Backtrack: The Voice Behind Music's Greatest Stars

Written by Tessa Niles

Narrated by Tessa Niles

Backtrack is the star-studded account of Tessa Niles’ 30 years of working alongside the greatest names in rock and pop; the story of a young girl’s quest to discover her true voice as she charts her rise to become one of the most respected session singers in Britain. Follow Tessa as she records with superstars such as Eric Clapton, David Bowie and Robbie Williams, appears on the world’s biggest stages, rubs shoulders with royalty and reveals the triumphs and heartbreak of life on the road. Backtrack is a story of driving ambition, first-hand experience and the accomplishment of a dedicated and talented musician.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Panoma Press
• Release date: Jun 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9781784521912

Tessa Niles

If you were listening to music during the 1980s and 1990s then chances are that Tessa Niles performed live with some of your favourite artists and sang on your most loved tracks. Her first big break came in 1983 when Sting asked her to join The Police on the Synchronicity World Tour. Niles went on to perform with David Bowie at the legendary Live Aid concert and sang on Bowie and Jagger’s hit Dancing in the Streets. She then joined Eric Clapton’s band and collaborated on the first of MTV’s Unplugged series which spawned the classic versions of Layla and Tears in Heaven. Producer Trevor Horn and Niles worked on many projects together including The Pet Shop Boys, ABC, Grace Jones, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Tatu and Seal. She worked on four albums with Tina Turner and on the worldwide hits What’s Love Got To Do With It? and Simply The Best. Niles recorded with Duran Duran on their hits Come Undone and Notorious. She sang on the soundtrack to the films Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Bridget Jones’s Diary. Throughout the last three decades Tessa Niles has performed with some of the most iconic artists in music: George Harrison, Annie Lennox, Tears For Fears, The Pet Shop Boys, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams to name a few.