View source for Chas Chandler

{{Short description|English musician (1938–1996)}}
{{for|the Hellblazer comic series character|Chas Chandler (comics)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2009}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name                = Chas Chandler
| image               = Chas Chandler 1965.jpg
| caption             = Chandler in 1965
| image_size          = 
| birth_name          = Bryan James Chandler 
| alias               = Chas Chandler
| birth_date          = {{birth date|df=yes|1938|12|18}}
| birth_place         = [[Heaton, Newcastle]], England
| death_date          = {{death date and age|df=yes|1996|7|17|1938|12|18}}
| death_place         = [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], England
| instrument          = {{hlist|[[Bass (guitar)|Bass]]|[[vocals]]}}
| genre               = {{hlist|[[Rock music|Rock]]|[[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]|[[psychedelic rock]]}}
| occupation          = {{hlist|Musician|producer|[[Artists and repertoire|A&R representative]]}} 
| years_active        = 1957–1996
| label               = 
| past_member_of     = [[The Animals]]
| website             = 
}}

'''Bryan James''' "'''Chas'''" '''Chandler''' (18 December 1938 – 17 July 1996)<ref name="welch_obit">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituaries-chas-chandler-1329256.html|title=Obituaries: Chas Chandler|first=Chris|last=Welch|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=18 July 1996|access-date=20 February 2014}}</ref> was an English musician, record producer and [[Talent manager|manager]], best known as the original bassist in [[The Animals]], for which he was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1994. He also managed the band [[Slade]], and [[Jimi Hendrix]], about whom he was regularly interviewed until his death in 1996.

==Early life==
Chandler was born in [[Heaton, Newcastle]].<ref name=hendrix2017/> After leaving school, he worked as a [[Turning|turner]] in the [[Tyneside#Steel and shipbuilding|Tyneside shipyards]]. He became the bass player with The [[Alan Price]] Trio in 1962.<ref name="welch_obit"/>

== Career ==

===The Animals===
[[File:Eric Burdon and Chas Chandler, late 1965.jpg|thumb|Chandler (right) with bandmate Eric Burdon (middle), featured in 2 December, 1965 issue of [[KRLA Beat]]]]
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.<ref name="am">{{cite web| url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/chas-chandler-mn0000100273|title=Chas Chandler – biography| first=Richie| last=Unterberger| website=[[AllMusic]]| access-date=20 February 2014}}</ref>{{sfn|Heatley|2009|p=60}} 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."<ref name="welch_obit"/> The original line-up dissolved in September 1966, and Burdon formed a new line-up known as "Eric Burdon and the Animals".

==== Reunions ====
In 1977, Chandler played and recorded with the original members of The Animals during a brief reunion and he joined them again for a further revival in 1983, at which point he sold his business interests, in order to concentrate on being a musician.<ref name="Larkin" />

Chandler, with all but lead singer Eric Burdon of the classic members, was present at the band's induction into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1994.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

===Jimi Hendrix and Slade===
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.<ref name=hendrix2017>{{cite web | url = http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/how-newcastles-chas-chandler-discovered-10386763 | title = How Newcastle's Chas Chandler discovered the best guitarist in the world | last = Barbara Hodgson | date = 4 November 2015 | website = Chroniclelive.co.uk | publisher = Chronicle | access-date = 14 April 2017 | quote = He was on his final tour with The Animals in the US when he heard about a talented young guitarist and went along to New York’s Cafe Wha to see him in action.}}</ref> At the time Hendrix was performing under the name Jimmy James. In September, Chandler convinced Hendrix to accompany him to Britain,{{sfn|Heatley|2009|p=60}} which was made possible with the help of [[Michael Jeffery (manager)|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. Chandler's enthusiasm helped fuel Hendrix during the early days, but in 1968, halfway through the recording of Hendrix's third album, ''[[Electric Ladyland]]'', personal and professional differences led to the end of their professional relationship.<ref>Shadwick, Keith (2003). Jimi Hendrix: Musician. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-764-6.</ref>

Chandler was a key figure in Hendrix's rise to critical and commercial success. Chandler provided the young musician with living accommodation and financed the Experience's first single "[[Hey Joe]]", before they had a recording contract.<ref name="am"/> He was also instrumental in introducing Hendrix to [[Eric Clapton]]. It was through this introduction that Hendrix was given the opportunity to play with Clapton and [[Cream (band)|Cream]] on stage.<ref name="Saunders">Saunders, William (2010) ''Jimi Hendrix London'' Roaring Forties Press {{ISBN|978-0-9843165-1-9}}</ref> It was Chandler's idea for Hendrix to set his guitar on fire, which made national news when this idea was used at a concert at the [[Finsbury Park (area)|Finsbury Park]] [[Rainbow Theatre|Astoria Theatre]] and subsequently at the [[Monterey Pop]] festival. Hendrix's sound engineer [[Eddie Kramer]] later recalled that Chandler was very hands-on with the first two Hendrix albums, adding that "he [Chandler] was his [Hendrix's] mentor and I think it was very necessary."{{sfn|Heatley|2009|p=60}}

By 1968, Chandler had become frustrated with the recording sessions for Hendrix's album ''Electric Ladyland'', saying they were self-indulgent. Hendrix's management was left in the hands of Jeffery during the following year.<ref name="welch_obit"/> Chandler then managed and produced the British rock band [[Slade]]<ref name="Larkin">[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]], ''Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music'' (Muze UK Ltd, 1997) {{ISBN|0-7535-0149-X}} p104</ref> for 12 years, during which they achieved six number one chart hits in the UK. Chandler and Slade parted company following the failure of the single "[[Knuckle Sandwich Nancy]]" in May 1981. He would, however negotiate their [[RCA Records|RCA]] contract which lasted for four new albums.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

===Expansion of music industry interests===
Chandler bought [[IBC Studios]] which he renamed Portland Recording Studios, after the studio address of 35 Portland Place, London and ran it for four years until he sold it to [[Don Arden]].<ref name="MasseyH">{{cite book |last1=Massey |first1=Howard |title=The Great British Recording Studios |date=2015 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |location=Lanham, Maryland, USA |isbn=978-1-4584-2197-5 |page=98}}</ref> Chandler also ran a series of record labels from the studios including [[Barn Records]],<ref name="Larkin" /> Six of the Best and [[Cheapskate Records]]. He formed a music publishing agency, as well as a production company and management companies.<ref name="Larkin" /> He also had a brief stint in which he produced the US rock group Horsepower, founded by American guitarist Mike Kennedy in 1978.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rivadavia |first1=Eduardo |title=Horsepower {{!}} Biography & History |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/horsepower-mn0001885610 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=28 November 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref>

===Other business ventures===
During the early 1990s, he helped finance the development of [[Newcastle Arena]], a 10,000 seat sports and entertainment venue which opened in 1995.<ref name="am"/>

==Personal life==
Chandler married twice and had a son by his first wife, Lotta,<ref name="welch_obit"/> and a son and two daughters by his second wife, Madeleine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/widow-animals-legend-chas-chandler-10386730|title=Widow of The Animals legend Chas Chandler sells Jimi Hendrix memorabilia in Newcastle|first=Barbara|last=Hodgson|date=4 November 2015|website=Chronicle Live}}</ref>

Chandler stood {{Height|ft=6|in=4}} tall.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-36674986|title=Chas Chandler: The man who discovered Jimi Hendrix|last=Armstrong|first=Simon|work=BBC News |date=16 July 2016}}</ref>

==Death==
Chandler died of an [[aortic aneurysm]] at [[Newcastle General Hospital]] on 17 July 1996.{{sfn|Heatley|2009|p=61}}

== Honours ==
* Chandler was posthumously inducted into Hollywood's Rock Walk of Fame in May 2001 as a member of The Animals.{{cn|date=February 2024}}
* Chandler's former home at 35 Second Avenue, Heaton, hosts a blue plaque placed on the wall by [[Newcastle City Council]], which reads: "Chas Chandler 1938–1996. Founder member of the 'Animals'. Manager of Jimi Hendrix & Slade. Co-founder of Newcastle Arena. Lived in this house 1938–1964."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://openplaques.org/plaques/1167 |title=Chas Chandler black plaque in Newcastle upon Tyne |website=Openplaques.org |date=18 December 2007 |access-date=2 March 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
;Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|title=Jimi Hendrix Gear: The Guitars|first=Michael|last=Heatley|publisher=Voyageur Press|year=2009|isbn=978-1-61060-421-5}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*{{Discogs artist}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121014001733/http://www.ericburdonalbums.com/Chas%20Chandler%20-%20Obituary.htm Chas Chandler] obituary

{{The Animals}}
{{Jimi Hendrix}}
{{1994 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandler, Chas}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English musicians]]
[[Category:English blues guitarists]]
[[Category:British rhythm and blues boom musicians]]
[[Category:English music managers]]
[[Category:English rock bass guitarists]]
[[Category:English male bass guitarists]]
[[Category:English rock guitarists]]
[[Category:English record producers]]
[[Category:Musicians from Newcastle upon Tyne]]
[[Category:The Animals members]]
[[Category:20th-century English bass guitarists]]
[[Category:Deaths from aortic aneurysm]]
[[Category:20th-century English businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century English male musicians]]