Tenpole Tudor are an English punk band fronted by

Edward Tudor-Pole Edward Felix Tudor-Pole (also known as Edward Tenpole, though he introduced himself as "Ed" on several episodes of '' The Crystal Maze''; born 6 December 1955) is an English musician, television presenter and actor. Originally gaining fame in t ...

. The band first came to prominence when Tudor-Pole appeared in the

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

' film ''

The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle ''The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle'' is a 1980 British mockumentary film directed by Julien Temple and produced by Don Boyd and Jeremy Thomas. It centres on the British punk rock band Sex Pistols and, most prominently, their manager Malcolm Mc ...

'' and on three of the singles released from the soundtrack. The band then went on to have hits in their own right with songs like " Swords of a Thousand Men" and " Wünderbar". The band has been active intermittently since 1977, and the current incarnation is known as ''The Tenpole Tudor Vikings''.

Origins

Tenpole Tudor formed in 1977 when Tudor-Pole (

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

) met

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselv ...

Bob Kingston,

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...

Dick Crippen, and

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...

Gary Long. They played regularly for several years until Tudor-Pole himself (under the moniker of Eddie Tenpole) came to prominence by appearing in the 1980

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, ''

'' (filmed in 1978). He was originally billed as a replacement for

singer

Johnny Rotten John Joseph Lydon (; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the late-1970s punk band the Sex Pistols, which lasted from 1975 until 1978, and agai ...

— performing the

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

s " Who Killed Bambi?", "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" and a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of "

Rock Around The Clock "Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was record ...

" for the film and subsequent

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

— however,

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

Malcolm McLaren and the remaining Sex Pistols instead decided to abandon the group and go their own ways.

1980-1999

Tenpole Tudor recorded a single on

WEA Records Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and th ...

with the

A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

being "Real Fun" and the B-side "What's In A Word". "Real Fun" is available in live form on two different CDs, but the single was never released on CD. Tenpole Tudor returned in 1980 and signed a

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

with

Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London, England, by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the punk rock boom, Stiff ...

, with whom they released the

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

"3 Bells in a Row" (which is a slightly different version of the one later found on the album ''Eddie, Old Bob, Dick, and Gary'') and was produced by Dick Crippen. The band released their début

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

, '' Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary'', in 1981. It sold well, and in addition to the popular "3 Bells in a Row", launched two additional

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...

s "Wünderbar" and " Swords of a Thousand Men". In the same year, the group released their second album, ''Let the Four Winds Blow'', which also performed well. They further distinguished themselves with their oddball live performances, which had band members often dressing in medieval garb, and Tudor-Pole himself in a full suit of

chain mail Chain mail (properly called mail or maille but usually called chain mail or chainmail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common military use between the 3rd century BC and ...

armour. They also added Munch Universe, as he was billed, to their line-up. Stiff Canada released a Canada only album entitled ''Swords of a Thousand Men'' in 1981. This album was pressed by Attic Records in Toronto. This was a compilation of their other two albums, and included Eddie Tudorpole, Gary Long, Bob Kingston, Dick Crippen and Munch Universe. The album cover was of high quality, showing a photo taken by Kim Aldis of the band in suits of armour, standing in front of the relics of a castle. The videos for "Swords of a Thousand Men" and "Wünderbar" received regular airplay on Canadian TV. In 1982, the original Tenpole Tudor broke up. While Tudor-Pole led a

cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the U.S. state of Louisiana. While Cajuns are usually described as ...

-inspired version of Tenpole Tudor, the rest of the band released a single under the name The Tudors, minus Munch Universe. After the non-original incarnation of Tenpole Tudor failed, Tudor-Pole left Stiff Records and began performing in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

and swing bands, eventually returning to acting. Tudor-Pole formed a new line-up of the band in 1985, featuring Mick (guitar), Matt (bass), Sean (saxophone/guitar), and Paul (drums).

2000-present

Since the 2000s, Tudor-Pole has concentrated partly on acting, but focuses mainly upon his new one-man-show, performing live shows described as a 'One Man Stadium Show'. He has re-formed Tenpole Tudor from time to time, notably in 2001, with Darrell Bath on guitar, Donagh O'Leary on bass and Ben Standage on drums. He currently performs his one-man live show throughout Britain and, in 2009, released a Tenpole Tudor album titled ''Made It This Far''. In 2018, the band's latest incarnation was formed. ''The Tenpole Tudor Vikings'' features Ed Tudor-Pole alongside Rita Kae, Elin Krstiansen, Tony Rudseter, Thomas Hoegda, Tony Karlsen, Daniel Norum, Morten Anders Gaard and Inger Marie Buseth. They recorded an album, mostly consisting of covers of old Tenpole Tudor songs, at Rudestar Recording, Skogbygda,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

, which was released in 2019 as ''3 Bells in a Row''. Ed Tudor-Pole and Dick Crippen appeared onstage together for the first time in over 35 years in September 2016 in support of charities Rhythmix and Heads On. Bob Kingston is the brother of the former The Mo-dettes drummer

June Miles-Kingston June Miles-Kingston is a British singer and drummer, best known for her work with various successful bands and singers in the 1980s. She was a founding member of the post-punk group The Mo-dettes, which lasted from 1979 to 1982, and later beca ...

. Since 1988, Crippen has owned and operated the Panther Recording Studio in Surrey, producing many rock, punk and garage bands such as

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

and

Johnny Moped Johnny Moped are an English punk rock group formed in South London in the mid-1970s, who once had Chrissie Hynde (later of the Pretenders) and Captain Sensible (later of the Damned) as members. Biography Formed in Croydon in May 1974, the b ...

. He also plays guitar in The Weird Things.

Discography

Tenpole Tudor

Albums

*'' Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary'' (1981, Stiff Records, SEEZ 31) UK No. 44 - Re-released in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

as ''Swords of a Thousand Men'' plus B-side *''

Let the Four Winds Blow ''Let the Four Winds Blow'' is the second album by Tenpole Tudor and the follow-up to ''Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary''. Despite featuring the minor hit "Throwing My Baby Out With the Bath Water" (#49 in November 1981) the album and the follow ...

'' - (1981, Stiff Records, SEEZ 42) *''Made It This Far'' - (2009, Angel Air) *''3 Bells in a Row'' - (2019, Voices of Wonder)

Singles

*" Who Killed Bambi?" - (1979,

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

VS 256) - billed as Ten Pole Tudor - UK No. 6 - the listed

a-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

of "Who Killed Bambi" was "Silly Thing" by

Rock Around the Clock "Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was record ...

" - (1979, Virgin VS 290) - UK No. 21 - the listed a-side of "Rock Around The Clock" was "

" by Sex Pistols *"Real Fun" / "What's in a Word" - (1980, Korova - KOW 4) *"3 Bells in a Row" / "Fashion" (Live at

The Marquee The Marquee Club was a music venue first located at 165 Oxford Street in London, when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. Its most famous period was from 1964 to 1988 at 90 Wardour Street in Soho, and it finally closed whe ...

) / "

Rock and Roll Music Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

" (Live at The Marquee) - (1980, Stiff Records, BUY 98) *" Swords of a Thousand Men" / "Love and Food" - (1981, Stiff Records, BUY 109) UK No. 6 *" Wünderbar" / "Tenpole 45" - (1981, Stiff Records, BUY 120) - UK No. 16 *" Throwing My Baby Out with the Bath Water" / "Conga Tribe" - (1981, Stiff Records, BUY 129) - UK No. 49 *"Let the Four Winds Blow" / "Sea of Thunder" - (1981, Stiff Records, BUY 137) *" Swords of a Thousand Men" (as featured in ''

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! ''The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!'' (released in North America, Australia and New Zealand as ''The Pirates! Band of Misfits'') is a 2012 3D stop-motion animated swashbuckler comedy film produced by the British studio Aardman Ani ...

'') - (2012, Stiff Records, BUY 285)

Compilations

*''The Best of Tenpole Tudor: Swords of a Thousand Men'' - (2001, Metro, METRCD 049) - compilation of singles, b-sides and selected album tracks. *''Wunderbar: The Stiff Records Singles Collection'' - (2002, Anagram Records, CD PUNK 128) - compilation of all the singles and b-sides.

The Tudors

*"Tied Up With Lou Cool" / "Cry Baby Cry" - (1983, Stiff Records, BUY 172)

Eddie Tenpole Tudor

*"The Hayrick Song" / "Take You to the Dance" - (1983, Stiff Records, BUY 177 - 7" / SBUY 177 - 12")

CD reissues

*''Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary'' - (1991, Repertoire Records, REP 4220-WY) - the original album plus six bonus tracks. *''Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary'' - (1993, Stiff Records, STIFFCD 06) - the original album plus three bonus tracks. *''Let the Four Winds Blow'' - (1993, Stiff Records, STIFFCD 12) - the original album plus five bonus tracks. *''Swords of a Thousand Men'' - (1997, Recall Records) - 2CD version of the 1993 reissues with different artwork. *''Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary / Let The Four Winds Blow: The Stiff Anthology'' - (2007, Stiff Records, CDSEEZ 31) - Slipcased digitally remastered 2CD reissue of the original albums, with the single versions, b-sides and exclusive live tracks.

References

External links

Edward Tudor Pole on MySpace MusicFIFA 11 Promo spot
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tudor, Tenpole English punk rock groups English new wave musical groups Musical groups established in 1977 1977 establishments in England