Kris Ife

Infobox musical artist
Name = Kris Ife

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Img_capt = Kris Ife
Img_size = 250
URL = [http://www.krisife.co.uk/ www.krisife.co.uk]
[http://www.myspace.com/krisife/ Kris Ife on Myspace]

Kris Ife (born Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England) is an English singer and songwriter, who enjoyed modest success on the British pop scene in the 1960s and 1970s. He is best known for recording a version of "Hush", which inspired Deep Purple's hit cover of the same song.

Career

Ife's father was based at RAF Halton near Tring. Ife moved to London and attended St. Clement Danes School in Acton, and it was whilst at school that he formed a skiffle group called the Gravediggers.

After leaving school he started a group called the Vikings with John Howell and Ray Hailey. The Vikings recorded "Space Walk", produced by Curly Clayton which was not released under their name, but turned up some years later under the name of "Gemini" and with a different producer listed, although the recording was the same.

In 1964, the Vikings manager, John Smith, amalgamated them with The Quiet 5, taking their lead vocalist Patrick Dane and bassist Richard Barnes, along with the name. Dane left some time later, before the Quiet Five had recorded anything. Despite their name there we six members, John Howell (organ/vocals), Kris Ife (guitar/vocals), Richard Barnes (bass guitar/vocals), Roger McKew (lead guitar), Ray Hailey (drums) and John "Satch" Goswell (saxophone). During their time together the Quiet Five released a handful of singles and managed to get into the Top 50 of the UK Singles Chart in 1965 with a song written by Ife, "When the Morning Sun Dries the Dew" and then again in 1966 with a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Homeward Bound".cite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages= p. 446
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5]

The Quiet Five played at Windsor Castle at a party for Prince Charles' 18th birthday in December 1966, and subsequently they played on the "Society Circuit", including the Royal Hunt Ball and the Venice Film Festival.

Ife left The Quiet Five in 1967 and went solo, and it was at this time that he recorded a cover of Joe South's "Hush", which later inspired Deep Purple's 1968 hit.

Ife was asked to sing a track "Imagination" for the British record producer Mark Wirtz, and was also writing songs with J Vincent Edwards and Michael Derrick under the pseudonym of Miki Anthony. Ife put together a session band which developed into the Matchmakers, to record material for Wirtz. Wirtz also recorded and produced the Judd album, "Snarling Mumma Lion" co-written by Ife. Ife also recorded a few obscure, early 1970s Righteous Brothers style singles with J. Vincent Edwards, under the name Jackson & Jones. [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=KRIS|IFE&sql=11:3ifixqesld6e~T1 Ife biography @ Allmusic.com by Richie Unterberger] ]

Most of Ife's recordings were released as [http://www.cherryred.co.uk/rpm/artists/krisife.htm "Hush - Definitive Collection 1967-1973"] on RPM Records, which included "Hush", the Judd album, Jackson & Jones singles and an unreleased track from his American history concept album. The Quiet Five recordings are on the [http://www.cherryred.co.uk/rpm/artists/quietfive.htm "When the Morning Sun Dries the Dew" CD] , also on RPM Records.

Ife has traced the family-tree back to the 1500s, discovering that Ife is an old Suffolk word for a yew tree.

References

External links

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=KRIS|IFE&sql=11:3ifixqesld6e~T1 Allmusic.com]