Chris Spedding

Christopher John Spedding (born Peter Robinson, 17 June 1944)[1] is an English musician, singer, guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and record producer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Spedding is best known for his studio session work. By the early 1970s, he had become one of the most sought-after session guitarists in England. Spedding has played on and produced many albums and singles. He has also been a member of eleven rock bands: the Battered Ornaments, Frank Ricotti Quartet, King Mob, Mike Batt and Friends, Necessaries, Nucleus, Ricky Norton, Sharks, Trigger, and The Wombles.

Chris Spedding
Spedding performing in Toronto, 18 May 1979
Background information
Birth namePeter Robinson
Born (1944-06-17) 17 June 1944
Staveley, Derbyshire, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
InstrumentsGuitar
Years activeLate 1960s–present
Labels
Associated acts
Websitechrisspedding.com

AllMusic has described Spedding as "one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, [he] has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as sporadically attempting a solo career.

Spedding pursued a solo career and released his debut album Songs Without Words in 1970. Since then, he has released fourteen studio albums, and two live albums. His solo albums have met no commercial success, failing to chart anywhere, while his only single to chart was "Motor Bikin'".[2]

Career

Chris Spedding was born in Staveley, Derbyshire, but was raised in Sheffield and Birmingham by adoptive parents Muriel and Jack Spedding, and renamed Christopher John Spedding.

Whilst still with the Battered Ornaments, which without the departing Pete Brown left Spedding as their frontman, he joined the Frank Ricotti Quartet, and played guitar on the album Our Point of View, released in July 1969.[3] He was also invited to play on Jack Bruce's first and third solo albums, Songs for a Tailor (1969) and Harmony Row (1971).[1]

Spedding then recorded his own instrumental album, Songs Without Words (1970) for Harvest Records, which was only released in Japan.[1]

During this time he was also playing jazz with Nucleus and recorded and toured with Mike Gibbs. He played guitar on the Pete Atkin / Clive James album Driving Through Mythical America.[4][5] He was a session player on Harry Nilsson's breakthrough album, Nilsson Schmilsson, recorded in London. In 1970, he played on the original recording of Jesus Christ Superstar,[6] and in 1971 he also played on "Pieces of me" by Linda Hoyle and Coming from Reality by Sixto Rodriguez, who was later the subject of the 2012 documentary Searching for Sugar Man. During 1972–74 Spedding played a central role in Sharks, initially with ex-Free bassist Andy Fraser.[1] They recorded two albums and toured with Roxy Music. After that, he toured and recorded with John Cale. He also played with Roy Harper's occasional backing band Trigger, notably on 1975's HQ album. In 1972–76 he played in Mike Batt's novelty band The Wombles, and confirmed on the Marc Riley show on BBC Radio 6 Music that he performed on television in a Womble suit.

In 1975, Spedding had a Top 20 solo hit in the UK with "Motor Bikin'",[2] which he promoted with popular television appearances on Top of the Pops and Supersonic, dressed in leather motorcycling gear, with greased hair. On his 1976 single Pogo Dancing he was backed by UK punk band The Vibrators.[7][8] When further hits failed to materialise, he subsequently became better known as a session guitarist, appearing and recording with Bryan Ferry, Roxy Music, Elton John, Brian Eno, Jack Bruce, Nick Mason, Art Garfunkel, Typically Tropical, Katie Melua, and Ginger Baker, amongst others. During the mid-1970s, he even took part in the Wombles' UK tour in full furry costume, whilst wielding his trademark Gibson Flying V.[1] His own album Chris Spedding (1975) was produced by Mickie Most. Spedding recorded a version of the American singer-songwriter Garland Jeffreys' song, "Wild in the Streets", on his own Hurt album. The song has since been covered by the Circle Jerks and is featured on Tony Hawk's American Wasteland.

He also was the producer of the Sex Pistols' first demos, which were recorded on 15 May 1976.[1] The three tracks recorded were "Problems", "No Feelings" and "Pretty Vacant"; there are persistent rumours that he played guitar and bass on their debut album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, however guitarist Steve Jones denies this entirely.[9] The following year, Spedding featured extensively on the concept album Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, issued in 1978.

Spedding moved to New York City, joined the Necessaries as a guitarist and songwriter, collaborated with drummer/percussionist David Van Tieghem, and worked extensively with Robert Gordon. Before long he was back in the UK and recorded another album of his own, I'm Not Like Everybody Else (1980).[1] The same year he appeared on Joan Armatrading's album Me Myself I, playing lead guitar on a number of tracks, including the chart-hit title track.[10] His live album, Friday the 13th was released in 1981.[1] In 1982 he played on Nina Hagen's seminal recording NunSexMonkRock, and over the next few years he continued his session work on such albums as Tom Waits' Rain Dogs, while periodically releasing solo material (Mean and Moody (1985), Enemy Within (1986) and Cafe Days (1990).[1] He worked on several solo releases by Jerry Harrison (of Talking Heads) including the critically acclaimed album Casual Gods released in 1988 spawning the #7 hit on US Mainstream Charts Rev It Up (song).

He made an appearance in Paul McCartney's Give My Regards to Broad Street in 1984, playing guitar in a session with McCartney and his wife, Linda.[1] In the same year he played on Roger Daltrey's solo album Parting Should Be Painless. Spedding was producer of the first two albums by the Canadian rockabilly band, The Razorbacks, entitled Go to Town (1988) and Live a Little (1989). In 1995, he played on Willy DeVille's Big Easy Fantasy, and later that year, on his album Loup Garou.

Spedding (far right) on stage with singer Bryan Ferry (centre) at GuilFest, 2012

Accepting an invitation, Spedding toured with a reformed Roxy Music in 2001. By now in his late fifties, Spedding's own blues rock offerings One Step Ahead of the Blues (2002) and Click Clack (2005) were released, followed by It's Now Or Never in 2007.[1] He was one of only two musicians from the 1976 album Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds to return for Jeff Wayne's Black Smoke Band's 2006–2012 tour of Europe. He then featured on the 2012 album Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds – The New Generation, touring with the show in 2012 and 2014.

On 31 October 2011, the 11 track CD King Mob album was released featuring Spedding on guitar, Glen Matlock on bass, Martin Chambers on drums, Sixteen on guitar and fronted by Stephen W. Parsons, aka Snips a former member of Sharks. Although both the album and live shows received positive reviews, King Mob announced that they were disbanding in September 2012.

In June 2014, Spedding appeared as a special guest playing guitar with Bryan Ferry at the 2014 Glastonbury Festival held in Pilton, Somerset, United Kingdom. In 2016, and again in 2019, he toured the US with Ferry.

Select discography

Albums

Singles
  • "Rock and Roll Band"/"Goodbye We Loved You (Madly)" (1969) A side credited to Chris Spedding's New Band/B side credited to Chris Spedding & The Battered Ornaments UK Harvest HAR 5013
  • "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It"/"I Can't Boogie" (1975) UK Island WIP 6225
  • "Motor Bikin'"/"Working for the Union" (1975) UK Rak RAK 210 No. 14[2]
  • "Jump in My Car"/"Running Round" (1976) UK Rak RAK 228
  • "New Girl in the Neighbourhood"/"Truck Drivin' Man" (1976) UK Rak RAK 232
  • "Guitar Jamboree"/"Sweet Disposition" (1976) UK Rak RAK 236
  • "Pogo Dancing"/"The Pose" with The Vibrators (1976) UK Rak RAK 246
  • "Get Outta My Pagoda"/"Hey Miss Betty" (1977) UK Rak RAK 261
  • "Silver Bullet"/"Wild Wild Women" (1977) UK Rak RAK 268
  • "Bored Bored"/"Time Warp" (1978) UK Rak RAK 274
  • "Gunfight"/"Evil" (1978) UK Rak RAK 282
  • "Video Life"/"Frontal Lobotomy" (Live) (1979) UK Rak RAK 290
  • "The Crying Game"/"Counterfeit" (1980) UK Rak RAK 323
  • "I'm Not Like Everybody Else"/"Contract" (1981) UK Rak RAK 326

Collaborations

With Bryan Ferry

With Paul McCartney

With Katie Melua

With Cass Elliot

With Elton John

With Nina Hagen

With Harry Nilsson

With Joan Armatrading

With Tom Waits

With Art Garfunkel

With Donovan

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References
  1. "Biography by Steve Huey & Bruce Eder". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  2. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 519. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. "Frank Ricotti Quartet - Our Point Of View". discogs.com. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  4. S J Birkill (9 October 2011). "Smash Flops: The Pete Atkin Home Page". Peteatkin.com. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  5. "Midnight Voices: The Pete Atkin Web Forum". Peteatkin.com. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  6. "various artists / Chris Spedding -". Chrisspedding.com. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  7. "Chris Spedding at Glitter Suits & Platform Boots". Alwynwturner.com. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  8. "Chris Spedding And The Vibrators - Pogo Dancing". 45cat.com. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  9. "Steve Jones interview for Ultimate Guitar". Archived from the original on 14 April 2016.
  10. "Joan Armatrading — Me Myself I CD". cduniverse.com.
  11. "Discography". Allmusic. 17 June 1944. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  12. "Chris Spedding". music-news.com. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  13. "Joyland - Chris Spedding - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
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