Product Code Database
Colin Murray Archer ( ; born 7 December 1966) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the rock band Oasis, where he plays rhythm and lead guitar. He has also been a member of the Oasis-associated bands, Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. Prior to joining Oasis, Archer fronted the alternative rock band Heavy Stereo between 1993 and 1999, releasing one studio album, Déjà Voodoo (1996), on Creation Records.
Archer joined Oasis in September 1999, following the departure of founding guitarist Paul Arthurs, and was a member of the band for ten years until the band's break-up in 2009. Archer contributed to the band's final three studio albums – Heathen Chemistry (2002), Don't Believe the Truth (2005) and Dig Out Your Soul (2008) – often contributing to the songwriting process and receiving sole songwriting credits on several songs.
Following Oasis's break-up in August 2009, Archer, frontman Liam Gallagher, bass guitarist Andy Bell and drummer Chris Sharrock continued writing and recording together under the name Beady Eye, releasing two studio albums – Different Gear, Still Speeding (2011) and BE (2013) – before disbanding in October 2014. In 2017, Archer joined Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds as lead guitarist, reuniting him with Oasis member Noel Gallagher, and making him and Sharrock the only members of Oasis to have been part of both Liam and Noel Gallagher's post-Oasis projects. In 2024, after a fifteen-year break from the band, Archer rejoined Oasis ahead of their Oasis Live '25 Tour.
Since Archer did not perform on the Giants album, he received no royalties and, for the first few performances, was paid a standard session wage, about £85 a gig, as the new Oasis rhythm guitarist. His first official duty was to appear on the "Go Let It Out" video – on which he played lead guitar, as Andy Bell had yet to take over bass, so Noel played bass with Liam on acoustic guitar and vocals. Archer played his first rhythm guitar set at a session for alternative radio in Philadelphia.
Though Archer was officially referred to as Oasis' rhythm guitarist, his role in Oasis was much more than that. In live settings, he and Noel often switched between lead and rhythm guitar and both Noel and Liam Gallagher have praised Archer for his contributions in the studio. Archer also had a role as a songwriter. His first songwriting contribution after joining Oasis was "Hung in a Bad Place", which appeared on Oasis' fifth album Heathen Chemistry. This song was picked up for use in a commercial for Victoria's Secret in the US. His role was expanded on Oasis' sixth studio album, Don't Believe the Truth, which features Archer's "A Bell Will Ring" and "Love Like a Bomb", the latter of which he co-wrote with singer Liam Gallagher. He also contributed the B-sides "Eyeball Tickler" and "The Quiet Ones" – an acoustic song. He also wrote "To Be Where There's Life" on the 2008 album Dig Out Your Soul. Archer has said that he found it quite daunting to submit songs for consideration to the band because of Noel Gallagher's stature as a songwriter, whom he cites as one of his favourite songwriters. Archer, in rare occasions, contributed backing vocals to Oasis songs, such as on "The Meaning of Soul", "Force of Nature", and on the band's cover of The Who's "My Generation", played piano on "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" and harmonica on "Mucky Fingers". In 2024, it was revealed that Archer would take part of the Oasis Live '25 shows.
Archer contributed guitar, bass and backing vocals to Beady Eye's debut album Different Gear, Still Speeding, released on 28 February 2011.
Archer also contributed guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals on Beady Eye's second album BE, released on 10 June 2013.
On 25 October 2014, Liam Gallagher announced, via Twitter, that Beady Eye had disbanded.
In October 2016, Gem joined Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds for their performance of "Half the World Away" dedicated to Caroline Aherne for Channel 4's Stand Up to Cancer telethon; leading to speculation he had become a permanent member of the band.
In July 2017, it was confirmed that Gem had become a permanent member of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.
He also contributed guitar to David Holmes' 1997 album Let's Get Killed.
He also assisted Noel Gallagher in producing the first Proud Mary album, a band signed to Gallagher's Sour Mash record label.
According to album notes, Gem also worked with his good friend and previous Oasis and Beady Eye colleague Andy Bell on his debut solo album (now under the “Glok” alias) called “The View from Halfway Down”, contributing some drums, bass and guitar tracks, and also providing some of the recording work.
On 26 November 2022, Archer married Christine Mary Biller in London.
|
|
