Tenpole Tudor
Encyclopedia
Tenpole Tudor are an English
punk band fronted by Edward Tudor-Pole
. The band has been active intermittently since 1977.
/saxophone
) met guitarist
Bob Kingston ( see also Robert Miles-Kingston) , bassist
Dick Crippen, and drummer
Gary Long. They played regularly for several years until Tudor-Pole himself (under the moniker of Eddie Tenpole) came to prominence by appearing in the 1978 film
, The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
. He was originally billed as a replacement for Sex Pistols
singer Johnny Rotten — performing the song
s "Who Killed Bambi?", "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" and a cover version
of "Rock Around The Clock
" for the film and subsequent soundtrack
— however, manager
Malcolm McLaren
and the remaining Sex Pistols instead decided to abandon the group and go their own ways.
with Stiff Records
with whom they released the single
"3 Bells in a Row" (which is a slightly different version of the one later found on the album Eddie, Old Bob, Dick, and Gary).
The band released their début album
, Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary
, in 1981. It sold well, and in addition to the popular "3 Bells in a Row", launched two additional hit single
s "Wunderbar" and "Swords of a Thousand Men". In the same year, the group released their second album, Let the Four Winds Blow, which also performed well. They further distinguished themselves with their oddball live performances, which had band members often dressing in medieval garb and Tudor-Pole himself in a full suit of chain mail
armour. They also added Munch Universe, as he was named, to their lineup.
In 1982, the original Tenpole Tudor broke up. While Tudor-Pole led a cajun
-inspired version of Tenpole Tudor, the rest of the band released a single under the name The Tudors, minus Munch Universe. After the non-original incarnation of Tenpole Tudor failed, Tudor-Pole left Stiff Records and began performing in jazz
and swing bands, eventually returning to acting. Today, Tudor-Pole concentrates partly on acting, but focuses mainly upon his new one-man-show, performing live shows described as a 'One Man Stadium Show'. He has re-formed Tenpole Tudor from time to time, notably in 2001, with Darrell Bath on guitar, Donagh O'Leary
on bass and Ben Standage on drums.
He currently performs his one-man live show throughout Britain and in 2009 released a new Tenpole Tudor album titled Made it this Far.
group Skyclad
covered
Tenpole Tudor's "Swords of a Thousand Men" on their 2001 single.
Canadian Celtic punk
group, The Real McKenzies
, covered Tenpole Tudor's "Swords of a Thousand Men" on their 2001 album, Loch'd and Loaded
.
soccer video game.
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...
punk band fronted by Edward Tudor-Pole
Edward Tudor-Pole
Edward Tudor-Pole is an English musician, singer , TV presenter and actor.- Musical career :Tudor-Pole formed the band Tenpole Tudor in 1974, and eventually came to prominence after appearing in the film The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle as a possible replacement for Johnny Rotten in the Sex Pistols...
. The band has been active intermittently since 1977.
Origins
Tenpole Tudor formed in 1977 when Tudor-Pole (vocalsSinging
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
/saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
) met guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Bob Kingston ( see also Robert Miles-Kingston) , bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Dick Crippen, and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Gary Long. They played regularly for several years until Tudor-Pole himself (under the moniker of Eddie Tenpole) came to prominence by appearing in the 1978 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle is a mockumentary film directed by Julien Temple and produced by Don Boyd and Jeremy Thomas about the British punk rock band Sex Pistols....
. He was originally billed as a replacement for Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
singer Johnny Rotten — performing the song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s "Who Killed Bambi?", "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" and a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Rock Around The Clock
Rock Around the Clock
"Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954...
" for the film and subsequent soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
— however, manager
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...
and the remaining Sex Pistols instead decided to abandon the group and go their own ways.
1980 - present
Tenpole Tudor recorded a one shot single on WEA records with the A side being "Real Fun" and the B side "What's In A Word". Real Fun is available in live form on two different CDs. The single was never released on CD. Tenpole Tudor returned in 1980 and signed a recording contractRecording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
with whom they released the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"3 Bells in a Row" (which is a slightly different version of the one later found on the album Eddie, Old Bob, Dick, and Gary).
The band released their début 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...
, Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary
Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary
Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary was the debut album by UK punk rock band Tenpole Tudor. A moderately successful seller, peaking at #44 in the UK, the album launched three singles: "Three Bells in a Row", "Wunderbar" and "Swords of a Thousand Men". "Wunderbar" reached #16 on the charts...
, in 1981. It sold well, and in addition to the popular "3 Bells in a Row", launched two additional hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s "Wunderbar" and "Swords of a Thousand Men". In the same year, the group released their second album, Let the Four Winds Blow, which also performed well. They further distinguished themselves with their oddball live performances, which had band members often dressing in medieval garb and Tudor-Pole himself in a full suit of chain mail
Chain Mail
"Chain Mail" is a single by Mancunian band James, released in March 1986 by Sire Records, the first after the band defected from Factory Records. The record was released in two different versions, as 7" single and 12" EP, with different artworks by John Carroll and, confusingly, under different...
armour. They also added Munch Universe, as he was named, to their lineup.
In 1982, the original Tenpole Tudor broke up. While Tudor-Pole led a cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
-inspired version of Tenpole Tudor, the rest of the band released a single under the name The Tudors, minus Munch Universe. After the non-original incarnation of Tenpole Tudor failed, Tudor-Pole left Stiff Records and began performing in 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...
and swing bands, eventually returning to acting. Today, Tudor-Pole concentrates partly on acting, but focuses mainly upon his new one-man-show, performing live shows described as a 'One Man Stadium Show'. He has re-formed Tenpole Tudor from time to time, notably in 2001, with Darrell Bath on guitar, Donagh O'Leary
Donagh O'Leary
Donagh O'Leary, born Dublin 1965, is a bass guitarist and songwriter based in London, UK. He has been a member of many UK bands including The Wild Frontiers, Dave Vanian & The Phantom Chords, Naz Nomad & The Nightmares , Tenpole Tudor and played as a session player with Marc Almond and Peter...
on bass and Ben Standage on drums.
He currently performs his one-man live show throughout Britain and in 2009 released a new Tenpole Tudor album titled Made it this Far.
Cover versions
Folk metalFolk metal
Folk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
group Skyclad
Skyclad (band)
Skyclad are a British heavy metal band with heavy folk influences in their music. They are considered one of the pioneers of folk metal. The etymology behind the term "skyclad" comes from a pagan/wiccan term for ritual nudity, in which rituals are performed with the participants metaphorically clad...
covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
Tenpole Tudor's "Swords of a Thousand Men" on their 2001 single.
Canadian Celtic punk
Celtic punk
Celtic punk is punk rock mixed with traditional Celtic music. The genre was founded in the 1980s by The Pogues, a band of punk musicians in London who celebrated their Irish heritage. Celtic punk bands often play covers of traditional Irish folk and political songs, as well as original compositions...
group, The Real McKenzies
Real McKenzies
The Real McKenzies is a North American Celtic punk band founded in 1992 and based in Vancouver, British Columbia.In addition to writing and performing original music, Real McKenzies perform traditional Scottish songs, giving them a new punk-influenced sound...
, covered Tenpole Tudor's "Swords of a Thousand Men" on their 2001 album, Loch'd and Loaded
Loch'd and Loaded
Loch'd & Loaded is the third album by the band Real McKenzies, released in 2001 .-Track listing:#"Nessie" – 3:09#"Raise the Banner" – 2:08...
.
Singles
- "Who Killed BambiWho Killed Bambi?Who Killed Bambi? was to be the first film featuring the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, and was due to be released in 1978. Russ Meyer was due to direct from a script by Roger Ebert and Pistols' manager Malcolm McLaren. The film was intended as a punk rock version of A Hard Day's Night...
" - (1979, VirginVirgin RecordsVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
VS 256) - billed as Ten Pole Tudor - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#6 - the listed b-sideA-side and B-sideA-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of "Who Killed Bambi" was "Silly Thing" by Sex PistolsSex PistolsThe Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
- "Rock Around The ClockRock Around the Clock"Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954...
" - (1979, Virgin VS 290) - UK #21 - the listed b-side of "Rock Around The Clock" was "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" by Sex Pistols - "Real Fun" / "What's in a Word" - (1980, Korova - KOW4)
- "3 Bells in a Row" / "Fashion" (Live at The MarqueeMarquee ClubThe Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
) / "Rock and Roll MusicRock and Roll Music"Rock and Roll Music" is a song written and recorded by rock and roll icon Chuck Berry which became a hit single in 1957 and has been covered by many artists....
" (Live at The Marquee) - (1980, Stiff Records, BUY98) - "Swords of a Thousand Men" / "Love and Food" - (1981, Stiff Records, BUY109) UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#6 - "Wunderbar" / "Tenpole 45" - (1981, Stiff Records, BUY120) - UK #16
- "Throwing My Baby Out With The Bath WaterThrow out the baby with the bath waterThrow out the baby with the bath water is an idiomatic expression used to suggest an avoidable error in which something good is eliminated when trying to get rid of something bad, or in other words, rejecting the essential along with the inessential....
" / "Conga Tribe" - (1981, Stiff Records, BUY129) - UK #49 - "Let The Four Winds Blow" / "Sea of Thunder" - (1981, Stiff Records, BUY137)
Albums
- Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and GaryEddie, Old Bob, Dick and GaryEddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary was the debut album by UK punk rock band Tenpole Tudor. A moderately successful seller, peaking at #44 in the UK, the album launched three singles: "Three Bells in a Row", "Wunderbar" and "Swords of a Thousand Men". "Wunderbar" reached #16 on the charts...
- (1981, Stiff Records, SEEZ 31) UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#44 - Let the Four Winds BlowLet the Four Winds BlowLet the Four Winds Blow was Tenpole Tudor's second album and the follow-up to Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary. Despite featuring the minor hit "Throwing My Baby Out With the Bath Water" the album and the follow-up single both failed to chart...
- (1982, Stiff Records, SEEZ 42) - Made it this Far - (2009, Angel Air)
The Tudors
- "Tied Up With Lou Cool" / "Cry Baby Cry" - (1983, Stiff Records, BUY172)
Eddie Tenpole Tudor
- "The Hayrick Song" / "Take You to the Dance" - (1983, Stiff Records, BUY177(7") SBUY177(12"))
CD reissues
- Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary - (1991, Repertoire Records, REP 4220-WY) - the original album plus six bonus tracks.
- Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary - (1993, Stiff Records, STIFFCD 06) - the original album plus three bonus tracks.
- Let the Four Winds Blow - (1993, Stiff Records, STIFFCD 12) - the original album plus five bonus tracks.
- Swords of a Thousand Men - (1997, Recall Records) - 2CD version of the 1993 reissues with different artwork.
- The Best of Tenpole Tudor: Swords Of A Thousand Men - (2001, Metro, METRCD049) - compilation of singles, b-sides and selected album tracks.
- Wunderbar: The Stiff Records Singles Collection - (2002, Anagram Records, CD PUNK 128) - compilation of all the singles and b-sides.
- Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary / Let The Four Winds Blow: The Stiff Anthology - (2007, Stiff Records, CDSEEZ 31) - Slipcased digitally remastered 2CD reissue of the original albums, with the single versions, b-sides and exclusive live tracks.
In popular culture
The Single, "Swords of a Thousand Men" is featured in the TV promotional spots in both Europe and the United States for EA's FIFA 11FIFA 11
FIFA 11 is the 18th title in Electronic Arts' FIFA series of football video games. Developed by EA Canada, it was published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label...
soccer video game.
External links
- [ Tenpole Tudor biography] at Allmusic website
- Edward Tudor Pole on MySpace Music
- FIFA 11 Promo spot