Charles Jeremy Jankel was born April 16, 1952 in Middlsex. He took up the guitar at the age of 7 and then moved on to learn the piano. Soon the radio caught his ear and the funky music of Sly & The Family Stone became one of his influences.

In 1973 he contributed a track to Long John Baldry's "Good To Be Alive" LP, then he joined a folk rock band named Jonathon Kelly's Outside and recorded an album with them in 1974. He moved on to work with the new wave band Ian Dury & The Blockheads where he ended up writing the majority of the songs on their 1977 LP "New Boots & Panties" and 1979's LP "Do It Yourself", and the singles "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" and "Reasons To Be Cheerful" and then leaving the band shortly thereafter.

He rejoined forces with the now solo Ian Dury in 1981 and co wrote Ian's dance/disco hit "Spasticus Autisticus" that peaked at #32. Chaz had signed with A&M Records in 1980, writing and recording his version of "Ai No Corrida" that became a #3 disco hit for Quincy Jones cover version. Jankel's follow up album, 1981's "Chasanova" in the UK and "Questionnaire" in the US contained a funky dance tune called "Glad To Meet You" that peaked at #1 on the disco chart for seven weeks that ended its lengthy run in 1982.

In 1985 he was dropped from A&M who refused to release his fifth album. He moved to the US in 1988, then returned to the UK to rejoin The Blockheads and work with Ian Dury on their final two LP's. After Dury passed away in 2000 he continued writing and recording new music with the Blockheads with whom he still gigs with today.

Jankel composed the soundtrack to the 1988 movie DOA with Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan.

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