Christie

Christie was a British pop-rock group that was formed in the late 60s. The original founding members were: Jeff Christie (singer/bassist/songwriter), Vic Elmes (guitar/vocals), and Mike Blakely (drums). The band scored a big smash in 1970 with the infectiously bouncy and catchy "Yellow River;" the song peaked at #1 on the UK pop charts in May, 1970 and climbed all the way to #23 on the US Billboard pop charts. The equally charming follow-up song "San Bernadino" likewise did well; it was a #1 hit in Germany and peaked at #7 on the UK radio charts. The typically bubbly and delightful "Iron House" was the group's final chart hit in 1972. Alas, numerous line-up changes and an inability to produce additional hit songs eventually prompted Jeff Christie to disband the group in 1976. Jeff went on to release two singles for the RK record label in 1980 and wrote advertising jingles while Elmes became a top session guitarist and a successful television show composer (he wrote the guitar parts for the first season opening theme music for the science fiction TV series "Space: 1999"). Moreover, Elmes has occasionally fronted a band called Christie Again. In 1990 Jeff Christie formed a new version of the group which included several members from the British band Tubeless Hearts. This particular incarnation of Christie not only made an unsuccessful attempt to represent England at the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest, but also toured and performed on stage all over Russia, Israel and Europe prior to breaking up in 2002.