Archive for June, 2010

CHRIS SIMPSON: THE MAGNA CARTA MAN

Monday, June 28th, 2010 · Posted in Hot New Repertoire Releases

Who signed Magna Carta? Was it King John or a former traffic manager and mortuary assistant called Chris Simpson? In the case of the acoustic folk group it was definitely Mr. Simpson, the jovial Yorkshireman who signed his merry men to a major record label in days of yore.

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FAREWELL CRISPIAN ST.PETERS

Sunday, June 27th, 2010 · Posted in News & Gossip


REMEBERING CRISPIAN ST.PETERS – PIED PIPER OF POP
Crispian St.Peters the Swinging Sixties’ pop star who hit the charts with ‘Pied Piper’ has died at the age of 71. Blessed with a mellow vocal style, his songs were featured on a Repertoire tribute CD ‘The Best Of Crispian St.Peters’ released more than a decade ago. When the collection was first proposed back in 1996, Repertoire’s Thomas Neelsen and Chris Welch went to meet Crispian at a pub near his home in Swanley, Kent, where he reminisced about his career and the ‘good old days.’

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STRANGER IN TOWN: Welcome Back Steve Harley

Monday, June 21st, 2010 · Posted in Spotlight On Artists


‘How do I relax? I don’t!‘ Steve Harley was once asked how he coped with the pressures of Cockney Rebel. He revealed he was always wired up and ready for action. That was back in the Seventies when ‘Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)’ was a massive hit for the singer/songwriter. It was also the first time we interviewed Steve and he still remembers the questions we asked. `It’s funny to look back on those days` he says. `And now I’m back and touring again!`

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Rock journalist Chris Welch has been a member of the Repertoire team for twenty years. He has written hundreds of CD liner notes for a huge range of album releases since joining the company in 1988. His comprehensive knowledge of the rock and pop world is based on a career that began in the Swinging Sixties.

As Features Editor on Melody Maker he wrote about all the major rock and pop groups including The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Cream, The Who, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Each week he reported on rising stars such as Jimi Hendrix, Tom Jones, Scott Walker, Marc Bolan, David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel and Jiving K.Boots.

After 40 years Chris is still writing about pop and rock and playing the drums. His current favourite group is Kings of Leon. Each fortnight Chris reminisces about his adventures as a music journalist and reports on the latest news ('Elvis To Tour Shock'), in CHRIS’ CORNER.