We Dance?
Shall We Dance? (2004 film)
Shall We Dance? is a 2004 American film. It is a remake of the award-winning Masayuki Suo 1996 Japanese film, Shall We Dance?. The film made its US premier at the Hawaii International Film Festival.-Plot:...
released in 2004 on the Casablanca label, starring Richard Gere
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
and Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
. In 2006 she released an EP of five songs, called Shine. The songs were partially or wholly reworked versions of ones she had previously released on her first blog, or added to her profile on the Independent Artists Company website.
In the Attic
Beginning in 2005, Fuller hosted the show In the AtticIn the Attic (webcast)
In The Attic was a live weekly webcast from Pete Townshend's Oceanic studios in London hosted by British singer-songwriters Rachel Fuller and Mikey Cuthbert. This lively show features regular guest appearances by Pete Townshend, Simon Townshend and Jerry Hall. The shows feature musical numbers,...
, a live webcast of music and guests, including The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
, E
Mark Oliver Everett
Mark Oliver Everett is the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist and sometime drummer of the independent rock band Eels...
, The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs is an American rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan, featuring four members known for other musical projects: Jack White , Brendan Benson , Jack Lawrence , and Patrick Keeler .-Formation:The...
, Foy Vance
Foy Vance
Foy Vance is a musician from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. His first single "Gabriel and the Vagabond" was released on 18 December 2006 on Wurdamouth Records. The single's B-side was "Indiscriminate Act of Kindness"...
, and Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...
from Townshend's Oceanic studios in 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 also from the road at U.K. summer music festivals. Though casual in presentation, the broadcasts utilise state-of-the-art satellite broadcast technology and they are an attempt to change the way live performances of musical artists can be accessed.
In 2006 and 2007, Fuller went on tour with The Who, producing live webcasts of In the Attic and performing her own music live at various venues, including South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
in Austin, Texas.
Kew
In July 2008, feeling she had been neglecting her singer-songwriter side, Fuller embarked on an ambitious week-long journey to record a full album while staying in her flat in KewKew
Kew is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London. Kew is best known for being the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace...
, West London. The project involved Fuller limiting her contact with the outside world, remaining solely in Kew from July 20–28 (arriving the evening of the 20th), and limiting her excursions to its few local shops.
Fuller shared the flat with no one aside from Townshend's dog, Whistle, and online fans following each step of the process via a dedicated 'Week In Kew' website. She crafted one song each day, writing lyrics on the walls of the flat and documenting the experience in the website blog. Fuller also involved her fans by providing interactive services including a live chat room and forum where users could leave feedback and listen to song samples as they were produced.
At the close of her week in Kew, Fuller made the entire album available for free on the website. The songs are a reflection of the artistic process Fuller experienced, joining personal stories with observations and reflections on her time spent in Kew, as well as a homage to her chat room fans.
Ash
On Monday 11 August 2008, a workshop performance of Fuller's musical Ash was performed at the Arcola TheatreArcola Theatre
Arcola Theatre is a studio theatre in Dalston, in the London Borough of Hackney. The theatre's ambition is to create and present high-quality theatre with a social and political relevance to its multicultural local community as well as a wider audience....
in Dalston Kingsland, North-East London as part of the Grimeborn Festival
Grimeborn
Grimeborn is an annual musical theatre and opera festival which coincides with the world famous Glyndebourne Opera Festival. Founded by Arcola Theatre’s artistic director Mehmet Ergen in 2007, the festival is held at Arcola Theatre in Dalston, East London...
. With a book by Jack Shepherd, Ash revolves around the lives of and relationship between a teenager, Sarah, who works as an organist in a crematorium and feels caged, and her mother Louise, who by contrast lives a life with even more abandon than that her daughter herself desires. The show examines themes of life and death and contemporary attitudes to both.
Fuller and Jack Shepherd had been introduced by a mutual friend who worked at the Globe Theatre
Shakespeare's Globe
Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse in the London Borough of Southwark, located on the south bank of the River Thames, but destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt 1614 then demolished in 1644. The modern reconstruction is an academic best guess, based...
. Ash contains autobiographical elements of Fuller's life, and as part of research, she and Jack Shepherd visited Southend Crematorium in early 2008.