Rick Witter & The Dukes
Encyclopedia
Rick Witter & The Dukes are a British
alternative rock
band
from York
, England
.
front man, Rick Witter, announced details of his new band, Rick Witter & The Dukes, along with a week of low key concert
s in Scotland
. The initial plan for The Dukes was to mix playing brand new material together with a few old Shed Seven
songs in an effort not to alienate Witter's existing fanbase from the days with his former band. His new outfit maintained the guitar rock stylings of his predecessor, but added a harder, rockier edge.
Two sold out shows at Fibbers, in York, followed the handful of Scottish dates in December of the same year. The same month also saw the first airing of Dukes material online, as four song excerpts began streaming on a newly created Rick Witter & The Dukes MySpace
page (which was later to become the band's official website
). The four short demo
s included the tracks; "He Was The Boy Who Waited So Long He Forgot What He Was Waiting For", "Pull Together", "The Devil Will Be Waiting For You" and "The Other Way Around".
By April 2006, The Dukes had announced a full 18-date UK tour, as well as making a further demo available to download for free, titled "The Sky Falls Down". In July 2006, the band began recording
sessions for their self-financed debut album
in Leeds
with record producer
, Will Jackson, initially slated for release in late 2006. In August of the same year, the band went on to headline the Beached Festival
in Scarborough, whilst their debut album The Year of The Rat was finally released in April 2007 via Hookline And Singer/Notting Hill Music. Five of the album's tracks feature fellow York musicians, Chris Helme
and John Hargreaves of The Yards, on backing vocals and piano, whilst one track features the additional vocals of the Leeds-based jazz
musician, Kate Peters. The LP itself is dedicated to the memory of Roger Witter, Rick's father.
Initial copies of the album came in the form of a special limited edition, presented in an embossed metal tin with card slip case and fold out lyric poster, and limited to 1,000 units. To celebrate the album's release, the band announced a special one-off gig aboard a boat on York's River Ouse
, known as the Ouse Cruise, as the band played a set consisting entirely of their own material to 70 fans
.
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...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band
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...
from York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, 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...
.
Band members
- Rick WitterRick WitterRick Witter is a singer, songwriter and frontman of the York-based Britpop band, Shed Seven.He was educated at Huntington School, York.-Professional career:...
(Vocals) - Rob Wilson (Guitars)
- Stuart Fletcher (Bass Guitar)
- Matt Lunn (Drums)
History
In August 2005, former Shed SevenShed Seven
Shed Seven are an English indie rock band from York and were one of the groups which contributed to the Britpop music scene that evolved during the 1990s, yet never received the degree of mainstream success achieved by bands such as Oasis and Blur...
front man, Rick Witter, announced details of his new band, Rick Witter & The Dukes, along with a week of low key concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The initial plan for The Dukes was to mix playing brand new material together with a few old Shed Seven
Shed Seven
Shed Seven are an English indie rock band from York and were one of the groups which contributed to the Britpop music scene that evolved during the 1990s, yet never received the degree of mainstream success achieved by bands such as Oasis and Blur...
songs in an effort not to alienate Witter's existing fanbase from the days with his former band. His new outfit maintained the guitar rock stylings of his predecessor, but added a harder, rockier edge.
Two sold out shows at Fibbers, in York, followed the handful of Scottish dates in December of the same year. The same month also saw the first airing of Dukes material online, as four song excerpts began streaming on a newly created Rick Witter & The Dukes MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page (which was later to become the band's official website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
). The four short demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
s included the tracks; "He Was The Boy Who Waited So Long He Forgot What He Was Waiting For", "Pull Together", "The Devil Will Be Waiting For You" and "The Other Way Around".
By April 2006, The Dukes had announced a full 18-date UK tour, as well as making a further demo available to download for free, titled "The Sky Falls Down". In July 2006, the band began recording
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...
sessions for their self-financed 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...
in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
with 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...
, Will Jackson, initially slated for release in late 2006. In August of the same year, the band went on to headline the Beached Festival
Beached Festival
The Beached Festival was a free festival held annually in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. After 6 years it had grown to become the biggest free festival in the South Bay of Scarborough. It last took place in 2008.-History:...
in Scarborough, whilst their debut album The Year of The Rat was finally released in April 2007 via Hookline And Singer/Notting Hill Music. Five of the album's tracks feature fellow York musicians, Chris Helme
Chris Helme
Chris Helme is an English singer-songwriter who briefly shot to fame as the frontman of The Seahorses, the band formed by The Stone Roses guitarist John Squire.-Early Days:...
and John Hargreaves of The Yards, on backing vocals and piano, whilst one track features the additional vocals of the Leeds-based 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...
musician, Kate Peters. The LP itself is dedicated to the memory of Roger Witter, Rick's father.
Initial copies of the album came in the form of a special limited edition, presented in an embossed metal tin with card slip case and fold out lyric poster, and limited to 1,000 units. To celebrate the album's release, the band announced a special one-off gig aboard a boat on York's River Ouse
River Ouse, Yorkshire
The River Ouse is a river in North Yorkshire, England. The river is formed from the River Ure at Cuddy Shaw Reach near Linton-on-Ouse, about 6 miles downstream of the confluence of the River Swale with the River Ure...
, known as the Ouse Cruise, as the band played a set consisting entirely of their own material to 70 fans
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...
.