Chicken Shack article [Archive]

michelej1

03-15-2011, 07:37 PM

Christine Perfect
Beat Instrumental, May 1970

FIVE years ago, an art student called Christine Perfect met a guitarist called Stan Webb. As a result of that meeting an R and B group called Shades of Blue came into being and existed in a haphazard sort of way until Christine passed her college exams and came down to see what openings London could offer a young sculptress.

The answer was 'none' and she found herself working as a window dresser for a while until she heard that Stan had started another group called Chicken Shack which needed a pianist. Christine wrote, offering her services and joined the group, which turned full-time professional shortly afterwards.

"I couldn't play blues on the piano at first," recalled Christine. "They were going to sack me at one point in fact, but I listened to a lot of blues and gradually developed my own style. I've been playing for about 15 years, but I had to get rid of all the technique I'd learned from a classical background.

"I started singing a bit and writing my own songs. I was doing this in a small way with Chicken Shack – taking over on three or four numbers a night when Stan was exhausted."

Then a year ago came the news that Christine was leaving the group, since she was seeing so little of bass-player husband John McVie. "I left after Fleetwood Mac had finished a long American tour, because I wanted to see John. On occasions it was literally a case of passing each other on the doorstep as he came in and I went out. But it happened that I left just as 'I'd Rather Go Blind' was released, which became a big hit for the group.

"I wanted to do LPs in my own time, but then I won a Number One Girl Singer Award, so I went back on the road, but not six nights a week. I did a Drury Lane concert with P. J. Proby, but I was topping the bill. Anyone who'd ever liked me must have thought I'd gone all commercial because no blues fans turned up. I had to go on at the end in front of all Proby's little fans who just wanted him. It was a complete disaster and I felt like giving up, but since then things have got much better."

Christine now has her own group, but she is quick to point out that they are not just a backing group. "We are a group," she said, "and I want them to be just as important as me." The group consists of Top Topham on lead guitar who records by himself for Blue Horizon as well as working with Christine, Rick Haywood, also on lead guitar but playing in a very different style from Top, Martin Dunsford on bass and Chris Harding on drums.

"I sing and also play piano on a few numbers," Christine added. "We're doing much the same sort of material as I was with Chicken Shack. We do our own bluesy numbers but it's hard to describe the direction we've found ourselves going in. It's sort of quiet but funky, soft rock. I'm fed up with 10,000 watt amplifiers; all that's happening is the amplification business is having a boom. You don't need great volume to get a good sound."

Christine has completed her first album – called just Christine Perfect – which is due for release about the same time as this issue of Beat Instrumental. It includes eight numbers recorded with the new band, including Ike and Tina Turner's 'Crazy 'Bout You Baby' on which Christine plays electric piano, as well as tracks recorded with Chicken Shack such as 'I'd Rather Go Blind' and the B side of Christine's first solo single 'When I Say'.

Christine is very happy when working in the studio and is getting more interested in the production side of things. "Instead of recording specifically for an album," she said, "I want to do it regularly and then select what I want to go out on record. I really love recording. I could spend 24 hours upon 24 hours in the studio. I like to get involved in the technical side, in the whole thing, rather than just being a singer. Recording is something I'm really at home with."

Christine did in fact produce the album, which was recorded at CBS Studios in Bond Street, with Blue Horizon's Mike Vernon. "It's the first time I've actually had a hand in production."

Christine is off on a two week promotion tour of the United States when the album comes out there in May. "I won't be doing any live shows, just radio and interviews to get a bit known over there. For the Americans a girl coming over from Britain with her own band will be something new, I think."

Meanwhile Christine plays the colleges and clubs in this country and is unduly afraid that her experience at the Drury Lane concert has clouded everyone's view of her. So she says quite simply: "I hope people do come to see me. When they do hear me they may be pleasantly surprised."