John Parish is a British musician and producer best known for his work with singer and songwriter PJ Harvey [1], though he has also worked with Eels, Tracy Chapman, and Giant Sand, amongst others. His sister is the actress Sarah Parish, born June 1968, whose credits include Peak Practice, Cutting It and Mistresses.

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History

In the 1980s he worked under the name of his band Automatic Dlamini, with a changing line-up which included Harvey from 1988 until 1991. Automatic Dlamini recorded three albums: The D Is for Drum (1987), Here Catch Shouted His Father (1990 - unreleased but available as a bootleg), and From a Diva to a Diver (1992). During this period Parish also began his career as a record producer working with UK bands including The Chesterfields and the Brilliant Corners, before co-producing PJ Harvey's To Bring You My Love (1995), on which he also played guitar, drums, percussion and organ.

Parish toured with Harvey during 1995, and in 1996, they recorded Dance Hall at Louse Point together. In 1997 he produced 16 Horsepower's album Low Estate . During '97-98 he also played on PJ Harvey's next album Is This Desire (1998), and in 1998 he wrote and recorded the film soundtrack for Belgian director Patrice Toye's film Rosie , for which he won the Jury Special Appreciation prize at the Bonn International Film Music Biennale in 1999. The soundtrack to Rosie was released as a CD in 1998, and includes one song ("Pretty Baby") sung by Alison Goldfrapp. He toured the soundtrack music with a seven piece band under his own name in 1999.

The following year he produced Giant Sand's Chore of Enchantment (2000) and guested on Goldfrapp's album Felt Mountain . He went on to co-write the Eels album Souljacker (2001), and to produce Sparklehorse and Tracy Chapman. He has worked with a number of European artists, producing albums for the French artist Dominique A, the Belgian pop band Thou, the Swiss Magic Rays, and Italian bands including After Hours, Cesare Basile, and the Italian diva, Nada.

At the same time he has recorded and toured his own music, working with an 11 piece band (including Portishead's Adrian Utley) for his album How Animals Move (2002), and a four piece band of Italian and French musicians for Once Upon A Little Time (2005).

In 2006-7 he returned to the studio to work on PJ Harvey's album White Chalk . In 2007, he also contributed a cover of Califone's song "Vampiring Again" to a Thrill Jockey Records release commemorating the label's 15th birthday. For the compilation, bands were asked to cover a song by any other act on the label's roster. Howe Gelb covered Parish's song "Boxers."

In 2008 he collaborated with PJ Harvey once more, on a joint album, "A Woman A Man Walked By". Parish wrote all the music, and performed most of it, while Polly Harvey contributed lyrics and vocals. The album was released on Island Records in March 2009.

Partial discography

;Solo

• Rosie (2000)
• How Animals Move (2002)
• Once Upon a Little Time (2005)

;Collaborations

• PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love (1995): Producer, Guitar, Organ, Percussion, Drums
• John Parish & Polly Jean Harvey - Dance Hall at Louse Point (1996): Producer, Various Instruments
• Spleen - Soundtrack To Spleen (1997): Co-writer, guitar, percussion
• 16 Horsepower - Low Estate (1997): Producer, Various Instruments
• PJ Harvey - Is This Desire? (1998): Various Instruments
• Spleen - Little Scratches (1998): Co-writer, guitar, percussion
• Giant Sand - Chore of Enchantment (2000): Producer
• Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain (2000) : guitar, drums
• Thou - Put Us in Tune (2000): producer, mix
• Eels - Souljacker (2001): Producer, co-writer, various instruments
• Dominique A - Auguri (2001): Producer, various instruments
• Morning Star - My Place in The Dust (2001): Producer
• Sparklehorse - It's a Wonderful Life (2001): Co-Producer, Various Instruments
• Tracy Chapman - Let it Rain (2002): Producer
• Thou - I like Girls in Russia (2004): Producer
• Morning Star - The Opposite is True (2004): Producer
• Jennie DeVoe- Fireworks and Karate Supplies (2004): Producer
• Nada - Tutto l'amore che mi manca (2004): Producer
• M. Ward - Transistor Radio (2005)
• Dionysos - Monsters in Love (2005): Producer
• PJ Harvey - White Chalk (2007): Producer
• Tom Brosseau - Cavalier (2007): Producer
• Magic Rays - Off the Map (2007) : Producer
• Marta Collica - Pretty and Unsafe (2007) : Producer
• Afterhours - I Milanesi Ammazzano il sabato (14 ricette di quotidiana macabra felicità) (2008): Co-Producer
• Jennie DeVoe- Strange Sunshine (2009): Producer
• This is the Kit - Krulle Bolle (2008): Producer
• Cesare Basile - Storia di Caino (2008): Producer
• PJ Harvey & John Parish - A Woman a Man Walked By (2009): Producer, Various Instruments

References

1. Parish from the earth. Minnesota Daily. March 13, 2003. Accessed June 26, 2008