The Barron Knights
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The Barron Knights were a British humorous pop group, originally formed in 1960 in Leighton Buzzard as the Knights of the Round Table.
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[edit] Career
They started out as a straight pop group, and spent a couple of years touring and playing in English dance halls before making their way to Hamburg, Germany. In 1963, at the invitation of Brian Epstein, they were one of the support acts on The Beatles' Christmas shows at the Finsbury Park Astoria in London. In fact, they became one of the few acts to tour with both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
They first came to fame in 1964 with the number "Call Up The Groups". It overcame copyright restrictions and parodied a number of the leading pop groups of the time including The Searchers, Freddie and the Dreamers, The Dave Clark Five, The Bachelors, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles. The single climbed to number 3 in the UK Singles Chart.
They achieved five other minor hits through the 1960s and 1970s. The Barron Knights continue to perform for a world-wide following, parodying other acts, including Pink Floyd.
Some of the acts and songs parodied included Brotherhood of Man's "Save Your Kisses For Me" (as "Kippers For Tea") and "Angelo" (as "...Chip Shop in Walthamstow..."), Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall", M's "Pop Muzik" (as "Chop Suey").
[edit] Original band member details
- Duke D'Mond (born Richard Palmer, 25 February 1945, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England) - Vocalist
- Barron Anthony (born Anthony Osmond, 15 June 1940, in Abingdon, Berkshire, England) - Guitarist / Vocalist
- Butch Baker (born Leslie Baker, 16 July 1941, in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England) - Guitarist / Vocalist
- Peter Langford (born 10 April 1943, in Durham, England) - Bassist / Vocalist
- Dave Ballinger (born 17 January 1941, in Slough, Buckinghamshire, England) - Drummer
As of 2007 only Langford remains from the original line-up. Fellow founding member, Butch Baker, retired at the start of 2007, and was replaced by Len Crawley.[1]
[edit] UK singles chart hits
- "Call Up The Groups" (1964) #3 - Columbia
- "Come To The Dance" (1964) #42 - Columbia
- "Pop Go The Workers" (1965) #5 - Columbia
- "Merry Gentle Pops" (1965) #9 - Columbia
- "Under New Management" (1966) #35 - Columbia
- "An Olympic Record" (1968) #35 - Columbia
- "Live In Trouble" (1977) #7 - Epic
- "A Taste Of Aggro" (1978) #3 - Epic
- "Food For Thought" (1979) #46 - Epic
- "The Sit Song" (1980) #44 - parodying dog trainer Barbara Woodhouse - Epic
- "Never Mind The Presents" (1980) #17 - Epic
- "Blackboard Jumble" (1981) #52 - CBS
- "Buffalo Bill's Last Scratch" (1983) #49 - Epic
[edit] UK albums chart hits
- Night Gallery (1978) #15 - Epic
- Teach The World To Laugh (1979) #51 - Epic
- Just A Giggle (1980) #45 - Epic
[edit] Reference
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums, 19th, London: Guinness World Records Limited, p. 43. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
