Difference between revisions of "Chris Thompson"

Latest revision as of 18:08, 8 September 2023

This Chris Thompson should not be confused with Chris Thompson, the vocalist from Manfred Mann's Earth Band, who also spent time in Hamilton, including attending Hamilton Boys High School.

1973 cover of the self titled "Chris Thompson" LP

Chris Thompson is a folksinger and songwriter, the composer of 278 published songs and instrumentals. He is the father of Lora Thompson of the Hamilton band Empress (ex-Cheshire Grimm) and is (as of Autumn 2022) playing regular gigs at The French Tart Cafe in Fairfield and Kahurangi Cafe at Waikato University.

Thompson started out in the Kon-Tiki Folk Club in Hamilton, and other coffee houses. He found some initial success in Auckland with country and blues bands like The Stillwater String Band, The Medicine Show and The Myers Park Shufflers, and with regular television appearances on AKTV-2's 'On Camera' show in 1969. The short- lived eclectic combo Thompson-Calder-Congerton was highly acclaimed. In the early '70s he moved to England, where he played in the band of Californian folk singer Julie Felix and played with British folk-blues legends Wizz Jones and Davey Graham. Chris moved to Ireland to live and became a 'musician-in-residence' at Trinity College, Dublin, opening shows for bands like Quintessence, Planxty and Horslips, and touring solo in Belgium in 1972. Chris also appeared on television in Dublin and Belfast. In 1973 he made his first album, which is recognised internationally as an underground classic, and is currently in its fifth edition. Back in New Zealand in 1974, Chris toured with bluesmen Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee; he maintained a lifelong friendship with Brownie, for whom he wrote the song "Letter to Brownie". "Letter to Brownie" later had a video directed by Adam Hyde, then a student at Waikato Polytech. It was filmed by Wayne Green, and presented to TVNZ as a demo. It engaged their interest and they re-shot the film in a bar in Auckland, screened it on 'The CV Show', and sent a copy to Brownie McGhee who enjoyed it thoroughly. In t ofhe mid-'70s Chris toured with New Zealand singer/songwriter John Hanlon, backing him up on stage and in the studio, and in the '80s Chris toured with Texan blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Chris married Canadian musician Lynne Bradstock in 1985; they toured successfully as a duo, and made two albums for Ode Records. Regular gigs Chris has had in Hamilton include The Hillcrest Tavern Wine Bar (1982), Ruby Blacks Coffee House (2007), The Brothers Seafood Restaurant (1979), Cafe Centrale (1998) and La Commune Cafe (2008).

Chris is an old boy of Southwell School and has spent most of his life in and around Hamilton, where he recorded Hometown Voodoo in 1981; this album contains the song Hamilton, about the city. This song has become widely known due to a version played by Big Muffin Serious Band. Other Hamilton and Raglan musicians Chris has played with include Tim Armstrong and The Monday Club, Stan Jagger, The Dirt Band, and The Wild Allegations. After some success as a songwriter in America (where San Franciscan singer Meg Baird recorded 'The River Song', and Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold recorded 'Where is my Wild Rose?'), Chris relocated to Taupo, where he wrote new songs and performed occasionally at Cafe Ninety-Nine in Tongariro St. In December 2016 Chris recorded a new digital album called On High Street (by 'Chris Thompson, the Folksinger from Hell'), which was released on Bandcamp.com. Chris moved to Waihi Beach in December 2017 and has been playing at The Bowentown Cafe and The Porch. He is presently working with Hamilton-based Pinenut Records on the collectors vinyl edition of some long lost rock and experimental recordings made in Dublin in 1974. This album (Drunken Nights in Dublin) was released on L.P., E.P., 45 and CD at a release gig at Nivara Lounge on 24 November 2018, followed by a short concert tour to Auckland, Taupo, Tauranga and Waihi Beach. A new album, Woodsheddin' was released on Pinenut Records in 2019. In 2019, Chris Thompson returned to Hamilton, performing as a trio with Jordan Rex Carpenter (bass) and Alex Deane (congas), playing cafe gigs in and around Hamilton. Chris also now has a Fan Club [1]. A new album and tour in 2020, Only One Way Out of Town was released on Pinenut Records in November 2020. Chris is currently the "resident Bob Dylan" at the Kahurangi Cafe at Waikato University.

Releases[edit]

Only One Way Out of Town CD cover art

Chris Thompson (album) album, 1973
Echoes from the Pit album, 1976
Minstrelsy album, 1977
Hometown Voodoo album, 1981
The Natural Blues album, 1983
The Road to Raglan album, 1990
Far Out and Solid album, 1992
Coffee Break album, 1993
Song for Laura album, 1995<br
Time Flies album, 2000
'Chris Thompson' album reissue CD (U.S.A.), 2001
For my Double album, 2004
The White Sapphire album, 2005
Evolution album (with The Monday Club), 2007
Chris Thompson (Anthology), 2010
Chris Thompson and Stan Jagger album, 2011
Where is my Wild Rose? album, 2013
On High Street album, 2016
Chris Thompson (album) vinyl reissue, South Korea, 2017
Drunken Nights in Dublin album and EP, 2018
Woodsheddin' EP, 2019
Only One Way Out of Town album, 2020

as Chris and Lynne Thompson:

Together album, 1985
Live in Concert album, 1988

Compilations:

Alabama Song, London Blues and Don't be Afraid appeared on the 1974 compilation First Thrust
I Wanna Be Me appears on the 1979 compilation Festival Music
Ain't No Telling, The Coffin On The Baggage Train Ahead and Diamond Blues appear on the 1982 compilation Paths - New Songs of New Zealand
Love and Hugo Spellman appears on the 1983 compilation Masters of Folk Guitar
Poor Little Thing and She should have been a Lady (by Chris and Lynn Thompson) appear on the 1985 compilation Auckland Acoustics
Vox Populi appears on the 2000 compilation Acoustic Magic
Back In The City appears on the compilation Sitar Cerebrations Vol 2

External Links[edit]

White Sapphire cover

Videos

Other

Chris Thompson article at Audioculture

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[image:Thompson.jpg|right|thumb|1973 cover of the self titled "Chris Thompson" album]]
+''This Chris Thompson should not be confused with ''[[Chris Thompson (II)|Chris Thompson]]'', the vocalist from ''Manfred Mann's Earth Band'', who also spent time in Hamilton, including attending Hamilton Boys High School. ''[[image:Thompson.jpg|right|thumb|1973 cover of the self titled "Chris Thompson" LP]]
+Chris Thompson is a folksinger and songwriter, the composer of 278 published songs and instrumentals. He is the father of [[Lora Thompson]] of the Hamilton band [[Empress]] (ex-[[Cheshire Grimm]]) and is (as of Autumn 2022) playing regular gigs at The French Tart Cafe in Fairfield and Kahurangi Cafe at [[Waikato University]].
-''Christopher Malcolm Thompson'' is a singer/songwriter who has recorded with such luminaries as ''John Paul Jones'' (Led Zeppelin) and ''Dave McArtney'' (Hello Sailor). He also played guitar for well known Californian folk singer ''Julie Felix'', and toured with ''Stevie Ray Vaughan''. While in England in the early 1970s Chris jammed with British Folk-Blues legends Wizz Jones and Davey Graham. In 1974 Chris toured with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee; he has maintained a lifelong friendship with Brownie, for whom he wrote a song ("Letter to Brownie"), which was videoed by TVNZ. Chris has had three albums reach the finals of the N.Z. Music Industry awards and had his songs recorded by N.Z. artists Mike Harding, Jimmy Young and James Wilkinson, Chris Priestley, and (internationally) Meg Baird of the Philadelphia neo-folk group The Espers.
+Thompson started out in the [[Kon-Tiki Folk Club]] in Hamilton, and other coffee houses. He found some initial success in Auckland with country and blues bands like The Stillwater String Band, The Medicine Show and The Myers Park Shufflers, and with regular television appearances on AKTV-2's 'On Camera' show in 1969. The short- lived eclectic combo Thompson-Calder-Congerton was highly acclaimed. In the early '70s he moved to England, where he played in the band of Californian folk singer ''Julie Felix'' and played  with British folk-blues legends ''Wizz Jones'' and ''Davey Graham''. Chris moved to Ireland to live and became a 'musician-in-residence' at Trinity College, Dublin, opening shows for bands like Quintessence, Planxty and Horslips, and touring solo in Belgium in 1972. Chris also appeared on television in Dublin and Belfast. In 1973 he made his first album, which is recognised internationally as an underground classic, and is currently in its fifth edition. Back in New Zealand in 1974, Chris toured with bluesmen ''Sonny Terry'' and ''Brownie McGhee''; he maintained a lifelong friendship with ''Brownie'', for whom he wrote the song "Letter to Brownie". "Letter to Brownie" later had a video directed by [[Adam Hyde]], then a student at Waikato Polytech. It was filmed by Wayne Green, and presented to TVNZ as a demo. It engaged their interest and they re-shot the film in a bar in Auckland, screened it on 'The CV Show', and sent a copy to Brownie McGhee who enjoyed it thoroughly. In t ofhe mid-'70s Chris toured with New Zealand singer/songwriter John Hanlon, backing him up on stage and in the studio, and in the '80s Chris toured with Texan blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Chris married Canadian musician Lynne Bradstock in 1985; they toured successfully as a duo, and made two albums for Ode Records. Regular gigs Chris has had in Hamilton include The [[Hillcrest Tavern]] Wine Bar (1982), Ruby Blacks Coffee House (2007), The Brothers Seafood Restaurant (1979), Cafe Centrale (1998) and [[La Commune]] Cafe (2008).
-Chris is an old boy of Southwell School and has spent most of his life in and around Hamilton, where he recorded [[Hometown Voodoo]] in 1981; this album contains the song "[[Hamilton (song)|Hamilton]]", about the city. This song has become widely known since in a version played by [[Big Muffin Serious Band]]. He moved to Auckland in 1985, and married a Canadian-born musician and songwriter Lynne, with whom he has released two albums.  They relocated to Raglan in 1988. Chris is now living in Hamilton again, near his daughter Lora (who plays bass in the Heavy Metal band "Wretch"). Lora has recently graduated from WINTEC(with honours)and is currently playing in the Pantera tribute band "101 Proof".
+Chris is an old boy of Southwell School and has spent most of his life in and around Hamilton, where he recorded [[Hometown Voodoo]] in 1981; this album contains the song [[Hamilton (song)|Hamilton]], about the city. This song has become widely known due to a version played by [[Big Muffin Serious Band]]. Other Hamilton and Raglan musicians Chris has played with include [[Tim Armstrong]] and The Monday Club, [[Stan Jagger]], The Dirt Band, and The Wild Allegations. After some success as a songwriter in America (where San Franciscan singer Meg Baird recorded 'The River Song', and Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold recorded 'Where is my Wild Rose?'), Chris relocated to Taupo, where he wrote new songs and performed occasionally at Cafe Ninety-Nine in Tongariro St. In December 2016 Chris recorded a new digital album called [[On High Street]] (by 'Chris Thompson, the Folksinger from Hell'), which was released on Bandcamp.com. Chris moved to Waihi Beach in December 2017 and has been playing at The Bowentown Cafe and The Porch. He is presently working with Hamilton-based Pinenut Records on the collectors vinyl edition of some long lost rock and experimental recordings made in Dublin in 1974. This album ([[Drunken Nights in Dublin]]) was released on L.P., E.P., 45 and CD at a release gig at [[Nivara Lounge]] on 24 November 2018, followed by a short concert tour to Auckland, Taupo, Tauranga and Waihi Beach. A new album, [[Woodsheddin']] was released on Pinenut Records in 2019. In 2019, Chris Thompson returned to Hamilton, performing as a trio with Jordan Rex Carpenter (bass) and Alex Deane (congas), playing cafe gigs in and around Hamilton. Chris also now has a Fan Club [https://www.facebook.com/groups/169033127685410]. A new album and tour in 2020, [[Only One Way Out of Town]] was released on ''Pinenut Records'' in November 2020. Chris is currently the "resident Bob Dylan" at the Kahurangi Cafe at Waikato University.
-In 2000 Chris released a track ''Vox Populi'' on the Hamilton compilation [[Acoustic Magic]]. He recorded some tracks with [[Tim Armstrong]] in 2007; taking part in "The Monday Club" project, has played with [[Mr Snakes|Emit Snake-Beings]] in "The Dirt Band" - with whom he has made several Youtube videos (see below) -and completed his Arts degree at [[Waikato University]] in 2009. Chris' most recent studio album "The White Sapphire" (a.k.a. "Eighteen months in the Bates Motel") is available for download from amplifier.co.nz. On current international release is a double CD from Sunbeam Records(U.K.) Ltd. (SBR2CD5078), simply titled [[Chris Thompson (Anthology)|Chris Thompson]], which is an anthology of Chris' work featuring twenty-six selections from Chris' 40 years of recording.
 ==Releases==
-*''Chris Thompson'' album, 1973 <br>
+[[image:Outoftown.jpg|right|thumb|''Only One Way Out of Town'' CD cover art]]
-*''Echoes from the Pit'' album, 1975<br>
+*[[Chris Thompson (album)]] album, 1973 <br>
-*''Minstrelsy'' album, 1977 <br>
+*[[Echoes from the Pit]] album, 1976<br>
-*''[[Hometown Voodoo]]'' album, 1981<br>
+*[[Minstrelsy]] album, 1977 <br>
-*''The Natural Blues'', 1983 <br>
+*[[Hometown Voodoo]] album, 1981<br>
-*''The Road to Raglan'' album, 1990<br>
+*[[The Natural Blues]] album, 1983 <br>
-*''Far Out & Solid'' album, 1992<br>
+*[[The Road to Raglan]] album, 1990<br>
-*''Coffee Break'' album, 1993  <br>
+*[[Far Out and Solid]] album, 1992<br>
-*''Song for Laura'' album, 1995<br>
+*[[Coffee Break]] album, 1993  <br>
-*''Time Flies'' album, 2000<br>
+*[[Song for Laura]] album, 1995<br
-*''[[For my Double]]'', 2004
+*[[Time Flies]] album, 2000<br>
-*''The White Sapphire'' album, 2005 (Available from [http://www.amplifier.co.nz| Amplifier])
+*[['Chris Thompson']] album reissue CD (U.S.A.), 2001
-*''[[Chris Thompson (Anthology)]]
+*[[For my Double]] album, 2004
+*[[The White Sapphire]] album, 2005
+*[[Evolution]] album (with The Monday Club), 2007
+*[[Chris Thompson (Anthology)]], 2010
+*[[Chris Thompson and Stan Jagger]] album, 2011
+*[[Where is my Wild Rose?]] album, 2013
+*[[On High Street]]  album, 2016
+*[[Chris Thompson (album)]] vinyl reissue, South Korea, 2017
+*[[Drunken Nights in Dublin]] album and EP, 2018
+*[[Woodsheddin']] EP, 2019
+*[[Only One Way Out of Town]] album, 2020
 as ''Chris and Lynne Thompson'': <br>
-*''Together'' album, 1985<br>
+*[[Together]] album, 1985<br>
-*''Live in Concert'' album, 1988<br>
+*[[Live in Concert]] album, 1988<br>
-*''Evolution'' The Monday Club 2008 (available through http://www.timarmstrongband.co.nz)
-<br>"Chris Thompson" 2 CD Anthology (U.K. only release), 2010
+'''Compilations:'''
+*''Alabama Song'', ''London Blues'' and ''Don't be Afraid'' appeared on the 1974 compilation [[First Thrust]]
 *''I Wanna Be Me'' appears on the 1979 compilation [[Festival Music]]
+*''Ain't No Telling'', ''The Coffin On The Baggage Train Ahead'' and ''Diamond Blues'' appear on the 1982 compilation [[Paths - New Songs of New Zealand]]
+*''Love'' and ''Hugo Spellman'' appears on the 1983 compilation [[Masters of Folk Guitar]]
+*''Poor Little Thing'' and ''She should have been a Lady'' (by Chris and Lynn Thompson) appear on the 1985 compilation [[Auckland Acoustics]]
 *''Vox Populi'' appears on the 2000 compilation [[Acoustic Magic]]
+*''Back In The City'' appears on the compilation [[Sitar Cerebrations Vol 2]]
 ==External Links==
-''Videos on Youtube:''
+[[image:Whitesapphire.jpg|right|thumb|''White Sapphire'' cover]]
-*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaepw356CG0| Chris Thompson - Take Two]
+''Videos''
-*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0d6OzpwOOU| Chris Thompson - Crossroads Blues]
+*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0d6OzpwOOU| Chris Thompson - ''Crossroads Blues'']
-*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZwwdUkFmZA  Chris Thompson When I am Dead]
+*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lElK0nu8dik Television New Zealand Interview/performance of ''Only One Way Out Of Town'', 1993]
-<br>
+*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwPonBS70LU Chris Thompson and Big Muffin Serious Band - ''Hamilton'']
-''with The Dirt Band:''
+*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Efcn-Mns8 Chris Thompson and Stan Jagger - ''Grocer's Blues'']
-*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpkCNR-RuU4| The Dirt Band  - Ma]
+*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxKn35as-jg Chris Thompson Television New Zealand - ''The Road to Raglan'']
-*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D7NYeHoT0g| The Dirt Band - Maeridee]
+*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzOzQu77Aw0 Chris Thompson - ''If You Lose Your Money'']
-*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQl-Q4Gyirw  The Dirt Band - Beautiful
+*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaepw356CG0 Chris Thompson - ''Take Two'']
-<br>*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB7-TGD8cGU The Clown by The Dirt Band
+*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZwwdUkFmZA Chris Thompson and The Wild Allegations - ''When I am Dead'']
-''This Chris Thompson should not be confused with ''[[Chris Thompson (II)|Chris Thompson]]'', the vocalist from ''Manfred Mann'', who also spent time in Hamilton, including attending Hamilton Boys High School. ''
+*[https://vimeo.com/12660968 Chris Thompson "Hamilton" 'live' at Biddy Mulligan's 2010]
-{{Person-Stub}}
+*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf6CUY7iwxw Chris Thompson Trio - ''Woodsheddin'' 2019]
+*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI-m-YbrhgA Chris Thompson 'Flying High' Hokianga Harbour, 2020]
+*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwZMsh2HVSY Chris Thompson and The Kings of Rhythm  Crawlin' Kingsnake 'live' at The Nivara Lounge]
+''Other''
+*[http://www.audioculture.co.nz/people/chris-thompson-troubadour Chris Thompson article at Audioculture]
 [[category:Bands]]
+[[category:People]]

Difference between revisions of "Chris Thompson"

Latest revision as of 18:08, 8 September 2023

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