Terry Callier

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Terry Callier (born 24 May 1945) is an American jazz, soul and folk guitarist and singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Callier, a childhood friend of Curtis Mayfield, began recording in 1963 but never reached stardom despite a series of regional hits in the 1960s and 70s and three outstanding albums for Cadet: Occasional Rain (1972), What Colour Is Love? (1973) and I Just Can’t Help Myself (1975). In 1983, he gained custody of his 12-year-old daughter Sundiata and decided to retire from music to look for a steadier income. He took classes in computer programming and landed a job at the University of Chicago in 1984.
He reemerged from obscurity when British DJs discovered his old recordings and began to play his songs in clubs in the early 1990s. Acid Jazz Records head Eddie Pillar brought Callier to play clubs in Britain beginning in 1991 and he began to make regular trips to play gigs during his vacation time from work.
In the late 90’s Callier began his comeback to recorded music, contributing to Beth Orton’s Best Bit EP in 1997 and releasing the album Timepeace in 1998, which won the United Nations’ Time For Peace award for outstanding artistic achievement contributing to world peace. Curiously, his colleagues at the University of Chicago never learned of Callier’s life as a musician, but after the award the news of his secret life as a musician became widely known and subsequently led to his firing.
Callier today is continuing his recording career having currently released five albums since Timepeace.

Tagged as:

soul, jazz, folk, blues, singer-songwriter
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Occasional Rain
Terry Callier
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What Color Is Love
Terry Callier
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Time Peace
Terry Callier
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Speak your peace
Terry Callier
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Top Tracks

1	Ordinary Joe	251
2	Dancing Girl full track	86
3	Love theme from Spartacus (Zero 7 remix)	79
4	Love Theme From Spartacus	66
5	What Color Is Love full track	60
6	Look at Me Now	53
7	Keep Your Heart Right	46
8	I'd Rather Be With You full track	44
9	Speak Your Peace full track	43
10	Just As Long As We're In Love full track	41
11	Ho Tsing Mee (A Song of the Sun) full track	29
12	Occasional Rain	28
12	You Don't Care full track	28
14	Lazarus Man	27
15	You Goin' Miss Your Candyman full track	26

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Van_Veneficus wrote:
Thursday morning

Unfortunately, it's absolutely underrated artist, but his music is quite good. He possesses an incomparable, unique and so sincere voice. One of my favourite vocalists now.

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MrBongoRecords wrote:
last month

Terry has a new live album entitled 'Welcome Home' out now, his new studio album will be out next year, entitled 'Hidden Conversations'

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Mariajosesa wrote:
October 2008

Amazing!

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wholebeing wrote:
October 2008

Saw him live at the Komedia in Brighton, so unbelievably soulful and so into the music he forgot what track they were doing next and had to ask the bass guitarist. Awesome.

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artutabr wrote:
September 2008

Didn't notice that he was the voice of "Live with me" from Massive Attack, until i heard his song "You Goin' Miss Your Candyman"

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x35JOW337 wrote:
September 2008

heard him on a duet with beth orton. his voice is so warm and soulful

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MexIbrahim wrote:
May 2008

He rocks - I've booked tickets to see him on June 20th as part of the Massive Attack Meltdown at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Can't wait.

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KidVector wrote:
April 2008

Absolute living legend.

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chrislow wrote:
April 2008

the number of plays is shocking...

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fatal_vital wrote:
March 2008

mesmerizing!

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136 wrote:
March 2008

He made In a Heartbeat together with Koop .

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fergalmc wrote:
March 2008

Yes why so few plays on here?..

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alex_refugee wrote:
March 2008

Genius.

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spaceagedisco wrote:
March 2008

136,563 plays is TOO FUCKING FEW. wake up people

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Theeboon wrote:
January 2008

Alley-Wind Song...

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saraonfire wrote:
November 2007

What color is love, is just incredible.

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majself wrote:
October 2007

He`s incredibly underrated...check out his al bum called Lifetime,its so gooooooood.

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Hamed888 wrote:
September 2007

Greatest male voice ever?

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fergalmc wrote:
July 2007

Exceptional guy ... singing as well if not better than ever seen him now 3 times last was last year in Glasgow, Scotland... underappreciated, thoughful and considered musician a rarity these days!

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tixo wrote:
July 2007

:'-(

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