Kursaal Flyers

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The Kursaal Flyers were a British rock / pop pub band from the 1970s. They were best known for their top 20 hit "Little Does She Know" .

Band history

Starts in Southend

The Kursaal Flyers were founded in Southend-on-Sea , England in late 1973 by Paul Shuttleworth, Richie Bull, Will Birch, Vic Collins, Graeme Douglas and Dave Hatfield. Their experience in various local bands (including Surly Birds , Thomahawks , Saints'n'Sinners ) ensured that as a group they brought together their own style from various directions: from rock to bluegrass , from pop to country (Bull had different country & Western stars played on tours).

They studied about 25 songs in the winter of 1973/74, and from February 1974 the band performed twice a week at the Blue Boar pub in Southend. They got their name after a carousel in an amusement park in their hometown. Several band members knew musicians from Dr. Feelgood , and through this contact they got their first gigs in London .

Over Europe in the charts

A tour through Western Europe as the opening act for the Flying Burrito Brothers followed. An acquaintance of Jonathan King saw her in London and recommended her to others. King gave them a record deal for his UK Records label in early 1975 . Hatfield left the band and Bull took over bass. Birch (lyrics) and Douglas or Bull (music) wrote new songs of their own.

Three singles and two LPs later, the Kursaal Flyers switched to CBS Records . It was there that Mike Batt became her producer, who at that time was best known as the mastermind of the " Wombles " project (cartoon characters in a TV series that promoted environmental protection, but also released records under this name and placed them on the British charts) .

The LP "Golden Mile" was made, and one of the songs was a track written by Birch, Douglas and Shuttleworth and extremely over-produced by Batt called "Little Does She Know" , which was released as a single by CBS. The song shot into the charts (UK: 14th place; 9 weeks; 1976) , the band played a little later in Top of the Pops .

Dissolution phenomena

Despite the hit, there was a fight in the band; Graeme Douglas said Batt made the band too commercial. He left the Kursaal Flyers and appeared a few weeks later with the early punkers Eddie & the Hot Rods , for whom he also wrote their hit "Do Anything You Wanna Do" . Barry Martin replaced him. A European tour followed to promote the hit, but the end could already be felt.

All efforts to land another hit failed. The manager took a permanent job at Stiff Records . Vic Collins left (and was replaced by John Wicks). The recording sessions for the next LP were canceled and a live album was released instead. During a tour in the fall of 1977 (opening act: the punkers The Cortinas ) singer Shuttleworth had enough. He announced that he wanted to continue solo. The rest of the band agreed to break up.

The Kursaal Flyers were an excellent and popular live band for almost four years - and a great success with the critics; the British music press, always very fond of them, mourned the end of the group. The "Best of" album In for a Spin (1985) shows why. The Kursaal Flyers only sold too few records - but they were more successful than they had ever imagined.

Reunions and other projects

Paul Shuttleworth made a number of solo records on CBS. Will Birch and John Wicks continued with musicians other than The Records and had some success in the US . Birch later became a house producer for Stiff and Demon Records . Barry Martin founded the Making Waves label .

In 1985 the Kursaal Flyers re-formed for a tour to promote In for a Spin ; In 1988 they recorded a new album. In 2001 they went on tour again, together with John Otway , Dr. Feelgood and Canned Heat .

Band members

  • Paul Shuttleworth (born December 24, 1947, London) - vocals
  • Richie Bull (born October 23, 1948, Corringham , Essex ) - Banjo , (from 1975 :) bass
  • Will Birch (born September 12, 1948, London) - drums
  • Vic Collins (born September 10, 1950, Rochford , Essex) - guitar (pedal steel)
  • Graeme Douglas (born January 22, 1950, Rochford, Essex) - guitar (lead), 1973–1976
  • Dave Hatfield - bass, 1973-1975
  • Barry Martin - guitar (from 1976)
  • John Wicks - guitar (1977)

Discography

Singles

  • 1975: Speedway / Chocs Away
  • 1975: Hit Records / Brakeman
  • 1976: Cruisin 'for Love / Slimmin' (for the Women)
  • 1976: Little Does She Know / Drinking Socially
  • 1977: Radio Romance / Girl Talk
  • 1977: The Sky's Falling In on Our Love / Revolver
  • 1977: Television Generation / Revolver
  • 1988: Monster-in-Law / Old Men Need Some Lovin 'Too

Albums

  • 1975: Chocs Away
  • 1975: The Great Artiste
  • 1976: Golden Mile
  • 1977: Five Live Kursaals
  • 1982: The Best of the Kursaal Flyers (compilation)
  • 1985: In for a Spin: The Best of the Kursaal Flyers (compilation, with unreleased titles)
  • 1988: A Former Tour de Force (Is Forced to Tour)
  • 2002: Hit Records - The Best of the Kursaal Flyers (compilation)

Paul Shuttleworth solo singles

  • 1978: Mixed-Up, Shook-Up Girl / Take-Away Love
  • 1979: It Hurts to Be in Love / Clown to the World
  • 1979: Here She Comes Again / Just Another Weekend

Sources / web links