Brian John Cole (born 17 June 1946) is an English

pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a Console steel guitar, console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all s ...

ist, who has long been active as a session and solo musician. Coming to prominence in the early 1970s with the band

Cochise Cochise (; Apache: ''Shi-ka-She'' or ''A-da-tli-chi'', lit.: ''having the quality or strength of an oak''; later ''K'uu-ch'ish'' or ''Cheis'', lit. ''oak''; June 8, 1874) was leader of the Chihuicahui local group of the Chokonen and principa ...

, Cole has played in many styles, ranging from mainstream pop and rock to jazz and eclectic experimental music, but has never forgotten the instrument's roots in country music. Cole plays

lap steel The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of playing a traditional ac ...

and

dobro Dobro is an American brand of resonator guitars, currently owned by Gibson and manufactured by its subsidiary Epiphone. The term "dobro" is also used as a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar. The Dobro was originally ...

Early life and musical beginnings

Cole was born on 17 June 1946 in London. He grew up in

Enfield Enfield may refer to: Places Australia * Enfield, New South Wales * Enfield, South Australia ** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb ** Enfield High School (South Australia) ...

, attending Chase Side primary school and

Enfield Chase Enfield Chase is an area of Enfield that is named for a former royal hunting ground. Much of the former area of the Chase has been developed, but a large part survives between Cockfosters in the west and Enfield in the east as Trent Country ...

secondary school for boys. He became interested in music in his teens, his first major inspiration being

The Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre- Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard ...

. Cole initially learned to play guitar, but became disillusioned with the instrument, conscious of the number of talented guitarists that were already active on the music scene. Performances by the American duo

Santo & Johnny Santo & Johnny were an American rock and roll instrumental duo of Italian descent from Brooklyn, New York, composed of brothers Santo Farina (born October 24, 1937) and Johnny Farina (born April 30, 1941). They are known best for their instrum ...

aired on the

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...

show introduced him to the exotic and unusual sound of the steel guitar, and in 1963, he traded in some toy trains to buy his first lap steel – a Dallas Rangemaster. Around two years later, Cole first became aware of the pedal steel guitar, and soon acquired his first instrument, a Fender 1000. What had been an enthusiasm now became a passion: Cole began to play in bands in his free time and to become actively involved in the music scene, landing his first ‘proper’ session in 1968; this was for

Albert Lee Albert William Lee (born 21 December 1943) is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked, both in the studio and on tour, with many famous musicians from a wide range of genres. He has also mai ...

, work which was included on the album ''Black Claw & Country Fever'', released much later, in 1991.

Rise to prominence

In 1968, while playing at a gig in Kingston, South London, Cole was head-hunted to join what was to be an English group conceived on the lines of

the Flying Burrito Brothers The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, ''The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is perhaps best known for its connection to band founders Gram Parsons and Chris ...

. The project never got off the ground, but through it Cole was introduced to the singer

Stewart Brown Stewart Brown (born 1951 in Southampton, UK) is an English poet, university lecturer and scholar of African and Caribbean Literature.

, a former member of the band Bluesology with

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

. In 1969, Brown invited Cole to become a member of the new heavy rock/country band

, with

Mick Grabham Procol Harum () were an English rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have sold over 10 million copies. Although noted for th ...

on guitar,

Rick Wills Richard William Wills (born 5 December 1947) is an English bass guitarist. He is best known for his work with the rock band Foreigner and his associations with the Small Faces, Peter Frampton, Spooky Tooth, David Gilmour, Bad Company and The J ...

on bass, and Willie Wilson on drums. Cochise enjoyed moderate success, and released three albums – ''Cochise'' (Liberty/United Artists, 1970), ''Swallow Tales'' (United Artists, 1971) and ''So Far'' (United Artists, 1972) – all of which included songs written by Cole. The tracks on these albums were included on a two-disc anthology, ''Velvet Mountain'' (Eclectic/Cherry Red), issued in 2013. Cochise folded in 1972, but through it Cole came into contact with a wide range of active and high-profile musicians, including

Andy Fairweather Low Andrew Fairweather Low (born 2 August 1948) is a Welsh guitarist and singer. He was a founding member and lead singer of 1960s pop band Amen Corner (band), Amen Corner, and in recent years has toured extensively with Roger Waters, Eric Clapton ...

and

Steve Marriott Stephen Peter Marriott (30 January 1947 – 20 April 1991) was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He co-founded and played in the rock bands Small Faces and Humble Pie, in a career spanning over two decades. Marriott was inducted po ...

. He went on to carry out recording sessions with all of them, but his breakthrough moment came in 1971, when he played steel guitar on

's "Tiny Dancer", included on the album ''

Madman Across the Water ''Madman Across the Water'' is the fourth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1971 through DJM and Uni Records. The album was his third album to be released in 1971, at which point John had been rising to prominence as a po ...

''.

1970s

Throughout the 1970s, Cole was greatly in demand as a session musician, appearing with artists including:

Humble Pie Humble Pie are an English rock band formed by guitarist and singer Steve Marriott in Moreton, Essex, in 1969. They are known as one of the first supergroups of the late 1960s and found success in the early 1970s with songs such as " Black Cof ...

(Cole played on three of their albums, including ''Eat It'' of 1973),

Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the Rock music, rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include "My Generation", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Ge ...

(''Daltrey'', 1973), Man (''Christmas at the Patti'', 1973),

Kiki Dee Pauline Matthews (born 6 March 1947), better known by her stage name Kiki Dee, is an English singer. Known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown's Tamla Records. Dee is best known for h ...

(''Loving & Free'', 1973, and ''I’ve Got the Music In Me'', 1974),

Procol Harum Procol Harum () were an English rock music, rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have List of best-selling singles, sold over ...

(''Exotic Birds and Fruit'', 1974), T. Rex (''Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow'', 1974),

the Walker Brothers The Walker Brothers were an United States, American pop music, pop musical ensemble, group of the 1960s and 1970s which included Noel Scott Engel (eventually known professionally as Scott Walker (singer), Scott Walker), John Walker (musician), Jo ...

(''No Regrets'', 1975), Uriah Heep (''Magician's Birthday'', 1972, ''Return to Fantasy'', 1975),

(''

La Booga Rooga ''La Booga Rooga'' was the second solo album by Andy Fairweather Low, and was released by A&M Records in 1975. It was Fairweather Low's most successful album, with an eclectic musical styling. The opening track was a cover of Clarence Willia ...

'', 1975, including "

Wide Eyed and Legless "Wide Eyed and Legless" is a song written and performed by Andy Fairweather Low in 1975. The track peaked at No. 6 in the UK Singles Chart in December that year. It had originally been published on Fairweather Low's album, ''La Booga Rooga'', wh ...

"),

Joan Armatrading Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, (, born 9 December 1950) is a Kittitian-English singer-songwriter and guitarist. A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Armatrading has also been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist. She received ...

("Down to Zero", 1976), Roy Harper ("One of Those Days in England", 1977),

Gerry Rafferty Gerald Rafferty (16 April 1947– 4 January 2011) was a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was a founding member of Stealers Wheel, whose biggest hit was " Stuck in the Middle with You" in 1973. His solo hits in th ...

(''City to City'', 1978), and

Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical style consists of folk, pop, rock, and, later in ...

(''Back to Earth'', 1978).

Cow Pie Records and the Hank Wangford Band

In 1976, Cole went to America for the first time, and returned to England full of excitement and enthusiasm about the music he had heard. His contacts at United Artists – who had signed Cochise – suggested he start a record label to encourage British country artists, and the result was Cow Pie, founded in 1977. Records issued by the label included Nancy Peppers’ ''Leaving for Better Times'' (1978). Cole's search for new British country performers brought him into contact with the singer-songwriter

Hank Wangford Samuel Hutt, known by the stage name Hank Wangford (born 15 November 1940), is an English country and western songwriter. "Hank is a good smoke screen. He can do things I can't do. He's my clown," says Dr. Hutt, who has been struggling to bala ...

(the stage name of Dr Sam Hutt), and in 1980 Cow Pie Records issued Wangford's first album, ''Cowboys Stay on Longer'', featuring Cole on pedal steel as well as various friends and fellow musicians including guitarist Andy Roberts and singer

Melanie Harrold Melanie Harrold (born 5 May 1951) is a British singer-songwriter, best known for her 1970s albums for DJM (''Fancy That'' and ''Blue Angel'') plus recording with Gerry Rafferty, and singing with Hank Wangford.In her early career, and even for h ...

. Around the same time, Cole (given the stage name ‘Manley Footwear’) was a founder member of the Hank Wangford Band, which Roberts and Harrold joined. The band proved very popular, performing regularly at gigs and festivals. Cole remained a member until 1983, around a year after the demise of Cow Pie. He rejoined Hank's current band in 2008.

Session and live work, 1982 to the present

In the years around 1980, demand for the steel guitar in recorded music experienced a slump, reflecting the popularity of punk and the introduction of the synthesiser. However, Cole continued to attract session work, which he returned to in earnest after the demise of Cow Pie. Credits from the 1980s include performances with:

Shakin' Stevens Michael Barratt (born 4 March 1948), known professionally as Shakin' Stevens, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He was the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s. His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, althoug ...

Give Me Your Heart Tonight ''Give Me Your Heart Tonight'' is an album by Welsh rock and roll singer Shakin' Stevens, released in October 1982 by Epic Records. To date, it is his last studio album to reach the Top-Ten in the UK, peaking at number 3 on the Album Chart. ...

" and "

Hot Dog A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced Hot dog bun, bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener (Vienna sausag ...

", 1982),

Paul Young Paul Antony Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & the Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, he became a teen idol with his solo success in the 1980s. ...

Everything Must Change ''Everything Must Change'' is the debut studio album by singer Randy Crawford released in 1976 on the Warner Bros. label. Background It was recorded and mixed at Hollywood Sound Recorders except " I'm Easy" and "I've Never Been To Me", which, a ...

", 1985),

David Sylvian David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt, 23 February 1958) is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan. The band's androgynous look and increasingly ...

('' Gone to Earth'', 1986),

The Stranglers The Stranglers are an English rock band who emerged via the punk rock scene. Scoring 23 UK top 40 singles and 19 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving bands to have origina ...

(''

Dreamtime The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal mythology, Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Ja ...

'', 1986),

Deacon Blue Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop rock band formed in Glasgow during 1985. The line-up of the band consists of vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime and drummer Dougie Vipond. The band released their debut album ...

(" Chocolate Girl", 1987), Dumptruck (''For the Country'', 1987), and

k.d. lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop (music), pop and country music, country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical perfor ...

(''

Angel with a Lariat ''Angel with a Lariat'' is the second album by k.d. lang and the Reclines, released in 1987. This was the first release outside of Canada. Track listing #"Turn Me Round" (Ben Mink) – 3:13 #"High Time for a Detour" (lang, Mink) – 4:09 #"Diet ...

'', 1987). In the 1990s, Cole toured over a period of five to six years with

John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styl ...

, formerly of the Velvet Underground, work which helped to raise his profile internationally. At the end of the decade, he made some select appearances playing live with

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternative ...

, and joined

The Verve The Verve were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Wigan in 1990 by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bass guitarist Simon Jones (musician), Simon Jones and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboard player Simo ...

for their tour of America, subsequently appearing on

Richard Ashcroft Richard Paul Ashcroft (born 11 September 1971) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and occasional rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band The Verve from their formation in 1990 until their original split in 1999. So ...

's solo album '' Alone with Everybody'' (2000). Other session work of this period included contributions to:

Peter Blegvad Peter Blegvad (born August 14, 1951) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, writer, and cartoonist. He was a founding member of German/English avant-pop band Slapp Happy, which later merged briefly with Henry Cow, and has released many sol ...

(''King Strut and Other Stories'', 1990),

(''

On a Wing and a Prayer ''On a Wing & a Prayer'' is the seventh studio album by Gerry Rafferty. The album includes three tracks co-written with Rafferty’s brother Jim, also a singer-songwriter, who had been signed to Decca Records in the 1970s. The music was heavily ...

'', 1992),

Billie Ray Martin Birgit Dieckmann, known professionally as Billie Ray Martin, is a German singer and songwriter, known for her single "Your Loving Arms", which reached the top 10 of both the UK Singles Chart (#6) and the Irish Singles Chart (#8) in 1995, and re ...

(''Four Ambient Tales'', 1993),

The Orb The Orb are an English electronic music group founded in 1988 by Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty. Known for their psychedelic sound, the Orb developed a cult following among clubbers "coming down" from drug-induced highs. Their influential 19 ...

(''

Orbus Terrarum ''Orbus Terrarum'' (stylized as ''Orbvs Terrarvm'') is a studio album by English electronic music group The Orb that was released on 20 March 1995 by Island Records. Member Kris Weston had begun work on the album before leaving the group. Af ...

'', 1995),

Echobelly Echobelly are a British rock band, debuting in 1994 with their album ''Everyone's Got One''. They were often compared to Blondie (band), Blondie and The Smiths; Morrissey becoming a fan of the group. The most prominent part of Echobelly's succ ...

('' On'', 1995),

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

(''

Post Post or POST commonly refers to: *Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries **An Post, the Irish national postal service **Canada Post, Canadian postal service **Deutsche Post, German postal service **Iraqi Post, Ira ...

'', 1995),

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(''

Ultra adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by breaking high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park. '' ...

'', 1997),

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(''

Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space ''Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space'' is the third studio album by English space rock band Spiritualized, released on 16 June 1997. The album features guest appearances from the Balanescu Quartet, The London Community Gospel Choir an ...

'', 1997), and the

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(''

Nightlife Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, c ...

'', 1999). Through his solo work, Cole came to the attention of

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

, and he appeared on the albums ''

Mercury Falling ''Mercury Falling'' is the fifth studio album by Sting, released in 1996. The album begins and ends with the words " mercury falling." In 1997, the album earned Sting two Grammy nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Male Pop Vocal Pe ...

'' (1996), '' Brand New Day'' (1999) and ''

All This Time All This Time may refer to: * ''All This Time'' (Heartless Bastards album), 2006 * ''All This Time'' (Sting album), a 2001 live album and concert film by Sting * "All This Time" (Drax Project song), 2019 * "All This Time" (Michelle McManus song ...

'' (2001), also performing live in Sting's band. In more recent years, Cole has remained in demand, his credits including:

Eliza Carthy Eliza Amy Forbes Carthy, MBE (born 23 August 1975) is an English folk musician known for both singing and playing the fiddle. She is the daughter of English folk musicians singer/guitarist Martin Carthy and singer Norma Waterson. Life and care ...

(''Angels & Cigarettes'', 2000),

Chumbawamba Chumbawamba () were a British rock band formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. They are best known for their 1997 single "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. Other singles include "Amnesia", " Enou ...

(''

WYSIWYG In computing, WYSIWYG ( ), an acronym for What You See Is What You Get, is a system in which editing software allows content to be edited in a form that resembles its appearance when printed or displayed as a finished product, such as a printed d ...

'', 2000),

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

Eternity Eternity, in common parlance, means Infinity, infinite time that never ends or the quality, condition, or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside time, whereas ...

", 2001),

Graham Coxon Graham Leslie Coxon (born 12 March 1969) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter who came to prominence as a founding member of the rock band Blur. As the group's lead guitarist and secondary vocalist, Cox ...

(''

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'', 2002),

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('' Dreamland'', 2002, and ''

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'', 2003),

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('' Lovebox'', 2003),

David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1967, shortly before the departure of founding member Syd Barrett. P ...

(''

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'', 2006),

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('' True Stories'', 2009, and '' Purpose + Grace'', 2011),

Katie Melua Ketevan Katie Melua (; ka, ქეთევან "ქეთი" მელუა, ; born 16 September 1984) is a Georgian and British singer and songwriter. She was born in Kutaisi and raised in Belfast and London. Under the management of comp ...

('' The House'', 2010), and Tom Jones (''

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'', 2010). In 2012, he was a featured soloist with Icebreaker in a live version of

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...

's album '' Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks''. He has also played live with

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, the folk singer

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, and

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, and has returned to perform with Hank Wangford, appearing at gigs and on albums such as ''Whistling in the Dark'' (2008).

Solo work

Cole's solo music has always been experimental, and has involved work as a performer as well as a writer, arranger, mixer and producer. His first solo album was ''The New Hovering Dog'' (1972), issued shortly after the breakup of Cochise. The album was remastered and re-released in 2013. In the 1980s – alongside his session and live performances, and also work as a music journalist – Cole became increasingly interested in ambient and classical music, and the way in which this could be adapted for the pedal steel guitar. A project undertaken with Guy Jackson resulted in ''Transparent Music'' (Hannibal/Rykodisc, 1989), including pieces by

Erik Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, but was an und ...

and others. This was followed by ''Heart of the Moment'' (Resurgence, 1995), ''Lushlife'', with Roger Beaujolais and Simon Thorpe (United Artists, 2009), and ''Transparent Music 2'', featuring Guy Jackson,

Arve Henriksen Arve Henriksen (born 22 March 1968) is a Norwegian trumpeter. Career Henriksen was born in Stranda and educated on the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium; he later studied music pedagogy, while he played in «Bodega Band» (1987� ...

and

Davy Spillane Davy Spillane (born 1959 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish musician, songwriter and a player of uilleann pipes and low whistle. Biography Irish music At the age of 12, Spillane started playing the uilleann pipes. His father encouraged him an ...

(United Artists, 2012). In the late 1990s, a desire to work with a DJ drew Cole to

Luke Vibert Luke Vibert (born 26 January 1973) is a British electronic musician and producer, also known for his work under several aliases such as Plug and Wagon Christ. Raised in Cornwall, Vibert began releasing projects in the 1990s across varied genre ...

, the result of their collaboration being ''

Stop the Panic ''Stop the Panic'' is a collaborative album by Luke Vibert and BJ Cole, released in 2000. Critical reception John Bush of AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5 and said, "On most tracks, Cole's shimmering, fluid guitar lines are simply assim ...

'' (Cooking Vinyl/Astralwerks, 2000), an electronica album inspired by their shared passion for exotica and drum ‘n’ bass. A similar theme runs through Cole's ''Trouble in Paradise'' (Cooking Vinyl, 2004).

Instruments

Cole initially learned on a six-string Dallas Rangemaster lap steel, before buying his first pedal steel – a double eight-string Fender 1000 – in about 1966. He continued to use this until 1971, when he switched to a black single-neck ten-string Emmons pedal steel; this was the instrument that he played on the final Cochise album and on sessions including ‘Tiny Dancer’. In 1975, Cole bought a twelve-string Emmons pedal steel, and then in 1982, while in America, he acquired a new twelve-string instrument made by Joe Kline. This has remained his principal pedal steel until very recently. Cole is now using a twelve-string pedal steel made for him by Bill Rudolph of the Williams Guitar Co. He also plays a dobro custom-made for him by his father, John Cole.

Selected discography

Solo and collaborative

*''The New Hovering Dog'' (1972) *''Transparent Music'' (1989) *''Heart of the Moment'' (1995) *''

'' (2000; with

) *''Trouble in Paradise'' (2004) *''Transparent Music 2'' (2012) *''Apollo'' (2012; with Icebreaker)

With Cochise

*''Cochise'' (1970) *''Swallow Tales'' (1971) *''So Far'' (1972)

Featured artist

*Humble Pie, ''Humble Pie'' (1970) *Humble Pie, ''Rock On'' (1971) *

Dave Edmunds David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with pub rock and new wave, having many hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has alwa ...

, ''Rockpile'' (1972) *

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, '' You Are the Music...We're Just the Band'' (1972) * Keith Cross & Peter Ross, ''Bored Civilians'' (1972) * Uriah Heep, ''The Magician's Birthday'' (1972; "Tales") *Elton John, ''Madman Across the Water'' (1972; "Tiny Dancer") *

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, ''

The World of the Goodies ''The Goodies Sing Songs From the Goodies'' was the 1974 debut LP record released by The Goodies. It was initially issued in January 1974 as ''The Goodies Sing Songs From the Goodies'' (Decca catalogue number SKL 5175), and was then later reiss ...

'' (1973) *Pete Sinfield, "Still" (1973) *

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made ...

, ''The Session'' (1973) *

Mike de Albuquerque Mike de Albuquerque (born 24 June 1947, Wimbledon, London) is an English musician, who was a member of the progressive rock band Electric Light Orchestra from 1972 to 1974. Biography In 1971, in partnership with percussionist Frank Ricotti, Alb ...

, '' We May Be Cattle But We've All Got Names'' (1973) *

Johnny Hallyday Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (; 15 June 1943 – 5 December 2017), better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and pop singer and actor, credited for having brought rock and roll to France. During a career spanning 57 ...

, '' Insolitudes'' (1973) *Kiki Dee, ''Loving & Free'' (1973) *Humble Pie, ''

Eat It "Eat It" is a 1984 song by American comedy music artist "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of Michael Jackson's 1983 single " Beat It", with the contents changed to be about an exasperated parent attempting to get their picky child to eat any ...

'' (1973) *

, '' Daltrey'' (1973) *T. Rex, ''

Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow ''Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow'' is an album by English rock band T. Rex, the ninth since Tyrannosaurus Rex's debut LP. It was released in March 1974 on the T.Rex record label, distributed by EMI. It was the first and only albu ...

'' (1974) *Kiki Dee, ''I’ve Got the Music in Me'' (1974) *

, ''

Exotic Birds and Fruit ''Exotic Birds and Fruit'' is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Procol Harum. It was released in 1974. The cover artwork for the album is by Jakob Bogdani, a noted Hungarian artist whose paintings centred on exotic bir ...

'' (1974) *Uriah Heep, ''Return to Fantasy'' (1975) *The Walker Brothers, ''No Regrets'' (1975) *Andy Fairweather Low, ''La Booga Rooga'' (1975) *Joan Armatrading, ''Joan Armatrading'' (1976; "Down to Zero") *

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...

, ''Come on Over'' (1976) *Kevin Ayers “

Yes We Have No Mañanas (So Get Your Mañanas Today) ''Yes We Have No Mañanas (So Get Your Mañanas Today)'' is the seventh studio album by Kevin Ayers, released in June 1976. This LP marked Kevin Ayers' return to the leftfield Harvest Records, Harvest label. Producer Muff Winwood employed a stra ...

" (1976) *

Alan Parsons Alan Parsons (born 20 December 1948) is an English audio engineer, songwriter, musician and record producer. Parsons was involved with the production of several notable albums, including the Beatles' ''Abbey Road'' (1969) and ''Let It Be'' ( ...

, '' I Robot'' (1977) *Cat Stevens, '' Back to Earth'' (1978) *Gerry Rafferty, ''

City to City ''City to City'' is the second solo studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty, released on 20 January 1978 by United Artists Records. It was Rafferty's first solo release in six years—and first release of any kind since 1975� ...

'' (1978) *Elton John, ''

A Single Man ''A Single Man'' is a 2009 American period romantic drama film based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood. The directorial debut of fashion designer Tom Ford, the film stars Colin Firth, who was nominated for the Acad ...

'' (1978) *Roy Harper, ''The Unknown Soldier'' (1980) *

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The group came to ...

, ''

Long Distance Voyager ''Long Distance Voyager'' is the tenth album by the Moody Blues, first released in May 1981 on the group's Threshold record label. It was the group's first album featuring keyboardist Patrick Moraz (who previously had worked with bands such as ...

'' (1981) *

, ''

Shaky Michael Barratt (born 4 March 1948), known professionally as Shakin' Stevens, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He was the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s. His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, althoug ...

'' (1981) *Shakin’ Stevens, ''Give Me Your Heart Tonight'' (1982) *Paul Young, ''

The Secret of Association ''The Secret of Association'' is the second studio album by the English singer Paul Young. Released in 1985, it reached number one on the UK album charts and the Top 20 in the US. The album spawned the hit singles "Everytime You Go Away", "I'm Go ...

'' (1985) *

, '' Gone to Earth'' (1986) *The Stranglers, ''Dreamtime'' (1986) *Deacon Blue, '' Raintown'' (1987; "Chocolate Girl") *K. D. Lang, ''

'' (1987) *

Felt Felt is a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood ...

, ''

Me and a Monkey on the Moon ''Me and a Monkey on the Moon'' is the tenth and final album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 1989. It was originally issued on Mike Alway's él label, part of Cherry Red. In a review for Sounds, Roy Wilkinson described it as ...

'' (1989) *

, '' King Strut and other Stories'' (1990) Harold Budd: By the Dawn's Early Light (1991) *

, ''Black Claw/Country Fever'' (1991) *

, ''On a Wing and a Prayer'' (1992) *

Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. In 1965, he co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters initially served as the bassist, but following the departure of singer-so ...

, ''

Amused to Death ''Amused to Death'' is the third studio album by English musician Roger Waters, released 7 September 1992 on Columbia. Produced by Waters and Patrick Leonard, it is mixed in QSound to enhance its spatial feel. The album features Jeff Beck o ...

'' (1992) *The Orb, ''

'' (1995) *Echobelly, ''On'' (1995) *

Jimmy Nail James Michael Aloysius Bradford (born 16 March 1954), known as Jimmy Nail, is an English singer-songwriter, actor, film producer, and television writer. He played the role of Leonard "Oz" Osborne in the television show ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'' a ...

, ''Crocodile Shoes'' (1995) *

The Selecter The Selecter are an English 2 tone ska revival band, formed in Coventry, England, in 1979. The Selecter featured a diverse line-up, both in terms of race and gender, initially consisting of Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson and Pauline Black on lead vo ...

, ''Pucker!'' (1995) *John Cale, ''

Walking on Locusts ''Walking on Locusts'' is the thirteenth solo studio album by Welsh musician John Cale, released on 24 September 1996 by Hannibal Records. Cale worked with several guest musicians including David Byrne, Moe Tucker, Dave Soldier with the Soldi ...

'' (1996) *Sting, ''

'' (1996) *Depeche Mode, ''

'' (1997) *

, ''

'' (1997) *Pet Shop Boys, ''

'' (1999) *Sting, ''Brand New Day'' (1999) *

, '' Alone with Everybody'' (2000) *Eliza Carthy, ''Angels & Cigarettes'' (2000) *Sting, ''All This Time'' (2001) *Graham Coxon, ''

'' (2002) *Robert Plant, ''Dreamland'' (2002) *Björk, ''Post Live'' (2003) *Robert Plant, ''

'' (2003) *Groove Armada, ''Lovebox'' (2003) *David Gilmour, ''

'' (2006) *Deep Wilson, ''In 1609 We Came Back To Earth'' (2009) *Martin Simpson, ''True Stories'' (2009) *

Devon Sproule Devon Sproule (born 23 April 1982) is a folk and indie rock singer-songwriter and musician based in Charlottesville, Virginia. She shared the ASCAP Foundation Sammy Cahn Award for 2009 with Oren Lavie. She is married to fellow musician, and mus ...

, ''Don't Hurry For Heaven'' (2009) *Katie Melua, ''The House'' (2010) *

The Kropotkins The Kropotkins are an American avant-garde music collective based in Memphis and New York City founded in 1994 by drummer Jonathan Kane and Dave Soldier, who is best known as a violinist but plays banjo in the group. Its other members have includ ...

, ''Paradise Square'' (2010) *Tom Jones, ''Praise & Blame'' (2010) *Martin Simpson, ''Purpose & Grace'' (2011) *Luke Tuchscherer, ''Always Be True'' (2017) *

, '' R.E.M. at the BBC'' (2018) *

Madeon Hugo Pierre Leclercq (; born 30 May 1994), better known by his stage name Madeon (), is a French DJ and music producer from Nantes, currently based in Los Angeles. He initially came to widespread public attention at 17 through a YouTube video, " ...

, '' ''Good Faith'''' (2019) *

Matt Berry Matthew Charles Berry (born 2 May 1974) is an English actor, comedian, musician, and writer. He is best known for his roles in comedy series such as '' The IT Crowd'', ''Garth Marenghi's Darkplace'', ''The Mighty Boosh'', ''Snuff Box'', ''What ...

, ''

Phantom Birds ''Phantom Birds'' is the eighth studio album by English comedian and musician Matt Berry, released in September 2020 by Acid Jazz Records. Track listing Personnel * Matt Berry - vocals, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, electric guitar, bass ...

'' (2020) *

Liam Gallagher William John Paul Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English singer and songwriter. He achieved fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis from 1991 to 2009, and later fronted the rock band Beady Eye from 2009 to 2014, before starti ...

, ''

C'mon You Know ''C'mon You Know'' is the third solo studio album by English musician Liam Gallagher, released on 27 May 2022 through Warner Records. Andrew Wyatt served as the album's primary producer and co-writer. It was preceded by lead single "Everything's E ...

'' (2022) *

black midi Black MIDI is a music genre consisting of compositions that use MIDI files to create a song or a remix containing a large number of notes. People who make black MIDIs are known as blackers. However, there are no specific criteria of what is cons ...

, '' Hellfire'' (2022)

References

External links

Official websiteAllMusic entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, B. J. Living people 1946 births Musicians from the London Borough of Enfield People from Enfield, London Pedal steel guitarists Steel guitarists Resonator guitarists British male guitarists English session musicians Hubro Music artists

Early life and musical beginnings

Rise to prominence

1970s

Cow Pie Records and the Hank Wangford Band

Session and live work, 1982 to the present

Solo work

Instruments

Selected discography

Solo and collaborative

With Cochise

Featured artist

See also

References

External links