 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
The Flying Saucers were an English Teddy Boy rockabilly band from Edmonton, North London, England. The group formed in 1972, released six albums, completed numerous world tours and appeared in the international film Blue Suede Shoes , before disbanding in 1986.
The Flying Saucers were formed in 1972 by bassist Pete Pritchard, drummer Terry Earl, guitarist Chris Townsend, and Rhythm guitarist/ vocalist Alan Jones. Jones and Townsend left the group in 1975 and were replaced by guitarist Nigel "Niggsy" Owen and vocalist Sandy Ford, who remained with the group. Jacko Buddin on saxophone was also added to the line-up around this time. With help from a renewed interest in rockabilly music and The British subculture movement known as Teddy Boy, The Flying Saucers toured Europe and earned recording contracts with EMI Music.
The Flying Saucers are best known for performing in the back of a truck during the 1976 Teddy Boy March in London. This march was part of a successful plan to promote the airplay of rockabilly music on BBC national Radio One. Within a matter of weeks, BBC disc jockeys Stuart Colman and Geoff Barker presented "It's Rock ‘n’ Roll," an hourly show which featured the music of bands making music in the style of 1950s rock music, and a long list of guest performers including The Flying Saucers, Dave Edmunds and Crazy Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers among many others. The 1976 Teddy Boy March is often credited as the spark which ignited the rockabilly revival and explosion in popularity of younger rockabilly acts such as Stray Cats and The Blasters during the early 1980s. Due to polished production and strategic artist promotion from EMI, the band's major label releases are often associated with the new wave scene, which embraced an entirely new generation of rockabilly-inspired groups. In 1980, The Flying Saucers appeared in the film Blue Suede Shoes, which was a documentary on rock and roll directed by Curtis Clark. The film starred notable pioneering rock artists such as Bill Haley & His Comets.
After numerous personnel changes, The Flying Saucers disbanded during the mid-1980s.
Pete Pritchard went on to become a session player and touring bassist, backing guitarist Alvin Lee of Ten Years After and playing bass for Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana and the Jordanaires on several tours. Pritchard was a co-founder of the independent blues record label Alligator Records, which has showcased seasoned artists and offered several new acts their first chance to record. In 2011, Pritchard was inducted into the International Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
The original singer was Alan St John from the days they were called North Nine, before they changed their name to The Flying Saucers. As the only original member of the group, Ford continues to tour and record with a reconstituted version of The Flying Saucers, billed as "Sandy Ford's Flying Saucers".
In 1991, Sandy Ford's Flying Saucers appeared in the British film Buddy's Song , starring Roger Daltrey, Chesney Hawkes, Sharon Duce and Michael Elphick. The film was a sequel to the 1986 BBC television series Buddy , which starred Daltrey in the same role (it featured Wayne Goddard as Buddy, however). Daltrey, Bill Curbishley and Roy Baird acted as producers for the film and Daltrey also served as musical director. The film was accompanied by a soundtrack album which featured Hawkes' hit "The One and Only". It was filmed in London and various towns in the Thames Valley. Starring as a teddy boy rockabilly group, Sandy Ford's Flying Saucers play the roles of themselves in the film. Playing the part of Terry's friends, they offer support by rehearsing with Buddy and becoming his backing band. Buddy contributes vocals and rhythm guitar, while Ford handles lead guitar duties.
Carl Lee Perkins was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, beginning in 1954. Among his best-known songs are "Blue Suede Shoes", "Honey Don't", "Matchbox" and "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby".
Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. including "Stray Cat Strut", "(She's) Sexy + 17", "Look at That Cadillac", "I Won't Stand in Your Way", "Bring It Back Again", and "Rock This Town", which the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has listed as one of the songs that shaped rock and roll.
The Treniers were an American R&B and jump blues musical group led by identical twins Cliff and Claude Trenier. They were originally billed as the Trenier Twins, who performed alongside the Gene Gilbeaux Quartet, but shortened their name to the Treniers when Gilbeaux and other musicians became integral members of the group. Besides the Trenier brothers, group members included Don Hill on saxophone, Shifty Henry and later James (Jimmy) Johnson on bass, Henry (Tucker) Green on drums and Gene Gilbeaux on piano. Later, additional Trenier brothers Milt and Buddy, and nephew Skip, joined the group on vocals, and there were many other musician and line-up changes over the years including Herman Washington and Mickey Baker on guitar.
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blues, leading to what is considered "classic" rock and roll. Some have also described it as a blend of bluegrass with rock and roll. The term "rockabilly" itself is a portmanteau of "rock" and "hillbilly", the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style. Other important influences on rockabilly include western swing, boogie-woogie, jump blues, and electric blues.
David William Edmunds is a Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with pub rock and new wave, having many hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has always been towards 1950s-style rock and roll and rockabilly.
"Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard written and first recorded by American singer, songwriter and guitarist Carl Perkins in 1955. It is considered one of the first rockabilly records, incorporating elements of blues, country and pop music of the time. Perkins' original version of the song appeared on the Cashbox Best Selling Singles list for 16 weeks and spent two weeks at the number two position.
The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, England. They initially found success in the British Invasion era with lead singer Brian Poole, scoring a UK chart-topper in 1963 with "Do You Love Me".
"The One and Only" is the debut single of British singer and actor Chesney Hawkes. Written by Nik Kershaw, the single was released by Chrysalis Records in January 1991. Produced by Kershaw and Alan Shacklock, and recorded and mixed by Gareth Cousins, the song was featured in the 1991 film Buddy's Song which starred Hawkes as the eponymous Buddy and Roger Daltrey as his father. The film performed moderately well at the UK box office, but the song was a hit in that country's music charts, spending five weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart in March and April 1991. Kershaw's influence can also be heard throughout the track not only in guitar style, but in the backing vocals on the intro and choruses, with Hawkes singing the verses.
Nigel Hinton is an English novelist, primarily of fiction for teenagers.
David Eugene Summers was an American rockabilly singer, songwriter and guitarist. His most famous recordings include the late 50s "School of Rock 'n Roll", "Straight Skirt", "Nervous", "Gotta Lotta That", "Twixteen", "Alabama Shake", "Fancy Dan" and his biggest-selling single "Big Blue Diamonds". Summers was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Southern Legends Entertainment & Performing Arts Hall of Fame in 2005. He still performed worldwide and celebrated his 50th anniversary as a recording artist in 2008 with the release of Reminisce Cafe.
"I'm a Man Not a Boy" is the second single by British singer and actor Chesney Hawkes. Written by Hawkes, Nigel Hinton and John Wesley Harding, and produced by Alan Shacklock, it was released in June 1991 by Chrysalis and included in the 1991 film Buddy's Song, with Hawkes as Buddy and Roger Daltrey as his father. The single entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 37 and climbed to a peak position of No. 27 a week later, making it the second of two of Hawkes' singles to enter the top 40.
The Chop Tops were a rockabilly trio from Santa Cruz, California consisting of Sinner, Shelby (guitar), and Josh. The band was formed by Sinner in 1995, Shelby joined in 1999, and Josh took over bass duties in 2014. The band coined the phrase "Revved-Up Rockabilly" to describe their wild, upbeat blend of rockabilly, psychobilly, old punk, teddy boy, and surf music genres. The Chop Tops headlined their own national tours, toured with bands like Mad Sin and the Nekromantix, and opened for many bands including the Dead Kennedys, Suicidal Tendencies, Dick Dale, John Lee Hooker, and Chuck Berry.
William C. Hancock Jr. was an American singer, guitarist, bassist and multi-instrumental recording artist. He has made numerous recordings, primarily in the rockabilly genre but also has a large body of recorded work in rock 'n' roll, blues, jazz, rhythm & blues, and country music. He performed live primarily in the Washington, D.C., area, but also played regularly at European roots music festivals.
Michael Richard Gee was a rock and roll guitarist who played alongside some of the most prominent Welsh musicians of the last forty years.
Crazy Cavan 'n' the Rhythm Rockers were a Welsh rockabilly band associated with the Teddy Boy scene. The band formed in 1970, and were still actively touring and recording before frontman Cavan Grogan's death in 2020.
Buddy's Song is a 1991 British comedy-drama film starring Chesney Hawkes, Roger Daltrey, Sharon Duce and Michael Elphick, based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Nigel Hinton. The film follows a teenage boy, Buddy Clark (Hawkes), who is determined to make it as a pop star, aided by his father Terry (Daltrey). He struggles with young love, estranged parents and the problems associated with making it in the music business.
Alan Albert Shacklock (born 20 June 1950 is an English musician, composer, arranger and recording producer, who lives and works in Nashville, Tennessee. His 1972 song "The Mexican" as performed by Babe Ruth is considered influential in the early development of b-boying and hip-hop culture.
Nachman Fahrner is a contemporary religious Jewish musician in Israel. He is a convert to Judaism. Fahrner's main influences are Elvis Presley, Django Reinhardt, 1940s and 1950s blues, R&B, and rockabilly. He received encouragement from Luther Allison and was a long-time friend of French jazz guitarist Patrick Saussois. Both his musical styles and songwriting distinguish him from other religious musicians who often combine traditional Jewish music with folk/rock elements and choose their lyrics from verses from the Torah.
"Secrets of the Heart" is the third single by British singer and actor Chesney Hawkes. Written by Chesney Hawkes and Nigel Hinton, it was included in the film Buddy's Song, with Hawkes as Buddy and Roger Daltrey as his father. The B-side is a cover of "One World", written and originally recorded by Nik Kershaw from his 1989 album The Works. Released on 16 September 1991, "Secrets of the Heart" peaked at No. 37 on the UK Singles Chart.
Sidney Erwin, known by his stage name Sid King, is an American rockabilly singer and guitarist who recorded in the 1950s as the leader of Sid King and the Five Strings.
