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First Class (band)
The First Class were a British pop music studio-based group, put together by songwriter and record producer John Carter. They are best known for their hit song "Beach Baby," a top 20 hit in both the US and UK. Career The First Class was the studio creation of British singer/songwriter John Carter, who hired singers Tony Burrows and Chas Mills to join him as an outlet for material Carter wrote, with his creative partner and wife, Gillian (Jill) Shakespeare. In the 1960s, Carter had formed the group Carter-Lewis and the Southerners with fellow producer Ken Lewis. That band dissolved when Carter and Lewis began working extensively as studio singers, appearing on the hits "It's Not Unusual" ( Tom Jones), " I Can't Explain" (The Who), "Hi Ho Silver Lining" (Jeff Beck), " (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" (Sandie Shaw), "Excerpt From A Teenage Opera" (Keith West), and " Out of Time" (Chris Farlowe). Concurrently with this session work, Carter was a member of The Ivy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Carter (English Musician)
John Nicholas Shakespeare (born 20 October 1940), known as John Carter, is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. Overview Mainly popular in the 1960s and early 1970s, Carter's craftsmanship can be heard at work with: * Carter-Lewis and the Southerners. * The Ivy League - "Funny How Love Can Be", "That's Why I'm Crying", " Tossing and Turning" * Herman's Hermits - "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat" * Brenda Lee - "Is It True?" * The Music Explosion - "Little Bit O' Soul" * Peter and Gordon - "Sunday for Tea" * The Flower Pot Men - "Let's Go to San Francisco" * The First Class - "Beach Baby" * Sacha Distel - "Vite, Cherie, Vite" (French version of "Beach Baby") * Mary Hopkin - "Knock, Knock Who's There?" * Kincade - "Dreams Are Ten A Penny" Biography Carter met his future songwriting partner Ken Hawker at school in Birmingham. They formed a skiffle band in the 1950s called LVI. It was then they began writing songs together: "We began to write real Buddy Holly take-off ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hi Ho Silver Lining
"Hi Ho Silver Lining" is a rock song, written by American songwriters Scott English and Larry Weiss and first released as a single in March 1967 by English band The Attack, then a few days later by Jeff Beck. The Attack's version failed to chart, while Beck's recording reached the Top 20 of the singles chart in his native Britain in both 1967 and 1972, becoming his biggest solo hit. In the States, Beck's single failed to crack ''Billboard'''s Hot 100. Background Songwriters English and Weiss started writing a song together, with a chorus of "Hi ho silver lining", but no verses. When producer Mickie Most heard their early version, he suggested that it would be a hit and persuaded English to complete the lyrics. According to writer and musician Bob Stanley, English wanted to record a finished version of the song himself, so decided to deter Most by writing "the most unusable, stupid lyric he could think up, about flies in pea soup and beach umbrellas". To English's chagrin, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Funny How Love Can Be
The Ivy League were an English vocal trio, formed in 1964, who enjoyed two top 10 hit singles on the UK Singles Chart in 1965. The group's sound was characterised by rich, three-part vocal harmonies. Career The Ivy League was formed in August 1964 by three session singers with an extensive vocal range, John Carter, Ken Lewis (both previous members of Carter-Lewis and the Southerners) plus Perry Ford. They were first heard doing background vocals for The Who on their hit single "I Can't Explain" in November 1964 but after that, the Who's producers entrusted John Entwistle and Pete Townshend with the backing vocals. Their debut single, "What More Do You Want" generated little interest but the second release, "Funny How Love Can Be" made the UK chart's Top 10. Further hits followed, including "That's Why I'm Crying" and UK chart number 3 "Tossing and Turning". The original trio released just one album, 1965's ''This is the Ivy League'' – panned in the music press as dis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edison Lighthouse
Edison Lighthouse are an English pop band, formed in London in 1969. The band was best known for their 1970 hit single "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" recorded in late 1969. Career Before the name Edison Lighthouse, they were known as the soft rock band Greenfield Hammer, gigging on the home counties circuit. The original line-up of Edison Lighthouse consisted of Tony Burrows (lead vocalist), Stuart Edwards (lead guitar), David Taylor (bass guitar), George Weyman (drums), and Ray Dorey (guitar). The group's top 40 hit "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" (1970) was one of four near-concurrent UK Singles Chart top ten hit singles that Burrows released under different names. The other songs were "Gimme Dat Ding" (the Pipkins), " My Baby Loves Lovin" ( White Plains), and "United We Stand" (Brotherhood of Man). Burrows was also lead vocalist on the single "Beach Baby" (1974) for another studio-only group, the First Class. "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" was No. 1 fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Searchers (band)
The Searchers were an English Merseybeat group who emerged during the British Invasion of the 1960s. The band's hits include a remake of the Drifters' 1961 hit, "Sweets for My Sweet"; " Sugar and Spice" (written by their producer Tony Hatch); remakes of Jackie DeShannon's " Needles and Pins" and "When You Walk in the Room"; a cover of the Orlons' "Don't Throw Your Love Away"; and a cover of the Clovers' " Love Potion No. 9". With the Swinging Blue Jeans, the Searchers tied for being the second group from Liverpool, after the Beatles, to have a hit in the US when their "Needles and Pins" and the Swinging Blue Jeans' "Hippy Hippy Shake" both reached the Hot 100 on 7 March 1964. Band history Origins Founded as a skiffle group in Liverpool in 1959 by John McNally and Mike Pender, the band took their name from the 1956 John Ford western film ''The Searchers''. The band grew out of an earlier skiffle group formed by McNally in 1957, with his friends Brian Dolan (guitar) and Tony Wes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spencer James
Spencer Frederick James (born 15 April 1953) is an English singer and musician. He has been the lead singer of veteran pop band The Searchers since 1986. James was also a member of the one-hit wonder band The First Class that scored a No. 4 hit with the song "Beach Baby". Early life James grew up in Hayes, Middlesex. Working for Marshall's Music Group, he developed an interest in guitars and began playing and singing in local bands. James improved his stage craft while deputising in the band White Plains. He then moved on to form a band named Duke. Career The First Class The First Class was initially a studio creation featuring the voice of Tony Burrows. The success of the song "Beach Baby" (#4 in the US) led to demand for live appearances. A group, including Spencer James, was assembled to perform a number of dates as The First Class. In 1983, The First Class recorded the single "Gimme Little Sign" with Spencer James on vocals. The single had some success in the Netherl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jonathan King
Jonathan King (born Kenneth George King; 6 December 1944) is an English singer, songwriter and record producer. He first came to prominence in 1965 when "Everyone's Gone to the Moon", a song that he wrote and sang while still an undergraduate, achieved chart success. As an independent producer, he discovered and named the rock band Genesis in 1967, producing their first album '' From Genesis to Revelation''. He founded his own label UK Records in 1972. He released and produced songs for 10cc and the Bay City Rollers. In the 1970s King became known for hits that he performed and/or produced under different names, including " Johnny Reggae", " Loop di Love", " Sugar, Sugar", " Hooked on a Feeling", "Una Paloma Blanca" and " It Only Takes a Minute"; between September 1971 and 1972 alone he produced 10 top 30 singles in the UK."King Forms U.K. Records," ''Billboard'', 9 September 197232 While living in New York in the 1980s, King appeared on radio and television in the UK, includi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Ivy League (band)
The Ivy League were an English vocal trio, formed in 1964, who enjoyed two top 10 hit singles on the UK Singles Chart in 1965. The group's sound was characterised by rich, three-part vocal harmonies. Career The Ivy League was formed in August 1964 by three session singers with an extensive vocal range, John Carter, Ken Lewis (both previous members of Carter-Lewis and the Southerners) plus Perry Ford. They were first heard doing background vocals for The Who on their hit single " I Can't Explain" in November 1964 but after that, the Who's producers entrusted John Entwistle and Pete Townshend with the backing vocals. Their debut single, "What More Do You Want" generated little interest but the second release, "Funny How Love Can Be" made the UK chart's Top 10. Further hits followed, including "That's Why I'm Crying" and UK chart number 3 "Tossing and Turning". The original trio released just one album, 1965's ''This is the Ivy League'' – panned in the music press a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Farlowe
Chris Farlowe (born John Henry Deighton, 13 October 1940) is an English rock, blues and soul singer. He is best known for his hit single " Out of Time" written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, which rose to No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1966, and his association with bands Atomic Rooster, the Thunderbirds and Colosseum. Outside his music career, Farlowe collects war memorabilia. Career Farlowe was born in Islington, North London. His musical career began with a skiffle group, the John Henry Skiffle Group, in 1957, before he joined the Johnny Burns Rhythm and Blues Quartet in 1958. He met guitarist Bob Taylor in 1959 and, through Taylor, joined the Thunderbirds, who went on to record five singles for the Columbia label. On Island's Sue label, he released a version of "Stormy Monday Blues" under the pseudonym Little Joe Cook (a name also used by an American singer), which perpetuated the myth that he was a black singer. Farlowe moved to Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate labe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Out Of Time (Rolling Stones Song)
"Out of Time" is a song by the Rolling Stones, first released on their 1966 album ''Aftermath'' (UK version). The most commercially successful version of the song was by Chris Farlowe, an English solo artist. Farlowe's single, produced by Mick Jagger, peaked at number one in the UK Singles Chart on 28 July 1966 and stayed at the top for one week. A shorter alternative mix of the Rolling Stones' recording was released in the US in 1967 on the album ''Flowers''. A third version featuring Jagger's lead vocal and the orchestration and backing vocals from Farlowe's cover version (plus a new female backing vocal) was released on the 1975 rarities album ''Metamorphosis'' and as a single. The song was never performed live by the Stones until June 2022, during the opening concert of their Sixty tour. Composition and recording The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Jagger produced the hit single version by Chris Farlowe. The Rolling Stones released three versions of "Ou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Keith West
Keith Hopkins (born 6 December 1944, Dagenham, Essex, England), known by his stage name Keith West, is a British rock singer, songwriter and music producer. He is best known for his single "Excerpt from A Teenage Opera" ("Grocer Jack"), which reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. West was also the lead singer of various groups including Tomorrow, a 1960s psychedelic rock band. West wrote most of his own songs (credited to Keith Hopkins), often in collaboration with Ken Burgess. Despite critical acclaim and support from BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, who featured Tomorrow on his ''The Perfumed Garden'' show, the group was not a major commercial success. Career In 1964, West became lead singer of The In Crowd, a band from London, who later changed their name to Tomorrow. The following year The In Crowd recorded three singles for Parlophone. Another member of these groups was guitarist Steve Howe, later of the band Yes. In 1967, West became acquainted with Mark Wirtz, a reco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grocer Jack (Excerpt From A Teenage Opera)
"Excerpt from 'A Teenage Opera'" (also known as "Grocer Jack") is a 1967 single by Keith West, produced by Mark Wirtz. It was a big hit in Europe, peaking at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The single was part of a bigger "A Teenage Opera" project. The song was written by Wirtz and West, credited as "Philwit / Hopkins". History According to Mark Wirtz, the song comes from a dream he had about an ageing door-to-door grocer named Jack in a small, turn of the 20th century village, who was mocked by the children as he was taken for granted by the town folk. When Jack unexpectedly died, the town folk reacted with anger about the inconvenience of now having to be self-reliant about their staple provisions, while the children were heartbroken, in truth having loved and appreciated Jack all the while. Working with EMI recording engineer Geoff Emerick at Abbey Road Studios on a project called ''Mood Mosaic'', Wirtz developed the idea which he called "Excerpt from A Teenage Opera" becau ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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