JLife catches up with Leeds-born rock star Jeff Christie, on his latest album and the legacy of his classic hits.
Born and raised in Chapel Allerton, former Leeds Grammar School pupil Jeff Christie has established himself as one of the most talented songwriters of the 70s era. As frontman of The Outer Limits and Christie, Jeff paved his way to success with smash hits including Iron Horse, San Bernadino, and the classic Yellow River, which sold over 20 million copies worldwide. 50 years on, the musician is still doing what he loves best.
Hi Jeff, it’s great to catch up! What’s the story behind your latest album?
I got started putting this album together just before lockdown, and I’m in the middle of adding the finishing touches as we speak. The record is mostly a collection of new material, with a few older songs thrown in from the Christie era which I’ve always had fun playing and wanted to experiment with some rearrangements.
While putting together any record is often a slow, laborious process, the timing of the pandemic of course affected every artist’s work in many different ways. For me though, spending so much time alone proved to me just how much of a blessing and a joy music really is, and as hard as lockdown was, it ended up being a very creative time for me to focus on a new project.
Music for me has always been a complete pleasure that goes beyond a hobby, whether listening to it or making it. It’s never let me down and helped me stay sane through the most frightening times. I don’t know why I have an ability to create music, but it’s a fantastic gift that I continue to pursue.
“I’ve somehow been able to remain a musician all my life and be reasonably successful. I can’t ask for any more than that!”
What other factors have influenced this work?
I had to stop performing live in 2014 after undergoing spinal damage surgery, which made playing music very difficult. I no longer had the same fluency in playing the guitar and keyboards, and even just holding an instrument was a challenge at times. Back in the studio, it also forced me to rethink how to manage writing and recording without losing so much on my physical ability.
Ever since the old Christie days, I was used to writing, arranging, and recording all song parts myself, but I had to make quite a big mental shift in order to carry on by recruiting the help of a couple of other musicians to record certain song parts. To have no choice but to give parts to others and minimise that DIY joy I had for years was at first a massive disappointment for me.
But it’s more important to keep the ultimate goal in mind, and simply give each song the right treatment it deserves so it can be recorded. If somebody else is needed to record whatever sound is in my mind, then so be it!
Your dedicated fanbase must be a driving force to keep you going forward!
I never realised the huge following behind the band and my songs at first, and it’s so humbling to this day when people still write to my website expressing their love and appreciation for Christie. The amount of bands and solo artists around the world covering my songs has also been staggering, and it was an especially big moment for me when hearing that REM covered Yellow River. When they revealed how much they loved the song growing up, that really was a pleasant surprise.
When first taking up guitar aged 13, I never knew that it would make a living. But things have taken their course and it’s been a great ride so far. Somehow, I’ve been able to be a musician all my life and be reasonably successful. I can’t ask for any more than that. I’m just happy to be able to continue making music, and have people listen to my songs. It’s what gets me out of bed in the morning, and as long as I can keep doing this, I can’t grumble!
So, what’s next for you in the future?
Right now, the priority is to get the album finished by autumn to the best standard I can, before figuring out what to do with it next! I’m pretty pleased with the material on it so far, and already have had very good feedback from the trusted people I’ve played the songs to. Meanwhile, there’s always another project to get started on. I’m writing all the time, and always eager to start working on new material no matter how long it might take!
I don’t hold a definite opinion about what I should or shouldn’t do. The only thing I do know is that I must keep making music and find a way to get songs out there so people around the world can hear them if they choose. If you’re a genuine artist, it’s the be all and end all to carry on producing work and hope that people will approve!
Jeffchristie.com