Lyndon Connah
Lyndon John Connah | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Born | February 6, 1955 Liverpool, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Pop, synth-pop, jazz-funk, sophistipop, dance rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, songwriter, arranger, producer |
| Instruments | Keyboards, drums, guitar, bass, vocals |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Associated acts | 64 Spoons, Level 42, Thomas Dolby Band, Holly Johnson Band, Nik Kershaw Band, Cutting Crew, Go West, 3 Blind Mice |
Lyndon John Connah (born 6 February 1955, Liverpool, England) is a British musician, vocalist, composer and producer. He has been active since the late 1970s as a session musician and live performer, contributing keyboards, vocals and arrangements to numerous pop, synth-pop, jazz-funk and dance rock acts. Connah has worked extensively in both studio and touring environments and is a member of the bands Go West and 3 Blind Mice. He was formerly associated with 64 Spoons, Level 42, and the bands of Thomas Dolby, Nik Kershaw, Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Spliff/Froon.[1]
Early life
Connah was born in Liverpool, England. At the age of eight, his family moved to Edgware in North London. His parents were both classical musicians who met at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His mother Betty was a clarinettist and his father, Trevor Connah, was a violinist and orchestra leader who recorded frequently at Abbey Road Studios during the 1960s as principal violinist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, participating in numerous pop sessions and interacting with The Beatles who recorded at Abbey Road – he famously turned down a booking to play on the group’s "All You Need Is Love". Trevor also contributed to the early development of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, co-founded by Neville Marriner and John Churchill and which was instrumental in the Baroque revival movement in the UK.[2]
64 Spoons
Connah began his musical career in 1977 as a founding member of 64 Spoons, an avant-garde band formed in Watford. The group blended progressive rock, jazz, classical music and theatrical humour in a similar vein to Gentle Giant, with Connah alternating between keyboards and drums. The band also included guitarist and vocalist Jakko Jakszyk, later of Level 42 and King Crimson, Tam Neal (keyboards, drums), Andy Crawford (bass, flute) and Ted Emmett (trumpet). Although not commercially successful during its active years, 64 Spoons developed a cult following and their recordings were eventually compiled and released as Landing on a Rat Column in 1992.[3][4]
Session work and collaborations
After the disbandment of 64 Spoons, Connah became a sought-after session and touring musician. He has recorded and performed with a wide array of artists including George Michael, Wham!, Squeeze, Joe Cocker, Thomas Dolby, Nik Kershaw, Take That, Sinéad O'Connor, The Human League, Prefab Sprout, Cutting Crew Kim Wilde, ABC, Belinda Carlisle, Sister Sledge, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Paul Young, Chrissie Hynde, Rick Astley, Candi Staton and T'Pau.
In 1987, as lead vocalist, he co-founded Froon, the successor of the German band Spliff, who were members of the Nina Hagen Band. They released one album, Froon, in 1988.
He was a regular presence in London’s major recording studios, frequently working with producer Chris Porter (known for work with George Michael and Take That). Connah also composed music for Take That’s live shows in the 1990s and contributed to BBC Radio 1 broadcasts, including theme music and musical comedy segments.
Italian singer-songwriter and composer Lucio Battisti recorded his final album Hegel (1994) in England with just two musicians: Connah on guitars, keyboards and programming, and Andy Duncan on drums, percussion and programming. Both had participated in Battisti's previous album, Cosa succederà alla ragazza (1992), but here they were the only ones left, along with Lucio himself, making Hegel the Battisti album created with the smallest group of musicians.[5]
Level 42
Connah first played with Level 42 in December 1990 as keyboardist and backing vocalist for a concert series at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. He later left The Human League in 1998 to join The Mark King Group, formed by the band’s bassist Mark King (musician) after the 1994 break-up of Level 42, and which reunited Connah with guitarist Jakko Jakszyk for a period, and in 2001 King then bought the rights to rename the group Level 42. Connah’s contributions include touring and performing on live recordings such as Live 2001 Reading UK (2002), Greatest Hits Live (2003) and Live at the Apollo (2004), as well as the studio album Retroglide (2006). He left Level 42 when original keyboardist Mike Lindup returned in 2006, moving on to play with Go West.
Later work
Connah continues to perform live with acts from the 1980s and beyond. He has been a long-standing member of Go West, touring with the band and appearing at events such as The 80s Show and Night of the Proms, the latter alongside artists like Joe Cocker, Tony Hadley and Oleta Adams.
In 2014, he joined Holly Johnson on tour, marking Johnson's first solo tour since Frankie Goes to Hollywood disbanded in 1987. A live album from the tour, Unleashed from the Pleasuredome, was released via Abbey Road Live Here Now.
Connah has also worked with the London-based rock group Al Ross & The Planets, contributing to albums The Planets One (2018) and Blue Crystal (2021), both recorded at Abbey Road Studios.
He is a founding member of 3 Blind Mice, a pop-rock group known for its eclectic style. The band also included Alex Grayson (guitar, vocals) and Garry Wonfor (guitar, vocals), with Sean Kane (drums, harmony vocals) and Andy Herbert (bass). Their album Good Grief was released in 2007.[6]
Selected discography
With 64 Spoons
- Landing on a Rat Column (1992)
With Level 42
- Retroglide (2006)
- Live 2001 Reading UK (2002)
- Greatest Hits Live (2003)
- Live at the Apollo (2004)
With Lucio Battisti
- Cosa succederà alla ragazza (1992)
- Hegel (1994)
With Al Ross & The Planets
- The Planets One (2018)
- Blue Crystal (2021)
With 3 Blind Mice
- Good Grief (2007)
With Holly Johnson
- Unleashed from the Pleasuredome (2014)
With Froon
- Froon (1988)
Selected session and touring credits
- Wham! – keyboards and backing vocals, final tour (1986)
- Thomas Dolby – studio sessions (late 1980s-2000s)
- Take That – keyboards, backing vocals (1990s)
- Deon Estus – Spell (1989)
References
- ↑ "Go West – The Band". gowest.org.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ↑ Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Meirion Harries and Susie Harries, Michael Joseph, 1981.
- ↑ "Jakko Jakszyk Biography". Level42.150m.com. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ↑ "Jakko – A Potted History". Archived from the original on 13 April 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ↑ "Lucio Battisti, "Hegel", 1994". 10 September 2018.
- ↑ https://gentlegiantmusic.com
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