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Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

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Munich-1983
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Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by Munich-1983 »

As a reaction on the (uninspired) new song "The road ahead" I will remember on the producer of the 4 best Rea-albums, David Richards. He worked in the Mountain Studios in Montreaux, which was owned by the band Queen. And here the breakthrough-album "Water sign" was born, as well as " Wired to the moon", "Shamrock diaries" and rhe masterpiece "on the beach". Never before and never after this cooperation Rea sounded better and was more "touchy". Was David Richard the con-genial soundmaster and producer behind the success of Chris Rea? What do you all think?
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by tobi777 »

Hi all,

in my opinion Chris' strongest albums - at least soundwise - were all produced by Jon Kelly. He just has the knack of creating a lush production without sounding overproduced - warm and harmonic I would call it. I think Auberge has the best arrangements and production of all albums.

The old albums until 1986 still lack something - a certain kind of roundness and the tracks don't seem to be connected in a way they are on later records.

But there are many parameters - e.g. at some point (I guess around '98) Chris changed his main amp to the Fender Blues Junior he still currently uses. It gives the sound a more rough and sharp edge. I rather like the old sound from the Bandmaster or Twin with a lot of Compressor - a more Knopfler-type of sound. And this is just one factor of many that have an influence on the sound...

Anyway Dave Richards was a very important influence - he paved the way for Chris' success, he gave him tips and - most important - studio time to record and he tought him how to produce a record, at least to a certain extent.
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by andrew fischer »

tobi777 wrote:The old albums until 1986 still lack something - a certain kind of roundness and the tracks don't seem to be connected in a way they are on later records.
I think the old albums before 1986 just lack the recording technology facilities, and had Dave Richard given those facilities and/or produced Chris's Warner-era albums instead of Jon Kelly, he could have done maybe not poorer than him. But I have to admit his approach is different to Kelly's, if we compare Chris Rea 1981/82 album produced by Jon to 4 latter albums done by Dave. I think Jon is more proficient in making lush hip records, compared to Dave who seems to focus more on melodics flow and the instruments' sound genuinity, that is why when Chris and his management decided to move on for the worldwide aknowledgement, they parted with Richards and invited Jon to produce latter albums. And I do agree that Auberge is the best produced CR album ever.

And thank you Tobias for mentioning the amps and other gear, I did not know Chris changed it at some point, just thought he used different effects for a new sound.
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by Munich-1983 »

Toby wrote: The old albums until 1986 still lack something - a certain kind of roundness and the tracks don't seem to be connected in a way they are on later records.

Thanks also for this technical details! And I admit, the "Kelly-albums" are well done and more Rocking and more successful. but the technical side is one thing, the emotional side for me even more important. what I will ever remember are the "heart-crying" ballads like midnight blue or steel river, which were perhaps impossible without Dave Richards help. And " on the beach" is undoubtely the all-time brand essence of the music of Chris Rea. Now it seems, that this kind of sensual music will not come back. So I repeat my hope for the upcoming tour: it would be wonderful, if Chris and the band would take their audience on a road-trip through this emotional side of music, instead of jamming though relative inconsequential new music.
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by andrew fischer »

Munich-1983 wrote:And I admit, the "Kelly-albums" are well done and more Rocking and more successful. but the technical side is one thing, the emotional side for me even more important. what I will ever remember are the "heart-crying" ballads like midnight blue or steel river, which were perhaps impossible without Dave Richards help. And " on the beach" is undoubtely the all-time brand essence of the music of Chris Rea. Now it seems, that this kind of sensual music will not come back.
I have been working hard on this kind of music to come back, in the form of revised, remixed and remastered reissues with additional non-album and unreleased material in decent quality (similar to Phil Collins recent reissues) I have very certian projets ready to be launched and I even tried to talk it over with Jim Beach, Chris's long-time ex-manager (Dave Richards times included) and he said he has to discuss it with Chris himself but seems not to have time/possibility/interest to do that, thought it is evident now that such release would have been more (commercially) attractive than the proposed new album with supposedly old-times-like material.
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

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I have very certian projets ready to be launched and I even tried to talk it over with Jim Beach, Chris's long-time ex-manager (Dave Richards times included) and he said he has to discuss it with Chris himself
Dear Andrew,
if I understand you right, than you are in contact with important people of Chris´music-business. And you hve a kind of a concept, how a revival of the old music (in new style) could have been realized soon.
So please DO IT! It is still more than 3 month till the tour starts. Maybe this album can be the big surprice and some of this tracks can be played live. Or this kind of revival-album follows as a REAl christmas surprice for the fans. Would be more than good!! REAgards
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by andrew fischer »

Munich-1983 wrote:Dear Andrew, if I understand you right, than you are in contact with important people of Chris´music-business. And you hve a kind of a concept, how a revival of the old music (in new style) could have been realized soon. So please DO IT! It is still more than 3 month till the tour starts. Maybe this album can be the big surprice and some of this tracks can be played live. Or this kind of revival-album follows as a REAl christmas surprice for the fans. Would be more than good!! REAgards
Hello, I wish I had a good contact with the people who actually make decisions about Chris's records, but I still have none and I even do not know exactly what contacts might that be (John Knowles or someone from BMG) and no one could help me so far to find out. My contacts are from Chris's past (Jim Beach, Stuart Epps) and they definitely have no business with Chris at the moment and not going to, so they cannot help me. Chris and his management keep all their windows shut tight.
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by ann268 »

Hi all,

Funniest thing is if you send messages through Facebook, they say they answer as soon as possible.
(Chat/Messenger), so I thought, that is great let's try...never answered me back. And that is just the promotion team, whoever that may be.
And in the past I tried to contact them through ChrisReaCom. Unresponsive too.
I hope someone else has more luck!
See his official FB site, it's rather sad...
https://www.facebook.com/ChrisReaOfficial/
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by andrew fischer »

ann268 wrote:Hi all,
Funniest thing is if you send messages through Facebook, they say they answer as soon as possible.
(Chat/Messenger), so I thought, that is great let's try...never answered me back. And that is just the promotion team, whoever that may be. And in the past I tried to contact them through ChrisReaCom. Unresponsive too. I hope someone else has more luck! See his official FB site, it's rather sad...
https://www.facebook.com/ChrisReaOfficial/
Hi Anneke, not this is the "funniest" thing but the fact that in the 1990s, when there was (almost) no communication on the web, there was much, much better connection between the fan club and Chris's team and label, judging by the old newletters with so many advance details and amazing news!
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by ann268 »

I know, I was being cynical.
I wouldn't mind some bits and pieces of information, one person that would be the "informationrecepient" for all fans. I don't mind who that would be. But Pat knew her stuff.
This "animationteam" is no help either. Other artists do communicate through one of their Social Media personal.
John Mayer is very active on Instagram and puts on some jamming there. Would love little vid's of Chris like that.
As far as the producers, Jon Kelly is my favorite.
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by tobi777 »

Hi all,

remember when the fans were encouraged to ask Chris a question via Facebook and a selection of these were supposed to be answered by Chris in a video? This was some time ago - nothing ever happened.

The team (whoever this is) is much more active on FB than it has been in former days - but posting old videos and not responding to any questions or suggestions is easy. Anyone could handle this kind of social media department :lol:

I find it hard to grasp that in these times - when communicating via FB, Twitter, mail etc. is so easy and cheap - it is harder to get any pieces of information about Chris than it used to be in the 90's :(

The record company isn't helpful at all, either: in Germany the new album will be released by a division of Warner - but the official page is from 2009... and on the official BMG page Chris is not even listed!

I remember writing to eastwest in the 90's and they responded quickly and friendly with some photos and promo sheets. These days I don'T even know who's responsible!

If Chris chooses to be reclusive - I certainly respect that. But it would be so easy to give us die-hard fans a few bits of information and news without involving Chris too much.

What a shame.
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by ann268 »

Very true Tobi, in the the beginning I was hoping fo a change.
I have asked that crew where the #AskChris video was and who won the big Prop?
Never got an answer. How simple can it be to communicate just a bit with your fans through people who would help for fun...like the old days, some die hard fans. I know I would...
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by andrew fischer »

tobi777 wrote:Hi all, remember when the fans were encouraged to ask Chris a question via Facebook and a selection of these were supposed to be answered by Chris in a video? This was some time ago - nothing ever happened. The team (whoever this is) is much more active on FB than it has been in former days - but posting old videos and not responding to any questions or suggestions is easy. Anyone could handle this kind of social media department :lol: I find it hard to grasp that in these times - when communicating via FB, Twitter, mail etc. is so easy and cheap - it is harder to get any pieces of information about Chris than it used to be in the 90's :(
Again, partly joking, but had I been assigned to do such job and told by the management to do it this exact way, I would have quit, no matter the salary and the fact of taking part in Chris's life itself ))
tobi777 wrote:And on the official BMG page Chris is not even listed! The record company isn't helpful at all, either: in Germany the new album will be released by a division of Warner - but the official page is from 2009... These days I don't even know who's responsible!
This all makes me feel like it is all the same as with Santo Spirito release - technically it is handled by a major label (Warner/Rhino and BMG) but in fact it is still Chris on his own, just with some minor compromises with the label that helps promote the album.
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by ann268 »

I saw the album for sale, already? How is that even possible:
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/NEU-CD-Chris-Rea ... ken=HJ1H2Z
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Re: Dave Richards - the most underestimated factor?

Post by tobi777 »

ann268 wrote:I saw the album for sale, already? How is that even possible:
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/NEU-CD-Chris-Rea ... ken=HJ1H2Z
You can pre-order it already on Amazon etc. so you can buy it on Ebay and the dealer will send it after the release, I guess. I have seen this many times.
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