Kilburn and the High Roads were a British pub rock band formed in London by

Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was a British singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Ian Dury and the Blockheads ...

in 1970. The band released one studio album in 1975, disbanding the same year.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

credits the band with being "an undeniable influence on

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

and new wave".

History

Dury formed Kilburn and the High Roads in 1970. The band consisted of Ian Dury as lead vocalist and lyricist, pianist Russell Hardy, guitarist Edward "Ted" Speight (later replaced by Keith Lucas), bassist Charlie Hart (later replaced by Humphrey Ocean and later by Charley Sinclair), saxophonist George Khan (later replaced by

Davey Payne David Stanley Payne (born 11 August 1944) is an English saxophonist best known as a member of Ian Dury's backing band The Blockheads, and for his twin saxophone solo on their 1978 UK No. 1 single " Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick". He also appeare ...

) and drummer Chris Lucas (replaced by Terry Day and later by David Newton-Rohoman, who used crutches). The band performed their first gig in 1971 and were regulars on the pub rock scene by 1973. The Kilburns also supported

the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

on their ''

Quadrophenia ''Quadrophenia'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released as a double album on 26 October 1973 by Track Records. It is the group's third rock opera, the two previous being the "mini-opera" song "A Quick One, Whil ...

'' tour of late 1973. The band signed to

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

subsidiary Raft Records and recorded an album in 1974 but it remained unreleased when the label was shut down. The band were managed by fashion entrepreneur Tommy Roberts, presaging acquaintance Malcolm McLaren's involvement with the Sex Pistols. Signing to Pye subsidiary

Dawn Records Dawn Records was a subsidiary of Pye Records. Active from 1969 to 1975, it was established as Pye's 'underground and progressive' label rivalling the EMI and Phonogram equivalents, Harvest and Vertigo. The most successful act on the label wa ...

, the band released debut single "Rough Kids" the same year and a second single and their re-recorded debut album '' Handsome'' in 1975, before disbanding soon afterwards. Dury then formed the short-lived Ian Dury and the Kilburns and later, with different personnel, a new group,

Ian Dury and the Blockheads Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ') and corresponding to the English name John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. It is a popular name in Sc ...

, initially releasing records under his own name alone. Dury's solo success led to the release of a second Kilburn and the High Roads album, '' Wotabunch!'' in 1977, despite the group's earlier demise, largely duplicating the first album but remixed from earlier demos and later a compilation EP, ''The Best of Kilburn & the High Roads'' on Dury's next label, Stiff Records, in 1983. In 2016, Cherry Red Records released an expanded edition of ''Handsome'' with a bonus disc containing a previously unreleased 1974

Capital Radio Capital London is a radio station owned and operated by the Global media company as part of its national Capital FM Network. As Capital Radio it was launched in the London area in 1973 as one of Britain's first two commercial radio stations. ...

broadcast.

Legacy

Davey Payne followed Dury into the Blockheads. Keith Lucas (as Nick Cash) went on to form punk band

999 999 or triple nine most often refers to: * 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries * 999 (number), an integer * AD 999, a year * 999 BC, a year Books * ''999'' (anthology) or ''999: T ...

. Humphrey Ocean recorded a one-off single for Stiff Records in 1978, written by Dury.

Suggs Graham McPherson (born 13 January 1961), known primarily by his stage name Suggs, is an English singer-songwriter, musician, radio personality and actor from Hastings, England. In a music career spanning 40 years, he came to prominence in the ...

has credited Kilburn and the High Roads with being "a huge influence" on Madness. Paul Simonon of

the Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...

has credited Dury as an influence on punk. The Sex Pistols were inspired by Chris Thomas' production on the first Kilburn's single to work with him; it has also been suggested that John Lydon borrowed some of his early performance style from Dury, although the claim is rejected by Lydon.

Personnel

Kilburn & the High Roads

– lead vocal, percussion (also lyricist and songwriter) * Russell Hardy – piano (also songwriter) * Rod Melvin – piano, vocals (also songwriter) * Edward "Ted" Speight – guitar * Keith Lucas ( Nick Cash) – guitar * Charlie Hart – bass * Ian Smith – bass * Humphrey Ocean – bass * Charley Sinclair – bass * George Khan – saxophone *

– saxophone * Terry Day – drums * Chris Lucas – drums * David Newton-Rohoman – drums * George Butler – drums

Ian Dury & the Kilburns

* Ian Dury – lead vocal * Rod Melvin – keyboards * Edward "Ted" Speight – guitar * John Earle – saxophone * Giorgi Dionisiev – bass *

Malcolm Mortimore Malcolm Paul Mortimore (born 16 June 1953 in Wimbledon, London, England) is a drummer and percussionist who has played with Arthur Brown, Ian Dury, Herbie Flowers, Gentle Giant, Spike Heatley, Tom Jones, G.T. Moore, Mick and Chris Jagger, Oli ...

– drums *

Chaz Jankel Charles Jeremy "Chaz" Jankel (born 16 April 1952) is an English musician. In a music career spanning more than 40 years, he came to prominence in the late 1970s as the guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band Ian Dury and the Blockheads. With ...

– keyboards, guitar

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Compilations

References

External links

Official Ian Dury website

AllMusic biography
{{Authority control English rock music groups British pub rock music groups Musical groups from London Protopunk groups Dawn Records artists Pye Records artists Warner Records artists