Martin Chambers
This poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. )Find sources: "Martin Chambers" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2023) |
Martin Chambers | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Martin Dale Chambers |
Born | Hereford, Herefordshire, England | 4 September 1951
Genres | Rock, new wave |
Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
Instruments | Drums, vocals |
Labels | Sire |
Member of | The Pretenders |
Formerly of | Mott the Hoople, The Cheeks |
Martin Dale Chambers (born 4 September 1951) is an English musician, best known as a founding member and
Career
Prior to joining the as yet unnamed Pretenders, Chambers played with
Chambers proved to be a versatile drummer within the group, with a hard-hitting style that is evident on songs such as "Middle of the Road". Guitarist Adam Seymour has acknowledged that "there's a definite thing going on in the rhythm between Chrissie's guitar and Martin's drums that you would need a scientific equation to explain. Martin kind of pulls back on the beat while Chrissie's pushing it forward." (Rhino Entertainment Company, 2006).
Chambers' first tenure with the group lasted from mid-1978 until the mid-1980s. Coping with the death of bandmates Honeyman-Scott and Farndon proved difficult, and his consequent lack of enthusiasm resulted in his departure from the group during the Get Close sessions. According to Hynde, "I felt his playing had deteriorated. I think he was still very traumatized by [the loss of] Pete and Jimmy." (Uncut, 1999) Martin concurred, admitting "I wasn't really into it to be honest."[citation needed]
Chambers rejoined the group in 1994 during the sessions for Last of the Independents, and has been with the group ever since (Uncut, 1999). When he rejoined, Seymour recalled "When Martin sat down, it began to feel like a real band." Martin summed up his reunion with the group, saying: "at the end of the day [Chrissie] asked me back because no one could make it work quite like we did." (Rhino Entertainment Company, 2006) Hynde concurred, saying: "I missed him terribly. ... Both he and I were floundering—and probably not playing well—and I needed someone to kick me in the ass and inspire me. We went through one song and it was the same buzz as when we first played together. No one has that swing and feel." (Hot Press, 1994).
In late 2008, The Pretenders released the album Break Up the Concrete with Chambers being replaced by Jim Keltner, although Chambers remained an official member and played with the band on live dates. He did, however, appear on the 2020 album Hate for Sale. In addition to playing with the Pretenders, Chambers also plays in the band Miss World fronted by songwriter Jonathan Perkins, who had worked with artists such as XTC and Original Mirrors.
In late September and early October 2009, Chambers sat in on drums for the seven Mott the Hoople reunion shows (two in Monmouth and five at Hammersmith Odeon) alongside former Cheeks bandmate Verden Allen due to the illness of Dale Griffin who had loaned Chambers his kit for his first live show in 1967 at St. Mary's Church Hall,
Chambers played drums on the fourth Razorlight album, Olympus Sleeping (2018).[2]
Discography
- 1979 – Pretenders
- 1980 – “A Swift One”, on the Miniatures (A Sequence Of Fifty-One Tiny Masterpieces Edited By Morgan-Fisher) compilation
- 1981 – Extended Play
- 1981 – Pretenders II
- 1984 – Learning to Crawl
- 1986 – Get Close (track 11)
- 1994 – Last of the Independents (tracks 3, 4, 6 & 12)
- 1999 – Viva el Amor
- 2002 – Loose Screw
- 2009 – Hammersmith Live with Mott the Hoople
- 2014 – DVD Mott the Hoople Live in Manchester November 2013
- 2020 – Hate for Sale
Sources
- Hot Press, Hynde Sight, 4 May 1994.
- Ben Edmonds, Rhino Entertainment Company (2006), This Is Pirate Radio, Pirate Radio Box Set booklet.
- Allan Jones, Uncut, June 1999, Rock and Roll Heart (Pretenders Special), by Allan Jones, pp. 46–65.
References
- ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ "Razorlight announce first album in ten years, release four new songs". Official Charts.