Rockbusters chris de burgh biography
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The head of the A&R department at A&M decided to check out de Burgh, and he, too, was impressed with de Burgh's work. the only stigma is that I wish the biggest song I'd done was a rock-oriented song rather than a ballad."
The follow-up to the highly successful Into the Light was 1988's Flying Colours. I know that I can't let myself down and, apart from that--I can't let anybody else down."
by Mary Alice Adams
Chris de Burgh's Career
Signed with A&M Records in 1974; released Far Beyond These Castle Walls, 1975; Spanish Train and Other Stories, 1975; At the End of a Perfect Day, 1977; Crusader, 1979, Live in South Africa, 1979; Eastern Wind, 1980; Best Moves, 1981; The Getaway, 1982, Man on the Line, 1984; licensed to Telstar and released Very Best of Chris de Burgh, 1984; Into the Light (includes "Lady in Red"), 1986; Flying Colours, 1988; Spark to a Flame, 1989; High on Emotion, 1990; Power of Ten, 1992; This Way Up, 1994; Beautiful Dreams, 1995; The Love Songs, 1997.
Chris de Burgh's Awards
Canadian platinum certification for Spanish Train and Other Stories, 1975; Canadian gold certification for Beautiful Dreams, 1995.
Famous Works
- Selective Works
- Far beyond These Castle Walls, A&M, 1975.
- Spanish Train and Other Stories, A&M, 1975.
- At the End of a Perfect Day, A&M, 1977.
- Crusader, A&M, 1979.
- Live in South Africa, A&M, 1979.
- Eastern Wind, A&M, 1980.
- Best Moves, A&M, 1981.
- The Getaway, A&M, 1982.
- Man on the Line, A&M, 1984.
- Very Best of Chris de Burgh, Telstar, 1984.
- Into the Light (includes "Lady in Red"), A&M, 1986.
- Flying Colours, A&M, 1988.
- Spark to a Flame, A&M, 1989.
- High on Emotion, A&M, 1990.
- Power of Ten, A&M, 1992.
- This Way Up, A&M, 1994.
- Beautiful Dreams, A&M, 1995.
- The Love Songs, A&M, 1997.
Recent Updates
July 26, 2005: De Burgh's album, Live in Dortmund, was released.
I've always been one to jump over England as an important record market. In two years' time, de Burgh released This Way Up, which was the first de Burgh album released in America since 1988's Flying Colours. Chris’ extensive repertoire of songs has taken his audience on travels through continents, cultures and centuries - in cinematic proportion.
In 2008 Chris recorded his album ‘Footsteps,’ an album which represented a deeply personal and candid appraisal by Chris of songs which have influenced and affected the way he has crafted his own particular musical imprint.
The album chronicled his successful tour of the country. The Getaway followed 1981's Best Moves. Another greatest hits album was released not long after this and was entitled Spark to a Flame. The presence of enthusiastic young women at his concerts validates his relevance and continues to inspire him.
Parenthood and Legacy
De Burgh is a devoted father of three, and his children are his greatest source of fulfillment.
And it's difficult to break into England unless you're prepared to play the game English bands play."
De Burgh was born October 15, 1948, in Argentina. The iconic song "Lady in Red," for example, was not about a specific person but rather an observation on the enduring power of relationships.
Musical Style and Impact
De Burgh's music is characterized by its simplicity and authenticity.
Flett, along with his partner Guy Fletcher, was the owner of Egg Productions. To this day, it remains one of the most played songs on the planet; in America alone, it has subsequently been the recipient of six annual ASCAP (Association of Composers and Publishers) Awards, presented to acknowledge the track as one of the Top 20 most played records in the United States in a period of 12 months.
Come 1990, Chris’ German popularity was such that he was the only international artist personally invited by then Chancellor Kohl to perform at the historic public celebrations marking the re-unification of East and West Germany.
BIOGRAPHY
Chris de Burgh
50
Chris de Burgh celebrates a remarkable and rare career milestone during 2024; half a century as a recording artist.
Yet when he signed his first recording contract in 1974 and his debut album, ‘Far beyond These Castle Walls’, was released by A&M Records that same year, Chris did not look beyond the immediate future.
“As I held a copy of that record in my hands, I had absolutely no idea that this would even go any further,” he recalls. “I was incredibly naive about the music business but I was full of hope and dreams and, spectacularly, my dreams not only came true, they came truer than true. I had no concept that I was going to last as long as this. Fifty years? Wow!”
A song from that first album offered a very early glimpse of what might lie ahead for Chris; the single ‘Flying’ spent 17 straight weeks at No.1 in Brazil. “I thought ‘Right, I’m off! A world star, overnight!’,” Chris remembers. “Not a chance. From then on, it was a real, real slog and a hard, hard time, but the grounding that I’d had in my parents’ hotel, Bargy Castle, performing for the guests there made me believe that I did have something that I could give to people.”
Gradually, market after market – Australia, South Africa, Ireland, Norway, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Lebanon , to name a few – tuned into his music with the release of each new album and a solid foundation for a lasting and meaningful international career was built.
“What I was trying to achieve was looking at a globe of the world and turning lights on within it,” says Chris. “Some of them took longer to come on, some of them never came on, some of them have dimmed subsequently, which is of course entirely natural.
“I put in a huge amount of travelling and work because, at the end of it, there’s only one me. I’m the engine. I write all the songs, all the lyrics, do all of the TV shows, all the radio shows, all of the interviews.”
Over the course of five decades, Chris has achieved worldwide album sales in excess of 45 million, performed approaching 4,000 concerts globally and, perhaps more remarkably than anything else, continued to make his music, his way for his loyal followers. “Without the love and support of my audience I would never have had such a long career,” Chris acknowledges.
To celebrate that relationship and his musical longevity, Chris will be releasing a new album, ‘50’, in 2024 and embarking on a solo tour of the same name through the UK, Europe and beyond.
“I will select my favourite songs for the new album from each one of my previous studio albums”, he says, “and I will also write and record three new songs. That will be a great way of going out there and saying ‘This is what I’ve done.’ It’s just a taste of what I’ve done, of course, because I’ve written some 330 songs and counting.”
“The tour will be about referring back to when I started out, as a single guy with a guitar and piano. So it will be me performing and talking about the music, talking about the origin of the songs and their background.”
Meanwhile, ‘Robin Hood – The Musical’, co-created by Chris and already a smash hit production, will premiere at new locations in Germany, Switzerland and Austria in 2024, having initially opened in Fulda and then in Munich and Hameln.
“Ticket sales for the production are astonishing,” says Chris, “and 200,000 people have been to see it performed in a small, 700-seat theatre in Fulda. It’s been very exciting and I’m immensely proud of the musical.”
At the same time, his extensive back catalogue of repertoire continues to resonate across the years and generations, most recently with the inclusion of The Lady In Red’ in the soundtrack of movie blockbuster ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ which grossed in excess of $1 billion at the box office in just 23 days following its release in 2024.
It’s evident from these latest successful twists in his career that Chris continues to be creative, relevant and ready to embrace new challenges.
Few artists can lay claim to international success spanning five decades but, beginning with his very first release, Chris de Burgh has achieved just that.
The foundations for a remarkable and durable career were laid back in 1975 with the release of Chris’ debut album, ‘Far Beyond These Castle Walls’, featuring the single, ‘Flying’, which spent 17 weeks at No.
1 in Brazil. However, he has remained true to his romantic ideals, resisting the temptations of the entertainment industry. He sees their energy as a reminder of the enduring power of music and the human connection it creates. Man on the Line was de Burgh's next release. His introverted nature contrasts with his soulful performances, which are inspired by his own romantic nature.