Ray Cooper (singer-songwriter): Difference between revisions
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== Other published material == |
== Other published material == |
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* 'Ray Cooper Songs' (2015) song book |
* 'Ray Cooper Songs' (2015) song book |
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== Awards == |
== Awards == |
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* 2012 Best Album, BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (with June Tabor & Oysterband)<ref name="2012 Folk Awards" /> |
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== References == |
== References == |
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Revision as of 03:58, 22 May 2019
Ray Cooper | |
|---|---|
 Cooper performing at the South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell, November 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Brian Raymond Cooper |
| Born | 22 September 1954 Redhill, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Labels | Westpark |
| Website | raycooper |
Ray Cooper, also known as Chopper is an English/Scottish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist living in Sweden. Cooper worked under the name Chopper from 1977 to 2010 to avoid confusion with percussionist Ray Cooper. The name Chopper came from his obsession with practicing the cello to "get his chops".[1] Cooper joined Oysterband in December 1988 and left in March 2013. Since then, he has recorded and toured as a solo artist.
Early years
Ray Cooper was born in Redhill, Surrey, England with a Scottish mother and English father. He grew up living in various towns in England. He was educated at Charterhouse School, receiving piano and guitar lessons.
Cooper's first bands were at school where he played psychedelic rock and blues. He attended Brighton Polytechnic Art College where he studied photography until abandoning further education for music. During this time he played in a number of bands as bass guitarist and harmonica player, mostly country rock and early punk. His first public gig was in 1974 in the basement of the Art College. His jobs included working in an organic food shop, driving a building lorry and working in court as a solicitor's clerk.
Initial musical collaborations and session work
Cooper's first professional band (1975–1978) was Amazorblades[2] together with Rob Keyloch (engineer/producer/remixer[3]) and Ben Mandelson (World Musician). They were a punk/jazz outfit who toured extensively and recorded the single 'Common Truth' in 1977 for Chiswick Records[4]. This song has recently been covered by Scottish singer Paulo Nutini[5].
Between 1980 and 1982, Cooper worked as a session musician based in London. His first album recording in 1980 was Without Radar with the Liverpool band Yachts working under producer Martin Rushent. In 1981, he worked with the band Decoy who played shows mostly in London. Decoy made initial demo recordings with producer Steve Lillywhite and then an unreleased album with Pete Bellotte. He also recorded with bands such as Penetration, Soundtracks & Head, Eddie and Sunshine and Jah Wobble. Between 1981 and 1982 Cooper played with the London based band OK Jive[6], who signed to CBS in 1981. In 1983, he played bass guitar and bugle with The Mighty Clouds of Dust on their single release Flowers on the Wall / Champion (The Wonder Horse) / Mr.Custer[7] which was produced by Phil Chevron
In 1983, Cooper joined the World Music group 3 Mustaphas 3 where he played cello and sang under the name of Oussack Mustapha, alias The Nightingale of Szegerely. He recorded two albums with them for Globe Style Records. They also recorded a single with Agnes Bernelle produced by Phil Chevron and Elvis Costello. Cooper left the group in 1986. He performed in a reunion of six group members at the 30th Anniversary concert for fRoots magazine at the Roundhouse in London on 22 January 2010[8]. .
Oysterband
Cooper joined Oysterband in December 1988. Over the next twenty five years they recorded seventeen albums, including two collaborations with singer June Tabor and toured in twenty six countries[9]. Initially, Cooper joined as a bass guitar player and harmony singer but soon added the cello. He became known for his rock style, standing up to play the instrument which was equipped with a long steel spike. In later studio recordings he would also play mandolin, harmonium, harmonica, piano, organ, the Mbira (African thumb piano), acoustic guitar and the Finnish kantele. Cooper left the group in 2013 and was replaced by both Adrian Oxaal (cello, bass and electric guitar) and producer/musician Al Scott (bass guitar and mandolin).
Solo Work
Cooper moved to Sweden in 2000 and set up his own recording studio. He has to date written and released three solo albums and toured Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Holland, Belgium and the UK. Cooper is also closely involved in the local folk scene in Sweden.
Discography
With Amazorblades
- Common Truth (Single) 1977
With Yachts
- Without Radar (1980)
With OK Jive
- To You 1982 (Single produced by Rob Keyloch)
- On Route 1982 (Single produced by Joe Jackson)
The Mighty Clouds of Dust
- Flowers on the Wall / Champion (The Wonder Horse) / Mr.Custer 1983 (Single produced by Phil Chevron)
With 3 Mustaphas 3
- Bam! Mustaphas Play Stereo, 1985
- From the Balkans to Your Heart: The Radio Years, 1986
With Oysterband
As Oyster Band
- Ride (1989)
- Freedom and Rain (1990) (collaboration with June Tabor)
As Oysterband
- Deserters (1992)
- Holy Bandits (1993)
- Trawler (1994)
- The Shouting End of Life (1995)
- Deep Dark Ocean (1997)
- Here I Stand (1999)
- Rise Above (2002)
- 25 (2003)
- Meet You There (2007)
- The Oxford Girl and Other Stories (2008)
- Ragged Kingdom (2011) (collaboration with June Tabor)
Live albums
- Little Rock to Leipzig (1990) (partially live)
- Alive and Shouting (1996)
- Alive and Acoustic (1998)
- 25th Anniversary Concert (2004) DVD
- Northern Light (2006)
'Compilation albums
- The Rough Guide to World Music (1994) (contributing the track "When I'm Up I Can't Get Down")
- The Rough Guide to English Roots Music (1998) (contributing the track "Sail on By")
- Pearls from the Oysters (1998) (taking tracks from Step Outside, Wide Blue Yonder, Ride and Little Rock to Leipzig)
- This House Will Stand (The Best of Oysterband 1998–2015) (2016), double album containing alternate versions and demos
Solo
- 'Tales of Love War and Death by Hanging' (2010) CD
- 'Palace of Tears' (2014) CD
- 'Between The Golden Age & The Promised Land' (2018) CD and LP
Other published material
- 'Ray Cooper Songs' (2015) song book
Awards
- 2003 Good Tradition Award, BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (with Oysterband)[citation needed]
- 2005 Best Group, Oysterband Big Session, BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards[citation needed]
- 2009 Best group, Spiral Earth Award (with Oysterband)
- 2012 Best album, Spiral Earth Award (with June Tabor & Oysterband)
- 2012 Best Traditional Track, BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (with June Tabor & Oysterband)[10]
- 2012 Best Album, BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (with June Tabor & Oysterband)[10]
- 2012 Best Group, BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (with June Tabor & Oysterband)[10]
References
- ^ "Earner His Chops". englishforums.com. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|website=(help) - ^ "Punk Brighton Amazorblades". punkbrighton.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
- ^ "Rob Keyloch". discogs. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
- ^ "Amazorblades – Common Truth". discogs. 1977. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
- ^ "Paulo Nutini sings Common Truth at the Royal Albert Hall". voicesforever. 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
- ^ "OK Jive biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
- ^ "Single release". discogs. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
- ^ "The Young Mustaphas at the Roundhouse". fRootsmag. 22 January 2010.
- ^ "Icons of Folk", fRoots, fR348, June 2012, retrieved 20 February 2019
- ^ a b c "Radio 2 Folk Awards 2012". BBC. 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2019.