Des Champ
British musician, bandleader, producer, arranger

Des Champ

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British musician, bandleader, producer, arranger
Gender:
Male
Work field:
Birth:
9 July 1928(London, Kingdom of Wessex, UK)
Death:
7 June 2006(London, Kingdom of Wessex, UK)
Star sign:
Instruments:
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Biography

Introduction

Des Champ (9 July 1928 – 7 June 2006 in London, England) was a musician, bandleader, producer, and arranger.

In a musical career lasting over 35 years, Des gained notoriety in the British music business for his ground-breaking production and arrangement work in collaboration with partner Roger Easterby. Des first achieved chart success with Vanity Fare, whose "Hitchin' a Ride" sold a million copies in the US alone, but his most notable pop achievement was with glam-rock band Chicory Tip, whose "Son of My Father" featured a Moog synthesizer (a relatively obscure instrument at the time). "Son of My Father" went on to top the UK pop music charts for three weeks in early 1972 and was a seminal influence on 80s synthesizer bands like ABC. Later in his career, Des worked as musical director for Shirley Bassey, 5000 Volts, and Tony Monopoly, before finally taking a regular day job with the Orchestration Department at BBC Radio Two.

He died of cancer on 7 June 2006 in London.

Discography

Year Title
1972 "Son of My Father"