Doreen Chanter
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Doreen Chanter is a British singer best known as a member of the Chanter Sisters, and for her work as a backing vocalist and session vocalist, primarily during the 1970s and 1980s.


Chanter Sisters

Chanter started as a member of a group called the Chanters in 1967 with her sister Irene Chanter and her five brothers, releasing four
singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
which failed to
chart A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphics, graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can repres ...
. In 1968, the Chanter sisters became a duo initially known as Birds of a Feather. The duo released four singles between 1967 and 1972 but none of them achieved chart success. Their first album was ''Birds of a Feather'', released in 1970 and featuring
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 ...
on piano. The Chanter sisters had appeared as backing singers for John in a Radio 1 session.
Long John Baldry John William "Long John" Baldry (12 January 1941 – 21 July 2005) was an English musician and actor. In the 1960s, he was one of the first British vocalists to sing the blues in clubs and shared the stage with many British musicians including ...
asked the sisters to join his live band in 1973. They also featured on ''
June 1, 1974 ''June 1, 1974'' is a live album of songs performed at the Rainbow Theatre in London on the titular date. The album is officially attributed to all principal performers Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Brian Eno and Nico, although other well-known musi ...
'', a live album featuring
Nico Christa Päffgen (; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988), known by her stage name Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Nico had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's '' La Dolce Vita'' (1960) and Andy Warhol's ...
,
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 ...
,
Kevin Ayers Kevin Ayers (16 August 1944 – 18 February 2013) was an English singer-songwriter who was active in the English psychedelic music movement. Ayers was a founding member of the psychedelic band Soft Machine in the mid-1960s, and was closely asso ...
and
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 ...
, and appeared on the
Chris Farlowe Chris Farlowe (born John Henry Deighton, 13 October 1940) is an English rock music, rock, blues and blue-eyed soul singer. He is best known for his hit single "Out of Time (Rolling Stones song), Out of Time" written by Mick Jagger and Keith Ric ...
album ''BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert''. Both sisters are credited on the 1974
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 ...
album ''
Fear Fear is an unpleasant emotion that arises in response to perception, perceived dangers or threats. Fear causes physiological and psychological changes. It may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the ...
'' and, the same year,
Ron Wood Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in '' Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe ...
's album ''
I've Got My Own Album to Do ''I've Got My Own Album to Do'' is the first solo album by English rock musician Ronnie Wood, released in September 1974. An all-star project recorded outside of his activities with the Faces, it reached number 27 on the UK's ''NME'' chart. The ...
, and Rod Stewart's album Smiler.'' Other credits include
Manfred Mann's Earth Band Manfred Mann's Earth Band are an English rock band formed by South African musician Manfred Mann (musician), Manfred Mann. Their hits include covers of Bruce Springsteen's "For You (Bruce Springsteen song), For You", "Blinded by the Light" an ...
's '' Solar Fire'' (1973), '' Nightingales and Bombers'' (1975), '' The Roaring Silence'' (1976) and ''
Watch A watch is a timepiece carried or worn by a person. It is designed to maintain a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is worn around the wrist, attached by a watch strap or another type of ...
'' (1978), plus
John Entwistle John Alec Entwistle (9 October 194427 June 2002) was an English musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the rock band the Who. Entwistle's music career spanned over four decades. Nicknamed "The Ox" and "Thunderfingers", he was the band ...
's ''
Mad Dog Mad dog is a phrase commonly applied to rabid dogs. Mad Dog may also refer to: People Nickname * Johnny Adair (born 1963), Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary * Martin Allen (born 1965), English footballer * Brett Banasiewicz (born 1994), Am ...
'' (1975),
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 ...
's ''
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),
Chris Rea Christopher Anton Rea ( ; born 4 March 1951) is a British Rock music, rock and blues singer-songwriter and guitarist from Middlesbrough. Known for his distinctive voice and his slide guitar playing, Rea has recorded twenty-five studio albums, ...
's '' Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?'' (1978) and
Justin Hayward David Justin Hayward (born 14 October 1946) is an English musician. He was the guitarist and frontman of the rock band the Moody Blues from 1966 until its dissolution in 2018. He became the group's principal vocalist and its most prolific son ...
's '' Night Flight'' (1980). In 1976,
Polydor Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
released their second album ''First Flight'', although it failed to make any lasting impression. They sang live with John Miles and appeared on a live album. The sisters released two albums in 1978 through Safari Records, both of which failed to chart. In 1971, both sisters were cast as schoolgirls in the
Hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nail (fastener), nails into wood, to sh ...
film '' Twins of Evil''.


Solo singer

On
Phil Manzanera Phillip Geoffrey Targett-Adams (born 31 January 1951), known professionally as Phil Manzanera, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music, and was the lead guitarist with 801 and Quiet Sun. ...
's first solo album '' Diamond Head'' (1975),
John Wetton John Kenneth Wetton (12 June 1949 – 31 January 2017) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Although he was left-handed, he was known for his skilled right-handed bass playing as well as his booming baritone voice. He was a member ...
and Doreen sang duo on the track "Same Time Next Week". She subsequently joined Jacqui Sullivan as one of The Sirens, backing vocalists for
Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry (lead vocals/keyboards/principal songwriter) and Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson (bass). By the time the band recorded their Roxy Music (album), first albu ...
's 1975–76 tour dates. (They can be heard on the band's 1976 live album '' Viva!'') In 1976 her name was credited on
Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. He became known as the frontman of the band Roxy Music and also launched a solo career. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established ...
's album '' Let's Stick Together'', and the following year she appeared as a backing vocalist on another Ferry album, '' In Your Mind''. In 1981, Chanter was part of a chorus that sang at ''
The Secret Policeman's Ball ''The Secret Policeman's Ball'' is a series of benefit shows staged initially in the United Kingdom to raise funds for the human rights organisation Amnesty International. The shows started in 1976 featuring popular British comedians but lat ...
'', with other chorus members including
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
,
Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter and record producer. He emerged from the British folk scene in early 1965 and subsequently scored multiple international hit singles ...
,
Sheena Easton Sheena Shirley Easton (; born 27 April 1959) is a Scottish singer and actress who achieved recognition in an episode of the reality television series ''The Big Time (TV series), The Big Time: Pop Singer'', which recorded her attempts to gain a ...
,
Bob Geldof Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (; born 5 October 1951) is an Irish singer-songwriter and political activist. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead singer of the Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats, who achieved popularity as part ...
,
Midge Ure James "Midge" Ure (; born 10 October 1953) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and record producer. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim. Ure enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in bands including Slik, Thin Lizzy, ...
and
Tom Robinson Living people Thomas Giles Robinson (born 1 June 1950) is a British singer, bassist, radio presenter and long-time LGBT rights activist, best known for the hits " Glad to Be Gay", " 2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with hi ...
. She also wrote two singles for
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 ...
, released in 1981, and a song sung by Dee for the British television series ''
Roll Over Beethoven "Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 song written by Chuck Berry, originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the A-side and B-side, B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to be a ...
'' in 1985. The Chanter-penned 1981 single "Star" became the theme song for the talent show Opportunity Knocks when it was revived by the BBC in 1987. She made a cameo in the film '' Pink Floyd The Wall'' in 1982 as a vocalist in a choir and, with Irene, provided backing vocals on the Pink Floyd song, "
Not Now John "Not Now John" is a song by the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, written by Roger Waters. It appears on the album ''The Final Cut (album), The Final Cut'' (1983). The track is the only one on the album featuring the lead vocals of David Gilmour, f ...
", from the band's 1983 album, '' The Final Cut''. Also in 1983, both Doreen and Irene appeared as backing singers on
The Undertones The Undertones are a rock band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. From 1975 to 1983, the Undertones consisted of Feargal Sharkey (vocals), John O'Neill (rhythm guitar, vocals), Damian O'Neill (lead guitar, vocals), Michael Bradle ...
track "The Love Parade" on their '' The Sin of Pride'' album. The same year, Chanter provided vocals for the song "Say You're Sorry" from Ministry's '' With Sympathy''. Also in 1983, she guested on backing vocals on
Keith Emerson Keith Noel Emerson (2 November 194411 March 2016) was an English keyboardist, songwriter, composer and record producer. He played keyboards in a number of bands before finding his first commercial success with the Nice in the late 1960s. He be ...
's '' Murder Rock'' album on one song, "Not So Innocent", as well as lead vocalist on three songs. She also wrote the lyrics for them. Chanter was part of the touring bands for both
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 ...
and
Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...
in 1984. She sang on Waters' album '' The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking'', released in that year, and provided backing vocals together with
Katie Kissoon Mac and Katie Kissoon are a pop soul duo, consisting of brother and sister Mac Kissoon (born Gerald Farthing, November 11, 1943, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) and Katie Kissoon (born Katherine Farthing, March 11, 1951, Port of Spain). Ea ...
during the tour promoting the record in 1984–85. The duo returned again for the Radio K.A.O.S tour in 1987. Chanter performed on Waters' next releases – first, she sang on three songs from '' Radio K.A.O.S.'' in 1987 and then on five songs on the ''
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 ...
'' album in 1992. She also toured as part of
Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally by his stage name Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. ...
's backing band Neverland Express in 1984–85, including appearing on '' Bad Attitude - Live!'' (1985), and as part of
Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances featuring expressive body movements. Most of his best-known singles, such as "Feelin' Alright ...
's touring band in 1989. Chanter featured on Cocker's live album '' Joe Cocker Live'', released in 1990. Chanter appeared as a backing vocalist on one of
Chris Farlowe Chris Farlowe (born John Henry Deighton, 13 October 1940) is an English rock music, rock, blues and blue-eyed soul singer. He is best known for his hit single "Out of Time (Rolling Stones song), Out of Time" written by Mick Jagger and Keith Ric ...
's album, ''Waiting in the Wings'' (1992).


References


External links

*
Doreen Chanter's AllMusic Guide page Doreen may refer to: __NOTOC__ *Doreen (given name), a feminine given name in English-speaking countries; any of several people or fictional characters Songs * "Doreen", on the 1981 Frank Zappa album ''You Are What You Is'' * "Doreen", on the 1993 ...
* Chanter Sisters AllMusic Guide page
Doreen Chanter page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chanter, Doreen 1949 births Living people British women singers British session musicians Neverland Express members