Christopher Anton Rea is an English rock and blues singer and guitarist from Middlesbrough. Known for his distinctive voice and his slide guitar playing, Rea has recorded twenty five solo albums, two of which topped the UK Albums Chart, The Road to Hell in 1989 and its successor, Auberge, in 1991. He had already become "a major European star by the time he finally cracked the UK Top 10" with the single "The Road to Hell ".
"Blinded by the Light" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, which first appeared on his 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. A cover by British rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in February 1977 and was also a top ten hit in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada.
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his second studio album, Late Registration (2005). The song was produced by West, Jon Brion, and Devo Springsteen. The producers, with the exception of Brion, are credited as songwriters alongside John Barry and Don Black, who both received credit due to their composition being sampled. The song was initially centered around the demise of Roc-A-Fella Records, though was later re-recorded once West learned about blood diamonds in Sierra Leone. West premiered the song for Hot 97 on April 20, 2005, before it was sent to US mainstream radio stations the following month as the album's lead single, through Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam. In the chorus, West interpolated the phrase "forever ever, forever ever" from OutKast's "Ms. Jackson".
Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? is the debut album by the British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1978.
Water Sign is the fifth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1983. The album reached No. 64 on the UK Albums Chart. "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat" was released as a single, initially peaking on the UK Singles Chart at No. 60, while a re-recorded version for Rea's 1988 compilation album, New Light Through Old Windows, reached No. 74. The album contained three singles which includes several non-album B-sides. Water Sign reached No. 36 in New Zealand. It sold well in Ireland, prompting Rea to mount an extensive tour there, which marked the beginning of an upswing in the musician's fortunes.
Shamrock Diaries is the seventh studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1985. This album represents the beginning of a creative and commercial zenith for Rea. Shamrock Diaries was a huge seller in Europe, reaching the top 20 in several countries including Ireland, West Germany, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom, and spent forty two weeks in the Dutch charts, peaking at No. 3. The album was also successful in Australia, where it charted in the top 50. "Stainsby Girls" became Rea's first Top 30 single since 1978's "Fool If You Think It's Over". In 1988, Magnet Records was taken over by Warner Bros Records, who re-released Shamrock Diaries with a significantly remixed version of "Josephine". The original version was used in the 2019 deluxe re-issue of the album.
On the Beach is the eighth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1986, and built on the success of the preceding Shamrock Diaries. It reached No. 11 on the UK Albums Chart, topped the Dutch charts, reached number two in West Germany and No. 4 in New Zealand. It also reached the top 10 in Norway. In 2019, a deluxe remastered version of the album was released.
New Light Through Old Windows is the first compilation album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1988. The album consists primarily of re-recordings of songs from Rea's earlier albums, as well as the new track "Working on It", which peaked at No. 73 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and was Rea's only No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. "On the Beach" peaked at No. 9 on the US Adult Contemporary singles chart, and No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached number five on the UK Albums Chart, charted for over a year, and was certified 3× Platinum by BPI until 1992. It charted in the Top 10 in New Zealand, Australia and West Germany.
"Let It Happen" is a song by the Australian rock artist Tame Impala. It was released as the lead single from their third studio album, Currents (2015), on 10 March 2015. The song centers on accepting personal transition, and was worked on in various locations around the world. The song runs at nearly eight minutes long, and its second half contains a section of the song repeating akin to a scratched Compact Disc, and stripped-down lyrics consisting of gibberish. It also has vocoded-like vocals in the second half, which were actually manipulated with a keyboard sampler.
"Fool (If You Think It's Over)" is a popular song originally released in 1978 by the British singer-songwriter Chris Rea. Rea also wrote the lyrics and composed the music of the song, which appears on his 1978 debut album, Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?. It peaked number 12 in the US, becoming his highest charting single there. The single's charting success in the US earned him a Grammy nomination as Best New Artist in 1979.
"Josephine" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released on 22 June 1985 as the second single from the album Shamrock Diaries. The song performed strongly, reaching the top 10 in France and the Netherlands, and a remix enjoyed popularity on the Balearic beat scene. It was written for his daughter of the same name. Rea would later name a song after his youngest daughter, Julia, on the album Espresso Logic (1993).
Still So Far to Go: The Best of Chris Rea is a compilation album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released by Rhino Records in 2009. The album reached number 8 on the UK Albums Chart, making it Rea's first entry in the top 10 in ten years since The Blue Cafe (1998), and was certified Gold by BPI in 2013.
The Journey 1978–2009 is a compilation album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 2011 by Music Club Deluxe. It features songs spanning his entire career, from 1978's Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? to 2009's Still So Far to Go: The Best of Chris Rea. It had a modest chart performance, peaking at number 66 on the UK Albums Chart, but was certified Gold by BPI in 2013.
"I Can Hear Your Heartbeat" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1983 as the second single from his fifth studio album Water Sign. It was written by Rea, and produced by Rea and David Richards. "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat" reached number 60 in the UK Singles Chart and number 14 in Ireland.
"Looking for the Summer" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1991 as the third single from his eleventh studio album Auberge. It was written by Rea and produced by Jon Kelly. "Looking for the Summer" reached No. 49 in the UK and remained in the charts for three weeks. A music video was filmed to promote the single. It also featured in a diner scene in the 1992 Hollywood blockbuster Basic Instinct.
One Fine Day is the twenty-fifth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, which was given a limited release on 18 October 2019 by Rhino Entertainment on CD and on vinyl. It is available in a hi-res digital format for streaming and download, and was subsequently included on disc 2 of Era 1: 1978–1984 (2020), a 3 CD compilation of singles, B-sides and rarities.
"Texas" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1990 as an extended play from his tenth studio album The Road to Hell (1989). It was written by Rea and produced by Rea and Jon Kelly. "Texas" reached No. 69 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the Top 100 for two weeks.
"Loving You" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1982 as the lead single from his fourth studio album Chris Rea. It was written by Rea and produced by Jon Kelly and Rea. "Loving You" reached No. 65 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the Top 100 for three weeks. It also peaked at No. 88 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"God's Great Banana Skin" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in November 1992 by East West Records as the second single from his 12th studio album, God's Great Banana Skin (1992). The song was written and produced by Rea, and reached No. 31 on the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the chart for three weeks.
"Ace of Hearts" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, which was released by Magnet in 1984 as the fourth and final single from his sixth studio album Wired to the Moon. The song was written by Rea, and produced by Rea and Dave Richards.
