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Wikipedia

Brian Protheroe

January 01, 1970

Brian Protheroe (born 16 June 1944)[1] is an English singer, songwriter, narrator and actor. He is best known for his first single, "Pinball", which was released in August 1974, and entered the UK Singles Chart at number 40 and reached a peak of number 22. He has narrated the Channel 4 dating show First Dates since 2015.[2]

Brian Protheroe
Protheroe in 2017
Born (1944-06-16) 16 June 1944 (age 79)
Salisbury, Wiltshire, England
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • narrator
  • actor
AgentLucia Pallaris[citation needed]
Websitebrianprotheroe.co.uk

Career edit

Music edit

Protheroe was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England,[3] to a Welsh father and English mother. He joined a local church choir when he was twelve years old, and started piano lessons at about the same time. The music of Cliff Richard and the Shadows inspired him to start learning the guitar. He joined a rock band called the Coasters (not to be confused with the similarly titled United States outfit) as lead singer in 1961, and also joined an amateur theatre group called the Studio Theatre.

Protheroe's first job was a library assistant for a year followed by three years as a student technician in a hospital pathology laboratory.[3] Musical influences around this time were Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Josh White, Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Dave Brubeck and the choral church music of Bach.

Protheroe joined the folk group Folk Blues Incorporated (FBI) when he was nineteen, while at this time listening to Bob Dylan and the Beatles. He came to London with FBI in 1965, and played in folk music clubs in and around London. In 1966, Protheroe began his career as an actor. His first job was with his local repertory theatre in Salisbury. He worked there for about seven months then spent the next five years in various theatre companies around Britain, developing his musical skills as well as becoming an experienced actor. In 1968, he worked for nearly two years in a theatre company in Lincoln, where he met Martin Duncan who was also a musician, writer and actor. Over the next few years they collaborated on various musical and artistic projects.

In 1973, Protheroe was playing the part of a pop singer in a play called Death on Demand, when a representative from Chrysalis Records heard a song he had written for the show. His first single, "Pinball", was released in August 1974,[3] and it entered the UK Singles Chart at number 40 and reached a peak of number 22.[4] Then followed by an album of the same name.[3] The follow-up single "Fly Now" made Capital Radio's "Capital Countdown" chart.[citation needed]

This was followed over the next couple of years by two more albums – Pick Up and I/You[3] (which featured Simon Phillips, as well as Ian Anderson and Barriemore Barlow of Jethro Tull). All three of Protheroe's original Chrysalis albums were produced by Del Newman and engineered by Richard Dodd. The song "Pick-Up"" was the centrepiece of a cabaret show called KinoTata which was put on by Martin Duncan, Protheroe's oft-times lyrical collaborator.[5]

Protheroe's songs are noted for their use of wordplay, some nonsensical, in the vein of John Lennon. Most of his songs feature lyrics he wrote, but "Changing My Tune", "Oh, Weeping Will" and "Dancing on Black Ice" had lyrics written by Martin Duncan, and it seems Duncan was the one responsible for more of the wordplay.[5]

Acting edit

A developing acting career found Protheroe, in 1976, starring in the London production of the rock musical, Leave Him to Heaven at the New London Theatre.[3] Temporarily laying aside his career in music, he focused on theatre, television and film.[3] He also has a small role in the 1978 film Superman as a co-pilot of Air Force One.[3]

In 1982 he was cast in the BBC Two play Spider's Web by Agatha Christie, and in the following year played the role of Edward IV in the BBC Television Shakespeare productions of Henry VI, Part 2, Henry VI, Part 3 and Richard III. In 1984 he played in the West End musical Pump Boys and Dinettes on piano and vocals and percussion.

In 1997 Basta Records released a compilation album of the first three albums from the 1970s, with an additional disc of unreleased material in a box set, Brian's Big Box. The advent of the internet allowed for a resurgence in interest in his musical career. He released the collection Citysong in 2005. It was described as a "new single with seventeen bonus tracks and two movies". It included the new song "Holyoke Hotel" as well as two homemade videos. After remastering his original tapes at Abbey Road Studios, EMI studios released a greatest hits collection called Pinball and Other Stories in 2006.

In 2002 Protheroe played the role of Gower in Adrian Noble's production of Pericles, Prince of Tyre. In 2007 he was cast as Saruman in the original stage musical version of The Lord of the Rings. Performances began at London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 21 June 2007. Protheroe played his final performance at the end of his year contract in June 2008.

In 2012 he appeared in Hunted for BBC One and HBO.[6]

His television work includes: Reilly, Ace of Spies, Gentlemen and Players, Lovejoy, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less[3] (for which he also sang the title song), 55 Degrees North, North and South, Holby City, Love Soup, Midsomer Murders and Doctors. More recently he appeared in the eighth series of Spooks, in which he played the part of Samuel Walker, a senior CIA officer based in London. His personal website includes his extensive theatre, television and theatre experiences.

Discography edit

Albums edit

  • Pinball (1974), Chrysalis
  • Pick Up (1975), Chrysalis
  • I/You (1976), Chrysalis
  • Leave Him to Heaven (1976), Chrysalis
  • Desert Road (2020), independent[7]
  • Hot Spot Melodies (2021), independent[8]
  • A Salisbury Boy (2023), independent[9]

EPs edit

  • The Cookie Jar (2018), independent[10]

Singles edit

  • "Pinball" (1974), Chrysalis
  • "Pinball" / "Money Love" (1974), Chrysalis
  • "Fly Now" (1974), Chrysalis
  • "The Good Brand Band Song" (1975), Chrysalis
  • "Running Through the City" (1974), Chrysalis
  • "Scobo Queen" (1974), Chrysalis
  • "Citysong" (2005), Basta
  • "Venice" (digital only) (2012), independent[11]
  • "Broken Bridges" (digital only) (2013), independent[12]
  • "Sad Song" (digital only) (2016), independent[13]
  • "Night Traveller" (digital only) (2018), independent[14]
  • "Enjoy It" (remix) (digital only) (2019), independent[15]
  • "Fly Now" (digital only) (2020), independent[16]

Compilations edit

  • Brian's Big Box (1997), Basta (contains 'Pinball', 'Pick Up' and 'I/You' plus a bonus album 'Unreleased')
  • Pinball and Other Stories (2006), EMI[17]
  • The Albums 1974-76 (2020), Cherry Red (contains 'Pinball', 'Pick Up' and 'I/You' plus a total of five bonus tracks)

Selected filmography edit

Video games edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Brian Protheroe". IMDb.com. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  2. ^ "32 Things You Probably Didn't Know About "First Dates"". Buzzfeed.com. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2009. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  4. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 441. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ^ a b Brian Protheroe. Pinball and Other Stories, EMI, 2006, liner notes
  6. ^ "Hunted | Series 1 – 7. Khyber". Radio Times. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  7. ^ "Desert Road". Bandcamp. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Hot Spot Melodies". Bandcamp. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  9. ^ Babey, Ged (29 August 2023). "Brian Protheroe: A Salisbury Boy – album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  10. ^ "The Cookie Jar - Brian Protheroe". Brianprotheroe.co.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  11. ^ "Venice". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  12. ^ "Broken Bridges". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  13. ^ "Sad Song". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Night Traveller". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Enjoy It". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  16. ^ "Fly Now". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  17. ^ "Brian Protheroe – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. 16 June 1944. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  18. ^ "Litvinenko cast revealed for new ITV1 drama with David Tennant". tellymix. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.

External links edit

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Brian Protheroe.

January 01, 1970
brian, protheroe, this, biography, living, person, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, adding, reliable, sources, contentious, material, about, living, persons, that, unsourced, poorly, sourced, must, removed, immediately, from, article, . This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page especially if potentially libelous Find sources Brian Protheroe news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2008 Learn how and when to remove this template message Brian Protheroe born 16 June 1944 1 is an English singer songwriter narrator and actor He is best known for his first single Pinball which was released in August 1974 and entered the UK Singles Chart at number 40 and reached a peak of number 22 He has narrated the Channel 4 dating show First Dates since 2015 2 Brian ProtheroeProtheroe in 2017Born 1944 06 16 16 June 1944 age 79 Salisbury Wiltshire EnglandOccupationsSingersongwriternarratoractorAgentLucia Pallaris citation needed Websitebrianprotheroe wbr co wbr uk Contents 1 Career 1 1 Music 1 2 Acting 2 Discography 2 1 Albums 2 2 EPs 2 3 Singles 2 4 Compilations 3 Selected filmography 4 Video games 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksCareer editMusic edit Protheroe was born in Salisbury Wiltshire England 3 to a Welsh father and English mother He joined a local church choir when he was twelve years old and started piano lessons at about the same time The music of Cliff Richard and the Shadows inspired him to start learning the guitar He joined a rock band called the Coasters not to be confused with the similarly titled United States outfit as lead singer in 1961 and also joined an amateur theatre group called the Studio Theatre Protheroe s first job was a library assistant for a year followed by three years as a student technician in a hospital pathology laboratory 3 Musical influences around this time were Elvis Presley the Everly Brothers Josh White Big Bill Broonzy Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee Dave Brubeck and the choral church music of Bach Protheroe joined the folk group Folk Blues Incorporated FBI when he was nineteen while at this time listening to Bob Dylan and the Beatles He came to London with FBI in 1965 and played in folk music clubs in and around London In 1966 Protheroe began his career as an actor His first job was with his local repertory theatre in Salisbury He worked there for about seven months then spent the next five years in various theatre companies around Britain developing his musical skills as well as becoming an experienced actor In 1968 he worked for nearly two years in a theatre company in Lincoln where he met Martin Duncan who was also a musician writer and actor Over the next few years they collaborated on various musical and artistic projects In 1973 Protheroe was playing the part of a pop singer in a play called Death on Demand when a representative from Chrysalis Records heard a song he had written for the show His first single Pinball was released in August 1974 3 and it entered the UK Singles Chart at number 40 and reached a peak of number 22 4 Then followed by an album of the same name 3 The follow up single Fly Now made Capital Radio s Capital Countdown chart citation needed This was followed over the next couple of years by two more albums Pick Up and I You 3 which featured Simon Phillips as well as Ian Anderson and Barriemore Barlow of Jethro Tull All three of Protheroe s original Chrysalis albums were produced by Del Newman and engineered by Richard Dodd The song Pick Up was the centrepiece of a cabaret show called KinoTata which was put on by Martin Duncan Protheroe s oft times lyrical collaborator 5 Protheroe s songs are noted for their use of wordplay some nonsensical in the vein of John Lennon Most of his songs feature lyrics he wrote but Changing My Tune Oh Weeping Will and Dancing on Black Ice had lyrics written by Martin Duncan and it seems Duncan was the one responsible for more of the wordplay 5 Acting edit A developing acting career found Protheroe in 1976 starring in the London production of the rock musical Leave Him to Heaven at the New London Theatre 3 Temporarily laying aside his career in music he focused on theatre television and film 3 He also has a small role in the 1978 film Superman as a co pilot of Air Force One 3 In 1982 he was cast in the BBC Two play Spider s Web by Agatha Christie and in the following year played the role of Edward IV in the BBC Television Shakespeare productions of Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 and Richard III In 1984 he played in the West End musical Pump Boys and Dinettes on piano and vocals and percussion In 1997 Basta Records released a compilation album of the first three albums from the 1970s with an additional disc of unreleased material in a box set Brian s Big Box The advent of the internet allowed for a resurgence in interest in his musical career He released the collection Citysong in 2005 It was described as a new single with seventeen bonus tracks and two movies It included the new song Holyoke Hotel as well as two homemade videos After remastering his original tapes at Abbey Road Studios EMI studios released a greatest hits collection called Pinball and Other Stories in 2006 In 2002 Protheroe played the role of Gower in Adrian Noble s production of Pericles Prince of Tyre In 2007 he was cast as Saruman in the original stage musical version of The Lord of the Rings Performances began at London s Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 21 June 2007 Protheroe played his final performance at the end of his year contract in June 2008 In 2012 he appeared in Hunted for BBC One and HBO 6 His television work includes Reilly Ace of Spies Gentlemen and Players Lovejoy Not a Penny More Not a Penny Less 3 for which he also sang the title song 55 Degrees North North and South Holby City Love Soup Midsomer Murders and Doctors More recently he appeared in the eighth series of Spooks in which he played the part of Samuel Walker a senior CIA officer based in London His personal website includes his extensive theatre television and theatre experiences Discography editAlbums edit Pinball 1974 Chrysalis Pick Up 1975 Chrysalis I You 1976 Chrysalis Leave Him to Heaven 1976 Chrysalis Desert Road 2020 independent 7 Hot Spot Melodies 2021 independent 8 A Salisbury Boy 2023 independent 9 EPs edit The Cookie Jar 2018 independent 10 Singles edit Pinball 1974 Chrysalis Pinball Money Love 1974 Chrysalis Fly Now 1974 Chrysalis The Good Brand Band Song 1975 Chrysalis Running Through the City 1974 Chrysalis Scobo Queen 1974 Chrysalis Citysong 2005 Basta Venice digital only 2012 independent 11 Broken Bridges digital only 2013 independent 12 Sad Song digital only 2016 independent 13 Night Traveller digital only 2018 independent 14 Enjoy It remix digital only 2019 independent 15 Fly Now digital only 2020 independent 16 Compilations edit Brian s Big Box 1997 Basta contains Pinball Pick Up and I You plus a bonus album Unreleased Pinball and Other Stories 2006 EMI 17 The Albums 1974 76 2020 Cherry Red contains Pinball Pick Up and I You plus a total of five bonus tracks Selected filmography editSuperman 1978 Co Pilot Superman s 1st Night Strangers Episode Duty Roster 1978 Ward A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square 1979 Stan the Spinner Metroland 1997 Woody uncredited Il gioco 1999 Royal Shakespeare Company The Merchant of Venice 2015 Aragon Litvinenko 2022 Sir Robert Owen 18 Video games editFinal Fantasy XIV Heavensward 2015 Archbishop Thordan VII Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers 2019 Seto BismarckSee also editAlbion Country Band List of performers on Top of the Pops Losing LouisReferences edit Brian Protheroe IMDb com Retrieved 23 December 2012 32 Things You Probably Didn t Know About First Dates Buzzfeed com 29 September 2015 Retrieved 18 January 2020 a b c d e f g h i Colin Larkin ed 1992 The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music First ed Guinness Publishing p 2009 ISBN 0 85112 939 0 Roberts David 2006 British Hit Singles amp Albums 19th ed London Guinness World Records Limited p 441 ISBN 1 904994 10 5 a b Brian Protheroe Pinball and Other Stories EMI 2006 liner notes Hunted Series 1 7 Khyber Radio Times Retrieved 23 December 2012 Desert Road Bandcamp Retrieved 28 November 2020 Hot Spot Melodies Bandcamp Retrieved 27 September 2023 Babey Ged 29 August 2023 Brian Protheroe A Salisbury Boy album review Louder Than War Retrieved 27 September 2023 The Cookie Jar Brian Protheroe Brianprotheroe co uk Retrieved 28 August 2018 Venice Amazon co uk Retrieved 5 October 2021 Broken Bridges Amazon co uk Retrieved 5 October 2021 Sad Song Amazon co uk Retrieved 5 October 2021 Night Traveller Amazon co uk Retrieved 5 October 2021 Enjoy It Amazon co uk Retrieved 5 October 2021 Fly Now Amazon co uk Retrieved 5 October 2021 Brian Protheroe Music Biography Credits and Discography AllMusic 16 June 1944 Retrieved 23 December 2012 Litvinenko cast revealed for new ITV1 drama with David Tennant tellymix 19 June 2023 Retrieved 20 July 2023 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Brian Protheroe Official website Brian Protheroe at IMDb Interview with Brian Protheroe on Yuzu Melodies Pinball Brian Protheroe Live at the Troubadour on YouTube recorded at The Troubadour 2012 with Paul Jones on harmonica Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Brian Protheroe amp oldid 1216804678, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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