Carrol Thompson Return to pic
RAISED IN THE GOSPEL TRADITIONS OF HER GRANDMOTHER�S house, and the church she was minister for, Carroll�s vocal and musical talents soon became evident.
Studing classical piano from the tender age of eight, by the time she was twelve she scored first place in the National Youth Convention with her own composition I KNOW HE IS WITH ME.
By the time she left college with a business degree Carroll was running her own production company and Record label.
As songwriter and producer Carroll experienced her first real chart success. The timeless I�M SO SORRY shooting straight to number one in the British Reggae Charts. With the release of singles like SIMPLY IN LOVE, JUST A LITTLE BIT, HAPPY SONG and HOPELESSY IN LOVE the classic solo albums CARROLL THOMPSON she was quickly established as one of the UK�s finest female vocalist affectionately dubbed the �QUEEN OF LOVERS ROCK� selling over 250,000 worldwide.
Interest from major record companies followed with signings to Virgin as a solo artist and group member of FLOY JOY which produced two TOP 40 hits �Burn down a rhythm� and �Operator� .
During this period Carroll also worked with a selective host of musical talents including; MAXI PRIEST,ASWAD, PETSHOP BOYS,STEVIE WONDER, LOOSE ENDS,STEVIE WONDER, BILLY OCEAN, BOY GEORGE,SADE, GARY MOORE,CHAKA KHAN,NATALIE COLE, BB KING and STING amongst others.
Carroll appeared on COURTNAY PINE�S reggae-Jazz fusion album CLOSER TO HOME .
Which has become Pine�s most successful selling album to date.
Shortly afterwards carroll reached TOP 20 in the UK National chart singing and co-producing with top club
DJ PAUL OAKENFOLD the club classic MOVEMENT 98 - �JOY & HEARTBREAK� .
A year later Carroll worked again with the THE PETSHOP BOYS on a song used for the soundtrack of the Oscar winning film �CRYING GAME. Her talents as Music composer and music consulatant where credited on the the UK film �BABYMOTHER�.
After a brief stint collabrating and arranging vocals for JOOLS HOLLAND and creating specialised remixes with the MAD PROFESSOR for acts including SADE and MASSIVE ATTACK Carroll started a new project writing and featuring on vocals with GOTA AND THE HEART OF GOLD BAND which also featured HEITOR T.P. and IAN KIRKHAM (SIMPLY RED) and DRUMMIE ZEB andTONY GAD (ASWAD) and Japanese guitar Guru KENJI JAMMER.
With the success of GOTA , Carroll�s production company signed to TOSHIBA/EMI and released three solo albums FREE ,FULL CIRCLE and SONGBIRD each reaching
Japanese top 10.
CHANNEL FOUR ,FORMATION FILMS,OXFORD FILMS/TV,INITIAL TV,BBC1 and 2 CHANNEL 5 AND COMEDY CENTRAL USA have recruited Carroll�s music production company and composition skills as music consultant and executive music producer. Recent credits include Kings and Queens of Comedy,History of Female comedy and History of Jewish comedy to be screened winter 2002/2003.
Her vocal arranging talants are still in demand and can be currently heard on acts such as M PEOPLE,ROBBIE WILLAMS, ETERNAL, SUPERGRASS,TOM JONES,ANGIE STONE,KYLIE MINOGUE and adverts such as AIN�T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH for DHL and I�M EVERY WOMAN for Pot Noodles
Carroll is also currently working as A&R consultant writing and producing for new talent.
Holding singing/songwriting master classes and � surviving the music industry� workshops.
Her quotes and opinions can also be heard and seen on television documentaries,published books and articles.
SHE IS AND ALWAYS WILL REMAIN AN ENORMOUSLY TALENTED AND ECLECTIC ARTIST!
b. 1960, Letchworth, Hertfordshire, England. Thompson's voice was nurtured while singing in school and church choirs, but she studied for a career in the pharmaceuticals industry. In the mid-70s she provided backing vocals in a number of UK-based recording studios, following a successful audition to join the disco band Sugar Cane (the group was a further attempt at disco domination by Frank Farian, but was later abandoned). She sang on sessions for UK-based reggae performers, as well as Imagination and soca star Norma White. Thompson subsequently embarked on a solo career and by 1981 she had topped the reggae chart twice, with "I'm Sorry" and "Simply In Love", for the Itals. In 1982 she scooped two accolades at the GLR Reggae Awards. She was voted best female performer and "Hopelessly In Love" was deemed the best song. She maintained a high profile with the release of "Smiling In The Morning" for Excaliber, "Your Love" and "Hopelessly Without You" for S&G, with whom she also worked in a production role. Her prominence led to the release of a single by her harmony singer, Saffrice, "Dreaming Of Your Love", through S&G. As they were unable to provide Thompson with the necessary promotion, the S&G group initiated an agreement with the Red Bus label to further her career. The releases of "Just A Little Bit" and "A Happy Song" were met with animosity from the media and the ballads faltered, resulting in a short-term agreement. Her prolific career continued, however, and in 1983 she secured further awards, including a citation from the Voice, and was voted top female vocalist for the second time by GLR listeners. She also recorded duets with Sugar Minott ("Make It With You") and Trevor Walters ("Love Won't Let Us Wait"). Her solo hits include "Honest I Do", "Give Me A Chance" and "You Make It Heaven". By 1984 her recorded output had dwindled, although the release of "Baby Be True" secured an acceptable chart placing. Thompson maintained her high profile with commendable performances at both the GLR Reggae Awards and fifth Black Echoes Awards ceremonies. In 1985 she worked with the funk group Total Contrast, resulting in the release of "Apple Of My Eye". In 1990 she was invited to provide the lead vocals on a joint production with Aswad and Courtney Pine, for the release of a version of Diana Ross' "I'm Still Waiting", which sat at the lower end of the UK chart. She also entered the UK chart in the same year as a featured vocalist for Movement 98 with "Joy And Heartbreak" and "Sunrise". In 1994 Thompson joined Alton Ellis, Prince Lincoln, Justin Hinds, Dennis Alcapone and Owen Gray in a memorial concert for Gene Rondo.