Chris Bostock

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Chris Bostock is an English musician, songwriter and producer known for his work with JoBoxers, Subway Sect, Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys, The Style Council, Spear of Destiny, The X-Certs and The Stingrays. He has also contributed to records by Shakespears Sister and The Rhythm Sisters and performed with Sandie Shaw and Daryl Hall & John Oates.

He started in Bristol, studying classical piano from age six and picking up guitar at twelve. In 1978 he formed The Stingrays as bassist and backing vocalist, releasing Countdown and opening for UK Subs and The Undertones. He then joined The X-Certs, releasing Together and opening for The Clash and The Associates.

In 1980, Bernard Rhodes recruited him to join a new line-up around Johnny Britton, leading to the early Subway Sect era. They recorded Songs For Sale (1982) and ran Club Left in London, showcasing acts like Dig Wayne and Bananarama. The group evolved into JoBoxers, signed to RCA, and opened for Madness in 1983. Boxerbeat became a UK hit (No. 3) and Just Got Lucky reached No. 7 UK and No. 31 in the US; the album Like Gangbusters also did well in the UK. Bostock co-wrote several songs.

The band later worked on Skin & Bone, and Missing Link was not released at the time. Some Missing Link tracks later appeared on Just Got Lucky – The Complete Works 1983-1986 (2025). Paul Weller invited Bostock to play on The Style Council’s Café Bleu. In 1986 he performed with Sandie Shaw on her UK tour and TV work, and in 1988 he played on Spear of Destiny’s The Price You Pay and toured with them.

In 1989 he joined The Flame, then in 1990 helped form Dave Stewart’s The Spiritual Cowboys; they toured Europe and released two albums, both popular in France. In 1992 he produced music for BBC’s Bad Girl (the forerunner to Little Voice), and in 1993 he produced Savage World for EMI Electrola. He also co-produced Clint Bradley’s This Hour in 1997 and worked as A&R for M&G Records in the mid-1990s.

JoBoxers’ music continued to appear in films, and Bostock remained active, performing with Subway Sect and JoBoxers, including a UK tour in 2022. In 2025 he executive produced the JoBoxers box set Just Got Lucky – The Complete Works 1983-1986 and a video for a new single, A Thorn in My Side, which reached No. 11 on the Heritage Chart.