Search - New Vaudeville Band :: Winchester Cathedral

Not the same as the LP

J. B. Barton | Saint Petersburg, FL | 09/01/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have waited for this for SOOO long! I am ecstatic to have Winchester Cathedral and Diana Goodbye on CD. However, I am disappointed to not have the tracks Lili Marlene, A Kind of a Hush and a Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square. The songs that replace them are good but the CD as a whole lacks the energy of the original LP. Of course, we also lost What Ever Happened to Phyllis Puke, which I think is an improvement. Listen to the tracks above. If you like Winchester Cathedral (or just like OLD music), you should buy this album. If you aren't familiar with the New Vaudeville Band, it is a group of young men in the sixties who wanted to recreate the sound and feel of music from the 30's. The album (LP) has a better biography of how it actually came together as well as a neat picture of the band in era garb. The jewel case insert says that the music is from the 20's and I don't have my LP unpacked to make sure that the LP had said 30's. I am pretty sure though. The person who wrote the description on the insert apparently didn't like the band. He says, "And, despite the corny sound of the record, it won the 1966 Grammy for Best Contemporary Rock & Roll Recording ..." Corny sound. The LP sounded great. It was SUPPOSED to sound dated. Hence the megaphone. Jeez. Okay, producers, this is great - now how about Lili Marlene?!!!"

Like a memory of sweeter days

Bryan R. McGoldrick | Banning, California United States | 11/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Listening to Winchester Catherdral is like taking a lovely walk to memories past. A song with simplistic music and lyrics that are sang so clearly. I would recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys a break from 2003/04 and seeks a simpler time. I give this song a resounding five star rating. I loved it way back when...and I love it now."

Reviving the thirties style in the sixties

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 04/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the features of popular music is that there is always room for nostalgia. While some now look back on the sixties as a musical golden age, there were (during the sixties) several groups that were looking back to earlier eras. Among them were the Temperance Seven, the Migil 5 and the New Vaudeville Band.



The New Vaudeville Band's music was firmly rooted in the thirties although much of their material was original (unlike that of the other groups mentioned, who mainly recorded covers of songs from their chosen era), written to sound like it could have been vaudeville music of the thirties. They had four UK hits, these being Winchester Cathedral (a UK top five hit that made number one in America), Peek-a-boo (a UK top ten hit omitted from this compilation), Finchley Central (which just missed the UK top ten) and Green Street Green (a minor UK hit). Despite the phenomenal American success of Winchester Cathedral, none of their other UK hits charted in America.



While it is common for American pop (and country) songs to refer to specific locations, it is much less common for British pop songs to do so. It therefore comes a surprise to find that three of this group's four hits are about specific locations. Fans of the group should have no difficulty finding Winchester Cathedral between London and Southampton. Finchley Central is a London Underground station that can easily be reached from Baker Street (of Gerry Rafferty fame - perhaps the most famous location-based British pop song). Green Street Green is near Orpington to the south east of London.



This compilation is based on out-of-print British compilation that had 24 tracks including Peek-a-boo and great covers of I wonder who's kissing her now, Lili Marlene, A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square and Shine on harvest moon..



If you enjoy Winchester Cathedral, you will surely enjoy the rest of this fine collection."