Liverpool Express
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:
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Liverpool Express
- Genres: Rock
Biography
Liverpool Express was a successful pop/rock quartet that formed out of the remnants of Rockin' Horse, a short-lived early-'70s oldies-oriented band organized by '60s Liverpool music veterans Jimmy Campbell and Billy Kinsley. Kinsley restarted Rockin' Horse in 1975 with Tony Coates on guitar and vocals, Roger Scott Craig on keyboards, and Derek Cashin on drums, while Kinsley played bass. Signed to British Warner Bros., they had a slow start with the abortive debut single "Smile," but scored with their second record, "You Are My Love," which reached number 11. They became fixtures in the mid-level of the U.K. charts for more than five years, with the occasional run up to the Top Ten, and in later years Cashin was succeeded by Pete Kircher and Coates was replaced by Kenny Parry. Their history came to an end when Kinsley rejoined his '60s outfit the Merseybeats in the early '90s. ~ Bruce Eder, RoviWikipedia on Answers.com:
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Liverpool Express
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| Liverpool Express | |
|---|---|
 Liverpool Express in 1976 |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | L.E.X. |
| Origin | Liverpool, England |
| Genres | Rock, pop |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Labels | Warner Bros. Records, Priority Records, Direct Records, Every Man Records |
| Associated acts | Fortune, The Merseybeats, Harlan Cage, 101 South |
| Website | www.liverpoolexpress.com |
| Members | |
| Billy Kinsley (Bass, Vocals) Kenny Parry (Guitar, Vocals) Dave Goldberg (Keyboards, Vocals) Adam Goldberg (Drums) |
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| Past members | |
| Roger Scott Craig (Keyboards, Vocals) Tony Coates (Guitar, Vocals) Derek Cashin (Drums, Vocals) John Ryan (Drums, Vocals) Kenny Mundye (Drums, Vocals) Pete Kircher (Drums, Vocals) Brian Rawling (Drums, Vocals) Phil Chittick (Drums, Vocals) |
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Liverpool Express (also known as L.E.X.), are a British pop rock band formed in 1975. They are best known for songs such as "You Are My Love" (which Paul McCartney once declared one of his favourite songs),[1] "Every Man Must Have A Dream", and for charting several hits.
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Contents
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History
Their greatest success was found in South America where three of their singles ("You Are My Love", "Every Man Must Have A Dream", and "Dreamin'") reached #1 in the charts.[2] They were the first band to do a major stadium tour there, playing to more than a quarter of a million people.[3]
They appeared on British television quite frequently, and appeared on Top of the Pops on more than one occasion. Whilst away on tour, more TV appearances followed, recording their own TV specials in Brazil, Finland, and for the BBC in the UK.
Liverpool Express toured the UK and parts of Europe with Rod Stewart,[4] and by personal request, played for Prince Charles at a Royal Gala show held in Liverpool. All four band members had previously played with the band The Merseybeats, Billy Kinsley being a co-founding member in the 1960s. In the 1990s, Kinsley re-joined The Merseybeats.[3] Pianist Roger Scott Craig, went on to join Fortune in 1982, and form the bands Harlan Cage in 1996, and 101 South in 2000.[4] He also played and recorded with German singer, Nina Hagen, in the mid 1980s. Their tour schedule included playing to hundreds of thousands of people at the Rock in Rio concert in Brazil.[3]
When Cashin, Coates and Scott Craig left the group, Kinsley recruited musicians, Dave Goldberg (keyboards) and Kenny Parry (guitar). Kinsley, Goldberg and Parry have since remained the three core members of the band. The original line-up were reunited in mid-2002, when Scott Craig came up with the idea of compiling and releasing a 'Best Of' CD, due to fan interest. Over the years, Scott Craig had received e-mails from fans all around the world, telling him how they would like to hear an album of new songs. A year later, Scott Craig and Kinsley met in Liverpool to write and record new material for the album, Once Upon A Time.[2]
Liverpool Express were back on the TV in 2005 when Kellogg's used the song, "It's A Beautiful Day", in their 'Special K-Purple Berries' commercial.[5] A year later, the same song was used for another TV commercial, this time for Bernard Matthews' Big Green Tick campaign.[6]
July 2011 saw the band top the iTunes download charts with "You Are My Love" - a day after a re-run of a Top of the Pops episode they were featured on in 1976, this was shown on the UK channel, BBC 4.[7]
Additional information
- TV presenter and singer, Keith Chegwin, recorded a version of the song, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" in 1977. It was issued as a single and was a hit record in South America. Kinsley and Scott Craig later went on to co-write and produce Chegwin's next single, "Destiny". Chegwin was a friend and fan of the band, having met them on Swap Shop and It's A Knockout.
- Three of their songs were featured in the films: It Lives Again; and the Squeeze.
- During 1977, they played with the German musician, Stefan Hallberg, on his version of "So Here I Go Again" ("Das Kann Nur Mir Passiern"). It was issued as a single on Warner Bros. Records in Germany. They also played on the single's B-side, "Der Fighter" (written by Hallberg).
- In 1979, they changed their name from Liverpool Express to L.E.X.
- During the 1980s, Kinsley and Parry formed a side band with Brian Rawlings (drums), called 'The Cheats', which became popular on the pubs/clubs circuit in and around Merseyside.
- Kinsley played on the same bill as The Beatles many times at the Cavern Club in Liverpool during the early 1960s. He also worked with George Harrison at Apple Records in the late 1960s, whilst working as a session musician. During a recording session with Jackie Lomax, Paul McCartney joined after he married Linda McCartney, which lasted into the early hours.
- The L.E.X. song, "Oh No", was born out of a jam session with McCartney. The jam session had included Kinsley and the drummer, Pete Clarke. It was seven years later when L.E.X. were thinking of songs to write, when Kinsley thought of the song, he knew Pete Clarke had remembered the chorus, and Kinsley wrote additional verses. They contacted McCartney to grant use of the chorus, and it ended up as a B-side to "So Here I Go Again" in August 1977.
Discography
For more details on this topic, see Liverpool Express discography.
See also
References
- ^ Spencer Leigh, Goldmine Magazine
- ^ a b "liverpoolexpress". Cottageviews.com. http://www.cottageviews.com/liverpoolexpress.htm. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
- ^ a b c "Get Ready to ROCK! Interview with Roger Scott Craig of melodic rock band 101 South, January 2010". Getreadytorock.com. http://www.getreadytorock.com/10questions/101south.htm. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
- ^ a b "Liverpool Express". Liverpoolmusic.com. http://www.liverpoolmusic.com/liverpool-express/. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
- ^ Mike Singleton. "Music in TV Adverts & Commercials with MP3 Downloads: Liverpool Express from iTunes & Emusic (Free Trial)". Songofthesalesman.co.uk. http://www.songofthesalesman.co.uk/ad.aspx?partist=Liverpool%20Express. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
- ^ "The Big Green Tick, new from Bernard Matthews Advert, Ad - Bernard Matthews Cooked Poultry Range - Video Clip". Visit4ads.com. http://www.visit4ads.com/advert/The-Big-Green-Tick-new-from-Bernard-Matthews-Bernard-Matthews-Cooked-Poultry-Range/67146. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
- ^ "Yes It's Number One: The disappeared: 1/7/76". Yesitsnumberone.blogspot.com. 2011-07-18. http://yesitsnumberone.blogspot.com/2011/07/disappeared-1776.html. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
External links
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AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists
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Mentioned in
Rockin' Horse
(Rock Band, '70s)
Liverpool Express
(Rock Band, '70s)
Top of the Pops, Vol. 53
(1976 Album by Various Artists)
Billy Kinsley
(Rock Artist)
A Cor Do Som
(Latin Band, '60s-2000s)
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