The New Vaudeville Band - Winchester Cathedral (RPM 2007) @ Flac

Alan Klein - vocals

Hugh "Shuggy" Watts - trombone

Mick Wilsher - guitar

Stan Heywood - keyboards

One of the oddest one-hit wonders of the '60s, the New Vaudeville Band -- true to their name -- drew from the swinging vaudeville, trad jazz, and British music hall styles of the '20s and '30s to create a distinctively anachronistic brand of novelty pop. The group was masterminded by producer/songwriter Geoff Stephens, who in 1966 convened a group of mostly anonymous studio musicians (including drummer Henry Harrison) to record a jaunty, old-timey British number he'd written called "Winchester Cathedral." Though Stephens was credited as the vocalist on the track, it was later confirmed to be sung by ex-Ivy League/Flowerpot Men/First Class vocalist John Carter, who sang through his hands to simulate the sound of a megaphone (as on old Rudy Vallee records). "Winchester Cathedral" was an enormous hit, climbing into the British Top Five and going all the way to number one in America, where it also won a Grammy. Stephens suddenly needed a band for touring purposes and at first invited the similarly backward-looking Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band to serve as the living, breathing New Vaudeville Band. Collectively, the group declined, but their saxophonist Bob "Pops" Kerr signed on, joining a lineup that featured Harrison, guitarist Mick Wilsher, keyboardist Stan Haywood, trombonist Hugh "Shuggy" Watts, bassists Neil Korner and Chris Eddy, and new vocalist Alan Klein, who performed under the alias Tristram, Seventh Earl of Cricklewood. The band issued its debut album -- titled, naturally, Winchester Cathedral -- in 1967, and though they were one-hit wonders in the States (in spite of their touring success there), they notched two more popular singles in the U.K. that year: the Top Ten "Peek-a-Boo" and the Top 20 "Finchley Central." The latter song became the title track of their second album, released by Fontana toward the end of the year. 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 band retreated to the English cabaret circuit, where they eked out a profitable (if lower-profile) existence for some time to come; they also played Las Vegas on occasion and released U.K.-only singles in 1973 and 1976. With numerous personnel shifts in its declining years, the group finally broke up for good in 1988. Kerr, meanwhile, kept the flame of British eccentricity burning with his own Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band.

Repressing. What began as a quick knock out single by Pop master Geoff Stephens, the track 'Winchester Cathedral' accidentally became a #1 hit all over the world. Voiced in a session by John Carter, Stephens then quickly needed a group to follow up with the promotion. A hasty call to drummer and group leader Henry Harrison, then with his own R&B band (Cops n Robbers), set the wheels in motion and the New Vaudeville Band came alive, to enjoy a lengthy career well into the late 1970's. Collected here are the complete recordings credited to the New Vaudeville Band, plus a couple of unreleased tracks and song writing demos (including John Carter's demo of 'Winchester Cathedral'). This is the first time on CD for all but the title track, and the LPs have not been available in over 30 years. Includes the international hits 'Winchester Cathedral', 'Peek a Boo', 'Finchley Central' and 'Green Street Green'. Liner notes include interviews with Geoff Stephens and John Carter. RPM. 2007.

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