Songs

Christie
Songs
 
Subhead
 
The Magic Highway

 

JEFF CHRISTIE SOLO SESSIONS

 

 

The Best of the Rest

Mr Big Shot
Witness For The Prosecution

Two powerful R&B numbers that epitomise the sound of Christie as they tried to compromise between the country pop of the first album and the heavier style of the second. Completed as demos with Jeff, Danny, Terry and Roger, the songs could have made it onto the never-finished third Christie album. Very reminiscent of the feel of a song like One For The Road.

Nothing Has Changed
Jeff's written some great ballads in his time, but this probably ranks among his finest. A beautiful, plaintive piece that tugs at the heart strings, the song was offered to a Brazilian singer named Rosemary, who released it in the 70s. It would suit any diva or divo, budding or established, even today.

The Last Road Song
When a singer realises the time has definitely come for his band to break up, it can be very emotional. And so it was for Jeff, who composed this song when he knew it was the end of Christie, after five glorious years of hits and playing to adoring crowds of millions all over the world. The sad, reflective piece has a lovely refrain with a subtle message of optimism that the band will always still be together in spirit.

Soldier Boy
For All Mankind, despite its emphasis on heavy rock, was an album with an underlying message of peace, and this song would have fitted perfectly in that mould. Ever the pacifist, Jeff builds another anti-war anthem, this time about kids growing up and being trained in the ways of war and knowing little else. A country poppish song with a message that rings true even today.

Stand Up And Be Free
A protest song of sorts for freedom, and again sadly as relevant today as it was when first written four decades ago. Would be a great rocker if laced with electric guitar.

Nightmare
A song that really should have been finished and released as a Christie production. Frenetic and fast-paced, and with that great Jeff Christie sense of melody, it would sound sensational with a distinctive Christie riff and some innovative Paul Fenton stickwork.

Welcome Home
Melody, melody, melody .. Jeff has a great gift for ear-friendly arrangements. Sounds terrific unplugged, but definitely would also sound good electrified. Has a boppish feel not unlike Coming Home Tonight.

Play Me No Sad Songs
Lovely ballad, with some searing, emotive vocal work from Jeff.

City Lights
Just begging for a nice catchy instrumental solo break in between the verses to complete it. And a trademark Christie intro. A typical Christie toe-tapping, country pop tune.

On The Other Side Of The Tracks
Another top song, probably from the country-pop mould that the songs on the first LP came from.

Emotion
Exceptional. Sublime. A ballad with a beautiful melody and chorus. Probably would sound best if given the full orchestration works.

Road Of No Return
Excellent guitar strumming and would be well complemented by electric guitar, drums and a nice instrumental break in betweeen. Voted by Christie fans as a good contender for Jeff's next single! One of Jeff's many songs considered for the debut album, and as catchy as any of them.

Sunday
The ballad that Jeff composed with Frank Sinatra in mind. And you can see why if you give it a listen, as Jeff produces a slow, jazz swing groove interspersed with Sinatra-esque voice inflections.

Women In Love
Lovely structured poppish piece from start to finish, with easy singalong hook and verse. What else would you expect from a Jeff Christie song? And a great title!

Dreamy Timothy
Jeff dabbles into old time music revue stuff here — think the Beatles' When I'm 64 — and comes up with a quaint little ditty about a boy who daydreams all the time.

Nobody's Angel
A song with sad lyrics but a real funky feel to it .. almost like a George Michael prototype. A nice strumming melody which would sound great enhanced by strings.

Hey Woman
Lovely ballad with memorable hook and chorus. Another love song from Jeff, conspicuously absent from the Christie albums.

I Wouldn't Do That
A tale of mistaken disloyalty backed by a gorgeous, medium-paced refrain.

Idaho
Nice pop ballad lamenting about lost love and a girl named Idaho.

Neon Jungle
Another one of those songs that you hear in acoustic demo form and can't help wondering how great it would sound with electric guitar at the fore. Trademark catchy Christie hook in this song about life in the fast lane.

Redemption Boulevard
A beautiful keyboard introduction leads into one of of Jeff's best lyrical compositions. A lovely ballad with poetic imagery and clever use of words, a finished product would probably have utilised a string or orchestral backing to complement the haunting melody. The arrangement is reminiscent of a song like Let It Be.

I Can't Wait Forever
Mid-tempo song with lilting verses which build up nicely into the chorus. One of the many love songs Jeff has written but never made the cut for eventual releases with Christie.

Leavin' Town
Jeff revisits a favourite theme of his ... young outlaw on the run after committing a crime. Nice strumming feel to this song, which is embellished at the end with a little falsetto refrain.

There'll Be No More Rain
Though it's just Jeff on piano on the demo, this song still sounds fine. Backed by guitars, drums and maybe even full orchestration, this affirmative love song (the title says it all) would have been a great product. There's a really catchy hook in between.

House Of Stone
Sad song about coping with living alone after the partner has gone. "This house is a house of stone, now that I'm all alone." Lovely melodic line to the chorus.

A Long Way From Home
Jeff takes to the piano and accompanies himself on this slow, waltz-like ditty that harkens back to the ballad-style days of the 40s and 50s. Jeff is truly a composer for all musical genres.

Private Eye
Probably inspired by reading about a private detective, Jeff whips up a bright bouncy number that bops along nicely. One from the country-pop-rock section of Jeff's musical library.

All In The Past
The very nature of demo songs conveys an organic sound which can frequently embellish a piece better than loud production accompaniments. Such may be the case with this tune, which features Jeff strumming a guitar beautifully as he sings about looking forward and forgetting the past, wrapped up in a gorgeous melody.

When It's Over
The song's about a breakup but the melody's the strongest point here. The demo features Jeff on guitar only, but throw in some crashing drums and wailing guitar riffs and this would be an amazing track.

Steal Away
"Why don't we steal away, steal away, just the two of us?" Nice singalong refrain in a medium-tempoed pop song.

Still My Heart Sings
A laid-back acoustic treatment imparts upon this poetic, image-laden lyric the perfect treatment .. not unlike Paul McCartney's Blackbird, the melody is haunting and lingers in the mind after first listen.

Woman In Black
This was recorded in the Leeds BBC studios at the same time as Jeff laid down the demo for Yellow River. A total contrast to the upbeat country rock of Christie's first hit, this gentle ballad shows off Jeff's versatility at writing songs from assorted genres. Would have made a strong album track had it been given a fuller treatment.

Programmed To Receive
Like many of the songs on this page, this offering is featured on the 2012 double album No Turn Unstoned. Only completed in acoustic form, it shows potential to be transformed into a truly memorable track, with its hooky title refrain that lingers in the mind long after it's heard, and its social commentary on the Pavlovian nature of society today.

Through The Looking Glass
Psychedelic, progressive, alternative .. call it what you will, but by and large every songwriter has tried his or her hand at conjuring up sounds that were reminiscent of the flower power culture of the late 60s. Jeff wrote a couple of such songs for The Outer Limits, and had many more in his repertoire, such as this Lewis Carrol-inspired piece, resplendent with imagery-laden lyrics and cascading melodies that showed he understood fully the intricacies of psychedelic pop.

Turn The Pages Back
A contemplative ballad that reflects a desire to revisit the past as Jeff soars with some very emotional vocal work.

What You Gonna Do
Many of Jeff's songs follow the melodic rock structure that Paul McCartney specialised in, and this one could easily have come from his songbook. There's a lovely acoustic guitar accompanying a gentle, rolling tune that has the foot tapping along.

Any Way at All
A great, bluesy number with plodding melody and thick guitar riff, this song simply grabs you by the neck and refuses to let go.


More solo sessions