LOS ANGELES (A&M/UMe) - Despite 17 albums, the latest being 2004's THE ROAD TO FREEDOM, and international sales of 45 million copies, singer-songwriter Chris de Burgh's work has for years only been available in the U.S. via imports.
A '70s folk-based troubadour who reached pop stardom in the '80s but refused to sacrifice his family life to crack the American market, today de Burgh - still married to the inspiration for his biggest hit, "The Lady In Red," and with one of his three children, Rosanna Davison, crowned Miss World 2003 - is once again a much-admired cult figure with a loyal fan base around the world.
THE BEST OF CHRIS DE BURGH edition of 20TH CENTURY MASTERS/THE MILLENNIUM COLLECTION (A&M/UMe), released July 20, 2004, brings together 12 of his best-loved recordings, each digitally remastered.
After graduating from Dublin's Trinity College, de Burgh moved to London to pursue a music career. Signed to A&M in 1974, he toured as Supertramp's opening act before releasing FAR BEYOND THESE CASTLE WALLS the following year.
His second album, 1976's SPANISH TRAIN AND OTHER STORIES, yielded "A Spaceman Came Traveling," a Christmas perennial in various parts of the world. Yet de Burgh would not break into the U.K. charts until a 1981 compilation that set the stage for the success of 1982's THE GETAWAY, whose dramatic "Don't Pay The Ferryman" peaked at No 30 U.K. and No 34 U.S., aided by video exposure on the still-new MTV. THE BEST OF CHRIS DE BURGH also includes the album's similarly aquatic-themed "Ship To Shore" and "Where Peaceful Waters Flow."
His follow-up, 1984's MAN ON THE LINE, featured the up-tempo electric rocker "High On Emotion," No 1 across Europe. But 1986's INTO THE LIGHT yielded de Burgh's biggest and most beloved hit in the elegant ballad "The Lady In Red." A tribute to wife Diane, the ode to grown-up romance was No 1 U.K. and No 3 US, and remains an enduring pop standard. ]
Also heard on THE BEST OF CHRIS DE BURGH are the album's "Fire On The Water," "One Word (Straight To The Heart)" and "Fatal Hesitation."
De Burgh's next album, FLYING COLOURS, entered the British charts at No 1 upon its 1988 release, spawning a No 3 U.K. hit in the sensitive love song "Missing You," and including "Sailing Away" and "Tender Hands." But without touring the US the album didn't fare well here, and de Burgh and A&M parted ways.
In 2004, still eschewing trendiness and the fickleness of fame nearly 30 years after his debut album, de Burgh remains an island of inspiration for singer-songwriters everywhere.
The series 20TH CENTURY MASTERS/THE MILLENNIUM COLLECTION, featuring new "best of" albums from the most significant music artists of the past century, is the most successful single artist series in music history.
