Betsy Cook

Betsy Cook is an

Cook worked for many years as a session musician and backing vocalist for a variety of artists. Her earliest work was with Gerry Rafferty, providing backing vocals on his 1979 album Night Owl. The album was produced by the London-born producer Hugh Murphy, whom Cook married.^[2] The album also featured contributions from Richard Thompson and his wife Linda Thompson, with whom Cook would begin a working relationship. The same year, she also worked on albums by Mike Heron and the singer/comedian Richard Digance. Cook would work with Rafferty again as a backing vocalist on his 1980 album Snakes and Ladders, and as backing vocalist and keyboard player on Ray Jackson's "In The Night" album that year, again produced by Hugh Murphy.^[3] In 1981, Cook worked as a session musician for Bonnie Tyler^[3] and Sally Oldfield,^[3] and also for Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady, playing various keyboard instruments on his album Hard Station, which was also produced by Hugh Murphy.^[4] Cook would work with Brady again on his 1983 album True for You,^[3] on his 1984 live album Full Moon^[3] and again on his 1991 album Trick or Treat.^[3]

Cook and Linda Thompson began writing songs together in the 1980s, and Thompson's 1985 solo album One Clear Moment contained eight tracks that were written by or co-written with Cook.^[2]

Cook also began recording her own material in 1984-85 when she co-produced the tracks "Nothing Ventured" and "Wonderland" with husband Hugh Murphy at the UK's Birdland Studios.

Cook then collaborated with George Michael by playing keyboards on his hugely successful debut solo album Faith, which was released in 1987.^[3]

In 1988, Cook appeared with Linda Thompson at the

In 1988, Cook once again worked with Gerry Rafferty, playing electric piano on his album North and South.^[3] She also returned to working with Horn and Lipson the same year when she worked as a session musician on Laughter, Tears and Rage, the debut album by Act^[3] and also on The Power of Six album by the vocal group Mint Juleps.

Cook later worked with the singer Marc Almond, providing keyboards and backing vocals on his 1990 album Enchanted.^[3] She would work with Almond again on his 1991 album Tenement Symphony, produced by Trevor Horn.^[3]

By this time, Cook had begun working on her own album of material that Horn, Lipson and

Cook continued to work with Horn and his associates, and was a session musician on Seal's 1994 album which Horn produced.^[3] She also co-wrote the track "Storm", which was recorded by Grace Jones and was co-written and co-produced by Bruce Woolley for the soundtrack album to the 1998 film version of The Avengers.^[3]

Previously unreleased material that Cook had co-written and recorded with Linda Thompson in the 1980s was released on Thompson's 1996 collection Dreams Fly Away - A History of Linda Thompson and on her 2001 collection Give Me A Sad Song.

Songwriter

Many of Cook's songs have been covered by other artists:

"

"Insult To Injury", which Cook also co-wrote with Linda Thompson was later covered by Fairport Convention at their 25th Anniversary concert which was released on record and video in 1994.^[3]

"

"Cry Of A Waking Heart", which was also co-written by Cook with Bruce Woolley, was recorded by Donna Summer for her 1991 album Mistaken Identity.^[3]

"Docklands" was Cook's third single, written by herself and Trevor Horn, and released in 1992. However, it was first recorded by the a cappella soul group Mint Juleps for their 1988 album The Power Of Six (which was produced by Horn and on which Cook performed as a musician and vocals arranger). After Cook's version had been released, it was then later covered by Stevie Nicks for her 1994 album Street Angel.^[3]

References