The Wurzels
The Wurzels are a British band that is successful in her home country since the 1970s. They are the most famous band of the English West Country, the region in the southwest of the British Isles from Gloucestershire to Land's End.
- 2.1 The founding members in 1966
- 2.2 The successful band 1974-1981
- 2.3 Current line 2007
- 3.1 Singles
- 3.2 albums
Band biography
Adge Cutler
Established were the Wurzels Adge Cutler in 1966 as a backing group, who had been among other things, road manager of Acker Bilk. The band name is derived from the German word root that has been incorporated in English in the "deficient root ", the name for the beet. This fit well with the music that coming from Bristol Cutler, who in many humorous folk songs sang of the typical themes of the English West Country in local dialect: agriculture, factory work, village life and the specialty of the southwest, the cider.
So he and his three fellow musicians were not only successful regional, 1967, she was with Drink Up Thy Cider actually diving in the UK Singles Chart. The song is still a regional classic even today. Her debut album placed themselves nationwide. In addition to traditional songs they played many of Adge Cutler -written songs, and even if they no longer made it into the charts, so they enjoyed in the West Country for many years great popularity. On 5 May 1974, came to a large incision, as Adge Cutler died in a car accident.
Combine Harvester
This lacked the band not only the head and singers, but also the songwriter. In addition, Reg Quantrill gave up, the only one of the Wurzels in 1974, which has been there from the beginning. The remaining two musicians, Tommy Banner and Tony Baylis, but decided to keep going. As the third member Pete Budd was added. First, they were still an album of familiar songs and unreleased songs Cutler follow, but because they lacked the composer, they finally took their famous hits before and fitted it with new funny lyrics. Their first single was 1976, a version of the hit Brand New Key by Melanie at the new title Combine Harvester. This funny song about a combine harvester was so well received that it rose within five weeks at # 1 on the UK charts. The single sold nearly 400,000 times.
Due to the great popularity that earned them their hit, was allowed to follow in the same year a new album and a single of the same style. The melody came from Una paloma blanca time of the George Baker Selection, the text was called I Am a Cider Drinker. So she had another major hit, reaching # 3 on the charts. Also this song has sold a quarter of a million times. Especially in the English south-west, home of Cider, this song is still popular today.
The second single from the album was Morning Glory, which had two renowned songwriter with Guy Fletcher and Doug Flett. However, it did not meet the expectations after the two Hitparodien and was a real flop. Only with a new album and the single Farmer Bill's Cowman they returned in the second half of 1977 back in the charts. In this song they had the international Instrumentalhit I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman by Whistling Jack Smith from 1968 made and provided it with text. Nevertheless became apparent that the interest had died down in this kind of songs again: it only reaches the rear chart ranks and was for a long time the last song that could be placed.
Nevertheless, the Wurzels released into the 80s still regularly albums and even singles. In its southwestern English home their popularity remained undiminished. In 1981, a quartet by the accession of drummer John Morgan from the trio. In 1985, bassist Tony Baylis left the band and thus blew up the success of formation of the late 70s. In the coming years, the bassist changed and the activities of the studio musicians abated. Nevertheless, they went further on a regular basis and several best -of albums and compilations released from the Cutler - time. A single single was released by them in the 1990s with I Want to Be an Eddie Stobart Driver. Stobart is a northern English and forwarding the song is dedicated to the truck drivers, the single was pressed into the shape of a truck. It reached at least the lower, non- official ranks of the sales charts.
The 2000
Appeared in 2000 with The Finest ' Arvest another best-of CD, the Wurzels and showed that the interest in the band was still present. Therefore, it was decided by the record company, the 25th anniversary of number - one hits Combine Harvester 2001 bring out a remix. To the southwest Englishman returned after more than two decades back into the top 40 of the British charts. Even a cover of Oasis hits Do not Look Back in Anger made it to the charts. It was recorded " Scrumpy - and-western " style, known as the for the Wurzels and other bands of the West Country are known, a kind of modern folk with fun elements. In 2007 they were again successful with the radio DJ Tony Blackburn veterans and a re-recording of their classic I Am a Cider Drinker. After Tommy Banner had previously successfully overcome prostate cancer, the single was released as a charity single in favor of a cancer organization.
Bristol City F. C.
The Wurzels have always been closely related to the southern English football club Bristol City. I Am a Cider Drinker and especially Drink Up Thy Cider are very popular with the fans. The latter is the stadium anthem after the final whistle at home wins. 1976 took the Wurzels the previously flopped Morning Glory and sided it with a new text. Entitled One for the Bristol City the song eventually became the official anthem of the club and is now played at home games during running of the teams. As Bristol in 2007 after a prolonged low ranks, the second highest English league rose to the Football League Championship, the band recorded the song together with the club again and published it successfully as a single.
Band Members
Founding members in 1966
- Adge Cutler ( singer, songwriter ), and 1974 (†)
- Reg Quantrill ( banjo, guitar ) until 1974
- John Macey ( bass ), and 1968
- Reg Chant (accordion), and 1967
- Brian Walker ( tuba), to 1967
The successful band 1974-1981
- Tommy Banner (vocals, accordion, piano), since 1967
- Tony Baylis ( bass, tuba), 1969-1985
- Pete Budd (guitar, banjo), since 1974
Current Cast 2007
- Tommy Banner (vocals, accordion, piano), since 1967
- Pete Budd (guitar, banjo), since 1974
- John Morgan ( drums), since 1981
- Sedge Moore ( bass ), since 2007
Discography
Singles
Adge Cutler & the Wurzels
- Drink Up Thy Cider (1966 )
- Scrumpy & Western EP ( 1966)
- The Champion Dung Spreader (1967 )
- I Wish I Was Back on the Farm (1967 )
- All over Mendip (1967 )
- Do not Tell I, Tell ' Ee (1968 )
- Up the Clump (1968 )
- Ferry to Glastonbury (1969 )
- Poor, Poor Farmer ( 1971)
- Little Darlin ' (1972 )
The Wurzels
- Combine Harvester (Brand New Key ) ( 1976)
- I Am a Cider Drinker (1976 )
- Morning Glory (1976 )
- Farmer Bill's Cowman (1977 )
- Give Me England! (1977 )
- One for the Bristol City (1977 )
- The Tractor Song ( 1978)
- I'll Never Get a Scrumpy Here ( 1978)
- Drunk on a Saturday Night (1980 )
- I Hate JR / I Love JR (1980 )
- I Shot JR (1980 )
- If You Got Nothin 'On Tonight ( 1980)
- Coughin 'Song (1982 )
- Root Rap ( 1983)
- All Fall Down ( 1986)
- Sunny Weston -Super-Mare (1988 )
- I Want to Be an Eddie Stobart Driver ( 1995)
- Combine Harvester 2001 Remix (2001)
- Come On Santa! (2001)
- Do not Look Back in Anger (2002)
- I Am a Cider Drinker 2007 (2007, with Tony Blackburn)
- One for the Bristol City (2007, with Bristol City FC )
Albums
Adge Cutler & the Wurzels
- Adge Cutler & the Wurzels (1967 )
- Adge Cutler 's Family Album with the Wurzels (1967 )
- Cutler of the West (1968 )
- Carry On Cutler! (1969)
- Do not Tell I, Tell ' Ee (1974, best-of, posthumous)
The Wurzels
- The Wurzels Are Scrumptious! (1975)
- The Combine Harvester ( 1976)
- Golden Delicious ( 1977)
- Give Me England! (1977 )
- I'll Never Get a Scrumpy Here ( 1978)
- I Am a Cider Drinker (1979 )
- The Wurzels (1981 )
- Freshly Cut ( 1983)
- Mendip Magic ' Live' (1995 )
- The Finest ' Arvest of the Wurzels featuring Adge Cutler (2000)
- Never Mind the Bullocks - 'Ere 's the Wurzels (2002)
- A Taste of the West ( 2004)
- Top of the Crops (2006, live)