{{Short description|British guitarist and record producer (1942–1996)}} {{distinguish|Alan Blaikley}} {{Use British English|date=January 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Alan Blakley | birth_name = Alan David Blakley | birth_date = {{birth date|1942|04|01|df=y}} | death_date = {{death date and age|1996|6|1|1942|4|1|df=y}}<ref name="allmusic"/> | birth_place = Bromley, Kent, England<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/alan-blakely-mn0001597305|title=Alan Blakley|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref> | death_place = London, England | image = Alan Blakley (cropped).png | caption = | spouse = Lin Blakley | children = 2, including Claudie | relatives = Mike Blakley (brother) | module = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes | origin = | genre = Pop, rock | occupation = Guitarist, songwriter, record producer | past_member_of = The Tremeloes | years_active = 1958–1996 | label = }} }} '''Alan David Blakley''' (1 April 1942 &ndash; 1 June 1996)<ref name="allmusic"/> was a British musician and record producer. A member of the Tremeloes from 1958 to 1996, he was the father of actress Claudie Blakley. As a producer, he worked on the hit song "She's Gonna Win" for Bilbo, and nearly all the studio albums for glam rock sensations The Rubettes.

Blakley left the Tremeloes in 1975 to produce for Bilbo and Rubettes, eventually returning a few years later. He was forced to retire in 1996 due to suffering from cancer, which he died from not long after, aged 54.

== Career ==

=== The Tremeloes === Blakley is best known as the rhythm guitarist and keyboard player with the Tremeloes. He was the co-writer of most of their hits until January 1972, when he started writing for other bands.

Blakley formed Brian Poole and the Tremeloes (originally spelt correctly as "Tremoloes") in 1958. They initially found success in the British Invasion era with lead singer Brian Poole, scoring a UK chart-topper in 1963 with "Do You Love Me". After Poole's departure in 1966, the band achieved further success as a four-piece with 13 top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart between 1967 and 1971, including "Here Comes My Baby", "Even the Bad Times Are Good", "(Call Me) Number One", "Me and My Life" and their most successful single, "Silence Is Golden" (1967).<ref>{{cite web |last=Pingitore |first=Silvia |date=28 September 2021 |title=The band chosen over The Beatles in 1962: The Tremeloes' interview with Len "Chip" Hawkes |url=https://the-shortlisted.co.uk/tremeloes-interview-len-chip-hawkes/ |access-date=13 April 2022 |website=the-shortlisted.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== Songwriting and producing === Blakley left the Tremeloes in 1972. His credits include co-writing (with Len Hawkes) various hits for the Tremeloes, co-producing the UK No. 42<ref name="officialcharts">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/bilbo/|title=BILBO|publisher=The Official Charts Company|accessdate=24 June 2013}}</ref> hit "She's Gonna Win", with Bilbo, and co-producing singles and albums by Mungo Jerry with the group's leader, Ray Dorset. He subsequently rejoined the Tremeloes in 1979 until forced to retire for health reasons.

Blakley is known for co-producing many albums by The Rubettes. He co-produced all the Rubettes albums from"Rubettes" (1975),<ref>{{Cite web |title=I Still Love You single |url=https://www.45cat.com/record/2058666fr |access-date=22 January 2024}}</ref> onwards, which also includes: "Sign of the Times" (1976),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Take Good Care Of My Baby - single |url=https://www.45cat.com/record/2058727 |access-date=22 January 2024}}</ref> "Baby I Know" (1977), "Sometime In Oldchurch" (1978), and "Shangri'la" (recorded 1979, released 1992<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rubettes - Shangri'la |website=Discogs |date=1979 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/10700424-The-Rubettes-Shangri-La- |access-date=22 January 2024}}</ref>),

==Personal life== Alan David Blakley was born in Bromley, Kent in 1942.

Blakley married actress Lin Blakley, and they had two daughters: Claudie Blakley and Kirsten Blakley.<ref name="sounds of the 60s">{{cite web|url=http://www.soundsofthe60s.com/html/artistes/poolebrian.htm |title=BRIAN POOLE & THE TREMELOES |publisher=soundsofthe60s.com |accessdate=25 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208095027/http://www.soundsofthe60s.com/html/artistes/poolebrian.htm |archivedate=8 February 2012 }}</ref> Claudie (born 1974) is an actor, who won the Ian Charleson Award for her performance in ''The Seagull'' at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dillon |first=Luke |date=2016-10-26 |title=winner-claudie-blakley {{!}} West End Theatre |url=https://www.westendtheatre.com/49751/news/awards/ian-charleson-awards-1998/attachment/winner-claudie-blakley/ |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=www.westendtheatre.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>

His brother Mike Blakley was also a musician, and a drummer in the band Christie, who in 1970 had a hit with "Yellow River", a song written by Christie frontman Jeff Christie, originally intended for the Tremeloes, who turned it down but Alan gave the song to Mike's band "The Epics", who then became "Christie" under Jeff's lead.<ref name="yellowriver">{{cite web|url=http://www.yellowriver.0catch.com/tremeloes.html|title=Christie - Tremeloes|publisher=yellowriver.0catch.com|accessdate=25 June 2013|archive-date=28 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228230546/http://www.yellowriver.0catch.com/tremeloes.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Blakley died in London of cancer in June 1996, aged 54.<ref>{{cite web|author=Doc Rock |url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1996.html |title=The Dead Rock Stars Club 1996 - 1997 |publisher=Thedeadrockstarsclub.com |date= |accessdate=2014-04-26}}</ref>

==Discography== (See The Tremeloes discography.)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{discogs artist|329315|Alan Blakley}} *{{imdb name|1818615}}

{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Blakley, Alan}} Category:1942 births Category:1996 deaths Category:Deaths from cancer in England Category:English pop guitarists Category:English male guitarists Category:English male songwriters Category:English record producers Category:Musicians from Kent Category:Musicians from the London Borough of Bromley Category:People from Bromley Category:20th-century English male musicians Category:20th-century British guitarists Category:20th-century English songwriters Category:20th-century English businesspeople Category:British male songwriters Alan Category:The Tremeloes members