Well-known
Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler was once a journalist
whose articles included this piece on Jeff Christie, written
for The Yorkshire Evening Post (April 23, 1970)
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Christies Bid for the Big
Time
Mark
wrote:
"Christie's
debut disc, Yellow River,
seems to be getting the plugs and is doing nicely.
And for the critics who say Jeff is copying the
Creedence sound he wrote the song ages before
they were heard of. In any case, there's nothing
new about the sound of Creedence. They were singing
for a new generation of kids who never heard of
rock'n'roll. Travellin' Band
is just lifted from Little Richard."
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WHEN Leeds songwriter
Jeff Christie sent demonstration tapes of his songs to London
a few months ago he was crossing his fingers and hoping
a big-name artist would record one of them.
But those tapes of Jeff singing proved
so effective that he was persuaded to go to London and record
himself. Along with Vic Elmes on lead guitar and Mike Blakley
on drums, Jeff formed a trio called appropriately Christie
and recorded two songs, handling vocals and bass guitar
himself. The result sees the release of Christies
debut disc Yellow River
coupled with Down the Mississippi
Line, tipped by Tommy Vance and Tony Blackburn as
a potential hit.
You may remember the recent YTV [Yorkshire
TV] programme Death of
a Pop Group, featuring the hopes and aspirations of
The Outer Limits, the local group who very nearly made it.
Jeff Christie was the leader.
Outer Limits? We did TV, tours,
records everything except make money, said
a sleepy Jeff who had just arrived home from London. I
was really choked when things started to slide. I tried
to hold it together, but it was no use. Right now Im
pretty disinterested with Leeds. I feel the band was let
down badly by Leeds as much as by anything else.
Jeff, who has written about 150 songs
Long John Baldry really flipped. He was talking
about recording a Baldry sings Christie type
album has been involved with music for over
ten years.
But because of the hard luck and disappointments,
he cannot bring himself to believe that Christies
future will be a blissful bed of roses. I darent
get too optimistic, because I dont want to come down
again. The reviews are good. The record is liked. But unless
the song makes it we dont intend going out on gigs
for next to nothing again. Ive been in it for ten
years and missed the boat every time. It just might work
out right now.