Sophie Ellis-Bextor
British singer (born 1979)
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead vocalist of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo and achieved success beginning in the early 2000s. Her music is mainstream pop and dance with influences of disco, nu-disco, and 1980s electronic music.
In 2000, Ellis-Bextor collaborated with Italian DJ Spiller on "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)", which reached number one in the United Kingdom and in 2015 became the UK's biggest-selling vinyl single of the millennium so far. Her debut solo studio album, "Read My Lips", was released in 2001 and peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart. It was certified double platinum by the BPI, and sold 1.5 million copies worldwide. Three of its four singles—the Cher cover "Take Me Home", "Murder on the Dancefloor", and double A-side "Get Over You" / "Move This Mountain"—reached top three in the UK. Its follow-up "Shoot from the Hip" (2003) reached number 19 in the UK and spawned two top ten singles, "Mixed Up World" and "I Won't Change You".
Ellis-Bextor's third studio album, "Trip the Light Fantastic" (2007), peaked at number seven in the UK and its lead single "Catch You" reached the top ten. Her fourth studio album, "Make a Scene" (2011), and its third single "Bittersweet" achieved top 40 positions in the UK. Her fifth studio album, "Wanderlust" (2014), peaked at number four. In 2016, she released a Latin-inspired sixth studio album, "Familia", to critical acclaim.
Early life.
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor was born on 10 April 1979 in Hounslow, London to Janet Ellis, who was a presenter on BBC's children's television programmes "Blue Peter" and "Jigsaw", and Robin Bextor, a film producer and director. They separated when she was four. As a child, Ellis-Bextor occasionally appeared on "Blue Peter" alongside her mother, who co-presented the programme.
She attended St Stephen's School, Twickenham and later the independent Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith. Among her earliest public performances were some with the W11 Opera children's opera beginning at age 13, and she is now a patron of the organisation.
Ellis-Bextor has said, "I didn't see myself as a good-looking girl and that was good, because I didn't rely on it.(...) I've now found lots of like-minded weirdos, so it's OK."
Career.
1996–1999: Theaudience.
Ellis-Bextor began her professional musical career in 1996 while singing lead vocals in indie band Theaudience. The band released four singles, including the UK Top 40 hits "I Know Enough (I Don't Get Enough)" and "A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed", and one self-titled album ("theaudience" (1998)). Videos for the band's singles were directed by her father, Robin Bextor. While in Theaudience, readers of "Melody Maker" voted Ellis-Bextor number five in a poll of 'most sexy people in rock'.
The band split in 1999 after demos for a planned second album were rejected by their label Mercury Records, who then dropped the band. Ellis-Bextor recorded a duet with Manic Street Preachers — "Black Holes for the Young" — as a B-side for their 1998 single "The Everlasting", and in 1999, made an appearance on the Departure Lounge album "Out of Here".
2000–2006: "Read My Lips" and "Shoot from the Hip".
After Theaudience split, Ellis-Bextor collaborated with Italian DJ Spiller, in 2000, adding vocals to his track "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". It entered the UK charts at number one, just beating former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham on her first solo track. "Groovejet" won several awards: No. 1, Pop Top 20; No. 1, ILR; No. 1, Radio 1; No. 8, top dance track of 2000 and single of the year in "Melody Maker". In the "Metro" newspaper, it received ninth place in the contest for the Greatest No. 1 of all time. In 2000, it was a finalist in "The Record of the Year". In that same year, it won the awards for Best Single and Best Ibiza Tune at the Ericsson Muzik Awards.
In 2001, Ellis-Bextor released her début album, "Read My Lips". It reached number two on the UK charts and spawned four top-twenty hit singles. Her rework of Cher's "Take Me Home" reached number two, as did "Murder on the Dancefloor", which became Ellis-Bextor's biggest single and was on charts for twenty-three weeks. "Murder on the Dancefloor" became Europe's most played song of 2002. In 2002, "Read My Lips" was re-released with two new songs (and a live version of "Groovejet") and Ellis-Bextor won the Recording Artist Award at that year's Showbusiness Awards. Her third single, "Get Over You / Move This Mountain", was released in June 2002 and reached number three. The fourth single, "Music Gets the Best of Me", rose to number fourteen in December. At the beginning of 2002, Ellis-Bextor was nominated for the "British Female Solo Artist" BRIT Award, going on to be nominated for a further two consecutive years.
Her second album, "Shoot from the Hip", was released in October 2003 and yielded two further top-ten singles, "Mixed Up World" and "I Won't Change You". The album reached number 19 on the UK charts and was certified silver by the BPI for shipments of 60,000. Ellis-Bextor described the album as "more emotionally direct" and "a little more left-of-centre at times" than "Read My Lips"—"It has more of a live feel [...] It's still a pop album—with elements of disco, indie and rock." She opted to step back from promotion of the album after becoming pregnant.
In 2005, Ellis-Bextor was featured on the Busface single "Circles (Just My Good Time)" under the alias Mademoiselle E.B.
2007–2011: "Trip the Light Fantastic" and "Make a Scene".
"Trip the Light Fantastic", Ellis-Bextor's third album, was released in May 2007 and reached number seven in the UK. The album produced three singles: "Catch You" (number 8 in the UK), "Me and My Imagination" (number 23), and "Today the Sun's on Us" (number 64). The song "If I Can't Dance" was announced as a single but later retracted.
Ellis-Bextor supported George Michael on his UK tour leg in June 2007. Her own UK tour, the Trip the Light Fantastic Tour, was due to start in August 2007, but it was postponed after Ellis-Bextor was invited to be the "special guest" on Take That's Beautiful World Tour, which commenced in October 2007. She stated that her tour would be rescheduled for March 2008, with all tickets purchased being valid for the rescheduled concerts. The tour was never rescheduled and Ellis-Bextor has refused to discuss the issue in interviews. In October 2008, she sang at the Keep the Promise Rally in Trafalgar Square to end Child Poverty.
In June 2009, Ellis-Bextor was featured on the Freemasons single "Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)", which reached number 13 in the UK. In July, she performed alongside girl groups the Saturdays and Girls Can't Catch at the iTunes Festival, held at the Roundhouse in London. A recording of her performance was released, "", which was the singer's first extended play. "Bittersweet" (co-written by Freemasons and Hannah Robinson), the first single from Ellis-Bextor's fourth album, was released in May 2010 and reached 25 on the UK Singles Chart. Ellis-Bextor's collaboration with DJ Armin van Buuren, "Not Giving Up on Love", was released as a single in August 2010 in Europe. Also in 2010, she was featured on the Junior Caldera single "Can't Fight This Feeling".
The singer's fourth album, "Make a Scene", was released in June 2011 following a year-long delay during which she left her label Universal Music Group to establish her own label, EBGBs. She said that her decision to leave Universal was spurred on by the departure of the head of Fascination Records, the sub-label to which she was signed following the release of "Bittersweet". She described "Make a Scene" as "very much [a dance album]—more so than any of my other albums." She said she was planning an "album that's really different [...] but I think this album ["Make a Scene"] is a good way to bow out of the dance sound for now. I think it's finishing on a high." She supported Pet Shop Boys on the UK leg of their Pandemonium Tour in July 2010. She worked with Calvin Harris, Richard X, Dimitri Tikovoi, Hannah Robinson, Metronomy, and Liam Howe from the Sneaker Pimps. "Off & On" preceded the release of the album in continental Europe and Russia, where the album was released by Universal Music Russia. The single "Starlight" was released in the UK ahead of the album in May 2011.
Ellis-Bextor supported synth-pop band Erasure on their Total Pop! Forest tour of woodland locations in the UK in June 2011. She resumed touring internationally in 2011, playing venues such as Jakarta's SoulNation festival, as well as returning to Australia by performing in Sydney and Melbourne. She collaborated with French DJ Bob Sinclar on a track titled "F__ with You" (released in November 2011); it was included on his album "Disco Crash" and was a huge club hit in Continental Europe. Ellis-Bextor's collaboration with French DJ Mathieu Bouthier, "Beautiful", was released in July 2012 in France.
2012–2014: "Wanderlust" and collaborations.
In May 2011, she revealed that she had begun work on her fifth album. Beginning in 2012, Ellis-Bextor worked with British singer and producer Ed Harcourt on a "more concept driven record", and possibly having as few as eight tracks. Her performance at a London charity gala in November 2012 including a new song, "Young Blood"; a demo of the song was released in March 2013 as a complimentary digital download from her website, as a thank you gift to her fans. Also in 2013, she performed outdoors at Old Republic Square in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Ellis-Bextor confirmed completion of the album in May and revealed its title, "Wanderlust", and cover art in October.
"Young Blood" was released as the lead single from "Wanderlust" in November 2013, peaking at number three on the UK Indie Chart and at number 34 on the UK Singles Chart. The album was released in January 2014 and peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart and at number one on the UK Independent Albums Chart. "Wanderlust" also debuted inside the Scottish Top 10 Albums Chart. Ellis-Bextor performed a headline sold-out show to support "Wanderlust"'s release in January 2014 at Bush Hall, London, and also performed at Union Chapel, London in April. Ellis-Bextor then announced a 10-date UK tour, which finished in Glasgow in April 2014.
Ellis-Bextor collaborated with Guéna LG and Amir Afargan on the track "Back 2 Paradise", which was released in June 2014. The single was the number-one "breakout" in October 2014 on the US "Billboard" Dance/Club Chart, later reaching number 25 on the Dance/Club Chart. Ellis-Bextor then featured on the song "Only Child", produced by electronic music project DedRekoning, which was released in September 2014. The track was remixed by Paul Oakenfold, Roddy Reynaert and Pearson and Hirst.
2015–2019: "Familia" and "The Song Diaries".
In January 2015, Ellis-Bextor said that she had begun working on her sixth studio album, once again with Ed Harcourt. In January 2016, Ellis-Bextor posted an image on Instagram captioned "Last song written. Next stop – rehearsals! "#album6 #whatthehellshouldicallit"." She also posted a YouTube video of the making of the album.
According to Ellis-Bextor, the album, titled "Familia", was inspired by a recent visit to North America, particularly Mexico. "Familia" is the Spanish word for "family" (a tattoo Ellis-Bextor wears in her arm since her first child's birth) and Ellis-Bextor described the album's sound as closer to that of her earlier albums. She explained that she "wanted something with a Spanish or Italian feel" and that it continued some stories from "Wanderlust". "Familia" was released in September 2016 and reached number 12 on the UK Albums Chart. It spawned four singles, but none of them made it into any major chart. After taking time off for the birth of her child in late 2015, she resumed touring in 2017, mostly at small venues in the UK.
In November 2017, she announced via Facebook a selection of her greatest hits reworked with an orchestra. In February 2018, she announced the album's title, "The Song Diaries", and pointed out that it would consist of re-recorded tracks spanning her career from theaudience to "Familia"'s "Wild Forever", plus a new track. The album's artwork was drawn by David Downtown. "The Song Diaries" first single "Love Is You", a disco track originally performed by Carol Williams, which is sampled on her early hit "Groovejet", was released in August 2018. "The Song Diaries" was released in March 2019 and peaked at number 14 in the UK.
2020–2023: "Songs from the Kitchen Disco".
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in the UK, Ellis-Bextor performed live weekly "Kitchen Disco" concerts featuring herself and her family, streamed live from their kitchen on Instagram. Beginning 24 June 2020, Ellis-Bextor started a weekly podcast titled "Spinning Plates with Sophie Ellis-Bextor" on which she interviews working mothers. Guests have included Fearne Cotton, Caitlin Moran, Myleene Klass, Róisin Murphy, and her own mother Janet Ellis.
On 16 July 2020, Ellis-Bextor announced the greatest hits album "Songs from the Kitchen Disco". The album was preceded by the release of a single, "Crying at the Discoteque", a cover version of the Alcazar song, which she had performed during her lockdown concerts in September 2020. She performed the single on "The Graham Norton Show" on New Year's Eve. In March 2022, she embarked on her "Songs from the Kitchen Disco" tour of the U.K. In July 2022, the singer revealed a new single, "Hypnotized", a collaboration with electronic artist Wuh Oh.
A live album was released in November 2022 entitled "Kitchen Disco – Live at the London Palladium".
2023–present: "Hana", resurgence, and eighth album.
In January 2023, Ellis-Bextor collaborated with Japanese/Australian duo Rhyme So on a cover of the Malcolm McLaren track "Deep in Vogue". On 8 February 2023, Ellis-Bextor revealed a new track, "Breaking the Circle", the lead single from her seventh studio album, "Hana", which was released on 2 June 2023. The title of the album was taken from the Japanese word for "blossom" or "flower". Ellis-Bextor said the album was inspired by a trip to Japan, taken before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Ellis-Bextor said of the album: "Because I hadn't been before, I had lots of ideas about what [Japan] might be like. The [album's] soundscape is like someone's idea of what a place might be like before they get there. That trip also became significant in a wider sense because it was the last bit of travel I did before everything shut down." "Hana" marks the third collaboration with producer/musician Ed Harcourt. Ellis-Bextor said "There are themes of optimism, new starts, adventures and reflections...This is our third record together after Wanderlust and Familia. The first songs written were really inspired by the upcoming trip to Japan. In the end, the album ended up being inspired by that trip and so much more."
In June 2023, Ellis-Bextor appeared on "Grilled!", a podcast by the Staff Canteen, where she was interviewed by Aaron Middleton and the Staff Canteen's Cara Houchen. During the podcast, Ellis-Bextor discussed her book, her favourite London restaurants, and the similarities between music and food. In July 2023, it was announced that Ellis-Bextor will collaborate with film composer David Arnold and lyricist Don Black for the track to Channel 4 and Universal Pictures film, "Mog's Christmas", based upon the children's book series by Judith Kerr. The track, titled "As Long As I Belong", is about "the importance of belonging". Ellis-Bextor also collaborated with Robbie Williams and his electronic music project 'Lufthaus' on the track "Immortal", which is taken off of the group's debut album, ""Visions, Volume 1"." The album was released on 6 October 2023.
Ellis-Bextor's "Murder on the Dancefloor" was featured in the last scene of the 2023 film "Saltburn". As a result, the song re-entered the UK singles chart, peaking at number two and garnered its most-ever global streams on Spotify, receiving more than 1.4 million streams on New Year's Eve. It also gave Ellis-Bextor her first ever US singles chart entry, reaching #51. As well as this, 2024 became Ellis-Bextor's most successful year in terms of performances, playing more shows than she had ever before – a total of 110 in the calendar year.
On 1 February 2024, it was revealed that Ellis-Bextor will be performing at "Valley Fest 2024" in Chew Magna in August 2024. The same month, Ellis-Bextor announced her first-ever North American headlining tour, scheduled for May and June 2024. The initial seven-date tour included stops in San Francisco, San Diego, Washington D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, and Toronto. In June 2024, she announced a second North American tour leg for September given the first leg's success, adding shows in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver.
Following the resurgence of "Murder on the Dancefloor", Ellis-Bextor reportedly signed with Universal Music Group and began working on her eighth studio album. Her first major-label single in 14 years, "Freedom of the Night", was released under Decca Records on October 18, 2024. On 25 October 2024, it was announced that Ellis-Bextor's forthcoming eighth studio album would be released in the summer of 2025. She released the single "Relentless Love” on 28 March 2025.
Other projects.
In 2001 Ellis-Bextor auditioned for the 2001 film "Moulin Rouge!" for the character Satine. In 2007, she appeared at Christmas in the "Robbie the Reindeer" episode "Close Encounters of the Herd Kind". She was depicted as a female alien at the closure of the story singing the song "Supersonic", the last track on her third solo studio album "Trip the Light Fantastic". In November of the same year, she also launched the npower Greener Schools Programme, which aims to give schools in the UK a "green makeover" by providing free energy audits, implementing tailor-made energy efficiency measures to reduce their carbon footprint, and educating children on how to be greener. She launched Capital Radio's Capital 95.8 "Lights Out London" campaign, which asks Londoners to switch off their lights for one hour in a bid to save 750 MWh and send a message to the world on the importance of climate change.
In 2008 she featured in the short musical film "The Town that Boars Me" by photographer Ben Charles Edwards. The film also features Jodie Harsh, Kelly Osbourne and Zandra Rhodes. The film was produced by Glass Loves and Shoot to Kill Productions and was set to début at the Portobello Film Festival. The same year she fronted a campaign for The Children's Society encouraging people to log onto the "Hundreds and Thousands of Childhood Memories" website to donate their favourite childhood memory. In May 2008 she was hired by cosmetics brand Rimmel to be one of their new faces. A song of hers, "Sophia Loren", was featured in one of the Rimmel London television adverts for the line "Sexy Curves". She appeared as an advocate for Verdi on BBC World News classical music programme "Visionaries". She was a contestant in the eleventh series of the televised dance competition "Strictly Come Dancing" in late 2013. She was partnered with Brendan Cole and reached the final, placing fourth.
In September 2014 the Pretty Polly hosiery company announced that Ellis-Bextor was their latest "face and legs", and would be designing and modelling for them. In March 2019 Ellis-Bextor appeared as an extra in "Game of Thrones", Season 8, Episode 3 "The Long Night". In July 2020 she started a podcast called "Spinning Plates" which focuses on mothers and their careers. In the same year she competed in the second series of "The Masked Singer" as Alien. She was the first celebrity to be unmasked.
In 2021, Ellis-Bextor wrote the memoir "Music, Men, Motherhood and Me".
It was announced in October 2021 that she would make an appearance in the Australian soap opera "Neighbours" in 2022, during a storyline set in London. On the morning of 16 November 2021 Ellis-Bextor embarked upon a 24-hour "Kitchen Disco Danceathon", in aid of Children in Need. She raised over £1,000,000 for the cause. In December 2022, Ellis-Bextor partnered with Vodafone to unveil its Pro II Broadband during a special Christmas concert in London.
In October 2023 Ellis-Bextor was a guest celebrity judge in the episode "Club Bangers" of the British reality television series "RuPaul's Drag Race UK" broadcast on BBC Three.
On 3 August 2024, Ellis-Bextor opened the set for Brighton Pride's Fabuloso concert in Preston Park. She played a number of her hits including "Take Me Home", "Murder on the Dancefloor" and "Get Over You".
Personal life.
Ellis-Bextor met her future husband, the Feeling bassist Richard Jones, when he auditioned for her tour band in 2002. Jones has said, "Something kind of smacked us in the face. The chemistry was incredible—it was like nothing I've ever experienced." Their first child was born two months early, only eight months after the start of their relationship. Fourteen months later, in 2005, the couple married. They have five children, all sons.
Ellis-Bextor suffered from pre-eclampsia (the onset of high blood pressure) during her first two pregnancies, resulting in both deliveries being premature. She is an ambassador for Borne, a medical research charity looking into the causes of premature birth. She is also an ambassador for the children's charity Lumos which promotes an end to the institutionalisation of children worldwide.
In the 2019 European Parliament election, Ellis-Bextor endorsed Change UK. Her father, Robin Bextor, was a candidate for the South East Region.
Discography.
Studio albums
References.
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Read My Lips (Sophie Ellis-Bextor album)
2001 studio album by Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Read My Lips is the debut studio album by English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released on 3 September 2001 by Polydor Records. After the disbandment of the Britpop group Theaudience, for which Ellis-Bextor served as lead vocalist, she was signed to Polydor. Prior to the LP's completion, the singer collaborated with several musicians, including band Blur's bassist Alex James, Moby and New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander. The record was described as a collection of 1980s electronica and 1970s disco music.
Critical response to "Read My Lips" was polarised, with music critics denouncing its content that was, according to one magazine, Q, of lesser quality than "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)"—the singer's collaboration with Italian DJ Spiller and according to others, inherently malign simply on account of being chart pop. The album reached number two on the UK Albums Chart, and has since been certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It spawned four singles: "Take Me Home", "Murder on the Dancefloor", double A-side single "Get Over You"/"Move This Mountain" and "Music Gets the Best of Me".
Background.
Following the disbandment of Britpop group Theaudience, Ellis-Bextor provided vocals for the song "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" by Italian DJ Spiller. The song was a commercial success, and Ellis-Bextor signed to Polydor. She was contacted by director Baz Luhrmann, who offered her a role in the 2001 film "Moulin Rouge!", but the singer refused in order to focus on her career as a recording artist. The success of "Groovejet" also prompted American musician Moby to notice Ellis-Bextor, and revealed interest in working with her due to her "amazing" voice, as he described it. He instructed his record company to "track" Ellis-Bextor "down" so they could start working as soon as Moby finished his tour. The two ultimately wrote five songs in New York City, which did not make the final cut of "Read My Lips". Furthermore, she also recorded with Blur bassist Alex James, as well as former frontman of the New Radicals, Gregg Alexander, while Damian LeGassick was recruited for his programming and keyboard work.
The album's title was chosen due to the strong lipstick Ellis-Bextor used for the album artwork, the "Take Me Home" music video and "Read My Lips" is sung in the opening verse of the album track "The Universe Is You". The album photography was shot by Mert Alaş and Marcus Piggot.
Composition.
An "eclectic" album, "Read My Lips", is a collection of 1980s electronica and 1970s disco. The album opener and first single is a cover version of Cher's 1979 song "Take Me Home", described as a "disco groove". Betty Clarke from "The Guardian" observed that her voice in the song is reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn's Eliza Doolittle (in the film "My Fair Lady"). "Move This Mountain", co-written by Alex James, is a "vibrant" ballad with a trip hop-influenced sound. Following track and second single, "Murder on the Dancefloor", is a dance-pop and disco record, that utilises bass guitar and piano in its instrumental. "Sparkle" has "speeding beats and equally speeding keyboards", while "Final Move" contains "tinny beats" and "electro swirls". The latter was deemed a "subdued version" of "Murder on the Dancefloor" with "similar kaleidoscope synth". "I Believe" was described as "funky" and "live-sounding", while "Leave the Others Alone" involves "cold beats" and "big, full-throttle keyboards". "By Chance" was particularly noted for showcasing Ellis-Bextor's accent. Re-release new song "Get Over You" is a "polite" Euro disco take on "I Will Survive".
Singles and promotion.
Promotion for "Read My Lips" launched with the release of "Take Me Home", a cover of the song by singer Cher, which was released on 13 August 2001. Although its production and Ellis-Bextor's vocal performance in the song were heavily criticised, the single reached number two on the UK Singles Chart. After the release of the album, "Murder on the Dancefloor" was serviced as its second single on 3 December 2001. It peaked in the top 10 of the charts in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. A double A-side single including new re-release song "Get Over You" and original album track "Move This Mountain" was released on 10 June 2002, in a set of two CD singles.
Ellis-Bextor, who had previously felt uncomfortable with the idea of touring, confirmed a UK-only tour in January 2002, which took place from April to May. Later, in July 2002, other dates of the tour were revealed for 2003.
Critical reception.
Toby Manning from "Q" cited "Take Me Home" and "Move This Mountain" as the album's highlights, but, overall, he thought that the record failed to live up to the standard set by the previous collaboration with Spiller. He also found that the album's music and the distinctive pronunciation of Ellis-Bextor's vocal delivery did not work to complimentary effect. Betty Clarke from "The Guardian" described the album as a "sophisticated package" but said "there's little to love and even less fun to be had". Kelvin Hayes from AllMusic dubbed it "a disappointing debut from Ellis-Bextor, fusing Human League synth with beats and cinematic strings", but described "Murder on the Dancefloor" as the "shimmering highlight" from the album. A critic from entertainment.ie said "the material on her debut solo album only rarely does justice to her distinctive upper-crust voice", and said that "most of the songs sound laboured and plod where they should swing".
In contrast to the previous reviews, Andrew Arora from Blue Coupe had a more positive response to the record. Arora said "it lands somewhere between Pet Shop Boys' synth-pop faculty and Blondie's "Parallel Lines" album", although he claimed that fans of "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" "should not expect much from this album, but it does deliver a dynamic electro disco sound that is sometimes analogous to her breakthrough-hit single".
Commercial performance.
"Read My Lips" debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart, selling 23,023 copies in its first week. Although the original ten-track edition dropped down and out of the charts over the next few weeks, a twelve-track UK edition, released in December 2001, peaked at number three in January 2002 following the chart success of "Murder on the Dancefloor". Finally, a fifteen-track edition with a considerably revised running order was released in summer 2002 and peaked at number two—41 weeks after the original edition first charted. The album was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 21 June 2002. As of December 2020, it had sold 842,000 copies in the United Kingdom.
Track listing.
Notes
Personnel.
Credits adapted from the liner notes of the 2002 UK reissue of "Read My Lips".
Musicians.
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Technical.
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Charts.
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Tour.
The Read My Lips Tour was the debut concert tour by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, in support of her debut studio album. Beginning January 2003, the tour visited the European continent. As of 2013, it is the biggest tour Ellis-Bextor has ever headlined.
Background.
The Read My Lips Tour is the biggest tour Ellis-Bextor has ever gone on, having 38 dates and two legs. The Shepherd's Bush Empire gig was recorded, later being released in Ellis-Bextor's first video album, "Watch My Lips".
Setlist.
This setlist was obtained from the concert held 3 May 2002 at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, England. It does not represent all concerts for the duration of the tour.
References.
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Read My Lips (Dottie West song)
"Read My Lips" is a song written by Marc Blatte and Larry Gottlieb, and first recorded by American country music artist Dottie West on her 1983 album "New Horizons".
The song was later recorded by American country music artist Marie Osmond and released in March 1986 as the second single from her album "There's No Stopping Your Heart". The song reached number 4 on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
References.
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Read My Lips (Ciara song)
"Read My Lips" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Ciara for her fifth studio album, "Ciara" (2013). It was written by Ciara, Livvi Franc, and co-written and produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. The song was set to be released as the third single from the album, but was cancelled. To promote the album, Ciara recorded "video shorts" for some songs, including one for "Read My Lips", which lasts for 1:30.
Musically, "Read My Lips" is an electropop song, with sunshine-y chords and bouncy, half-organic drums. Lyrically, the song features a lot of innuendos about cunnilingus, where Ciara uses a sweet vocal to talk about it. "Read My Lips" received favorable reviews from music critics who praised the song for being both ridiculously lubricious and kind of sweet. The song has charted at number 5 on the South Korea charts, selling over 890,000 copies.
Background and release.
In March 2013, "Body Party" was released as "Ciara"'s lead single. After "Body Party" success, the song "I'm Out" was released to radio stations, becoming a moderate success. In August 2013, Ciara announced in an interview with "Hollywood Life" that "Where You Go", featuring her boyfriend Future, will serve as the third official single from the album in the United States, while "Overdose" will serve as the next international single. However, in September 2013, Ciara confirmed in an interview and on her Twitter that "Read My Lips" was set to be the album's new single, but in the same month, the cover of "Overdose" was released and it was announced that the song would set to hit radio on October 14, 2013. As of November, "Read My Lips" has not been released as a single however, the song is available on iTunes.
Composition and lyrics.
"Read My Lips" was written by Ciara, Livvi Franc, while Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins co-wrote and produced it. "Darkchild" is responsible for producing several of Ciara's past songs, including the 2007 single "Can't Leave 'Em Alone" and "Make It Last Forever," both from "" (2006), as well as the 2012 single "Got Me Good." Speaking about collaborating with Jerkins, Ciara said, "I like Rodney for so many reasons," Ciara explains. "He’s a friend of mine but musically, he’s one of the few music geniuses left that have had the history of the old school seasoning and the modernized way. He has it all in one. That’s what makes him very special."
Lyrically, "Read My Lips" is a double entendre-filled cunnilingus ode, with the singer singing, "So we're staying in tonight, everybody is going out, can we sit this one out, baby? I got something else in mind, close the blinds, dim the lights and you better bring your appetite." The singer also intones, "you’re the only one I wanna give it to." Musically, "Read My Lips" is a mid-tempo "perky" electropop, "80s-inflected" synth song, featuring "sunshine-y" chords and "bouncy", half-organic drums, with Jon Caramanica of "The New York Times" calling it "girl-group future-soul."
Critical reception.
"Read My Lips" received generally favorable reviews from most music critics, for being racy and sweet at the same time. For Sam Lansky of "Idolator", "Read My Lips" "is sugary sweet, a singalong number that should be an instant fan favorite." Erika Ramirez of "Billboard" wrote that "A 2013 R&B album, from a female R&B singer, wouldn't be complete without an ode to the oral-obsessed," writing that "the singer kicks off a domino affect of innuendos that prove tasty and tart." Tim Finney of "Pitchfork" analyzed that the song is "delivered with such frothy, wide-eyed innocence that it’s hard even to notice the subject matter." In another review for "Idolator", Sam Lansky agreed with Finney, writing that the song is "bouncy, wobbly and sweet even as it’s hilariously explicit." For Hermione Hoby of "The Observer" wrote the song "manages to be both ridiculously lubricious and kind of sweet with its promise of a 'home-cooked meal'." Pip Elwood of "Entertainment Focus" called it one of the album's best moments, writing that it's "beat-heavy and catchy, where Ciara uses her sweeter vocal tone whilst still conveying plenty of attitude.
Nick Henderson of "Tiny Mix Tapes" wrote that "Read My Lips", "finds Cici in full-on bubblegum mode, doing "Disney Teenstar Young-Girl" better than some people who actually fit that description, telling the listener to 'savor it, savor it' in an adolescent whine totally void of the emotional drive and minor-key iciness that typifies a Ciara vocal, a naive devotional that's positively and uncannily Taylor Swift." Lauren Martin of "Fact" wrote that the song "sounds strictly PG, with the sugary sweet beat bounces down a Demi Lovato route with the insipid 'I’ll make you something real nice', instead of honing in on the sweatbox sultriness." Robert Copsey of "Digital Spy" called it "an eye-poppingly explicit number that, despite its earworm hooks and killer chorus, is unlikely to soar up the charts in the current climate." Rob Harvilla also of "Spin" was not favorable, writing that the song "would've benefited greatly from even 90 seconds of R. Kelly's undivided attention and sounds like something Miley Cyrus would put out if she was consciously trying to break the Internet," recommending "Read My Lips", "primarily to 12-year-olds."
Music video.
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“I did video snippets of many of the songs on the album for my fans so they can have the best experience of my music possible,” I wanted my fans to see the music for the first time while they are also hearing it.”
—Ciara speaking on the concept for releasing multiple videos.
In order to further promote her "self-titled album", Ciara shot a number of "video shorts" to bring songs from the album to life. According to herself, "I did video snippets of many of the songs on the album for my fans so they can have the best experience of my music possible. I wanted my fans to see the music for the first time while they are also hearing it." "Read My Lips" was one of the songs to have a "video short" of 1 minute and 30 seconds, premiering on July 9, 2013.
Following the release of snippets of the album's songs “DUI” and "Sophomore" Ciara released the third of five video snippets on July 9, 2013. The video preview premiered exclusively at Glamour magazine.
The video short for "Read My Lips" was directed by Hannah Lux Davis. In it, she sports high-street fashion, according to "Glamour Magazine"'s Mickey Woods.
Live performances.
Ciara performed the track on 106 & Park, on July 9, 2013, in order to promote the album. Ciara also visited The Recording Academy's headquarters in Santa Monica, California, to participate in an exclusive Grammy.com interview. Following the interview, Ciara performed a brief acoustic set featuring tracks from her self-titled album, including "Overdose", "DUI" and "Read My Lips."
Charts.
"Read My Lips" has charted on the South Korea's Gaon Download Chart, debuting at number 5, with sales of 639,962. In the second week, the song fell to number 36, selling 177,586 copies, bringing a total of 895, 834 copies.
References.
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Read My Lips (Jimmy Somerville album)
Read My Lips is the 1989 debut solo album by Jimmy Somerville, former lead singer of the successful synthpop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards. The album was released through London Records and peaked at number 29 on the UK Albums Chart. It has been certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry for sales in excess of 100,000 copies.
In July 2012, "Read My Lips" was released as a two-disc CD set including the original album plus bonus tracks of B-sides and remixes.
On 1 September 2023, "Read My Lips" was reissued by London Records as a two-disc CD set including the original album plus bonus tracks of B-sides, Demos, New and Original remixes.
The album was produced and engineered by Avril Mackintosh with the exception of Mighty Real (Stephen Hague) and Comment Te Dire Adieu (Pascal Gabriel)
Track listing.
Original 1989 album.
LP
All LP tracks by Jimmy Somerville unless otherwise indicated
CD
2012 2-CD reissue.
CD 1
Bonus tracks
CD 2
2023 2-CD reissue.
CD 1
Bonus tracks
CD 2
Charts.
Singles
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Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough)
"Read My Lips" is a song written and performed by Scottish singer-songwriter Jimmy Somerville (formerly of the bands Bronski Beat and The Communards) from his 1989 début solo album "Read My Lips". The song discusses the need for increased funding to fight HIV/AIDS.
Released in 1990 as Somerville's third solo single from the album "Read My Lips", the song didn't chart as well as the previous single, "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)", a cover of the Sylvester original, which hit number 5 earlier the same year. However, it did chart inside the Top 40, peaking at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart, and was featured on "Now That's What I Call Music!" volume 17.
Critical reception.
David Giles, reviewer for "Music Week" magazine, deemed "Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough)" was "a better bet for a single" than "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)", adding that the song has "lots of airy keyboard sounds drifting around and generally detracting from the dynamic Hi-NRG pulse of the original", but concluded that he has "still hit material though". Tim Jeffery of "Record Mirror" stated it has "a subtle melody with right-on lyrics... Quite rousing in an offbeat way, but somehow it just doesn't quite hit the mark".
References.
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I Read Lips
"I Read Lips" is a song recorded by Canadian country music group Thomas Wade & Wayward. It was released in 1998 as the sixth single from their debut album, "Thomas Wade & Wayward". It peaked at number 12 on the "RPM" Country Tracks chart in June 1998.
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Read My Lips
Read My Lips may refer to:
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See also.
Topics referred to by the same term
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 This page lists associated with the title .

Read My Lips (Alex Party song)
"Read My Lips" is a song recorded by Italian dance music act Alex Party. It was first released as "Read My Lips/Saturday Night Party" on 18 December 1993, where it entered at number 49 in the UK Singles Chart. It remained in the top 100 for 6 weeks before it was re-released on 28 May 1994. This time "Read My Lips" peaked at number 29. It spent 5 weeks in the top 100.
In 1996, the song was released with vocals by singer 'Shanie' Campbell. This version peaked at number 28 on the UK Singles Chart, number 15 on the UK Dance Chart and number 32 in Scotland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached 52. Outside Europe the '96 version peaked at number 51 in Australia.
Critical reception.
On the 1993 release as "Saturday Night Party", Andy Beevers from "Music Week" stated, "It kicks off in fine style with an irrepressibly upbeat house track gleaned from the Italian UMM label." James Hamilton from the "RM" Dance Update described it as a ""tonight it's party time" and "read my lips" prodded, synth stabbed jauntily plinking Italo leaper". On the 1996 version, Pan-European magazine "Music & Media" commented, "Some of those catchy Italo tunes are just irresistible. After one play you can't get them out of your head and this is definitely one. Originally made by Italian producers, and now remixed by the Dutch BT&T-production-team, this single contains two excellent radio edits."
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Read My Lips (Tim Curry album)
Read My Lips is the debut solo album by Tim Curry, released in 1978. It was produced by Bob Ezrin with Michael Kamen as the associate producer. The opening track "Birds of a Feather" had already appeared a year earlier in 1977, performed by its composers Carole Pope and Kevan Staples on "Rough Trade Live! Direct to Disc", the debut album of their band Rough Trade. The song "Sloe Gin" was covered by Joe Bonamassa in 2007 on his album of the same title.
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Watch My Lips
Watch My Lips is the first and only video release by British singer and songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor. It includes Ellis-Bextor's concert at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, as part of the Read My Lips Tour; "Read My Lips"-era videos; Theaudience's videos and extras.
Critical reception.
A critic at Amazon.co.uk reviewed "Watch My Lips" positively, saying that "it successfully mines the seam of hits spawned by her "Read My Lips" album and of course, 'Groovejet', her mesmerising collaboration with DJ Spiller". He also commented: "Bextor's ironic interpretation of the role of the pop princess, a native musical intelligence and a host of influences from Blondie's guitar-driven rock circa 1979 to Moby are a potent combination which help to underline the breadth of her appeal."
Track listing.
Extras.
The Ukrainian version of "Watch My Lips" does not include the night version of the "Music Gets the Best of Me" music video.
References.
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Read My Lips (Melba Moore album)
Read My Lips is the fourteenth album by American singer Melba Moore. It was released by Capitol Records on March 22, 1985. This album featured the hit title track and "When You Love Me Like This". The title track garnered Moore a third Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, making her just the third black artist after Donna Summer and Tina Turner to be nominated in the category.
Critical reception.
AllMusic editor Justin Kantor awarded the album four and a half stars out of five and called it "the most versatile and underrated item in Moore's often overlooked catalog." He found that "with arrangements that are always on the dot, solid songs, and stellar vocals, "Read My Lips" is a must for every Moore fan's collection."
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Mike Read
English radio presenter and musician (born 1947)
Michael David Kenneth Read (born 1 March 1947) is an English radio disc jockey, writer, journalist and television presenter.
Read has been a broadcaster since 1976, best known for having been a DJ with BBC Radio 1, and television host for music chart series "Top of the Pops", children's programme "Saturday Superstore" and music panel game "Pop Quiz". He is also a prolific author, having written over 50 books, including his autobiography, "Seize the Day". Read currently hosts "The Heritage Chart Show" on various radio stations and Talking Pictures TV. He also co-hosts "The Footage Detectives" with Talking Pictures TV founder Noel Cronin.
Early life.
Michael David Kenneth Read was born 1 March 1947 in Bury, north of Manchester, the only child of a publican. The family moved from Manchester to Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, when he was an infant. He attended Woking Grammar School followed by a sixth-form college. Later, Read worked as an estate agent, and recorded under various names, including Mickey Manchester.
Broadcasting career.
Read's professional broadcasting career began in March 1976 at Reading's Radio 210, where he co-hosted a slot with Steve Wright – entitled "Read and Wright" – before joining Radio Luxembourg late in 1977. Read joined Radio 1 in November 1978 and was soon presenting the night-time programme before the slot fronted by John Peel; here, Read championed new groups and featured live sessions. On 5 January 1981, he took over "Radio 1 Breakfast".
On 11 January 1984, Read suddenly interrupted broadcasting the Frankie Goes to Hollywood song "Relax", halfway through playing the single, denouncing the lyrics as 'obscene'. Read has said this account of his intervention is a myth; the interruption of the record was solely for timing reasons, as he only had access in the studio to the longer 12" version. The BBC had already decided to ban the record from "Top of the Pops", even though it subsequently reached No. 1 in the UK singles chart.
Following on from his five-year stint on Radio 1's breakfast slot, Read took over a Sunday morning programme in 1986. A year later, he moved to Saturday mornings, and also to a Sunday afternoon series, where he played classic tracks. In addition, he hosted "Round Table" and later went back to it as the renamed "Singled Out" on Friday evenings, in which musicians and disc jockeys would review new single releases.
Read's Saturday morning slot ended in September 1988, and his Sunday afternoon oldies series finished in January 1989, when Alan Freeman re-joined the station to host an oldies version of "Pick of the Pops", which Read covered in November that year when Freeman was ill. From January 1989 to September 1990, Read presented a weekly series, "The Mike Read Collection", (which was broadcast on Monday evenings) and remained on the Friday panel show "Singled Out" (which by then had gone back to its original name of "Round Table"); he remained in this slot until 1991.
After Radio 1.
Read left Radio 1 in 1991 and moved to Capital Gold in London, presenting his "Mike Read Collection", which went out on a Sunday night, before taking on the weekday 'drive-time' show in mid-1992, where he remained until he left the station in late 1995. Read was heard on BBC Radio 2 in 1992 presenting special shows looking back at the career of Cliff Richard and playing his music. Read then joined Classic FM, where he presented a weekend series, and had a stint as weekday breakfast presenter starting in March 1996. The following year, he presented the networked 'breakfast show' on Classic Gold stations around the UK.
From September 1999, Read presented the breakfast show on Jazz FM in the north of England; then, in 2001, he joined Spirit FM in Chichester, initially presenting a Sunday slot from 10am to 1pm before moving to a weekday afternoon slot from 2pm to 3pm, playing music from various featured years.
Between 2003 and 2004, Read presented a Saturday morning slot on the Magic network around the UK. In May 2005, he became the weekday morning presenter on Big L 1395, a station modelled on the 1960s pirate radio station; he has also done occasional stints on Talksport. In November 2008, he took time out from Big L to present the 3pm – 7pm 'drive-time' show on KCFM (based in Hull) for a week (10–14 November), as cover for Shaun Tilley. Read became the third former Radio 1 disc jockey to broadcast on the station, along with Tony Blackburn and Paul Burnett.
In November 2009, Read began hosting a mid-morning slot on TotalStar in the West of England. Exactly a year later, Read had returned to Big L with a daily slot from 8am to 12pm, Monday-Friday. From July 2011, he hosted the Golden Hour on More Radio (Swindon and Wiltshire), formerly Total Star Wiltshire. Read was heard on Magic 1548 in the north of England, where he presented their weekend breakfast series, on Saturdays and Sundays from 7am – 10am, starting in April 2012. He also presented the afternoon slot on Monday to Friday on BBC Radio Berkshire between 1:00/3:00pm and 4pm until March 2015, and continued to host programmes for the station, including a Saturday afternoon slot during the summer of 2015.
In April 2018, Read was the first voice heard on the new internet radio station United DJs, where he hosted the station's breakfast slot on weekdays from 7-9am. He also hosted an additional weekly series for the station, entitled "I Write the Songs". From November 2019, he hosted the weekday breakfast slot, from 7-10am, on London and south-east DAB station Vintage Music Radio for several months,
 but still presented occasional shows on United DJs and returned to the breakfast show there the following spring, staying until November 2020. Read left to join the new line-up of Nation Radio UK from 4 January 2021, and was replaced by Neil Fox in April.
Heritage Chart show.
Since 15 November 2020, Read has hosted "The Heritage Chart" on Sunday afternoons on the Nation Radio network in the UK. The programme was on originally on United DJs Radio from July 26 to 8 November 2020. Dr Fox (Neil Fox) replaced Read on the United DJs version of the show after Read joined Nation Radio.
"The Heritage Chart Show" is syndicated on other selected radio stations across the UK and around the world. One such example is Enjoy Radio, an online station based in Greater Manchester who started carrying "The Heritage Chart Show" in early 2022. In January 2023, Regency Radio, an OFCOM-licensed station on the south coast broadcasting on DAB in the Brighton area, as well on app, online and on smart speaker took the Chart Show on Sunday nights from 5-7pm, the traditional time of the BBC Radio 1 and ILR chart shows.
Heritage Chart Radio.
"The Heritage Chart Show" expanded from a weekly chart show to a full-time radio service, with presenters including former Yell! singer Daniel James, who has a show called "Bangers and Chat", and rockabilly guitarist Darrel Higham. The station also picked up the radio broadcasts of Rewind TV's "Stereo Underground" programme, a show Richard Latto used to present on various BBC Local Radio stations and hired Dave Lee Travis for weekly Sunday morning show, due to start in March 2025.
Other radio shows.
On 12 April 2021, Read started hosting the breakfast show on Downforce Radio, broadcasting from 7-10am.
In 2022, Read started presenting his "Afternoon Delight" show on the Sussex station V2 Radio.
From 1 August 2022, Read continued his breakfast show, but also with an audience from Sunshine Radio Online, with a dual broadcast-type arrangement.
From 22 April 2024, Read started presenting the breakfast show on Regency Radio.
Television.
Read combined his radio work with a second career as a television presenter. He hosted the Yorkshire Television children's series "Pop Quest" from 1977 to 1979; then, on BBC1, Read presented or co-presented 65 editions of the music chart series "Top of the Pops" from 9 November 1978 to 28 December 1989.
From 1982 to 1987, Read presented the BBC's Saturday morning children's programme "Saturday Superstore", as well as the Saturday night music game show "Pop Quiz", which regularly got audiences of 10 million and featured rock and pop stars answering music trivia questions; the series spawned board game and computer game spin-offs. The penultimate episode of "Pop Quiz", in 1984, featured a face-off between pop bands Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran. The format was revived twice: firstly in 1994 by the BBC with Chris Tarrant as the host; and then in June 2008, a revamped "Pop Quiz" recorded without a studio audience and in a pub (rather than a television studio) in which the participants were members of the public, aired on Red TV; this was again hosted by Read. In 1994, he returned to "Top of the Pops" to host a one-off special for its anniversary. Later, in 1997, he presented the UK Gold television genre quiz "Goldmaster" in 1997.
In 2004, Read was one of the contestants recruited for the jungle-based ITV reality series "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!", though his stay in the Australian outback was short-lived, as he was the first celebrity to be evicted by the viewing public. Read was among 10 former presenters who returned as guest co-presenters for the final edition of "Top of the Pops", broadcast 30 July 2006 on BBC Two.
Read has also appeared as a regular newspaper reviewer for Sky News. In 2014, he appeared as himself in BBC Four spoof docudrama "The Life of Rock with Brian Pern".
In 2021, he joined Talking Pictures TV founder Noel Cronin on the channel's archive programme "The Footage Detectives", a series which discusses forgotten films and lost TV shows such as "The Barnstormers" from 1964.
As of 2022[ [update]], "The Heritage Chart Show with Mike Read" is broadcast on Sundays, first by the Local TV network of channels at 7pm, and then by Talking Pictures TV as a late-night repeat. The programme is a pop music countdown of videos and live performances from veteran acts, such as Chesney Hawkes and Tight Fit, based on the chart broadcast on a number of community radio stations in the UK and abroad.
Song-writing.
In 1979, Read wrote and performed the pop-punk song "High Rise" (upon which his Radio 1 intro jingle was subsequently based) under the guise of The Trainspotters, following this in 1980 with "My Town", by his next studio group, The Ghosts. Read then wrote lyrics to the theme (composed by Simon May) for the TRIC Award-winning "Trainer"; the resulting UK Top 30 single, "More to Life", was performed by Cliff Richard. In 1991, Read also provided a guest rap on "Radio Wall of Sound", UK Top 30 hit for Slade.
After his appearance on "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!", Read recorded a charity single when he lyrically re-worked the Hank Mizell hit "Jungle Rock" and – as the Jungle Boys (with fellow "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" contestants Neil 'Razor' Ruddock and Lord Brocket) – had a UK Top 30 hit single. The follow-up, which made the Top 75, was a new version of Mungo Jerry classic "In the Summertime". In 2005, Read's song "Grief Never Grows Old" featured on a charity recording in aid of victims of the 2004 tsunami. Performed by an ensemble of artists named One World Project, the single reached No. 4 in the UK singles chart.
Read has written music to accompany many poems written by John Betjeman. Thirty of these songs were recorded by artists including Cliff Richard, David Essex, Gene Pitney and Marc Almond for the 2006 various artists' album "Words/Music", and subsequently re-released in 2008 as a double CD titled "Sound of Poetry".
On 19 October 2011, Read was presented with a BASCA Gold Badge Award in recognition of his contribution to music.
In 2014, Read wrote and recorded "UKIP Calypso" in support of the UK Independence Party (UKIP). It was criticized for being racist; Read subsequently apologised and withdrew it from sale.
Musicals.
Read has staged a number of musicals, including "Young Apollo" (a musical about the life of Rupert Brooke); "Oscar" (a 2004 production about Oscar Wilde, which was derided by critics and closed after one performance); "Great Expectations"; "A Christmas Carol"; "Cliff - The Musical" (which closed after three months) and "Ricky Nelson...Teenage Idol". Read took one of the lead roles in the "Cliff" musical, touring with it and appearing for a three-month run in the West End at the Prince of Wales Theatre. His production "Betjeman" (based on his musical settings of poems by Sir John Betjeman) has occasionally been staged for charities, including the Royal Marsden Hospital and Children With Leukaemia. Actors appearing in his musicals and shows have included Nyree Dawn Porter, Brian Glover, Colin Baker, Anton Rogers, Jeremy Irons, Alvin Stardust and Bernard Cribbins.
Books and poetry.
Read was one of the founder editors of the UK chart reference series "Guinness Book of British Hit Singles", and also co-wrote other Guinness music books.
Read's poetry books include "The Aldermoor Poems", "Elizabethan Dragonflies", "A Room With Books" and the latest, "New Poems for Old Paintings". He has edited and supplied biographies for the two best-selling poetry books, "100 Favourite Poems" and "100 Favourite Humorous Poems", and contributed to many of the titles in the series "Poets' England". He has also written two crime novels. In 1997, he published "Forever England: The Life of Rupert Brooke".
Contemporary art.
In October 2007, Read started to produce contemporary art, with a gallery of works in the medium of confectionery entitled "Choc Art". The work includes recreations of album sleeves by the Beatles, his own take on the famous map of the London Underground, and works based on the paintings of L.S. Lowry.
Personal life and ventures.
Stalker.
Read had a stalker who had changed her name to Blue Tulip Rose Read and believed that she was married to him. Rose was from Welwyn Garden City and her original name was Carol Ballard. She was featured in a 1996 film made by Jaine Green for Channel 4, entitled "I'm Your Number One Fan". The film formed part of Channel 4's "Fame Factor" season, which examined the dark side of fame. Rose was one of the most candid interviewees in the film. She was filmed as she travelled to the offices of Classic FM, and as she wrote "love letters" to Read. The film stated that Rose had been writing obscene and threatening letters to Read for many years.
Politics.
Having spoken three times at Conservative Party conferences, including entertaining guests at a Tory conference dinner in 2006 with a ten-minute political rap, Read said that he was asked to run for the Conservative Party nomination for the London Mayoral elections in 2008. He subsequently announced that he was instead putting his energies behind the ultimately successful candidate Boris Johnson.
On 21 July 2012, Read spoke at the UK Independence Party's South East regional Conference in Frimley, where he was also announced as a member of the party. Read has since spoken at the UKIP 2012 Annual Conference at Birmingham Town Hall on 21 September.
Read wrote and recorded a song in support of the party, "UKIP Calypso", which was released in October 2014 as a single credited to The Independents. An online petition was filed by former Labour borough councillor Richard McKenzie in which he called Read's song 'racist and offensive'. Party leader Nigel Farage endorsed it and called for the party's supporters to download the song. Read adopted a faux-Jamaican accent, but said that it was 'not remotely racist' to do so, saying: 'It's a satire and a bit of fun. It's not terribly serious. It wouldn't have sounded very good sung in a Surrey accent.' Debate over the single featured on "Newsnight", with UKIP spokesman Winston McKenzie, himself of Caribbean origin, praising the song and likening it to adaptations of predominantly black musical styles by Elvis Presley and The Beatles, although the BBC Asian Network's Nihal was critical of it. Read withdrew the song from sale on 22 October 2014 and apologised 'unreservedly' for the fact that it had 'unintentionally caused offence'. On 26 October 2014, the song reached number 44 on the UK Singles Chart.
The Rupert Brooke Society.
In 1999, Read founded the Rupert Brooke Society of which he was chairman for a few years, as well as editing the society's twice-yearly magazine and creating a museum at The Orchard tea room in Grantchester.
Charity work.
In 2013, Read and three friends formed the British Plaque Trust, a charity established to commemorate deceased achievers in show business, sport and the general arts by unveiling blue plaques on buildings with which they were associated. The organisation aimed to act alongside the work in London of English Heritage who stated that they were "restructuring" their plaque scheme.
In the same year, he was one of the event presenters at Concert at the Kings in All Cannings, Wiltshire.
References.
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Read My Lips (Lou Ann Barton album)
Read My Lips is an album by the American singer Lou Ann Barton, released in 1989. "The Plain Dealer" called the album a throwback to a time when "regional styles flourished, were celebrated and enriched popular music."
Barton's two earlier 1980s albums were already out of print by the time of "Read My Lips"' release. The album's title is a reference to George H. W. Bush's 1988 .
Production.
A covers album, "Read My Lips" was recorded with several guest musicians, including saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman and members of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. The main players included guitarist Derek O' Brien, bassist Jon Blondell, and drummer George Rains. The album was produced by Paul Ray.
Critical reception.
"Spin" thought that the album "captures the sound and spirit of a 50s Excello or Duke recording without sacrificing 80s technology." The "Austin American-Statesman" wrote that "'Shake Your Hips', in particular, is a masterful use of rock 'n' roll, gutter guitar licks bolstering a mean, low-down and dirty blues song about a dance undoubtably outlawed except in the darkest of clubs." The "Daily Breeze" opined that "Read My Lips" "sounds like just the kind of thing you'd want to hear blasting away in a Texas roadhouse—lowdown, sweat-drenched rhythm-and-blues."
The "Toronto Star" wrote: "The good thing about Barton, unlike so many blues-by-number advocates, is that it is hard to know which way she'll turn next. She takes a playful novelty piece like Slim Harpo's 'Te Ni Nee Ni Nu' and invests it with almost inappropriate urgency, while her cover of 'You'll Lose A Good Thing' is casually ironic instead of emotionally heated." The "Chicago Tribune" deemed the album "down and dirty Texas blues and boogie." The "Tulsa World" determined that Barton's "version of Wanda Jackson's 'Mean, Mean Man' is hard-driving, pouty rock 'n' roll, sounding like what might have happened if Betty Boop had sung lead with the Flamin' Groovies."
AllMusic wrote: "Wisely free of attempts to update or modernize her timeless Texas-style blues-rock, "Read My Lips" is a rockin' good time." "The Rolling Stone Album Guide" called the album "a set of scorching performances that remind us not of what she might have been, but what she is—a natural-born singer who's learned hard lessons by living them." "The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings" argued that Barton's "métier is rock rather than blues."
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Read My Lips (film)
2001 film by Jacques Audiard
Read My Lips () is a 2001 French film by Jacques Audiard, co-written with Tonino Benacquista. The film stars Vincent Cassel as Paul, an ex-con on parole, and Emmanuelle Devos as Carla, a nearly deaf secretary whose colleagues treat her disrespectfully, causing her to suffer. Despite their different backgrounds and initial