Richard Oakes (guitarist)

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Richard Oakes
Richardoakes.jpg
Richard Oakes on stage with Suede London 2010
Background information
Birth nameRichard John Oakes
Born (1976-10-01) 1 October 1976 (age 47)
Perivale, London, England
Origin Poole, Dorset, England
Genres Alternative rock, Britpop
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, piano, strings
Years active1994–present

Richard John Oakes (born 1 October 1976) is an English musician and songwriter, best known as the guitarist, occasional pianist, backing vocalist and co-songwriter of the English band Suede.

Contents

Early life

Richard Oakes was born in Perivale, West London, and grew up in the Parkstone area of Poole, Dorset in southwestern England. [1] He first started playing when he came across a Spanish guitar that his sister owned. The album that initially influenced him to pursue a career in music was The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 , which he heard when he was 12. Prior to joining Suede, Oakes played in a band called "TED" along with his friends Peter Field (vocals) and Colin Forbes (Rhythm guitar). The band was actually originally titled 'PIPATED' – 'Plug in Peter and the Electric Daffodils'. [2]

Suede

The first gig Oakes attended was one of Suede's at the Poole Arts Centre in May 1993. Upon hearing that guitarist Bernard Butler had left the band and that the band were auditioning for a replacement, he recorded versions of Suede songs and some of his own material on a 4 track recorder, which he sent to the band's fanclub along with a note that read "Take me or leave me." When drummer Simon Gilbert heard Anderson playing back the tape whilst going through audition tapes, he mistakenly believed it to be an early Suede demo. After the second audition Oakes was invited to join the band. [3]

At the age of 17, and after beating approximately five hundred candidates, Oakes officially joined Suede on 17 September 1994 (2 weeks before his 18th birthday). Oakes first public appearance with the band was on Top of the Pops , while his first full live appearance was at a secret fan club gig at London's Raw Club on 10 October 1994. The first song he performed live, and the first video he appeared in, was "We are the Pigs".

His first co-writing credits were the B-sides of single "New Generation", "Together" and "Bentswood Boys". Oakes went on to co-write many songs with Anderson on subsequent albums and B-side material, several of which went on to become hit singles in the UK.

Oakes joined his former bandmates for three UK Suede concerts in 2010, [4] followed by a concert at London's O2 Arena in December of that year, then festival appearances in Sweden, Hultsfredsfestivalen in July and Denmark and Norway in August. Suedes's reunion continued with their sixth album, Bloodsports , on which Oakes co-wrote all but two of the songs, released in March 2013.

Suede released their seventh album Night Thoughts on 22 January 2016 to widespread critical acclaim. Oakes co-wrote all but four of the songs. It was accompanied by a feature film, directed by Roger Sargent. During their 2016 tour the band performed the first half of their set from behind a screen onto which Sargent's film was projected. [5]

Artmagic

Artmagic is a duo formed by Oakes and producer/singer Sean McGhee in 2008. Their debut EP, I Keep on Walking, was released on 23 May 2011, followed by a single, "Forever in Negative" on 25 June 2012. Their debut album, Become The One You Love, was released on 2 July 2012. A further single, "Down in the River" followed on 21 October 2012.

A new song, "Sing For The Snowfall" was released on Christmas Day 2017. A single, "The Clean Room", was released on 27 April 2018. The duo's second album, The Songs of Other England, was released on 15 June 2018. [6]

Influences

One of Oakes's main influences is John McGeoch of Siouxsie and the Banshees. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suede (band)</span> English rock band

Suede are an English rock band formed in London in 1989 by singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Justine Frischmann, and bass player Mat Osman. Drawing inspiration from glam rock and post-punk, Suede were dubbed "The Best New Band in Britain" by Melody Maker in 1992, and attracted much attention from the British music press. The following year their debut album Suede went to the top of the UK Albums Chart, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in almost ten years. It won the Mercury Music Prize and helped foster 'Britpop' as a musical movement, though the band distanced themselves from the term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Butler</span> Musical artist

Bernard Joseph Butler is a British musician and record producer. He is best known as guitarist with Suede, until his departure in 1994. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of his generation; BBC journalist Mark Savage called him "one of Britain's most original and influential guitarists". He was voted the 24th greatest guitarist of the last 30 years in a national 2010 BBC poll and is often seen performing with a 1961 cherry red Gibson ES-355 TD SV with a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tears</span>

The Tears were an English rock supergroup formed in 2004 by ex-Suede bandmates Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler, along with the former Delicatessen and Lodger members Will Foster (keyboardist), bassist Nathan Fisher, and Bernard Butler session drummer Makoto Sakamoto. The duo Anderson and Butler were a much anticipated reunion and music critics praised their first concerts and only album, Here Come the Tears. However, the project was short-lived as they disbanded in 2006, which allowed Anderson to focus on his solo career and the latter Suede's reformation in 2010, Butler became a full-time producer, and Foster worked as additional musician for The Fratellis since 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Anderson</span> English singer

Brett Lewis Anderson is an English singer best known as the lead singer and primary lyricist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he fronted The Tears with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler in 2004–2006, and released four solo albums on which he also played guitar and keyboards. Suede re-formed in 2010; they continue to record and tour.

<i>Coming Up</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Suede

Coming Up is the third album by English alternative rock band Suede, released on 2 September 1996 through Nude Records. It was the band's first album since the departure of guitarist Bernard Butler, who was replaced by Richard Oakes. Also added to the band was keyboardist Neil Codling. The album was nominated for the 1997 Mercury Prize. A commercial and critical success, Coming Up was the second by the band to reach no. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, producing five top ten singles and receiving a favourable reception at home and in the US. Coming Up was the album that introduced Suede to a worldwide audience, in places such as Europe, Canada and Asia.

<i>Dog Man Star</i> 1994 studio album by Suede

Dog Man Star is the second album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in October 1994 on Nude Records. The album was recorded in London at Master Rock studios in early 1994, and was produced by Ed Buller. It was the last Suede album to feature guitarist Bernard Butler; growing tensions between him and singer Brett Anderson ended with Butler leaving the band before recording was complete. As a result, some tracks on the album had to be finished with the assistance of session musicians.

<i>A New Morning</i> 2002 studio album by Suede

A New Morning is the fifth studio album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in September 2002. By the time the album was released, public interest in the band had waned, as shown by the poor charting of both the album and singles. Despite this, however, the album received moderate praise from critics. It is the only Suede album not to be released in the US. It was the last studio album released by the band before their seven-year hiatus and reunion in 2010. Before recording took place, keyboardist and guitarist Neil Codling left the band due to his health concern, and later was replaced by former Strangelove guitarist, Alex Lee. As Codling returned to the band for their 2010 reunion, this is their only studio album to have featured Lee.

<i>Head Music</i> 1999 studio album by Suede

Head Music is the fourth album by English alternative rock band Suede, released by Nude Records in May 1999. Produced and mixed by Steve Osborne, Head Music features a more electronic sound, which was a new approach for the band. The recording of Head Music was plagued with difficulties such as singer Brett Anderson's addiction to crack, and keyboardist Neil Codling's struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome. The album still went to number 1 on the UK Albums Chart, however, making it the band's third and final chart-topping album. Overall, the album received generally favourable reviews from critics.

<i>Sci-Fi Lullabies</i> 1997 compilation album by Suede

Sci-Fi Lullabies is a two-disc compilation album by English alternative rock band Suede released by Nude Records on 6 October 1997, consisting of B-sides from the singles that were released from the group's first three albums. It reached no. 9 on the UK Albums Chart, and received universal acclaim on release. In subsequent years, the record has been hailed as one of the finest B-side compilations in popular music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal Nitrate</span> 1993 single by Suede

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Are the Pigs</span> 1994 single by Suede

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wild Ones (song)</span> 1994 single by Suede

"The Wild Ones" is the second single from the album Dog Man Star by English rock band Suede, released on 7 November 1994 through Nude Records. The song peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart and number six in Iceland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Generation</span> 1995 single by Suede

"New Generation" is the third and final single from the album Dog Man Star by English rock band Suede, released on 30 January 1995 through Nude Records. It is the first single to feature music by new guitarist Richard Oakes. Though the title track is written by Anderson and departed guitarist Bernard Butler, Oakes contributes on "Together" and "Bentswood Boys". The single reached No. 21 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trash (Suede song)</span> 1996 single by Suede

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obsessions</span> 2002 single by Suede

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Codling</span> English musician

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References

  1. "Suede by stardom". Bournemouth Echo. 15 November 2002. Retrieved 6 February 2010.[ dead link ]
  2. "Richard John Oakes". The Essential Suede. Archived from the original on 6 April 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  3. "The Oakes Playground". Guitargodoakes.tripod.com. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  4. Suede play first gig in seven years, NME.com, 21 March 2010 (retrieved 16 April 2010)
  5. Thomas, Helen Meriel (9 December 2016). "2016's best live bands – as voted by team NME". NME. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  6. Artmagic cast a collaborative spell on ‘The Clean Room‘, Vanyaland.com
  7. Earms, John (16 September 2022). "Brett Anderson on Suede's new album, reissues [interview]". superdeluxeedition. Retrieved 28 September 2022.