The Kursaal Flyers

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The Kursaal Flyers were a British

band, formed in Southend-on-Sea in 1973. They are most famous for their 1976 single "Little Does She Know" (which was a top 20 hit) and were the subject of a BBC documentary following them on tour in 1975.[1]

Original members

Career

The group formed when Shuttleworth, Douglas, Birch, Collins, Bull and Hatfield, who had all performed locally in various combinations around Southend, got together in October 1973 to form a new band. They made their first appearance together as the Kursaal Flyers – named after the imitation train which was used to advertise Southend's famous amusement hall, the Kursaal, which had recently closed[2] – at the Blue Boar pub in Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, in February 1974, mainly playing covers of country rock songs but over time increasingly writing their own material.

Through contacts in the band with

airplay
, the band failed to garner any commercial success. Their second album, The Great Artiste, also sold poorly.

Nevertheless the band developed a solid live reputation on the London pub rock scene, with an eclectic mixture of original material and cover versions, fronted by Paul Shuttleworth's "wide boy" persona.

In 1976, they signed with the

UK Singles Chart.[4]
However, Graeme Douglas was concerned about the over-commercialisation of the group's music and left to join Eddie and the Hot Rods, being replaced by Barry Martin.

The group toured widely and issued another album, Five Live Kursaals, but failed to gain any further commercial success and, after numerous personnel changes, the band disintegrated in late 1977.

Following the Kursaals' demise, Shuttleworth released several

records, Douglas enjoyed success with Eddie and the Hot Rods, and Birch formed the Records. The group reformed for tours in 1985 and 1988, and in 2001 they reformed on a more permanent basis. In 2009, Collins became manager of Back To Square One, an adolescent four-piece rock band from Shoeburyness and Great Wakering in Southend. In 2003, Shuttleworth and Collins formed the Country Rock band the Ugly Guys, with former Jerry the Ferret guitarist Steve Oliver, Andy Farrell, bass, ex of the Hamsters
and Bob Clouter on drums.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

  • Five Live Kursaals (1977, CBS)[5]

Singles

Year Single Chart positions
UK[6]
1975 "Speedway" -
"Hit Records" -
1976 "Cruisin' for Love" -
"Little Does She Know" 14
1977 "Radio Romance" -
"The Sky's Falling in on Our Love" -
"T.V. Dinners" (Promo) -
"Television Generation" -
1983 "Radio Romance" (Germany-only re-release) -
1985 "Monster-in-Law" -

See also

References

  1. ^ "Film-maker Mark Kidel biography". Calliopimedia.co.uk. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  2. ^ "Southend: Kursaal Flyer 1963". British Pathe. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Kursaal Flyers - Little Does She Know". video clip. BBC. 9 December 1976. Retrieved 10 February 2008. (RealPlayer)
  4. ISBN 1-904994-10-5
    .
  5. ^ "The Kursaal Flyers Discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  6. ^ "KURSAAL FLYERS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.

External links

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