CHRISTOPHER HOLLAND
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Christopher Holland - Without you @ Yahoo! Video
@ Yahoo! Video
Chris took up the piano as a small child growing up in South East London. He started piano lessons aged 7 but soon started playing by ear (which was a bit painful at first). He found it more satisfying spending hours on end in his bedroom practicing and recording his first song, Its Getting Late' when he was just 12.Using a very old teac reel to reel tape machine and RMI electric piano that was handed down from his elder brother Jools who would rehearse with Squeeze in their front room.When they all finished and went to the pub he would go in and have a play on their instruments,including a brand new polymoog synthersizer that sounded something like a space ship taking off
By his early teens while still at school he formed his own band B Sharp playing mainly organ and singing.They made their first TV debut at fifteen years old when spotted by Mick Robinson for a new show he was presenting for the BBC. Inspired by 60s/70s singer/songwriters he left school at 16 to concentrate on the band,,touring extensively around the country for a couple of years before being signed to Miles Copeland's IRS Labelreleasing a couple of singles While The Goings Good(prod Dennis Herring Costello Ben Folds)and Tell Me Straight produced by Pascal Gabriel[S-Express,Inspiral carpets,EMF].
In between working on his own music he has continued to tour and record with various other artists including Green On Red,Squeeze,Stereophonics ,Paul Weller Tom Jones(to name a few). As well as regularly playing organ,recording and writing with Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.
In 1999 he released his first solo album Cosmic Harmony Companion (on Beautiful Records BT003CD) containing some of his earliest compositions and featuring various guests musicians A follow up studio album Hoopatasso was released in 2002 in a very limited number. This served as a taster for Brother sun Sister moon (BT004CD) which was officially released in the summer of 2003 to much critical acclaim.,Featuring Ash Soan (ex Del Amitri, Faithless) on drums, Lisa Covington and Ron Box on guitars,Dave Swift on bass and Sam Brown providing bvs.This was partly produced with Laurie Latham and Ron Box and has an uplifting summery feel about it.
Continuing to tour throughout 2004 with his band Cosmic Harmony{now comprising of Terry Lewis guitar, JVL on bass and Andy Hawkins on drums as well as doing various solo acoustic shows and festivals including support slots with Jools and Glenn Tilbrook,he spent the summer of 2005 recording a one off project,,a joint collaboration with original B Sharp guitarist Lisa Covington Featuring 13 original songs and one very early 70s unreleased Squeeze cover,using a wide range of vintage keyboards but with a definite ear to the future Butterfly Effect was released in 2005
Since the end of 2006 and 07 Chris was in the studio again working on 12 brand new songs featuring Edwina Hayes on vocals and Melvyn Duffy on lap/pdal steel.Ash Soan on drums,''Everything you can imagine is real'' was offically released in Sept 2007 to rave reviews,becoming album of the week in Music Week magazine It has a warm folky/country feel and received great reviews, becoming album of the week in music week magazine.
2008/9
Chris has been doing various production and session
work incl performing with Al Green and Dave Gilmour and meeting up with his old mate ,record producer,musician Ethan Johns(kings of Leon,Ray Lamontagne,Paulo Nutini)
and subsequently recording on Tom Jones Praise and Blame album
2010.
In between working with Jools and the orchestra,
Chris is currently working on over 30 new songs for a new double album due out next year
including various early demos and guests, including collaboration with the amazing Katy Shotter
more soon,.******************** PLEASE VISIT CHRISTOPHER'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE WWW.COSMICHARMONY.CO.UK TO LISTEN AND BUY MORE OF HIS MUSIC also available at iTUNES,AMAZON, Spotify and ALL GOOD RECORD SHOPS *****************
