Brian John Cole (born 17 June 1946) is an English pedal steel guitarist, who has long been active as a session and solo musician. Coming to prominence in the early 1970s with the band Cochise, Cole has played in many styles, ranging from mainstream pop and rock to jazz and eclectic experimental music, but has never forgotten the instrument's roots in country music. Cole plays lap steel and dobro.

Early life and musical beginnings

Cole was born on 17 June 1946 in London. He grew up in Enfield, attending Chase Side primary school and Enfield Chase secondary school for boys. He became interested in music in his teens, his first major inspiration being

The Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters between 1958 and 1959) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the pre-Beatles era from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. They served as the bac ...

. Cole initially learned to play guitar, but became disillusioned with the instrument, conscious of the number of talented guitarists that were already active on the music scene. Performances by the American duo Santo & Johnny aired on the

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...

show introduced him to the exotic and unusual sound of the steel guitar, and in 1963, he traded in some toy trains to buy his first lap steel – a Dallas Rangemaster. Around two years later, Cole first became aware of the pedal steel guitar, and soon acquired his first instrument, a Fender 1000. What had been an enthusiasm now became a passion: Cole began to play in bands in his free time and to become actively involved in the music scene, landing his first ‘proper’ session in 1968; this was for

Albert Lee Albert William Lee (born 21 December 1943) is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked, both in the studio and on tour, with many famous musicians from a wide range of genres. He has also m ...

, work which was included on the album ''Black Claw & Country Fever'', released much later, in 1991.

Rise to prominence

In 1968, while playing at a gig in Kingston, south London, Cole was head-hunted to join what was to be an English group conceived on the lines of

the Flying Burrito Brothers The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1968, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, ''The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is known for its connection to band f ...

. The project never got off the ground, but through it Cole was introduced to the singer Stewart Brown, a former member of the band Bluesology with

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

. In 1969, Brown invited Cole to become a member of the new heavy rock/country band Cochise, with Mick Grabham on guitar, Rick Wills on bass, and Willie Wilson on drums. Cochise enjoyed moderate success, and released three albums – ''Cochise'' (Liberty/United Artists, 1970), ''Swallow Tales'' (United Artists, 1971) and ''So Far'' (United Artists, 1972) – all of which included songs written by Cole. The tracks on these albums were included on a two-disc anthology, ''Velvet Mountain'' (Eclectic/Cherry Red), issued in 2013. Cochise folded in 1972, but through it Cole came into contact with a wide range of active and high-profile musicians, including Andy Fairweather Low and

Steve Marriott Stephen Peter Marriott (30 January 1947 – 20 April 1991) was an English actor, musician, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a student at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London and appeared in the West End, before taking a r ...

. He went on to carry out recording sessions with all of them, but his breakthrough moment came in 1971, when he played steel guitar on

's "Tiny Dancer", included on the album '' Madman Across the Water''.

1970s

Throughout the 1970s, Cole was greatly in demand as a session musician, appearing with artists including:

Humble Pie Humble Pie are an English Rock music, rock band formed by Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton in Moreton, Essex, in 1969. They are known as one of the first Supergroup (music), supergroups of the late 1960s and enjoyed success in the early 1970s ...

(Cole played on three of their albums, including ''Eat It'' from 1973),

Roger Daltrey Sir Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band the Who, known for his powerful voice and charismatic stage presence. His stage persona ear ...

(''Daltrey'', 1973), Man (''Christmas at the Patti'', 1973), Kiki Dee (''Loving & Free'', 1973, and ''I’ve Got the Music In Me'', 1974),

Procol Harum Procol Harum () were an English rock music, rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have sold more than List of best-selling si ...

(''Exotic Birds and Fruit'', 1974), T. Rex (''Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow'', 1974),

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(''No Regrets'', 1975), Uriah Heep (''Magician's Birthday'', 1972, ''Return to Fantasy'', 1975), Andy Fairweather Low ('' La Booga Rooga'', 1975, including " Wide Eyed and Legless"), Joan Armatrading ("Down to Zero", 1976), Roy Harper ("One of Those Days in England", 1977), Gerry Rafferty (''City to City'', 1978), and

Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion st ...

(''Back to Earth'', 1978).

Cow Pie Records and the Hank Wangford Band

In 1976, Cole went to America for the first time, and returned to England full of excitement and enthusiasm about the music he had heard. His contacts at United Artists – who had signed Cochise – suggested he start a record label to encourage British country artists, and the result was Cow Pie, founded in 1977. Records issued by the label included Nancy Peppers’ ''Leaving for Better Times'' (1978). Cole's search for new British country performers brought him into contact with the singer-songwriter

Hank Wangford Samuel Hutt (born 15 November 1940), known by the stage name Hank Wangford, is an English country and western songwriter. "Hank is a good smoke screen. He can do things I can't do. He's my clown," says Dr. Hutt, who has been struggling to ba ...

(the stage name of Dr Sam Hutt), and in 1980 Cow Pie Records issued Wangford's first album, ''Cowboys Stay on Longer'', featuring Cole on pedal steel as well as various friends and fellow musicians including guitarist Andy Roberts and singer Melanie Harrold. Around the same time, Cole (given the stage name ‘Manley Footwear’) was a founder member of the Hank Wangford Band, which Roberts and Harrold joined. The band proved very popular, performing regularly at gigs and festivals. Cole remained a member until 1983, around a year after the demise of Cow Pie. He rejoined Hank's current band in 2008.

Session and live work, 1982 to the present

In the years around 1980, demand for the steel guitar in recorded music experienced a slump, reflecting the popularity of punk and the introduction of the synthesiser. However, Cole continued to attract session work, which he returned to in earnest after the demise of Cow Pie. Credits from the 1980s include performances with: Shakin' Stevens (" Give Me Your Heart Tonight" and "

Hot Dog A hot dog is a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term ''hot dog'' can also refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a frankfurter ( Frankfurter Würs ...

", 1982), Paul Young (" Everything Must Change", 1985),

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('' Gone to Earth'', 1986),

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(''

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'', 1986), Deacon Blue (" Chocolate Girl", 1987), Dumptruck (''For the Country'', 1987), and k.d. lang ('' Angel with a Lariat'', 1987). In the 1990s, Cole toured over a period of five to six years with John Cale, formerly of the Velvet Underground, work which helped to raise his profile internationally. At the end of the decade, he made some select appearances playing live with R.E.M., and joined

The Verve The Verve were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Wigan in 1990 by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bass guitarist Simon Jones (musician), Simon Jones and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboard player Sim ...

for their tour of America, subsequently appearing on Richard Ashcroft's solo album '' Alone with Everybody'' (2000). Other session work of this period included contributions to: Peter Blegvad (''King Strut and Other Stories'', 1990), Gerry Rafferty ('' On a Wing and a Prayer'', 1992), Billie Ray Martin (''Four Ambient Tales'', 1993),

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('' Orbus Terrarum'', 1995), Echobelly ('' On'', 1995),

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('' Post'', 1995),

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('' Ultra'', 1997), Spiritualized ('' Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space'', 1997), and the

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('' Nightlife'', 1999). Through his solo work, Cole came to the attention of Sting, and he appeared on the albums '' Mercury Falling'' (1996), '' Brand New Day'' (1999) and '' All This Time'' (2001), also performing live in Sting's band. In more recent years, Cole has remained in demand, his credits including: Eliza Carthy (''Angels & Cigarettes'', 2000), Chumbawamba (''

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'', 2000),

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", 2001), Graham Coxon ('' The Kiss of Morning'', 2002),

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('' Dreamland'', 2002, and '' Sixty Six to Timbuktu'', 2003),

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('' Lovebox'', 2003),

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(''

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'', 2006), Martin Simpson ('' True Stories'', 2009, and '' Purpose + Grace'', 2011), Katie Melua ('' The House'', 2010), and Tom Jones ('' Praise & Blame'', 2010). In 2012, he was a featured soloist with Icebreaker in a live version of

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's album '' Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks''. He has also played live with

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, Ethan Johns, Michael Messer, the folk singer Bonnie Dobson, and Terry Reid, and has returned to perform with Hank Wangford, appearing at gigs and on albums such as ''Whistling in the Dark'' (2008).

Solo work

Cole's solo music has always been experimental, and has involved work as a performer as well as a writer, arranger, mixer and producer. His first solo album was ''The New Hovering Dog'' (1972), issued shortly after the breakup of Cochise. The album was remastered and re-released in 2013. In the 1980s – alongside his session and live performances, and also work as a music journalist – Cole became increasingly interested in ambient and classical music, and the way in which this could be adapted for the pedal steel guitar. A project undertaken with Guy Jackson resulted in ''Transparent Music'' (Hannibal/Rykodisc, 1989), including pieces by

Erik Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (born 17 May 18661 July 1925), better known as Erik Satie, was a French composer and pianist. The son of a French father and a British mother, he studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conservatoire but was an undi ...

and others. This was followed by ''Heart of the Moment'' (Resurgence, 1995), ''Lushlife'', with Roger Beaujolais and Simon Thorpe (United Artists, 2009), and ''Transparent Music 2'', featuring Guy Jackson, Arve Henriksen and Davy Spillane (United Artists, 2012). In the late 1990s, a desire to work with a DJ drew Cole to Luke Vibert, the result of their collaboration being '' Stop the Panic'' (Cooking Vinyl/Astralwerks, 2000), an electronica album inspired by their shared passion for exotica and drum ‘n’ bass. A similar theme runs through Cole's ''Trouble in Paradise'' (Cooking Vinyl, 2004).

Instruments

Cole initially learned on a six-string Dallas Rangemaster lap steel, before buying his first pedal steel – a double eight-string Fender 1000 – in about 1966. He continued to use this until 1971, when he switched to a black single-neck ten-string Emmons pedal steel; this was the instrument that he played on the final Cochise album and on sessions including ‘Tiny Dancer’. In 1975, Cole bought a twelve-string Emmons pedal steel, and then in 1982, while in America, he acquired a new twelve-string instrument made by Joe Kline. This has remained his principal pedal steel until very recently. Cole is now using a twelve-string pedal steel made for him by Bill Rudolph of the Williams Guitar Co. He also plays a dobro custom-made for him by his father, John Cole.

Selected discography

Solo and collaborative

*''The New Hovering Dog'' (1972) *''Transparent Music'' (1989) *''Heart of the Moment'' (1995) *'' Stop the Panic'' (2000; with Luke Vibert) *''Trouble in Paradise'' (2004) *''Transparent Music 2'' (2012) *''Apollo'' (2012; with Icebreaker)

With Cochise

*''Cochise'' (1970) *''Swallow Tales'' (1971) *''So Far'' (1972)

Featured artist

*Humble Pie, ''Humble Pie'' (1970) *Humble Pie, ''Rock On'' (1971) *

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, ''Rockpile'' (1972) * Trapeze, '' You Are the Music...We're Just the Band'' (1972) * Keith Cross & Peter Ross, ''Bored Civilians'' (1972) * Uriah Heep, ''The Magician's Birthday'' (1972; "Tales") *Elton John, ''Madman Across the Water'' (1972; "Tiny Dancer") * The Goodies, '' The World of the Goodies'' (1973) *Pete Sinfield, "Still" (1973) *

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, ''The Session'' (1973) * Mike de Albuquerque, '' We May Be Cattle But We've All Got Names'' (1973) *

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, '' Insolitudes'' (1973) *Kiki Dee, ''Loving & Free'' (1973) *

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(with Oily Rags), ''In London'' (1973) *Humble Pie, '' Eat It'' (1973) *

, '' Daltrey'' (1973) *T. Rex, ''

Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow ''Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow'' is an album by English people, English rock (music), rock band T. Rex (band), T. Rex, the ninth since My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Thei ...

'' (1974) *Kiki Dee, ''I’ve Got the Music in Me'' (1974) *

, '' Exotic Birds and Fruit'' (1974) *Uriah Heep, ''Return to Fantasy'' (1975) *The Walker Brothers, ''No Regrets'' (1975) *Andy Fairweather Low, ''La Booga Rooga'' (1975) *Joan Armatrading, ''Joan Armatrading'' (1976; "Down to Zero") *

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, ''Come on Over'' (1976) *Kevin Ayers “ Yes We Have No Mañanas (So Get Your Mañanas Today)" (1976) * Alan Parsons, '' I Robot'' (1977) *Cat Stevens, '' Back to Earth'' (1978) *Gerry Rafferty, '' City to City'' (1978) *Elton John, '' A Single Man'' (1978) *Roy Harper, ''The Unknown Soldier'' (1980) *

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, '' Long Distance Voyager'' (1981) * Shakin' Stevens, '' Shaky'' (1981) *Shakin’ Stevens, ''Give Me Your Heart Tonight'' (1982) *Paul Young, '' The Secret of Association'' (1985) *

, '' Gone to Earth'' (1986) *The Stranglers, ''Dreamtime'' (1986) *Deacon Blue, '' Raintown'' (1987; "Chocolate Girl") *K. D. Lang, '' Angel with a Lariat'' (1987) *

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, '' Me and a Monkey on the Moon'' (1989) * Peter Blegvad, '' King Strut and other Stories'' (1990) *Harold Budd: By the Dawn's Early Light (1991) *

, ''Black Claw/Country Fever'' (1991) * Gerry Rafferty, ''On a Wing and a Prayer'' (1992) *

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, '' Amused to Death'' (1992) *The Orb, '' Orbus Terrarum'' (1995) *Echobelly, ''On'' (1995) *

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, ''Crocodile Shoes'' (1995) * The Selecter, ''Pucker!'' (1995) *John Cale, '' Walking on Locusts'' (1996) *Sting, '' Mercury Falling'' (1996) *Depeche Mode, '' Ultra'' (1997) * Spiritualized, '' Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space'' (1997) *Pet Shop Boys, '' Nightlife'' (1999) *Sting, ''Brand New Day'' (1999) * Richard Ashcroft, '' Alone with Everybody'' (2000) *Eliza Carthy, ''Angels & Cigarettes'' (2000) *Sting, ''All This Time'' (2001) *Graham Coxon, '' The Kiss of Morning'' (2002) *Robert Plant, ''Dreamland'' (2002) *Björk, ''Post Live'' (2003) *Robert Plant, '' Sixty Six to Timbuktu'' (2003) *Groove Armada, ''Lovebox'' (2003) *David Gilmour, ''

'' (2006) *Deep Wilson, ''In 1609 We Came Back To Earth'' (2009) *Martin Simpson, ''True Stories'' (2009) * Devon Sproule, ''Don't Hurry For Heaven'' (2009) *Katie Melua, ''The House'' (2010) * The Kropotkins, ''Paradise Square'' (2010) *Tom Jones, ''Praise & Blame'' (2010) *Martin Simpson, ''Purpose & Grace'' (2011) *Luke Tuchscherer, ''Always Be True'' (2017) * R.E.M., '' R.E.M. at the BBC'' (2018) * Madeon, '' ''Good Faith'''' (2019) *

Matt Berry Matthew Charles Berry (born 2 May 1974) is an English actor, comedian, musician, and writer. Noted for his distinctive voice, he is best known for his television roles in comedy series such as ''The IT Crowd'', ''Garth Marenghi's Darkplace'', ' ...

, '' Phantom Birds'' (2020) *

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, '' C'mon You Know'' (2022) * black midi, '' Hellfire'' (2022) * Vladimír Mišík: Vteřiny, měsíce a roky (2024)

References

External links

Official websiteAllMusic entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, B. J. Living people 1946 births Musicians from the London Borough of Enfield People from Enfield, London Pedal steel guitarists Steel guitarists Resonator guitarists British male guitarists English session musicians Hubro Music artists Cochise (band) members