CHRIS THOMPSON / クリストンプソン / NIGHT / CD

マンフレッド・マンズ・アース・バンドのヴォーカルであり、数多くのセッション・ヴォーカリストとしての仕事でAOR好きからも注目されるクリス・トンプソンが「NIGHT」名義でリリースしたソロデビュー作(1979年)がこちら。ペイジスのリチャード・ペイジがプロデュースを担当し、マンフレッド・マンズ・アースバンド的な産業メロハー好きにはストライクなサウンドになっています。鍵盤にニッキー・ホプキンス、ギターにポール・マッカートニーとの仕事でも知られるロビー・マッキントッシュが参加。


CHRIS THOMPSON HAS HAD A LONG AND VARIED CAREER IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS. BORN IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BUT RAISED IN NEW ZEALAND CHRIS FIRST EXPERIENCED LOCAL SUCCESS WITH BANDS IN NEW ZEALAND BEFORE RELOCATING TO THE UK IN 1973. CHRIS’S FIRST BIG BREAK CAME WHEN HE REPLACED MICK ROGERS IN MANFRED MANN’S EARTHBAND. HIS DEBUT WITH THE BAND WAS ON THE ROARING SILENCE ALBUM WHICH CONTAINED THE WORLDWIDE NUMBER 1 HIT SINGLE BLINDED BY THE LIGHT. FOLLOWING THAT SINGLE THE BAND RE RECORDED ANOTHER BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SONG SPIRITS IN THE NIGHT WHICH HAD FEATURED ON THE BANDS PREVIOUS ALBUM NIGHTINGALES AND BOMBERS. HE ENJOYED MASSIVE WORLDWIDE SUCCESS WITH MANFRED MANN’S EARTHBAND RECORDING THE ALBUMS WATCH AND ANGEL STATION AND HIT SINGLES DAVY’S ON THE ROAD AGAIN, MIGHTY QUINN, DON’T KILL IT CAROL AND YOU ANGEL YOU BEFORE DECIDING TO LEAVE THE EARTHBAND FOR PASTURES NEW.

HIS FIRST PORT OF CALL WAS A BAND CALLED FILTHY MCNASTY WHICH EVOLVED INTO THE BAND NIGHT. NIGHT RELEASED TWO ALBUMS (NIGHT AND LONG DISTANCE) THE FIRST OF WHICH WAS PRODUCED BY WORLD FAMOUS RECORD PRODUCER RICHARD PERRY AND INCLUDED THE HIT SINGLE HOT SUMMER NIGHTS A COVER OF A WALTER EGAN SONG. WHILST WITH NIGHT CHRIS ALSO RECORDED A SONG “IF YOU REMEMBER ME” WHICH WAS USED AS PART OF THE SOUNDTRACK TO THE FILM “THE CHAMP”; THIS TOO BECAME A HIT SINGLE AND WAS PROMOTED BOTH ON TV AND IN CONCERT BY NIGHT. HOWEVER FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF THE SECOND NIGHT ALBUM LONG DISTANCE THE BAND SPLIT AND CHRIS RETURNED FULL TIME TO MANFRED MANN’S EARTHBAND. THIS IS THE FIRST NIGHT ALBUM AND INCLUDES THE HIT SINGLE HOT SUMMERS NIGHT AND ALSO THE MASSIVELY POPULAR SONG IF YOU REMEMBER ME WHICH WAS FEATURED IN THE FILM THE CHAMP. IN ADDITION TO CHRIS THOMPSON THE BAND IN THIS ALBUM ALSO FEATURES STEVIE LANGE AS FRONT LINE SINGER ALONGSIDE CHRIS AND OTHER MUSICIANS INCLUDING KEYBOARDIST NICKY HOPKINS AND GUITARIST ROBBIE MCINTOSH WHO WOULD SUBSEQUENTLY GO ON TO WORK WITH THE PRETENDERS, PAUL MCCARTNEY AND NORA JONES BOTH IN A RECORDING AND LIVE CAPACITY.