Liverpool Express

Last updated

Liverpool Express
Also known asL.E.X.
Origin Liverpool, England
Genres Rock, pop
Years active1975–present
Labels Warner Bros. Records, Priority Records, Direct Records, Every Man Records
Members Billy Kinsley (bass, vocals)
Kenny Parry (guitar, vocals)
Dave Goldberg (keyboards, vocals)
Adam Goldberg (drums)
Past members Roger Scott Craig (keyboards, vocals)
Tony Coates (guitar, vocals)
Derek Cashin (drums, vocals)
Peter Phillips (keyboards, guitar, vocals)
John Ryan (drums, vocals)
Kenny Mundye (drums, vocals)
Pete Kircher (drums, vocals)
Brian Rawling (drums, vocals)
Phil Chittick (drums, vocals)
Ian Stirrat (keyboards, vocals, production)
Website liverpoolexpress.com

Liverpool Express (also known as L.E.X.) are a British pop rock band formed in 1975. [1] They are best known for charting hit songs such as "You Are My Love" (which Paul McCartney once declared one of his favourite songs), [2] "Every Man Must Have a Dream", "Hold Tight" and "Dreamin'". [3]

Contents

History

Formation

Musicians Billy Kinsley, Roger Scott Craig, Tony Coates, and Derek Cashin met during a game of football in Liverpool. They decided to form a band which was eventually named Liverpool Express. The song-writing partnership of Kinsley and Craig soon developed when they started getting together in a small rehearsal room at the Bluecoat Chambers in central Liverpool to write and arrange some of the band's early material. [4] Drummer John Ryan joined in 1976.

Success

Before long the band recorded their first album, Tracks , produced by their manager, Hal Carter, who had managed many other successful musical acts, including Billy Fury, Eddie Cochran, Marty Wilde, Brenda Lee, and Johnny Burnette. Carter negotiated a recording deal for the band with Warner Bros. Records and within a matter of six months they had several hit records in the United Kingdom and Europe. The band's success continued when they were asked to support Rod Stewart on his tour of the UK and Europe in November to December 1976. [4]

After their tour with Stewart, the band hit the recording studio to record their second album, Low Profile, in early 1977. They appeared on the major UK TV shows of that era (such as Top of the Pops , Supersonic , Multi-Coloured Swap Shop , and It's a Knockout ), participated in a multitude of charity events, and played at major venues throughout the UK, Scandinavia, and Europe. [4]

South American Tour

Their greatest success came in South America, where they scored two consecutive number one hits, and they toured Brazil in mid-1977. Arriving at Rio de Janeiro Airport, the band were greeted by thousands of hysterical fans. Billy Kinsley said: "It was quite a shock for us to be welcomed to Brazil by so many screaming fans. In fact, we thought someone famous was on our flight and we had no clue what was going on". [4]

As soon as they touched down in Rio, the group were whisked away from the airplane in a fleet of limousines to a televised press conference. During their tour they filmed their own TV special for Rede Globo and made several TV appearances throughout the country. [4]

Roger Scott Craig said: "The show (we did) in Belo Horizonte came to a complete standstill when I started to play our hit record, "You Are My Love", the crowd just went nuts to the point that our singer, Billy, could not even sing the song - he was overwhelmed by the crowd and the tears ran down his face. Astonishing!!! Anyway, I had to keep playing the intro.., until he was able to settle down and get the vocal going! That was something I will never forget - 25,000 people stopping our show and the band coming to a complete halt due to the emotion? There were about 5000 people outside the stadium as well that night who couldn't get in and I remember, as we were leaving, they all seemed to be banging on the roof of our limo as we went back to the hotel!". [5]

Meeting the Prince

Following their successful tour of South America, Liverpool Express returned to the UK to perform some more shows and made further appearances on TV. They also filmed their own TV special for the BBC in Manchester. [4]

In early 1978, Prince Charles specifically requested that Liverpool Express perform for him at the Royal Gala Performance to be held at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool. The band were introduced to the Prince and photographed with him after the show. Around this period, their second album, now titled Dreamin' , found its release, but only in South America. [4]

L.E.X.

During mid- to late 1978, the band decided to abbreviate their name to simply L.E.X. Drummer Pete Kircher joined the band to be the 'studio drummer', and participated in the recording of their third album, L.E.X. , which was produced by Tommy Boyce and Richard Hartley. The album cover art featured the soon-to-be-famous model Jerry Hall, who later married Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones. The group continued to tour and made appearances on the TV shows Get It Together, Star Games, and Multi-Coloured Swap Shop . [4]

The following year, following the release of the new album, there were changes to the line-up. Drummer John Ryan continued playing on the live shows and his mate, guitarist Kenny Parry, replaced Tony Coates. In 1981, Roger Scott Craig emigrated to California. John Ryan joined 'The Swinging Blue Jeans' in 1980 and returned to Australia in 1983 to marry after meeting his future wife whilst on tour in 1983. Kinsley and Parry continued working together as Liverpool Express and enlisted Dave Goldberg on keyboards, Peter Phillips on keyboards and guitar (1985-1994) and Brian Rawling on drums. This line-up released two singles and a charity record during the 1980s. Kinsley, Goldberg and Parry have since remained the three core members of the band, playing with various stand-in drummers. [4]

Reunion

The original line-up of the group were reunited in August 2002, following global fan interest. This led Craig to compile and release The Best of Liverpool Express , which featured a new song, a tribute to The Beatles titled "John George Ringo & Paul". A reunion concert in Liverpool shortly followed, with Craig appearing on stage with current band members Kinsley, Parry, and Dave Goldberg. A year later, Craig and Kinsley met in Liverpool to write and record new material for the album Once Upon a Time, which they self-produced. [4]

Digital chart success - present

During 2006, the song "It's a Beautiful Day" appeared on several TV commercials in the UK and parts of Europe. This led to the track entering the digital download charts.

Five years later, the song "You Are My Love" topped the digital download charts following a re-run of a Top of the Pops episode they had appeared on thirty years before. [6]

The band occasionally plays live gigs in and around Liverpool. The current line-up comprises Billy Kinsley (bass guitar, vocals), Kenny Parry (guitar, vocals), Dave Goldberg (keyboards, vocals), and Dave's son, Adam Goldberg, on drums. [4]

Additional information

Discography

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerry and the Pacemakers</span> British band

Gerry's Pacemakers, known until 2018 as Gerry and the Pacemakers, are a British beat group prominent in the 1960s Merseybeat scene. In common with the Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein, and were recorded by George Martin. Their early successes alongside the Beatles were instrumental in popularizing the Merseybeat sound and launching the wider British beat boom of the mid-1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Echo & the Bunnymen</span> English rock band

Echo & the Bunnymen is an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. By 1980, Pete de Freitas joined as the band's drummer.

The Merseybeats are an English beat band that emerged from the Liverpool Merseybeat scene in the early 1960s, performing at the Cavern Club along with the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, and other similar artists.

William Ellis Kinsley is an English musician, who was lead vocalist and bassist with The Merseybeats until 1966 The group disbanded in January 1966 to resurface as a duo called The Merseys. They recorded The McCoys' song "Sorrow" with the band before embarking on a solo career, where he recorded "Bye Bye Baby", a typical Merseybeat tune, followed by the singles "Annabella", and "You Make My Day".

<i>New Tattoo</i> 2000 studio album by Mötley Crüe

New Tattoo is the eighth studio album by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released in 2000. Artistically, New Tattoo shows the band returning to the earlier musical style that gave them commercial success in the 1980s and early 1990s. This is the only album by the band not to feature drummer Tommy Lee, who left the band a year before, and was replaced by former Ozzy Osbourne drummer Randy Castillo on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Dreamin'</span> Single by the Mamas & the Papas

"California Dreamin'" is a song written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips and first recorded by Barry McGuire. The best-known version is by the Mamas & the Papas, who sang backup on the original version and released it as a single in 1965. The lyrics express the narrator's longing for the warmth of Los Angeles during a cold winter in New York City. It is recorded in the key of C-sharp minor.

Inspiral Carpets are an English rock band, part of the late-1980s/early-1990s Madchester movement. Formed in Oldham in 1983, the band's most successful lineup featured frontman Tom Hingley, drummer Craig Gill, guitarist Graham Lambert, bassist Martyn Walsh and keyboardist Clint Boon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unwritten Law</span> American punk rock band

Unwritten Law is an American punk rock band formed in 1990 in Poway, California by drummer Wade Youman. The band has undergone multiple line-up changes, with Youman the sole remaining original member – however, he has left the group twice in its three-decade history. They are best known for their singles "Seein' Red" and "Save Me ," both of which peaked in the top 5 in the US Modern Rock charts and the former topping it. The band have also toured extensively both nationally and internationally, most notably as part of the Warped Tour. The band has released seven full-length studio albums to date; their most recent, The Hum, was released in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Lace</span> British pop band

Black Lace are a British pop band, best known for novelty party records, including their biggest hit, "Agadoo". The band first came to the public eye after being selected to represent the UK in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, in which they finished seventh with the song "Mary Ann". With numerous line-up changes, Black Lace went on to have success with novelty party anthems such as "Superman" and "Do the Conga".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigel Olsson</span> British drummer

Nigel Olsson is an English rock drummer best known for his long-time affiliation with Elton John. A dynamic drummer and backing vocalist, Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as a member of the Elton John Band alongside bassist Dee Murray.

<i>Time</i> (Fleetwood Mac album) 1995 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Time is the 16th studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 10 October 1995. This album features a unique line-up for the band, featuring the addition of country vocalist Bekka Bramlett and former Traffic guitarist Dave Mason. It was the second album released after the departure of Lindsey Buckingham in 1987, and the only Fleetwood Mac album since 1974's Heroes Are Hard to Find to not feature any contribution from Stevie Nicks. Additionally, it is the final Fleetwood Mac studio album to feature Christine McVie as an official member.

Andy Roberts is an English musician, guitarist and singer-songwriter, perhaps best known for his 37-year partnership with singer Iain Matthews in the English folk rock band, Plainsong.

<i>Tracks</i> (Liverpool Express album) 1976 studio album by Liverpool Express

Tracks is the debut studio album by Liverpool Express, released in June 1976 (UK). It features two of the band's most memorable songs, "You Are My Love" and "Every Man Must Have a Dream", both of which were Top 10 hits in Europe and South America, and Top 20 hits in the UK. Other notable hit singles were "Hold Tight" and "Smile".

Brown Sauce was a pop band, made up of presenters from the television programme, Multi-Coloured Swap Shop. These were Keith Chegwin, Maggie Philbin and Noel Edmonds. They formed for a one-off single in late 1981 called "I Wanna Be a Winner". After that became a hit, they released another in 1982, Spring Has Sprung, but failed to make an impact.

Roger Scott Craig is a Northern Irish musician, songwriter, and composer. He is a former member of the rock bands Liverpool Express, Fortune, Nina Hagen, Harlan Cage, and 101 South.

<i>Dreamin</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Liverpool Express

Dreamin' is the second studio album by Liverpool Express, released in March 1978, in South America only. The album features the band's hit single, "Dreamin'. Other popular song's from this album are: "So Here I Go Again"; "Margie"; "Last Train Home"; and "Songbird, Sing Your Song".

<i>L.E.X.</i> 1979 studio album by Liverpool Express

L.E.X. is the third studio album by Liverpool Express, released in March 1979, in Europe only. Popular song's from this album are: "I Want Nobody But You"; "Games People Play"; and "Take It Easy With My Heart".

<i>The Best of Liverpool Express</i> 2002 greatest hits album by Liverpool Express

The Best of Liverpool Express is a greatest hits compilation album by Liverpool Express, released in August 2002. It features all the band's hit recordings, and one new song, "John George Ringo & Paul" - a tribute to The Beatles.

<i>Once Upon a Time</i> (Liverpool Express album) 2003 studio album by Liverpool Express

Once Upon A Time is the fourth studio album by Liverpool Express, released in August 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junior Walker</span> American musical artist (1931–1995)

Autry DeWalt Mixon Jr., known professionally as Junior Walker, was an American multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who recorded for Motown during the 1960s. He also performed as a session and live-performing saxophonist with the band Foreigner during the 1980s.

References

  1. ↑ Eder, Bruce. "Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  2. ↑ "Official Website". Liverpool Express. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "LIVERPOOL EXPRESS - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Liverpool Express History". Liverpoolexpress.com. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  5. ↑ "10 Questions with Roger Scott Craig". GetReadyToRock. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  6. ↑ "Yes It's Number One: The disappeared: 1/7/76". Yesitsnumberone.blogspot.com. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  7. ↑ Jones, Catherine (18 September 2010). "FLASHBACK: It's Love That Really Counts - the Billy Kinsley story". Liverpool Echo . Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  8. ↑ "Multi-Coloured Swap Shop". The Radio Times. No. 2781. 24 February 1977. p. 16. ISSN   0033-8060 . Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  9. ↑ "Liverpool Express.com » Dreamin'" . Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  10. ↑ "Liverpool Express.com » L.E.X." Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  11. ↑ BBC. "Billy Kinsley". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  12. ↑ "Roger Scott Craig (101 SOUTH) interview". www.rockunited.com. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.