Chris Thompson
Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Chris Thompson started out in the Kon-Tiki Folk Club in Hamilton, and other coffee houses, and after some initial success in Auckland with country and blues bands like The Stillwater String Band and The Myers Park Shufflers,in the early seventies he moved to England, where he played in the band of Californian folk singer Julie Felix. and with British folk-blues legends Wizz Jones and Davey Graham. 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; Chris maintained a lifelong friendship with Brownie, for whom he wrote a song "Letter to Brownie"; the song had a video directed by Adam Hyde, then a student at Waikato Polytech, which was filmed by Wayne Green and screened on TVNZ. In the mid-seventies Chris toured with N.Z.singer/songwriter John Hanlon, backing him up on stage and in the studio, and in the eighties, Chris toured with Texas 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. Together they have one daughter, Lora, who plays guitar in the Hamilton band Cheshire Grimm, and bass in the Melbourne band Winter Moon. Although Chris has played with many other artists, he has mainly been a solo singer/songwriter, playing clubs, concerts and television shows in New Zealand,America,Ireland,England,Belgium,France and Australia and is well-known on the international folkscene. He has had(for example) a long association with the Devonport Folk Club in Auckland, having played there nearly every year since 1968.
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 retired from touring and now lives in Taupo where he is writing new songs and performing the occaisional concert.In December 2016 Chris recorded a new album called 'On High Street'(by 'Chris Thompson, the Folksinger from Hell') which is released on Bandcamp.com
Releases
- Chris Thompson (album) album, 1973
- Echoes from the Pit album, 1975
- 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
- Time Flies album, 2000
- 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
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
Internet
Videos on Youtube:
- Chris Thompson - Crossroads Blues
- Television New Zealand Interview/performance of Only One Way Out Of Town, 1993
- Chris Thompson and Big Muffin Serious Band - Hamilton
- Chris Thompson and Stan Jagger - Grocer's Blues
- Chris Thompson Television New Zealand - The Road to Raglan
- Chris Thompson - If You Lose Your Money
- Chris Thompson - Take Two
- Chris Thompson and The Wild Allegations - When i am Dead
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.
