Lee Vanderbilt
Encyclopedia
Lee Vanderbilt was born in the mid 1930s in San Fernando
, Trinidad, moving to the United Kingdom in the late 1950s. In 1964 he signed his first record deal using the stage name, "Ebony Keyes", with Parlophone Records, releasing two songs, "Brother Joe" and "Under the Apple Tree". In 1967, after an introduction from his friend Peter Gage (a founder of Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
and the Vinegar Joe (Band)), he signed to Pye Records
where he released a number of singles on the Pye Label; on their subsidiary record label Piccadilly Records and on the label of their primary Australian distributor, Astor Records
. The records included: "If Our Love Should End"; "Sitting in a Ring"; "Country Girl"; "Cupid's House"; "How Many Times"; "Don't"; "Sweet Mary Anne (Sweeter Than a Rose)"; and the hit “If You Knew”. In 1968, he signed to the United Artists Record Label when, at the suggestion of an A&R executive, he changed his stage name from Ebony Keyes to "Lee Vanderbilt". While with United Artists he released a number of singles and sang on a number of film sound tracks including the theme song, “Some Girls Do”, for the British spy spoof of the same name, directed by Ralph Thomas
and starring Richard Thompson. "Some Girls Do" was released by United Artists as a single in 1969. In the same year Vanderbilt was asked to represent the United Kingdom at the Gibraltar Song Festival, where he won gold and bronze medals with two songs of his own composition, "How shall I Know" and "A Woman's Way".
not Richard Thompson
). Biddu and Vanderbilt became friends and collaborated for many years on a number of projects. In 1973, Biddu established his own production company to which he signed a number of artists, including Vanderbilt. The first commercially successful artist signed to Biddu's production company was Carl Douglas
who in 1974 released his well known disco hit “Kung Fu Fighting”. Carl Douglas also recorded three songs written by Lee Vanderbilt, “I Don’t Care What the People Say” (Biddu-Vanderbilt), “Stand Up For Love” and “Never Had This Dream Before”, all three of which appeared on his “Kung Fu Fighter” Album in 1974.
In 1976, Vanderbilt introduced his friend Tina Charles to Biddu, who Biddu signed and for whom he produced a number of worldwide hits including a single released in 1976 called “I Love to Love”. The B-side of that single was a song written by Vanderbilt called “Disco Fever”. Tina Charles also recorded Vanderbilt's song “All Comes Back to You” on her 1976 Album “Dance Little Lady”. "Jimmy James
and the Vagabonds" also signed to Biddu’s production company. Jimmy James recorded a number of Vanderbilt's songs including: “Disco Fever”, “Never had this Dream Before”,"Let's Have Fun", "Suspicious Love" (Biddu/Vanderbilt) and a fifth song called “If You Think that Funk is Junk Your Drunk”. Biddu also had success with his own group known as the Biddu Orchestra. The Biddu Orchestra comprised a group of session musicians with whom Biddu and Vanderbilt had worked for many years. Biddu recorded two songs with the Biddu Orchestra written by Vanderbilt, “Funky Tropical” (which appeared both on his album "Eastern Man" and which he released as a single in 1977) and “Jump for Joy”. Vanderbilt was also a backing vocalists for the Biddu Orchestra.
In 1977, Vanderbilt released his own album on the RCA Record label called Get Into What You're In. The songs on the album reflect his many musical influences, including funk numbers like "Funky Tropical" and "Show me What you Made Off"; soulful love song like "Coral Isle" and "Stand Up for Love"; and carribeanesque number like "Sweet Ices" and "What a Way". The Album was produced by Biddu but did not achieve as much commercial success as it did critical acclaim.
In addition to releasing his own album, working with artists as a session singer and percussionist and collaborating with Biddu and the other artists signed to Biddu’s production company, in the 70s, Lee Vanderbilt performed a song, written by Oscar nominated song writer and businessman George Barrie
, called "The Night Has Many Eyes", for the 1973 film “Night Watch” starring Elizabeth Taylor
and Laurence Harvey
. The song was released as a single in 1973 on the Brut Record label. He wrote the theme music for the UK comedy movie “Black Joy” (performed by Jimmy Helms) released in 1977 and starring Norman Beaton
, Trevor Thomas and Floella Benjamin; and wrote and performed a song called “Lonely I” for the same movie. During the 70s he also sang a number of well know and award winning television commercials including the Martini Hot Air Balloon Commercial; Tia Maria
's “Get it Together” commercial; and one of Lilt
’s “Totally Tropical Taste” commercials.
Other artists with whom Vanderbilt has worked including, amongst others, Edwyn Collins
; Elkie Brooks
; Joan Armatrading
; George Chandler, Jimmy Helms, Jimmy Cambers (all founding members of the successful UK group Londonbeat
); Anthony Moore
; Barclay James Harvest
; and Bryn Howarth.
Lee Vanderbilt still lives in the United Kingdom and continues to write and collaborate with artists and friends on musical projects. He has three sons, one of whom is an attorney living in New York and two of whom are recording artists, Gary Des-Etages and Christopher "Tambu" Herbert.
San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
The City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...
, Trinidad, moving to the United Kingdom in the late 1950s. In 1964 he signed his first record deal using the stage name, "Ebony Keyes", with Parlophone Records, releasing two songs, "Brother Joe" and "Under the Apple Tree". In 1967, after an introduction from his friend Peter Gage (a founder of Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band were an English based soul band, active from 1965 to 1968.-Career:The Ram Jam Band were formed around 1964 and evolved out of a group called Les Blues who were formed to rival an English group with a Black American singer called Milton And The Continentals...
and the Vinegar Joe (Band)), he signed to Pye Records
Pye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...
where he released a number of singles on the Pye Label; on their subsidiary record label Piccadilly Records and on the label of their primary Australian distributor, Astor Records
Astor Records
Astor Records was an Australian recording company that operated from the 1960s to the early 1980s. Astor was originally a trademark of the consumer electronics industries ltd. Radio Corporation Pty. Ltd., makers of Astor radios and radiograms and a range of electronic companies including gereral...
. The records included: "If Our Love Should End"; "Sitting in a Ring"; "Country Girl"; "Cupid's House"; "How Many Times"; "Don't"; "Sweet Mary Anne (Sweeter Than a Rose)"; and the hit “If You Knew”. In 1968, he signed to the United Artists Record Label when, at the suggestion of an A&R executive, he changed his stage name from Ebony Keyes to "Lee Vanderbilt". While with United Artists he released a number of singles and sang on a number of film sound tracks including the theme song, “Some Girls Do”, for the British spy spoof of the same name, directed by Ralph Thomas
Ralph Thomas
Ralph Thomas was an English film director, born in Hull. He is perhaps best known for directing the Doctor series of films....
and starring Richard Thompson. "Some Girls Do" was released by United Artists as a single in 1969. In the same year Vanderbilt was asked to represent the United Kingdom at the Gibraltar Song Festival, where he won gold and bronze medals with two songs of his own composition, "How shall I Know" and "A Woman's Way".
- correction above: Richard Johnson
not Richard Thompson
The 1970s and onwards
In the 1970s, Vanderbilt was regularly in the studio, working as a session musician. Through his session work he met many artists with whom he would go on to collaborate including an aspiring musical arranger, producer and songwriter from India called Biddu Appaiah (also known simply as BidduBiddu
Biddu or Biddu Appaiah is an Indian-British music producer, composer, song-writer and singer who produced and composed many hit records worldwide during a career spanning five decades...
). Biddu and Vanderbilt became friends and collaborated for many years on a number of projects. In 1973, Biddu established his own production company to which he signed a number of artists, including Vanderbilt. The first commercially successful artist signed to Biddu's production company was Carl Douglas
Carl Douglas
Carl Douglas is a former Jamaican-born, UK-based, singer, best known for his song "Kung Fu Fighting", which hit number one in both the UK Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. The R.I.A.A. awarded gold disc status on 27 November, and it won a Grammy Award for Best Selling Single...
who in 1974 released his well known disco hit “Kung Fu Fighting”. Carl Douglas also recorded three songs written by Lee Vanderbilt, “I Don’t Care What the People Say” (Biddu-Vanderbilt), “Stand Up For Love” and “Never Had This Dream Before”, all three of which appeared on his “Kung Fu Fighter” Album in 1974.
In 1976, Vanderbilt introduced his friend Tina Charles to Biddu, who Biddu signed and for whom he produced a number of worldwide hits including a single released in 1976 called “I Love to Love”. The B-side of that single was a song written by Vanderbilt called “Disco Fever”. Tina Charles also recorded Vanderbilt's song “All Comes Back to You” on her 1976 Album “Dance Little Lady”. "Jimmy James
Jimmy James
- People :* Jimmy James , British comedian* Jimmy James , Australian tracker* Jimmy James, the nickname of Bertram James , RAF officer who survived "The Great Escape"...
and the Vagabonds" also signed to Biddu’s production company. Jimmy James recorded a number of Vanderbilt's songs including: “Disco Fever”, “Never had this Dream Before”,"Let's Have Fun", "Suspicious Love" (Biddu/Vanderbilt) and a fifth song called “If You Think that Funk is Junk Your Drunk”. Biddu also had success with his own group known as the Biddu Orchestra. The Biddu Orchestra comprised a group of session musicians with whom Biddu and Vanderbilt had worked for many years. Biddu recorded two songs with the Biddu Orchestra written by Vanderbilt, “Funky Tropical” (which appeared both on his album "Eastern Man" and which he released as a single in 1977) and “Jump for Joy”. Vanderbilt was also a backing vocalists for the Biddu Orchestra.
In 1977, Vanderbilt released his own album on the RCA Record label called Get Into What You're In. The songs on the album reflect his many musical influences, including funk numbers like "Funky Tropical" and "Show me What you Made Off"; soulful love song like "Coral Isle" and "Stand Up for Love"; and carribeanesque number like "Sweet Ices" and "What a Way". The Album was produced by Biddu but did not achieve as much commercial success as it did critical acclaim.
In addition to releasing his own album, working with artists as a session singer and percussionist and collaborating with Biddu and the other artists signed to Biddu’s production company, in the 70s, Lee Vanderbilt performed a song, written by Oscar nominated song writer and businessman George Barrie
George Barrie
George Barrie was the owner and CEO of Fabergé Inc. from 1964 to 1984. He was nominated for two Oscars for Best Original Song and created Brut...
, called "The Night Has Many Eyes", for the 1973 film “Night Watch” starring Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
and Laurence Harvey
Laurence Harvey
Laurence Harvey was a Lithuanian-born actor who achieved fame in British and American films.- Early life :Harvey maintained throughout his life that his birth name was Laruschka Mischa Skikne. However, his legal name was Zvi Mosheh Skikne. He was the youngest of three boys born to Ber "Boris" and...
. The song was released as a single in 1973 on the Brut Record label. He wrote the theme music for the UK comedy movie “Black Joy” (performed by Jimmy Helms) released in 1977 and starring Norman Beaton
Norman Beaton
Norman Lugard Beaton was a Guyanese actor long resident in the United Kingdom....
, Trevor Thomas and Floella Benjamin; and wrote and performed a song called “Lonely I” for the same movie. During the 70s he also sang a number of well know and award winning television commercials including the Martini Hot Air Balloon Commercial; Tia Maria
Tia Maria
Tia Maria is a coffee liqueur made originally in Jamaica using Jamaican coffee beans. The main flavor ingredients are coffee beans, cane spirit, vanilla, and sugar, blended to an alcoholic content of 31.5% ....
's “Get it Together” commercial; and one of Lilt
Lilt
Lilt is a brand of soft drink manufactured by The Coca Cola Company and sold in the Seychelles, United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Republic of Ireland only. During the 1980s, Lilt was promoted with the advertising slogan, "the totally tropical taste." In the late 1990s it was heavily promoted with...
’s “Totally Tropical Taste” commercials.
Other artists with whom Vanderbilt has worked including, amongst others, Edwyn Collins
Edwyn Collins
Edwyn Stephen Collins is an Ivor Novello Award winning Scottish musician, playing mostly electric guitar-driven pop. Collins formed the musical group Nu-Sonics in 1976, which later became Orange Juice...
; Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
; Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee and has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist...
; George Chandler, Jimmy Helms, Jimmy Cambers (all founding members of the successful UK group Londonbeat
Londonbeat
Londonbeat was originally a UK and American R&B and Dance band who scored a number of pop and dance hits in the early 1990s.-History:Londonbeat's career started in the Netherlands where "There's a Beat Going On" reached the Top 10, and then "9 A.M " which subsequently became a modest success in the...
); Anthony Moore
Anthony Moore
Anthony Moore is a British experimental music composer, performer and producer. He was a founding member of the band Slapp Happy, worked with Henry Cow and has made a number of solo albums, including Flying Doesn't Help and World Service .As a lyricist, Moore has collaborated with Pink Floyd on...
; Barclay James Harvest
Barclay James Harvest
Barclay James Harvest are an English progressive rock band. They were founded in Saddleworth, Lancashire, in September 1966 by John Lees, Les Holroyd, Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme , and Mel Pritchard .-History:...
; and Bryn Howarth.
Lee Vanderbilt still lives in the United Kingdom and continues to write and collaborate with artists and friends on musical projects. He has three sons, one of whom is an attorney living in New York and two of whom are recording artists, Gary Des-Etages and Christopher "Tambu" Herbert.
External links
- http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=432892837 (Lee Vanderbilt - Myspace)
- http://simondesetages.com/id6.html (More Complete Bio)