Henry Priestman

Henry Priestman is a British singer-songwriter from the United Kingdom, born in 1955 in Hull, East Yorkshire. He moves to Liverpool in 1975 and studies at Liverpool Art College, where he becomes involved in music and the city’s art-school scene.

Early bands and Liverpool work

From 1976 to 1981, Priestman is a founder member of Yachts, an art-school band. He writes most of the group’s material and sometimes sings lead. Yachts support the Sex Pistols at Liverpool’s Erics club in 1976, shortly after the Bill Grundy television controversy, and release the Stiff Records single “Suffice To Say” in 1977. The band goes on to issue further singles and two albums on Radar Records. Their first LP, SOS Yachts (1979), is released on Polydor/Radar and reaches the US Top 100 after three US tours. Yachts also tour with The Who in Europe and play dates with XTC, The Boomtown Rats, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, Squeeze and Joe Jackson. The group ends in 1981.

After Yachts, Priestman joins Bette Bright and the Illuminations for recordings and touring, alongside musicians including Glen Matlock, Clive Langer, Suggs and Rusty Egan. He also becomes a founder member of It’s Immaterial from 1981 to 1984, working as both keyboard player and engineer on the band’s demos and releases. He later works as an in-house studio engineer at Benson Street Studios in Liverpool.

The Christians

In 1985, through Pete Fulwell, he meets Garry, Russell and Roger Christian, and by the end of that year the group begins circulating demo tapes. The Christians sign to Island Records in 1986. Priestman writes all the songs on their self-titled debut album, released in 1987, which produces five UK Top Thirty singles and becomes Island’s biggest-selling debut album, reaching triple platinum and selling more than a million copies in the UK alone.

The band’s later albums include Colour in 1990, which enters the UK chart at number one, Happy In Hell in 1992, and The Best Of The Christians in 1994. Priestman also contributes to the 2004 album Prodigal Sons, released on the band’s own label. He eventually leaves the group in 2006 after periods of touring and live work.

Session work, production and composition

Alongside his work with The Christians, Priestman plays keyboards and works in sessions for The Lightning Seeds, Echo & The Bunnymen, It’s Immaterial, Keziah Jones and Ian McCulloch. He also shares vocal duties with Paul McCartney on the Hillsborough charity single “Ferry Cross the Mersey”, which reaches number one.

He writes the end-title song and incidental music for Blame It On The Bellboy in 1991, produces and plays on Ian McCulloch singles in 1992, and composes the music for BBC TV’s The Natural World programme Echo of the Elephants, later followed by Echo of the Elephants, The Next Generation. His television work also includes music for Pygmy Chimpanzees, the Last Great Ape and Crowned Lemurs - Blade Runners.

He collaborates with Mark Herman on film music and songs, including work connected to See You at Wembley, Frankie Walsh and Hope Springs. Other writing and production credits include work with Sarah Cracknell, Ian McNabb, Marli Buck, Esthero, Amy Wadge, Jade Gallagher and Aswad. He co-produces Mark Owen’s single “4 Minute Warning”, and also works with Paul Simpson on a series of ambient albums: Tranquiliser, Mind Lagoons, Womb and Liquid Crystal Display.

Radio, art and other projects

Priestman devises, presents and produces Great Pop Moments for Liverpool’s Crash Radio. He also works in the visual arts, winning a Bluecoat Art Gallery commission with John Campbell for the installation “Baby ’96”, which receives the Bluecoat Award before later being stolen from a London gallery.

With Ronnie Stone and Mitch Walker, he forms Old Rope Productions and supplies music for television, advertising and games, including projects connected to the Manchester Commonwealth Games, Co-op Bank, Philips Expanium, the Yorkshire Tourist Board, Circulon, Carpetworld, Barratt Homes, Delta Airways, Diamond Insurance, Ibuyeco.com, Engage Insurance and James Bond 007 - Night Fire.

Solo work

In 2007, Priestman begins writing with Tom Gilbert and starts performing under his own name again after many years away from lead vocals. He signs to Stiff Records as a solo artist and later has his album picked up by Island. The track “Grey’s The New Blonde” is playlisted by BBC Radio 2. His solo album is titled The Chronicles of Modern Life.