Philip Jeays

Last updated

Philip Jeays
Birth namePhilip Harris
Born (1962-06-24) 24 June 1962 (age 60)
Origin Taunton, Somerset, England
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1990–present
LabelsDitton Pye, Irregular
Website jeays.com

Philip Jeays (born Philip Harris on 24 June 1962) is an English singer-songwriter. He writes and performs songs in a style close to the tradition of French chanson but in the English language. [1] His main influences are Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel and English singer-songwriter and poet Jake Thackray. Writer Dave Thompson described him as "one of the most extraordinary singer/songwriters in recent British memory". [2]

Contents

Musical beginnings

After growing up in Somerset, East Sussex and London, he took an art foundation course and moved to the south of France for six months to paint. [3] There he was introduced to the songs of Jacques Brel which inspired him to start writing songs himself. [2] [3] [4] Back in England, he was taught to sing by his mother, who had trained as an opera singer at the Royal Academy of Music, [2] started playing a guitar and then changed his name to Philip Jeays, after his maternal great-great-grandfather.

Early performances

His first performance in 1985 at Hampton Wick Folk Club was well received. Due to nerves he did not perform again until 1989 when he took part in an acoustic and poetry club night in Clapham, London.

He releases his first recordings on cassette in 1990 and starts performing with guitarist Max Warner. This set up allowed him to 'perform' the songs more without the restraints of a holding a guitar. After a near fatal car crash in 1992, he recovered and continued to perform around various small clubs in London.

The band

In 1995, he teamed up with guitarist and bass player William George Q and pianist David Harrod. [2] The trio first performed at the Vortex Jazz Club in Stoke Newington and then at various London venues. He was spotted by singer-songwriter Tom Robinson who offered him a support slot at the Borderline in June 1996. [2] Over the next few years he performed at the Edinburgh Festival (winning a 'Spirit of the Fringe' award, and being regarded by the Glasgow Herald as a highlight of the festival), [5] [6] Vancouver International Comedy Festival and also on various radio networks. [2] [1] [7] Guitarist John Peacock replaced William George Q, and the trio was joined by drummer Jezza Campbell. [2] Jeays' 1996 performance at Edinburgh saw him compared to Tom Waits, with The Stage stating that he performed "with wit and flair...songs move from caustic satire to sentimentality, and never hit a false note". [8] He has been compared to Scott Walker and David Bowie. [8] [9] [10]

Recordings

Jeays released his first CD, October, on his own Ditton Pye label. [11] He also contributed to two BBC Radio 4 programmes 'Singing in the Wilderness' (presented by Tom Robinson and 'Chanson' presented by Kit Hesketh-Harvey.

He continued to record and release albums; Cupid Is A Drunkard (2000), [12] The Ballad Of Ruben Garcia (2002), [13] Fame (2003), [14] and Mr Jeays (2005); [15] while performing at various venues around London, Sussex and occasional trips up to Leeds, Hull and Manchester. He usually either performs solo or with a group of musicians from Brighton that include Paul Stapleton, Kerry Stapleton and Simon Goble. In 2019 he released Angelina Supercop, [16] followed by Blossoms and Bicycles in 2021.

Battersea Barge

Since the early 2000s he has staged The Jeays Christmas Extravaganza at the Battersea Barge, London. This has continued to be a popular annual event among Jeays fans and features him performing with David Harrod, Jezza Campbell, John Peacock, William George Q and, more recently, Kerry Stapleton on double bass. The setlist for the Christmas shows is made up of requests from the audience who are given a raffle ticket at the door. Before each song Jeays will pick out and read a raffle ticket number and take a song request from the ticket holder. The show is usually hosted by poet Geoff The Speech Painter, who performs a support slot at the start of the evening. John Peacock has also performed a short set as support.

Besides the Christmas shows, Jeays and the band have also performed album launch shows around the time of each CD release.

Supporting Robin Ince

In 2006, Jeays was invited to perform as part of 'Robin Ince Loves Books' shows at the Bloomsbury Theatre and The Albany in London. He performed as support on Robin Ince's 'Bleeding Heart Liberal' tour of the UK in 2009 and also on Robin's Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People shows at the Bloomsbury Theatre and Hammersmith Apollo. [1] Jeays also performed at Robin Ince and Brian Cox's 'End of the World Show' at the Hammersmith Apollo in December 2012.

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacques Brel</span> Belgian singer (1929–1978)

Jacques Romain Georges Brel was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed theatrical songs. He generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, but later throughout the world. He is considered a master of the modern chanson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Francis</span> American singer, songwriter and guitarist

Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black. After releasing two albums with record label 4AD and one with American Recordings, he left the label and formed a new band, Frank Black and the Catholics. He re-adopted the name Black Francis in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Thompson (musician)</span> British recording artist; singer, songwriter, guitarist

Richard Thompson is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Almond</span> English singer

Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He has also had a diverse career as a solo artist. His collaborations include a duet with Gene Pitney on the 1989 UK number one single "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart". Almond's career spanning over four decades has enjoyed critical and commercial acclaim, and he has sold over 30 million records worldwide. He spent a month in a coma after a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2004 and later became a patron of the brain trauma charity Headway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara (singer)</span> French singer (1930–1997)

Monique Andrée Serf, known as Barbara, was a French singer. She took her stage name from her grandmother, Varvara Brodsky, a native of Odessa, Russian Empire. Barbara became a famous cabaretière in the late 1950s in Paris, known as La Chanteuse de minuit, before she started composing her own tracks, which brought her to fame. Her most famous songs include "Dis, quand reviendras-tu ?" (1962), "Ma plus belle histoire d'amour" (1966) and "L'Aigle noir" (1970), the latter of which sold over 1 million copies in just twelve hours. She was buried at the Cimetière parisien de Bagneux, adjacent to the Paris Métro station named in her honour. The station Barbara opened 13 January 2022, on a southern extension of Line 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Walker (singer)</span> British-American singer-songwriter, composer and record producer (1943–2019)

Noel Scott Engel, better known by his stage name Scott Walker, was an American-British singer-songwriter and record producer who resided in England. Walker was known for his emotive voice and his unorthodox stylistic path which took him from being a teen pop icon in the 1960s to an avant-garde musician in the 21st century. Walker's success was largely in the United Kingdom, where his first four solo albums reached the top ten. He lived in the UK from 1965 onward and became a UK citizen in 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Ince</span> English comedian and writer

Robin Ince is an English comedian, actor and writer, known for presenting the BBC radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage with physicist Brian Cox, and his stand-up comedy career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock 'n' Roll Suicide</span> Song by David Bowie

"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, originally released as the closing track on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars on 16 June 1972. Co-produced by Ken Scott, Bowie recorded it with his backing band the Spiders from Mars – comprising Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey. It detailed Ziggy's final collapse like an old, washed-up rock star and, as such, was also the closing number of the Ziggy Stardust live show. In April 1974 RCA issued it as a single.

"Amsterdam" is a song by Jacques Brel. It combines a powerful melancholic crescendo with a rich poetic account of the exploits of sailors on shore leave in Amsterdam. Musically, it takes its base melody line from the melody of the English folk song Greensleeves.

Sue Thompson was an American pop and country music singer. She is best known for the million selling 1961 hits "Sad Movies " and "Norman", "James " (1962), and "Paper Tiger" (1965).

"Ne me quitte pas" is a 1959 song by Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. It has been covered in the original French by many artists and has also been translated into and performed in many other languages. A well-known adaptation, with English lyrics by Rod McKuen, is "If You Go Away".

Paul Michael Curtis is an English singer, songwriter, record producer from London, who holds the record for the highest number of songs to make the finals of the A Song for Europe contest, the BBC's annual competition to choose the UK's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, competing with 22 separate songs from 1975 to 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liesbeth List</span> Dutch singer (1941–2020)

Elisabeth Dorathea List, generally known as Liesbeth List was a Dutch singer, stage actress and television personality. She became popular during the 1960s and frequently collaborated with Ramses Shaffy. She also sang Jacques Brel's chansons in Dutch translation.

Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People is a Christmas stage show celebrating a view of science. It was first run in 2008 at the Bloomsbury Theatre and re-run as The Return of Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People in 2009, then televised on BBC Four as Nerdstock: 9 Lessons and Carols for Godless People.

"Jacky" (La chanson de Jacky) is a song written by the Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel and Gérard Jouannest. Brel recorded the song on 2 November 1965, and it was released on his 1966 album Ces Gens-Là. The song was translated from French into English and retitled "Jackie".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Stapleton</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1978)

Christopher Alvin Stapleton is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and grew up in Staffordsville, Kentucky. In 2001, Stapleton moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University but dropped out to pursue his career in music. Subsequently, Stapleton signed a contract with Sea Gayle Music to write and publish his music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Ashley</span> British singer-songwriter

Steve Frank Ashley is an English singer-songwriter, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, writer and graphic designer. Ashley is best known as a songwriter and first gained public recognition for his work with his debut solo album, Stroll On. Taking his inspiration from English traditional songs, Ashley has developed a songwriting style which is contemporary in content while reflecting traditional influences in his melodies, poetry and vocal delivery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Can Close Your Eyes</span> 1971 single by James Taylor

"You Can Close Your Eyes" is a song written by James Taylor which was released on his 1971 album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. It was also released as the B-side to his #1 single "You've Got a Friend". It has often been described as a lullaby. It was initially recorded by his sister Kate Taylor for her 1971 album Sister Kate. The song has been covered by many artists, including Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Maureen McGovern, Richie Havens, Sheryl Crow, Sting, Eddie Vedder with Natalie Maines, and the King's Singers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendell Marvel</span> American singer-songwriter

Kendell Marvel is an American country music singer and songwriter. He released his debut solo album, Lowdown & Lonesome in October 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Should Probably Leave</span> 2021 single by Chris Stapleton

"You Should Probably Leave" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton, it was released on May 17, 2021, as the third single from his fourth studio album Starting Over. The song was co-written by Ashley Gorley, Chris DuBois and Stapleton, who also produced the track with Dave Cobb.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Meakin, Nione (2011) "Philip Jeays", The Argus, 19 September 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2021
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thompson, Dave "Philip Jeays Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved 11 June 2021
  3. 1 2 "Got an Ear for It" . The Stage. 25 September 1997. Retrieved 11 June 2021– via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ↑ Adams, Rob (1999) "Songs are key to Phil's life: Rob Adams meets the musical child of punk who puts Brel before Bowie", Glasgow Herald , 6 August 1999. Retrieved 11 June 2021
  5. ↑ "Still Playing the Fool - Philip Jeays, Cafe Royal", Glasgow Herald , 25 August 1998. Retrieved 11 June 2021
  6. ↑ "Music Philip Jeays, Cafe Royal", Glasgow Herald , 14 August 2000. Retrieved 11 June 2021
  7. ↑ "The Verb", 18 February 2011, BBC. Retrieved 11 June 2021
  8. 1 2 Mercer, Alison (22 August 1996). "Philip Jeays Trio" . The Stage. Retrieved 11 June 2021– via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ Freebalm, Alison (12 August 1999). "Philip Jeays - Here I Am" . The Stage. Retrieved 11 June 2021– via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ Dibdin, Thom (13 August 1998). "Still Playing the Fool" . The Stage. Retrieved 11 June 2021– via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ↑ Thompson, Dave "October Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 11 June 2021
  12. ↑ Thompson, Dave "Cupid Is a Drunkard Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 11 June 2021
  13. ↑ Thompson, Dave "The Ballad of Ruben Garcia Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 11 June 2021
  14. ↑ Thompson, Dave "Fame Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 11 June 2021
  15. ↑ Thompson, Dave "Mr. Jeays Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 11 June 2021
  16. ↑ Thompson, Dave (2019) "CD Reviews: Art Garfunkel, Twinkle, Philip Jeays, Steeleye Span, Fashion Records, Spear of Destiny, Billy Paul, British Psych", Goldmine , 17 April 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2021
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.