The New Vaudeville Band | |
|---|---|
| Origin | England |
| Genres | Novelty, music hall |
| Years active | 1966–1988 |
| Labels | Fontana Records |
| Past members | Geoff Stephens Mick Wilsher Alan Klein Henri Harrison Bob Kerr Stan Haywood John Carter Neil Korner Paul G. T. Wright Robert Lewis Hay-Smythe Ian Carfrae Martin Roke Kenneth Bache Hugh Watts |
The New Vaudeville Band was an English group created by songwriter Geoff Stephens in 1966 to record his novelty composition "Winchester Cathedral", a song inspired by the dance bands of the 1920s and a Rudy Vallée megaphone-style vocal.[1] To his surprise, the song became a transatlantic hit that autumn, reaching the Top 10 in the United Kingdom and rising to No. 1 in the United States.[1] The New Vaudeville Band initially was a studio group composed of session players, but Stephens quickly assembled a permanent group to continue recording and to play live shows. The group has been periodically revived since, without Stephens' participation.
The New Vaudeville Band placed several singles in the US and UK Top 40 through 1967. The group was nominated for two Grammy Awards, one for Record of the Year and they won in the Contemporary (R&R) Recording category for the 9th Annual Grammy Awards.