Brian John Cole (born 17 June 1946) is an English

pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a console steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings, enabling more varied and complex music to be played than with other steel guitar designs. Like all steel guitars, it can play ...

ist, who has long been active as a session and solo musician. Coming to prominence in the early 1970s with the band

Cochise Cochise ( ; Apache: or , ; later or , ; June 8, 1874) was the leader of the Chiricahui local group of the Chokonen and principal nantan of the Chokonen band of a Chiricahua Apache. A key war leader during the Apache Wars, he led an upri ...

, 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 The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar or lap slide guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of play ...

and

dobro Dobro () is an American brand of resonator guitars owned by Gibson and manufactured by its subsidiary Epiphone. The term "dobro" is also used as a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar. The Dobro was originally a gui ...

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 Enfield Chase is an open space in the London Borough of Enfield, North London. Historically, the name applied to a large common occupying the western part of the ancient parish of Enfield, extending from Monken Hadley in the west to Bulls ...

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 Santo & Johnny were an American rock and roll instrumental duo of Italian descent from Brooklyn, New York, composed of brothers Santo Farina (born October 24, 1937) and Johnny Farina (born April 30, 1941). They are known best for their instrum ...

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 Stewart Brown (born 1951 in Southampton, UK) is an English poet, university lecturer and scholar of African and Caribbean Literature.

, 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

, with

Mick Grabham Mick Grabham (born Michael Grabham, 22 January 1948, Sunderland, County Durham, England) is an English rock guitarist. He played lead guitar for Procol Harum after the departure of Dave Ball, beginning with their album, '' Grand Hotel'' (1973) t ...

on guitar,

Rick Wills Richard William Wills (born 5 December 1947) is an English bass guitarist. He is best known for his work with the rock band Foreigner and his associations with the Small Faces, Roxy Music, Peter Frampton, Spooky Tooth, David Gilmour, Bad Compa ...

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 Andrew Fairweather Low (born 2 August 1948) is a Welsh guitarist and singer. He was a founding member and lead singer of 1960s pop band Amen Corner (band), Amen Corner, and in recent years has toured extensively with Roger Waters, Eric Clapton ...

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 ''Madman Across the Water'' is the fourth studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 5 November 1971 by DJM and Uni Records. The album was his third album to be released in 1971, at which point John had been rising to prominence ...

''.

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 Pauline Matthews (born 6 March 1947), better known by her stage name Kiki Dee, is an English pop singer. Known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown's Tamla Records. Dee is best known f ...

(''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),

the Walker Brothers The Walker Brothers were an American pop group formed in Los Angeles in 1964 by John Walker (musician), John Walker (real name John Maus) and Scott Walker (singer), Scott Walker (real name Noel Scott Engel), with Gary Walker (musician), Gary Wal ...

(''No Regrets'', 1975), Uriah Heep (''Magician's Birthday'', 1972, ''Return to Fantasy'', 1975),

(''

La Booga Rooga ''La Booga Rooga'' was the second solo album by Andy Fairweather Low, and was released by A&M Records in 1975. It was Fairweather Low's most successful album, with an eclectic musical styling. The opening track was a cover of Clarence Will ...

'', 1975, including "

Wide Eyed and Legless "Wide Eyed and Legless" is a song written and performed by Andy Fairweather Low in 1975. The track peaked at No. 6 in the UK Singles Chart in December that year. It had originally been published on Fairweather Low's album, ''La Booga Rooga'', ...

"),

Joan Armatrading Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading (, born 9 December 1950) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her first major commercial success came with her third and fourth albums, '' Joan Armatrading'' (1976) and '' Show Some Emotion'' (1977), a ...

("Down to Zero", 1976), Roy Harper ("One of Those Days in England", 1977),

Gerry Rafferty Gerald Rafferty (16 April 1947– 4 January 2011) was a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He was a founding member of Stealers Wheel, whose biggest hit was "Stuck in the Middle with You" in 1973. His solo hits in the ...

(''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 Melanie Harrold (born 5 May 1951) is a British singer-songwriter, best known for her 1970s albums for DJM (''Fancy That'' and ''Blue Angel'') plus recording with Gerry Rafferty, and singing with Hank Wangford.In her early career, and even for ...

. 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 Michael Barratt (born 4 March 1948), known professionally as Shakin' Stevens, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He was the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s. His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although ...

Give Me Your Heart Tonight ''Give Me Your Heart Tonight'' is an album by Welsh rock and roll singer Shakin' Stevens, released in October 1982 by Epic Records. To date, it is his last studio album to reach the Top-Ten in the UK, peaking at number 3 on the Album Chart. ...

" 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 Paul Antony Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & the Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, he became a teen idol with his solo success in the 1980s. H ...

Everything Must Change Everything Must Change may refer to: * ''Everything Must Change'' (Randy Crawford album), 1976 * ''Everything Must Change'' (Johnny Lytle album), 1978 * "Everything Must Change" (song), a 1984 song by Paul Young * "Everything Must Change", a son ...

", 1985),

David Sylvian David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt; 23 February 1958) is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan (band), Japan. During his time in Japan, Sylvia ...

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

The Stranglers The Stranglers are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1974. Scoring 23 UK top 40 singles and 20 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving bands to have originated in the ...

(''

Dreamtime The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology, Australian Aboriginal mythology. It was originally u ...

'', 1986),

Deacon Blue Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop rock band formed in Glasgow in 1985. The line-up of the band consists of vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime, drummer Dougie Vipond, guitarist Gregor Philp and bassist Le ...

(" Chocolate Girl", 1987), Dumptruck (''For the Country'', 1987), and

k.d. lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang (stylised in all lowercase), is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical pe ...

('' Angel with a Lariat'', 1987). In the 1990s, Cole toured over a period of five to six years with

John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styles across rock, dr ...

, 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. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...

, 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 Richard Paul Ashcroft (born 11 September 1971) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He formed the alternative rock band the Verve in 1990 and served as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist throughout the band's lifetime. Ashcroft was ...

's solo album '' Alone with Everybody'' (2000). Other session work of this period included contributions to:

Peter Blegvad Peter Blegvad (born August 14, 1951) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, writer, and cartoonist. He was a founding member of German/English avant-pop band Slapp Happy, which later merged briefly with Henry Cow, and has released many sol ...

(''King Strut and Other Stories'', 1990),

(''

On a Wing and a Prayer ''On a Wing & a Prayer'' is the seventh studio album by Gerry Rafferty. The album includes three tracks co-written with Rafferty’s brother Jim, also a singer-songwriter, who had been signed to Decca Records in the 1970s. The music was heavily ...

'', 1992),

Billie Ray Martin Billie Ray Martin is a German singer and songwriter, known for her single " Your Loving Arms", which reached the top 10 of both the UK singles chart (#6) and the Irish Singles Chart (#8) in 1995, and reached number one on the US Dance Club Ch ...

(''Four Ambient Tales'', 1993),

The Orb The Orb are an English electronic music group founded in 1988 by Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty. Known for their psychedelic sound, the Orb developed a cult following among clubbers "coming down" from drug-induced highs. Their influential ...

(''

Orbus Terrarum ''Orbus Terrarum'' (stylized as ''Orbvs Terrarvm'') is a studio album by the English electronic music group the Orb that was released on 20 March 1995 by Island Records. Background and recording Member Kris Weston had begun work on the albu ...

'', 1995),

Echobelly Echobelly are a British rock band, debuting in 1994 with their album '' Everyone's Got One''. They were often compared to Blondie and the Smiths, with Morrissey becoming a fan of the group. Career Echobelly lead singer Sonya Madan was born i ...

('' On'', 1995),

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...

(''

Post Post, POST, or posting may refer to: Postal services * Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries **An Post, the Irish national postal service **Canada Post, Canadian postal service **Deutsche Post, German postal s ...

'', 1995),

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(''

Ultra Ultra may refer to: Science and technology * Ultra (cryptography), the codename for cryptographic intelligence obtained from signal traffic in World War II * Adobe Ultra, a vector-keying application * Sun Ultra series, a brand of computer work ...

'', 1997),

Spiritualized Spiritualized (stylised as Spiritualized®) are an English rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Jason Pierce (often known as J. Spaceman), formerly of Spacemen 3. After several line up-changes, in 1999, the band centred on Pie ...

(''

Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space ''Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space'' is the third studio album by English space rock band Spiritualized, released on 16 June 1997. The album features guest appearances from the Balanescu Quartet, the London Community Gospel Choir an ...

'', 1997), and the

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(''

Nightlife Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, ...

'', 1999). Through his solo work, Cole came to the attention of

Sting Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene. STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...

, and he appeared on the albums ''

Mercury Falling ''Mercury Falling'' is the fifth studio album by English musician Sting. It was released on 8 March 1996 through A&M Records and was produced by Sting alongside longtime producer Hugh Padgham. The album features many tracks which see elements ...

'' (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 Eliza Amy Forbes Carthy, MBE (born 23 August 1975) is an English folk musician known for both singing and playing the fiddle. She is the daughter of English folk musicians Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson. Life and career Carthy was born i ...

(''Angels & Cigarettes'', 2000),

Chumbawamba Chumbawamba () was a British anarcho-punk band who formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. They are best known for their 1997 single "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the Brit Awards 1998. Other singles include "Amnes ...

(''

WYSIWYG In computing, WYSIWYG ( ), an acronym for what you see is what you get, refers to software that allows content to be edited in a form that resembles its appearance when printed or displayed as a finished product, such as a printed document, web ...

'', 2000),

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...

Eternity Eternity, in common parlance, is an Infinity, infinite amount of time that never ends or the quality, condition or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside tim ...

", 2001),

Graham Coxon Graham Leslie Coxon (born 12 March 1969) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who came to prominence as a founding member of the rock band Blur. As the group's lead guitarist and secondary vocalist, Coxon is featured on all of Blur' ...

('' The Kiss of Morning'', 2002),

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...

('' Dreamland'', 2002, and ''

Sixty Six to Timbuktu ''Sixty Six to Timbuktu'' is a greatest hits/compilation album featuring the history of the career of ex-Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, from 1966 to a recording done at the Festival in the Desert in Mali. The album was released in 2003 and c ...

'', 2003),

Groove Armada Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles " At the River", " I See You Baby" and " Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of ...

('' Lovebox'', 2003),

David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined in 1967, shortly before the departure of the founder member Syd Barrett. By the early 1980s, Pink F ...

(''

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'', 2006),

Martin Simpson Martin Stewart Simpson (born 5 May 1953) is an English folk singer, guitarist and songwriter. His music reflects a wide variety of influences and styles, rooted in Britain, Ireland, America and beyond. He builds a purposeful, often upbeat voi ...

('' True Stories'', 2009, and '' Purpose + Grace'', 2011),

Katie Melua Ketevan Katie Melua (; ka, ქეთევან "ქეთი" მელუა, ; born 16 September 1984) is a British singer and songwriter. She was born in Kutaisi, Georgia and raised in Belfast and London. Under the management of composer ...

('' The House'', 2010), and

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...

('' Praise & Blame'', 2010). In 2012, he was a featured soloist with Icebreaker in a live version of

Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...

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

First Aid Kit A first aid kit or medical kit is a collection of supplies and equipment used to give First aid, immediate medical treatment, primarily to treat injuries and other mild or moderate medical conditions. There is a wide variation in the contents o ...

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Michael Messer Michael Messer (born 28 February 1956) is an English singer, songwriter, slide guitarist, recording artist, producer, guitar designer/manufacturer. He is noteworthy for his ability to combine acoustic and electric National slide and lap steel ...

, the folk singer

Bonnie Dobson Bonnie Dobson (born November 13, 1940, in Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)"Bo ...

, and

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, 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 Arve Henriksen (born 22 March 1968) is a Norwegian trumpeter. Career Henriksen was born in Stranda Municipality and educated on the Jazz program at Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet, Trondheim Musikkonservatorium; he later studie ...

and

Davy Spillane Davy Spillane (born 1959 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish musician, songwriter and a player of uilleann pipes and low whistle. Biography Irish music At the age of 12, Spillane started playing the uilleann pipes. His father encouraged him ...

(United Artists, 2012). In the late 1990s, a desire to work with a DJ drew Cole to

Luke Vibert Luke Vibert (born 26 January 1973) is a British electronic musician and producer, also known for his work under several aliases such as Plug and Wagon Christ. Raised in Cornwall, Vibert began releasing projects in the 1990s across varied genre ...

, 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

) *''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) *

Dave Edmunds David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh retired singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock and New wave music, new wave, having many hit record, h ...

, ''Rockpile'' (1972) *

Trapeze A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes, metal straps, or chains, from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or ...

, '' 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 Goodies were a trio of British comedians: Tim Brooke-Taylor (17 July 1940 – 12 April 2020), Graeme Garden (b. 18 February 1943) and Bill Oddie (b. 7 July 1941). The trio created, wrote for and performed in their The Goodies (TV series), ...

, '' The World of the Goodies'' (1973) *Pete Sinfield, "Still" (1973) *

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, ''The Session'' (1973) *

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, '' We May Be Cattle But We've All Got Names'' (1973) *

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

Teresa Brewer Teresa Brewer (born Theresa Veronica Breuer; May 7, 1931 – October 17, 2007) was an American singer whose style incorporated pop, country, jazz, R&B, musicals, and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of th ...

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

Eat It "Eat It" is a 1984 song by American comedy music artist "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of Michael Jackson's 1983 single "Beat It", with the contents changed to be about an exasperated parent attempting to get their picky child to eat anythi ...

'' (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 ''Exotic Birds and Fruit'' is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Procol Harum. It was released in 1974. The cover artwork for the album is by Jakob Bogdani, a noted Hungarian artist whose paintings centered on exotic b ...

'' (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") *

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British and Australian singer and actress. With over 100 million records sold, Newton-John was one of the List of best-selling music artists#100 million to 119 million record ...

, ''Come on Over'' (1976) *Kevin Ayers “ Yes We Have No Mañanas (So Get Your Mañanas Today)" (1976) *

Alan Parsons Alan Parsons (born 20 December 1948) is an English audio engineer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Parsons was the sound engineer on albums including the Beatles' ''Abbey Road'' (1969) and '' Let It Be'' (1970), Pink Floyd's ''The ...

, '' I Robot'' (1977) *Cat Stevens, '' Back to Earth'' (1978) *Gerry Rafferty, ''

City to City A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

'' (1978) *Elton John, ''

A Single Man ''A Single Man'' is a 2009 American historical drama film, period romantic drama film based on A Single Man (novel), the 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood. The List of directorial debuts, directorial debut of fashion designer Tom Ford, the fi ...

'' (1978) *Roy Harper, ''The Unknown Soldier'' (1980) *

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in May 1964. The band initially consisted of Graeme Edge (drums), Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards/vocals), Ray Thomas (multi-instrumentalist/vocals) and Clint W ...

, ''

Long Distance Voyager ''Long Distance Voyager'' is the tenth album by the Moody Blues, first released in May 1981 on the group's Threshold record label. It was the group's first album featuring keyboardist Patrick Moraz (who previously had worked with bands such as ...

'' (1981) *

, '' Shaky'' (1981) *Shakin’ Stevens, ''Give Me Your Heart Tonight'' (1982) *Paul Young, ''

The Secret of Association ''The Secret of Association'' is the second studio album by the English singer Paul Young. Released in 1985, it reached number one on the UK album charts and the Top 20 in the US. The album spawned hits including a cover of Hall & Oates' 1980 son ...

'' (1985) *

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

Felt Felt is a textile that is produced by matting, condensing, and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic fiber, acrylic or acrylonitrile or ...

, ''

Me and a Monkey on the Moon ''Me and a Monkey on the Moon'' is the tenth and final album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 1989. It was originally issued on Mike Alway's él label, part of Cherry Red. In a review for Sounds, Roy Wilkinson described it ...

'' (1989) *

, '' King Strut and other Stories'' (1990) *Harold Budd: By the Dawn's Early Light (1991) *

, ''Black Claw/Country Fever'' (1991) *

, ''On a Wing and a Prayer'' (1992) *

Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. In 1965, he co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd as the bassist. Following the departure of the group's main songwriter Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became ...

, ''

Amused to Death ''Amused to Death'' is the third studio album by English musician Roger Waters, released 7 September 1992 on Columbia. Produced by Waters and Patrick Leonard, it was mixed in QSound to enhance its spatial feel. The album features Jeff Beck o ...

'' (1992) *The Orb, ''

'' (1995) *Echobelly, ''On'' (1995) *

Jimmy Nail James Michael Aloysius Bradford (born 16 March 1954), known as Jimmy Nail, is an English singer-songwriter, actor, film producer, and television writer. He played the role of Leonard "Oz" Osborne in the television show ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'' ( ...

, ''Crocodile Shoes'' (1995) *

The Selecter The Selecter is an English 2 tone ska revival band, formed in Coventry, England, in 1979. The Selecter featured a diverse line-up, both in terms of race and gender, initially consisting of Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson and Pauline Black on lead ...

, ''Pucker!'' (1995) *John Cale, ''

Walking on Locusts ''Walking on Locusts'' is the thirteenth solo studio album by the Welsh musician John Cale, released on 24 September 1996 by Hannibal Records. Cale worked with several guest musicians including David Byrne, Moe Tucker, Dave Soldier with the Sol ...

'' (1996) *Sting, ''

'' (1996) *Depeche Mode, ''

'' (1997) *

, ''

'' (1997) *Pet Shop Boys, ''

'' (1999) *Sting, ''Brand New Day'' (1999) *

, '' 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, ''

'' (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 Devon Sproule (born 23 April 1982) is a folk and indie rock singer-songwriter and musician based in Charlottesville, Virginia. She shared the ASCAP Foundation Sammy Cahn Award for 2009 with Oren Lavie. She is married to fellow musician, and mus ...

, ''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. at the BBC'' (2018) *

Madeon Hugo Pierre Leclercq (; born 30 May 1994), better known by his stage name Madeon (), is a French musician, DJ, songwriter, singer and music producer from Nantes, based in Los Angeles. He initially came to widespread public attention at age 17 th ...

, '' ''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) *

Liam Gallagher William John Paul Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English singer and songwriter. He is the lead singer and co-founder of the rock band Oasis (band), Oasis and fronted the rock band Beady Eye from 2010 to 2014, before starting a succes ...

, ''

C'mon You Know ''C'mon You Know'' is the third solo studio album by English musician Liam Gallagher, released on 27 May 2022 through Warner Records. Andrew Wyatt served as the album's primary producer and co-writer. It was preceded by lead single " Everything's ...

'' (2022) *

black midi Black Midi (stylised as black midi) were an English Band (rock and pop), rock band from London, formed in 2017. Their most recent line-up consisted of lead vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Geordie Greep and Cameron Picton, along with drumme ...

, '' Hellfire'' (2022) *

Vladimír Mišík Vladimír Mišík (born 8 March 1947) is a Czech musician and politician. He is the founder or co-founder of the bands The Matadors, Matadors, Blue Effect, and Etc (band), Etc.... Career Music Mišík founded his first band, Uragán, as a teena ...

: 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

Early life and musical beginnings

Rise to prominence

1970s

Cow Pie Records and the Hank Wangford Band

Session and live work, 1982 to the present

Solo work

Instruments

Selected discography

Solo and collaborative

With Cochise

Featured artist

See also

References

External links