The Blessing (band)
Encyclopedia
The Blessing was a British musical group led by William Topley
, whose music featured elements of blues
, gospel
, soul
, and rock
. The group released two albums and had one UK Top 40 hit before disbanding.
The Blessing was founded in London
in 1987, initially acting mostly as a blues
and reggae
cover band
. The group eventually began writing its own material and recorded in keyboardist Mike Westergaard's studio, eventually landing a recording contract
in 1989 with MCA Records
. Their debut, Prince of the Deep Water, followed in 1991, with the lead single "Highway 5" reaching #42 on the UK Singles Chart
. The single was remixed and re-released at the end of the year, and early in 1992 re-charted, this time peaking at #30. Prince of the Deep Water featured guest musicians Nicky Hopkins
, Richard Tee
, Jeff Porcaro
, Rickie Lee Jones
, and Bruce Hornsby
, and went on to sell 125,000 copies.
For the follow-up full-length, Locusts & Wild Honey, Jimmy Miller was called in to produce three tracks, though he died before the album's release. One of the tracks he produced, "Soul Love", was released as the album's lead single, peaking at #73 on the UK Singles Chart. Due to the high cost of recording the group's first album and restructuring at label MCA, the band was seen as not sufficiently commercially viable and lost support from the label, splintering soon after. Topley secured a contract with Mercury
a few years later as a solo artist.
William Topley (musician)
William Topley is a British musician.Topley was the lead singer of the band The Blessing in the early 1990s, releasing two albums before breaking up. Topley was signed as a solo artist by Mercury Nashville after Luke Lewis, who had worked at The Blessing's label MCA, became president of Mercury....
, whose music featured elements of blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, 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...
, and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. The group released two albums and had one UK Top 40 hit before disbanding.
The Blessing was founded 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...
in 1987, initially acting mostly as a blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
cover band
Cover band
A cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
. The group eventually began writing its own material and recorded in keyboardist Mike Westergaard's studio, eventually landing a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
in 1989 with MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. Their debut, Prince of the Deep Water, followed in 1991, with the lead single "Highway 5" reaching #42 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The single was remixed and re-released at the end of the year, and early in 1992 re-charted, this time peaking at #30. Prince of the Deep Water featured guest musicians Nicky Hopkins
Nicky Hopkins
Nicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
, Richard Tee
Richard Tee
Richard Tee was a pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger.Tee graduated from the High School of Music and Art and attended the Manhattan School of Music. Though better known as a studio and session musician, Tee led a jazz ensemble, the Richard Tee Committee, and was a founding member of the...
, Jeff Porcaro
Jeff Porcaro
Jeffrey Thomas "Jeff" Porcaro was an American session drummer and a founding member of the Grammy Award winning band Toto. Porcaro was one of the most recorded drummers in history, working on hundreds of albums and thousands of sessions...
, Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones is an American vocalist, musician, songwriter, and producer. Over the course of a three-decade career, Jones has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, blues, pop, soul, and jazz standards.-Childhood:...
, and Bruce Hornsby
Bruce Hornsby
Bruce Randall Hornsby is an American singer, pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. Known for the spontaneity and creativity of his live performances, Hornsby draws frequently from classical, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Motown, rock, blues, and jam band musical traditions with his songwriting and...
, and went on to sell 125,000 copies.
For the follow-up full-length, Locusts & Wild Honey, Jimmy Miller was called in to produce three tracks, though he died before the album's release. One of the tracks he produced, "Soul Love", was released as the album's lead single, peaking at #73 on the UK Singles Chart. Due to the high cost of recording the group's first album and restructuring at label MCA, the band was seen as not sufficiently commercially viable and lost support from the label, splintering soon after. Topley secured a contract with Mercury
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
a few years later as a solo artist.
Members
- William TopleyWilliam Topley (musician)William Topley is a British musician.Topley was the lead singer of the band The Blessing in the early 1990s, releasing two albums before breaking up. Topley was signed as a solo artist by Mercury Nashville after Luke Lewis, who had worked at The Blessing's label MCA, became president of Mercury....
- vocals - Luke Brighty - guitar
- Kevin Hime-Knowles - bass
- Mike Westergaard - keyboards
- Simon Hanson - drums
Discography
- Prince of the Deep Water (MCA RecordsMCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, 1991) - Locusts and Wild Honey (Polygram, 1993?)
- Best of the Blessing: Highway 5 (Castle Music, 2000)