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The Kirchin Band, later known as the Ivor and Basil Kirchin Band, was a British band that recorded for the Parlophone and Decca labels during the 1950s. It was led by both Ivor Kirchin and his son Basil Kirchin.

Background

The beginnings of the band can be traced to when they were the resident band at Fountainbridge Palais in Edinburgh in September 1952. The band had eleven members. This included four trumpets, four saxes, piano, bass, and drums. The lineup then was George Bradley, Dennis Roberts, Trevor Lanigan, Frank Mowatt on trumpets, Geoff Taylor on alto sax, Johnny Marshall and John Xerri, both on tenor sax, Alex Leslie on bass, Harry South on piano, Don Percival on bass, Basil Kirchin on drums, and Ivor Kirchin, musical director, on vocals. They stayed there until November 1953 and then they became a resident band in Northern Ireland.

The group enjoyed popularity during the 1950s. They also toured with Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstine. According to Pop Matters, with the popularity of the percussive Latin-flavor that the band had evolved, Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstine wouldn't tour England unless the band was backing them.

Singers Rory Blackwell and Dean Webb sang with the band during the early parts of their careers.

Career

Their singles, "Mambo Macoco" b/w "Tangerine" (Parlophone R. 3958), "Panambo" b/w "Tango Mambo" (Parlophone R.3968), and an EP, Minor Mambo", "Mother Goose Jumps" / "Mambo Nothing", "Lover Come Back to Me" (Decca DFE 6237), were reviewed by Mike Butcher in the Friday, January 21, 1955 issue of New Musical Express. Due to the space inhibition of the magazine, he couldn't give a review of all the songs. In his positive review, he did point out the quality of the recordings and the impact of the music. He also mentioned that trumpeter Bobby Pratt had guested on a couple of recordings but the lead trumpeter on the others was Murray Campbell.

On Friday, January 28, 1955, the band was appearing at the Trocadero Ballroom in Derby, on Saturday, they were at the Baths Hall in Manchester, then on Sunday at the Rialto in York, then on the following Thursday at the Regal Ballroom in Beverley.

In 1956, as The Ivor and Basil Kirchin Band, they released the Biggest Little Band in the World EP on Parlophone GEP 8569. It included the songs, "Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie", "Stone Age Mambo", "Down Under" and "Trumpet Blues and Cantabile".

Due to Ivor Kirchin wanting to pursue different things, the band broke up some time around June 1957. In the Melody Maker July 6, 1957 article, "Entertain or die, Says Basil Kirchin", Basil said that he and his father had discontinued the band because they couldn't see a future in big band jazz.

After the breakup there was apparently a new version of the band that performed at venues for a period of time. The New Kirchin Band played gigs on 14 September 1957, 23 November 1957, 22 February 1958, and 26 April 1958, the last three being billed as the Basil Kirchin Band.

Later years

Their version of "Tweedlee Dee", originally released on Parlophone R 4010 in April 1955, appeared on the British Rock 'N' Roll - Volume Two compilation that was released on Reel To Reel RTRCD 049 in November 2018.

The Basil Kirchin Band

Background

The Basil Kirchin Band was a musical ensemble led by Basil Kirchin following the breakup of The Kirchin Band.

Career

Billed as The New Basil Kirchin Band, they appeared at the Savoy Ballroom on August 23, 1957. Now called The Basil Kirchin Band, they appeared with The Moonbeams at the Savoy Ballroom on December 20, 1957.

In February 1958, the Basil Kirchin Band with Rory Blackwell appeared at the Baths Hall in Streatham on a Friday and the Corn Exchange on a Saturday. It was reported by The Cash Box in its 29 March 1958 issue that The Basil Kirchin Band was to fly to the US on April 30 for a three-week tour of military bases.

Along with Marvin Rainwater, Johnny Duncan & the Bluegrass Boys, Phil Fernando and Dickie Dawson, The Basil Kirchin Band was booked to appear at the London Coliseum on Sunday, April 20, 1958.

Along with Lita Rosa, The Dallas Boys, Lonnie Donegan, Ken Mackintosh and his band, The Basil Kirchin band appeared on the televised Six-Five Special. The show, which was compered by Jim Dale, was broadcast on Saturday, 16 August.

With their successful tour in the US behind them, the Basil Kirchin band was playing at the Gaiety Theatre for the morning coffee dances at 10:45 and 7:30 evening dances. They also played a carnival and Wednesday evening late night carnival, and Sunday Variety Concerts with guests such as Walter Niblo and Peter Cavanagh.

Discography

References

1. British Bebop - Kirchin Band - Dance halls and the BBC...
2. National Jazz Archive - Basil Kirchin (1927–2005)
3. Pop Matters, 13 April 2011 - BASIL KIRCHIN: PRIMITIVE LONDON By D.M. Edwards
4. Record Mail, Vol. 2. No. 5 May 1959 - Page 8 Just FOR THE RECORD By John Castle, NO AUDITION
5. New Musical Express, Friday, January 21, 1955 - Page 8 MODERN MOOD by MIKE BUTCHER
6. New Musical Express, Friday, January 28, 1955 - Page 12 BAND CALL, Week beginning January 28, THE KIRCHIN BAND
7. Popsike - IVOR AND BASIL KIRCHIN BAND EP:1956 PARLOPHONE INCLUDES:"ROCK A BEATIN' BOOGIE"
8. British Bebop - Kirchin Band - Dance halls and the BBC..., June 30th, 1957
9. Melody Maker, July 6, 1957 - Page 7 Entertain or die, Says Basil Kirchin
10. British Bebop - Kirchin Band - Dance halls and the BBC..., June 30th, 1957
11. hitparade.ch - The Kirchin Band – Tweedlee Dee
12. British Bebop - Kirchin Band - Dance halls and the BBC..., June 30th, 1957
13. History in Portsmouth - THE COOPER ALLEN MUSIC ARCHIVE, The Music of Portsmouth in 1957, August 23rd 1957
14. History in Portsmouth - THE COOPER ALLEN MUSIC ARCHIVE, The Music of Portsmouth in 1957, December 20th 1957
15. Melody Maker, February 8, 1958 - Page 8 • Call SHEET • , Basil KIRCHIN Band with Rory Blackwell
16. Cash Box, March 29, 1958 - Page 28 London Lowdown
17. Melody Maker, April 19, 1958 - Page 9 LONDON COLISEUM, SUNDAY, 20th APRIL, at 7.30 p, m.
18. Manx Music, 6 July 2023 - Page 54 Summer Entertainment on the Isle of Man
    Ronnie, Ivy, Ken and Phil, but no Joe
    by Maurice Powel, Tight jeans and ‘sloppy joes’ at the Villa
19. Manx Music, 6 July 2023 - Page 62 Summer Entertainment on the Isle of Man
    Ronnie, Ivy, Ken and Phil, but no Joe
    by Maurice Powel, The smaller venues
20. 45Cat - Basil Kirchin - Discography, Uk, White Silver Sands
21. Internet Archive - WHITE SILVER SANDS
22. 45Cat - Basil Kirchin - Discography, Uk, Rock-A-Conga
23. Popsike - BASIL KIRCHIN BAND 'SKIN TIGHT/ROCK-A-CONGA' TOP RARE UK JAZZ PARLOPHONE DEMO 45

External links

• Discogs - The Kirchin Band

• Big bands
• British jazz ensembles
• Parlophone artists
• Decca Records artists
• London Records artists