Liverpool Express
Liverpool Express | |
---|---|
Also known as | L.E.X. |
Origin | Warner Bros. Records, Priority Records, Direct Records, Every Man Records |
Members | Billy Kinsley (bass, vocals) Kenny Parry (guitar, vocals) Dave Goldberg (keyboards, vocals) Adam Goldberg (drums) |
Past members | Roger Scott Craig (keyboards, vocals) Tony Coates (guitar, vocals) Derek Cashin (drums, vocals) Peter Phillips (keyboards, guitar, vocals) John Ryan (drums, vocals) Kenny Mundye (drums, vocals) Pete Kircher (drums, vocals) Brian Rawling (drums, vocals) Phil Chittick (drums, vocals) Ian Stirrat (keyboards, vocals, production) |
Website | liverpoolexpress.com |
Liverpool Express (also known as L.E.X.) are a
History
Formation
Musicians Billy Kinsley, Roger Scott Craig, Tony Coates, and Derek Cashin met during a game of football in Liverpool. They decided to form a band which was eventually named Liverpool Express. The song-writing partnership of Kinsley and Craig soon developed when they started getting together in a small rehearsal room at the Bluecoat Chambers in central Liverpool to write and arrange some of the band's early material.[4] Drummer John Ryan joined in 1976.
Success
Before long the band recorded their first album,
After their tour with Stewart, the band hit the recording studio to record their second album, Low Profile, in early 1977. They appeared on the major UK TV shows of that era (such as Top of the Pops, Supersonic, Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, and It's a Knockout), participated in a multitude of charity events, and played at major venues throughout the UK, Scandinavia, and Europe.[4]
South American Tour
Their greatest success came in South America, where they scored two consecutive number one hits, and they toured Brazil in mid-1977. Arriving at Rio de Janeiro Airport, the band were greeted by thousands of hysterical fans. Billy Kinsley said: "It was quite a shock for us to be welcomed to Brazil by so many screaming fans. In fact, we thought someone famous was on our flight and we had no clue what was going on".[4]
As soon as they arrived in Rio, the group were whisked away from the airplane in a fleet of limousines to a televised press conference. During their tour they filmed their own TV special for
Roger Scott Craig said: "The show (we did) in Belo Horizonte came to a complete standstill when I started to play our hit record, "You Are My Love", the crowd just went nuts to the point that our singer, Billy, could not even sing the song - he was overwhelmed by the crowd and the tears ran down his face."[5]
Meeting Prince Charles
Following their successful tour of South America, Liverpool Express returned to the UK to perform some more shows and made further appearances on TV. They also filmed their own TV special for the BBC in Manchester.[4]
In early 1978,
L.E.X.
During mid- to late 1978, the band decided to abbreviate their name to simply L.E.X. Drummer
The following year, following the release of the new album, there were changes to the line-up. Drummer John Ryan continued playing on the live shows and his mate, guitarist Kenny Parry, replaced Tony Coates. In 1981, Roger Scott Craig emigrated to California. John Ryan joined 'The Swinging Blue Jeans' in 1980 and returned to Australia in 1983 to marry after meeting his future wife whilst on tour in 1983. Kinsley and Parry continued working together as Liverpool Express and enlisted Dave Goldberg on keyboards, Peter Phillips on keyboards and guitar (1985-1994) and Brian Rawling on drums. This line-up released two singles and a charity record during the 1980s. Kinsley, Goldberg and Parry have since remained the three core members of the band, playing with various stand-in drummers.[4]
Reunion
The original line-up of the group were reunited in August 2002, following global fan interest. This led Craig to compile and release The Best of Liverpool Express, which featured a new song, a tribute to The Beatles titled "John George Ringo & Paul". A reunion concert in Liverpool shortly followed, with Craig appearing on stage with current band members Kinsley, Parry, and Dave Goldberg. A year later, Craig and Kinsley met in Liverpool to write and record new material for the album Once Upon a Time, which they self-produced.[4]
Digital chart success - present
During 2006, the song "It's a Beautiful Day" appeared on several TV commercials in the UK and parts of Europe. This led to the track entering the digital download charts.[citation needed]
Five years later, the song "You Are My Love" topped the digital download charts following a re-run of a Top of the Pops episode they had appeared on thirty years before.[6]
The band occasionally plays live gigs in and around Liverpool. The current line-up comprises Billy Kinsley (bass guitar, vocals), Kenny Parry (guitar, vocals), Dave Goldberg (keyboards, vocals), and Dave's son, Adam Goldberg, on drums.[4]
Additional information
- Cavern Club in Liverpool during the early 1960s, whilst a member of The Merseybeats. He also worked with George Harrison and Paul McCartney at Apple Records in the late 1960s, whilst working as a session musician.[7]
- TV presenter and singer Keith Chegwin was a friend of the band, having met them on Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and It's a Knockout. Chegwin, a singer in his own right, recorded a version of their song "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" on the Pye label in 1977. It was issued as a single and was a hit record in South America. Kinsley and Craig co-wrote and produced Chegwin's next single, "Destiny".[8]
- During 1977, the band recorded with German musician Stefan Hallberg on his version of their song "So Here I Go Again". It was issued as a single on
- In 1979, the band released two singles and an album under the name "L.E.X".[10]
- Billy Kinsley and Kenny Parry formed a side band with Brian Rawling called 'The Cheats', and they were popular on the pubs/clubs circuit in and around Merseyside during the 1980s.[11]
- During the 1990s, Roger Scott Craig wrote music for films such as The Pelican Brief, Wyatt Earp, and Richie Rich as well as TV commercials.[12]
Discography
See also
References
- ^ Eder, Bruce. "Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ "Official Website". Liverpool Express. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ "LIVERPOOL EXPRESS - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Liverpool Express History". Liverpoolexpress.com. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ "10 Questions with Roger Scott Craig". GetReadyToRock. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ "Yes It's Number One: The disappeared: 1/7/76". Yesitsnumberone.blogspot.com. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ^ Jones, Catherine (18 September 2010). "FLASHBACK: It's Love That Really Counts - the Billy Kinsley story". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ISSN 0033-8060. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Liverpool Express.com » Dreamin'". Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Liverpool Express.com » L.E.X." Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ BBC. "Billy Kinsley". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Roger Scott Craig (101 SOUTH) interview". www.rockunited.com. Retrieved 31 May 2019.