Kane Gang
Encyclopedia
Kane Gang were a Blues rock trio
from North East England
that had a few UK
hits
and two U.S.
hits in the 1980s. Named after the movie
, Citizen Kane
, the trio recorded for the indie record label
, Kitchenware
, that was also home to Prefab Sprout
.
, County Durham
) and Paul Woods, plus multi-instrumentalist Dave Brewis formed the trio in 1982, after meeting in small local bands
, and signed to a small record label
, which led to a deal with London Records
in 1984.
Their debut album
, Bad and Lowdown World of the Kane Gang (released in the United States
as Lowdown), was released the next year, and spawned two United Kingdom
hit singles
. These were "Closest Thing To Heaven" (#12) and a cover
of The Staples Singers' "Respect Yourself
" (#21). The latter was also a hit in Australia
, reaching #19. The album had a decent pedigree, being produced
by Pete Wingfield
, and having both P. P. Arnold
and Sam Brown as backing vocalist
s.
The band's next album
, Miracle, released in 1987, spawned two US
hit singles: "Motortown" (#36 US / #45 UK) and another cover - this time of Dennis Edwards
' "Don't Look Any Further" (#64 US / #52 UK). The latter hit #1 on the US Dance Charts.
Woods left the band in 1991 to attempt a solo
career. Woods and Brewis also worked on an album which was never released.
such as
The Miracle of The Kane Gang was released late in 2007, a double
CD
collection
, released on Kitchenware Records, containing tracks from the two albums plus previously unreleased tracks and b-sides
:-
Disc One
Disc Two
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
from North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
that had a few UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hits
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...
and two U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hits in the 1980s. Named after the movie
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...
, Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
, the trio recorded for the indie record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Kitchenware
Kitchenware Records
Kitchenware Records is an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightclub...
, that was also home to Prefab Sprout
Prefab Sprout
Prefab Sprout are an alternative English pop rock band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham, England who rose to fame during the 1980s. Eight of their albums have reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart, and one of their singles, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll", peaked at number seven in the UK...
.
Career
Vocalists Martin Brammer (born 13 May 1957, SeahamSeaham
Seaham, formerly Seaham Harbour, is a small town in County Durham, situated south of Sunderland and east of Durham. It has a small parish church, St Mary the Virgin, with a late 7th century Anglo Saxon nave resembling the church at Escomb in many respects. St Mary the Virgin is regarded as one of...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
) and Paul Woods, plus multi-instrumentalist Dave Brewis formed the trio in 1982, after meeting in small local bands
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, and signed to a small record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, which led to a deal with London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
in 1984.
Their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Bad and Lowdown World of the Kane Gang (released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as Lowdown), was released the next year, and spawned two United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hit singles
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...
. These were "Closest Thing To Heaven" (#12) and a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of The Staples Singers' "Respect Yourself
Respect Yourself
"Respect Yourself" is the name of a classic soul song by American R&B/gospel group The Staple Singers. Released in late 1971 from their album Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, the song became a crossover hit. It peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and reached #2 on the Hot Soul...
" (#21). The latter was also a hit in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, reaching #19. The album had a decent pedigree, being produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Pete Wingfield
Pete Wingfield
Pete Wingfield is an English record producer, keyboard player, songwriter, singer and music journalist.-Career:...
, and having both P. P. Arnold
P. P. Arnold
P. P. Arnold is an American-born soul singer who enjoyed considerable success in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and beyond.-Early life:...
and Sam Brown as backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
s.
The band's next album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Miracle, released in 1987, spawned two US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hit singles: "Motortown" (#36 US / #45 UK) and another cover - this time of Dennis Edwards
Dennis Edwards
Dennis Edwards is a soul and R&B singer, most noted for being one of Motown act The Temptations' lead singers replacing David Ruffin. He is the father of Issa Pointer, whose mother is Ruth Pointer of The Pointer Sisters.-Career:...
' "Don't Look Any Further" (#64 US / #52 UK). The latter hit #1 on the US Dance Charts.
Woods left the band in 1991 to attempt a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career. Woods and Brewis also worked on an album which was never released.
Adaptation
- The Kane Gang performed the musicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
for the 'Ooh Gary DaviesGary DaviesGary Davies is a British broadcaster. During the 1980s and 1990s he was a BBC Radio 1 disc jockey and also a regular presenter of Top of the Pops.-Early career:...
...on your radio' jingleJingleA jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
for BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. As was the fashion around the time, bands would adapt songs to provide the radio stationRadio stationRadio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
with a jingle, and embed the hook of the track in the public's consciousness. The Gary Davies jingle was based on their track "Smalltown Creed" (from The Bad & Lowdown World of the Kane Gang LPGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
). - The same track was used as the basis for the theme tune of the long running Children's BBC Byker GroveByker GroveByker Grove was a British television series which aired between 1989 and 2006 and was created by Adele Rose. The show was broadcast at 5.10pm after Newsround on CBBC on BBC One...
, the television programTelevision programA television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
that launched the careers of Ant & DecAnt & DecAnthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly , known collectively as Ant & Dec, are an English comedy and TV presenting duo from Newcastle upon Tyne, England...
(as PJ & DuncanPJ & Duncan discographyThis is a discography of official releases by the pop duo PJ & Duncan, who were later rebranded as Ant & Dec.-Studio albums:*1994 Psyche *1995 Top Katz...
), and Donna AirDonna AirDonna Air is an English television presenter, singer and actress.-Early life:As a former student of Gosforth High School, Donna attended the Drama School at First Act in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, where she was a pupil alongside Jill Halfpenny, Ant & Dec and Dale Meeks.-Television:She became...
.
Post-Kane Gang
Brammer continues to write songs for other artistsMusician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
such as
- Beverley KnightBeverley KnightBeverley Knight MBE is a British soul and R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer who released her debut album in 1995. Heavily influenced by soul greats such as Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin, Knight has released six studio albums to date...
- various songs on her Music City SoulMusic City SoulVinyl Edition Released May 7, 2007Side ASide BNotes:* "*" indicates that the song features guitar played by Ronnie Wood.- Personnel :* All tracks engineered and produced by Mark Nevers - mastered by Bunt Stafford Clark...
album - Tina TurnerTina TurnerTina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
- "Open ArmsOpen Arms (Tina Turner song)"Open Arms" is a song by American recording artist Tina Turner. It was written by Colette van Sertima, Ben Barson and former Kane Gang member Martin Brammer and produced by Jimmy Hogarth for her compilation album All the Best...
" - Lighthouse FamilyLighthouse FamilyLighthouse Family are a British musical duo that rose to prominence in the mid-1990s and remained active until the early 2000s. Vocalist Tunde Baiyewu and keyboardist Paul Tucker formed the act in 1993 in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK after meeting while studying at university...
- "LiftedLifted (Lighthouse Family song)"Lifted" is a pop song written by British duo Lighthouse Family, for their debut album Ocean Drive . The song was produced by Mike Peden...
", "Loving Every MinuteLoving Every Minute (Lighthouse Family song)"Loving Every Minute" is a song by the Lighthouse Family, released as the fourth and final single from their debut album Ocean Drive . The song was produced by Mike Peden. It was released in December 1996 and reached the top 20 in the United Kingdom...
" and "RaincloudRaincloud (song)"Raincloud" is a song by the Lighthouse Family, released as the duo's first pop single for their second album Postcards from Heaven . The song was produced by Mike Peden. It was released as the second in September 1997 and reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom.With "Raincloud", another song...
" - James MorrisonJames Morrison (singer)James Morrison is a BRIT Award-winning English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Rugby, Warwickshire. In 2006, his debut single "You Give Me Something" became a hit in Europe, Australia, and Japan, peaking in the top five in the UK and New Zealand. His debut album, Undiscovered, debuted at the...
- "UndiscoveredUndiscovered (song)"Undiscovered" is a song written by British singer James Morrison, Martin Brammer, Steve Robson and performed by Morrison. The song appears on Morrison's debut album Undiscovered and was released as his fourth single on 12 March 2007. "Undiscovered" was featured in the soundtrack for She's Out of...
" and "The Pieces Don't Fit AnymoreThe Pieces Don't Fit Anymore"The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore" is a song by British singer James Morrison, from his debut album Undiscovered. It was released on 18 December 2006 as his third single....
" - Sheena EastonSheena EastonSheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
- "Time Bomb" (from her What Comes NaturallyWhat Comes Naturally-Production:*Producers: Vassal Benford, Denny Diante, David Frank, Oliver Leiber, Jeff Lorber, Nick Mundy, Ian Prince, Wolf & Epic*Engineers: Wolfgang Aichholz, Greg Barrett, Shawn Berman, Ted Blaisdell, Bob Cadway, John Chamberlin, David Dachinger, Daryll Dobson, Steve Egleman, Greg Grill, Steve...
album) - Roland GiftRoland GiftRoland Lee Gift is a British singer and actor. He was the lead singer of the band Fine Young Cannibals.-Biography:...
- "Flown" - Nick CarterNick Carter (musician)Nickolas Gene "Nick" Carter is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, musician, entertainer and actor. He is best known as a member of the pop group, Backstreet Boys. He went on to release a solo album called Now Or Never during their hiatus. He has made occasional television appearances and...
- "My Confession" and "Is It Saturday Yet?" (from his Now or Never album) - Jack McManusJack McManus (singer)Jack McManus is a BRIT School educated singer-songwriter from West Wickham, Kent in England.-Music career:A singer who has been compared to Elton John and Billy Joel, McManus' debut album Either Side Of Midnight was released on Polydor Records/UMRL on 5 May 2008, preceded by his first single "Bang...
- "Bang on the Piano" - Tony MoranTony MoranAnthony "Tony" Moran is a remixer/producer and DJ known for remixing popular songs. In 2007, he hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with "Walk Away" featuring Kristine W.-Career:...
and Nicki RichardsNicki RichardsNicki Richards is an American singer, songwriter, producer, actor based in Manhattan, New York City. She is also known as a backing singer for a number of renowned artists and on a big number of studio recordings. Her father was a high ranking African-American naval officer and her mother, Donna...
- "Lighthouse"
Singles
- "Brother Brother" - (1983) - Failed to chart
- "Smalltown Creed" - (1984) - UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
#60 - "Closest Thing to Heaven" - (1984) - UK #12
- "Respect Yourself - (1984) - UK #21; AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
#19 - "Gun Law" - (1985) - UK #53
- "Motortown" - (1987) - UK #45; U.S. Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
#36 - "What Time Is It?" - (1987) - Failed to chart
- "Don't Look Any Further" - (1988) - UK #52; U.S. #64
Albums
- The Bad and Lowdown World of the Kane Gang - (1985) - UK Albums ChartUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#21 - Miracle - (1987) - UK #41; U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
#115
The Miracle of The Kane Gang was released late in 2007, a double
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
collection
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, released on Kitchenware Records, containing tracks from the two albums plus previously unreleased tracks and b-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
:-
Disc One
- "Brother Brother"
- "Gun Law"
- "We'll Take This Train"
- "How Much Longer"
- "Loserville"
- "Printer's Devil"
- "Respect Yourself"
- "Closest Thing To Heaven"
- "Smalltown Creed"
- "Crease In His Hat"
- "It's A Gift"
- "Angel On A Motorbike" *
- "Six O'Clock City" *
Disc Two
- "Motortown"
- "What Time Is It?"
- "Looking For Gold"
- "Take Me To The World"
- "King Street Rain"
- "Don't Look Any Further"
- "A Finer Place"
- "Let's Get Wet"
- "Strictly Love (It Ain't)"
- "Sitting Ducks" *
- "King Of Nothing" *
- "Love Thing" *
- "Lonesome, Weary And Blue" *
- "Start Walking" *
- "Brightest Star" *
- Previously unreleased *
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart
- Number-one dance hits of 1988 (USA)Number-one dance hits of 1988 (USA)These are the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number one hits of 1988.-See also:*1988 in music*List of number-one dance hits *List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart...
- List of 1980s one-hit wonders in the United States
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- Bands and musicians from Yorkshire and North East EnglandBands and musicians from Yorkshire and North East EnglandThe following is a list of towns and cities in Yorkshire and the north east of England, each with the bands and musicians to have charted in them included...
- Now That's What I Call Music 4 (UK series)
External links
- Mini biography/discography at ear.fm
- Biography at 80's Pue Pop website
- Martin Brammer interview at Zioshow.com - Archived copy from Sep 29, 2007 - Retrieved Feb 10, 2011