UNITED KINGDOM: FORMER ROLLING STONE, BILL WYMAN AND HIS BAND RHYTHM KINGS PERFORM ON TOUR AFTER SUCCESS OF HIS THIRD ALBUM "GROOVIN'"

Record ID: 389850

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: FORMER ROLLING STONE, BILL WYMAN AND HIS BAND RHYTHM KINGS PERFORM ON TOUR AFTER SUCCESS OF HIS THIRD ALBUM "GROOVIN'"
  • Date: 18th June 2000
  • Summary: SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) WYMAN SAYING: "Everybody's surprised when they see this band, they all think yeh maybe it will be okay maybe it will be good, but they all go away saying 'God, I never thought it would be that good.' But these guys are pros (professionals) and they're the best as far as I'm concerned that's why I've got them in the band." SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English
  • Embargoed: 3rd July 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, UK
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA78SNFZBBIA9ELRI1WBGINEUZE
  • Story Text: Celebrating the recent success of their third chart-topping album, "Groovin," Bill Wyman and The Rhythm Kings took London's Covent Garden Roadhouse club by storm when they performed in front of a packed audience of loyal fans.
    The former Rolling Stone and his band of merry men have been touring the length and breadth of the United Kingdom since their third album "Groovin'" was released in May.
    Despite being overlooked by the majority of UK radio stations, the album - a blend of jazz, rhythm & blues and pop - has received rave reviews from critics and shot straight to the top of Music Week's Jazz and Blues charts.
    It's also been steadily climbing the official UK album charts. Speaking from The Roadhouse, Covent Garden on Sunday (May 18) Wyman told Reuters why he thinks the album has been a hit.
    "The shame is they just won't play your records on the radio you see because you're not top-40 and it's a bit sad so everything that we do goes word of mouth, people telling people and people playing the record to other people and they go and buy it so..and it works because it's building, building and building and it's nice to give people a variety of music instead of just doing one style of music all night long which can get boring unless you've got twenty hits so we do a whole variety of music.
    "I've got four great singers in the band, completely different styles, I've got the two guitarists who are completely different. One's jazz and one's country, rock 'n' roll and rockabilly and Georgie Fame is all blues, jazzy, souly so Gary's rock 'n' roll and New Orleans and he can do lovely ballads as well so you can do a whole variety of music and that's what we do," he said.
    Performing alongside him on this tour are Albert Lee, Georgie Fame, Gary Brooker, Terry Taylor and singer Beverley Skeete to name a few. One of the guitarists who is making music headlines of his own is Martin Taylor and he loves touring with the band.
    "It does take a lot of energy to do it because we're up there for like two hours just non-stop and it's all quite intense but the thing is because we're enjoying it so much, it's like being at a party and playing it doesnt feel like work , it's not work really is it, i've never worked in my life, what am I talking about," Taylor admitted.
    Bill Wyman and The Rhythm Kings have been packing venues wherever they've played on this tour something they attribute not only to the excellent calibre of the musicians.
    "Bill does like to play in little clubs like this and do gigs like this and you can tell that people appreciate it when we do things like this and really that's where music is the best when you hear it in an intimate setting when it's an intimate setting like this . Hopefully it will come back, we certainly enjoy it," revealed Taylor.
    The Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings UK tour 2000in Newcastle on Monday July 3.
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