The tornadoes

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The Tornados (not to be confused with the American surf rock band The Tornadoes ) were a British instrumental rock band of the 1960s. The band history began in 1961 with the founding of the British producer Joe Meek and ended with his death in 1967.

history

While looking for a backing band for his numerous contract artists, producer Joe Meek advertised five musicians in 1961. Among others, Clem Cattini and Alan Caddy, who had already played with Johnny Kidd & the Pirates , as well as the German Heinz Burt reported . Burt left the group in 1963 and started a solo career as a singer, but with moderate success. His only widely known title remained Just like Eddie .

The tornadoes could be heard in the background with John Leyton and Billy Fury , among others . Meek, who couldn't play an instrument or sing himself, had a keen sense for music and composed a few tracks himself, which the tornadoes then played.

The first single Love and Fury was not yet successful, but with the second single he succeeded in a stroke of genius. Named after the US communications satellite Telstar , their second instrumental piece was a catchy tune and a million seller . Not only in the UK it was a number one hit in the US, tornadoes were the first British band that there the charts in the pre- Beatlemania spearheaded . In Germany, too, they came 6th with the title and received a gold record from their music label for 500,000 records sold.

Even so, the Tornados continued to be primarily a backing band, and the members changed so quickly that by the end of 1964 there was no musician left from the time of their greatest hit. And their hits went down just as quickly. While Globetrotter was followed by a top 5 hit in England , the next two singles were only in the top 20 and two other singles were only in the top 20.

With Joe Meek's death in 1967, the history of the tornadoes also ended. In 1975 four of the five original members came together again as New Tornados, but their new inclusion by Telstar was hardly noticed. Keyboardist Roger LaVern died on June 15, 2013.

Discography

Albums

  • 1963: Away from It All
  • 1972: Yesterday's Pop Scene
  • 1974: Remembering

EPs

  • 1962: The Sounds of the Tornados
  • 1962: Telstar
  • 1962: More Sounds from the Tornados
  • 1963: Tornado Rock

Singles

year Title
album 		Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
DE DE UK UK
1962 Telstar DE6th
gold
gold

(20 weeks)DE 		UK1 (25 weeks)
UK
Sales: + 500,000
1963 Globetrotter - UK5 (11 weeks)
UK
Robot - UK17 (12 weeks)
UK
The Ice Cream Man - UK18 (9 weeks)
UK
Dragonfly - UK41 (2 weeks)
UK

More singles

  • 1962: Love and Fury
  • 1964: joystick
  • 1964: Monte Carlo
  • 1964: Exodus
  • 1965: Granada
  • 1965: Early Bird
  • 1965: Stingray
  • 1966: Pop Art Goes Mozart
  • 1966: Is That a Ship I Hear
  • 1975: Telstar 75
  • 1989: Telstar (Galactic Mix)

occupation

First occupation

Other members (incomplete)

  • Brian Gregg - bass
  • Ray Randall - bass
  • Bryan Irwin - guitar
  • Stuart Taylor - guitar
  • Roger Warwick - saxophone
  • Dave Watts - keyboard
  • Dave Cameron - guitar

Trivia

Tornados guitarist George Bellamy is the father of Matthew Bellamy , singer and guitarist of the English rock band Muse .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Bronson, Fred: The Billboard Book of Number One Hits . 3rd revised and expanded edition. New York City, New York: Billboard Publications, 1992, p. 120
  2. ↑ Roger LaVern Obituary. In: The Daily Telegraph , June 28, 2013. Accessed online June 28, 2013.
  3. ↑ Chart sources: DE UK
  4. ^ Günter Ehnert: Hit balance sheet - German chart singles 1956-1980 . 1st edition. Verlag popular music-literature, Norderstedt 2000, ISBN 3-922542-24-7 , p. 205 .
  5. ^ Günter Ehnert: Hit balance sheet - German chart singles 1956-1980 . 1st edition. Verlag popular music-literature, Norderstedt 2000, ISBN 3-922542-24-7 , p. 446 .