John Miles (musician)
| John Miles | |
|---|---|
 John Miles, at the Night of the Proms in 2013. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Errington |
| Born | 23 April 1949 |
| Origin | Jarrow, Tyne & Wear, England |
| Genres | Progressive rock |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter, music director |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards, guitar, Hammond organ |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Associated acts | Tina Turner, The Alan Parsons Project, The Influence, The John Miles Set, John Miles Band |
John Miles (born John Errington, 23 April 1949, Jarrow, Tyne & Wear, England[1]) is an English rock music vocalist, songwriter, guitarist and keyboard player, best known for his 1976 Top 3 UK hit single, "Music".[2]
Career
Background
While still a pupil at Jarrow Grammar School, Miles was a member of a local band called The Influence, which also included Paul Thompson, later drummer with Roxy Music;[3] and Vic Malcolm, later lead guitarist with Geordie.[1] This outfit released the single "I Want to Live" (Orange Records, 1969[4]). Following this he formed The John Miles Set before starting his solo career in 1971.[1]
Success
During the 1970s he issued four albums, including Rebel (1976),[5] Stranger in the City (1977),[6] and Zaragon (1978).[7] However, John Miles had the most success with singles and released a total of eighteen of them during this era. In addition to "Music", he also charted in the UK with "Highfly" (1975), "Remember Yesterday" (1976), and "Slow Down" (1977).[2] Most of his songs were co-written with the bassist in his backing group, Bob Marshall.
At the peak of his success in 1976 and 1977, Miles made several appearances on the weekly British pop TV show Supersonic. The debut album did receive some attention in the US. Two singles from the debut album reached the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, "Highfly" peaked at #68, followed by "Music" which stalled at #88. "Slow Down" was his biggest US chart hit, peaking at #2 on the disco chart,[8] and at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1977. It was later featured in the 1979 movie, Players, starring Ali MacGraw and Dean Paul Martin.
In the 1980s, Miles continued to record and tour. In 1983 a new radio station in the South of England, Radio Mercury, used parts from the song "Music" for their link jingles. The song itself also received extensive airplay on the station.
Later career
Since 1985, Miles participates almost every year in the Night of the Proms, a series of concerts held yearly in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain. Regularly there are also shows in France, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Scandinavian countries. The concerts consist of a combination of pop music and popular classical music (often combined) and various well-known musicians and groups usually participate. Miles always performs "Music", and also sings other songs. In 2009, an album The Best of John Miles at the Night of the Proms was released, which included "Music" but also covers including "All by Myself", "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "It Was a Very Good Year".
Miles has also toured with Tina Turner since 1987, often filling in for Bryan Adams when the latter was unavailable to join her on tour for their duet. Miles is also a frequent guest vocalist on albums by The Alan Parsons Project. He also appeared on Jimmy Page's 1988 album Outrider.
Throughout the late 1980s and into the 1990s, Miles was the music director to Tina Turner on her various tours, and played on several of her albums. He also played Hammond organ on Joe Cocker's album Night Calls (1992). In 1990, Miles participated in the UK heat of A Song for Europe with the song "Where I Belong", which came second.
His first DVD, John Miles - Live In Concert was released in 2002. In 2007, Miles performed in Gelsenkirchen, Germany with the German band Pur and sang two songs. One of those songs, "Abenteuerland", Miles sang with Pur in German. The concert is available on the DVD, Pur-Friends-Live-Schalke-2007. In October 2008, Miles began touring once again with Tina Turner. Turner's extensive American-European tour stretched until May 2009.
Family
Miles' son, John Miles Jr., is also a musician. Born in Boldon, he has played with bands including Milk Inc., Sylver, Jay and Fixate.[9]
Discography
See also
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of artists under the Decca Records label
- List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
- Orange Records
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "John Miles". Mtv.co.uk. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 366. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ "John Miles explores with Sympathy". Madison Courier. 11 April 1980. p. 9.
- ↑ "Early Days of Orange." Premierguitar.com (July 2011). Retrieved 2012-08-28.
- ↑ Meyer, Bruce (20 May 1976). "Sisters Make Heart Throb". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 10.
- ↑ Whelan, Tim (27 May 1977). "Electronics, pop and pop parodies". The Leader-Post. p. 71.
- ↑ Patterson, Rob (20 June 1978). "Genesis, British Rock Group, Carries On, Solid". Portsmouth Times. p. 7.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 176.
- ↑ "Aiming to be the best by Miles!". Shields Gazette. 10 February 2001.
External links
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