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Biography
One source|date=January 2011Infobox musical artist | name = The Christians| image = Garry Christian, lead singer of the superb Liverpool PopSoul Band, The Christians.jpg| caption = Garry Christian (lead singer)| background = group_or_band| origin = Liverpool , England | genre = Soul Music|Soul | years_active = 1985–1995, 1999–present| label = Island Records Verdala Viper Label|Viper | website = http://www.thechristianslive.com/ The Christians’ Official Website| current_members = Garry Christian - lead vocals Joey Ankrah - vocals & guitar Neil Watson - guitar Lionel Duke - drums Clifford Watson - bass Mike Trigg - keyboards| past_members = Cosmo (musician)|Cosmo - guitar/ vocals Henry Priestman - keyboards/ vocals Russell Christian - saxophone/ vocals Paul Barlow - drums Mike Bulger - guitar/ vocals Roger Christian - keyboards/ vocals (deceased) Tony Jones - bass Stewart Boyle - electric guitar. Paul Campbell - Guitar The Christians are a musical ensemble from Liverpool , England , who had several United Kingdom|UK and international record chart|chart hit record|hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Band biography
POV-check|section|date=March 2010The name of the band refers to the surname of the three sibling|brothers that were originally in the line-up, and is also coincidentally guitarist Henry Priestman's middle name.
Garry Christian (born 27 February 1955, Liverpool) (lead singing|vocal s), Roger Christian (born 13 February 1950 - died 8 March 1998 from brain tumour ) (vocals, instrumentalist ), Russell Christian (born 8 July 1956) ( keyboard instrument|keyboards , saxophone , vocals), and Henry Priestman (born Henry Christian Priestman, 21 July 1955, in Kingston upon Hull , brought up in Liverpool) (keyboards, guitar s, vocals) formed the band in 1985. Because of a reluctance to tour, Roger left in 1987.
The band were one of a number of soul-influenced groups in the 1980s that had strong links to UK punk rock , New Wave music and post-punk . The band's frontman and lead singer Garry Christian became the groups unique selling point with his distinctive look and velvet-smooth soulful tones.
In Rock: The Rough Guide , one critic, Charles Bottomley, described the band as " The Temptations in ripped jeans, producing gritty-centred songs in a sugary vocal shell
The original members of the Christians were: Garry Christian - lead vocals, Henry Priestman - keyboards/ vocals, Russell Christian - saxophone/ vocals, PaulBarlow - drums, Mike Bulger - guitar/ vocals, Roger Christian - keyboards/ vocals (deceased) and Tony Jones - bass"
Chart history
Their first three single (music)|singles all made the Top 40 in United Kingdom|Britain , and their debut album The Christians (album)|The Christians (1987) entered the UK Albums Chart at number 2.cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 106 It eventually sold over a million copies. The highest placed single from this album was "Ideal World", which reached number 14 in the UK Singles Chart .
In 1988 they released a cover version|cover of the Isley Brothers ' " Harvest for the World (song)|Harvest for the World ", with all proceeds going to charitable organization|charity . The music video|video for the track was an animation , created by four leading animation companies, including Aardman Animations . The video won several awards, and the single reached number 8 in the record chart|chart .
1989 saw another charity single success, this time as performers on a version of " Ferry Cross the Mersey|Ferry Cross The Mersey ", released in aid of those affected by the Hillsborough disaster . The single stayed at Chart-topper|number one for several weeks (#5 in Germany ).
Their second album, Colour released in 1990, reached number one in the UK Albums Chart and yielded the international hit "Words" which was #18 in the UK and Sweden , #5 in the Netherlands (for two weeks), and chart-topper|#1 in France (also for two weeks). The second single from the album, "I Found Out", reached #22 in France (#56 in the UK). In 1992, the following LP album|LP , Happy in Hell charted at number 18. Its single, "What's In A Word", entered the UK Top 40, and was a Top 20 hit in France (with an impressive total chart run of 19 weeks); it also entered the Germany|German Top 75 reaching #60.
The early 1990s saw the band continuing to tour, A greatest hits album, The Best of the Christians was released in 1993, and peaked at number 22.
Break up and reformation
Garry Christian moved to Paris in 1995 to record a solo (music)|solo album, effectively breaking up the band, although no formal announcement was made, and the door was open to future reformation. In 1998 founding member Roger Christian died from a brain tumour. In 1999 The Christians began to perform together again in an "unplugged" acoustic music|acoustic format. They carried out a thirty six date concert tour|tour of the United Kingdom|UK , with a similar tour undertaken in 2000, with guitarist and songwriter Paul Campbell who accompanied them on all of their tours until 2003.
By 2001 The Christians began to write songs for Prodigal Sons , which was released in 2003. This was supported by a UK tour in October 2003, and further promotion in France , Spain and UK throughout 2004.
In 2005 Russell Christian decided he no longer wished to tour, and a decision was made to return to a full band format, rather than the four-man “unplugged” line-up that had been touring since 1999. This new 'band' comprising Garry Christian ( lead vocals ), Joey Ankrah ( acoustic guitar / singer, electric guitar ), Neil Griffiths ( singer, acoustic guitar ), Cliff Watson ( bass guitar ), Lionel Duke ( drum kit|drums ), Mike Triggs ( keyboards ) was unveiled on the 2009 tour. A download single (released on download on March 5, 2010) was a cover of Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islams 'Where do the Children Play' reviewed by the man himself as 'better than his own version'.
2012 sees the 25th year anniversary for the band who are celebrating with a rerelease of anniversary albums THE CHRISTIANS and COLOUR during February 2012 and a brand new album during Spring 2012 as well as an appearance at John Giddings ISLE OF WIGHT festival.
Discography
Chart singles
"Forgotten Town" / "One in a Million" / "Man Oh Man" / "Look Around" (Island Records, IS 291, January 1987) UK Singles Chart|UK #22
"Hooverville (And They Promised us the World)" / "No Reason" / "The Losing Game" (Island, IS 326, June 1987) UK #21, IRL #18
"When the Fingers Point" / "Rebecca" / "Every Town Waltz" / "Throw a Farewell Kiss" (Island, IS 335, September 1987) UK #34
"Ideal World" / "Say It Isn't So (Part one)" / "Rocking Chair Blues" / "Ideal World" (TR 808 mix)" (Island, IS 347, December 1987) UK #14, IRL #11
"Born Again" / "Forgotten Town" ( United States|U.S. version) / "A Lovers' Question" / "Undecided ( a cappella )" (Island, IS 365, April 1988) UK #25, IRL #27
" Harvest for the World (song)|Harvest for the World " / "Harvest For The World ( remix )" / "Small Axe" (Island, IS 395, October 1988) UK #8, IRL #4
" Ferry Cross the Mersey " (with other musician|artists including Paul McCartney , PWL, PWL 41, May 1989) UK #1, IRL #1
" Words (The Christians song)|Words " / "Long Gone" / "Funny Money" (Island, IS 450, December 1989) UK #18, IRL #6
"I Found Out" / "Save Us From Our Friends" / "Sent Here to Shine" (Island, IS 453, April 1990) UK #56
"Greenbank Drive" / "Nomad soul" / "Laurie Latham" (remix) / "From The Water's Edge" (Island, IS 466, September 1990) UK #63
"What’s In A Word" / "Happy in Hell" / "You Never Know" (Island, IS 536, December 1992) UK #33
"Father" / "World" / "Forgotten Town" / "Ideal World" (remix) (Island, IS 543, November 1992) UK #55
"The Bottle" / Group Corporation vocal mix / Ray Haden sugar free mix / Sound foundation dub mix (Island, IS 549, March 1993) UK #39
Studio albums
The Christians (album)|The Christians (1987) - #2 UK Albums Chart|UK
Colour (The Christians album)|Colour (1990) - #1 UK
Happy In Hell (1992) - #18 UK
Prodigal Sons (2003)
"Soul from Liverpool" (2009)
Compilation albums
Best of the Christians (1993) - #22 UK Albums Chart|UK
References
Reflist
External links
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p3897|pure_url=yes The Christians on AMG
http://www.thechristianslive.co.uk/ Official website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool08/video/10/beat_garry_christian.shtml Video interview with Garry Christian and http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool08/video/10/beat_born_again.shtml acoustic session with the band
DEFAULTSORT:Christians, The Category:English pop music groups Category:British soul musical groups Category:Sophisti-pop musical groups Category:Musical groups from Liverpool Category:Musical groups established in 1985
