Difference between revisions of "Chris Thompson"

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Chris Thompson started out in the [[Kon-Tiki Folk Club]] in Hamilton, and other coffee houses in 1965, and soon graduated to bars, shebeens and honky-tonks.  In the early seventies he moved to England, where he played guitar in the band of Californian folk singer ''Julie Felix''. and  with British Folk-Blues legends ''Wizz Jones'' and ''Davey Graham''. In 1973 he made his first album, which is recognised internationally as an underground classic and is currently in its fifth edition. In New Zealand in 1974 Chris toured with ''Sonny Terry'' and ''Brownie McGhee''; Chris  maintained a lifelong friendship with ''Brownie'', for whom he wrote a song "Letter to Brownie"; the song had a video directed by [[Adam Hyde]], then a student at Waikato Polytech, which was filmed by Wayne Green and screened on TVNZ. In the mid-seventies Chris toured with N.Z.singer/songwriter John Hanlon, backing him up on stage and in the studio.
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Chris Thompson started out in the [[Kon-Tiki Folk Club]] in Hamilton, and other coffee houses in 1965, and soon graduated to bars, shebeens and honky-tonks.  After some initial success in Auckland,In the early seventies he moved to England, where he played guitar in the band of Californian folk singer ''Julie Felix''. and  with British Folk-Blues legends ''Wizz Jones'' and ''Davey Graham''. In 1973 he made his first album, which is recognised internationally as an underground classic and is currently in its fifth edition. In New Zealand in 1974 Chris toured with ''Sonny Terry'' and ''Brownie McGhee''; Chris  maintained a lifelong friendship with ''Brownie'', for whom he wrote a song "Letter to Brownie"; the song had a video directed by [[Adam Hyde]], then a student at Waikato Polytech, which was filmed by Wayne Green and screened on TVNZ. In the mid-seventies Chris toured with N.Z.singer/songwriter John Hanlon, backing him up on stage and in the studio.
  
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Chris is an old boy of Southwell School and has spent most of his life in and around Hamilton, where he recorded Hometown Voodoo in 1981; this album contains the song [[Hamilton (song)|Hamilton]], about the city. This song has become widely known due to a version played by [[Big Muffin Serious Band]].  
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Chris is an old boy of Southwell School and has spent most of his life in and around Hamilton, where he recorded Hometown Voodoo in 1981; this album contains the song [[Hamilton (song)|Hamilton]], about the city. This song has become widely known due to a version played by [[Big Muffin Serious Band]]. Other Hamilton musicians Chris has played with include Tim Armstrong and The Monday Club, Stan Jagger and (while in Raglan)The Dirt Band, and The Wild Allegations.
  
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In 1984, Chris toured New Zealand with ''Stevie Ray Vaughan'', opening the show in a major nationwide concert tour. ''Thompson'' has had three albums reach the finals of the New Zealand Music Industry awards, and has had his songs recorded by New Zealand artists ''Mike Harding'', [[Big Muffin Serious Band]], ''Jimmy Young'' and ''James Wilkinson'', ''Chris Priestley'', and in America, by ''Meg Baird'' of the Philadelphia neo-folk group ''The Espers''. In England, ''The Straw Bear Band'' has recorded  Chris' setting of W.B. Yeats' ''The Song of Wandering Aengus''. Chris' best known song, ''Where is my Wild Rose?'', has been performed by many and was  recorded by ''Robin Pecknold'' of ''The Fleet Foxes'' in the U.S.A. in 2010. In mid-2015, ''Little Ballerina'', a song Chris wrote for his daughter Lora (who plays in the Hamilton band [[Cheshire Grimm]]) was covered by ''Willard Ribeiro'', a singer from Brazil. As of summer 2016, Chris has retired from touring and now lives in Taupo where he occasionally does concerts, and is writing songs. He released the digital album [[On High Street]] (by 'Chris Thompson the Folksinger from Hell')  on Bandcamp in December 2016.
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Chris toured New Zealand with ''Stevie Ray Vaughan'', opening the show in a major nationwide concert tour and continued to tour and record, making five albums for Ode Records (NZ) in the nineties, and some of his songs have become well-known. Covers by''Mike Harding'', [[Big Muffin Serious Band]], ''Jimmy Young'' and ''James Wilkinson'', ''Chris Priestley'', and in America, by ''Meg Baird'' of the Philadelphia neo-folk group ''The Espers''and in  England, ''The Straw Bear Band'' raised his profile. Chris' best known song, ''Where is my Wild Rose?'', has been performed by many and was  recorded by ''Robin Pecknold'' of ''The Fleet Foxes'' in the U.S.A. in 2010. In mid-2015, ''Little Ballerina'', a song Chris wrote for his daughter Lora (who plays in the Hamilton band [[Cheshire Grimm]]) was covered by ''Willard Ribeiro'', a singer from Brazil. As of summer 2016, Chris has retired from touring and now lives in Taupo where he occasionally does concerts, and is writing songs. He released the digital album [[On High Street]] (by 'Chris Thompson the Folksinger from Hell')  on Bandcamp in December 2016.
 
   
 
   
 
==Releases==
 
==Releases==

Revision as of 15:24, 24 December 2016

1973 cover of the self titled "Chris Thompson" album


Chris Thompson started out in the Kon-Tiki Folk Club in Hamilton, and other coffee houses in 1965, and soon graduated to bars, shebeens and honky-tonks. After some initial success in Auckland,In the early seventies he moved to England, where he played guitar in the band of Californian folk singer Julie Felix. and with British Folk-Blues legends Wizz Jones and Davey Graham. In 1973 he made his first album, which is recognised internationally as an underground classic and is currently in its fifth edition. In New Zealand in 1974 Chris toured with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee; Chris maintained a lifelong friendship with Brownie, for whom he wrote a song "Letter to Brownie"; the song had a video directed by Adam Hyde, then a student at Waikato Polytech, which was filmed by Wayne Green and screened on TVNZ. In the mid-seventies Chris toured with N.Z.singer/songwriter John Hanlon, backing him up on stage and in the studio.

Chris is an old boy of Southwell School and has spent most of his life in and around Hamilton, where he recorded Hometown Voodoo in 1981; this album contains the song Hamilton, about the city. This song has become widely known due to a version played by Big Muffin Serious Band. Other Hamilton musicians Chris has played with include Tim Armstrong and The Monday Club, Stan Jagger and (while in Raglan)The Dirt Band, and The Wild Allegations. 

Chris toured New Zealand with Stevie Ray Vaughan, opening the show in a major nationwide concert tour and continued to tour and record, making five albums for Ode Records (NZ) in the nineties, and some of his songs have become well-known. Covers byMike Harding, Big Muffin Serious Band, Jimmy Young and James Wilkinson, Chris Priestley, and in America, by Meg Baird of the Philadelphia neo-folk group The Espersand in  England, The Straw Bear Band raised his profile. Chris' best known song, Where is my Wild Rose?, has been performed by many and was  recorded by Robin Pecknold of The Fleet Foxes in the U.S.A. in 2010. In mid-2015, Little Ballerina, a song Chris wrote for his daughter Lora (who plays in the Hamilton band Cheshire Grimm) was covered by Willard Ribeiro, a singer from Brazil. As of summer 2016, Chris has retired from touring and now lives in Taupo where he occasionally does concerts, and is writing songs. He released the digital album On High Street (by 'Chris Thompson the Folksinger from Hell')  on Bandcamp in December 2016.

Releases

Chris Thompson (Anthology) cover art

as Chris and Lynne Thompson:


Compilations:

External Links

White Sapphire cover

Internet

Videos on Youtube:


This Chris Thompson should not be confused with Chris Thompson, the vocalist from Manfred Mann's Earth Band, who also spent time in Hamilton, including attending Hamilton Boys High School.

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