A Phil Brodie Band
Tribute Page 
CHRIS
STAINTON.
Born in Sheffield, England.
March 3rd 1943
( bass
/ keyboard / organ / piano / composer)
Wow, this is a long journey & far cry from making your first bass guitar out of a plank of wood with the late great Roy Barber in the woodwork lessons at Rollinsons isn't it Chris. Gigging in the old Sheffield pubs along with Tommy Eyre, Gerry Scanlan, Roy Barber etc.
CHRIS
STAINTON started out in 1959 with his plank bass guitar!
TRUE !
Johnny Tempest & The Mariners: Johnny (vocals),
Chris Stainton (bass), his life long friend, Roy Barber
(guitar), and ?? I should remember, but it was the 60's. The Mariner's
gradually became Johnny Tempest & The Cadillacs: Johnny (vocals),
Chris Stainton on bass, Roy Barber left to play with Dave Berry &
The Cruisers in '63 and was replaced by Brian Bruce (lead guitar), Mal
Towndrow (rhythm) and John Hall (drums). In 1966 Chris left and joined
up with Joe Cocker's latest band The Grease Band.
From 1960's Vance Arnold and The Avengers to Joe Cocker's Big Blues (Vernon Nash piano and Dave Memmott drums, plus Dave Green bass and Dave Cooper guitar) to Joe Cocker & The Grease Band formed in 1966 Joe Cocker (vocals), Chris Stainton (bass), Frank Myles (guitar), Vernon Nash (keyboards), Dave Memmott (drums), Their work was based on R&B and Motown stuff. In '67 they started writing their own songs. Their first single was 'Marjorine / The New Age of the Lily', released in April 1968, but it was recorded by Cocker and Stainton with great session men such as Albert Lee, Jimmy Page and Clem Cattini.
Chris and Joe assembled new line-up in April 1968, including keyboard prodigy Tommy Eyre: Joe Cocker (vocals), Mickey Gee (guitar), Chris Stainton (bass) Tommy Eyre (keyboards), Tommy Reilly (drums). In '68 Gee and Reilly left and were replaced by Henry McCullough (guitar) and Kenny Slade (drums) This was the lineup that recorded Joe Cocker's first album, the worldwide famous With a little help from my friends, although many other musicians were used in it. The complete lineup only appears in 1 song, a very beautiful rendition of 'Don't let me be misunderstood'. Some other great musicians in the album: Jimmy Page, Albert Lee, David Cohen (guitar), Carol Kaye (bass), Artie Butler, the great Matthew Fisher, Steve Winwood (keyboards), Paul Humphries, the much-missed B.J. Wilson, Clem Cattini, Mike Kellie (drums), Merry Clayton, Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, Madeline Bell, Sunny Weetman, Rosetta Hightower (backing vocals). Chris plays in all tracks but one, also co-writing three of songs: 'Change in Louise', 'Marjorine' and the magnificent 'Sandpaper cadillac'. A classic album.
In 1969 they appeared at the legendary WOODSTOCK FESTIVAL!! 1969 saw more band changes - Chris Stainton had replaced Tommy on keyboards, Bruce Rowlands had replaced Kenny on drums, and Alan Spenner had taken on the bass.
[below ] Chris
Stainton, Tommy Eyre, Joe Cocker, Kenny Slade and Henry McCullough.
Joe Cocker & The Grease Band 1968
Next the
Mad Dogs & Englishmen 1970 American Tour. [what
a line up.]
Joe Cocker (vocals)
Leon Russell (guitar, keyboards)
Don Preston (guitar, vocals)
Carl Radle (bass)
Chris Stainton (keyboards)
Jim Price (trumpet)
Bobby Keys (sax)
Chuck Blackwell (percussion, drums)
Sandy Konikoff (percussion)
Bobby Torres (percussion)
Jim Gordon (drums)
Jim Keltner (drums)
+
Rita Coolidge (vocals)
Claudia Lennear (vocals)
Daniel Moore (vocals)
Donna Weiss (vocals)
Pamela Polland (vocals)
Matthew Moore (vocals)
Donna Washburn (vocals)
Nicole Barclay (vocals)
Bobby Jones (vocals)
[below] Chris Stainton's feet, photo taken by Denny Cordell on the Mad Dogs tour!
Through the 70s
he played in -
The Grease Band '70-'72,
Chris Stainton Band '72 - '76,
Tundra '76,
Bryn Haworth Band, '76/'77
Boxer, '77
Maddy Prior Band '77, Rocks,
Rocks '78
[below] BOXER,
Chris Stainton - Keyboards, Keith Ellis - Bass, Ollie Halsall - Guitar,
Keyboard, Tony Newman - Drums, Mike Patto - Vocals,
In 1979
he joined Eric Clapton's band.They
recorded a live album in Tokyo, December 1979. The double album was
called Just one night.[classic albim]
Chris stayed with Eric Clapton through the '80s recording and touring
including ROGER WATERS BAND tour in 1984 and the Live Aid macrofestival
1985 to mention a few. Also sessioned with many famous names as you
will read below
1989 he joined up with
The Cocker Band again. Throughout the '90s
Chris toured and recorded with both The Cocker Band and The Eric Clapton
Band on there major venues.
2002 finds him with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, Chris replaced Georgie
Fame for a few concerts. Sessioning between things.. He once got a job
in a show at a London theatre!
CONCERT
FOR GEORGE [what an honour]
On November 29th,
2002, a very special concert was held as a tribute for the late George
Harrison, one year after his death. Lots of great musicians played in
memory of their friend This great event can be bought on DV and video:
Eric Clapton (guitar, vocals)
Andy Fairweather-Low (guitar)
Albert Lee (guitar)
Jeff Lynne (guitar)
Dhani Harrison (guitar) George's son
Dave Bronze (bass)
Gary Brooker (keyboards, vocals)
Chris Stainton (keyboards)
Ray Cooper (percussion)
Henry Spinetti (drums)
Jim Capaldi (drums)
Jim Keltner (drums)
Paul McCartney (vocals)
Ringo Starr (vocals)
Sam Brown (vocals)
Billy Preston (keyboards)
Jools Holland (keyboards)
Michael Kamen (orchestral arrangements)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Joe Brown
Ravi Shankar
Chris
now performs with Eric Clapton, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, Joe Cocker,
and sessions with other top artists and bands.
At present he is on a world tour with Eric Clapton. (2004)
SESSIONS WITH FORMER/CURRENT BANDMATES
Leon
Russell
Leon Russell (1970, Shelter)
And The Shelter People (1971, Shelter)
Daniel Moore
Daniel Moore (1971, ABC)
Jim Capaldi
Whale Meat Again (1974, Island)
The Grease Band
Amazing Grease (1975, Goodear)
Bryn Haworth
Sunny side of the street (1975, Island)
Keep the Ball Rolling (1979, A&M)
Boxer
Below the belt (1975, Virgin)
Bloodletting (1979, Virgin)
Maddy Prior - vocalist
in Steeleye Span.
Changing Winds (1978, Chrysalis)
Gary Brooker
Lead Me to the Water (1982, Mercury)
Spooky Tooth
The last puff (Jul 70, Island)
The best of Spooky Tooth (1970, Island) (compilation)
Don Nix
Living by the days (1971, Elektra)
The Who
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy (1971)
The Who
Quadrophenia (1973, Track) (2LP)
Chris Jagger
The Adventures of Valentine Fox (1974, Asylum)
Charge
Charge (1974, Fresh Air)
Druick And Lorange
Druick And Lorange (1974, Goodear)
The Who
Tommy (Mar 1975)
Ian Hunter
All American Alien Boy (1976, CBS)
Stephen Bishop
Red Cab to Manhattan (1980, Warner)
Alvin Lee Band
RX5 (Nov 81, Avatar)
Marianne Faithfull
Dangerous Acquaintances (Sep 81, Island)
The Alarm
Best of the Alarm & Mike Peters (1998)
Pete Townshend
All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes (1984, Atlantic)
Simon Townshend
Sweet Sound (1984, Polydor)
Joe Cocker
One Night of Sin (1989)
Ringo Starr
Starr struck: the best of Ringo Starr (1989)
VVAA
Two Rooms (1991)
Joe Cocker
Night Calls (1991, Capitol)
Bryan Ferry
Taxi (1993)
Joe Cocker
Have a Little Faith (1994, Capitol)
Joe Cocker
Long Voyage Home (1995)
Maddy Prior
Momento: the Best of Maddy Prior (1995)
Joe Cocker
Organic (1996)
The Grease Band
Chronicles (1997)
B.B. King
Deuces Wild (Nov 97, MCA)
Leon Russell
Retrospective (1997)
Joe Cocker
Across from Midnight (1997, Capitol)
Marianne Faithfull
Perfect Stranger: The Island (1998)
Eros Ramazzotti
Eros live (1998)
Ian Hunter
Once Bitten Twice Shy (2000)
Jimmy Smith
Dot Com Blues (2001)
BB King - Here and There: the Uncollected (2001)
The Alarm
Eye of the Hurricane (expanded) (2002)
Joe Cocker
Greatest Love Songs (2003)
**********
Chris
with the Eric Clapton Band (Palais des Sport) in Antwerp,
Belgium on April 9, 2004 [below]
What a career Chris.
I created this page on May 1st 2004 in memory of our mutual friend the late Roy Barber, who sadly passed away on May 1st 2000. What a gentle, but fun loving man and amazing guitarist. R.I.P. Actually Roy we hope you are a reelin' and a rockin' with all the other greats up there!!
Many thanks to Miguel Terol and John Ferminger for much of the information
