Tessa Margaret Niles (née Webb; born 27 January 1961 in Ilford, Essex)[1] is an English singer, best known as a backing singer for a wide variety of contemporary artists. She began her professional singing career in 1979.[2]
Tessa Niles | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Tessa Margaret Webb |
| Born | 27 January 1961 Ilford, Essex, England |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Website | tessaniles |
Early life and career edit
Niles began her professional singing career, as both a lead and a backing vocalist, in 1979. Throughout her career, Niles has worked with many artists including ABC, Eric Clapton, Kiri Te Kanawa, The Rolling Stones, Annie Lennox, Tears For Fears, Duran Duran, Kylie Minogue, David Bowie, The Police, Take That, Grace Jones, Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Steve Winwood, Morrissey–Mullen, Snowy White, Tom Jones, Marillion, Fish, Pet Shop Boys, Buddy Guy, B*Witched, Victoria Beckham, Nick Carter, Living in a Box, Cliff Richard, Mike + The Mechanics, Zucchero, Status Quo, Robbie Williams, Bill Sharpe, Gary Numan, Wham!, Andrew Ridgeley, Dusty Springfield, The The, Jimmy Nail, Cher, Cabaret Voltaire, Seal, Liza Minnelli, John Denver and The Escape Club.
In 1985, Niles signed with Rainbow Records as a solo artist. Her debut single, "The President's Girl", was released in November 1985 and was followed in May 1986 with "Tough Girls".[3][4] Both singles failed to reach the UK Singles Chart and Rainbow Records folded before Niles' album could be released.[5]
In the mid-1980s, Niles was featured the lead vocalist (along with Clive Griffin) for the jazz ensemble Bandzilla, which was led by her then-husband Richard Niles. The band toured and were featured as the resident house band on the Channel 4 television show Don't Miss Wax in 1987. In 1991, the band released their debut album, Blue Movies, again featuring Niles as lead vocalist.
Niles has also voiced and sung on various television commercials for products including Barbie, Levi's, Cadillac, Diet Pepsi, Delta Air Lines, Aquafresh, KFC and DHL.
Her association with Eric Clapton began with his 1986 album August. She toured with him from 1988 to 1992, again in October 1997, and again on his 1999 tour of Japan. She sang backing vocals during the George Harrison/Eric Clapton tour of Japan in 1991 and for Clapton's Unplugged concert in 1992. Niles also appeared at Clapton's Crossroads Benefit Concert on 30 June 1999 and the Concert for George on 29 November 2002.
Niles performed vocals during one version of the song "All I Want For Christmas Is You" for the 2003 film Love Actually.
Niles also performed at Live Aid at Wembley in 1985, where she provided backing vocals for David Bowie (who introduced her as "Theresa" in the prelude to "Heroes"). On 16 & 17 June 1989 she performed vocals at Cliff Richard´s gigs: From a Distance: The Event recorded at Wembley Stadium. In 1992 she featured in the Cliff Richard´s studio album The album.
Personal life edit
She is the former wife of American musician Richard Niles, whom she married in 1982.[6] Later she married Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane Jr., the son of Eduardo Mondlane.[7] In 1998 Niles gave birth to twins, Mikaela and Fallon Mondlane.[7]
Career highlights edit
| Date | Album | Artist | Contribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Chasanova | Chas Jankel | Backing vocals | |
| 1982 | The Lexicon of Love | ABC | Additional vocals | |
| 1983 | It's About Time | Morrissey–Mullen | Author, vocals | |
| 1983 | Synchronicity | The Police | Backing vocals | |
| 1984 | Private Dancer | Tina Turner | Backing vocals | |
| 1984 | Berserker | Gary Numan | Backing vocals | |
| 1984 | Intolerance | Tik & Tok | Backing vocals | |
| 1985 | Famous People | Bill Sharpe | Lead and backing vocals | |
| 1985 | The Explorers | The Explorers | Backing vocals | |
| 1985 | Heaven Knows | Jaki Graham | Backing vocals | |
| 1985 | Looking at You | Chaz Jankel | Backing vocals | |
| 1985 | Out of the Darkest Night | Barbara Pennington | Backing vocals | |
| 1985 | Paul Hardcastle | Paul Hardcastle | Backing vocals | |
| 1985 | Slave to the Rhythm | Grace Jones | Backing vocals | |
| 1985 | The Fury | Gary Numan | Backing vocals | |
| 1986 | August | Eric Clapton | Backing vocals | |
| 1986 | Baby the Stars Shine Bright | Everything But The Girl | Backing vocals | |
| 1986 | Break Every Rule | Tina Turner | Backing vocals | |
| 1986 | Breaking Away | Jaki Graham | Backing vocals | |
| 1986 | Count Three & Pray | Berlin | Backing vocals | |
| 1986 | Dancing in My Sleep | Dave Adams | Backing vocals | |
| 1986 | Infected | The The | Backing vocals | |
| 1986 | Loz Netto | Loz Netto | Backing vocals | |
| 1986 | Notorious | Duran Duran | Backing vocals | |
| 1986 | Salamandra | Miguel Bosé | Backing vocals | |
| 1986 | Strange Charm | Gary Numan | Backing vocals | |
| 1987 | Alphabet City | ABC | Backing vocals | |
| 1987 | American English | Wax | Backing vocals | |
| 1987 | Clutching at Straws | Marillion | Backing vocals | |
| 1987 | First (The Sound of Music) | Then Jerico | Backing vocals | |
| 1987 | Fortune and Men's Eyes | Jennifer Hall | Backing vocals | |
| 1987 | Living in a Box | Living in a Box | Backing vocals | |
| 1987 | Saint Julian | Julian Cope | Backing vocals | |
| 1987 | She Loves Me Not | Alan Rankine | Backing vocals | |
| 1987 | Pop Goes the World | Men Without Hats | Backing vocals | |
| 1987 | Walk on Fire | Silent Running | Backing vocals | |
| 1988 | Big Thing | Duran Duran | Backing vocals | |
| 1988 | Fur | Jane Wiedlin | Backing vocals | |
| 1988 | Introspective | Pet Shop Boys | Backing vocals | |
| 1988 | Metal Rhythm | Gary Numan | Backing vocals | |
| 1988 | Roll With It | Steve Winwood | Backing vocals | |
| 1988 | Wild Wild West | The Escape Club | Backing vocals | |
| 1988 | Step By Step | Clive Griffin | Backing vocals | |
| 1988 | The Corporate World | Gail Ann Dorsey | Backing vocals | |
| 1989 | Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe | Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe | Backing vocals | |
| 1989 | Automatic | Sharpe + Numan | Backing vocals | |
| 1989 | Foreign Affair | Tina Turner | Backing vocals | |
| 1989 | Gatecrashing | Living in a Box | Backing vocals | |
| 1989 | Results | Liza Minnelli | Backing vocals | |
| 1989 | Steel Wheels | The Rolling Stones | Backing vocals | |
| 1989 | The Seeds of Love | Tears for Fears | Backing vocals | |
| 1989 | The Golden Mile | Workshy | Backing vocals | |
| 1989 | Journeyman | Eric Clapton | Backing vocals | |
| 1989 | Passion | Shirley Lewis | Author | |
| 1990 | 1234 | Propaganda | Backing vocals | |
| 1990 | Circle of One | Oleta Adams | Backing vocals | |
| 1990 | Everybody Knows | Sonia Evans | Backing vocals | |
| 1990 | In ogni senso | Eros Ramazzotti | Backing vocals | |
| 1990 | Liberty | Duran Duran | Backing vocals | |
| 1990 | Reputation | Dusty Springfield | Backing vocals | |
| 1990 | Son of Albert | Andrew Ridgeley | Backing vocals | |
| 1990 | From a Distance: The Event | Cliff Richard | Backing vocals | |
| 1990 | Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors | Fish | Backing vocals | |
| 1991 | 24 Nights | Eric Clapton | Backing vocals | |
| 1991 | Blue Movies | Bandzilla | Lead vocals (with Clive Griffin) | |
| 1991 | Outland | Gary Numan | Backing vocals | |
| 1991 | 24 Nights(Reprise Records, 1991)[8] | Eric Clapton | Backing vocals | |
| 1991 | Changing Faces | Bros | Backing vocals | |
| 1991 | Flashpoint | The Rolling Stones | Backing vocals | |
| 1991 | Live in Japan | George Harrison | Backing vocals | |
| 1992 | All the Fool's in Town | Sweet Addiction | Backing vocals | |
| 1992 | Great Expectations | Tasmin Archer | Backing vocals | |
| 1992 | Unplugged | Eric Clapton | Backing vocals | |
| 1992 | And Still I Rise | Alison Limerick | Backing vocals | |
| 1992 | Dream Juice | Efua | Backing vocals | |
| 1992 | In the Running | Howard Jones | Backing vocals | |
| 1992 | Miserere | Zucchero | Backing vocals | |
| 1992 | The Curse of the Higsons | The Higsons | Backing vocals | |
| 1993 | Breakaway | Kim Appleby | Backing vocals | |
| 1993 | Clive Griffin | Clive Griffin | Backing vocals | |
| 1993 | The Album | Cliff Richard | Backing vocals | |
| 1993 | The Wedding Album | Duran Duran | Backing vocals | |
| 1993 | Beverley Craven | Beverley Craven | Backing vocals | |
| 1993 | Very | Pet Shop Boys | Backing vocals | |
| 1993 | Painted Desert Serenade | Joshua Kadison | Backing vocals | |
| 1994 | Dog Man Star | Suede | Backing vocals | |
| 1994 | Sean Maguire | Sean Maguire | Backing vocals | |
| 1994 | The Lead and How to Swing It | Tom Jones | Backing vocals | |
| 1995 | Arabesque | Mike Batt | Backing vocals | |
| 1995 | Big River | Jimmy Nail | Backing vocals | |
| 1995 | Hold On | Jaki Graham | Backing vocals | |
| 1995 | Live! | The Police | Backing vocals | |
| 1995 | Nobody Else | Take That | Backing vocals | |
| 1995 | Thank You | Duran Duran | Backing vocals | |
| 1996 | Don't Stop | Status Quo | Backing vocals | |
| 1996 | The View from the Hill | Justin Hayward | Backing vocals | |
| 1996 | Wildest Dreams | Tina Turner | Backing vocals | |
| 1997 | Across from Midnight | Joe Cocker | Backing vocals | |
| 1997 | Salvation | Alphaville | Backing vocals | |
| 1998 | 11 Maneras De Ponerse Un Sombrero | Miguel Bosé | Backing vocals | |
| 1998 | Eden | Sarah Brightman | Backing vocals | |
| 1998 | Marshall & Alexander | Marshall & Alexander | Backing vocals | |
| 1998 | Awake and Breathe | B*Witched | Backing vocals | |
| 1999 | Nightlife | Pet Shop Boys | Backing vocals | |
| 1999 | Prince's Trust Rock Gala | Various (Mark Knopfler, Elton John, Eric Clapton) | Backing vocals | |
| 2000 | Here and Now | Worlds Apart | Backing vocals | |
| 2000 | Sing When You're Winning | Robbie Williams | Backing vocals | |
| 2001 | Closer to Heaven | Pet Shop Boys & Jonathan Harvey | Backing vocals | |
| 2001 | White Lilies Island | Natalie Imbruglia | Backing vocals | |
| 2002 | Escapology | Robbie Williams | Backing vocals | |
| 2003 | What My Heart Wants to Say | Gareth Gates | Backing vocals | |
| 2003 | Live at Knebworth – Live Summer 2003 | Robbie Williams | Backing vocals | |
| 2003 | Pop Art | Pet Shop Boys | Backing vocals | |
| 2003 | Seven Years - Ten Weeks | David Sneddon | Backing vocals | |
| 2003 | Seal IV | Seal | Backing vocals | |
| 2004 | Allow Us to Be Frank | Westlife | Backing vocals | |
| 2004 | Astronaut | Duran Duran | Backing vocals | |
| 2004 | A Concert For The Prince's Trust – Live at Wembley Arena London 2004 | Various (Trevor Horn) | Backing vocals | |
| 2018 | Change Your Mind (Live) | Bill Sharpe | Lead vocals |
References edit
- ^ England and Wales births Retrieved 18 January 2015
- ^ "Tessa Niles". Discogs. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- ^ Blake, John (8 November 1985). "Tessa Niles". Daily Mirror. p. 13. Retrieved 20 February 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Harley, Steve (24 May 1986). "Tessa plays around". Daily Mirror. p. 19. Retrieved 20 February 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Niles, Tessa (2015). Backtrack: The Voice Behind Music's Greatest Stars. Panoma Press. p. 71. ISBN 9781909623842.
- ^ England and Wales marriages Retrieved 18 January 2015
- ^ a b "Eduardo-Chivambo-Mondlane - User Trees - Genealogy.com". www.genealogy.com.
- ^ "24 Nights". Retrieved 26 November 2022.
