Chas Chandler
Chandler in 1964
Chandler in 1964
Background information
Birth nameBryan James Chandler
Also known asChas Chandler
Born(1938-12-18)18 December 1938
Heaton, Newcastle, England
Died17 July 1996(1996-07-17) (aged 57)
Newcastle, England
GenresRock, R&B, psychedelic rock
Occupation(s)Musician, producer, A&R representative
Instrument(s)Bass, vocals
Years active1957–1996

Bryan James "Chas" Chandler (18 December 1938 – 17 July 1996)[1] was an English musician, record producer and manager, best known as the original bassist in The Animals, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. He also managed the band Slade, and Jimi Hendrix, about whom he was regularly interviewed until his death in 1996.

Early life

Bryan James Chandler was born in Heaton, Newcastle.[2] After leaving school, he worked as a turner in the Tyneside shipyards. He became the bass player with The Alan Price Trio in 1962.[1]

Career

The Animals

After Eric Burdon joined the band, the Alan Price Trio was renamed The Animals. Chandler's bass lines were rarely given critical attention but some, including the opening riff of the group's 1965 hit "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" subsequently received praise.[3][4] Chandler was also the most prominent of the group's backing vocalists and did occasional songwriting with Burdon. In 1966, despite commercial success, Chandler became disillusioned with the lack of money, recalling that, "We toured non-stop for three years, doing 300 gigs a year and we hardly got a penny."[1]

In addition to music, Chandler was also known for his tall stature, standing at 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m).

Reunions

In 1977, Chandler played and recorded with the original members of The Animals during a brief reunion and he joined them again for a further revival in 1983, at which point he sold his business interests, in order to concentrate on being a musician.[5]

Chandler, with all but lead singer Eric Burdon of the classic members, was present at the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Jimi Hendrix and Slade

After The Animals underwent personnel changes in 1966, Chandler turned to becoming a talent scout, artist manager, and record producer. During his final tour with The Animals, Chandler saw a then-unknown Jimi Hendrix play in Cafe Wha?, a Greenwich Village, New York City nightclub.[2] At the time Hendrix was performing under the name Jimmy James. In September, Chandler convinced Hendrix to accompany him to Britain,[4] which was made possible with the help of Michael Jeffery, who suggested that he revert to his actual name, and later suggested naming the band the Jimi Hendrix Experience. In Britain, Chandler recruited bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell as the other members of the Experience. His enthusiasm fuelled Hendrix during the early days, but halfway through the recording of his third album in 1968, Electric Ladyland, much had changed within the band's framework.

Chandler was a key figure in Hendrix's rise to critical and commercial success. Chandler provided the young musician with living accommodations and financed the Experience's first single "Hey Joe", before they had a recording contract.[3] He was also instrumental in introducing Hendrix to Eric Clapton. It was through this introduction that Hendrix was given the opportunity to play with Clapton and Cream on stage.[6] It was Chandler's idea for Hendrix to set his guitar on fire, which made national news when this idea was used at a concert at the Finsbury Park Astoria Theatre and subsequently at the Monterey Pop festival. Hendrix's sound engineer Eddie Kramer later recalled that Chandler was very hands-on with the first two Hendrix albums, adding that "he was his mentor and I think it was very necessary."[4]

By 1968, Chandler had become frustrated with the recording sessions for Hendrix's album Electric Ladyland, claiming they were self-indulgent. He left management services in the hands of Jeffery during the following year.[1] Chandler then managed and produced the British rock band Slade[5] for 12 years, during which they achieved six number one chart hits in the UK. Chandler and Slade parted company following the failure of the single "Knuckle Sandwich Nancy" in May 1981. He would, however negotiate their RCA contract which lasted for four new albums.

Expansion of music industry interests

Chandler bought IBC Studios which he renamed Portland Recording Studios, after the studio address of 35 Portland Place, London and ran it for four years until he sold it to Don Arden. Chandler also ran a series of record labels from the studios including Barn Records,[5] Six of the Best and Cheapskate Records. He formed a music publishing agency, as well as a production company and management companies.[5] He also had a brief stint in which he produced the Philadelphia-based rock group Horsepower, founded by Michael James Kennedy in 1978.[7]

Other business ventures

During the early 1990s, he helped finance the development of Newcastle Arena, a 10,000 seat sports and entertainment venue which opened in 1995.[3]

Death

Chandler died of an aortic aneurysm at Newcastle General Hospital on 17 July 1996,[8] days after performing a solo show.

Honours

  • Chandler was posthumously inducted into Hollywood's Rock Walk of Fame in May 2001 as a member of The Animals.
  • Chandler's former home at 35 Second Avenue, Heaton, hosts a blue plaque placed on the wall by Newcastle City Council, which reads: "Chas Chandler 1938–1996. Founder member of the 'Animals'. Manager of Jimi Hendrix & Slade. Co-founder of Newcastle Arena. Lived in this house 1938–1964."[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Welch, Chris (18 July 1996). "Obituaries: Chas Chandler". The Independent. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  2. 1 2 Barbara Hodgson (4 November 2015). "How Newcastle's Chas Chandler discovered the best guitarist in the world". Chroniclelive.co.uk. Chronicle. Retrieved 14 April 2017. He was on his final tour with The Animals in the US when he heard about a talented young guitarist and went along to New York's Cafe Wha to see him in action.
  3. 1 2 3 Unterberger, Richie. "Chas Chandler – biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 Heatley 2009, p. 60.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Colin Larkin, Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music (Muze UK Ltd, 1997) ISBN 0-7535-0149-X p104
  6. ↑ Saunders, William (2010) Jimi Hendrix London Roaring Forties Press ISBN 978-0-9843165-1-9
  7. ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Horsepower | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  8. ↑ Heatley 2009, p. 61.
  9. ↑ "Chas Chandler black plaque in Newcastle upon Tyne". Openplaques.org. 18 December 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
Bibliography
  • Heatley, Michael (2009). Jimi Hendrix Gear: The Guitars. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-1-61060-421-5.
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