Chris White (musician)

Last updated

Chris White
The Zombies - Chris White (cropped).jpg
White performing with The Zombies in 2019
Background information
Birth nameChristopher Taylor White
Born (1943-03-07) 7 March 1943 (age 81)
Origin Barnet, Hertfordshire, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Bass guitar
  • vocals
Years active1959–present

Christopher Taylor White (born 7 March 1943) is an English musician. He came to prominence in the mid-1960s as the bass guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of the rock band The Zombies. White is one of the main composers of the Zombies' music, and made major lyrical contributions to the band's songs. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of the Zombies. [1]

Contents

Early years

White was born on 7 March 1943, in Barnet, Hertfordshire, to Harold White, a bus inspector for London Transport, and his wife Nan. The family soon relocated to Markyate, Hertfordshire, where his parents Harold and Nan White owned the village general store, selling groceries, hardware, paint, and furniture. As a pastime, Harold White played double bass in dance bands performing the music of Glenn Miller and other swing bands; he gave his son his earliest musical training, playing guitar alongside White on the ukulele. There was also a piano in the house. [2] [3] White attended St Albans County Grammar School, Hertfordshire, where he met Colin Blunstone, later meeting Rod Argent, Paul Atkinson, and Hugh Grundy who were at St. Albans School, the musicians who became the Zombies. [4]

The Zombies

White replaced the Zombies' initial bass guitarist, Paul Arnold, [5] and became one of the band's two main songwriters, alongside Rod Argent. He wrote two tracks on their US debut album, The Zombies , released in January 1965. On the UK debut release, Begin Here , he had three tracks. For the Zombies' performances in the 1965 film Bunny Lake Is Missing White wrote "Nothing's Changed" and "Remember You".

An album, Begin Here (renamed to The Zombies when released in the US) would follow. They would appear on American television for the first time on January 12 1965, when they appeared on the first episode of Hullabaloo. [6]

The Zombies would have another chart-topper in 1964 with Tell Her No. The group continued to record successfully through the 1960s, but disbanded in December 1967, reportedly over management disagreements. [7] A second album was released in 1968 titled Odessey and Oracle, which featured the song Time of the Season. Time of the Season is one of the Zombies most successful singles, along with She’s Not There.

One of the main songwriters of the band, he also wrote seven of the twelve songs on the band's second and final album and generally acknowledged masterpiece, Odessey and Oracle . White also contributed lead vocals to "Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)" and a verse of "Brief Candles". Some releases of "She's Not There" attribute Chris as the composer instead of Rod Argent. [8]

His song "I Love You", originally recorded by the Zombies in 1965, was a hit for the band People! in 1968. [9]

In March 2008, White began a series of live performances with the other three surviving members of the Zombies, including the first complete performances of the album Odessey and Oracle , in celebration of the 40th anniversary of its release. [10]

While White is not a member of The Zombies’ current lineup, he has rejoined the group on several tours featuring the surviving original lineup between 2008 and 2019 to play Odessey and Oracle in its entirety.

Argent

Following the demise of the Zombies, White contributed songwriting and production work to Colin Blunstone's solo career and Rod Argent's new band, Argent. With Argent he co-wrote their 1972 hit "Hold Your Head Up".

The Chris White Experience

Since 2019, Chris has been releasing previously unheard material under the series name The Chris White Experience featuring performances from a host of well-known artists. As of July 2021, he has released five volumes of songs, and a previously unreleased album by the band Sparrow.

Other work

In 2007, as part of the band White Circle, he co-wrote, co-produced and performed on the album The Key with his son Matthew White and wife Vivienne Boucherat. [11]

Also in 2007/2008, White co-produced and played on the album Featherhead for his youngest son, the London-based singer-songwriter JJ White. [12]

Chris and his wife Vivienne Boucherat provide backing vocals on the 2016 album My Religion by John Verity.

Personal life

White currently resides in London. He is married to Viv Boucherat. White is father to three sons; Matthew, Jamie and Sacha. [11]

Discography

The Zombies

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
(A-side only)
UK
[13] 		AUS
[14] 		CAN NL
[15] 		US
Billboard
[16] 		US
Cashbox
[17]
"She's Not There"
b/w "You Make Me Feel Good"		196412112—21 Begin Here / The Zombies
"Leave Me Be"
b/w "Woman"		—81————Non album single
"Tell Her No"
UK & AUS b/w "What More Can I Do?"
US & CAN b/w "Leave Me Be"		42606—66 The Zombies
"She's Coming Home"
b/w "I Must Move"		1965——21—5848Non album singles
"I Want You Back Again"
b/w "Remember When I Loved Her"		————9592 / 122
"Whenever You're Ready"
b/w "I Love You"		————110114
"Just Out of Reach"
b/w "Remember You"		————113110
"Is This the Dream?"
b/w "Don't Go Away"		1966——————
"Indication"
b/w "How We Were Before"		——————
"Gotta Get a Hold of Myself"
b/w "The Way I Feel Inside"		——————
"Goin' Out of My Head"
b/w "She Does Everything for Me"		1967——————
"Friends of Mine"
b/w "Beechwood Park"		—————— Odessey and Oracle
"Care of Cell 44"
b/w "Maybe After He's Gone"		——————
"Time of the Season"
b/w "I'll Call You Mine"
b/w "Friends of Mine" (1969 US re-release)		1968—4311431
"I Love You"
b/w "The Way I Feel Inside"		——————Non album single
"Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)"
b/w "This Will Be Our Year"		——————Odessey and Oracle
"Imagine the Swan"
b/w "Conversation Off Floral Street"		1969——59—10977Non album singles
"If It Don't Work Out"
b/w "Don't Cry For Me"		——————

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Zombies</span> English rock band

The Zombies are an English rock band formed in St Albans in 1961. Led by keyboardist/vocalist Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone, the group had their first British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the US, two further singles—"Tell Her No" in 1965 and "Time of the Season" in 1968—were also successful.

<i>Odessey and Oracle</i> 1968 studio album by the Zombies

Odessey and Oracle is the second studio album by the English rock band the Zombies. It was originally released in the UK in April 1968 by CBS Records. The album was recorded primarily between June and August 1967. The sessions took place at EMI and Olympic Studios in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Argent</span> British rock musician

Rodney Terence Argent is an English musician. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Argent came to prominence in the mid-1960s as the keyboardist, founder and leader of the rock band the Zombies, and went on to form the band Argent after the first break-up of the Zombies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Blunstone</span> British singer

Colin Edward Michael Blunstone is an English singer and songwriter. In a career spanning more than 60 years, Blunstone came to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the rock band the Zombies, which released four singles that entered the Top 75 charts in the United States during the 1960s: "She's Not There", "Tell Her No", "She's Coming Home" and "Time of the Season". Blunstone began his solo career in 1969, releasing three singles under a pseudonym of Neil MacArthur. Since then, he has released ten studio albums under his real name. He appears on several albums with the Alan Parsons Project and sang "Old and Wise".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time of the Season</span> Single by the British band The Zombies

"Time of the Season" is a song by the British rock band the Zombies, featured on their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle. It was written by keyboard player Rod Argent and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in September 1967. Over a year after its original release, the track became a surprise hit in the United States, rising to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Cashbox chart. It has become one of the Zombies' most popular and recognizable songs, and an iconic hit of 1960s psychedelia.

<i>Begin Here</i> 1965 studio album by the Zombies

Begin Here is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Zombies, released in April 1965 by Decca Records. The American version repeated many of the tracks from it, but, as was common at the time, deleted some and substituted others.

<i>The Zombies</i> (album) 1965 studio album by the Zombies

The Zombies is the debut American studio album by English pop rock band the Zombies, released in January 1965 by Parrot Records. After the success of the double-sided hit single "She's Not There" b/w "You Make Me Feel Good" reached #2 on the U.S. charts in the fall of 1964, Parrot quickly released this LP in 1965. The dozen tracks were taken from material the Zombies cut for their UK debut album, Begin Here. Also included are "It's Alright With Me" and "Sometimes" from their self-titled EP. The album also included their 2nd hit single "Tell Her No".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's Not There</span> 1964 single by the Zombies

"She's Not There" is the debut single by British rock band the Zombies, written by keyboardist Rod Argent. It reached No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1964, and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States at the beginning of December 1964. In Canada, it reached No. 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Atkinson (guitarist)</span> British musician (1946–2004)

Paul Ashley Warren Atkinson was a British guitarist and record company executive, best known as a founding member of the pop/rock band The Zombies. Atkinson was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goin' Out of My Head</span> 1964 song performed by Little Anthony and the Imperials

"Goin' Out of My Head" is a song written by Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein, initially recorded by Little Anthony and the Imperials in 1964. Randazzo, a childhood friend of the group, wrote the song especially for them, having also supplied the group with their previous Top 20 Hit "I'm on the Outside ". Their original version of the song was a Billboard Top 10 Pop smash, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 1 in the Canadian RPM-list in 1965. The song peaked at No. 8 on Cashbox magazine's R&B chart. The Little Anthony and the Imperials original recording is the best-known version of the song, although it has since been covered by many other artists, including the Zombies, who released a rendition as their last single on Decca Records.

<i>Ennismore</i> 1972 studio album by Colin Blunstone

Ennismore is the second solo studio album by the English singer Colin Blunstone of rock band the Zombies. The name of the album comes from Ennismore Gardens, a square in Knightsbridge where Blunstone was living; the name being a variant spelling of the island Inishmore.

Hugh Birch Grundy is an English musician. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Grundy came to prominence in the mid 1960s as the drummer of the English rock band the Zombies. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Care of Cell 44</span> 1967 single by the Zombies

"Care of Cell 44" is a single by the Zombies, released as the lead single from their album Odessey and Oracle in November 1967. It was featured on Pitchfork's "200 Best Songs of the 1960s" list, and has been covered by modern artists including Elliott Smith and Of Montreal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)</span> 1968 single by the Zombies

"Butcher's Tale " is a song written by Chris White of the Zombies, first released on the group's 1968 album Odessey and Oracle. It was also released as a single in the United States in June 1968, backed by "This Will Be Our Year." "Butcher's Tale" was recorded in one take on 20 July 1967 at EMI Abbey Road Studio No. 3. The song has also been covered by They Might Be Giants, The Immediate, John Wilkes Booze and Chrysanthemums. The anti-war protest song is written from the perspective of a soldier fighting on the Western Front of World War I, mentioning the battles at Gommecourt, Thiepval, Mametz and Verdun in France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just Out of Reach (song)</span> 1965 single by the Zombies

"Just Out of Reach" is a song written by singer Colin Blunstone, first recorded by his band the Zombies in 1965. In 1965, it was clear that the Zombies were going to be featured in Otto Preminger's 1966 movie Bunny Lake Is Missing. Therefore, the band had struck a deal with Preminger; he wanted three new songs by the group, recorded in the span of only ten days. During this time, the band's primary songwriters, keyboardist Rod Argent and bassist Chris White suffered somewhat from writer's block. Although White had already managed to come up with two songs, "Remember You" and "Nothing's Changed", the third song was still missing, much to the group's disappointment. Therefore, Blunstone was tasked with the final song.

<i>The Zombies</i> (EP) 1965 EP by the Zombies

The Zombies is an extended play 45 rpm record released by the English beat group the Zombies in 1964.

<i>R.I.P.</i> (The Zombies album) 2000 studio album by the Zombies

R.I.P., also known as R.I.P. - The Lost Album, is a studio album by English rock band the Zombies. It was originally scheduled to be released in 1969, but was cancelled. It was first released in Japan in October 2000 by Imperial Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leave Me Be</span> 1964 single by the Zombies

"Leave Me Be" is a song written by British bassist Chris White and recorded by his band the Zombies. Following the release of their debut single "She's Not There" in July 1964, White wrote a handful of songs in between performances during the band's heavy schedule. Most of the work on the song occurred in August 1964, when the Zombies recorded both a demo and the backing track for it. The instrumentation largely differs from both earlier and later Zombies records; it features electric organ played by Rod Argent, compared to his previous usage of the electric piano. Together with record producer Ken Jones, they returned in September to finish the vocal track, which was disliked by most band members for its similarity to "She's Not There"; the vocals would eventually be re-recorded a few months later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whenever You're Ready (The Zombies song)</span> 1965 single by the Zombies

"Whenever You're Ready" is a song written by English keyboardist Rod Argent, first recorded by his band the Zombies. Following an American tour in April 1965 supporting their then single "She's Coming Home", the band were disappointed in finding out it had been a chart failure. After the follow-up "I Want You Back Again" was an even less commercial song, pressure from the group's management came forward in order for them to write a commercial song in the style of their earlier singles, which had been hits.

"Imagine the Swan" is a song by the British rock band the Zombies, released as a single in May 1969. It was written by keyboard player Rod Argent and bass player Chris White. It was recorded following the unexpected success of "Time of the Season" and intended for a Zombies album following Odessey and Oracle that went unreleased at the time.

References

  1. ↑ "The Zombies". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  2. ↑ Where Have All The Rock Stars Gone? vol. 1, Marti Smiley Childs, Jeff March, EditPros, 2011, p. 299
  3. ↑ The Zombies: Hung up on a Dream- A Biography 1962-1967, Claes Johansen, SAF Publishing Ltd, The Cromwell Press, 2001, pp. 19-20
  4. ↑ James, Gary. "Gary James' Interview With Colin Blunstone of The Zombies". Classicbands.com. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  5. ↑ Pore-Lee-Dunn Productions. "The Zombies". Classicbands.com. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  6. ↑ Binder, Steve (12 January 1965), Episode #1.1, Hullabaloo, retrieved 12 February 2023
  7. ↑ Henson, Jopaquin (15 September 2012). "May the Zombies never rest in peace". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  8. ↑ "The Road – She's Not There / A Bummer". Discogs . 1969.
  9. ↑ Cost, Jud. "People!". San Jose Rocks. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  10. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (10 March 2008). "The Zombies" (review). The Guardian . Retrieved 12 March 2008.
  11. 1 2 Coston, Daniel. "Chris White and Hugh Grundy: This will be our year again" (PDF). The Big Takeover . 63: 93. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  12. ↑ Childs, Marti; March, Jeff (2011). Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? Volume 1. EditPros. p. 301. ISBN   9781937317010.
  13. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 618. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  14. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Forum - Chart Positions Pre 1989 Part 3 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  15. ↑ "Discografie The Zombies". Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  16. ↑ "The Zombies Chart History - Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  17. ↑ Hoffmann, Frank (1983). The Cash Box Singles Charts, 1950-1981. Metuchen, NJ & London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 661.
  18. ↑ "British certifications – Zombies". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 10 July 2022.Type Zombies in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  19. ↑ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.