A Tribe of Toffs
Encyclopedia
A Tribe of Toffs were a novelty pop
band
from Sunderland, England
, best remembered for their 1988 Top 40 single
, "John Kettley is a Weatherman
".
The band was formed in 1986 by four pupils from Bede Comprehensive School in Sunderland. They were noticed after sending a tape of their song
s to children's TV
presenter
, Andy Crane
. The producer of CBBC
's, But First This, Paul Smith liked the tape and arranged for the band to come down to London
in July 1988 to record
'the bloody Kettley record' (as the band were later to call it) at the BBC Television
's Maida Vale Studios
. The following month the four were back in London to record the video
, at the warehouse just across the road from BBC Television Centre
, where Who Framed Roger Rabbit
had just been film
ed. The band went on to make appearances on Wogan
, Daytime Live
(with Alan Titchmarsh
) and various Children's BBC appearances, as well as some satellite TV shows. The single went to number 21 in the UK Singles Chart
in December 1988. It may be recalled for its video featuring TV weatherman
John Kettley
in person.
Following their novelty hit
, the band were keen to release some more serious songs, but were unable to secure a recording contract
. They decided to release a second humorous single in 1989 called "Terry Wogan
's On TV (Again)" but it did not chart
.
The band split in 1990 and retired from the music industry.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Sunderland, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, best remembered for their 1988 Top 40 single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "John Kettley is a Weatherman
John Kettley is a Weatherman
"John Kettley Is a Weatherman" is a 1988 novelty record by the band A Tribe of Toffs, from Sunderland, UK. The song peaked at 21 in the UK Singles Chart....
".
The band was formed in 1986 by four pupils from Bede Comprehensive School in Sunderland. They were noticed after sending a tape of their song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s to children's TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
, Andy Crane
Andy Crane
Howard Andrew 'Andy' Crane is an English television and radio presenter, best known for presenting Children's BBC , amongst many others.-Career:...
. The producer of CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
's, But First This, Paul Smith liked the tape and arranged for the band to come down to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in July 1988 to record
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
'the bloody Kettley record' (as the band were later to call it) at the BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC studios on Delaware Road, Maida Vale, London.It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 from 1946 to the present...
. The following month the four were back in London to record the video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, at the warehouse just across the road from BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre at White City in West London is the headquarters of BBC Television. Officially opened on 29 June 1960, it remains one of the largest to this day; having featured over the years as backdrop to many BBC programmes, it is one of the most readily recognisable such facilities...
, where Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
had just been film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
ed. The band went on to make appearances on Wogan
Wogan
Wogan was a chat show on British television, hosted by Terry Wogan. It followed the format of a series broadcast in 1980 entitled What's On Wogan?, which failed to gather viewers. The Wogan show was initially broadcast on Tuesday evenings on BBC1 in 1981 and from 1982 to 1984, it moved into the...
, Daytime Live
Pebble Mill at One
Pebble Mill at One was a popular British lunchtime chat show broadcast live originally on BBC2 before transferring to BBC1. It was produced from the Pebble Mill facilities of BBC Birmingham, and uniquely was hosted from the centre's main reception area rather than a traditional studio...
(with Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE DL is an English gardener, broadcaster and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a garden journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes...
) and various Children's BBC appearances, as well as some satellite TV shows. The single went to number 21 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in December 1988. It may be recalled for its video featuring TV weatherman
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
John Kettley
John Kettley
John Graham Kettley is a British freelance weatherman.-Biography:Brought up on Commercial Street and educated at Todmorden Grammar School on Ferney Lee Road in Todmorden, he played cricket for Burnley and Todmorden. A geography teacher at his school sparked his interest in weather forecasting...
in person.
Following their novelty hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, the band were keen to release some more serious songs, but were unable to secure a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
. They decided to release a second humorous single in 1989 called "Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
's On TV (Again)" but it did not chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
.
The band split in 1990 and retired from the music industry.