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The Ivy League (band)
Encyclopedia
The Ivy League are an English
vocal trio
, created in 1964, who enjoyed two Top 10 hit single
s in the UK Singles Chart
in 1965. The group's sound was characterised by rich, three-part vocal
harmonies
.
singer
s with an extensive vocal range, John Carter
, Ken Lewis
(both previous members of Carter-Lewis and the Southerners
) plus Perry Ford. They were first heard doing background vocals for The Who
on their hit single "I Can't Explain
" in November 1964 but after that the Who's producers entrusted John Entwistle
and Pete Townshend
with the backing vocals. Their debut single
, "What More Do You Want" generated little interest but the second release, "Funny How Love Can Be" made the UK
chart
's Top 10. Further hits followed, including "That's Why I'm Crying" and UK chart #3 "Tossing and Turning
". The original trio released just one album
, 1965's This is the Ivy League – panned in the music press as disappointing, with its excessively wide spread of musical styles and material – before both Carter and Lewis left the group. Carter departed in January 1966, with Lewis leaving about one year later. The duo then set up a production company called Sunny Records.
Tony Burrows
and Neil Landon
replaced Carter and Lewis and the Ivy League released a couple of albums, Sounds of the Ivy League (1967) and Tomorrow is Another Day (1969). Several more singles followed, including the minor hits, "Willow Tree" and "My World Fell Down". A cover version
of the latter song provided the U.S.
band, Sagittarius
, with a #70 chart placing in the Billboard Hot 100
in 1967.
Success for The Ivy League in the United States
was slight, only "Tossing and Turning" appearing in the Billboard
charts
, reaching #83 on the Billboard Hot 100. Carter and Lewis next masterminded The Flower Pot Men, hitting #4 in the UK
with "Let's Go To San Francisco". Carter and Lewis then fulfilled the role of managers
. Burrows and Landon left The Ivy League to join the touring version of The Flower Pot Men, leaving Perry Ford to carry on with new personnel until he stopped using the name in 1975.
In the 1980s a band started touring under the name The Ivy League which performed the group's hits at nightclub
s and Sixties nostalgia
events, even though none of the earlier members were involved. In the 1990s, a number of compilations
were released, including Major League: the Collectors' Ivy League (1998). A band called The Ivy League continues to perform, without connection to the original band that existed between 1964 and 1975. The present day line-up consists of Jon Brennan (bass guitar
/vocals
); Dave Buckley (drum
s, vocals) and Mike Brice (guitar
, vocals).
The original line-up of The Ivy League was:
Bill Clarke (West Bromwich) joined in 1968 on bass guitar from the Wellington Kitch Jump Band, where he teamed up with former "Kitch" drummer, Roger Hall. John Carter's replacement was Tony Burrows from The Kestrels. His voice
is also heard on many UK hit singles of the 1970-1975 era, such as White Plains
' "My Baby Loves Lovin'", Brotherhood of Man
's "United We Stand", Edison Lighthouse
' "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
", First Class
' "Beach Baby" (another John Carter project), plus The Pipkins
' "Gimme Dat Ding". Lewis was replaced by Neil Landon, who also went to The Flower Pot Men, leaving Perry Ford to carry on The Ivy League with various personnel until 1975. A new line-up was then formed with Robert Young (born Robert Parkes, 11 June 1953, Stockport
) as lead falsetto singer. This version toured for about 18 months.
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...
vocal trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
, created in 1964, who enjoyed two Top 10 hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in 1965. The group's sound was characterised by rich, three-part vocal
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
harmonies
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
.
Career
The Ivy League was formed in August 1964 by three sessionSession musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
s with an extensive vocal range, John Carter
John Carter (musician)
For the jazz clarinet player John Carter, see John Carter .John Carter is an English singer, songwriter and record producer.-Overview:...
, Ken Lewis
Ken Lewis (songwriter)
Ken Lewis is an English singer, songwriter and record producer. He is considered one of the most successful songwriters of the 1960s as a result of his collaborations with John Carter...
(both previous members of Carter-Lewis and the Southerners
Carter-Lewis And The Southerners
Carter-Lewis and the Southerners were an early-1960s rock band formed by the Birmingham-born musicians Ken Lewis and John Carter .Carter and Lewis were initially songwriters...
) plus Perry Ford. They were first heard doing background vocals for The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
on their hit single "I Can't Explain
I Can't Explain
"I Can't Explain" is a song by the English rock band The Who, written by Pete Townshend, and produced by Shel Talmy. The song was issued as a single in December 1964 in the United States and on 15 January 1965 in the United Kingdom.-Background:...
" in November 1964 but after that the Who's producers entrusted John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
and Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
with the backing vocals. Their debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "What More Do You Want" generated little interest but the second release, "Funny How Love Can Be" made the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
's Top 10. Further hits followed, including "That's Why I'm Crying" and UK chart #3 "Tossing and Turning
Tossin' and Turnin'
"Tossin' and Turnin" is a song written by Ritchie Adams and Malou Rene, and originally recorded by Bobby Lewis. The record reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 on July 10, 1961, and R&B chart,, and has since become a standard on oldies compilations. It was named Billboard's number-one...
". The original trio released just one album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, 1965's This is the Ivy League – panned in the music press as disappointing, with its excessively wide spread of musical styles and material – before both Carter and Lewis left the group. Carter departed in January 1966, with Lewis leaving about one year later. The duo then set up a production company called Sunny Records.
Tony Burrows
Tony Burrows
Anthony "Tony" Burrows is a British session singer. He has been credited with singing lead on hit singles for more groups than any other recording artist, both on the UK Singles Chart and the U.S...
and Neil Landon
Neil Landon
Neil Landon is an English singer, who has been credited with singing on a number of hits in the UK Singles Chart...
replaced Carter and Lewis and the Ivy League released a couple of albums, Sounds of the Ivy League (1967) and Tomorrow is Another Day (1969). Several more singles followed, including the minor hits, "Willow Tree" and "My World Fell Down". A cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the latter song provided the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band, Sagittarius
Sagittarius (band)
Sagittarius was an American late 1960s studio group, devised by the record producer and songwriter, Gary Usher.-History:Usher had been involved with music as a songwriter since the early 1960s , and soon branched out into production work...
, with a #70 chart placing in the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1967.
Success for The Ivy League in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was slight, only "Tossing and Turning" appearing in the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, reaching #83 on the Billboard Hot 100. Carter and Lewis next masterminded The Flower Pot Men, hitting #4 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with "Let's Go To San Francisco". Carter and Lewis then fulfilled the role of managers
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
. Burrows and Landon left The Ivy League to join the touring version of The Flower Pot Men, leaving Perry Ford to carry on with new personnel until he stopped using the name in 1975.
In the 1980s a band started touring under the name The Ivy League which performed the group's hits at nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s and Sixties nostalgia
Nostalgia
The term nostalgia describes a yearning for the past, often in idealized form.The word is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of , meaning "returning home", a Homeric word, and , meaning "pain, ache"...
events, even though none of the earlier members were involved. In the 1990s, a number of compilations
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
were released, including Major League: the Collectors' Ivy League (1998). A band called The Ivy League continues to perform, without connection to the original band that existed between 1964 and 1975. The present day line-up consists of Jon Brennan (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
/vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
); Dave Buckley (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, vocals) and Mike Brice (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals).
Personnel
- John CarterJohn Carter (musician)For the jazz clarinet player John Carter, see John Carter .John Carter is an English singer, songwriter and record producer.-Overview:...
(born John Nicholas Shakespeare, 20 October 1942, Small HeathSmall Heath, BirminghamSmall Heath is an inner-city area within the city of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is situated on and around the A45 ....
, BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
) - Ken LewisKen Lewis (songwriter)Ken Lewis is an English singer, songwriter and record producer. He is considered one of the most successful songwriters of the 1960s as a result of his collaborations with John Carter...
(born Kenneth Alan James Hawker, 3 December 1942, Small Heath, Birmingham) - Perry Ford (born Bryan Pugh, 30 December 1940, Lincoln, LincolnshireLincolnshireLincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
died 29 April 1999) - Clem CattiniClem CattiniClem Cattini , is an English rock and roll drummer who was a member of The Tornados before becoming well known for his work as a session musician...
drums (born Clemente Anselmo Cattini, 28 August 1938, Stoke NewingtonStoke NewingtonStoke Newington is a district in the London Borough of Hackney. It is north-east of Charing Cross.-Boundaries:In modern terms, Stoke Newington can be roughly defined by the N16 postcode area . Its southern boundary with Dalston is quite ill-defined too...
, North LondonNorth LondonNorth London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, EnglandEnglandEngland 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...
) - Mick O'Nell organ (born Michael O'Neill, 1938, LeighLeigh- In England :* Leigh, Dorset* Leigh, Greater Manchester** Leigh * Leigh, Kent* Leigh, Staffordshire* Leigh, Surrey* Leigh, Wiltshire* Leigh, Worcestershire* Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset...
, LancashireLancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
) - Dave Winter bass
- Mickey Keene lead guitar
Bill Clarke (West Bromwich) joined in 1968 on bass guitar from the Wellington Kitch Jump Band, where he teamed up with former "Kitch" drummer, Roger Hall. John Carter's replacement was Tony Burrows from The Kestrels. His voice
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
is also heard on many UK hit singles of the 1970-1975 era, such as White Plains
White Plains (band)
White Plains were a British pop music group, that existed from 1969 to 1976.-Career:White Plains evolved from the late 1960s pop/psychedelic band The Flower Pot Men, composed of Tony Burrows, Pete Nelson, and Robin Shaw together with Neil Landon . The band was primarily a studio project led by John...
' "My Baby Loves Lovin'", Brotherhood of Man
Brotherhood of Man
Brotherhood of Man are a British pop group who achieved success in the 1970s, most notably by winning the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest with "Save Your Kisses for Me"....
's "United We Stand", Edison Lighthouse
Edison Lighthouse
Edison Lighthouse was a UK pop group, initially a studio-only assemblage that served as a vehicle for session vocalist Tony Burrows and songwriter/record producers Tony Macaulay and Barry Mason, are best known for their 1970 UK chart-topper and million-selling record, "Love Grows ".-Career:The...
' "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
"Love Grows " is a popular song by "one-hit wonder" Edison Lighthouse. The single hit the number one spot on the UK singles chart on the week ending on 31 January 1970, where it remained for a total of five weeks.- Song profile :...
", First Class
The First Class
The First Class was a British pop music studio-based group, put together by songwriter and record producer John Carter.-Career:The First Class was the studio creation of the British singer-songwriter John Carter and singers Tony Burrows and Chas Mills as an outlet for material Carter wrote with his...
' "Beach Baby" (another John Carter project), plus The Pipkins
The Pipkins
The Pipkins were a short-lived novelty duo, best known for their hit single "Gimme Dat Ding" , which reached No. 6 in the UK Singles Charts and #9 on the U.S. charts in 1970...
' "Gimme Dat Ding". Lewis was replaced by Neil Landon, who also went to The Flower Pot Men, leaving Perry Ford to carry on The Ivy League with various personnel until 1975. A new line-up was then formed with Robert Young (born Robert Parkes, 11 June 1953, Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
) as lead falsetto singer. This version toured for about 18 months.
Singles
- "Funny How Love Can Be" - (1965) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
high - Number 8 - "That's Why I'm Crying" - (1965) - UK Number 22
- "Tossing and Turning" - (1965) - UK Number 3
- "Willow Tree" - (1966) - UK Number 50
Albums
- This is the Ivy League - 1965
- Side One
- "Almost Grown" (Written-By – Chuck Berry)
- "That's Why I'm Crying" (Written-By – Carter-Lewis)
- "The Floral Dance" (Written-By – Moss)
- "What More Do You Want" (Written-By – Carter-Lewis, Ford)
- "Lulu's Back In Town" (Written-By – Dubin, Warren)
- "We're Having A Party" (Written-By – Epstein)
- Side Two
- "Don't Worry Baby" (Written-By – Goffin)
- "Make Love" (Written-By – Carter-Lewis, Ford)
- "Don't Think Twice It's Alright" (Written-By – Bob Dylan)
- "Funny How Love Can Be" (Written-By – Carter-Lewis)
- "My Old Dutch" (Written By – Lowry, Chevalier)
- "Dance To The Locomotion" (Written-By – Barberis, Weinstein, Randazzo)
- Sounds of the Ivy League (compilation) - 1967
- Tomorrow is Another Day (compilation) - 1969
- Side One
- "Tomorrow Is Another Day"
- "I Could Make You Fall In Love"
- "Suddenly Things"
- "Lulu's Back In Town"
- "My World Fell Down"
- Side Two
- "Our Love Is Slipping Away"
- "Floral Dance"
- "Lonely Room"
- "Willow Tree"
- "Graduation Day"
External links
- [ The Ivy League biography] at Allmusic websiteWebsiteA website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
- The Ivy League official website
- Biography and discography at 45-rpm website