Edison Lighthouse

Tony Burrows in concert - taken on 17 May 2008

Edison Lighthouse was a UK pop group, initially a studio only assemblage that served as a vehicle for session vocalist Tony Burrows and songwriter/record producers Tony Macaulay and Barry Mason. They are best known for their 1970 UK chart-topper and million selling record, "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)".^[1][2]

Career

The 'original' Edison Lighthouse was Tony Burrows (lead vocalist), Stuart Edwards (lead guitar), David Taylor (bass guitar), George Weyman (drums) and Ray Dorey (guitar).^[2] The group's lone Top 40 hit "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)"^[1] (1970) was one of four near contemporaneous UK Singles Chart Top Ten hit singles by Burrows under different names, the others being White Plains' "My Baby Loves Lovin'", The Pipkins' "Gimme Dat Ding", and Brotherhood of Man's "United We Stand".^[3] Burrows was also lead vocalist on the single "Beach Baby" (1974) for another studio only group, The First Class.

"Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" was Number One for five weeks and sold 250,000 copies in the UK.^[2] "Love Grows" raced to the Number One position in its second week on the chart, which was at the time the quickest rise by an act new to the chart.^[4] The United States release was in February 1970 and reached Number 4 in the Billboard Hot 100, selling a million copies there by April earning the R.I.A.A. gold disc^[2]. In Canada the song reached #3.

After the success of "Love Grows", Burrows left to pursue other projects, and Macaulay, who owned the rights to the Edison Lighthouse name, assembled another group of musicians to record under the name^[3]. Members of the group Merlin `Q` were brought in to perpetuate the image of a real working band^[3]. Actor and singer Paul Vigrass replaced Burrows and other members of the re-assembled group were David Kerr-Clemenson (bass guitar), Andy Locke (guitar), Eddie Richards (drums) and Wally Scott (guitar). This second edition of Edison Lighthouse cracked the bottom of the UK Top 50 with the single "It's Up to You Petula". The next single "What's Happening"/ coupled with Take a Little Time, which was written by the band. They then went on to tour Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malasia and Africa. The single released for the Africa tour was "Reconsider my Belinda". The last single released was "Find Mr Zebedee". The band then called it a day after returning from a tour of Europe. Dave Kerr-Clemenson, after touring with White Plains and Andy Locke, went on to form Fast Buck and recorded an album with Jet records for the one and only Don Arden/Sharon's dad and toured the world extensively supporting ELO. Eddie Richards was the drummer in First Class who had a hit with Beach Baby^[1][3].

In 2001, Les Fradkin, obtaining the trademark to the name Edison Lighthouse, formed a new group for touring and recording.

The lack of further chart activity leaves the group with transatlantic one-hit wonder status.

Original band member details

• Tony Burrows (born 14 April 1942, Exeter, Devon)
• Stuart Edwards (born 9 June 1946, Maidenhead, Berkshire)
• David Taylor (born 7 October 1950, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire)
• George Weyman (born 18 May 1949, Herne Bay, Kent)
• Ray Dorey (born 22 February 1949, Windsor, Berkshire)

^[2]

Origin of the name

Edison Lighthouse was named after the Eddystone Lighthouse, a lighthouse off the coast of Cornwall.

See also

• One-hit wonders in the UK
• List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
• UK No.1 Hits of 1970
• List of performers on Top of the Pops
• One-hit wonders in the United States
• List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
• Number 1 Singles in Ireland 1970
• List of Top 25 singles for 1970 in Australia

References

External links

• Allmusic.com biography