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Joe Brown

 
Artist: Joe Brown
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists

Similar Artists:

Phil Burdett, Cliff Richard, Billy Fury

Worked With:

Vicki Brown, Sam Brown, George Harrison
See Joe Brown Lyrics
  • Born: May 13, 1941, Lincolnshire, England
  • Active: '60s, '70s, '90s
  • Genres: Rock
  • Instrument: Vocals, Guitar
  • Representative Albums: "Hits 'n' Pieces," "On Stage," "The Joe Brown Story"

Biography

Cockney Joe Brown was one of England's top guitar talents of the early '60s. He made his name playing lead on records like Billy Fury's The Sound of Fury before striking out on his own with his band, the Bruvvers. Joe Brown and the Bruvvers were a loud, dexterous topflight band whose main problem was repertoire -- when they weren't doing great songs like "Picture of You" (a fave of the young Paul McCartney), they wasted their time on silly novelty tunes. Brown recorded well into the '70s but has been most successful as a stage actor. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Joe Brown (singer)
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
For other persons named Joe Brown, see Joe Brown (disambiguation).
Joe Brown
Birth name Joseph Roger Brown
Born 13 May 1941 (1941-05-13) (age 68)
Swarby, Lincolnshire, England
Genres Rock and roll
Instruments Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, ukulele, mandolin, fiddle.
Years active 1959 – present
Labels Various
Website www.joebrown.co.uk

Joe Brown, MBE (born Joseph Roger Brown, 13 May 1941,[1] Swarby, Lincolnshire) is an English entertainer of the 1960s and beyond.

Brown has worked as a rock and roll singer and guitarist for more than five decades. He was a stage and television performer in the late 1950s, a UK recording star in the early 1960s, made six films, presented specialist radio series for BBC Radio 2, appeared on the West End stage alongside Dame Anna Neagle and has written an autobiography. In recent years he has again concentrated on recording and performing music, playing two tours of around 100 shows every year and releasing an album almost every year.

Described by the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, as a "chirpy cockney, Brown was one of the original artists managed by the early rock impresario, Larry Parnes".[1]

Contents

Career

Brown's family moved to London when he was two and ran the Sultan public house in Grange Road Plaistow, East London. In 1956, Brown formed The Spacemen skiffle group, which lasted until the U.S.-led the rock-and-roll invasion brought skiffle to a halt. In 1958 Brown was spotted by television producer Jack Good who hired him as lead guitarist in the orchestra of his new TV series, Boy Meets Girls.[2]

Brown signed a management agreement with impressario Larry Parnes and signed to Decca Records. Brown charted with "The Darktown Strutters Ball" in 1960 and had UK Top 10 hits on the Piccadilly label in 1962-63 with "A Picture Of You", "It Only Took A Minute" and "That's What Love Will Do". In April 1961, Piccadilly Records released Brown's "Crazy Mixed Up Kid" as its first single.[3] Brown's recording band was a collection of session musicians and was named The Bruvvers by Good to give Brown the identity of having his own backing band for record releases. It was in 1962 when he needed a band to tour with him that 'Joe Brown and the Bruvvers' was cemented, containing two members of the Spacemen, brothers Tony and Pete Oakman.

Brown was voted 'Top UK Vocal Personality' in the 1962 NME magazine poll.[1] In December 1963, What a Crazy World starring Brown and Marty Wilde, had its world premiere in London.[4] Brown appeared in films, pantomime and stage musicals, notably Charlie Girl in the West End. He presented the children's television series, Joe & Co, on BBC Television, and a daytime quiz show on ITV called Square One, and three series of The Joe Brown Show for ITV.

In 1972, he formed another band, Brown's Home Brew, which played rock and roll, country and gospel music and featured his wife, Vicki Brown, who died of cancer in 1991. Their daughter, Sam Brown, is also a singer and son Pete Brown is a record producer, who produced all but one of Brown's nine most recent albums.

Brown plays acoustic guitar, electric guitar, ukulele, mandolin and fiddle.

George Harrison was best man at Brown's second marriage in 2000. Following Harrison's death from lung cancer on 29 November 2001, Brown appeared with his group at the Concert for George singing "Here Comes the Sun", "That's The Way It Goes" and "I'll See You in My Dreams", accompanying himself on the ukulele, for the latter.

Brown appeared on a track on Harrison's last album, Brainwashed and on two songs on an earlier album Gone Troppo.

Brown performs and makes occasional TV appearances. He is working on a musical, Don't You Rock Me Daddio, with songwriter Roger Cook. In December 2006, he was one of three guest hosts of Sounds of the 60s on BBC Radio 2 during the absence of host Brian Matthew following presenting two series on rock and roll, also for BBC Radio 2.

In 2008 Brown's 50th anniversary celebrations included a UK gold album for sales over 100,000 Joe Brown - The Very Best Of, performed a 37-date spring tour, a concert at the Royal Albert Hall with Mark Knopfler, Jools Holland, Dennis Locorriere, Dave Edmunds, Sam Brown and Chas & Dave and a 36-date autumn-winter tour.

His latest album, More Of The Truth, was released in the UK on 13 October 2008, and early in 2009 the U.S. musical instrument manufacturer, Kala, launched a series of 'Joe Brown' ukuleles. At the Mojo magazine's awards in London on 11 June 2009, Brown was presented with the lifetime award for outstanding contribution to music after 51 years' recording .

Brown was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.[5]

Discography

Singles

  • 1959 "People Gotta Talk" - Decca - F11185
  • 1960 "Jellied Eels" - Decca - F11246
  • 1960 "The Darktown Strutters Ball" - Decca - F11207 UK #34 †
  • 1961 "I'm Henry The Eighth" - Piccadilly - 7N35005
  • 1961 "Crazy Mixed Up Kid" - Piccadilly - 7N35000
  • 1961 "Shine" / "The Switch" - Pye - 7N15322 UK #33
  • 1962 "What A Crazy World We're Livin' In" - Piccadilly - 7N35024 UK #37 †
  • 1962 "A Picture Of You" - Piccadilly - 7N35047 UK #2 †
  • 1962 "Your Tender Look" - Piccadilly - 7N35058 UK #31 †
  • 1962 "It Only Took A Minute" - Piccadilly - 7N35082 UK #6 †
  • 1963 "That's What Love Will Do" - Piccadilly - 7N35106 UK #3 †
  • 1963 "Nature's Time For Love" - Piccadilly - 7N35129 UK #26 †
  • 1963 "Sally Ann" - Piccadilly - 7N35138 UK #28 †
  • 1963 "Little Ukelele" - Piccadilly - 7N35150
  • 1964 "Don't" / "Just Like That" - Piccadilly - 7N35194
  • 1964 "You Do Things To Me" - Piccadilly - 7N35163
  • 1965 "Charlie Girl" - Pye - 7N15983
  • 1965 "Sicilian Tarantella" - Pye - 7N15888
  • 1965 "Teardrops In The Rain" - Pye - 7N15784
  • 1966 "A Satisfied Mind" - Pye - 7N17184
  • 1966 "Little Ray Of Sunshine" - Pye - 7N17135
  • 1966 "Sea Of Heartbreak" - Pye - 7N17074
  • 1967 "With A Little Help From My Friends" - Pye - 7N17339 UK #32
  • 1968 "Davy The Fat Boy" - MCA - MU1030
  • 1969 "Sweet Music" / "Suzanne" - MCA - MU1082
  • 1970 "Molly Perkins" - Penny Farthing - PEN718
  • 1973 "Hey Mama" - Ammo - AMO101 UK #33
  • 1974 "Build A Wall" - Vertigo - 6059110
  • 1974 "Tennessee Mashman" - Vertigo - 6059099
  • 1976 "Always Laughing" - Pinnacle - P8434
  • 1977 "All Things Bright & Beautiful" - Power Exchange - PX261
  • 1977 "The Boxer" - Power Exchange - PX252
  • 1979 "Free Inside" - Acrobat - BAT10
  • 1981 "Hey Mama" - TFC - TFC1
  • 1983 "Give Us A Break" - BBC Records - RESL134
  • 1993 "Come On Joe" - Joe Brown Productions - UGCD001
  • 1997 "Old Chunk Of Coal" - Demon - JBPROMO1
  • 1999 "That's The Way The World Goes Round" - Round Tower Music - RTMS9902CD
  • 1999 "On A Day Like This" - Round Tower Music - RTMS9901CD
  • 2004 "I'll See You In My Dreams" - Track
  • 2006 "One Trick Pony" - Track
  • 2006 "Reuben" - Track
  • 2008 "Everybody's Famous" - Track
  • 2008 "You Were Everywhere" - Track

† - Credited to Joe Brown and the Bruvvers

[6]

Albums

  • 1962 A Picture Of You - Golden Guinea - GGL0146 UK # 3
  • 1962 A Picture of Joe Brown - Decca/Ace Of Clubs - ACL1127
  • 1963 Joe Brown - Live - Piccadilly Records - NPL8005 UK # 14
  • 1963 Joe Brown / Mark Wynter - Golden Guinea - GGL0179
  • 1963 Here Comes Joe - Golden Guinea - GGL0231
  • 1964 Charlie Girl (original cast recording) - CBS CBS2627
  • 1965 What A Crazy World - Golden Guinea - GGL0272
  • 1966 Bits Of Joe Brown - Marble Arch Records - MAL651
  • 1968 Joe Brown - MCA Records - MUPS347
  • 1972 Brown's Home Brew - Bell Records - BELLS208
  • 1974 Together (B. H. Brew) - Vertigo Records - 6360114
  • 1974 The Joe Brown Collection - Golden Hour - GH583
  • 1977 Joe Brown Live - Power Exchange - PXLS2002
  • 1987 Here Comes Joe - Diamond - DLP500
  • 1988 Hits'N'Pieces - PRT Records - PYL4017
  • 1990 A Golden Hour Of - Knight - KGHCD121
  • 1991 Onstage Jet - JETCD1002
  • 1993 Come On Joe - Joe Brown Productions - CDUG001
  • 1993 The Joe Brown Story - Sequel - NED235
  • 1994 Live & In The Studio - See For Miles - C5MCD612
  • 1995 A Picture Of You - Entertainment Today - 5507592
  • 1997 56 & Taller Than You Think - Joe Brown Productions - FIEND790
  • 1999 On A Day Like This - Round Tower Music - RTMCD92
  • 2001 A Showbusiness Lifetime - Joe Brown Productions - UGCD003
  • 2004 Jiggery Pokery - Joe Brown Productions - UGCD005
  • 2004 Hittin The High Spots - Track Records - TRA1051
  • 2006 Down To Earth - Track Records - TRA1057
  • 2008 More Of The Truth - Track Records - TRA1060

[6]

Quotation

“ I have the world's most shocking memory... I only manage to remember the words of my songs because they're in rhyme ! ”

Joe Brown - July 1962 - NME[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Roberts, David (2001). British Hit Singles (14th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 129. ISBN 0-85156-156-X. 
  2. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 71. CN 5585. 
  3. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 93. CN 5585. 
  4. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. pp. 127. CN 5585. 
  5. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 59090, p. 14, 13 June 2009.
  6. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 82. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 
  7. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. pp. 108. CN 5585. 

External links


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