The Kirchin Band
The Kirchin Band | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | the Ivor and Basil Kirchin Band |
| Origin | Scotland |
| Genres | Jazz, Latin,Beebop, Pop |
| Years active | 1952 - 1957, 1958 |
| Labels | Parlophone, Decca, London |
| Spinoffs | The New Kirchin Band, the Basil Kirchin Band |
The Kirchin Band later known as the Ivor and Basil Kirchin Band was a British band that recorded for the parlophone and Decca labels during the 1950s. It was led by both Ivor Kirchin and his son Basil Kirchin.
Background[edit]
The beginnings of the band can be traced to when they were the resident band Fountainbridge Palais in Edinburgh in September 1952. The band had eleven members. This included four trumpets, four saxes, piano, bass and drums. The line up then was George Bradley, Dennis Roberts, Trevor Lanigan, Frank Mowatt on trumpets, Geoff Taylor on alto sax, Johnny Marshall and John Xerri, both on tenor sax, Alex Leslie on bass, Harry South on piano, Don Percival on bass, Basil Kirchin on drums, and Ivor Kirchin musical director on vocals. They stayed there until November 1953 and then they became a resident band in Northern Ireland.[1]
The group enjoyed popularity during the 1950s. They also toured with Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstine. [2] According to Pop Matters, with the popularity of the percussive Latin-flavor that the band had evolved, Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstine wouldn't tour England unless the band was backing them.[3]
Singers Rory Blackwell and Dean Webb sang with the band during the early parts of their careers.[4]
Career[edit]
Their singles, "Mambo Macoco" bw "Tangerine" (Parlophone R. 3958), "Panambo" bw "Tango Mambo" ((Parlophone R.3968), and an EP, Minor Mambo", "Mother Goose Jumps" / "Mambo Nothing", "Lover Come Back to Me" (Decca DFE 6237) were reviewed by Mike Butcher in the Friday, January 21, 1955 issue of New Musical Express. Due to the space inhibition of the magazine, couldn't give a review of all the songs. In his positive review, he did point out the quality of the recordings and the impact of the music. He also mentioned that trumpeter Bobby Pratt had guested on a couple of recordings but the lead trumpeter on the others was Murray Campbell.[5]
On Friday, January 28, 1955 the band was appearing at the Trocadero Ballroom in Derby, then on Saturday they were at the Baths Hall in Manchester, then on Sunday at the Rialto in York then on Thursday at the Regal Ballroom in Beverley.[6]
In 1956 as The Ivor and Basil Kirchin Band, they released the Biggest Little Band in the World EP on Parlophone GEP 8569. It included the songs, "Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie", "Stone Age Mambo", "Down Under" and "Trumpet Blues and Cantabile".[7]
Due to Ivor Kirchin wanting to pursue different things, the band broke up some time around June 1957.[8] In the Melody Maker July 6, 1957 article, "Entertain or die, Says Basil Kirchin", he said that he and his father and discontinued the band because they couldn't see a future in big band jazz.[9]
After the break up there was apparently a new version of the band that was playing at venues for a period of time. The New Kirchin Band played gigs on 14 September 1957, 23 November 1957, 22 February 1958 and 26 April 1958, the last three being billed as the Basil Kirchin Band.[10]
Later years[edit]
Their version of "Tweedlee Dee", originally released on Parlophone R 4010 in April 1955, appeared on the British Rock 'N' Roll - Volume Two compilation that was released on Reel To Reel RTRCD 049 in November, 2018.[11]
References[edit]
- ^ British Bebop - Kirchin Band - Dance halls and the BBC...
- ^ National Jazz Archive - Basil Kirchin (1927–2005)
- ^ Pop Matters, 13 April 2011 - [https://www.popmatters.com/138642-basil-kirchin-primitive-london-2496062254.html BASIL KIRCHIN: PRIMITIVE LONDON By D.M. Edwards]
- ^ Record Mail, Vol. 2. No. 5 May 1959 - Page 8 Just FOR THE RECORD By John Castle, NO AUDITION
- ^ New Musical Express, Friday, January 21, 1955 - Page 8 MODERN MOOD by MIKE BUTCHER
- ^ New Musical Express, Friday, January 28, 1955 - Page 12 BAND CALL, Week beginning January 28, THE KIRCHIN BAND
- ^ Popsike - IVOR AND BASIL KIRCHIN BAND EP:1956 PARLOPHONE INCLUDES:"ROCK A BEATIN' BOOGIE"
- ^ British Bebop - Kirchin Band - Dance halls and the BBC..., June 30th, 1957
- ^ Melody Maker, July 6, 1957 - Page 7 Entertain or die, Says Basil Kirchin
- ^ British Bebop - Kirchin Band - Dance halls and the BBC..., June 30th, 1957
- ^ hitparade.ch - The Kirchin Band – Tweedlee Dee
External links[edit]
- Discogs - The Kirchin Band