Chas Chandler
| Chas Chandler | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Bryan James Chandler |
| Also known as | Chas Chandler |
| Born |
18 December 1938 Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Died | 17 July 1996 (aged 57) Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Genres | Rock, R&B, psychedelic rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, producer, A&R representative |
| Instruments | Bass, vocals |
| Years active | 1957–1996 |
| Associated acts | The Animals, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Soft Machine, Slade |
| Notable instruments | |
|
Epiphone Rivoli Gibson EB-2 |
|
Bryan James "Chas" Chandler (18 December 1938 – 17 July 1996) was an English musician, record producer and manager, best known as the original bassist in The Animals. He also managed the band Slade and Jimi Hendrix, about whom he was regularly interviewed until his death in 1996.
Chandler was born in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne in Northumberland U.K. After leaving school, he worked as a turner in the Tyneside shipyards. Having originally learned to play the guitar, he became the bass player with The Alan Price Trio in 1962.
After Eric Burdon joined the band, the Alan Price Trio was renamed The Animals. Chandler's bass lines were rarely given critical attention but some, including the opening riff of the group's 1965 hit "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" subsequently received praise. Chandler was also the most prominent of the group's backing vocalists and did occasional songwriting with Burdon. In 1966, despite commercial success, Chandler became disillusioned with the lack of money, recalling that, "We toured non-stop for three years, doing 300 gigs a year and we hardly got a penny."
After The Animals underwent personnel changes in 1966, Chandler turned to becoming a talent scout, artist manager, and record producer. During his final tour with The Animals, Chandler saw a then-unknown Jimi Hendrix play in Cafe Wha?, a Greenwich Village, New York City nightclub. At the time Hendrix was performing under the name "Jimmy James". In September, Chandler convinced James to accompany him to Britain, which was made possible with the help of Michael Jeffery, who suggested that he revert to his actual name, and later suggested naming the band the Jimi Hendrix Experience. In Britain, Chandler recruited bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell as the other members of the Experience. His enthusiasm fueled Hendrix during the early days, but halfway through the recording of his third album in 1968, Electric Ladyland, much had changed within the band's framework.
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