Joe Brown & The Bruvvers - The Best Of Joe Brown & The Bruvvers 2CD (2016) @ 320

Brown was born in Swarby, Lincolnshire. His family moved to London when he was two and ran the Sultan public house in Grange Road, Plaistow, then in Essex, now part of the London Borough of Newham. In 1956, Brown formed a skiffle group, The Spacemen, which lasted until the skiffle movement faded towards the end of the 1950s. He worked for British Railways at their Plaistow Locomotive works for two years in the late 1950s, becoming a steam locomotive fireman. He left the job because "the smell of the diesels drove me out when they took over from steam".

In 1958, Brown was spotted by television producer Jack Good who hired him as lead guitarist in the orchestra of his new TV series, Boy Meets Girls. During this period, he backed a number of US musicians such as Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran on their UK tours.

Brown signed a management agreement with Larry Parnes. Parnes attempted to change Brown's stage name to 'Elmer Twitch', a story which Brown still refers to on occasion during his live sets. Brown signed to Decca Records. He charted with "The Darktown Strutters' Ball" in 1960, and had UK Top 10 hits on the Piccadilly label in 1962–63 with "A Picture of You", which reached number one on the NME charts (the main chart of the day); "It Only Took A Minute", and "That's What Love Will Do" (written by Trevor Peacock).[2] Piccadilly's release of Brown's "Crazy Mixed Up Kid" in April 1961 was the label's first single.[8] Brown's recording band was a collection of session musicians, and was named the Bruvvers by Jack Good, to give Brown the identity of having his own backing band for record releases. It was in 1962, when he needed a band to tour with him, that 'Joe Brown and the Bruvvers' was cemented, containing two members of the Spacemen, brothers Tony and Pete Oakman, who had also remained with him in the "Boy Meets Girls" band.

Brown was voted 'Top UK Vocal Personality' in the 1962 NME magazine poll. During the 1960s he appeared in a number of films, pantomime and stage musicals. In December 1963, the film What a Crazy World, based on a stage play, starring Brown and Marty Wilde among others, had its world premiere in London. Brown also starred in the hit musical Charlie Girl in the West End between 1965 and 1968; and in the musical comedy film Three Hats for Lisa in 1965 with Una Stubbs, Sophie Hardy and Sid James. He also made a cameo appearance as himself in the 1964 film The Beauty Jungle, and presented the children's television series Joe & Co on BBC Television.

Described by the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums as a "chirpy Cockney" (although he was born in Lincolnshire), Brown was one of the original artists managed by the early rock impresario and manager Larry Parnes.[1] He is highly regarded in the music business as a "musician's musician" who "commands respect and admiration from a wide spectrum of artists".

CD1 

01. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - A Picture Of You (2:23)

02. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - It Only Took A Minute (1:59)

03. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Shine (2:00)

04. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Good Luck And Goodbye (2:26)

05. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - A Lay-About's Lament (2:29)

06. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Lonely Island Pearl (2:02)

07. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Savage (2:10)

08. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Stick Around (2:25)

09. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Dinah (2:32)

10. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - The Switch (2:07)

11. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Comes The Day (2:12)

12. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Put On A Happy Face (1:40)

13. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - You Make A Monkey Out Of Me (3:02)

14. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Man Mountain (3:04)

15. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Pop Corn (2:16)

16. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - The Surrey With The Fringe On Top (2:29)

CD2

01. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Your Tender Look (2:14)

02. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - The Darktown Shutter's Ball (2:15)

03. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - What A Crazy World We're Living In (2:46)

04. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - A Letter Of Love (3:07)

05. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Crazy Mixed Up Kid (2:02)

06. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - I'm Henry The Eighth I Am (1:58)

07. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - English Country Garden (1:05)

08. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Jellied Eels (2:34)

09. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - People Gotta Talk (2:14)

10. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Talking Guitar (1:55)

11. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - The Other Side Of Town (2:24)

12. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Turned Up (2:14)

13. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Swagger (2:15)

14. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - Stick Around (Alt. Ver.) (2:37)

15. Joe Brown And The Bruvvers - All Things Bright And Beautiful (1:55)

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