Phil Tate
Encyclopedia
Phil Tate was an English
dance bandleader
.
Born John Philip Tate in Bramley
, Leeds
, Yorkshire
, England
, Tate played violin
from the age of eight, and was later an autodidact on clarinet
and saxophone
. He formed his own group, the Five Quavers, while in high school
, and played in the RAF Silver Wings Dance Orchestra during World War II
. The ensemble proved so cohesive that all twelve of its members decided to continue playing together after the war, under the name Phil Tate & His Orchestra, taking a residency at Leas Cliff Hall in Folkstone. Their instrumentation
was unusual, featuring five saxes and three flute
s. After appearing in the 1951 film Green Grow the Rushes
, they took their next residency at the Hammersmith Palais
and signed to Oriole Records
.
Tate's orchestra played at the Hammersmith for a full decade, then moved to the Ilford Palais. Concomitantly, Tate hosted the BBC
show Non-Stop-Pop, where he interviewed The Beatles
on 30 July 1963. On radio, he was best known for his 144 appearances in Music While You Work
. In 1964, his orchestra took up at the Locarno Ballroom in Streatham
; the next year they appeared on the BBC program Music Through Midnight. Tate's most longstanding association came in 1965, when he became musical director for the Miss World
Pageant. He disbanded his orchestra in 1967, and ran a talent firm in addition to his duties with Miss World, where he remained until his retirement in 1992.
He served as director of the Music Users' Council from 1992 to 2000, after which he retired.
Tate died in December 2005, at the age of 83.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
dance bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
.
Born John Philip Tate in Bramley
Bramley
- Places :England* Bramley, Derbyshire* Bramley, Hampshire* Bramley, Rotherham, South Yorkshire* Bramley, Sheffield, South Yorkshire* Bramley, Surrey* Bramley, West Yorkshire**Bramley Buffaloes rugby league clubSouth Africa* Bramley, Gauteng- Other uses :...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Tate played violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
from the age of eight, and was later an autodidact on clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. He formed his own group, the Five Quavers, while in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, and played in the RAF Silver Wings Dance Orchestra during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The ensemble proved so cohesive that all twelve of its members decided to continue playing together after the war, under the name Phil Tate & His Orchestra, taking a residency at Leas Cliff Hall in Folkstone. Their instrumentation
Instrumentation (music)
In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually...
was unusual, featuring five saxes and three flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s. After appearing in the 1951 film Green Grow the Rushes
Green Grow the Rushes (film)
Green Grow the Rushes is a British comedy film from the production company A.C.T. Films. -Plot:Three British government bureaucrats arrive in Kent to inquire as to why the costal marsh is not being cultivated...
, they took their next residency at the Hammersmith Palais
Hammersmith Palais
The Hammersmith Palais de Danse, later simply the Hammersmith Palais, was a ballroom and entertainment venue in London that operated from 1919 until 2007...
and signed to Oriole Records
Oriole Records
Oriole Records may refer to:* Oriole Records * Oriole Records...
.
Tate's orchestra played at the Hammersmith for a full decade, then moved to the Ilford Palais. Concomitantly, Tate hosted the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
show Non-Stop-Pop, where he interviewed The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
on 30 July 1963. On radio, he was best known for his 144 appearances in Music While You Work
Music While You Work
Music While You Work was a daytime radio programme of continuous live popular music broadcast in the United Kingdom twice daily on workdays from June 1940 until September 1967 by the BBC, initially in the Forces / General Forces Programme, and after the war in the BBC Light Programme and, in the...
. In 1964, his orchestra took up at the Locarno Ballroom in Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
; the next year they appeared on the BBC program Music Through Midnight. Tate's most longstanding association came in 1965, when he became musical director for the Miss World
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
Pageant. He disbanded his orchestra in 1967, and ran a talent firm in addition to his duties with Miss World, where he remained until his retirement in 1992.
He served as director of the Music Users' Council from 1992 to 2000, after which he retired.
Tate died in December 2005, at the age of 83.