The Grumbleweeds are an award winning

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

band, performing music and comedy. They were mostly popular on radio and television in the 1980s, including ''

The Grumbleweeds Radio Show ''The Grumbleweeds' Radio Show'' was a comedy sketch show that aired for fifteen series between 1979 and 1988, starring The Grumbleweeds and broadcast on BBC Radio 2 (later repeated on BBC Radio 4). The show title was later shortened to ''The ...

'' which ran from 1979 to 1988 on

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...

Graham Walker Dies, The Scottish Daily Record
Retrieved 4 June 2013 and a later television incarnation (also known initially as "The Grumbleweeds Radio Show").

History

The band formed in 1962 in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

and practised at Stainbeck Youth Club,

Meanwood Meanwood is a suburb and former village in north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The area sits in the Moortown ward of Leeds City Council and Leeds North East parliamentary constituency. Origins and history The name Meanwood goes back t ...

under the name Tony Dale (or Dean) and the Wanderers. They played under this name at the "Battle of the Bands" (organised by a Leeds-based newspaper) at the

Queens Hall, Leeds Queens Hall was a concert and exhibition venue located in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was originally a tram and then a bus depot and had latterly become a venue hosting events such as the Ideal Home Exhibition and the 1981, 1982, 1988 an ...

(an all nighter) on the same night on 28 June 1963 that the

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

played this venue as second on the bill to

Acker Bilk Bernard Stanley "Acker" Bilk, (28 January 1929 – 2 November 2014) was a British clarinetist and vocalist known for his breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register style, and distinctive appearance – of goatee, bowler hat and striped waistc ...

and his Jazzmen. They turned professional following success on the television talent show '' Opportunity Knocks''. In the late 1960s and early 1970s the band released several records, none of which made the UK charts, however their fortunes improved when they were commissioned to star in a BBC children's television series, ''The Coal Hole Club'', in 1974. Continuing to perform to packed venues around the UK, BBC radio producer Mike Craig spotted them at the

Batley Variety Club Batley Variety Club was a variety club in Batley, West Yorkshire, England. During its existence, the club staged concerts by performers including Louis Armstrong, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, Eartha Kitt, Morecambe and Wise, Ge ...

and went on to produce several series of "

" for Radio 2 throughout the 1980s. Brothers Albert and Carl Sutcliffe left the group in 1987. Maurice Lee left the group in 1998 and the remaining members continued to perform as a duo, up until Graham Walker's death in 2013. With the addition of stand-up comedian James Brandon, The Grumbleweeds redeveloped the act, with Robin Colvill assuming the role of the rough-and-ready sidekick to Brandon's smooth straight man. In 2017 the group embarked on another UK tour, supported by vocalist Lisa Jane Kelsey. The following year, comedian Mike Lancaster joined the tour, which ran for a further 12 months throughout the UK.

Album discography

* ''In a Teknikolor Dreem'' (album, 1971) * ''Al Bum'' (album, 1976) * ''Comedy From their Radio 2 Series'' (BBC 1979) * ''Worravagorrinmepocket'' (MFP 1981) * ''Let the Good Times Roll'' (K-Tel 1986) The Grumbleweeds recorded the song 'String of Beads' to celebrate Leeds United's 1972 FA Cup Final.

Personnel

;Current members * Robin Stewart Colvill - Vocals (1962–present, (born 8 August 1944, Leeds) *James Brandon - Vocals (2014–present) ;Former members * Graham Paul Walker (1962-2013); (born 17 May 1944, Leeds died 2 June 2013) * Maurice Lee - guitar, drums, vocals (1967-1998); (born 12 May 1946, Leeds) * Carl Sutcliffe - guitar, keyboards, vocals (1967-1987) * Albert Sutcliffe - keyboards, drums, vocals (1967-1987); (born 22 December 1940, Leeds) * Phillip Hall (1967) * Tony Jo (1997) * Sharky (dancer)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grumbleweeds, The British comedy musical groups Musical groups from Leeds