AJOBO: The British Are Coming!
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been bringing you interviews with some of the most legendary British Invaders, including Mike Pender, Jeremy Clyde, and Billy J. Kramer. Like kids around the holidays, we’ve been (not-so-)patiently waiting for the kickoff to the 50th anniversary British Invasion tour and, this week, it’s finally here! For those of you who have no clue what I’m talking about, or are on the fence about purchasing a ticket (though, honestly, I don’t know why it’s even a question? Do it!), here’s a breakdown of each artist on the tour.
(Note: Originally, Gerry Marsden was scheduled to appear, but, last week, he was forced to drop out on strict doctor’s orders. We all wish you a speedy recovery, Gerry! You’ll be missed!)
1) Billy J. Kramer
Not only was Billy J. Kramer one of the most famous faces — and voices — of the original wave of British Invasion artists, he was also managed by Brian Epstein and scored hits with songs specially written for him by Lennon-McCartney. Among them were the chart-topping “Bad to Me,” “I’ll Keep You Satisfied,” “From a Window,” as well as stellar covers of “I Call Your Name” and “Do You Want to Know a Secret?” Read more in our exclusive interview with Billy!
2) Chad & Jeremy
Possibly the most folk-ish of the British Invasion artists, Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde topped the American charts with songs like “Yesterday’s Gone” and “A Summer Song,” yet were relatively unknown in England. Check out both parts of our chat with Jeremy Clyde for more C&J goodness!
3) Mike Pender
The original voice of the Searchers, another fab Liverpool band to heat up ’60s airwaves, Mike Pender featured on smashes like “Love Potion No. 9,” “When You Walk in the Room,” and “Needles and Pins”-uh. (Also, my personal favorite Searchers’ song, their 1979 Sire Records release, “Hearts in Her Eyes.”) Mike also made his first-ever appearance at the Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans last month. Read more in our talk with Mike!
4) Denny Laine
Though an important part of the Moody Blues’ original lineup, Denny Laine is also best-known as a member of Paul McCartney’s Wings in the ’70s. Singing lead on tunes like “Go Now,” his distinctive vocals became one of his career trademarks, and have remained strong throughout the years.
5) Terry Sylvester
The newest addition to the BI50 lineup (as Gerry Marsden’s replacement), Terry Sylvester may be best remembered as a latecomer to the Hollies’ lineup after Graham Nash’s departure, but the Liverpool native was also active in bands like the Escorts and Swinging Blue Jeans during the British Invasion.
If you haven’t already bought your tickets, they’re going fast! This is definitely a tour you don’t want to miss!
Upcoming dates:
Tuesday, September 9, 2014 Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT
Wednesday, September 10, 2014 Sands Bethlehem Event Center, Bethlehem, PA
Friday, September 12, 2014 The Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ
Saturday, September 13, 2014 Keswick Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
Sunday, September 14, 2014 NYCB Theatre at Westbury, NY
Monday, September 15, 2014 The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 The Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA
Friday, September 19, 2014 Saban Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
Saturday, September 20, 2014 Harrah’s Rincon, Valley Center, CA
Sunday, September 21, 2014 Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA
This Week on REBEAT!
– Summer might be officially over, but there’s no reason why we can’t still enjoy summer tunes and bands, right? Carey Farrell takes us on an exciting pictorial tour of the Beach Boys’ home turf: Hawthorne, CA. And, there may or may not be some special guests involved. Just sayin’.
– As a supplement to our ongoing series about the post-Motown career of Holland-Dozier-Holland, Rick Simmons treats us to an interview with legendary songstress Freda Payne, who released the smash hit “Band of Gold” on the HDH Invictus label.
– Remember sitting down with the Sunday funnies as a kid? Maybe you still ditch the boring, never-ending, droning grown-up stuff and lose yourself in the comics. Starting this weekend, we’re launching our own version of this sacred Sunday ritual, with illustrations by our own Mary Regan!
