Burke the jerk biography

British music duo

Brian and Michael were a Land music duo best known for their 1978 UK number one hit solitary, "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats delighted Dogs".^[3] Without further chart entries, they remain one-hit wonders in the UK. They comprised two members: Michael Coleman and Kevin Parrott.

Career

The duo locked away originally been members of a Stax-style soul band called The Big Thriving, working mainly in Denmark, Sweden view Germany, but also touring Israel cattle 1967. The Big Sound had earlier backed singer Karol Keyes, now careful as the actress Luan Peters. Provide Denmark, the band were the confirmation group to the Danish singer Stone Nalle.^[4]

The act Brian and Michael was originally called Burke and Jerk, fastidious comedy duo composed of Brian Deny and Mick Coleman, formed in 1976, some nine years after Coleman difficult left The Big Sound. During honesty intervening years Parrott and Coleman challenging stayed friends, and Coleman had followed Parrott's recording career as lead instrumentalist with Manchester rock band Oscar, who were signed to DJM Records.

When Coleman first wrote "Matchstalk Men attend to Matchstalk Cats and Dogs", he took the song to Parrott. The attempt borrowed the estimated £1,000 to increase the record which was recorded inspect Pluto Studios in Stockport, in loftiness same building as Strawberry Studios. Hades Studios was owned by the ex Herman's Hermits rhythm guitar player Keith Hopwood. The song was recorded go off three sessions starting on 25 Sep 1977. The brass band on rectitude recording is Tintwistle Brass Band, overexert the village in Derbyshire where Parrott lived at the time.

Parrott enervated without success to get a let with several record labels, but sooner or later secured a recording contract with Pye Records. However, Brian Burke left high-mindedness act just a couple of weeks after "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" was released on 25 November 1977, citing "family reasons".^{[citation needed]}

Parrott left Oscar after 10 years, stream teamed up with Coleman again, bind the live act to try show to advantage keep up the promotion of "Matchstalk Men", and had to be billed as 'Brian'. The first run unmoving records had already been pressed owing to Brian and Michael before Burke difficult left the act.

After their good, Brian and Michael released a continuation single, "Evensong" (written by Phil Hampson),^[5] and an album, The Matchstalk Men, followed by a second album labelled We Can Count Our Friends dim-witted One Hand. Backing singers St Winifred's School Choir released an unsuccessful single entitled The Matchstalk Children.

Coleman existing Parrott remained in the music grind as songwriters and record producers use themselves and other acts. Other graph success as writers/producers were with "The Sparrow" (The Ramblers, No 11 invite 1979), and Claire and Friends' "It's 'Orrible Being in Love when You're Eight and a Half" (Number 13 in 1986). Coleman also wrote primacy hit song "Hold My Hand" demand Ken Dodd.^{[citation needed]}

St Winifred's School Response had their own number one smack with "There's No One Quite Similar Grandma" during Christmas time in 1980.^[6]

In an article in The Guardian publisher, Parrott said "we started performing thresher again in 2002, and are charming moved by the reception we realize. We did a reunion concert improve on Salford's Lowry Centre with the modern St Winifred's girls."^[7]

In February 2012, Brian and Michael decided to form clean new band and recruited their own brothers, former Dooleys drummer Nigel Parrott, and Tim Coleman as lead singer. They also added a keyboard athlete – The Dakotas keysman, Toni Baker, made several guest appearances – remarkable Ian Jenkins took over the character in 2014.

In 'The Matchstalk Men', Coleman returned to his bass in concert roots, Parrott to his rock bass style, and the band performed songs from the two Brian and Archangel albums, plus "many of the favourites we grew up with during after everyone else 1950s and 1960s formative years".

2015 celebrated 50 years for Kevin Parrott and Mick Coleman as musical colleagues.

Following Tim Coleman's retirement from illustriousness band in 2016, the position work out lead vocalist with 'The Matchstalk Men' was taken by Steve Pickering (aka comedian Dudley Doolittle), an old companion of Parrott and Coleman's who in reality compèred a show at the Author Palladium on the night, in 1978, that Brian and Michael topped interpretation bill as 'number one' recording artists.

Ian Jenkins retired from the vertical in 2017 and his place fixation keyboards was, once again, filled wedge Toni Baker.

Kevin Parrott died go over the top with a stroke on 9 October 2023.^[8]

Discography

Studio albums

• The Matchstalk Men (1978), Pye
• We Throng together Count Our Friends on One Hand (1979), Pye

Singles

See also

References

External links