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Pete Phipps

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Pete Phipps
Background information
OriginUnited Kingdom
GenresRock, pop, glam rock
Years activeLate 1960s–present
LabelsBell, CBS, Epic, Cherry Red
Websitetheglitterband.co.uk

Pete Phipps is a rock drummer, singer and songwriter known for his work with Gary Glitter, The Glitter Band, and later Eurythmics, XTC and Denim.

Biography

Pete Phipps was a founder member of The Glitter Band (originally known as The Glittermen), who started as Gary Glitter's backing band, and went on to success in their own right, having six top ten singles in the UK in the mid-1970s.[1][2] He was later a member of the band Random Hold, who toured with XTC in 1979, leading to him playing drums on the XTC album Mummer after Terry Chambers left the band, and he returned for the recording of their next album The Big Express.[3][4] He also played drums for Eurythmics, playing on their UK number one album Touch, joining the band for their MTV-broadcast performance at the Heaven nightclub in London, and playing live with the band into 1984.[5][6] He was also a member of Laurence Hayward's post-Felt band Denim, which has been described as "self-consciously ironic glitter-pop revivalist project", playing on the 1992 album Back in Denim and the 1996 album Denim on Ice.[7][8] Phipps was also the drummer on Liquid Gold's hits which included "Dance Yourself Dizzy".

Musical biography

After learning to play drums, piano and guitar, his musical career took off at the age of 18, he has worked continuously since that time for a wide range of Bands and Artists.

After leaving school in 1969 he joined Black Velvet, a Soul/Funk band – tours, recording and radio shows.

A year later, he toured with the Elgins – Tamla Motown band – UK tour.

Then in 1971, he joined CBS band Heaven and supported Jeff Beck on tour, UK and Germany. -Recording.

In June 1972 he began working for Gary Glitter's backing band "The Glittermen" and in the same month they made their first appearance on Top of the Pops with Rock and Roll Part 2. The Glittermen were renamed "The Glitter Band" and established a separate identity comprisinmng of a six member line up Gerry Shephard (lead guitar/lead vocals), John Springate (bass/lead vocals ), Pete Phipps (drums and keyboards), Tony Leonard (drums), John Rossall (trombone) Harvey Ellison (saxophone). Tours with Gary Glitter continued. The Glitter Band released three singles in March and July and October, Angel Face/ You Wouldn't Leave Me Would You, Just For You/I'm Celebrating (the latter written by Phipps) and Let's Get Together Again/Jukebox Queen, all making the top 10, and each spending at least two months in the charts. Their debut album Hey was also released in July. All were produced by Mike Leander and recorded at the Mayfair studios London. The Glitter Band Toured in Australia and the UK. They also joined Mud, the Rubettes and Peter Denyer making a Movie, a musical comedy entitled "Never Too Young to Rock".

1975 saw the band release four more singles, The Tears I Cried and Goodbye My Love again getting in the top 10. In April, the second album 'Rock and Roll Dudes' was released and then in December the third album 'Listen to the Band', on this album we heard Phipps for the first time on lead vocals on the self penned My First Mistake, a simple but haunting love song. The Glitter Band music moved away from a purely Rock and Roll sound to include ballads with strong melodies and powerful lyrics. Again there were extensive tours in Australia, and in the UK a tour of Universities. Three more singles were released with People Like You and People Like Me hitting the number 5 spot. There was also a release of a Greatest Hits album and continued song writing by all members of the band. Almost all Glitter Band recorded material was written by individual or combinations of the band's members. The band toured extensively – a farewell tour with Gary Glitter in March, a UK tour early summer and a tour of Germany and Scandinavia in the Autumn. The band changed record labels, from Bell to CBS and changed their name to the G-Band – to reflect the continued development of their music away from the purely Glam/Glitter identity. In 1977, the release of Paris Match – their fourth album, recorded in France during the summer heatwave contained some superb tracks and three singles, one an EP featuring She was Alright (written by Phipps) as the A side. The band's three main song writers Gerry, John and Pete continued to write further material for a fifth album which had the working title of "Star Chaser" never released commercially at the time due to changes in record company and the music scene, with the advent of Punk Rock.

Changing direction and showing the versatility of his drumming Phipps first joined Ex-Directory, this was then followed by a short period with a band called The Secret. Phipps then joined Random Hold, a band he'd already worked with a year or two before. Random Hold composed of David Rhodes, Bill MacCormick, David Ferguson, and Pete Phipps were described by a Music Journalist as a "Disco Orientated Rock", and by Nina Myskow in the Sun as a band to watch for as "Their music shows talent, menace, originality and brains. A dynamic combination". The band produce several singles in this period including Montgomery Clift and albums The View From Here (1980) and Burn the Buildings (1981). (David Ferguson is now perhaps best known for his TV Theme music including Cracker). He also continued to record with Glitter Band colleagues pursuing solo identities, both with John Springate and the album Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, by Gerry Shephard/Pete Oxendale.

Then in 1982, Pete was invited by Mike Rutherford of Genesis fame to record the album Acting Very Strange ( also featuring Stewart Copeland (Police)) and later in the same year was invited by XTC to record with them on their Mummer album.

1983–84: Became a member of The Eurythmics, recorded Who's That Girl and the album Touch which was released in November, reached No. 1 in the UK and spent 48 weeks in the top 100. 1st gig with the Eurythmics was recorded at Heaven for MTV and later released as the Video Sweet Dreams Video Album (in 1985) Toured in the US and in the UK. Also in 1984 returned to work with XTC in the studio to record the album Big Express.

1985: Recorded with Hugh Cornwall of the Stranglers playing on the single One in a Million. Rejoined Gary Glitter – UK, Middle East and US tours. Also restarted Glitter Band gigs, joining with some of the other original members. Remained part of the Glitter Band with a number of different line-ups to present day. Glitter Band – recorded Live at the Marquee, released as an album.

1986: Recorded Zipper an album with Roger Chapman, previously the front man for Family and Streetwalkers, a prolific song writer and recording artist – particularly respected in Germany and voted singer of the year in 1981.

1987: Boy George tour, France and Iceland. Boy George's much publicised differences with his regular Culture Club drummer left him needing a replacement and who better to step in to cover for this tour than Phipps, playing at that time a great sounding black Sonor drum kit.

1988: Played with the "Legendary Purple Helmets" a Stranglers off shoot and became more involved in the management aspects of the Glitter Band as well as playing the drums at all Glitter Band gigs.

1989 till today: Continued with Glitter Band, playing a variety of venues up and down the country and on the Continent. In Germany particularly, the band has always attracted huge audiences.

1992–96: Whilst remaining in the Glitter Band, Phipps also took the opportunity to again diversify and joined Denim, – a band formed by Lawrence Heywood formerly of Felt. The band have been described as 1970s revivalists, though the songs were often critical of that decade, but by blending humour, irony and a 70s sound the era was well characterised. Recorded Back in Denim released Nov 92 and later Denim on Ice released 1996.

1997: A busy year for the Glitter Band culminating in a Xmas Glam Rock tour celebrating 25 years together, with other artists such as Showaddywaddy, Mud etc.

1998: More Glitter Band gigs at such places as the Roadhouse Covent Garden. An appearance as special guest with Andy Scott's Sweet at The Brian Connolly Memorial gig at Camden Palace in November.

1999: Glitter Band and appearances with King Penguin, a band that bore a striking physical resemblance to the Glitter Band – comprising as it did of the same membership – but a broad variation in both sound and style, R&B, Rock and even some Country.

2000: Glitter Band and the founding of Santanarama, a six piece Tribute to Carlos Santana, featuring Lead and Bass Guitars, Key boards, Congas, Timbales and of course Drums ( see Current bands section) and Glitz Blitz, a three piece tribute to the 70s featuring Syd Twynham and John Berry – both of whom had worked in a range of bands including; Les Gray's Mud, The Tremeloes and Liquid Gold.

2001: Continued Gigs, with the Glitter Band, Santanarama and Glitz Blitz, at a range of venues nation-wide. Also a return to playing some R&B with a South East based band Desperate Measures, whose set list included the music of Hendrix, Clapton, Free & JJCale, etc. Studio work – recorded an album of material with Alan Merrill of the Arrows that got released in 2002.

A month-long tour of Germany by The Glitter Band is planned for March 2014, to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the release of The Glitter Band's first hit single 'Angel Face'...more UK shows will be added later in the summer.

He continues to write and record music and songs, he also plays as a session drummer on a regular basis, as well being a drum teacher.

Phipps currently performs world wide as The Glitter Band. He has recorded with:

[9]

He has also toured with

References

  1. ^ Thompson, Grant (1975) "Gary to Miss Glitter Tour", Sydney Morning Herald, 8 June 1975, retrieved 10 February 2010
  2. ^ Glitter Band, ChartStats, retrieved 10 February 2010
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas "XTC Biography", AllMusic, retrieved 10 February 2010
  4. ^ Twomey, Chris (2002) XTC: Chalkhills and Children, Omnibus Press, ISBN 978-0-7119-9105-7, p. 130, 137
  5. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2002) The Great Rock Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-312-1, p. 351
  6. ^ "LIVE-WIRE EURYTHMICS MAKE A SOULFUL NOISE IN CONCERT", Sacramento Bee, 1 May 1984
  7. ^ "Back in Denim Credits", AllMusic, retrieved 10 February 2010
  8. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 330
  9. ^ "Peter Phipps Credits", AllMusic, retrieved 10 February 2010

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