Christie (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Founder | Jeff Christie |
| Headquarters | Leeds , England, United Kingdom |
| Products | Music recordings, albums, singles |
Christie is a British soft rock ensemble established in the late 1960s, primarily recognized for their 1970 chart-topping UK single "Yellow River". This track claimed the number one position across 26 nations and achieved global sales exceeding three million copies.
Career
Led by Jeff Christie, who provided vocals, bass, and songwriting, the band's initial formation also featured guitarist Vic Elmes and drummer Mike Blakley. Prior to founding Christie, Jeff Christie performed with multiple groups, including The Outer Limits.
In 1970, Jeff Christie initially presented his composition "Yellow River" to The Tremeloes, who recorded it but opted not to release the track. Utilizing the backing track recorded by The Tremeloes, Jeff Christie assembled the band Christie with musicians from a group known as the Epics. The resulting single soared to number one in the UK and peaked at No. 23 on the US charts, remaining on the Billboard Hot 100 for 23 weeks during 1970.
Their subsequent release, "San Bernadino," reached No. 7 in the UK and topped charts in Germany, though it only managed No. 100 in the United States. Both singles were included on their debut album, which spent ten weeks on the US Billboard 200 chart. Before producing their sophomore album, For All Mankind (1971), drummer Mike Blakley was succeeded by Paul Fenton.
After the release of Iron Horse (1972), Lem Lubin (formerly of Unit 4 + 2) joined the lineup; its title track marked their last charting single. Following the exits of Fenton and Lubin, Jeff Christie reassembled the group with new members Terry Fogg, Roger Flavell, and Danny Krieger. A single released in 1974 failed to regain their earlier momentum, leading to additional personnel changes.
The song "JoJo's Band," penned by Elmes, achieved significant popularity in Argentina and Brazil, while "Navajo" climbed to No. 1 in Mexico. In 1982, Vic Elmes toured Germany alongside Mick Blakley and Peter Morrison before the group ultimately dissolved.
In 1990, Jeff Christie revived Christie with musicians from UK band Tubeless Hearts—Kev Moore, Simon Kay, and Adrian 'Fos' Foster. Tubeless Hearts sought to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991 with a composition by Jeff Christie but did not succeed. The reformed ensemble toured extensively across Europe, Russia, and Israel over a span of more than sixteen years while intermittently recording new material.
Following the launch of Jeff Christie's double album Floored Masters, this lineup embarked on a European tour in 2009. Two years later, in 2012, they released No Turn Unstoned, a double album compiling demos and previously unreleased recordings.
Current members
- Jeff Christie – bass guitar, lead vocals, keyboards (1969–1976, 1990–present)
- Simon Kay – guitar (1990–present)
- Adrian Foster – drums (1990–present)
Former members
- Vic Elmes – guitar (1969–1973)
- Paul Cardus – bass guitar (1969)
- Mike Blakley – drums (1969–1970)
- Paul Fenton – drums (1970–1973)
- Lem Lubin – bass guitar (1972–1973)
- Terry Fogg – drums (1973–1974)
- Roger Flavell – bass guitar (1973–1976)
- Danny Krieger – guitar (1973–1976)
- Tony Ferguson – lead guitar (1974)
- Roger Willis – drums (1974–1976)
- Kev Moore – bass guitar (1990–2003)
Albums
- Christie (1970, also titled Yellow River, reached No. 115 on the US chart)
- For All Mankind (1971)
- Iron Horse – never officially released (1972)
- Los Mas Grandes Exitos (1972)
- Navajo [issued exclusively in Mexico] (1974)
- Christie Again – Greatest Hits and More (2004)
- Jeff Christie – Floored Masters (Past Imperfect) (2009)
- Christie – No Turn Unstoned (2012)
- Jeff Christie – Here and now (2024)
Singles
Jeff Christie with The Outer Limits
- "When the Work Is Thru'" (1967)
- "Just One More Chance/Help Me Please" (1967)
- "Great Train Robbery/Sweet Freedom" (1968)
Christie
| Song Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Positions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | BEL (FL) |
GER | IRE | NL | NOR | NZ | SWI | US | ||
| "Yellow River" | 1970 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 23 |
| "San Bernadino" | 7 | 42 | — | 5 | 4 | — | 5 | 6 | 1 | 100 | |
| "Man of Many Faces" | 1971 | — | — | — | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Iron Horse" | 1972 | 47 | — | — | 47 | — | 13 | 10 | — | — | — |
| "Fools Gold" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Jeff Christie as a solo artist
- "Both Ends of the Rainbow/Turn On Your Love Light" (1980)
- "Tightrope/Somebody Else" (1980)
- "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)/Yuletide Lights" (1997)
- "Hattrick of Lions (Come on England)" (2010)
- "You're Not There," featuring Lorenzo Gabanizza (2021)
- "I guess I am the only one," featuring Lorenzo Gabanizza (2022)
- "I don't want to live without you," featuring Lorenzo Gabanizza (2023)
- "Rainy day man," featuring Lorenzo Gabanizza (2024)
See also
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
- 1970 in music
- List of Epic Records artists
- Bands and musicians from Yorkshire and North East England
- List of bands originating in Leeds
- List of performers on Top of the Pops