Christie - Fans

"Hi Jeff, just been listening to Yellow River on Gold Radio and it took me way back to when you started: I used to go to a youth club at Allerton Grange school in Leeds and you played there.
You may not remember as it was way back, but it has been great to see the success you have had, well deserved. (You were born in the same year as me also.)
Keep well."

Stuart Brown, Leeds, UK

"Dear Mr Christie, I want to thank you. During this unpredictable time, it was your music that really helped me get through the tough periods.
Listening to your words and music was what I needed to get by.
Be kind, be safe and most importantly be happy."

Marshall Jay Kaplan
TV producer, director and host, Canada

"Hi Jeff. How are you in these coronatimes ? I'm in quarantine at home after a holiday abroad. Here in Norway we have to stay at home for 14 days if we have been abroad. So now I'm listening to I'm Alive, a very good song (like many other Christie songs)!"

May Britt, Norway

"Hi Jeff, here is a blast from the past. I used to knock about with you in the early 60s when your group called The Tremmers - with Stan Drogie on drums, Ken Holmes on bass and the other Jeff whose father owned a button factory . I played rhythm.
I took you to City Varieties for a recording with Decca. We used to go to the Tahiti Club in North St. and the coffee bar further up the street. I also remember your gigs at a lot of the pubs in the area. The good old days. Take care and all the best."

Tony Spencer, UK

"Listening to Yellow River: great song! My wife's from Leeds and I'm from Cork. If you are ever in Ireland, I so have your back: none of the good bands play here.
I have the wife's head wrecked … if it's not Yellow River, it's San Bernadino!
My special needs daughter also loves Yellow River.

Tom Kelleher, Ireland

"Dear and admired Jeff, I wrote to you before and told you that when I was 13 years old, I saw you play at the Civasa in the city of Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina, it was in the carnivals of 1974.
I remember as if it was yesterday that at about 12 o'clock at night a truck with sound equipment arrived, and the attendees had T-shirts with the Alabama and I'm Alive inscription, these assistants climbed the amplifiers by a ramp and armed the sound on stage.
An hour later two cars arrived with the band and other people. This club was located on a service station, when they got out of the vehicles I could see everyone up close.
I remember that they entered through a long corridor located in a house next to the club to dress for the show, and after five minutes the drummer left asking for an ashtray or something like that.
After a while they all left for the show and I was impressed to see your boots with the colors of the UK flag. That night the sound was impressive, I remember Danny Krieger playing like the gods.
Due to my young age I could not enter the club to see your show, but there was a window that looked on the side of the stage where I grabbed the bars and you were a metre away, haha!
It was incredible, I finally saw the whole show from there, that day was very special for me, I was marked forever and made the decision to dedicate myself to music.
Today I am 59 years old and I worked in Argentina and some Latin American countries as a sessionist.
I am a guitarist and now that I am retired I just formed a band where we will play some of your hits. I know that the most difficult will be Yellow River since nobody who pays tribute makes it sound good, that song has a special groove, very special.
I just wanted to give you the pleasure of writing and telling you that even after so many years your songs are still playing in my head like that day."

Ricardo Bianchi (Arci Blancs), Argentina

"I remember Yellow River used in the Yellow Pages advertisement. The tune went “Yellow Pages, Yellow Pages, Let your fingers do the walking, Yellow Pages, Yellow Pages, Ring round, ring round, That's the way ..."
They sponsored the Formula Atlantic car racing championship in the 70s and the tune would reverberate around the grandstands of the racing circuits of the UK."

Bomberboy, UK

"I'm Moravia, a Spanish musician from Madrid. I just feel honoured to write to you just to tell you I've been a Christie's music lover, and not only for your hits Yellow River or Iron Horse, but also for some unfairly unrecognised gems like For All Mankind or If Only.
I was 14 in the summer of 1970 spending holidays in Denia, Alicante, by the beach with my parents, when I was shocked by your wonderful epic song, sharing constant radio airplay then with Mungo Jerry's In The Summertime.
I'm glad to see you keep active. Maybe one day I can see you playing live in Spain.
My best regards to you."

Juan Manuel Moratinos Gutiérrez, Madrid, Spain

"Hi Jeff, my name is Mike Morales. You and your band performed a live concert in Chihuahua, México during the early 70s. It was at the local bullring and is near to where I live!"

Mike Morales, Mexico

Jeff SA

"It's Dave from Edison Lighthouse, we did the tour of South Africa. Here's a photo from the fun times in Africa, mate!"

David Kerr-Clemenson, UK

"The Lido review bar circa 1969-1970 ! Actually saw you singing the legendary Yellow River and am certain the old Leeds United players were there that evening too! Terry Cooper for sure, and Jess Conrad and Charles Hawtrey upstairs!
Stay true to your calling! Awesome music. You won’t remember but I was supposedly the Lulu lookalike: a memorable evening for me."

Ann Howick, UK

"So sorry to hear about Steve Isherwood. I'd known him since about 1967, in the 90s we worked together a lot on sessions and played the country festivals in Holland and Germany. I haven't seen him for some years but nevertheless the world is a worse place without him."

Geoff Ashford, UK

"I'm a huge fan of your music, I'm Brazilian and I am about to sing Yellow River in a karaoke, in a Brazilian carnival party. I'll perform the best song ever!! Yellow River is everything!!!"

Alexandre Braga, Brazil

"Greetings from Paraguay, I was in the Botanical Garden where they played in the year 1970! Thank you for the great music I’ve been introduced through the years from the Outer Limits to Christie itself."

Milciades Mendez, Paraguay

"HEY Jeff! I just wanted to thank you for your great music. I'm from Germany and was on a pretty long car drive. So I needed some good music and came across Christie. It really helped me to stay awake and sing along. So ... thanks again!"

Katrin Mo, Germany

YR Park

Hello Jeff, I was hiking here today and thought of you!

Suzie Teaney, Georgia, USA

"Hello, Jeff! You are an amazing melodist and musician, your songs - a staggering achievement by simple means andgreat music! My deep respect and gratitude! Only today I showed the musician in my band the bass part in Iron Horse that he would use this technique in his original songs! Again ,thank You for the music!

With respect, Alexander Zaretsky, Russia

"YOU made me a Byrds fan before I'd even heard of the Byrds, when I was 10. Thank you for Yellow River and even more, Iron Horse, which I saved up my pocket money to buy. Hope you're well."

Rod Liddle, Chilham, UK

"HI Jeff. I was just listening to your song Yellow River on my local radio station. What a great song.
That brings back some memories for me years ago when I first heard it. I am glad they are still playing it on the radio. You must be very proud.
I hope it's ok to ask, I would love to have an autographed photo/item of you. Or I could send you something (index card) with a self-addressed envelope with some money for postage if I had an address to mail it to. Thanks for your time and consideration. A fan for life."

Rod Williams, Warrensburg, USA

*We get many, many requests for Jeff's autographs. The best we can do at this stage is to send fans scans of Jeff's photos with his signature on it. If you wish to receive one, just email: realjeffchristie@gmail.com

"HI Jeff, I heard of Vic Elmes passing from his ex-wife Dee Anderson.
I sang with Vic for several years in the 70’s after he left Christie. Dee was my band’s first girl singer, which is how I got to know Vic.
I came to see you perform in London, together with Dee after we had finished our gig. I think you were playing at The Hilton. I met you and the band, together with Dee.
I saw many videos of your new Christie band and those performances were excellent. I now live in the US but was originally from Ealing."

Tony Moore, Indianapolis, USA

"HELLO! I am a big fan of you in Japan.
I wanna see your concert in japan. I love your songs very much.
It's so fun to listen. Thank you for reading my message."

Tatsuhiko Aoki, Yokohama

"HELLO, Mr. Jeff! I am writing from Mar del Plata, Argentina, and I am so glad to have found your official page on Facebook. I tell you that I love your videos and have posted on my Facebook wall many times (recently just shared San Bernadino). Yellow River and Iron Horse are the best known songs in my country and I very much like If Only, a beautiful ballad. Well, all your music is wonderful! I am very happy to know that you fond memories of your stay in Argentina, and I hope you visit us again soon. When your band was in Argentina in the 70s, I was a little girl, so I love to see a concert and wished your band could play at Mar del Plata. "

Diana Patricia Labrador, Argentina

"I REMEMBER listening to your great success and hits such as Yellow River, Iron Horse and San Bernardino. I am from Paraguay, was born and raised listening to your music, thanks to my father who instilled in me the good music. He never forgot the day you arrived to Paraguay in 1973; he recalls with tears of joy and begins to tell me all the details about that marvellous concert you gave at Asunción botanical garden. I hope you come back to give us a concert that will be a total success."

Emilio Mendez, Paraguay

"TODAY I came upon your profile on Facebook.
Just wanted to say I am 60 years old and since 1971 I've heard your music (Yellow River, San Bernardino, Iron Horse and many other songs), the music that was the symbol of an era of youth in my country (Argentina).
I have aged with the sound of your songs that still make me feel great and make my days pretty and nice. I see your latest Youtube videos and I wish I could hear you again in the near future.
I wish you the best for your life and THANKS for composing such beautiful songs that have cheered me and remind me the best part of my life. A big hug from Argentina."

Alicia Bdelakich, Argentina

"HELLO, Jeff.
Just a short message to thank you for your time for signing my records, it was great to meet you.
I was gutted to have missed last year's show itself at Amersham, hopefully the club will have you back.
I have been going there for years and it is always a very inviting environment, hopefully they gave you a warm welcome.
I had a time consuming journey home, but it was worth it having met you, as well as Phil and Cliff from Paper Lace."

Tony Clapson, UK

"DEAR Mr Christie, I was a kid in central California when Yellow River was originally on the radio.
Now at 52, I just returned to CA from my first trip to Europe. In Zurich I picked up a 45 pic sleeve of Yellow River, that in turn led to to the 20-minute youtube video all about the song. It's an amazing story about a great song.
I just want to thank you for providing some great background music to a wonderful time in my life."

Craig Daniel, USA

"HELLO, Mr Christie.
I am a young 56 years old, Canadian, from Victoria B.C. originally, now living in the mountains in Banff, Alberta.
We used to listen to Yellow River on transistor radios in the early 70's. Thank you for the great song.
I am an amateur musician. I will be learning Yellow River. Very nice emotion in that song. Brings back great memories. "

Brent Macarthur, Canada

"ONE hot afternoon during the carnival of 1974 things happened in my neighbourhood; it was Saturday , there was a big dance that night , and everything lived with a special joy.
I was 13 and listening to the radio waiting for that English band who was in Argentina recently and arrived in Buenos Aires during a tour of South America. There was a variety show in the afternoon which featured the band, and it was magical.
That afternoon those English long-haired artists came to my city, Quilmes, to a club named Cibasa, just a few blocks from my house.
The kids in the neighbourhood gathered in a corner under the shadow of a leisure centre, arranging to go to the club to dance; those kids were 15 to 22 years, they talked and I listened carefully because I wanted to go with them and be able to see these British stars.
Only those aged 18 or above could enter the dancing hall, and the younger ones who stayed with them got to see the musicians and hear the concert from outside the club.
A major promotion on TV and the radio was on and I did not miss any appearance of the group; for me they were amazing , I liked everything about them - dress, look , instruments, their playing and singing songs - and I had to see them regardless, so I prepared the best duds I had and about 9pm we all went out together walking towards the club.
The meeting with Christie approached. Months ago I had bought the LP "Christie: The greatest hits" and among my favorites were Yellow River , Iron Horse, JoJo 's Band and San Bernardino .
This was the second time the group came to Argentina and the first time in Quilmes, this time with a new member, replacing Vic Elmes on lead guitar. He was a chubby North American named Danny Krieger who was more of a rocker than Vic.
At 2am we were in the place when two brand new Fiat 1500 cars arrived; they parked there, a few meters from where we were, and out of one of the cars fell nothing more and nothing less than the band leader himself, Jeff Christie! A tall guy who looked like Leonard Nimoy, very funny and friendly.
They gave us a hi as they walked between us , I was petrified to see him so close. Behind was the drummer, the bassist (Roger Flavell) and Danny Krieger, all entered a hallway adjacent to the club house to dress for the show.
I could not believe my eyes; half an hour later, the four came out dressed with the most beautiful outfits that I've ever seen ... velvet pants , satin shirts , boots with the colors of the British flag , and incredible long hair , make-up from another world , and so on.
The British boys came up the ramp with their guitars hanging on the back. That night Christie played their successes and touched some covers , and there was even a great jam session with Danny Krieger breaking it with his Les Paul.
This show was unique , unforgettable. That night I got home at 5 in the morning. I slept in my bed happy.
This is the story of my meeting with Christie, the band who left a very deep mark in my soul and gave me the musical passion for the rest of my days."

Ricardo Bianchi, Argentina

Jane TRAVEL writer Jane Hayward outlined her memories of Yellow River in the January 2014 issue of Woman and Home magazine. She elaborates further:
"Yes, the industry of human happiness is right! I can remember just how happy I felt dancing to the song now — the hotel band played it multiple times each night because everyone was asking for it.
No one could hear it too many times. I can't imagine what it must be like having created a song that gets that reaction.
I still feel just the same when I hear it now, 40 years later.
I didn't understand that the lyrics were about a soldier, but I was captivated by the idea of leaving home for an adventure and sleeping underneath the moon — things I do for a living now."

"DURING the 1960s and 1970s, I collected record charts (surveys) from CHUM Radio 1050 in Toronto, Ontario. Now I am a retired teacher living near Toronto, and I collect autographs of music stars listed on my charts. Here is a chart with Yellow River on it."

Richard Mills: Milton, Ontario, Canada

"GOOD to discover your website and read about something I'd only roughly known about, as I've been spending another lifetime in Somerset and Devon.
In July 1966 I was lead singer/guitarist with R&B York group The Crawdaddies, and we appeared at the Queen's Hall Leeds with The Outer Limits and The Who. There were thousands there that night, if you remember, and we had such a wonderful time. We only had basic amps and you let us use your amps for our two spots. I still get pleasure thinking about the gig. Our trio disbanded soon after as we followed other careers but it's great to have that memory.
Good to know that you went on to lots of greater things."

John Vickers: UK

"IT was 42 years ago - I was a 12 year old boy - I bought my first single: San Bernardino from Christie. The single is missed since many many years and I was unhappy because of that.
A few days ago I found the yellow CD "Christie" with San Bernardino and Yellow River in an online shop and ordered it. Arrived yesterday and since today morning I am the happy listener again ... volume up in the car on the way to the office! Indeed, I have a top executive job, a luxury car - but the guitar riffs in San Bernardino are still the best ...
Viva the loud hair - and the long music!"

Niklaus Locher: Switzerland

"BIG hugs to Jeff!
Thank you for your song Yellow River, I like it very much.
I love the website of Christie. I'd love to receive photos of you especially when drummer Paul Fenton was with the group, I always liked liked him very much. How can I locate him, does some e-mail?.
I reiterate my love, from Latin America, from Chile."

Gloria Paiva: Chile

"I'VE just got to know you today, Jeff, through the music video taken in River Thames, London. But, I've known the famous song Yellow River for a long time (good things last forever). Wishing you all the best !"

Linda Lam: Hong Kong

"HOW do I apologize for 30 + years of thinking Jeff was Lou Christie (Lightning Strikes Again fame)? I grew up on a farm in Central Alberta, Canada, and my oldest brother had Yellow River on a cassette tape he recorded off the AM radio. The quality was atrocious, but the great sound was there! Tonight while playing faves from the 60's/70's, my sons absolutely loved this song and because of technology thought I would send this note saying how I and my three musical sons love Jeff's song! It really stands the test of time and is definitely one for the ages. Thanks, Thanks , Thanks."

Wayne Sperry: USA

"I'M the lucky fan who snapped up Jeff's lyrics at Bonhams last December (2010). Having been a devoted fan since the 70s, it was an amazing thrill to have got them. Somewhere I may still have an autograph Jeff gave me after a Christie concert in London in 1972. I was in my early teens and my parents only allowed me to go on condition they dropped me off at the door and picked me up afterwards! I didn't mind - nothing was going to stop me from going. Quite unbelievable that it was nearly 40 years ago - I remember it as if it were yesterday. Now all my children love Jeff's music too.
What's prompted me to write is that recently, about four weeks ago, I was amazed to see Jeff at a hotel in north-west London. I didn't get a chance to speak to him as I was in a meeting at the time, and Jeff was talking to an elderly gentleman. I'm organising a party at the hotel for my 13-year-old son this weekend, and when I told him I'd seen Jeff there, he couldn't believe it. He was very disappointed not to have been there, as he'd been at school that day.
The website is wonderful - after all those pre-internet years of wondering why no-one else seemed to remember Jeff and his music, there is (of course) widespread devotion on a global scale!"

Beverley N: England

"THANK you for the information on here on where Yellow River originally was to be! This has been my favorite song ever since I was a child. Not being able to get it out of my head after hearing this song one time in the early 1970's, I asked my father where Yellow River was, and was told it was in China. So I figured maybe that was where this song was about, and wondered what war it was about."

Carolyn King: USA

“I CAN'T remember what I was looking for, but several weeks ago I came across the Yellow River music video as the band performed the song while floating down the River Thames. I think I was about 12 years old when the song came out, and I remember hearing it on the radio.
Now it stays in my head for long periods of time. Great song!
I didn't think music videos appeared until the early 80s on VH-1. I'm just curious how this video came to be. How long did it take to film it?”

Joe Healey: via youtube

“I LOVED Yellow River when I was a young teen living in the Chicago area. I hadn’t thought of it in many years, but ran across it recently on youtube.
Must have watched it (the Thames version video) a hundred times since then. The lyrics reminded me of the Civil War in the USA, so I researched your motivation in doing the song. I didn’t know back in ‘70 that you were into “Americana”. Most of us dreamed of being in London! Haha. (I finally got there in 1990.)
Thought you might be interested to know about Tunnel Hill, GA, where there is a Civil War re-enactment on Sept. 10-11 of this year. There are other historical sites in the region such as the battlefield in Chickamauga and in Chattanooga, TN, Lookout Mountain. If you happen to be in the US, you might want to check it out. Chattanooga, TN, home of the famous “Choo Choo”, also has a railway museum. I’ve been living in this region for a few decades now.
Just wanted to say hello and that your music is still appreciated.”

Diane Headrick: Tennessee, USA

“WHEN I was 13, my parents sent me to "church camp" for a week. We weren't allowed to bring radios, but I couldn't imagine not listening to music for a whole week, so I brought mine anyway. One day when we had free time I snuck into the woods with the radio. I was afraid of getting caught, so I only stayed for a few minutes. The only song I heard was Yellow River, so I'll always remember it fondly.”

Clete6: forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com, USA

“YELLOW River is one of my all-time favorites, a wonderful slice of power-pop with just that right touch of melancholy in the arrangement. I first heard the song on a radio station in Wisconsin -- I was up at Camp Moshava in Waushara County -- in August, 1970, two whole months before it broke in Chicago. The radio station was very small -- I don't remember the call letters -- but they were also spinning Dionne Warwick's Paper Mache and Mama Cass' A Song That Never Comes that summer, as well as Shocking Blue's Never Marry A Railroad Man, so I had my transistor tuned to it every chance I got. When Yellow River debuted on the bigger stations, I was stunned. I had been afraid I would never hear that fantastic song again.”

Bobster: forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com, USA

“CHRISTIE’S Yellow River is a long-time favorite of mine, and one you just don't hear enough of on the radio. What a great, upbeat tune! Not only should deejays play this as a forgotten hit, but they should add it to their regular play list more often, too!”

Rich: forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com, USA

"Hi ! My name is Omar, I am 54 years old .
I have seen the Christie band in Argentina, in1973 or 1972 , at the Bamako Club (Club Mariano Moreno), Wilde, Buenos Aires.
I still remember when they came on stage dressed in coats of glossy paper that broke while they were playing."

Omar: Buenos Aires, Argentina

"I am so glad that I found you. You brought back my teenager days whe I had enjoyed a lot of your songs.
I am originally from Brazil and I remember pretty much you have sold millions of copies of your LP over there.
I am sure that lots of people love you forever, include me of course. I missed you a lots. Today I am living in US for 20 years. I have your LP from 1970 and if you came here I will love to see you.
God bless you. Hope somebody invite you to came to US."

Hozanna: USA

"HELLO to Jeff, I'm writing from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I wanted to tell him that here the love for his music grows daily.
Me and my friends dream to see him play with his band in this country.
I have from a country rock band, Malditos Gusanos, and Jeff has had a major influnce in our music."

Facundo Mansilla: Buenos Aires, Argentina

"HEY Jeff! I've always loved the song Yellow River. And as a resident of San Bernardino, I think that your song San Bernardino would be the perfect theme song as our city celebrates its bicentennial this year. Mayor Pat Morris also loves the song. I hope that 2010 finds you well. I hope that you can come back to San Bernardino this year! Best Wishes! "

Rory Murray: San Bernadino, USA

"IF only Christie, Elmes, Fenton and Lubin could make together their third and maybe fourth album in a modern studio. I guess those good old songs (which are not on their two first albums) could be something surprising to many people.
I have always liked Jeff Christie's singing and those guitar solos of Vic Elmes. They were so melodic and almost "singing", that I must still nowadays plagiarise some of his licks. When For All Mankind came, it made me think of peace, our life and death, and all this stuff we fill our days with. Very special songs to me are I´m Alive and Freewheeling Man. Great rock ballads!
We can speculate what would have come, if they continued together after Magic Highway. That line was almost progressive and fascinating. Of course those pop songs like The Most Wanted Man and Jo Jo’s Band were great in their simpleness. Great pop group."

Tarvo Laakso: Tampere, Finland

"I WAS a fan of Christie from the very beginning, from the early 70s. I have the original LP at home and also CDs, etc ... but the most grateful moment was the first time when my son (I have three sons) played Yellow River with his electric quitar. And he played it well."

Pasi Lehti: Finland

"SOMETIME along my life, I thought what happened with Jeff Christie, if he was still singing, what had been of his life?
One day,looking for in the web, I found him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was magic!!! I am very ,very happy to see him.
My name is Alicia and I am from San Martin, Argentina. When I knew Jeff, I was only 14 years old and he was 27. My friend Silvia and me followed him to all the places where he was: Club Atletico San Martin, Club Atletico San Miguel, Castrobarros, Sheraton. Every day, we went to Sheraton Hotel to see him. He was in the swiming pool with Vicky, Roger, a very beatifull girl (maybe she was your girlfriend) and the manager. When we saw him, we were very emotional, and nervous, and we didn't know what to do... but he was all for us!!!!!!! Jeff is the greatest!!!
Here is an account of what happned on February 28, 1974, from my diary. We went to the Sheraton and we saw Roger who was sitting on an armchair beside the pool. He playfully hid from us when we tried to take a photo. Then he approached and signed us an autograph.
We started to speak with him , and told us he had cut the beard because it was too hot, and he said that his hair was dyed.
Then, we asked him where our idol Jeff was and he answered: maybe in the room ...but our English was poor and didn't know what "maybe" meant. The previous day we had seen Jeff with a girl (see the photo above) we thought Jeff was in the room with her, and we became sad!! The next day we brought a dictionary and asked Roger to look up "maybe" for us, and when we saw what it meant, we breathed and calmed down .. as if Jeff was only ours only and no-one else's!
Also, Rogr told us that he liked to read French magazines. Then, he told us that had to go to eat. We asked him if we could come another day and continue talking with him .... and he answered : "Oh yes!! Tomorrow ha-bla-mos" :)
We were crazy happy ... we didnt belive!!! It was a dream!!
I have been trying to locate Argentina's TV shows with Jeff; I contacted someone from Channel 13 (I read in my private diary that Jeff had been there) but he said that the archives were affected by fire several times.
I'm going to follow looking for it, if I know something, I will tell you immediatly. The problem is that we hadn't videos, DVDs, etc, back then. I have got a photo of Jeff I took of from black and white TV. I will send to you.
I was very sad for Jeff when England was losing in the World Cup. I was cheering Jeff all the time by facebook and myspace.
A big kiss for Jeff ... I love him so much and always remember his beautiful smile. Here above are some photos I took of him and Roger Flavell!!"

Aly: San Martin, Argentina

"WAS that Jeff on the TV yesterday (Look North). It seems such a long time since I saw him walking hislovely setter on the playing fields.
Good luck with the tune (Hat-trick of Lions), and yes I still have the other one well entrenched in my mind.
Some good talent in this city. I'll be watching for your top spot!"

Alexandria Gregory: Leeds, UK

Epic album "CHRISTIE'S Yellow River album (in the US) was on Epic Records (with the famous yellow label, that was made with thick vinyl and labeled nonbreakable).
Dave Clark 5 and others were also on that label as were the Yardbirds and others, like Jeff Beck Group, etc...). Those yellow Epic LPs are among the finest quality vinyl ever issued by any label in mass production BUT ultimately, it's as Berry Gordy's famous line says, "It's What's In The Groove That Counts!".
Christie's Yellow River is an outstanding song and the LP is good. In my opinion, artists and bands would greatly benefit from listening to some of the fine songs as well as LPs of the more obscure as well as the top acts of the day, especially from the 1968-1972 era.
I think Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes has mentioned several times in the past during interviews that his band try and make their records sound like the production used on the great records from back then.
Christie's Yellow River has all the great qualities that one wants in a record. Great sound, a tune or a groove that "stays" with you, great singing and excellent choice of how the instrumentation blends and the mix/overall sound.
Google Christie - Yellow River and you'll come up with their promo film (what videos were called, before they were elaborate videos, eg MTV era 1981-onward). It's pretty good!
There were lots of great acts on the charts then and the creativity and imagination of all of them lifted the bar and creativity for everyone.
The playing of many of the groups from that era was superior to the majority of today's acts appearing on TV. Back then there was less gadgettry and plug-in pedals etc to aid in achieving a certain sound, you either could play or you worked damn hard to get there. Not saying that there aren't some brilliant "players" and extremely competent groups today, as there certainly are, but the average or huge lot of them aren't as competent or versatile. "

Dr. R Lee: USA

"I DON'T know how strange it is to Jeff to hear from people who have never met him, but feel like they want to know everything about him.|
I was only 16 when I heard Yellow River. At the time I lived in Mexico City, where I was born and had no real idea of what the song was about, only that I loved it.|
At the time we had a sort of MTV, where the few popular videos were shown at 6:30 p.m. every Saturday evening. I waited for the song and thought about music and the people who create it.
I moved to the States, I am now bilingual, a thorough lover of music, with a musician child who at times travels the world with his music. I was thinking about the people who have touched my life in meaningful ways and decided it was time to thank Jeff for the way in which he touched my life. I love his songs, and I am very proud to say that my children know his story and his music and that we all consider ourselves fortunate to know him.
Just this weekend, we have been listening to Jeff's songs via utube, and he has become the topic of our weekend chats. We decide that we need more music like his!
Thank you Jeff for all you do, and may God bless you with good health and many years of inspiration. I’m glad you quit smoking!"

Teresa Ahlstrom: USA

"MY name is Deb, and I totally love all your music. Yellow River is the greatest song ever. I know that you probably don’t ever get a chance to read all the letters from all your fans, but I figured I would write to you anyway. I am in grade 8 and my Dad has been teaching me to play acoustic guitar for almost a year now. He is a great teacher and a great dad. He has promised to get me an electric guitar for a graduation gift in June. My Dad loves your music too.
I love you alot and I really hope to hear from you."

Deb Lillis: Ontario, Canada

"I AM a student at the Isle of Wight College studying for a BTEC National Diploma in Media. I planto use the song, Iron Horse, in one of my projects."

Graham Hammond: England

"CHRISTIE'S Picture Painter is a really great track.
As someone who has bought their albums on CD (I wasn't old enough to be around when their records came out!), I've always thought that what held them back from bigger success, is they didn't seem to know whether they wanted to be a hard rock, country rock or pop band.
Too heavy for the pop crowd, and not heavy enough for the rock crowd, but no one can question the songwriting skills.
Anyone else agree?"

metalbearuk, via youtube

"HEY!!! Argentina loves Christie!!!!!!!!!
Best wishes!"

Malditos Gusanos: Argentina

" I AM a 40-year fan. First heard Yellow River on leave from Vietnam in Australia. One of my all time favorites. Still gets me going, and I turned my kids and grandkids on to it.
Sure would be nice to get it on with a California tour. And I'll give Jeff a tour of SoCal in kind. Hope to see him some day. Even come for a vacation and he can stay at my place.
Nothing I'd enjoy better on one of his visits than to shake the hand of or take to dinner someone who has provided so many years of musical enjoyment."

Chuck Dozier: California, USA

"I JUST discovered the song Yellow River. I couldn't believe the song when I heard it. I'm not musical at all but I knew right away that Yellow River was an incredible piece. I want to tell Jeff how much I liked it."

Stephanie Seglin: Maryland, USA

"FOR those of us of a certain age, it's hard to divorce the song Yellow River from the television advert from the early seventies that used its tune and chorus hook to promote the wonders of 'Yellow Pages' - "Let your fingers, do the walking, Yellow Pages". And so on.
I used to wrongly believe that the chart topping song was a re-written widescreen version of the advert itself.
Musically, we're back in Edison Lighthouse Anglo power pop mode as Yorkshireman Christie recounts the thoughts of someone finally returning from an unspecified war to their home and lover in Yellow River.
It would be very convenient to point to the contemporary war in Vietnam as its inspiration, but the song also talks about 'cannon fire' which suggests something more historical, though this of course could be metaphorical.
But whatever, it's this lack of specifics that ensures Yellow River didn't come pre-stamped with a sell by date, making it a song for all ages and all conflicts.
It has a chorus that sells the song, because regardless of any anti-war message it may or may not have, it's pure bubblegum at heart, albeit bubblegum wearing its father's trousers and on that level at least it manages to pull itself clear of the box marked 'period piece'."

Andrew: UK, via the web

"I HAVE been hooked on Christie music since the early 70s since I heard about them for the first time.
Here in Malta I do radio programs consisting of 50's, 60's, 70's and country music, especially Christie kind of music.
Thank you guys for all the contribution you had given to the music world, and all the happiness you have brought into our lives."

David Agius: Marsascala, Malta

"ONE Sunday morning I was listening to Dick Clark's radio show, with music of the 60's and 70's and he played Yellow River, and after all these years I still love it!
I've got the CD with this song in it and I keep playing it over and over again!!
Thank you Jeff Christie for this lovely song!!
Any plans of touring the US?"

Martha G: Florida, USA

MEET one of the youngest Christie followers in the world!
Christie fans Isabel and Wilhelm-Eric Berwanger, who have covered Jeff's songs, are getting their daughter Sandy hooked on Jeff's music even before she can read! The duo hope next to cover a German version of Both Ends of the Rainbow.
Isabel and fellow fan Rainer Frank also previously sang a specially composed song for Jeff's 60th birthday.

eric isobel

sandy

"IN the 1980s I recall sitting in the oldest bar in Cincinnati, Ohio, listening to tales of how the place used to be a speakeasy during Prohibition days - "Do you want to see the bath tub where gin was made?"
Vintage pictures hung on the walls...mostly female beauties from the 20s and pre-1900s. The music was eclectic, folk, jazz, Bluegrass.
One Wednesday night a guest guitarist (friend of a friend's friend) got up to play with the a couple of guys from the Katie Lauer Bluegrass band ... his name was Tony King. I've got a lot of respect for bluegrass musicians, my friends were into that kind of music, but country and bluegrass isn't my cup of Darj (although I'm a Kentucky woman - like the Neil Diamond song).
I listened politely to Tony King play his guitar, my mind drifting, when from out of the blue the unmistakable intro of Jeff Christie's Yellow River made my heart skip a beat. I was spellbound at how wonderfully the song carried over to another genre.
From that moment, Yellow River became for me etched in time and memory as perhaps one of the most perfect popular songs ever composed.
Thanks for letting me share my story of hearing Yellow River played in a very unlikely place, by an unlikely musician. I just now Googled the name, Tony King, and came up with a match for a guitarist of a well-known country duo, Brooks and Dunn ... wonder if it's the same guitarist?
I watch the Christie videos on YouTube more than I like to admit. My two kittens adore Yellow River .. when they hear the intro they come running. Their names are Piper and Syd ... after early Pink Floyd. My bad. I should have named them Christie and River.
I lived for a brief time in Leicestershire with my English husband, and I miss all of his mates talking about the music they grew up with, which is the music I adore - British pop and rock of the 60s and 70s. My English chap is no longer with me, and when I think of England my heart still melts, but I'll always have the music.

jukebox christie

SPOTTED by a fan from the Isle of Man: Christie still being played in a jukebox!

Thank you for posting the videos on YouTube, and a big thanks to Jeff Christie for exporting pure bliss across the pond and around the world."

Marsha: USA

"MY name is Natalia and I want to tell you how happy I am for having found your great website.
I had listened to Yellow River many, many times but a few weeks ago my husband played an old CD ... and there it was that cheerful song again!!
We played it over and over. So I said to myself that those guys should have more greats songs and that seaching led me to your site ... I was impressed 'cause everything you may want to know about Jeff you will surely find it there: bio, lyrics, pictures and even samples of his songs.
He has so many beautiful songs that you can really see through him and I feel guilty for having wasted the 38 years of my life without the joy of knowing him and listening to his music.
Please, accept my gratitude for giving the world this great site and tell Jeff how happy I am to have found him, finally.
Saludos y mi cariño."

Natalia: Chile

Jeff says: "It really is heartwarming to know that people can be so moved by my songs and write in about them. You have made an old man happy! Natalia, hope you can buy both the Christie albums and Floored Masters set."

"I REMEMBER that long time ago Jeff played in Barranquilla, Colombia, South America.
Finally I found you guys in the internet with Yellow River. I love that song."

Luis Martinez: Colombia

"TO me Christie is very special. Everything they produced was just as great as Yellow River ... shame that everything else in their catalogue has been overlooked. I wish that classics like New York City, I've Got A Feeling, Gotta Be Free, Put Your Money Down, Country B. Sam, The Dealer (Down and Losin') and Pleasure and Pain soon will appear on YouTube. They were England's answer to America's Creedence Clearwater Revival in many ways!!"

cockney rebellion: UK, via youtube

"I HAVE been a fan of Jeff Christie since the time of his beautiful songs Yellow River and San Bernadino.
I feel like in a good mood when I listen to his songs, even now.
I want to thank him for the great emotions and the happy moments his music gave me when I was 15 years old.
I was a young girl and I had a lot of dreams and he was one of them. Then I grew up, but I kept his records very carefully.
Music has always been at my side all my life long. I have two wonderful sons and they also love music.
We share the emotions music give us. When I hear them playing I follow the rhythm of the music and I feel very happy. I am a great fan of them!
Music make me feel very close to them as a mother and as a friend. Marco, my eldest son, has music in his blood; he needed a guitar which was the true instrumental extension of his” musical soul”, so he designed it. I am sure Jeff can understand him.
One day I was surfing the Internet when I ran into the Christie videos. What a beautiful surprise!
I listened to songs of his that I didn’t know and I could appreciate his music more and more.
His song One For The Road is really energetic. Unfortunately the lyric has interfered with its success. I wonder if the music would have had a turn-round if this song had been a hit.
Among the lyrics of his songs, Safe In Your Arms Tonight have caught my heart (I feel its depth and its inner intimacy) and For All Mankind have deeply moved me (thanks for having written it !). What has changed after so many years: again wars, again sorrow and innocent victims! But the smiling faces of the children in the video are the message we have to catch with our heart.
I don’t give up all hope and let’s sing your song!
Why doesn't Jeff come on tour in Italy? I think that many people will be happy to go to his concert.
I hope to find his CDs. Has he made any DVDs? Would give a nice present to his fans !
I have found lots of news about Jeff on this site. It’s very interesting because it tells about his music but also about him as a man.
The lyrics of Jeff's songs, what people who knew him say about him, his answers to his fans, all this shows he is a very beautiful person. That’s why we love him.
I wish Jeff to smile forever, his smile which is able to cancel the passage of time, his smile which is bright as a sunbeam. Go and walk in the sun, Jeff !!!
There is a nice village in Italy where San Bernardino was born. This village is in Tuscany and its name is Massa Marittima. Renaissance is still alive in that place and you can feel the atmosphere walking down its streets. Many historical performances take place from May to August in Massa Marittima.
Many important people love to come and spend their holidays in this country such as Tony Blair and Sarah Ferguson; Richard Gere has bought a beautiful house near Punta Ala, the place where Luna Rossa (the italian sailing boat of the America’s Cup) was born. Other have bought a house in the peaceful Tuscan country (such as Sting) and now Tuscany is also called Chiantishire.
I hope Jeff will come and have a relaxing holiday in this wonderful place."

Ida: Parma, Italy

"BARBARA Wye, a very avid supporter of The Outer Limits and of course Christie, passed away recently from cancer. I met up with Jeff again at her funeral, we were all sorry that it was under such sad circumstances. (At the funeral, Yellow River was played.)
Barbara and myself went to see The Outer Limits at a local dance in about 1965/66 and were well and truly hooked from then on.
So much so that when Death Of A Pop Group was on local TV, we sent in hundreds of handwritten 'please, please, pleases' to Yorkshire Television, to ask them to show it again. We got a reply asking if we would like to go to the TV studios for a personal tour with one of the presenters, Austin Mitchell (currently a politician). AND we were given a private showing of it .. wow, we thought we were royalty !!
I have some photos of us outside the studios,along with an autograph from Austin (it says "To the follower of the Prophet Jeff Christie"). "

Linda Jeffels (nee Webster): Yorkshire, UK

yorkshire tv photo

Barbara (left), Linda, Austin Mitchell and two friends

mitchell card

Austin Mitchell autograph

"We first heard Jeff's songs/demos just after I think our third release which were sent to use via a reel to reel tape.
The song that we all liked was Tomorrow Night. At the time I tried to emulate the guitar playing/riffs that Jeff used on his song and because I am no great guitarist was getting more and more stressed trying to do Jeff's song justice.
A few weeks later we were to demonstrate our versions of Jeff's great song to him in some practice room in London and as the time neared I was getting extremely wound up.
But what a great man, as soon as he came in he must have realised that I was trying to do it exactly the same way as he did and came over and said just play it your own way/style which I did and he seemed happy with.
I guess he won't remember this but I certainly will never forget Jeff's kindness."

John Proctor: lead guitarist, St Cecilia, UK

"I live in Port Moresby, capital city of Papua New Guinea.
As a child, I grew up with my mother's people in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in a place near Samarai Island. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the colonial Australian influence was very strong, and we were exposed to a wide range of music from overseas.
My memories of Christie go back to a time when I was about six years old, when my mother bought me a black t-shirt with the glittering words "New York City" written across the front — it was my coolest shirt!
I still vividly recall playing in a boat-building yard one morning, and one of the workmen had a radio on — and New York City from Christie was playing.
I remember one of the older men saying "Sioni, he is singing about your t-shirt!" as the chorus was being sung ... and that sweet guitar riff was forever embedded in my memory.
Many years later, I became a guitar player and remembered that riff well enough to reproduce it, but I never heard the song again until I found your site. Thanks a million for helping me remember a long-gone happy childhood! "

Sioni: Papua New Guinea

" You are the BEST! I have always loved Yellow River, and until I saw the YouTube videos, have never seen a single video of it or had any idea what the band looked like. This is terrific! I don't know what it is about this song - the melody, the harmony, the crisp drumming, the energy, the great chord progression, the sentimental yet joyous lyrics about leaving the war behind, the overall production - or ALL of it that makes this my favorite song of all time.
Thanks a million from a real fan of Christie! I just wish I had a way to contact Jeff to let him know how much this song has meant to me since I was a teenager."

Don: South Florida, USA

"Christie had one of the biggest pop hits of 1970, Yellow River. The album that featured Yellow River also includes a bunch of other tracks worth listening to.
These include the follow-up single San Bernadino, and my personal favourite, Country Boy, which has a neat riff and some nice production touches.
The tracks on the LP fall into two categories, ones like Yellow River obviously inspired by the work of John Fogerty (author of Green River) and ones that owe most to mid-Beatles period Lennon."

Giordan Smith: giordan's podcast website

"The YouTube videos are fabulous! I never realised a group from the 70s could have put out so many videos. They were ahead of the video revolution! Are there any more?
I see one of the fans is asking for a clip of For All Mankind to be uploaded. Now that would be awesome!"

christiefan, c/o the Christie YouTube channel

"Thanks for putting Christie´s songs on YouTube. I will try to listen to them all ... till now honestly I only heard Yellow River (great song; in 1970 I was 12 years old in Lima, Peru ). Anyway, I love their music ... so thank you again."

Alfonso Marisol: Lisboa, Portugal