Jo Callis
Encyclopedia
Jo Callis is an English
musician
and songwriter
who played guitar
with the Edinburgh
based punk rock
band
, The Rezillos
(under the name Luke Warm), and post-punk
band Boots For Dancing
before joining The Human League
.
. He was a member of The Knutsford Dominators before forming The Rezillos in 1976. He wrote the Rezillos' 1978 hit "Top of the Pops". In late 1978, after the release of the band's only album, The Rezillos split in two, with Callis forming Shake along with Simon Templar (born Simon Bloomfield) and Angel Patterson. Shake released two singles before splitting, with Callis later joining Boots for Dancing. Callis released a solo single, "Woah Yeah!", in 1981 on the pop:Aural label, and also joined The Human League, playing both keyboards
and lead guitar
and making contributions as a backing vocalist
. Callis co-wrote
many tracks
and following his departure from the band in 1986, he has returned several times either to play keyboard, or to offer help with songwriting.
In 1985 he teamed up with Feargal Sharkey
to write Sharkey's "Loving You" which reached number 26 in the UK Singles Chart
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
who played guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
with the Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
based punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, The Rezillos
The Rezillos
The Rezillos are a punk/new wave band, who formed in Edinburgh in 1976 and still play gigs around the world in a re-formed line-up. Although frequently aligned with the punk movement, the Rezillos' irreverent glam rock image and affection for campy girl-group iconography, set them distinctly apart...
(under the name Luke Warm), and post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
band Boots For Dancing
Boots For Dancing
Boots for Dancing were a post-punk band from Edinburgh, Scotland, active between 1979 and 1982, and featuring several musicians from other notable bands.-History:...
before joining The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
.
Biography
Callis was educated at the Edinburgh College of ArtEdinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education in art and design disciplines for over two thousand students....
. He was a member of The Knutsford Dominators before forming The Rezillos in 1976. He wrote the Rezillos' 1978 hit "Top of the Pops". In late 1978, after the release of the band's only album, The Rezillos split in two, with Callis forming Shake along with Simon Templar (born Simon Bloomfield) and Angel Patterson. Shake released two singles before splitting, with Callis later joining Boots for Dancing. Callis released a solo single, "Woah Yeah!", in 1981 on the pop:Aural label, and also joined The Human League, playing both keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and making contributions as a backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
. Callis co-wrote
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
many tracks
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
and following his departure from the band in 1986, he has returned several times either to play keyboard, or to offer help with songwriting.
In 1985 he teamed up with Feargal Sharkey
Feargal Sharkey
Feargal Sharkey is a singer from Northern Ireland who first found fame as the lead vocalist of pop punk band The Undertones...
to write Sharkey's "Loving You" which reached number 26 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
See also
- List of guitarists
- List of musicians who play left handed
- Bands and musicians from Yorkshire and North East EnglandBands and musicians from Yorkshire and North East EnglandThe following is a list of towns and cities in Yorkshire and the north east of England, each with the bands and musicians to have charted in them included...