Neil Landon
Encyclopedia
Neil Landon is an English
singer, who has been credited with singing on a number of hit
s in the UK Singles Chart
. In addition, he was a singer and songwriter
with the band
Fat Mattress
, which he co-founded with the Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist
, Noel Redding
.
, England, Landon started singing and playing semi-professionally under his real name of Pat Cahill in 1960, replacing Kitson 'Kit' Keen in the Dover
based 'Rolling Stones' (no connection with the later famous band of that name). When he left to front the 'Cheetahs' (1961–62), he was replaced by Mick Morris (later of Mirkwood (band)
). After adopting the name Neil Landon, he joined Folkestone group the 'Burnettes' (1962–65), in which Noel Redding
(later of the Jimi Hendrix Experience) became lead guitar
ist and Pete Kircher
, (later of Honeybus
and Status Quo) the drummer
. In 1965 Landon released two singles
, "Waiting Here For Someone" b/w "I've Got Nothing To Lose" (Decca
F 12330) and "I'm Your Puppet" b/w "I Still Love You" (Decca
F 12451). Both were written
and produced
by John Carter
and Ken Lewis
. Despite television appearances however, early success eluded him.
He has a granddaughter.
After being invited by Carter and Lewis to join The Ivy League
, Landon together with Perry Ford and Tony Burrows
, sang on several of the group's hits
including their two UK
Top 10 entries, "Funny How Love Can Be" and "Tossin' And Turnin". Subsequently both Landon and Burrows became members of The Flower Pot Men who scored a hit in 1967 with "Let's Go To San Francisco
" (Deram
DM142) which reached Number 4 in the UK Singles Chart
.
In 1968, Landon began writing songs with former bandmate Redding, initially as a solo project but with the aim of involving other former bandmates as session musician
s. Bassist Jim Leverton had connections with two of Landon's former bands having both played in the Burnettes as well as alongside the Rolling Stones. Since the demise of the Burnettes, Leverton had worked in the recording studio
with the Walker Brothers
and Cat Stevens
among others, and had recently been playing as a member of Engelbert Humperdinck's backing band, where he had met the drummer
Eric Dillon. With Leverton and Dillon now on board it was decided to turn the recording project into a new group and Fat Mattress
was born.
The new band toured the United States
as support for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, securing a recording contract
on their return to the UK and playing the Isle of Wight Festival 1969
. Fat Mattress recorded
two albums and a third was underway when they disbanded at the end of 1970. The band's first album yielded the major Dutch hit "Magic Forest", which Landon co-wrote and performed lead vocal on.
After a spell in the U.S., Landon returned in 1972 to live in the UK where he put together a new band, 'Mainhorse Airline'. The group was short-lived however, and in 1974 Landon relocated to Hamburg
, Germany
where as 'Neil Landon and Friends', he quickly established a following. In September 1975 Landon's first German recording, a solo
album produced by ex-Rattle
Achim Reichel
, was released. Two more albums, this time credited to the 'Neil Landon Band', followed as well as two more solo albums.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Landon continued to be involved in a wide range of musical projects, including a 1982, Klaus Voormann
produced single, "One Of The Big Boys"; stage appearances as lead singer with Klaus Gerlach's rock horror troupe; with the 'Neil Landon Five'; with Noel Redding at Hamburg's 'Fabrik' club
in 1997; and in starring roles in the musicals
, Let's Twist and Jailhouse in 1998 and 1999.
In the spring of 2001 Landon's solo show, 'Musical Highlights', was a success with audiences, and in the summer of that year he appeared with his own new 'Neil Landon Band'.
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...
singer, who has been credited with singing on a number of hit
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 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 addition, he was a singer and 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...
with the 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...
Fat Mattress
Fat Mattress
Fat Mattress were an English folk rock band that formed in Folkestone in 1968. Founded by guitarist and vocalist Noel Redding, during his time as bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and vocalist Neil Landon, the band was completed by multi-instrumentalist Jim Leverton and drummer Eric Dillon...
, which he co-founded with the Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, Noel Redding
Noel Redding
Noel Redding was an English rock and roll guitarist best known as the bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Biography:...
.
Biography
Based in FolkestoneFolkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
, England, Landon started singing and playing semi-professionally under his real name of Pat Cahill in 1960, replacing Kitson 'Kit' Keen in the Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
based 'Rolling Stones' (no connection with the later famous band of that name). When he left to front the 'Cheetahs' (1961–62), he was replaced by Mick Morris (later of Mirkwood (band)
Mirkwood (band)
Mirkwood was a British progressive rock band formed in early 1971 by guitarists Mick Morris and Jack Castle. The band's ancestry can be traced to the original Dover-based, Rolling Stones, a skiffle and blues band formed in 1956....
). After adopting the name Neil Landon, he joined Folkestone group the 'Burnettes' (1962–65), in which Noel Redding
Noel Redding
Noel Redding was an English rock and roll guitarist best known as the bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Biography:...
(later of the Jimi Hendrix Experience) became lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
ist and Pete Kircher
Pete Kircher
Peter Derek Kircher , is a retired English rock/pop drummer.He played between 1982 to 1985 in the rock band Status Quo...
, (later of Honeybus
Honeybus
Honeybus were a 1960s pop group formed in April 1967, in London. They were best known for their 1968 UK Top 10 hit single, "I Can't Let Maggie Go".-Line-up:The best known line-up consisted of:...
and Status Quo) the drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
. In 1965 Landon released two 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...
, "Waiting Here For Someone" b/w "I've Got Nothing To Lose" (Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
F 12330) and "I'm Your Puppet" b/w "I Still Love You" (Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
F 12451). Both were written
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...
and 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 John Carter
John Carter (musician)
For the jazz clarinet player John Carter, see John Carter .John Carter is an English singer, songwriter and record producer.-Overview:...
and Ken Lewis
Ken Lewis (songwriter)
Ken Lewis is an English singer, songwriter and record producer. He is considered one of the most successful songwriters of the 1960s as a result of his collaborations with John Carter...
. Despite television appearances however, early success eluded him.
He has a granddaughter.
After being invited by Carter and Lewis to join The Ivy League
The Ivy League (band)
The Ivy League are an English vocal trio, created in 1964, who enjoyed two Top 10 hit singles in the UK Singles Chart in 1965. The group's sound was characterised by rich, three-part vocal harmonies.-Career:...
, Landon together with Perry Ford and Tony Burrows
Tony Burrows
Anthony "Tony" Burrows is a British session singer. He has been credited with singing lead on hit singles for more groups than any other recording artist, both on the UK Singles Chart and the U.S...
, sang on several of the group's 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...
including their two 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...
Top 10 entries, "Funny How Love Can Be" and "Tossin' And Turnin". Subsequently both Landon and Burrows became members of The Flower Pot Men who scored a hit in 1967 with "Let's Go To San Francisco
Let's Go To San Francisco
"Let's Go to San Francisco" is the only UK-charting single by the British pop group The Flower Pot Men. A light-hearted pastiche of the work of Brian Wilson, the song achieved a similar musical level and has remained popular...
" (Deram
Deram Records
Deram Records was a subsidiary record label established in 1966 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. At this time U.K. Decca was a completely different company than the Decca label in the United States, which was then owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings were also distributed in the U.S. through...
DM142) which reached Number 4 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 1968, Landon began writing songs with former bandmate Redding, initially as a solo project but with the aim of involving other former bandmates as session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s. Bassist Jim Leverton had connections with two of Landon's former bands having both played in the Burnettes as well as alongside the Rolling Stones. Since the demise of the Burnettes, Leverton had worked in the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
with the Walker Brothers
Walker Brothers
Walker Bros. is a series of pancake houses in the Chicago area.They developed as a franchised spin-off of The Original Pancake House, founded in Portland, Oregon in 1953 by Les Highet and Erma Hueneke; the Walker Bros. version has been in business for over 45 years...
and Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
among others, and had recently been playing as a member of Engelbert Humperdinck's backing band, where he had met the drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Eric Dillon. With Leverton and Dillon now on board it was decided to turn the recording project into a new group and Fat Mattress
Fat Mattress
Fat Mattress were an English folk rock band that formed in Folkestone in 1968. Founded by guitarist and vocalist Noel Redding, during his time as bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and vocalist Neil Landon, the band was completed by multi-instrumentalist Jim Leverton and drummer Eric Dillon...
was born.
The new band toured the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as support for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, securing 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...
on their return to the UK and playing the Isle of Wight Festival 1969
Isle of Wight Festival 1969
The 1969 Isle of Wight Festival was held on August 30–31, 1969, at Wootton, and attracted an audience of approximately 150,000 to see the acts of Bob Dylan, The Who and Free. It was the second of three music festivals held on the Isle of Wight between 1968 and 1970...
. Fat Mattress recorded
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...
two albums and a third was underway when they disbanded at the end of 1970. The band's first album yielded the major Dutch hit "Magic Forest", which Landon co-wrote and performed lead vocal on.
After a spell in the U.S., Landon returned in 1972 to live in the UK where he put together a new band, 'Mainhorse Airline'. The group was short-lived however, and in 1974 Landon relocated to Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where as 'Neil Landon and Friends', he quickly established a following. In September 1975 Landon's first German recording, a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
album produced by ex-Rattle
The Rattles
The Rattles are a rock band from Germany. Their biggest selling record was their 1968 recorded song, "The Witch", which sold over one million copies globally.-Career:...
Achim Reichel
Achim Reichel
Achim Reichel is a musician, producer and songwriter from Hamburg, Germany. He is known for his 1991 single "Aloha Heja He", and serving as the frontman for the 1960s beat group The Rattles, who, among other achievements, were selected to open for The Beatles on the Fabs' last-ever tour of Europe...
, was released. Two more albums, this time credited to the 'Neil Landon Band', followed as well as two more solo albums.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Landon continued to be involved in a wide range of musical projects, including a 1982, Klaus Voormann
Klaus Voormann
Klaus Voormann is a German Grammy Award-winning artist, noted musician, and record producer. He designed artwork for many bands including The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Wet Wet Wet and Turbonegro. His most notable work as a producer was his work with the band Trio, including their worldwide hit "Da Da...
produced single, "One Of The Big Boys"; stage appearances as lead singer with Klaus Gerlach's rock horror troupe; with the 'Neil Landon Five'; with Noel Redding at Hamburg's 'Fabrik' club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in 1997; and in starring roles in the musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, Let's Twist and Jailhouse in 1998 and 1999.
In the spring of 2001 Landon's solo show, 'Musical Highlights', was a success with audiences, and in the summer of that year he appeared with his own new 'Neil Landon Band'.
Singles
- "Funny How Love Can Be" (1965) - 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 ...
Number 8 - "That's Why I'm Crying" (1965) - UK Number 22
- "Tossing and Turning" (1965) - UK Number 3
- "Willow Tree" (1966) - UK Number 50
Compilation albums
Singles
- from Fat Mattress:
- "Magic Forest"/"Petrol Pump Assistant" (1969)
- from Fat Mattress II:
- "Naturally"/"Iridescent Butterfly" (1969)
- "Highway"/"Black Sheep of the Family" (1970)
- Non-album singles:
- "Magic Lanterns"/"Bright New Way" (1970)
Albums
- Neil Landon (1975) - Neil Landon (Nova / Teldec 6.22353 AS)
- Rendezvous (1977) - Neil Landon Band (Nova / Teldec 6.23011 AS)
- Sold Out (live albumLive albumA live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
) (1978) - Neil Landon Band (Nova / Teldec 6.23477 AO) - Leben wie ein Maulwurf (1984) - Neil Landon (Mercury 818 574 - Q)
- The Best Of (compilation albumCompilation albumA 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...
) (1998) - Neil Landon (Yes/No YNCD 19982) - Sings Musical Highlights (2000) - Neil Landon (Neues Theater Special Edition)
External links
- [ Landon overview at Allmusic.com]
- Barcodes website
- Note Records website