This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points.(September 2024) |
Tom Chaplin | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Thomas Oliver Chaplin |
Born | Hastings, East Sussex, England | 8 March 1979
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Years active | 1997–present |
Thomas Oliver Chaplin (born 8 March 1979) is an English musician, best known as the co-founder and lead singer of the British alternative rock band Keane.
Thomas Oliver Chaplin was born in Hastings, East Sussex, to Sally and David Chaplin OBE, a month apart from future bandmate Tim Rice-Oxley's brother, also called Tom. Their mothers became friends and he started a friendship with the two brothers that endures today.
Chaplin's father was headmaster of Vinehall School in Robertsbridge, so both friends were schooled there along with Richard Hughes, who would later be their bandmate. With Rice-Oxley and Hughes, Chaplin then attended Tonbridge School. Studying there, they met Dominic Scott (who was a founding member of Keane but left in 2001). During his time at Vinehall, Chaplin acted in several school plays and was part of the school's choral group. He also played the flute while at school. Chaplin attended the University of Edinburgh, prior to dropping out to pursue a career in music.[ citation needed ]
Meanwhile, in 1995, the trio of Scott, Rice-Oxley and Hughes started their first band, The Lotus Eaters (not to be confused with the 1980s chart band of the same name). It was a cover band that played U2, Oasis and The Beatles at Sussex pubs. Tim Rice-Oxley invited Chaplin to join the band as an acoustic guitar player. A short time later, in 1997, the band's name changed to Keane and Chaplin became the lead singer.
Chaplin was invited to join the band by Rice-Oxley, after he finally convinced the other two, in 1997, when the name The Lotus Eaters was changed to Cherry Keane, after a friend of Chaplin's mother. 'Cherry' was later removed from the name.
During their stint in London, Chaplin shared a flat with Rice-Oxley in Stoke Newington and they tried to get money for rehearsal time. Chaplin worked at a publishing company where his chief responsibility was to carry boxes.
With Scott in the line-up as the lead guitarist, Chaplin had to play the acoustic guitar. Since Scott left in 2001, he primarily takes lead vocals, but also plays the organ on "Hamburg Song" during some live gigs, as well as a distorted piano on some tracks from their second album. He also took part in Band Aid 20's re-recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in November 2004 doing a solo on the line "feed the world", something that had not been done on previous versions where all artists sang.
Having said that he intended to make a solo record during Keane's hiatus, Chaplin stated in January 2016 that he was recording his debut solo album in Los Angeles, California, with 40 songs written and whittled down to an album's worth. He announced in late June that the album was complete and that it would be out soon.
The album name The Wave was announced via Twitter and Facebook on 10 August 2016. [1] The same day, Hardened Heart was released with a music video. On 26 August 2016, "Quicksand" was released as the first single from the album. On 6 September 2016, Chaplin announced he would be playing eight intimate solo shows across the UK in October 2016. These were his first solo gigs for four years. [2] The Wave was released on 14 October 2016 by Island Records. Four singles were released from the album: "Quicksand", "Still Waiting", "Solid Gold" (of which the single release is a collaboration with JONES, rather than the solo version which appears on the album), and "See It So Clear". The release of The Wave was followed by the announcement of the Carried by the Wave Tour, a longer set of dates running between January and September 2017. The tour consisted of four legs: first in the United States and Canada, then across Europe, a third leg in the UK during May 2017 and a last leg in Latin America.
On 13 October 2017, Chaplin announced that he had recorded his first solo Christmas album, entitled Twelve Tales of Christmas , to be released on 17 November 2017. Simultaneously the first single from the album was released, entitled "Under a Million Lights". [3] The album consists of eight original tracks and four cover versions: "Walking in the Air" (written by Howard Blake), "2000 Miles" (originally by The Pretenders), "River" (originally by Joni Mitchell) and "Stay Another Day" (originally by East 17). [4] It was also announced that Chaplin would be performing three gigs to accompany the release of the album; at the Palace Theatre in Manchester on 10 December 2017, at The Forum in Bath on 11 December and at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 12 December. [5]
In January 2022, Chaplin appeared on the third series of The Masked Singer as "Poodle". He was fifth to be unmasked. Following that event, he said in an interview that he was working on his third solo album, that would be coming out later in 2022.
In July 2022, he announced that his third album, Midpoint , would be released on 2 September 2022.
Chaplin uses a Hammond XK2 organ for "Hamburg Song" and "Nothing in My Way". Since May 2006, he has used a Yamaha CP60M for live piano parts in "A Bad Dream", "The Frog Prince" and "Crystal Ball". [6]
He has played acoustic guitar in such songs as "Your Eyes Open" since the 2006 UK tour, and during 2007 played acoustic solos of "Broken Toy" and "The Frog Prince". He played guitar on Keane's third album, Perfect Symmetry and has been the lead guitarist in live shows for the album. Tom plays three different Fender Telecaster guitars: one red, one white and one light blue. [7]
In an interview with Keane Backline, Rice-Oxley stated that Chaplin had been interested in learning to play the theremin, but "couldn't be bothered to learn how to use it", also stating that the theremin "might be the only way of reproducing the musical saw sound" used in some tracks of Perfect Symmetry. [8]
Chaplin married his girlfriend Natalie Dive in June 2011. [9] He has a daughter born on 20 March 2014 and a son born in 2020. [10] The family lives in Wittersham, Kent. [11]
Chaplin is a keen golfer, [12] supporter of Ipswich Town and of the England cricket team. [13] He identifies as an agnostic. [14]
On 22 August 2006, Chaplin stated that he was receiving treatment for drug abuse problems. He and his bandmates cancelled their North American tour for his rehabilitation after he left their hotel in Japan with no warning, choosing to fly back to Britain alone. He left the Priory clinic in London on 6 October, but continued to receive treatment after leaving. [15]
In August 2016, Chaplin said in an interview with music critic Neil McCormick that he began using drugs again before the release of his solo album, and mentioned that anxiety over the album caused him to get "back to shovelling coke up (his) nose". Chaplin said he nearly died one night in 2015. He said people began to give up on him, and his wife once told him she loved him in case she never saw him again. Chaplin recovered by seeing a psychoanalyst. He also stated that the past 12 months had been the happiest of his life with his wife and daughter. [9]
Keane are an English alternative rock band from Battle, East Sussex, formed in 1995. They met while at Tonbridge School together. The band comprises Tom Chaplin, Tim Rice-Oxley, Richard Hughes and Jesse Quin. Their original line-up included founder and guitarist Dominic Scott, who left in 2001.
Timothy James Rice-Oxley is an English musician, best known for being the keyboardist, backing vocalist and songwriter of the alternative rock band Keane. In 2010, he formed a side-project, Mt. Desolation, with his Keane bandmate Jesse Quin.
Live Recordings 2004 is the first EP by English alternative rock band Keane, first released in late spring 2005. Six songs are featured on the record, recorded during the first part of the Hopes and Fears Tour. All tracks appear on the band's debut album, Hopes and Fears, excepting "Allemande" which appeared on the "This Is the Last Time" first version single.
Terrence William "Blondie" Chaplin is a South African singer and guitarist from Durban, where he played in the band the Flames in the mid to late 1960s. From 1972 to 1973, he was a member of the Beach Boys and contributed to their albums Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" (1972) and Holland (1973). During his stint with the Beach Boys, he sang the lead on the popular song, "Sail On Sailor". Chaplin was a long-term backing vocalist, percussionist, and acoustic rhythm guitarist for the Rolling Stones on their recordings and tours over a 15-year period, starting in 1997. Chaplin has released two solo albums, Blondie Chaplin (1977) and Between Us (2006).
Under the Iron Sea is the second studio album by the English rock band Keane, released on 12 June 2006. During its first week on sale in the UK, the album opened at number one, selling 222,297 copies according to figures from the Official Chart Company. In the United States, the album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling 75,000 copies in its first week there. Since its release, the album has sold over three million copies worldwide.
Vinehall School is a co-educational day, boarding school, and nursery located on Vinehall Street, in the town of Robertsbridge, East Sussex. It takes children from ages 2 to 13. The school received an Independent Schools Inspectorate.
"Nothing in My Way" is a song performed and composed by English alternative rock band Keane for their second studio album Under the Iron Sea (2006). The song was also released 30 October 2006 as the third commercial and fourth overall single from that album in the United Kingdom. After the French pop rock band Bubblies, the single's release is notable as being the first ever commercial music release in USB format, a special edition limited to 1,500 copies.
"Everybody's Changing" is a song performed by English alternative rock band Keane. It was released as the second single from their debut studio album, Hopes and Fears (2004). After a single release on Fierce Panda in May 2003, which peaked at number 122 in the UK Singles Chart, it was re-released on Island on 3 May 2004 after the success of "Somewhere Only We Know" and reached number four. It is also used in the TV series, In Plain Sight and can also be heard in the final moments of One Tree Hill episode "Truth Doesn't Make a Noise" and Scrubs episode "My Day at the Races".
"Somewhere Only We Know" is a song composed and performed by English alternative rock band Keane, officially released as the first single from their debut album, Hopes and Fears (2004). The single peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart during its first week of sales, becoming the band's signature song and biggest hit single to date.
"The Frog Prince" is a song performed and composed by English alternative rock band Keane, released as the closing track on their second album, Under the Iron Sea. The song was composed in 2004 and first mentioned by Tim Rice-Oxley on the Strangers DVD. A demo version also features Rice-Oxley singing on the lead vocals.
"Crystal Ball" is a song performed and composed by English rock band Keane, featured on their second studio album, Under the Iron Sea (2006). The song was released on 21 August 2006 as the third single from the album. "Crystal Ball" peaked at number 20 on both the Dutch Singles Chart and the UK Singles Chart.
"Try Again" is a song performed and composed by English alternative rock band Keane that appears as the 10th track on their second studio album, Under the Iron Sea (2006). The song was released as the sixth single off the album only in Germany on 9 February 2007. This is also Keane's first single with three B-sides, all live performances from Cologne, Germany.
"Is It Any Wonder?" is a song written and performed by English alternative rock band Keane, released as the second single from their second studio album, Under the Iron Sea. The single was released to the iTunes Store on 16 May and to shops on 29 May 2006. "Is It Any Wonder?" debuted at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart on 28 May 2006 based on download sales alone and reached number three with physical sales added on 4 June. The song was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2007 Grammy Awards, losing to "My Humps" by the Black Eyed Peas.
Keane Live is English alternative rock band Keane's fourth DVD, second proper. It was recorded at London's O2 Arena during the band's Under the Iron Sea Tour and released on 19 November 2007.
Night Train is an EP by English rock band Keane. The EP's title and material was born out of the group's Perfect Symmetry World Tour of 2008–2009.
Mt. Desolation are an English band formed by Tim Rice-Oxley and Jesse Quin, members of the rock band Keane, as a side-project. Their self-titled debut album was released on 18 October 2010.
Into It. Over It. is an indie rock band founded in 2007 as the solo project of Chicago, Illinois-based musician Evan Thomas Weiss. It is considered a leading act of the early-2010s emo revival scene.
The Wave is the debut solo studio album by the English singer-songwriter Tom Chaplin. The album was released on 14 October 2016 by Island Records.
Twelve Tales of Christmas is a Christmas-themed solo studio album by the English singer-songwriter Tom Chaplin. The album was released on 17 November 2017 by Island Records.