Kenny Lynch
Encyclopedia
Kenny Lynch, OBE
(born 18 March 1938, Stepney
, London
, England
) is an English
singer
, songwriter
, entertainer and actor
from London
. Lynch appeared in many variety shows in the 1960s. He was one of the relatively few black
singers on the British
pop
scene in the early 1960s.
, Gladys (stage name Maxine Daniels
) was a jazz
singer of some note. After leaving school at 15 and various jobs, he did National Service
in the Royal Army Service Corps
and was the regimental featherweight
boxing
champion. He was also a semi-professional singer.
hit single
s in the early 1960s, including the two Top Ten hits, "Up on the Roof
" in December 1962, and "You Can Never Stop Me Loving You" in June 1963.
Lynch is most famous for a flop single he issued the same year. That was "Misery", the first cover version
of a Beatles
song to be released. In early 1963, Lynch had been on the same bill as The Beatles on the group's first British
tour; John Lennon
and Paul McCartney
wrote "Misery" in January 1963, in the hopes that the artist
on top of the bill, Helen Shapiro
, would record
it. Shapiro's record producer
turned it down, but Lynch took the composition and gave it a much more pop
oriented arrangement than The Beatles would use when they recorded "Misery" themselves on their debut album
, Please Please Me
. Whilst on a coach
with The Beatles
(on tour with Helen Shapiro
), Lynch reportedly offered to help them write a song, but quickly became frustrated and criticised their ability to compose music - at the time Lennon and McCartney were writing "From Me to You
". Years later he appeared on the album cover
of Wings
' 1973 album
, Band on the Run
, along with other celebrities
.
Lynch wrote a fairly high percentage of his own material, but also did some covers of songs originating from the Brill Building
writers.
In addition, he has written song
s for others — notably the Small Faces' #3 UK hit, "Sha-La-La-La-Lee
", with the American
songwriter
, Mort Shuman
. Lynch also wrote a couple of other songs from the Small Faces' 1966 debut album
, "You'd Better Believe It" (co-written with Jerry Ragavoy) and "Sorry She's Mine".
Lynch took part in the A Song For Europe contest in 1962 with the song "There's Never Been A Girl", but failed to win through to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest
. He returned to the contest in 1978, this time as a writer, penning "Don't Bother To Knock" for the group
'Midnight'. This song was placed second.
His numerous TV
appearances include the 1970s programme Get This which he co-presented with Harry Fowler
, as well as roles in Celebrity Squares, Mooncat & Co., Room at the Bottom and Curry & Chips, as well as minor parts in Z-Cars
, The Sweeney
, Til Death Us Do Part
and Treasure Hunt
. Known for charity
work, Lynch has often played in charity football matches and Michael Parkinson's
'Celebrity Cricket' fundraisers. He is a fan
of the London football club West Ham United
.
player Buster Mottram
, a long-time white nationalist
political activist.
include:
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 18 March 1938, Stepney
Stepney
Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London's East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan's church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road...
, 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...
, 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...
) is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, entertainer and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
from 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...
. Lynch appeared in many variety shows in the 1960s. He was one of the relatively few black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
singers on the British
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...
pop
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...
scene in the early 1960s.
Early life
Lynch grew up in Stepney, east London as one of 13 children and his sisterSibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
, Gladys (stage name Maxine Daniels
Maxine Daniels
Maxine Daniels was a British jazz singer born in London, UK, probably best known for her work with Humphrey Lyttelton and others....
) was a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer of some note. After leaving school at 15 and various jobs, he did National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in the Royal Army Service Corps
Royal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
and was the regimental featherweight
Featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion. He was also a semi-professional singer.
Career
He had several UKUnited 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 single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s in the early 1960s, including the two Top Ten hits, "Up on the Roof
Up on the Roof (song)
"Up on the Roof" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and recorded in 1962 by The Drifters. Released at the tail end of that year, the song became a big hit in early 1963, reaching number five on the U.S. pop singles chart and number 4 on the U.S...
" in December 1962, and "You Can Never Stop Me Loving You" in June 1963.
Lynch is most famous for a flop single he issued the same year. That was "Misery", the first cover version
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 a Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
song to be released. In early 1963, Lynch had been on the same bill as The Beatles on the group's first British
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...
tour; John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
wrote "Misery" in January 1963, in the hopes that the artist
Musician
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....
on top of the bill, Helen Shapiro
Helen Shapiro
Helen Kate Shapiro is an English singer and actress. She is best known for her 1960s UK chart toppers, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness".-Early life:...
, would 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...
it. Shapiro's record producer
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...
turned it down, but Lynch took the composition and gave it a much more pop
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...
oriented arrangement than The Beatles would use when they recorded "Misery" themselves on 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...
, Please Please Me
Please Please Me
Please Please Me is the debut album by the English rock band The Beatles. Parlophone rush-released the album on 22 March 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise on the success of singles "Please Please Me" and "Love Me Do" .Of the album's fourteen songs, eight were written by Lennon–McCartney...
. Whilst on a coach
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
with The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
(on tour with Helen Shapiro
Helen Shapiro
Helen Kate Shapiro is an English singer and actress. She is best known for her 1960s UK chart toppers, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness".-Early life:...
), Lynch reportedly offered to help them write a song, but quickly became frustrated and criticised their ability to compose music - at the time Lennon and McCartney were writing "From Me to You
From Me to You
"From Me to You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles as a single in 1963. The single was the Beatles' first number one in some of the United Kingdom charts, second in others, but failed to make an impact in the United States at the time of its initial...
". Years later he appeared on the album cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
of Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
' 1973 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...
, Band on the Run
Band on the Run
Band on the Run is an album by Paul McCartney & Wings, released in 1973. It was Wings' third album. It became Wings' most successful album and remains the most celebrated of McCartney's post-Beatles albums...
, along with other celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
.
Lynch wrote a fairly high percentage of his own material, but also did some covers of songs originating from the Brill Building
Brill Building
The Brill Building is an office building located at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood...
writers.
In addition, he has written 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 for others — notably the Small Faces' #3 UK hit, "Sha-La-La-La-Lee
Sha-La-La-La-Lee
"Sha-La-La-La-Lee" was the third song released by English R&B influenced group Small Faces on 28 January 1966 reaching number three in the UK Singles Chart....
", with the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, Mort Shuman
Mort Shuman
Mort Shuman was an American singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hits, including "Viva Las Vegas"...
. Lynch also wrote a couple of other songs from the Small Faces' 1966 debut album
Small Faces (1966 album)
Small Faces is the debut album of the Small Faces, released in 1966. It includes the hit singles "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" and "Sha-La-La-La-Lee"...
, "You'd Better Believe It" (co-written with Jerry Ragavoy) and "Sorry She's Mine".
Lynch took part in the A Song For Europe contest in 1962 with the song "There's Never Been A Girl", but failed to win through to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
. He returned to the contest in 1978, this time as a writer, penning "Don't Bother To Knock" for the group
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...
'Midnight'. This song was placed second.
His numerous TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
appearances include the 1970s programme Get This which he co-presented with Harry Fowler
Harry Fowler
Harry James Fowler, MBE is an English actor in film and TV. He started in juvenile roles, most notably in the first recognised Ealing Comedy Hue and Cry, made in 1947...
, as well as roles in Celebrity Squares, Mooncat & Co., Room at the Bottom and Curry & Chips, as well as minor parts in Z-Cars
Z-Cars
Z-Cars is a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby in the outskirts of Liverpool in Merseyside. Produced by the BBC, it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978.-Origins:The series was developed by...
, The Sweeney
The Sweeney
The Sweeney is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London...
, Til Death Us Do Part
Til Death Us Do Part
Till Death Us Do Part is a British television sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1965 to 1968, 1970, and from 1972 to 1975. First airing as a Comedy Playhouse pilot, the show aired in seven series until 1975. Six years later, ITV continued the sitcom, calling it Till Death......
and Treasure Hunt
Treasure Hunt (UK game show)
Treasure Hunt was a popular UK game show, based on the format of the French show La Chasse au Trésor, created by Jacques Antoine. It appeared on Channel 4 between 28 December 1982 and 18 May 1989 and was revived by BBC Two between 16 December 2002 and 2 August 2003.-The game:A team of two...
. Known for charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
work, Lynch has often played in charity football matches and Michael Parkinson's
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
'Celebrity Cricket' fundraisers. He is a fan
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
of the London football club West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
.
Controversy
In the early 1980s, Lynch formed a songwriting partnership with former tennisTennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player Buster Mottram
Buster Mottram
Christopher Mottram is a former English tennis player, who achieved a highest lifetime ranking of fifteenth in the world.Mottram represented Great Britain in the Davis Cup eight times...
, a long-time white nationalist
White nationalism
White nationalism is a political ideology which advocates a racial definition of national identity for white people. White separatism and white supremacism are subgroups within white nationalism. The former seek a separate white nation state, while the latter add ideas from social Darwinism and...
political activist.
Discography
Lynch's appearances on the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
include:
- "Mountain of Love" (1960 - #33 UKUK 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 ...
) - "Puff" (1962 - #33 UK)
- "Up on the RoofUp on the Roof (song)"Up on the Roof" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and recorded in 1962 by The Drifters. Released at the tail end of that year, the song became a big hit in early 1963, reaching number five on the U.S. pop singles chart and number 4 on the U.S...
" (1962 - #10 UK) - "You Can Never Stop Me Loving You" (1963 - #10 UK)
- "Stand By MeStand by Me (song)"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, based on the spiritual "Lord Stand by Me,", plus two lines rooted in Psalms 46:2-3...
" (1964 - #39 UK) - "What Am I To You" (1964 - #37 UK)
- "I'll Stay By You" (1965 - #29 UK)
- "Half The Day's Gone and We Haven't Earned a Penny" (1983 - #50 UK)
Filmography
- Just For FunJust For FunJust For Fun is the registered trademark of costume and partyware retailer in the United Kingdom, Just For Fun Ltd. Established in 1974, Just For Fun is a family run business, based in Hampshire....
(1963) - Dr. Terror's House of HorrorsDr. Terror's House of HorrorsDr. Terror's House of Horrors is a 1965 British horror film from Amicus Productions, directed by veteran horror director Freddie Francis, written by Milton Subotsky, and starred Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee....
(1965) - The Plank (1967)
- Carry on LovingCarry On LovingCarry On Loving is the twentieth Carry On film, and was released in 1970. It features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Hattie Jacques, Terry Scott and Bernard Bresslaw alongside newcomers Richard O'Callaghan and Jacki Piper . Carry On Loving featured...
(1970) - The Alf Garnett SagaThe Alf Garnett SagaThe Alf Garnett Saga is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Warren Mitchell, Dandy Nichols, Paul Angelis and Adrienne Posta. The film was a film version of the TV series Till Death Us Do Part.-Cast:...
(1972) - The PlaybirdsThe PlaybirdsThe Playbirds is a 1978 British sexploitation film made by Irish-born director Willy Roe and starring 1970s' pin-up Mary Millington alongside Glynn Edwards, Suzy Mandel and Windsor Davies...
(1978) - The PlankThe Plank (1979 film)The Plank is a popular 30-minute, 1979 British slapstick comedy, which was a remake of an earlier 1967 version of the film which was written and directed by Eric Sykes. The 1967 version of "The Plank" was, in turn, based on an episode called "Sykes and A Plank", which Eric Sykes wrote for his...
(1979) — remake of the 1967 film - Confessions from the David Galaxy AffairConfessions from the David Galaxy AffairConfessions from the David Galaxy Affair is a 1979 British comedy film directed by Willy Roe and starring Alan Lake, Glynn Edwards, Diana Dors and Antony Booth...
(1979) - The RiddleThe Riddle (film)- Plot/Synopsis :When a woman is murdered following her discovery of an unpublished Charles Dickens manuscript, an unusual trio team up to investigate. The three are Mike , an ambitious sports reporter determined to make a name for himself, Kate , a police officer, and an eccentric old man...
(2007)