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| 1970s Pic from discogs.com |
Born Anthony Burrows, 14 April 1939 (uses 1942, professionally)** in Exeter, Devon, UK
Bands:
The Kestrels (1956 - 1965)
One And One (1964)
Tony Bond (Solo) (1965)
The Ivy League (early 1966 to mid-1967)
The Flower Pot Men (Sept 1967 - Oct 1969)
White Plains (Oct 1969)
Edison Lighthouse (late 1969 - early 1970)
Brotherhood Of Man (Autumn 1969 - 1970)
The Naked Truth (Jan/Feb 1970)
The Pipkins (Feb/March 1970 - Oct 1971, early 1975)
Currant Kraze (March/April 1970)
Tony Burrows (Solo) (early 1970 - late 1976)
The First Class (1974 - 1978)
Jan And Joey (Autumn 1975)
[Various under Producers/Songwriters Arnold, Martin, and Morrow] (1974-1979, 2016)
Heart To Heart (Spring 1984)
Tony Burrows & The Hit Squad (1999 - 2002)
[Session Vocalist] (1960s - 1990s)
White Plains (reformed) (2004 - 2006, 2013)
The Kestrels (1956 to 1965)
The Kestrels (originally called The Hi-Fi's, then The Beltones) were a harmony group formed in Bristol around 1956. Roger Greenaway, Tony Burrows, and Roger Maggs all met while working at the Bristol-based paper firm E.S.& A Robinson. They had left school at the age of sixteen and secured jobs as trainee reps, often working in the company's postal department. According to Tony in the book Tin Pan Alley: The Rise Of Elton John, it was Roger Greenaway who had introduced him to co-worker Roger Maggs. It was while on duty, sorting letters that the group discovered their knack for harmonizing and soon began rehearsing in the company's basement. Their first gig as The Hi-Fi's took place on 11th Dec 1956, in a local Bristol Church Hall. After a few well-received local gigs, the band decided to add a fourth member to the group; police cadet Geoff Williams.
The foursome changed their name to The Beltones in 1957 and performed often at small clubs, dances, canteens, and factories around their hometown. The group changed their name yet again, settling on The Kestrels (named after a pencil company). The group were soon featured on radio spots and scored a place on The Carroll Levis Discovery Show, a televised youth talent competition. As a result of their popularity on the show, they were discovered by Lord Donegall and signed to his label (Donegall) where they recorded a self-titled EP in February of 1958. Roger Greenaway, who had been conscripted into National Service in 1957, just before their first TV appearance, participated in the recording sessions during leave time. The rest of the group would be called up to join Greenaway in the Army a few months later. Their manager was able to get Greenaway transferred to where the rest were stationed and the group continued on, using their leave days to perform gigs. The Kestrels' first EP didn't fare well with the public, but the fellows at Pye Records liked what they heard and bought out the Kestrels' contract. Now under Pye, the group continued to record, play gigs, and attend TV appearances on their off days. In 1960, after two years of service, the boys were demobbed from the Army and were then able to resume their full-time musical endeavors. The group continued working and recording. After the release of their single "Wolverton Mountain" in June of 1962, Roger Maggs exited the group and was replaced by Pete Gullane. This new lineup then served as the backing band for Lonnie Donegan, appearing on his television program ATV's Putting On The Donegan in July of 1962. They soon became Lonnie's backing band, recording and touring with him. In the Winter of 1963, The Kestrels were invited on tour with Helen Shapiro and her supporting acts, of which there were several: The Kestrels, Kenny Lynch, Danny Williams, Dave Allen, The Honeys, Red Price Band, Billie Davis, and The Beatles. The tour ran from 2nd February to 3rd March 1963. It was on this tour that Roger Greenaway got the inspiration to try his hand at songwriting. Roger's first published song would be "Everything In The Garden", and subsequently recorded by both Petula Clark and Jimmy Justice, and released as a single by The Fourmost a couple of years later. The Kestrels once again joined The Beatles on tour at the end of 1963, but by now the seeds of Beatlemania had sprung. Roger Cook, who had been involved with his own harmony group and a performer in pantomime theater, was asked to join The Kestrels the following year, replacing member Pete Gullane. Within several months of Roger's arrival, the group disbanded with Tony Burrows leaving to sign a solo deal with Decca under the stage name of Tony Bond. Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook, who had co-written the soon-to-be Fortunes hit "You've Got Your Troubles" while on The Kestrels' last tour, went on to form a songwriting partnership. They were then to become known as the recording duo of David and Jonathan, later in 1965, under the production of famed Beatles producer George Martin. Not only did the Rogers become two of the most successful songwriters in music history, but they produced many a band along the way. One of which, of course, was White Plains.
Members:
Roger Greenaway - vocals
Tony Burrows - vocals
Geoff Williams - vocals
Roger Maggs - vocals (up to mid-1962)
Pete Gullane - vocals (mid-1962 to 1964)
Roger Cook - vocals (1964 - 1965)
Albums (UK):
Lonnie Donegan, Sing Hallelujah, Pye, 1962
Smash Hits From The Kestrels, Piccadilly, 1963
Various, The Golden Guinea Smash Hits, Piccadilly, 1963
Various, Smash Hits from The Eagles And The Kestrels, CD, Sequel, 1998
The Kestrels, Still Flying After 50 Years, CD, 2009
EPs (UK):
One And One (1964)
The Ivy League (early 1966 to mid-1967)
Singles (UK):
Flower Pot Men songs with Tony Burrows on lead vocals:
The Kestrels (self-titled)
Tracks:
"Be My Girl" (Artie Singer)
"We Were Wrong" (Roger Maggs)
"I Like Your Kind Of Love" (Melvin Endsley)
"Down By The Riverside" (Larry Spier)
Singles (UK):
"There Comes A Time" (Jack Scott) b/w "In The Chapel In The Moonlight" (Billy Hill), Pye Nixa, Nov 1959
"I Can't Say Goodbye" (De Maya, Crane, Tucker) b/w "We Were Wrong" (Maggs), Pye, Feb 1960
"Sound Off (Duckworth's Chant)" (Duckworth, Lentz) b/w "Can't Say That I Do" (Anthony, Gordon), Decca, March 1961 [as The Four Kestrels]
"All These Things" (Vandyke) b/w "That's It" (Anthony), Decca, Sept 1961
"Wolverton Mountain" (Kilgore, King) b/w "Little Sacka Sugar" (Woody Guthrie), Piccadilly, 28 June 1962
"Don't Want To Cry" (Jimmy Jaques) b/w "Love Me With All Your Heart (Quando Calienta El Sol)" (M. Vaughn, M. Rigual, C. Rigual), Piccadilly, Oct 1962
"Walk Right In" (Darling, Svance) b/w "Moving Up The King's Highway" (Trad.), Piccadilly, Jan 1963
"There's A Place" (Lennon-McCartney) b/w "Little Star" (Levy, Callender, Peabody), Piccadilly, May 1963
"Love Me With All Your Heart (Quando Calienta El Sol)" (M. Vaughn, M. Rigual, C. Rigual) b/w "Lazy River" (Carmichael, Arodin), Piccadilly, 10 Sept 1963
"Dance With Me" (Lebish, Glick, Nahan, Treadwell) b/w "I Want You" (Greenaway, Burrows), Piccadilly, Dec 1963
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| Promo photo, c. 1961 L to R: Tony Burrows, Roger Maggs, Roger Greenaway, and Geoff Williams |
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| LP Cover, 1963 L to R: Roger Greenaway, Tony Burrows, Geoff Williams, and Pete Gullane |
In mid-1964, Roger Greenaway and Tony Burrows recorded a single on Decca Records, as a side project, while still with the vocal group The Kestrels. "I'll Give You Lovin'" was released in August of 1964, produced by Tony Hiller (uncredited). This was their only single release.
Singles (UK):
"I'll Give You Lovin'" (Greenaway, Burrows) b/w "It's Me" (Greenaway, Burrows), Decca, 7 Aug 1964
Tony Bond (Solo) (1965)
After The Kestrels disbanded in early 1965, Tony Burrows was offered a solo contract with Decca. The stage name of Tony Bond was chosen and one LP was recorded and released in 1965.
Albums (UK):
Presenting Tony Bond With The Keating Sound, Decca, 1965
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| LP Cover, 1965 Pic from discogs.com |
In August of 1964, John Carter and Ken Lewis, who had been members of Carter-Lewis and The Southerners and were simultaneously working as session backing vocalists, formed a three-part harmony group with their old acquaintance, Perry Ford. The three worked well together as session vocalists, most notably providing backup on The Who's "I Can't Explain" (recorded in Sept 1964) and Sandie Shaw's "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me" (released 25 Sept 1964). Around the same time, the Southerner's manager suggested recording a single with the new trio and the name The Ivy League was chosen. Their first single "What More Do You Want" was released on 18 Sept 1964. Despite being promoted by Ready Steady Go!, along with frequent radio play, the single failed to chart. Their follow-up single "Funny How Love Can Be" fared much better, peaking at #8 in the UK charts in January/February of 1965. In need of a touring band, the trio brought ex-Southerners bandmate Micky Keen onboard, along with a couple of his Tony Colton and The Crawdaddies bandmates (bassist Dave Wintour and keyboardist Mike O'Neill), plus ex-Tornados drummer, Clem Cattini. The band was named Division Two and the group set off on a successful package tour. That same year, Division Two released an instrumental album called Discotheque under the name The 4 Instants, which was released on the Saga/Society record label. In early 1966, John Carter decided to leave the band, but Ken Lewis and Perry Ford soldiered on. Roger Greenaway (of duo David & Jonathan) was asked to join the group, but turned it down due to his recent success with songwriting partner Roger Cook. Greenaway suggested his old Kestrels bandmate Tony Burrows take the spot and the group became a trio once more. Around this time, a new backing band was brought in by way of group auditions. The Jaybirds were from Nottingham and within a year's time, would evolve into blues rock band Ten Years After. According to Alvin Lee's Site, this was the second time that The Jaybirds had tried their luck at relocating to London. In August of 1965, drummer Ric Lee left his band The Mansfields and joined The Jaybirds, replacing Dave Quickmire. The group then moved to London in early 1966. Chick Churchill, who had been the band's road manager, switched to keyboard player once they joined up with The Ivy League around mid-year. That November, the band signed with a new manager and changed their name to Blues Trip. On 27 May 1967, the band played a gig at the Marquee in London, supporting The Syn, under the name The Bluesyard. They eventually settled on Ten Years After and signed with Decca, releasing their first LP in October of 1967.
Ken Lewis left the band in 1967 and rejoined his songwriting partner, John Carter. Ken was replaced by Neil Landon who had been with a group called Neil Landon & The Burnettes. According to Neil in a 2003 podcast interview with The Purple Haze Archives (Australia), he first met John Carter and Ken Lewis while doing various session work. In 1965, while meeting with fellow band members at Denmark Street's famed musician hangout, La Gioconda, Neil learned that a deal was struck with his band being renamed The Loving Kind and he was about to be pushed out by two new vocalists. Within minutes of finding out this bad news, John Carter appeared and informed Neil that he had been trying to track him down, as there were a couple of songs he'd like Neil to record. Neil happily accepted and was signed to a recording contract. Two solo singles were released in 1966 (January and July) on Decca, both written and produced by Carter and Lewis. Neither of the singles charted. After Neil's joining of the group in 1967, The Ivy League released a few more singles, but none of them made the charts. Burrows and Landon would leave The Ivy League to join The Flower Pot Men in September of 1967. Joining Perry in the late 1960s would be vocalist Bob Carter (aka Bobby Coral [born John Shipp]), formerly of Tommy Bruce and The Bruisers, bassist John Dawson (aka "John Long", future Sight and Sound, Rockin' Berries), and drummer Roger Hall. Other members included Schadel (formerly a psych pop solo artist) and former Ready Steady Go! dancer, Patrick Kerr. Patrick also took on the job of choreographer for the group. Kerr replaced Schadel in early February 1968. Also in 1968, bassist Bill Clarke came onboard after leaving The Wellington Kitch Jump Band (of which drummer Roger Hall had also been a member). Bassist Dave Robin (aka Dave MacDonald) joined the group from 1971 to 1973. Dave's old Harbour Lights bandmate, drummer Dave Buckley, would also join the group in the early '80s and continue on with the band through to the 2000s.
Members (1966-1967):
John Carter - vocals (1964 - Jan 1966)
Ken Lewis - vocals (1964 - 1967)
Perry Ford - vocals (1964 - 1975)
Tony Burrows - vocals (early 1966 - mid-1967)
Neil Landon - vocals (1967)
Division Two (aka The 4 Instants) (1965 - early 1966)
Micky Keen - guitar
Dave Wintour (aka Dave Winters, also Winter) - bass
Mike O'Neil (aka O'Neal) - organ
Clem Cattini - drums
The Jaybirds (aka Ten Years After) (mid-1966 - Nov 1966)
Alvin Lee - guitar
Leo Lyons - bass
Chick Churchill - organ
Ric Lee - drums
Singles (UK) (early 1966 - mid-1967):
"My World Fell Down" (Carter, Stephens) b/w "When You're Young" (Carter, Lewis), Piccadilly, 14 Oct 1966
"Four And Twenty Hours" (Carter, Ford) b/w "Arrivederci Baby" (Carter, Lewis, Ford), Piccadilly, 3 Feb 1967
"Suddenly Things" (Ford) b/w "Tomorrow Is Another Day" (Ford), Piccadilly, 21 July 1967
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| Sheet Music, 1965 L to R: John Carter, Ken Lewis, and Perry Ford |
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| © Photo by Alan Hutchinson The Ivy League c. 1966 L to R: Ken Lewis, Tony Burrows, and Perry Ford |
The Flower Pot Men (September 1967 to October 1969)
The Flower Pot Men started out as a studio project created by John Carter and Ken Lewis (formerly of The Ivy League). Their best known hit, "Let's Go To San Francisco", peaked at number 4 on the UK charts in August of 1967. Because of the success of this single, a touring band was formed with Tony Burrows, Pete Nelson, Robin Shaw, and Neil Landon as the four main vocalists, along with an ever-changing lineup of backing musicians (soon to be known as The Sundial). During the promotional period of the first two singles, the group would mime to the studio recordings for tv appearances, as both had featured John Carter and Ken Lewis on vocals. It wasn't until the third single, "Man Without A Woman" (released 5 April 1968), that Tony Burrows would be featured on lead. This third single wouldn't prove as successful and in July of '68 the single "Piccolo Man", featuring Neil Landon on lead vocals, would be released under the name Friends. By early 1969, Neil Landon had left to join the band Fat Mattress, which he had formed in the Summer of '68 with Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist, Noel Redding. Neil was quickly replaced by backing band member Ricky Wolff. By now the band was under the production team of Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway and one last single was released using the Flower Pot Men name on 28 March 1969, "In A Moment Of Madness". The band continued to tour and in late October they went into the studio to record what would become White Plains' first and biggest hit, "My Baby Loves Lovin'".
Members:
John Carter - vocals (studio only, 1967)
Ken Lewis - vocals (studio only, 1967)
Robin Shaw - vocals, bass (Summer 1967 - Oct 1969)
Tony Burrows - vocals (Sept 1967 - Oct 1969)
Pete Nelson - vocals (Sept 1967 - Oct 1969)
Neil Landon - vocals (Sept 1967 - Jan 1969)
Ricky Wolff - vocals (Jan 1969 - Oct 1969) and guitar, keyboards, flute, sax (Oct 1968 - Oct 1969)
Micky Keen - guitar (studio only, 1967)
Ged Peck - guitar (Sept 1967 - Aug 1968)
Mick Stewart - guitar (Aug 1968 - Sept 1968)
Robin Box - guitar (Sept 1968 - Nov 1969)
Nick Simper - bass (Sept 1967 - late Feb 1968)
Tex Makins - bass (March - May 1968, July - Aug 1968)
Gordon Haskell - bass (May-July 1968, Sept-mid Oct 1968)
Billy Davidson - keyboards (Sept 1967 - Jan 1968)
Jon Lord - keyboards (Jan 1968 - late Feb 1968)
Johnny Carroll - keyboards (March 1968 - May 1968)
Tony Hall - tenor sax (Sept 1968 - early Oct 1968)
Carlo Little - drums (Sept 1967 - Sept 1968)
Roger Hills- drums (Sept 1968 - Oct 1969)
Singles (UK):
"Let's Go To San Francisco (Part 1)" (Carter, Lewis) b/w "Let's Go To San Francisco (Part 2)" (Carter, Lewis), Deram, 4 Aug 1967
"A Walk In The Sky" (Carter, Lewis, Alquist) b/w "Am I Losing You" (Carter), Deram, 10 Nov 1967
"Man Without A Woman" (Carter, Alquist) b/w "You Can Never Be Wrong" (Carter, Lewis, Alquist), Deram, 5 April 1968
"Piccolo Man" (Carter, Lewis, Alquist) b/w "Mythological Sunday" (Carter, Alquist), Deram, 19 July 1968 [as Friends]
"In A Moment Of Madness" (Cook, Greenaway) b/w "Young Birds Fly" (Swofford), Deram, 28 March 1969 [Recorded on 17 Feb 1969]
Flower Pot Men songs with Tony Burrows on lead vocals:
"Am I Losing You" (B-side)
"Man Without A Woman" (Single)
"Mythological Sunday" (also with Robin Shaw and Neil Landon) (B-side)
"Young Birds Fly" (also with Ricky Wolff) (B-side)
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| Promo photo, 1967 L to R: Robin Shaw, Tony Burrows, Neil Landon, and Pete Nelson |
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| Circa 1967 Photo from Jukebox Magazine, Dec 1992 |
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| c. March 1969 L to R: Tony Burrows, Ricky Wolff, Robin Shaw, and Pete Nelson |
White Plains (October 1969)
See Full Biography HERE
In early 1969, Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook took over as Producers of the Flower Pot Men from John Carter and Ken Lewis. On 28 March 1969, one last single "In A Moment Of Madness" was released, but the track failed to chart. Early that Summer, after what he describes as a "particularly harrowing" tour of Israel and Hungary, Tony Burrows made the decision to leave the group. It's not known exactly when Tony stopped gigging with the group, but they continued to play live shows throughout the rest of the year. The Producers sought to give a hit recording one last shot and White Plains were regrouped that October to record four new tracks with Ricky Wolff on lead vocals: "Today I Killed A Man I Didn't Know", "You've Got Your Troubles", "Show Me Your Hand", and "My Baby Loves Lovin'". The group played at least one gig after these recordings that November (Middlesbrough Showboat on 21st November 1969). By the end of the year, the band had dissolved and the recordings were shelved. Not long after, Decca A&R man, Dick Rowe, decided he wanted to release these recordings under a new name and chose White Plains after the town in New York. Their first single was "My Baby Loves Lovin'", purposely released after the holidays on 2 January 1970. The song became a hit in the UK and White Plains were invited to perform on Top of the Pops for the first time on 12 February 1970. Due to Ricky Wolff being unavailable during the early promo period, Roger Greenaway took over on lead vocals for all promotional appearances. Roger sang live for their first two TOTP performances that February. Tony Burrows agreed to rejoin the group and performed alongside Roger, Pete Nelson, and Robin Shaw for TV appearances only. Upon Ricky's return in early Spring, Roger resumed his main position as co-producer. By then, Tony had moved on to focusing on his solo career, along with another Greenaway side project: The Pipkins.
Upon tracing back interviews given by Tony Burrows while "My Baby Loves Lovin'" was still climbing the charts, it becomes apparent that it was Tony who first gave himself the group's lead vocalist credit. A 7th Feb 1970 article in the Record Mirror refers to Tony as the vocalist of the group and quotes him as saying he's "featured on another half dozen discs for release fairly soon!" However, in an NME article the following week (14th Feb 1970), it's stated that Roger Greenaway sings lead on the record, "but doesn't plan to tour with the group." It's not known why there were two opposing lead vocalist stories given to the press just a week apart (one by Tony, the other by the band's manager). It was not Tony, but Roger Greenaway who took over on lead vocals (along with Pete Nelson and Robin Shaw) during the initial promotional period. Later, in the programme for the NME Poll-Winners Concert given on 3rd May 1970, it's noted in the band bio that Decca "admit they can't keep track of what's going on in the group." Regardless of what the official story was at the time, the press focus was quickly drawn solely to Mr. Burrows. Greenaway and Burrows continued to tell the press it was Tony on lead throughout the following decades. However, their stories have evolved over the years.
It appears that in the 1990s, Tony was giving a co-credit to Ricky Wolff for lead vocals. Although, two different stories were given at the time. One, given during a BBC interview, was that he and Ricky both sang lead, but Decca preferred his voice be mixed to the front. The second story was told to writer Gordon Pogoda at Varese Sarabande records, who interviewed Tony and wrote the liner notes for the CD release Bubblegum Classics Vol. 5: The Voice Of Tony Burrows (1996). The liner notes state: "White South African singer Rick Wolff shared the lead with Burrows. Tony sang the verses and Rick performed lead vocals on the choruses (Tony sang backup)." This, of course, can be proven untrue simply by listening to the track. The truth was put into print in 2015 when Cherry Red Records (under their 7Ts label) released the compilation CD White Plains: The Deram Records Singles Collection. Writer Phil Hendriks, who researched and wrote the accompanying booklet, stated: "Contrary to popular myth, we are assured that the lead vocals were performed by Ricky Wolff, with Tony Burrows doubling him on the chorus."
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| Liner notes written by Phil Hendriks, 2014 |
Ricky's lead vocals on the song were also confirmed by Producer Roger Cook in a 19 October 2017 episode of The Strange Brew podcast. The interview can be found HERE around the 34 minute mark.
Quote from the interview:
Interviewer: "That was an off-shoot of Flower Pot Men?"
Roger Cook: "Yes it was. With a different lead singer. What was his name? He came from South Africa. Nice lad. I think he's back there now."
Previously, in a 5th December 1970 issue of the NME, it was stated that "the group is eager to explain... Tony Burrows did not sing lead on their first single, "My Baby Loves Lovin'"." Robin Shaw laments in the same article that they explain such things "at every interview, but no one seems to print it." It doesn't appear that the band members themselves were on board with the Tony Burrows story. Why Tony ended up with the lead vocalist credit, in lieu of the man who had performed on TV as the group's leader, is a mystery. One can speculate that it was originally a story concocted by the Producers (or perhaps Decca) in order to help prop up Tony's popularity as a "Super Session Man" and to help sell the single. After all, the group was in need of someone to take the credit for the lead vocals in order to properly promote the record. It's quite possible that the story was quickly changed in the week leading up to their first TOTP appearance on 12 February. Tony had recently appeared on the show with two other groups (Edison Lighthouse and Brotherhood of Man), which may have spurred the decision to put Roger Greenaway at the forefront. Roger continued on as the leader of the group for the initial promo period. Why Tony continues to claim lead vocalist status on the original track is not known. Tony did, however, sing lead on the White Plains album track "Young Birds Fly", which had been previously released as a Flower Pot Men B-side in March of 1969. He also duets with Ricky Wolff during the middle section of "Today I Killed A Man I Didn't Know" and lends backing vocals to a few other early White Plains tracks.
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| Cutting from the 5th Dec 1970 issue of the NME |
Members (1969):
Albums (UK):
Pete Nelson - vocals, rhythm guitar, piano (1969-1974, 1978)
Ricky Wolff - vocals, rhythm guitar, sax, keyboards, flute (1969 - early 1971)
Tony Burrows - vocals (1969)
Robin Shaw - bass, vocals (1969 - late 1973)
Robin Box - guitar, vocals (1969-1974, 1978)
Roger Hills - drums (1969, mid 1970 - mid 1973)
Albums (UK):
White Plains (self-titled), Deram, Sept 1970
White Plains songs with Tony Burrows on lead vocals:
However, in the 7th Nov 1970 issue of Mirabelle Tony stated: "One night on Top of the Pops, I was on with one group and I had to do a very quick change of clothes to appear with another. I was a little puzzled at first and it was very hard to keep everything together." And in the 7th Feb 1970 issue of Record Mirror, it's stated: "In fact, last week's edition of TOTP included Tony singing with two groups - for he also sings the lead vocal on the Brotherhood of Man release, used last week as the programme's tip for the top." It's not clear at what point Tony began stating it was three groups, instead of two. But, it's evident that the story evolved at some point in the following decade. Whether it was a fabrication or a case of misremembering, only Tony knows for sure.
Brotherhood Of Man (Autumn 1969 to 1970)
Brotherhood Of Man was a studio creation of Producer/Songwriter Tony Hiller. The group members were John Goodison (aka Johnny B Great, Peter Simons), Roger Greenaway, Tony Burrows, Sue Glover, and Sunny Leslie. Their first single "Love One Another" was released in October of 1969 on Deram records, but failed to chart. Their follow-up single "United We Stand", released in January of 1970, became a world-wide hit, reaching #10 in the UK and #13 in the US charts. Tony left the group before they released their third single in late Spring of that year, "Where Are You Going To My Love?". A full album, United We Stand, was released later that Summer. Several lineup changes occurred over the next couple of years, with Goodison being replaced by Hal Atkinson in early 1971 and Russell Stone taking over from Roger Greenaway by mid-year. After several more singles with only one more minor hit ("Reach Out Your Hand"), the Brotherhood of Man disbanded. A new lineup was soon put together by Tony Hiller in 1972, with Martin Lee, Lee Sheridan, and Nicky Stevens. After a few more singles, but not much success, singer Sandra Stevens was added to the lineup. This new lineup released "When Love Catches Up On You" in January of 1974. After a couple of successful hits in Europe and an album release (Good Things Happening), the band appeared on Eurovision and won the title in April 1976 with the Lee Sheridan penned song "Save Your Kisses For Me". The single was released on 12 March 1976, just before the contest finals. The song became a huge success, reaching #1 in the UK, Belgium, France, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, and Spain. It became a moderate success in the US, reaching #27 on the charts. Over the next six years, the group would release ten albums and twelve more singles. In early 1982, Lee Sheridan left the group and Barry Upton took over. The band was then signed to EMI and a new single, "Lightning Flash", was released in May. Another attempt at winning the Eurovision contest took place in 1983 with the track "When The Kissing Stops", but the song came in 5th place during the finals. The song was released as a single in June of 1983, along with their album Lightning Flash, but neither was able to crack the charts and the band split up. The band reformed with Sheridan replacing Upton in 1985. The band the toured the reunion circuit. In 1991, the band re-recorded their hits for an album, which saw a limited release. Another limited-release album was recorded in 1997, which also featured re-recordings of their hits, along with newly recorded cover songs. Through the early to mid-2000s, the band continued to tour and released a final album called The Seventies Story, which was based off the group's live shows.
Members (Autumn 1969 - Spring 1970):
John Goodison - vocals
Roger Greenaway - vocals
Tony Burrows - vocals
Sue Glover - vocals
Sunny Leslie - vocals
Albums (UK) (1970):
"Young Birds Fly" (Swofford) (Album track)
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| Tony on TOTP with White Plains, 12 Feb 1970 L to R: Roger Greenaway, Pete Nelson, Robin Shaw, and Tony Burrows |
Edison Lighthouse (late 1969 to early 1970)
Windsor band Greenfield Hammer was formed in 1968. The band played local gigs and recorded one record, which according to Ray Dorey, "didn't get anywhere". The members were Ray Dorey (who worked as both a draughtsman and a model), Stuart Edwards and George Weyman (who both worked at the Gerry Anderson TV Studio [AFP/Century 21] in Slough), and 19 year old bassist Dave Taylor. In November of 1969, Producer Tony Macaulay asked session vocalist Tony Burrows to lend his voice to the demo of "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)". The song had originally been intended to be recorded by The Flying Machine, but the group refused to move over to Bell Records with their Producer Tony Macaulay. Macaulay left for Bell with the song and the group and their manager stayed on with Pye. It was also reportedly offered to The Grass Roots, but they turned it down. It was Tony Burrows' hope that the song would be released as a solo single, but Macaulay insisted it would work better as a band release. According to an article in the 7 Feb 1970 issue of Disc & Music Echo, the auditions were held to find the band that would become Edison Lighthouse that same month (although, the band states it was December). Their agent had met Tony Macaulay and Barry Mason and arranged for them to audition at The Roebuck pub on Tottenham Court Road in London. The band passed their audition and were hurriedly brought in to back Tony in the studio**. The single was quickly recorded and was set to be released on Bell Records on 9 January 1970. Macaulay soon got the call for the band to appear on Top of the Pops. According to Macaulay in the liner notes of The Voice Of Tony Burrows CD, he was taken by surprise by the invite and rushed to provide the band with new stage clothes. Edison Lighthouse performed on Top of the Pops for the first time on 8 January 1970, the day before their single was released. The single "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" quickly shot up the charts, landing at number one during the last week of January 1970, staying there for five weeks straight. Edison Lighthouse made two more TOTP appearances: one in late January and the last in the first week of February, just after the group shot to number one in the charts. The band also appeared on BBC1's Crackerjack and BBC2's Music Now: Music On 2 early that year.
Tony Burrows, who was also doing promotional work for The Brotherhood Of Man at that time, along with starting to focus on a solo career, did not want to tour with the band. Edison Lighthouse took off on tour (sans Burrows), playing their first gig on Sunday 8 February 1970 at Coventry Locarno. The band soon brought keyboardist/vocalist Malcolm Holland onboard to supplement their sound and the group toured mainly in the UK and Europe over the next year. They released another track called "She Works In A Woman's way", which saw a release in USA, Spain, Japan, and Australia, but not the UK. According to the band, they decided not to continue on due to waning interest, but according to other accounts, they were let go. By December 1970, Producer/Manager Tony Macaulay had brought on another already established band called Merlin Q, which included Andy Locke (guitar, vocals), Eddie Richards (drums), Dave Kerr-Clemenson (bass, vocals), and Wally Scott (guitar, vocals). Singer Paul Vigrass soon joined them on lead. This new version of the group released the moderately successful single "It's Up To You Petula" in January of 1971, followed by "What's Happening?". The band toured Australia and the Asia Pacific, followed by a tour of Africa. Their last single was "Find Mr. Zebedee", which features bassist Dave Kerr-Clemenson on lead vocals, was released in early February 1972. By 1973, the group had disbanded. Dave Kerr-Clemenson would eventually join White Plains in late 1973, after the exit of Robin Shaw.
After parting ways with Tony Macaulay, the original members of the band released two singles under the name of Edison: "Everybody Knows" (released February 1971) and "Hawaiian Island" (released 23 July 1971). Replacing lead guitarist Stuart Edwards was John Lee. It's not known if Malcolm Holland stayed on with the group after the name change.
** It must be noted that Tony Burrows claims that it was the demo that was released as the single (remarking that Producer Tony Macaulay didn't think it could be improved upon) and that Greenfield Hammer were not a part of that recording session. And according to Tony Macaulay in a 1996 interview, the band was auditioned a week before the TOTP appearance and quickly taught the song, which had already been recorded. However, it's often written that the band was found after the song became a hit. But, with their appearance taking place the day before the single's release, that would have been impossible.
Members (1969 - late 1970):
Tony Burrows - lead vocals (studio/promotional only, 1969-1970)
Ray Dorey - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Stuart Edwards - lead guitar
Dave Taylor - bass
Malcolm Holland - vocals, keyboards (from July 1970)
George Weyman - drums
Singles (UK and USA) (1970):
"Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" (Mason, Macaulay) b/w "Every Lonely Day" (Mason, Manger), Bell, UK, 9 Jan 1970
"She Works In A Woman's Way" (Mason, Macaulay) b/w "It's Gonna Be A Lonely Summer" (Mason, Macaulay), Bell, USA, July 1970
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| Promo, early 1970 Clockwise from Left: Dave Taylor, George Weyman, Ray Dorey, and Tony Burrows |
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| Fabulous 208 cover, 27 June 1970 L t R: Ray Dorey, Dave Taylor, George Weyman, and Stuart Edwards |
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| Second lineup, c. 1971 Clockwise from Left: Dave Kerr-Clemenson, Wally Scott, Andy Locke, Eddie Richards, and Paul Vigrass |
A myth, perpetuated by Tony Burrows himself, is that he performed with three different bands on one episode of TOTP. This was later found not to be true.
8 Jan 1970 - Edison Lighthouse (Live)
29 Jan 1970 - Edison Lighthouse (Disc only during charts), Brotherhood Of Man (Live), Edison Lighthouse (Live)
5 Feb 1970 - Edison Lighthouse (Live)
12 Feb 1970 - Edison Lighthouse (Repeat), White Plains (Live)
19 Feb 1970 - Edison Lighthouse (Disc only during opening & end credits), Brotherhood Of Man (Repeat)
26 Feb 1970 - Edison Lighthouse (Disc only during opening & end credits), White Plains (Live)
25 Dec 1970 - Edison Lighthouse (Repeat)
(Note: Tony Burrows' Wikipedia page gets it wrong and counts the disc only plays and repeats as live performances).
It's very possible that this wasn't a fabrication by Tony, but a case of him misremembering. In the 7 Feb 1970 issue of Disc magazine this blurb appears:
"INCREDIBLE quick-change routine for Tony Burrows on last week's "Top of The Pops." He had about three minutes to switch from his Brotherhood of Man stage clothes into a different outfit for the Edison Lighthouse appearance. Then he had to change back to tape another Brotherhood spot!"
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| Cutting from the Scene section of Disc and Music Echo, 7th Feb 1970 |
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| Cutting from Mirabelle magazine, 7th Nov 1970 |
Brotherhood Of Man (Autumn 1969 to 1970)
Brotherhood Of Man was a studio creation of Producer/Songwriter Tony Hiller. The group members were John Goodison (aka Johnny B Great, Peter Simons), Roger Greenaway, Tony Burrows, Sue Glover, and Sunny Leslie. Their first single "Love One Another" was released in October of 1969 on Deram records, but failed to chart. Their follow-up single "United We Stand", released in January of 1970, became a world-wide hit, reaching #10 in the UK and #13 in the US charts. Tony left the group before they released their third single in late Spring of that year, "Where Are You Going To My Love?". A full album, United We Stand, was released later that Summer. Several lineup changes occurred over the next couple of years, with Goodison being replaced by Hal Atkinson in early 1971 and Russell Stone taking over from Roger Greenaway by mid-year. After several more singles with only one more minor hit ("Reach Out Your Hand"), the Brotherhood of Man disbanded. A new lineup was soon put together by Tony Hiller in 1972, with Martin Lee, Lee Sheridan, and Nicky Stevens. After a few more singles, but not much success, singer Sandra Stevens was added to the lineup. This new lineup released "When Love Catches Up On You" in January of 1974. After a couple of successful hits in Europe and an album release (Good Things Happening), the band appeared on Eurovision and won the title in April 1976 with the Lee Sheridan penned song "Save Your Kisses For Me". The single was released on 12 March 1976, just before the contest finals. The song became a huge success, reaching #1 in the UK, Belgium, France, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, and Spain. It became a moderate success in the US, reaching #27 on the charts. Over the next six years, the group would release ten albums and twelve more singles. In early 1982, Lee Sheridan left the group and Barry Upton took over. The band was then signed to EMI and a new single, "Lightning Flash", was released in May. Another attempt at winning the Eurovision contest took place in 1983 with the track "When The Kissing Stops", but the song came in 5th place during the finals. The song was released as a single in June of 1983, along with their album Lightning Flash, but neither was able to crack the charts and the band split up. The band reformed with Sheridan replacing Upton in 1985. The band the toured the reunion circuit. In 1991, the band re-recorded their hits for an album, which saw a limited release. Another limited-release album was recorded in 1997, which also featured re-recordings of their hits, along with newly recorded cover songs. Through the early to mid-2000s, the band continued to tour and released a final album called The Seventies Story, which was based off the group's live shows.
Members (Autumn 1969 - Spring 1970):
John Goodison - vocals
Roger Greenaway - vocals
Tony Burrows - vocals
Sue Glover - vocals
Sunny Leslie - vocals
Albums (UK) (1970):
United We Stand, Deram, 1970
Singles (UK) (1969 - 1970):
Singles (UK) (1969 - 1970):
"Love One Another" (Hiller, Simons) b/w "A Little Bit Of Heaven" (Hiller, Simons), Deram, 10 Oct 1969
"United We Stand" (Hiller, Simons) b/w "Say A Prayer" (Hiller, Simons), Deram, 23 Jan 1970
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| On TOTP, 29th Jan 1970 Tony Burrows and Sunny Leslie |
The Naked Truth (January/February 1970)
The Naked Truth is a studio duo made up of session vocalist Tony Burrows and vocalist/Producer/Songwriter Roger Greenaway. One single entitled "Two Little Rooms", produced by Tony Hiller, was released on Deram in February of 1970. The A-side features Roger Greenaway on lead vocals. The B-side features Tony Burrows, doing his best Frankie Valli impression.
Members:
Members:
Tony Burrows - lead vocals
Roger Greenaway - lead vocals
Singles (UK):
Singles (UK):
"Two Little Rooms" (Woods) b/w "Rag Doll Boy" (Salisbury), Deram, 20 Feb 1970
The Pipkins (Feb/March 1970 to October 1971, May 1975)
The Pipkins were a novelty act consisting of singer Tony Burrows and singer/Producer/Songwriter Roger Greenaway. Their first single was "Gimme Dat Ding" composed by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood and produced by John Burgess. The original song was performed by Freddie Garrity and appeared on the 1970 children's album Oliver In The Overworld. Greenaway (aka "Pip") sang with a child-like high-pitched voice, while Burrows (aka "Kin") sang with a deep, gravelly voice. The song reached #6 in the UK and #9 in the US. It was used as a commercial jingle ("Gimme Dat Ring") by Coca-Cola to introduce their new pull-off ring tabs. During the promotional period, the duo performed dressed in their Pipkins costumes, which were oversized clown-like trousers, suspenders, and striped shirts. The band released one main album called Gimme Dat Ding in 1970. Another album, which was a split LP with the band The Sweet (also called Gimme Dat Ding) was released in 1971. The duo released three more singles and seemingly disappeared in late 1971. In May of 1975, The Pipkins resurfaced once more with a cover of the Ohio Express song "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy", released on UK Bell Records.
Members:
Roger Greenaway - vocals
Tony Burrows - vocals
Albums (UK):
Gimme Dat Ding, Columbia, 1970
Gimme Dat Ding, Music For Pleasure, 1971 (Split LP with The Sweet)
Singles (UK):
"Gimme Dat Ding" (Hammond, Hazlewood) b/w "To Love You" (Cook, Greenaway), Columbia, 6 March 1970
"Yakety Yak" (Leiber, Stoller) b/w "Sugar And Spice" (Cook, Greenaway, Easterby), Columbia, 17 July 1970
"Pipkins Maxi Party: Mama Told Me Not To Come/Give Me Just A Little More Time/Yellow River" b/w "Pipkins Maxi Party: In The Summertime/My Baby Loves Lovin'/Melting Pot", Columbia, 30 Oct 1970
"Gonna Give Up Smoking And Take Up Lovin' With You" (Cook, Greenaway, Rae) b/w "Hole In The Middle" (Spiro, King), Columbia, 1 Oct 1971
"Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" (Resnick, Levine) b/w "Play Me Dat Music" (Gerry Butler), Bell, 2 May 1975
Members:
Roger Greenaway - vocals
Tony Burrows - vocals
Albums (UK):
Gimme Dat Ding, Columbia, 1970
Gimme Dat Ding, Music For Pleasure, 1971 (Split LP with The Sweet)
Singles (UK):
"Gimme Dat Ding" (Hammond, Hazlewood) b/w "To Love You" (Cook, Greenaway), Columbia, 6 March 1970
"Yakety Yak" (Leiber, Stoller) b/w "Sugar And Spice" (Cook, Greenaway, Easterby), Columbia, 17 July 1970
"Pipkins Maxi Party: Mama Told Me Not To Come/Give Me Just A Little More Time/Yellow River" b/w "Pipkins Maxi Party: In The Summertime/My Baby Loves Lovin'/Melting Pot", Columbia, 30 Oct 1970
"Gonna Give Up Smoking And Take Up Lovin' With You" (Cook, Greenaway, Rae) b/w "Hole In The Middle" (Spiro, King), Columbia, 1 Oct 1971
"Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" (Resnick, Levine) b/w "Play Me Dat Music" (Gerry Butler), Bell, 2 May 1975
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| Pic from the split Sweet/Pipkins LP, 1971 Tony Burrows and Roger Greenaway |
Currant Kraze (March/April 1970)
Members:
Currant Kraze were a studio creation of Producers Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. One single was released in April of 1970. The group consisted of the same group of session vocalists as Brotherhood Of Man with the addition of Roger Cook as the 2nd lead vocalist. The A-side features Roger Greenaway on lead vocals, along with John Goodison, while Roger Cook leads on the B-side.
Members:
Roger Greenaway - lead vocals
Roger Cook - lead vocals
John Goodison - vocals (lead on bridge of "Lady Pearl")
Tony Burrows - vocals
Sue Glover - vocals
Sunny Leslie - vocals
Singles (UK):
Tony Burrows (Solo) (early 1970 to late 1976)
"Lady Pearl" (Cook, Greenaway) b/w "Breaking The Heart Of A Good Man" (Cook, Greenaway), Deram, 17 April 1970
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| Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook, January 1972 |
Tony Burrows (Solo) (early 1970 to late 1976)
After the last Flower Pot Men recording session on 26 October 1969, Tony decided to leave the group, as he did not want to tour with a band anymore and wanted to start focusing on a solo career. After doing promotional stints with White Plains, Brotherhood Of Man, and Edison Lighthouse in early 1970, Tony set his sights on releasing his first solo single under his real name (see Tony Bond section above). The track "Melanie Makes Me Smile", penned by Mason and Macaulay, was released in May, but didn't fare as well as expected in the UK charts and stalled at #87 in the US. Tony would release ten singles between 1970 and 1976. None of which managed to crack the UK top 10.
Singles (UK):
"Melanie Makes Me Smile" (Mason, Macaulay) b/w "I'll Get Along Somehow Girl" (Mason, Vanessa Macaulay), Bell, 3 April 1970
"Every Little Move She Makes" (Macaulay, Cook, Greenaway) b/w "I've Still Got My Heart, Joe" (Macaulary, Greenaway, Cook), Bell, 4 Sept 1970
"I've Still Got My Heart, Joe" (Macaulay, Cook, Greenaway) b/w "Every Little Move She Makes" (Macaulay, Cook, Greenaway), Bell, 4 Sept 1970
"The Humming Song" (Macaulay) b/w "Recollections" (Macaulay, Burrows), Bell, 22 Jan 1971
"I'll Always Come Up Smiling" (Leander, Seago) b/w "Back Home" (Leander, Seago), Bell, 20 Aug 1971
"Hand Me Down Man" (Taylor, Edwards) b/w "Country Boy" (Taylor), Bell, 10 Dec 1971
"Rhythm Of The Rain" (J. Gummoe) b/w "Home Lovin' Man" (Macaulay, Cook, Greenaway), Bell, 12 May 1972
"Take Away The Feeling" (Arnold, Martin, Morrow) b/w "Lazy Weekend" (Arnold, Martin, Morrow), Ammo, 8 June 1973
"Have You Had A Little Happiness Lately" (Arnold, Martin, Morrow) b/w "Can't Live With You, Can't Live Without You" (Arnold, Martin, Morrow), Ammo, 21 June 1974
"Oh My Jo" (Macaulay, Greenaway) b/w
"Girl You've Got Me Going" (Arnold, Martin, Morrow), Bus Stop, 30 April 1976
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| Advertisement for "Melanie Makes Me Smile" Pic from NME, 11 April 1970 |
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| Tony Burrows, Fabulous 208 magazine, 1971 Photo courtesy of Andy K |
The First Class (1974 to 1978)
In 1974, John Carter and Ken Lewis recruited session man and former Flower Pot Men vocalist, Tony Burrows, to lend his voice on a song called "Beach Baby". The song, written by John Carter with lyrics by his wife and writing partner, Gill Shakespeare, would soon prove to be a sensation. Head of UK Records, Jonathan King, who had released the single and gave them the name The First Class, soon gave the green-light on an entire album. John Carter quickly formed a promotional/touring group of musicians, one of them being his long-time friend and associate, bassist Robin Shaw. After nine singles and two albums, The First Class disbanded in late 1976. The band name was resurrected for two more singles under the CBS label: one in November of 1977 ("Too Many Golden Oldies") and one in February of 1978 ("Broken Toy"). In 1983, John Carter released another single under The First Class name on Sunny Records with Spencer James on lead vocals: "Gimme A Little Sign".
In 1974, John Carter and Ken Lewis recruited session man and former Flower Pot Men vocalist, Tony Burrows, to lend his voice on a song called "Beach Baby". The song, written by John Carter with lyrics by his wife and writing partner, Gill Shakespeare, would soon prove to be a sensation. Head of UK Records, Jonathan King, who had released the single and gave them the name The First Class, soon gave the green-light on an entire album. John Carter quickly formed a promotional/touring group of musicians, one of them being his long-time friend and associate, bassist Robin Shaw. After nine singles and two albums, The First Class disbanded in late 1976. The band name was resurrected for two more singles under the CBS label: one in November of 1977 ("Too Many Golden Oldies") and one in February of 1978 ("Broken Toy"). In 1983, John Carter released another single under The First Class name on Sunny Records with Spencer James on lead vocals: "Gimme A Little Sign".
Members:
Tony Burrows - vocals (on recordings only)
John Carter - vocals, guitar (on recordings only)
Ken Lewis - vocals, keyboards (on recordings only)
Chas Mills - vocals (on recordings only)
Del John - vocals
Robin Shaw - bass, vocals
Spencer James - guitar, vocals
Clive Barrett - keyboards
Eddie Richards - drums
Session musicians on "Beach Baby" single:
John Carter - acoustic guitar
Alan Parker - guitar
Les Hurdle - bass
Gerry Butler - piano
Brian Bennett - drums
Albums (UK):
The First Class (self-titled), UK Records, 1974
SST, UK Records, 1976
Singles (UK):
(all songs written by John Carter and Gill Shakespeare, except **)
"Beach Baby" b/w "Both Sides Of The Story", UK Records, 3 May 1974
"Bobby Dazzler" b/w "Lavender Man", UK Records, 16 Aug 1974
"Dreams Are Ten A Penny" b/w "Long Time Gone", UK Records, 25 Oct 1974
"What Became Of Me" b/w "Won't Somebody Help Me", UK Records, 28 Feb 1975
"Life Is Whatever You Want It To Be" b/w "I Was Always A Joker", UK Records, 2 May 1975
"I Was A Star" b/w "Seven Ten To Nowhere", UK Records, 3 Oct 1975
"Aint' No Love" b/w "Long Time Gone", UK Records, 7 May 1976
"Beach Baby" b/w "Both Sides Of The Story" (re-release), UK Records, 9 July 1976
"Child's Play" b/w "Old Time Love", UK Records, 1 Oct 1976
"Too Many Golden Oldies" b/w "Make It On My Own", Epic, 4 Nov 1977
"Broken Toy" b/w "Lisa (I Always Loved You)", Epic, 17 Feb 1978
** "Gimme A Little Sign" (A. Smith) b/w "Average Rainfall" (Barnfather, Shakespeare), Sunny, July 1983
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| LP Cover, 1974 L to R: John Carter, Chas Mills, Tony Burrows, Del John, Eddie Richards, Robin Shaw, Clive Barrett, and Spencer James |
Jan and Joey (Autumn 1975)
In the Autumn of 1975, Tony Burrows teamed up with an unknown female vocalist and released one track for RAK Records. "Run Joey Run" was a cover of the David Geddes song, which had been released in August of that year.
Singles (UK):
"Run Joey Run" (Vance, Cone) b/w "Girl I Used To Know", RAK, 5 Sept 1975
[Various under Producers/Songwriters Arnold, Martin, and Morrow] (1974-1979, 2016)
Bands/Singles:
Bands/Singles:
Touch (1974)
"Better Fly Butterfly", Produced by Pip Williams, Ammo, 18 March 1974, UK
Domino (1975)
"Have You Had A Little Happiness Lately (mono)" b/w "Have You Had A Little Happiness Lately (stereo)", 20th Century, 1975, USA (previously released as a Tony Burrows solo single in June of 1974)
Magic featuring Tony Burrows (1976)
"Never Gonna Fall In Love Again" (Eric Carmen) b/w "Changing" (Arnold, Martin, Morrow), Bus Stop, 13 Feb 1976
The Original Cast (1977)
Members: Tony Burrows, Sue Glover, Sunny Leslie, and David Martin
Tracks:
"Look At Us (The Two Of Us)"
"Love Matters"
"First Night"
"Manhattan Skyline"
West End Boys (1979, rereleased 1985)
Members: Tony Burrows, David Martin, and Russell Stone
Track: "Summertime" (Burrows, Martin)
The Naimz (2016)
Members: Tony Burrows, David Martin, and Ron Dante (of The Archies)
Track: "Golden Yearz" (Martin)
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| Album art for digital release Clockwise from Left: David Martin, Sue Glover, Sunny Leslie, and Tony Burrows |
Heart To Heart (Spring 1984)
In early 1984, Tony teamed up with Stephanie de Sykes and released one more single entitled "Three Chord Trick". The song was a medley of 1960s hits, produced by Tony's old friend, John Carter.
Singles (UK):
"Three Chord Trick" (Various) b/w "Wake Up America" (Carter, Shakespeare), EMI, April 1984
In 1995, Tony and Neil Landon toured Germany for 3 weeks as a reunited Flower Pot Men. In 1996, Tony joined The Fraud Squad, a group that performs live shows of '60s and '70s hits.
Tony Burrows & The Hit Squad (1999 to 2002)
In 1999, Tony Burrows teamed up with former Ivy League bandmate Micky Keen and formed a reunion group, who focused mainly on Tony's earlier solo songs, along with hits from White Plains, The Ivy League, and The Flower Pot Men. Although the CD cover is subtitled as "The Voice Behind The Hits", only five of the sixteen songs included on their CD were originally sung by Tony.
Members:
Tony Burrows - vocals
Alan Carvell - vocals
Micky Keen - guitar
Chris Parren (ex-Hudson Ford) - keyboards
Clem Cattini - drums
Albums (UK):
All The Hits Plus More, CD, Prestige, 12 July 2002
For over 30 years, Tony was active as a session vocalist, singing mostly background and harmony vocals for many different artists. These artists include: Elton John, Cliff Richard, James Last, Christie, John Baldry, Roger Cook, Colin Blundstone, Sumeria, Bunk Dogger, Kiki Dee, Sunny, and Magic (John Carter). In 1984, Tony sang on seven tracks on the K-Tel Hooked On Number Ones compilation: "Save Your Kisses For Me", "Knock Three Times", "Under The Moon Of Love", "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree", "See My Baby Jive", Congratulations", and "Love Grows".
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| Elton John LP Cover, 1971 |
White Plains (reformed) (2004 to 2006, 2013)
White Plains reformed in 2004 with Robin Box, Robin Shaw, Roger Hills, and singer/keyboardist Bip Wetherell (ex-St. Cecilia, ex-Tornados). After initial rehearsals at Raven Hall in Corby, the group re-recorded four of their hits with Bip on lead vocals ("My Baby Loves Lovin'", "Julie Do Ya Love Me?", "When You Are A King", and "I've Got You On My Mind"). After their first promotional gig at Raven Hall, keyboard player Paul Ward was added to the lineup and former member Tony Burrows joined the group as a second vocalist. White Plains continued to gig over the next two years, playing various UK venues including Butlins at Bognor Regis. In 2006, singer Bip Wetherell left the group to form a backing band for an Elvis tribute act called Memphis King. The remaining members of White Plains then formed the group Deep South and set off on a two-year theatre tour, which ended with an appearance at the London Palladium.
In 2009, a digital-only album entitled The Best Of White Plains was released. This album would be re-released in 2013 under the title Get Up With White Plains. Eleven of the album's tracks feature Bip Wetherell on lead vocals: the four re-recorded hits, five cover songs and two tracks penned by Bip ("Galaxy" and "We Used To Be Friends"). These five cover songs and two original tracks do not feature Robin Box, Robin Shaw, or Roger Hills. However, the remaining tracks do feature the band members with Robin Shaw taking the lead on "Fallen In Love For The First Time", "Gonna Find Love One Day", and "Stranger In My Home Town". Robin Box lends lead vocals to the track "My Girl (She's Like Heaven To Me)". The album also includes an instrumental called "Where Are We Now".
In 2009, a digital-only album entitled The Best Of White Plains was released. This album would be re-released in 2013 under the title Get Up With White Plains. Eleven of the album's tracks feature Bip Wetherell on lead vocals: the four re-recorded hits, five cover songs and two tracks penned by Bip ("Galaxy" and "We Used To Be Friends"). These five cover songs and two original tracks do not feature Robin Box, Robin Shaw, or Roger Hills. However, the remaining tracks do feature the band members with Robin Shaw taking the lead on "Fallen In Love For The First Time", "Gonna Find Love One Day", and "Stranger In My Home Town". Robin Box lends lead vocals to the track "My Girl (She's Like Heaven To Me)". The album also includes an instrumental called "Where Are We Now".
Members (2004-2006):
Bip Wetherell - vocals, keyboards
Tony Burrows - vocals (tour only)
Robin Box - guitar, vocals
Robin Shaw - bass, vocals
Roger Hills - drums
In the Spring of 2013, another reunion took place with Tony Burrows, Robin Shaw, and Roger Hills joining Paperlace and The Glitterband on the Platinum Hit Makers Tour.
Thanks to Bip Wetherell for providing info.
** According to many sources, Tony Burrows was born in 1942. However, according to Tony's own account in books and that of Roger Greenaway during interviews, they were both the same age when starting work at E.S.& A Robinson in 1955 (16 years old). In the book Tin Pan Alley: The Rise Of Elton John, Tony describes Roger as being "six months older" than him and the rest of The Kestrels. Bandmate Geoff Williams was born in 1939 and passed away in 2010 at the age of 71. Tony, Geoff, and Roger Maggs were conscripted into the Army at the same time in 1958, several months after Greenaway was called up. Young men were not eligible for National Service until the age of 18. Starting in 1957, those born 1st October 1939 or later were not required to serve. A birthdate of 1942 does not fit with these facts. The most likely birthdate is April 1939, 8 months younger than Roger Greenaway, who was born August 1938. During the time Tony was a member of The Flower Pot Men, a birthdate of 1943 was used in the press. By the time early 1970 arrived, three different birthdates were being used in the press: a birthdate of April 1941, as was noted in the 28 Feb 1970 issue of Disc and Music Echo, April 1943 in the 21 Feb 1970 issue of the NME, and April 1944 in the 7th Feb 1970 issue of Record Mirror.