Rachel Fury
Birth nameRachel Brennock
Born1961 (age 62–63)
Islington, London, England
Occupation(s)Singer, actor, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocalist
Years active1971–1990

Rachel Fury is the stage name of Rachel Brennock, an English singer, songwriter and actress known for performing with Pink Floyd on tour from 1987 to 1989.

Career

Brennock attended the Barbara Speake Stage School[citation needed] and began her acting career at aged ten appearing in TV commercials, shows and films, such as Mr Horatio Knibbles (1971),[1] Anoop and the Elephant (1972)[2] and Robin Hood Junior (1975).[3] At the same time Brennock was building a career as a singer and in 1972, under the name Weeny Bopper; she recorded the single "David, Donny and Michael", a Pye Records release intended to capitalise on teenybopper enthusiasm for David Cassidy, Donny Osmond, and Michael Jackson.[4][5] By 1978, Brennock was an established London session singer, known for a "sassy 'Ronettes' sound."[6][7]

In the 1980s Brennock adopted the stage name Rachel Fury and toured as a backing singer with Howard Devoto and The Lover Speaks.[8] She co-wrote the song "When We Dream" with Phil Saatchi for his 1987 album Wheel of Fortune, and performed vocals on several Saatchi songs.[9] Fury signed on as a backing singer for Pink Floyd's 'A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour' (1987–88) and the 'Another Lapse Tour' (1989) after being introduced to the band by her former boyfriend James Guthrie, Pink Floyd's longtime recording engineer.[10]

She performed on tour with Pink Floyd from 1987 to 1989 and appears in the concert film and on the live album Delicate Sound of Thunder, the Italian TV broadcast of the 1989 concert in Venice, and the MTV recording of the 1987 concert at the Omni in Atlanta. In these live performances, Fury is noted for the opening vocals on "The Great Gig in the Sky", first performed on the A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour in Tokyo[11] and for harmonising with David Gilmour on "Comfortably Numb". Fury also appears on recordings included in The Later Years boxset (2019) where she appears in a remastered Delicate Sound of Thunder film, the Venice canal show film as well as on the expanded version of the Delicate Sound of Thunder album.

After 1989 Fury retired from the stage. She did, however, perform with fellow Pink Floyd touring member, Durga McBroom's band, Blue Pearl live in 1990.

References

  1. ^ "Children's Film and Television Foundation - Film Catalogue - M". www.cftf.org.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Children's Film and Television Foundation - Film Catalogue - A". www.cftf.org.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  3. ^ Mould, Paul (1999). Mould's movie careers : actresses. [Boston] : P. Mould. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-9528708-1-4. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  4. ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (23 December 1972). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 10–. ISSN 0006-2510. ((cite book)): |author= has generic name (help)
  5. ^ "Interview with Laurice (Laurie) Marshall". 29 May 2009. Retrieved 27 December 2010. Song co-writer Laurie Marshall commented, "Weeny Bopper was the most professional singer I ever worked with. She was 10 years old, she walked into the studio cool as a cucumber. She was very accommodating and so sweet."
  6. ^ "Interview with Geraint Hughes". Popjunkietv.posterous.com. 14 September 2009. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2010. Hughes credits Brennock with the vocal on Video Killed the Radio Star
  7. ^ "Buggles, The - Video Killed The Radio Star at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  8. ^ "A Momentary Lapse Part 5". 2 June 2004. Archived from the original on 2 June 2004.
  9. ^ "Rachel Fury Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  10. ^ Mason, Nick (2005), Philip Dodd (ed.), Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd (Paperback ed.), Phoenix, ISBN 0-7538-1906-6
  11. ^ "Pink Floyd - the Great Gig in the Budokan". Discogs.

External links

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