Chris Ketley | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | 29 January 1985 |
Occupation(s) | Musician, arranger, musical director, composer, producer |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, piano, bass |
Website | chrisketley |
Chris Ketley [1] (born 29 January 1985) is a British, London-based multi-instrumentalist, musical director, arranger, composer and producer.
He is most well known for being a pop session musician playing guitar and piano for multi-platinum selling British artist Ellie Goulding [2] and has previously worked with a variety of bands and artists such as Bryan Ferry, Zendaya, Banks, The Rakes, Dua Lipa, Markus Feehily (Westlife), Martin Luke Brown, Betsy, DJ Fresh, Christophe Willem, Conor Maynard, Rumer and The X-Factor Australia, The Moons & The on Offs.
He has made TV appearances with CeeLo Green, Katherine Jenkins, Cher, Gary Barlow, Alfie Bow, Barry Manilow, Donny Osmond and LeAnn Rimes.
In addition to his live experience, Chris composes and produces music for placement on advertising campaigns, TV, short films and other bespoke media. His clients have included The BBC, 20th Century Fox, Biscuit Filmworks (Noam Murro), Pantene, Universal Music and Grey London.
Some of his live career highlights include a headline show at Madison Square Garden, The Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival, Saturday Night Live, Jools Holland, Coachella Festival and a headline show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
His career started in his late teens playing for UK bands such as The on Offs [3] whilst touring the UK & Europe. By the age of 21 he was touring the world with UK post punk band The Rakes. [4] By his mid-twenties Chris was playing with Ellie Goulding on some of the world's biggest stages, TV shows and open-air festivals the music industry has to offer.
Chris composed orchestral arrangements for Bryan Ferry's headline show at the Hollywood Bowl on 26 August 2017. The full orchestra was conducted by Thomas Wilkins. Chris worked closely with Bryan and his team to compose 18 new scores for the concert for a full size Symphony Orchestra. He worked closely with Jessica Dannheisser who assisted in orchestrating.
Chris has arranged, recorded and produced strings at Abbey Road Studios, Air Studios & British Grove Studios. His arrangements have been used live at the Royal Albert Hall, Hollywood Bowl & Carnegie Hall.
He arranged the strings and group vocals across multiple tracks on Ellie Goulding's album 'Delirium' in addition to live recordings and special acoustic releases of singles such as "Love Me like You Do", from the soundtrack for the film 'Fifty Shades of Grey'. [5]
Chris Ketley accompanied Ellie Goulding when she was asked to sing at The Royal Wedding reception in 2011. The Duke of Cambridge and Duchess of Cambridge asked Ellie Goulding to sing her cover version of Elton John's "Your Song" for their first dance. [6]
Artist | Instrument | Dates |
---|---|---|
Ellie Goulding | Lead guitar, keyboards | 2010–2018 |
The Rakes | Guitar, piano, backing vocals | 2007–2010 |
Dua Lipa | Guitar, keyboards | 2015 |
Markus Feehily | Guitar | 2015 |
Christophe Willem | Guitar, keyboards, bass, backing vocals | 2013–2014 |
Conor Maynard | Guitar, keyboards, programming | 2015 |
Rumer | Guitar, keyboards | 2011 |
The Moons | Guitar, backing vocals | 2009–2011 |
The On/Offs | Guitar, piano | 2006–2007 |
Artist | Instrument | TV Show |
---|---|---|
LeAnn Rimes | Bass | The Graham Norton Show |
Donny Osmond | Bass | Strictly Come Dancing (Not house band) |
Barry Manilow | Guitar | Strictly Come Dancing (Not house band) |
Alfie Bow | Ukuele | Alan Titchmarsh Show |
Gary Barlow | Guitar | The X Factor |
Cher | Piano | The X Factor/Graham Norton Show |
Katherine Jenkins | Bass | Lorraine Kelly |
CeeLo Green | Bass | Strictly Come Dancing |
Ellie Goulding | Guitar, bass, keyboards | The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent, Saturday Night Live, Conan, The Jonathan Ross Show, Top of the Pops, Jools Holland, Graham Norton, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Fallon, Alan Carr, Blue Peter, The One Show, among others |
Artist | Year | Project | Album | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Rakes | 2009 | "You're in It", "That's the Reason", "The Loneliness of the Outdoor Smoker", "1989", "Shackleton", "The Light from Your Mac", "The Final Hill" | Klang | Guitar | [7] |
"Muller's Ratchet" | Guitar, Piano | ||||
"Bitchin' in the Kitchin'", "The Woes of the Working Woman" | Piano | ||||
The Moons | 2010 | "Don't Go Changin'", "Chinese Whispers", "Let It Go", "Torn Between The Two", "Nightmare Day", "Promise Not To Tell", "How Long", "The Ragman", "Everyday Heroes", "Lost Soul", "Wondering", "Last Night On Earth" | Life on Earth | Guitar | [8] |
Ellie Goulding | "The Writer" (Live Acoustic Version) | An Introduction to Ellie Goulding | Piano, Acoustic Guitar | [9] | |
"Lights" (Live), "This Love (Will Be Your Downfall)" [Live], "The Writer" (Live) | iTunes Festival: London 2010 - EP | Keyboards, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass | [10] | ||
"Guns and Horses" (Live), "Salt Skin" (Live), "Starry Eyed" (Live) | Keyboards, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar | ||||
2012 | "Figure 8" (Live), "My Blood" (Live), "Explosions" (Live), "I Know You Care" (Live), "Anything Could Happen" (Live), "Starry Eyed" (Live) | iTunes Festival: London 2012 - EP | Guitar | [11] | |
2013 | "My Blood" (iTunes Session), "Burn" (iTunes Session), "Anything Could Happen" (iTunes Session), "How Long Will I Love You?" (iTunes Session), "Starry Eyed" (iTunes Session), "Lights" (iTunes Session) | iTunes Session - EP | Keyboards, Guitar | [12] | |
"How Long Will I Love You?" | Halcyon Days | Piano, Arranger | [13] | ||
2014 | "All I Want" (Kodaline Cover) | Non-album single | [14] | ||
"Love Me Like You Do" | Delirium and Fifty Shades of Grey (Soundtrack) | Arranger | [15] | ||
2015 | "Intro (Delirium)" | Delirium | Arranger, Strings, Production, Writer | [16] | |
"Holding On For Life" | Choir, Vocal Arranger, Additional Producer | ||||
"Scream It Out" | String Arranger, Choir Arranger, Vocal Producer | [17] | |||
"The Greatest" | Choir Arranger, Vocal Producer | ||||
"Paradise" | String Arranger | ||||
2016 | "O Holy Night" | Songbook for Christmas | Keyboards, Guitar, Strings Arranger, Vocal Arranger, Producer | [18] | |
"Army – Abbey Road Performance" | Army - EP | Producer, Piano, Arranger, Strings | [19] | ||
"Love Me Like You Do – Abbey Road Version" | Non-album single | Piano, Guitar, Arranger, Strings, Production | [20] | ||
2017 | "Avail" | Arranger, Strings, Production, Writer | [21] | ||
Zendaya | 2017 | "Rewrite The Stars" (Acoustic) | The Greatest Showman | Guitar, Piano, Arranger, Producer | [22] |
Ellie Goulding | 2020 | "Love I'm Given" (Apple Music Home Session) | Apple Music Home Session: Ellie Goulding | Producer, String arranger, Guitar, Bass, Hammond Organ, Rhodes Piano | [23] |
Himself & Carlos García Valenica | 2023 | "Cloak & Dagger", "Last Man Standing", "Ready Aim Desire", "No Contest", "Cuts & Bruises", "Final Drive" | Abbey Road Masters: Heavy On The Riff | Lead Credits, Composer, Producer, Guitar Programming, | [24] |
Himself | 2024 | "Come Of Age", "Time Of Your Life" | Abbey Road Masters: Folky Pop | Lead Credits, Performer, Writer | [25] |
His work on a piece of music called "Avail", which was used in an online advert to raise awareness about domestic violence, was awarded a Cannes Lions award in 2017. The piece of music was set to picture by Biscuit Filmworks production company, directed by Noam Murro, commissioned by Victim Support, choreographed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.
The piece of music was co written by Chris Ketley, Joe Kearns and Ellie Goulding, arranged By Chris Ketley, and co-produced by Chris Ketley and Joe Kearns. [21]
Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with outstanding heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a revival of popularity and influence in the late 2000s.The genre is often confused with electro, which is sometimes called electro-pop but is a separate genre which incorporates funk and early hip hop.
Elena Jane Goulding is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Hereford and raised in Lyonshall, Goulding began writing songs at the age of 15. She released her debut single "Under the Sheets" through Neon Gold Records in 2009, and signed with Polydor Records that same year, releasing her debut extended play (EP) An Introduction to Ellie Goulding. Her debut studio album, Lights (2010), debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, and was reissued as Bright Lights, spawning three successful singles: a cover of Elton John's "Your Song", "Starry Eyed" and "Lights".
"Under the Sheets" is the debut single by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding from her debut album, Lights (2010). Produced by Starsmith, it was released as the album's lead single. The song premiered on Huw Stephens's BBC Radio 1 show on 30 September 2009 and was released on the UK iTunes Store on 15 November 2009, peaking at number fifty-three on the UK Singles Chart. It was also used to promote the second season of 90210 on E4 in the UK. According to Goulding, the single was released on independent label Neon Gold Records rather than Polydor so that she would not be put under too much pressure.
Finlay Dow-Smith, known professionally as Starsmith, is a British songwriter, record producer and DJ.
Lights is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 26 February 2010 by Polydor Records. Goulding collaborated with several producers on the album, including Starsmith, Fraser T. Smith, Frankmusik, Richard "Biff" Stannard, Ash Howes, Liam Howe, Fred Falke and Mumford & Sons' Ben Lovett.
English singer Ellie Goulding has released five studio albums, two remix albums, eight extended plays, 48 singles, 13 promotional singles and 49 music videos. As of February 2023, Goulding had sold 27 million albums and 216 million singles, and amassed 43 billion streams worldwide. Additionally, she had sold over 2.6 million albums and over 15 million singles in the United Kingdom alone as of August 2024.
The Moons are an English indie rock band formed in Northampton 2008 by singer/guitarist/songwriter Andy Crofts. The Moons have released four studio albums; Pocket Melodies (2020) on Colorama Records, Mindwaves (2014) and Fables of History (2012) on Schnitzel Records Ltd and the debut Life On Earth on Acid Jazz Records in 2010.
The Apple Music Festival was a concert series held by Apple, Inc. and inaugurated in 2007. Free tickets were given to Apple Music, iTunes and DICE users who lived in the United Kingdom, through localized prize draws. Performances were streamed live and available to view afterwards, free of charge, for Apple Music members on their Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, PC, and Android phones. In London, the Apple Music Festival became an annual event taking place in September at the Roundhouse arts centre in Camden Town. The series made its United States debut with five days of free performances at the Moody Theater in March 2014, alongside the South by Southwest (SXSW) music showcase in Austin, Texas.
"Lights" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding from Bright Lights (2010), the reissue of her debut studio album, Lights (2010). Written by Goulding, Richard Stannard and Ash Howes, the song was inspired by Goulding's childhood fear of the dark. It was released on 13 March 2011 as the album's sixth single overall, and second from Bright Lights. Originally a bonus track on the UK and German iTunes edition of Lights, the song was re-edited for inclusion on Bright Lights in late 2010, serving as the single version.
The Halcyon Days Tour was the second tour by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, in support of her second studio album, Halcyon (2012). The tour visited venues with smaller capacity in North America and Europe. It began on 7 December 2012 in Bristol, England, and ended on 26 August 2014 in Taipei, Taiwan.
Halcyon Days is the reissue of English singer Ellie Goulding's second studio album, Halcyon (2012). It was released on 23 August 2013 by Polydor Records. Following the release of Halcyon, Goulding announced that she had plans to repackage the original album, with new songs that focused on electronic music. For the reissue, Goulding recorded 10 new songs and worked with a variety of producers, including Ryan Tedder, Calvin Harris and Greg Kurstin, to create her desired sound.
"How Long Will I Love You?" is a song by folk rock band the Waterboys from their fifth studio album, Room to Roam (1990). Written by Mike Scott, it was released as the album's lead single. The song was subsequently covered by English singer Ellie Goulding and released as the second single from her album Halcyon Days (2013). Goulding's version is included on the soundtrack to the 2013 film About Time, which also features a different cover by Jon Boden, Sam Sweeney and Ben Coleman.
Delirium is the third studio album by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 6 November 2015 by Polydor Records. Music critics were generally impressed by the overall production of the record, although they were ambivalent in regards to its originality. It debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, earning Goulding her highest-charting record in the latter country and her highest first-week sales figures in both territories. The album spawned three singles: "On My Mind", "Army" and "Something in the Way You Move".
"On My Mind" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding from her third studio album, Delirium (2015). It was released as the lead single from Delirium on 17 September 2015 by Polydor Records. Written by Goulding, Max Martin, Savan Kotecha and Ilya Salmanzadeh, "On My Mind" is an electropop and R&B song whose instrumentation consists of scratchy guitars, trap drums, slapped beats and sharp, syncopated electronica. Lyrically, "On My Mind" talks about a one-night stand with someone the protagonist should not be with, prompting a dichotomy between heart and head. Though firmly denied by Goulding, many critics considered it an answer song to Ed Sheeran's "Don't".
"Something in the Way You Move" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding from her third studio album, Delirium (2015). The song was serviced to contemporary hit radio in the United States on 19 January 2016 as the album's second single in North America, and third overall. It reached number 51 on the UK Singles Chart and number 43 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Army" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding from her third studio album, Delirium (2015). The song was serviced to contemporary hit radio in the United States on 19 April 2016 as the album's third single in North America, and second overall on 15 January 2016.
"Lost and Found" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding from her third studio album, Delirium (2015). It was released as a promotional single on 23 October 2015.
The Delirium World Tour was the third headlining concert tour by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding to promote her third studio album, Delirium (2015). The tour consists of four legs, European, North American, summer festivals and Oceanic. Including 89 dates across 88 cities, the tour commenced on 21 January 2016 at Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany, and concluded on 12 May 2017 at OLM Souissi in Rabat, Morocco, as a part of the Mawazine Festival.
Brightest Blue is the fourth studio album by English singer Ellie Goulding, released on 17 July 2020 by Polydor Records. Originally scheduled for 5 June 2020, the album's release was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The album was preceded by three singles: "Worry About Me", "Power" and "Slow Grenade", and features guest vocals from Blackbear, Diplo, Juice Wrld, Lauv, serpentwithfeet and Swae Lee. It is Goulding's first album since Delirium (2015). Brightest Blue received generally positive reviews from music critics. The album was also a commercial success. It became Goulding's third album to peak at number one on the UK Albums Chart and fourth album to debut inside the top three on the chart. The album also peaked inside the top ten in several other countries. To promote the album, Goulding was set to embark on the Brightest Blue Tour on 28 April 2021, but it was pushed back to 5 October 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom.