Kilburn and the High Roads were a British pub rock band formed in London by Ian Dury in 1970. The band released one studio album Handsome in 1975, disbanding the same year. AllMusic credits the band with being "an undeniable influence on punk and new wave".

History

Dury formed Kilburn and the High Roads in 1970. The band consisted of Ian Dury as lead vocalist and lyricist, pianist Russell Hardy, guitarist Edward "Ted" Speight (later replaced by Keith Lucas), bassist Charlie Hart (later replaced by Humphrey Ocean and later by Charley Sinclair), saxophonist George Khan (later replaced by Davey Payne) and drummer Chris Lucas (replaced by Terry Day and later by David Newton-Rohoman, who used crutches).

The band signed to Warner Bros. subsidiary Raft Records and recorded an album in 1974 but it remained unreleased when the label was shut down.

Dury then formed the short-lived Ian Dury and the Kilburns and later, with different personnel, a new group, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, initially releasing records under his own name alone. Dury's solo success led to the release of a second Kilburn and the High Roads album, Wotabunch! in 1977, despite the group's earlier demise, largely duplicating the first album but remixed from earlier demos and later a compilation EP, The Best of Kilburn & the High Roads on Dury's next label, Stiff Records, in 1983.

Legacy

Davey Payne followed Dury into the Blockheads. Keith Lucas (as Nick Cash) went on to form punk band 999. Humphrey Ocean recorded a one-off single for Stiff Records in 1978, written by Dury.

Suggs has credited Kilburn and the High Roads with being "a huge influence" on Madness. Paul Simonon of the Clash has credited Dury as an influence on punk. The Sex Pistols were inspired by Chris Thomas' production on the first Kilburn's single to work with him; it has also been suggested that John Lydon borrowed some of his early performance style from Dury, although the claim is rejected by Lydon.

Personnel

Kilburn and the High Roads

  • Ian Dury – lead vocal, percussion (also lyricist and songwriter)
  • Russell Hardy – piano (also songwriter)
  • Rod Melvin – piano, vocals (also songwriter)
  • Edward "Ted" Speight – guitar
  • Keith Lucas (Nick Cash) – guitar
  • Charlie Hart – bass
  • Ian Smith – bass
  • Humphrey Ocean – bass
  • Charley Sinclair – bass
  • George Khan – saxophone
  • Davey Payne – saxophone
  • Terry Day – drums
  • Chris Lucas – drums
  • David Newton-Rohoman – drums
  • George Butler – drums

Ian Dury and the Kilburns

  • Ian Dury – lead vocal
  • Rod Melvin – keyboards
  • Edward "Ted" Speight – guitar
  • John Earle – saxophone
  • Giorgi Dionisiev – bass
  • Malcolm Mortimore – drums
  • Chaz Jankel – keyboards, guitar

Discography

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Album title

! Label

! Recorded

! Released

|-

| Handsome

| Dawn Records

| 1974

| 1975

|-

| Wotabunch!

| Warner Bros. Records

| 1974

| 1977

|}

Singles

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Song title

! Label

! Recorded

! Released

|-

| "Rough Kids"/"Billy Bentley"

| Dawn Records

| 1974

| 1974

|-

| "Crippled with Nerves"/"Huffety Puff"

| Dawn Records

| 1975

| 1975

|}

Compilations

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Album title

! Label

! Recorded

! Released

|-

| The Best of Kilburn & the High-Roads

| Stiff Records

| 1982

| 1983

|-

| Upminster Kids

| PRT Records

| 1974–75

| 1983

|}

References

  • Official Ian Dury website
  • AllMusic biography