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The Stargazers are a British rock and roll band.
The band was formed in 1981, some time after the earlier band of the same name had folded. Work on the new band by founder members Ricky Lee Brawn and Peter Davenport began in August 1980 and following a series of auditions Anders Janes, John Wallace and Danny Brittain were added to the line-up. After a succession of concerts and gigs during 1981, Muff Winwood secured The Stargazers a recording contract on the CBS Epic Records (now Sony) records. A total of four 7" records and one 12" album were released, with Groove Baby Groove (Davenport) reaching a chart high of 56, and a cover version of the old Louis Prima song "Hey Marie" just breaking into the top 100. The group became known in the UK for their performances of 1950s style rock and roll. Offering a mixture of original songs, arranged standards and cover versions of 1950s hits, particularly those of Bill Haley & His Comets, after whom the group loosely patterned its appearance and performance style. The 1970s rock and roll scene was dominated by a crowd typically attired in Teddy Boy style, who were in general devotees of the aggressive, hard edged electric rockabilly of Crazy Cavan. The Stargazers aimed for what they regarded as a more accurate and authentic mid 1950s sound and look.
The original line-up ended in 1983. Several attempts at reformation were made during the mid eighties. In 1988-1994, the line-up comprised Davenport on guitar, Brawn on drums, Chris Gardner on piano, Brittain on lead vocals, Wallace on sax and Tim "Trundle" Purkess (previously with the Kentish band Red Hot) on bass. They often headlined major rock'n'roll shows. Further releases on the Ace, Vinyl Japan and Blue Light labels were also well received.
Stargazers' guitarist Davenport toured Great Britain in the early 1990s as a guest member of the Original Comets (he played steel guitar on the live album We're Gonna Party on Hydra Records). Around this time, Comets bass player Marshall Lytle (who had earlier guested on the Stargazers album The Speaking Clock says Rock!) along with partner and drummer Brawn recorded a solo album for the Vinyl Japan label backed by fellow Stargazers member Wallace entitled Air Mail Special (the group took the name "Marshall and the Shooting Stars" for the album). Also during the early '90s, Purkess, Brittain, Wallace and Davenport formed a Stargazers spin-off quartet called The Four Chaps. This act had a humorous, tongue-in-cheek aspect to it and the band would send up old (mostly between the wars) jazz numbers whilst poking fun at themselves, and their audiences. Brawn went on to produce the reunited Comets' 1997 album The House is Rockin for Rockstar Records. Several tracks on this release also features guest appearances from Purkess, as well as Brawn's wife, singer Helen Shadow. Brawn can also be heard playing drums on certain songs.
Other musicians who have at times worked with the band include Alex Bland (sax), Aaron Liddard (sax), Simon Gilby (sax), Big Al Mumbray (sax), Clive Osborne (sax), Jim Russell (drums), Terry Doe (drums), Shaun O'Keefe (drums), John Dillon (drums), Gary Richardson (drums), Bobby Trimble (drums), Marc Breman (guitar), Jim Knowler (guitar), James Compton (piano) and Henri Herbert (piano).
Brawn left the band in 1993 and formed a series of groups including The Big 6 (which again was to feature Janes, and later Purkess, on bass) his "Astrobilly" band, the Space Cadets, and most recently The Shooting Stars. Original bassist Janes went on to join singer/saxophonist Ray Gelato in the Chevalier Brothers and then The Ray Gelato Giants, both swing bands, using the stage name of 'Clark Kent'. He was also involved with the aforementioned Space Cadets. Finally leaving Ray Gelato in 2004, he now manages and plays in the Jazz Dynamos. Wallace resigned in October 2007, to concentrate on his other projects (The Hep Chaps and Heavyshift) and freelance session work.
An offshoot of The Stargazers performing under the name of "The Rock'n'Roll Society" and featuring Brittain, Purkess, Davenport, Jimmy "DaHoof" Russell, Liddard and Herbert was planned for launch in 2008.
In addition to The Stargazers and The Rock'n'Roll Society, Davenport works with the Bill Haley Orchestra in "Rock Around The Clock — The Bill Haley Story", a tribute revue based in Germany. Brittain runs his own music agency (DBBM) and gigs with his London band, The Wild Uncles. Purkess has a joinery firm (producing exhibition plinths and counters) and still does some session work for other outfits.
In September 2011, a collectors edition CD of all the material recorded for Epic Records during the 1981-83 period, was released on Rhythm Rock-It Records, entitled Epic Rock'n'Roll.
After a few line up changes (which included having Henri Herbert on piano for many gigs - playing mostly with the band's alter ego's 'The Rock 'n' Roll Society') the band settled down to a steady gigging six piece who were ready to start recording again in around 2013. This line up consisted of Danny Brittain - original vocalist, Pete Davenport - original guitarist, Tim "Trundle" Purkess - long standing upright bass man, Jim Russell - drums since 2005, Aaron Liddard - sax man of almost 10 years standing and Jamie Rowan - the 'newbie' piano man since 2012. The first recorded offering was a 7" Vinyl 45 'Boo Hoo Hoo' c/w 'Half a Heart' (both original numbers penned by Pete and Danny respectively). It was produced on the band's own label Ruby-Tone Records (named after Tim's Dutch Barge 'Ruby' - as it was Tim who initiated the recordings and founded the label). Next up on Ruby-Tone was another 7" 45 - 'Play My Game' - a collaborative composition based on an Aaron Liddard top line - c/w 'Free Tonight' - a strolling ballad from piano man Jamie.
Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band, founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band was also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets. From late 1954 to late 1956, the group placed nine singles in the top 20, one of those a number one and three more in the top ten. The single "Rock Around the Clock" became the biggest selling rock and roll single in the history of the genre and retained that position for some years.
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.
The Jodimars was an American rock 'n' roll band that was formed in the summer of 1955 and remained active until 1958. The band was created by former members of Bill Haley & His Comets who had quit that group in a salary dispute. The name of the group was derived from the first letters of the first names of the founding members: Joey Ambrose (saxophone), Dick Boccelli, and Marshall Lytle. Other members included Chuck Hess (guitar), Jim Buffington (drums), Bob Simpson (Piano), and Max Daffner (drums).
"Crazy Man, Crazy" was the title of an early rock and roll song written by, and first recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets in April 1953. It is notable as the first recognized rock and roll recording to appear on the national American musical charts, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Juke Box chart for the week ending June 20, 1953, and #11 for two weeks on the Cash Box chart beginning for the week of June 13.
Rock Around the Clock is the third album of rock and roll music by Bill Haley and His Comets. Released by Decca Records in December 1955 it was, like the two albums that preceded it, a compilation album of previously issued singles. All of the album's contents had in fact been previously issued by Decca earlier in 1955 on the album Shake, Rattle and Roll. Unlike the previous release, which was in the 10-inch format, the new album was a full 12-inch release and included additional tracks from 1955. It was also the first Haley album to make the Billboard charts, and was one of the first album releases of the rock and roll genre to do so.
Crazy 8s is an American rock and ska band from Oregon.
Rock with Bill Haley and the Comets is the title of an early rock and roll music compilation album issued by Essex Records in 1954, and featuring music by the titular group, Bill Haley & His Comets. The album features recordings made by Haley in 1952 and 1953, including his hits, "Rock the Joint", "Crazy Man Crazy", "Fractured", and "Live It Up". The album is the earliest known LP release of the rock and roll genre, predating similar releases by Elvis Presley and by Haley himself, as he and his band later went on to Decca Records and recorded "Rock Around the Clock".
Shake, Rattle and Roll is the title of an early rock and roll compilation album issued by Decca Records in 1955, and featuring music by Bill Haley & His Comets. The album, which was issued in a 10-inch format, consisted of recordings previously issued on singles in 1954 and 1955, including the title track, and "Rock Around the Clock", although at the time of this album's release in early 1955, "Rock Around the Clock" had not yet become a major hit. This was Haley's second album, and was one of the first album-length releases of the rock and roll era, predating the release of Elvis Presley's first album by a year.
Rock 'n Roll Stage Show is the first studio album and fourth overall album by rock and roll band Bill Haley and His Comets. Released by Decca Records in August 1956, it was the group's first album to include new, as opposed to previously released material. Although the album spawned several singles, it also featured several album-only tracks.
Rockin' Around the World was the sixth album of rock and roll music by Bill Haley and His Comets. Released in March 1958 on the Decca Records label, Decca 8692, the album was produced by Milt Gabler, who produced all of Haley's recordings for Decca. It was the second of three "themed" albums that Haley produced for the label. This album featured versions of well-known folk songs from around the world, rearranged in rock and roll style, including new lyrics, by Haley and his songwriting partners, Milt Gabler, Rusty Keefer, and Catherine Cafra. It is not known how much, if any, input Haley himself had into the writing process.
Rockin' the Joint is a compilation album of rock and roll music by Bill Haley & His Comets. Released on Decca Records in August 1958, it was the group's seventh album. The album consisted of recordings that, for the most part, had only been released previously as singles or on EPs; all of the recordings were produced by Milt Gabler. The title comes from the album's lead track, a 1957 re-recording of Haley's 1952 hit, "Rock the Joint", which was labelled "New Rock the Joint" on this release. Also included for the first time on album were the hits "See You Later Alligator", "Rip it Up", and "The Saints Rock and Roll". One track, "The Beak Speaks", was an instrumental featuring guitarist Franny Beecher, while "Rock Lomond" was a leftover from the recording sessions for the band's previous album, Rockin' the Oldies and is the only track on the album that had not previously been released. The only track copied from a previous Haley album is "Burn That Candle", which was also included on the Rock Around the Clock compilation.
Bill Haley's Chicks was the eighth album of rock and roll recordings by Bill Haley & His Comets for Decca Records, Decca 8821. Released in January 1959 and produced by Milt Gabler, the album was the third "theme" album Haley recorded for Decca, following Rockin' the Oldies and Rockin' Around the World. This album is built on the theme of women's names, with each song being about a different girl. Included on the album is "Skinny Minnie", which was a major hit for the band in 1958, reaching no.22 on Billboard and no.25 on Cashbox, along with a mixture of originals and cover versions of standards and jazz songs. "Lean Jean", a song musically and thematically almost identical to "Skinny Minnie", also charted in 1958, reaching no. 52 on Cashbox. The song "B.B. Betty", co-written by Bill Haley and released as a Decca 45 single, featured a solo vocal by Haley's steel guitar player, Billy Williamson.
Bill Haley and His Comets is the title of the tenth album of rock and roll recordings by Bill Haley & His Comets. Released in April 1960, it was the band's first album release for Warner Bros. Records, following their departure from Decca Records at the end of 1959. The recordings were produced by George Avakian, who succeeded Haley's Decca producer, Milt Gabler.
"Skinny Minnie" is a 1958 song co-written and recorded by Bill Haley and his Comets. The song was released as a Decca single which became a Top 40 chart hit in the U.S.
"Rudy's Rock" is a 1956 instrumental composed by Bill Haley and Rudy Pompilli and released as a Decca single. The song appeared in the 1956 Columbia Pictures movie Rock Around the Clock.
"Birth of the Boogie" is a 1955 song composed by Bill Haley with Billy Williamson and Johnny Grande. The song was released as a Decca single by Bill Haley and His Comets.
"Two Hound Dogs" is a 1955 rock and roll song composed by Bill Haley and Frank Pingatore. The song was released as a Decca single by Bill Haley and His Comets.
"Real Rock Drive" was the title of an early rock and roll song written by, and first recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets under the name Bill Haley with Haley's Comets in 1952. The song was released as an Essex Records 78 single.
"Live It Up" was the title of an early rock and roll song written by Bill Haley and first recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets under the name Bill Haley with Haley's Comets in 1953. The song was released as an Essex Records 78 single.
"R-O-C-K" is a 1956 rock and roll song recorded and co-written by Bill Haley and released as a Decca single. The song appeared in the 1956 Columbia Pictures movie Rock Around the Clock.
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