Joe Brown, MBE (born Joseph Roger Brown, 13 May 1941,[1] Swarby, Lincolnshire) is an English entertainer. Brown has worked as a rock and roll singer and guitarist for more than five decades. He was a stage and television performer in the late 1950s and a UK recording star in the early 1960s. He made six films, presented specialist radio series for BBC Radio 2, appeared on the West End stage alongside Dame Anna Neagle and has written an autobiography. In recent years he has again concentrated on recording and performing music, playing two tours of around 100 shows every year and releasing an album almost every year.
Described by the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, as a "chirpy cockney, Brown was one of the original artists managed by the early rock impresario, Larry Parnes".[1]Contents [hide] 1 Career 2 Discography 2.1 Singles 2.2 Albums 3 Quotation 4 References 5 External links
[edit] Career
Brown's family moved to London when he was two and ran the Sultan public house in Grange Road, Plaistow. In 1956, Brown formed The Spacemen skiffle group, which lasted until the US led the rock and roll invasion brought skiffle to a halt. In 1958 Brown was spotted by television producer Jack Good who hired him as lead guitarist in the orchestra of his new TV series, Boy Meets Girls.[2]
Brown signed a management agreement with impressario Larry Parnes and signed to Decca Records. Brown charted with "The Darktown Strutters Ball" in 1960 and had UK Top 10 hits on the Piccadilly label in 1962-63 with "A Picture Of You", "It Only Took A Minute" and "That's What Love Will Do". In April 1961, Piccadilly Records released Brown's "Crazy Mixed Up Kid" as its first single.[3] Brown's recording band was a collection of session musicians, and was named The Bruvvers by Good, to give Brown the identity of having his own backing band for record releases. It was in 1962 when he needed a band to tour with him that 'Joe Brown and the Bruvvers' was cemented, containing two members of the Spacemen, brothers Tony and Pete Oakman.
Brown was voted 'Top UK Vocal Personality' in the 1962 NME magazine poll.[1] In December 1963, What a Crazy World starring Brown and Marty Wilde, had its world premiere in London.[4] Brown appeared in films, pantomime and stage musicals, notably Charlie Girl in the West End. He presented the children's television series, Joe & Co, on BBC Television, and a daytime quiz show on ITV called Square One, and three series of The Joe Brown Show for ITV.
In 1972, he formed another band, Brown's Home Brew, which played rock and roll, country and gospel music and featured his wife, Vicki Brown, who died of cancer in 1991. Their daughter, Sam Brown, is also a singer and son Pete Brown[5] is a record producer, who produced all but one of Brown's nine most recent albums.
Brown plays acoustic guitar, electric guitar, ukulele, mandolin, fiddle and banjo.
George Harrison was best man at Brown's second marriage in 2000. Following Harrison's death from lung cancer on 29 November 2001, Brown appeared with his group at the Concert for George singing "Here Comes the Sun", "That's The Way It Goes" and "I'll See You in My Dreams", accompanying himself on the ukulele, for the latter. Brown had appeared on a track on Harrison's last album, Brainwashed, and on two songs on an earlier album, Gone Troppo.
Brown performs and makes occasional TV appearances. He is working on a musical, Don't You Rock Me Daddio, with songwriter Roger Cook. In December 2006, he was one of three guest hosts of Sounds of the 60s on BBC Radio 2 during the absence of host Brian Matthew, following on from Brown presenting two series on rock and roll for the same station.
In 2008 Brown's 50th anniversary celebrations included a UK gold album for sales over 100,000 Joe Brown - The Very Best Of, performed a 37 date spring tour, a concert at the Royal Albert Hall with Mark Knopfler, Jools Holland, Dennis Locorriere, Dave Edmunds, Sam Brown and Chas & Dave and a 36 date autumn/winter tour.
His latest album, More Of The Truth, was released in the UK on 13 October 2008, and early in 2009 the US musical instrument manufacturer, Kala, launched a series of 'Joe Brown' ukuleles. At the Mojo magazine's awards in London on 11 June 2009, Brown was presented with the lifetime award for outstanding contribution to music after 51 years' recording .
Brown was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.[6] [edit] Discography [edit] Singles 1959 "People Gotta Talk" - Decca - F11185 1960 "Jellied Eels" - Decca - F11246 1960 "The Darktown Strutters Ball" - Decca - F11207 UK #34 † 1961 "I'm Henry The Eighth" - Piccadilly - 7N35005 1961 "Crazy Mixed Up Kid" - Piccadilly - 7N35000 1961 "Shine" / "The Switch" - Pye - 7N15322 UK #33 1962 "What A Crazy World We're Livin' In" - Piccadilly - 7N35024 UK #37 † 1962 "A Picture Of You" - Piccadilly - 7N35047 UK #2 † 1962 "Your Tender Look" - Piccadilly - 7N35058 UK #31 † 1962 "It Only Took A Minute" - Piccadilly - 7N35082 UK #6 † 1963 "That's What Love Will Do" - Piccadilly - 7N35106 UK #3 † 1963 "Nature's Time For Love" - Piccadilly - 7N35129 UK #26 † 1963 "Sally Ann" - Piccadilly - 7N35138 UK #28 † 1963 "Little Ukelele" - Piccadilly - 7N35150 1964 "Don't" / "Just Like That" - Piccadilly - 7N35194 1964 "You Do Things To Me" - Piccadilly - 7N35163 1965 "Charlie Girl" - Pye - 7N15983 1965 "Sicilian Tarantella" - Pye - 7N15888 1965 "Teardrops In The Rain" - Pye - 7N15784 1966 "A Satisfied Mind" - Pye - 7N17184 1966 "Little Ray Of Sunshine" - Pye - 7N17135 1966 "Sea Of Heartbreak" - Pye - 7N17074 1967 "With A Little Help From My Friends" - Pye - 7N17339 UK #32 1968 "Davy The Fat Boy" - MCA - MU1030 1969 "Sweet Music" / "Suzanne" - MCA - MU1082 1970 "Molly Perkins" - Penny Farthing - PEN718 1973 "Hey Mama" - Ammo - AMO101 UK #33 1974 "Build A Wall" - Vertigo - 6059110 1974 "Tennessee Mashman" - Vertigo - 6059099 1976 "Always Laughing" - Pinnacle - P8434 1977 "All Things Bright & Beautiful" - Power Exchange - PX261 1977 "The Boxer" - Power Exchange - PX252 1979 "Free Inside" - Acrobat - BAT10 1981 "Hey Mama" - TFC - TFC1 1983 "Give Us A Break" - BBC Records - RESL134 1993 "Come On Joe" - Joe Brown Productions - UGCD001 1997 "Old Chunk Of Coal" - Demon - JBPROMO1 1999 "That's The Way The World Goes Round" - Round Tower Music - RTMS9902CD 1999 "On A Day Like This" - Round Tower Music - RTMS9901CD 2004 "I'll See You In My Dreams" - Track 2006 "One Trick Pony" - Track 2006 "Reuben" - Track 2008 "Everybody's Famous" - Track 2008 "You Were Everywhere" - Track
† - Credited to Joe Brown and the Bruvvers
[7] [edit] Albums 1962 A Picture Of You - Golden Guinea - GGL0146 UK # 3 1962 A Picture of Joe Brown - Decca/Ace Of Clubs - ACL1127 1963 Joe Brown - Live - Piccadilly Records - NPL8005 UK # 14 1963 Joe Brown / Mark Wynter - Golden Guinea - GGL0179 1963 Here Comes Joe - Golden Guinea - GGL0231 1964 Charlie Girl (original cast recording) - CBS CBS2627 1965 What A Crazy World - Golden Guinea - GGL0272 1966 Bits Of Joe Brown - Marble Arch Records - MAL651 1968 Joe Brown - MCA Records - MUPS347 1972 Brown's Home Brew - Bell Records - BELLS208 1974 Together (B. H. Brew) - Vertigo Records - 6360114 1974 The Joe Brown Collection - Golden Hour - GH583 1977 Joe Brown Live - Power Exchange - PXLS2002 1987 Here Comes Joe - Diamond - DLP500 1988 Hits'N'Pieces - PRT Records - PYL4017 1990 A Golden Hour Of - Knight - KGHCD121 1991 Onstage Jet - JETCD1002 1993 Come On Joe - Joe Brown Productions - CDUG001 1993 The Joe Brown Story - Sequel - NED235 1994 Live & In The Studio - See For Miles - C5MCD612 1995 A Picture Of You - Entertainment Today - 5507592 1997 56 & Taller Than You Think - Joe Brown Productions - FIEND790 1999 On A Day Like This - Round Tower Music - RTMCD92 2001 A Showbusiness Lifetime - Joe Brown Productions - UGCD003 2004 Jiggery Pokery - Joe Brown Productions - UGCD005 2004 Hittin The High Spots - Track Records - TRA1051 2006 Down To Earth - Track Records - TRA1057 2008 More Of The Truth - Track Records - TRA1060[7] [edit] Quotation“ I have the world's most shocking memory... I only manage to remember the words of my songs because they're in rhyme ! ”
Joe Brown - July 1962 - NME[8]
