The New Vaudeville Band - Winchester Cathedral (EP 1966)

AQUI:

The New Vaudeville Band - Winchester Cathedral (EP Fontana 465.342 ME, 1966).

The New Vaudeville Band, foi uma banda formada em 1966, pelo compositor Geoff Stephens, nascido a 1 Outubro 1934, em NewSouthgate, Norte de Londres, com a intenção de gravar uma das suas composições,"Winchester Cathedral", um tema inspirado, no estilo das bandas de baile dos anos 20, e utilizando como meio de propagação vocal, um megafone, que tinha o nome do seu inventor, Rudy Vallee.

Para sua surpresa,o tema tornou-se num hit mundial, atingindo a primeira posição nos USA, e entrando na lista das dez mais vendidas na Inglaterra. As vendas globais, foram superiores aos três milhões,tendo inclusive sido disco de ouro, além dum Grammy Award, na categoria ,"Best Contemporary Song" em 1967.

John Carter, que na época fazia parte dos Ivy League/Flowerpot Men, foi o responsável pela vocalização do tema, quer na demo,quer na edição comercial do tema.

Inicialmente, foi lançado um "Long Play", em finais de 1966, pela Fontana Records, com o titulo homónimo da canção de sucesso,Winchester Cathedral.

Quando Stephens, começou a receber pedidos para espectáculos,com a New Vaudeville Band, este teve que formar a banda, que só tinha nome, já que para as gravações do LP, tinha usado músicos de estúdio, contratados só para as gravações.

Assim, contactou uma das bandas contemporâneas, que executava um tipo de musica semelhante, os Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.Só Bob Kerr, trompetista,aceitou o convite, deixando os Bonzo e juntando-se a Stephens, e ao baterista Henri Harrison, que havia participado nas gravações.

Para os vocais, foi contratado Alan Klein, que se dava a conhecer como:"Tristram - Seventh Earl Of Cricklewood".Os restantes elementos da banda, eram: Pete Cooper, Mick Wilsher, Stan Haywood, Neil Korner, e Hugh Watts (Shuggy').

Em 1967, The New Vaudeville Band, lançou o album "On Tour", com o single "Peek-A-Boo," que atingiu a 7º posição nas listas de vendas, em Fevereiro de 1967.

Em 1968, o grupo, foi responsável pela banda sonora do filme:"The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom".

Kerr, entrou em choque com Grant, e decidiu sair do grupo, levando com ele o baterista,Henri Harrison. Formou o seu próprio grupo,"Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band", e ainda está activo nos dias de hoje, mas foi o golpe fatal na New Vaudeville Band.

Ficam aqui registados os seus Hits:

Fontana TF741 1966 Winchester Cathedral/ Wait For Me Baby #4

Fontana TF784 1967 Peek-A-Boo/ Amy #7

Fontana TF824 1967 Finchley Central/ Rosie #11

Fontana TF853 1967 Green Street Green/ Fourteen Lovely Women #37

Fontana TF909 1968 The Bonnie And Clyde/ Uncle Gabriel

Fonte: In DuVicky Blog (Vicky Paes Martins)

The New Vaudeville Band was a group created by songwriter Geoff Stephens (born 1 October 1934, New Southgate, North London) in 1966 to record his novelty composition "Winchester Cathedral", a song inspired by the dance bands of the 1920s and a Rudy Vallee megaphone style vocal. To his surprise, the song became a transatlantic hit that autumn, reaching the Top 10 in the UK and rising to #1 in the US.Global sales of the single were over three million, with the RIAA certification of gold disc status. The track also won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Song in 1967. The lead vocal was sung by John Carter, formerly of The Ivy League, who had sung on the demo of the record, which Stephens decided to keep for the commercial release. An initial long-playing album was also issued in late 1966 by Fontana Records, also titled Winchester Cathedral.

When Stephens received several requests for The New Vaudeville Band to tour, he had to put together a group, as the song was recorded by session musicians hired only for the recording session. He contacted a real group, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, which played similar music at the time. Only Bob Kerr from that group was interested, so he left The Bonzos to help Stephens form a touring version of TheNew Vaudeville Band, which included original session drummer Henri Harrison. The lead singer of the touring version of the group was Alan Klein, who was billed as 'Tristram - Seventh Earl of Cricklewood'.

In 1967, The New Vaudeville Band released the On Tour album, with the single "Peek-A-Boo," which made the Billboard chart that February and reached #7 in the UK Singles Chart. Further UK hits followed with "Finchley Central" (#11) and "Green Street Green" (#37), both based on locations in London and therefore less appealing to the American public. In 1968, the group played a major role on the film soundtrack, The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom, but their novelty was beginning to wear off with the record-buying public.

The New Vaudeville Band was managed by Peter Grant. Kerr left the group following disputes with Grant. He then formed his own group, Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band, which continues to perform with Henri Harrison.

A further privately released album (While We Are All Assembled !) did not bear a date but was apparently released in 1979, and stated in the sleeve notes that the band "have firmly re-established themselves in the higher echelons of the British club scene" since returning four years previously from "their successful three years in the USA and Canada".

Fonte: Wikipedia.

EP disponibilizado por Carlos Santos