Kilburn and the High Roads

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 performed their first gig in 1971 and were regulars on the pub rock scene by 1973. The Kilburns also supported the Who on their Quadrophenia tour of late 1973.{{cite web|url=https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-a-to-k/artists-k/kilburn-and-the-high-roads/|title=Kilburn and The High Roads|website=Nostalgia Central|date=12 May 2013 |access-date=29 October 2021|archive-date=6 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106212705/https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-a-to-k/artists-k/kilburn-and-the-high-roads/|url-status=live}}

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. The band were managed by fashion entrepreneur Tommy Roberts, presaging acquaintance Malcolm McLaren's involvement with the Sex Pistols. Signing to Pye subsidiary Dawn Records, the band released debut single "Rough Kids" the same year and a second single and their re-recorded debut album Handsome in 1975, before disbanding soon afterwards.{{Cite web |url=http://louderthanwar.com/kilburn-and-the-high-roads-handsome-album-review |title=Kilburn And The High Roads: Handsome – Album Review {{!}} Louder Than War |date=15 August 2016 |access-date=8 September 2017 |archive-date=8 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908202500/http://louderthanwar.com/kilburn-and-the-high-roads-handsome-album-review/ |url-status=live }}

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.

In 2016, Cherry Red Records released an expanded edition of Handsome with a bonus disc containing a previously unreleased 1974 Capital Radio broadcast.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/8956182-Kilburn-And-The-High-Roads-Handsome|title=Handsome 2016 edition|publisher=Discogs|access-date=29 October 2021|archive-date=29 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029114505/https://www.discogs.com/release/8956182-Kilburn-And-The-High-Roads-Handsome|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/handsome-expanded-edition/|title=Handsome: Expanded Edition|publisher=Cherry Red Records|access-date=29 October 2021|archive-date=29 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029113007/https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/handsome-expanded-edition/|url-status=live}}

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,{{cite web|url=http://www.stiff-records.com/stiff-artists/humphrey-ocean-and-the-hardy-annuals/|title=Stiff – Humphrey Ocean And The Hardy Annuals|website=Stiff-records.com|access-date=12 September 2017|archive-date=10 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510121002/http://www.stiff-records.com/stiff-artists/humphrey-ocean-and-the-hardy-annuals/|url-status=live}} written by Dury.

Suggs has credited Kilburn and the High Roads with being "a huge influence" on Madness.Du Noyer, Paul. In the City: A Celebration of London Music, Random House, 2010, p200 Paul Simonon of the Clash has credited Dury as an influence on punk.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/nov/29/ian-dury-popandrock|title=The life and times of Ian Dury – pop|first=Sean|last=O'Hagan|date=29 November 2009|website=Theguardian.com|access-date=19 December 2017|archive-date=12 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912234600/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/nov/29/ian-dury-popandrock|url-status=live}} The Sex Pistols were inspired by Chris Thomas' production on the first Kilburn's single to work with him;Birch, Will. Ian Dury: The Definitive Biography, Pan Macmillan, 2010, p137 it has also been suggested that John Lydon borrowed some of his early performance style from Dury,{{cite web|url=https://dangerousminds.net/comments/ian_dury_before_the_blockheads_when_he_fronted_kilburn_and_the_high_roads|title=Ian Dury: Before The Blockheads when he fronted Kilburn and the High Roads|date=30 August 2016|website=DangerousMinds|access-date=4 January 2019|archive-date=5 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105043344/https://dangerousminds.net/comments/ian_dury_before_the_blockheads_when_he_fronted_kilburn_and_the_high_roads|url-status=live}} although the claim is rejected by Lydon.{{cite web|url=https://www.johnlydon.com/q2002.html|title=johnlydon.com – interviews – Q Magazine, June 2002|website=Johnlydon.com|access-date=12 September 2017|archive-date=17 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717213822/http://www.johnlydon.com/q2002.html|url-status=live}}

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• Ian Dury – lead vocal, percussion (also lyricist and songwriter) {{small|(1970–75)}}
• Russell Hardy – piano (also songwriter) {{small|(1970–74)}}
• Rod Melvin – piano, vocals (also songwriter) {{small|(1974–75)}}
• Edward "Ted" Speight – guitar {{small|(1970)}}
• Keith Lucas (Nick Cash) – guitar {{small|(1971–75)}}
• Charlie Hart – bass {{small|(1970, 1972–73)}}
• Ian Smith – bass {{small|(1971)}}
• Humphrey Ocean – bass {{small|(1973)}}
• Charley Sinclair – bass {{small|(1974 –75)}}
• George Khan – saxophone {{small|(1970)}}
• Davey Payne – saxophone {{small|(1971 –75)}}
• Terry Day – drums {{small|(1970, 1972 –73)}}
• Chris Lucas – drums {{small|(1971 –72)}}
• David Newton-Rohoman – drums {{small|(1973, 1974 –75)}}
• George Butler – drums {{small|(1974)}}

{{div col end}}

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• Ian Dury – lead vocal {{small|(1975 –76)}}
• Rod Melvin – keyboards {{small|(1975 –76)}}
• Edward "Ted" Speight – guitar {{small|(1975 –76)}}
• John Earle – saxophone {{small|(1975 –76)}}
• Giorgi Dionisiev – bass {{small|(1975 –76)}}
• Malcolm Mortimore – drums {{small|(1975 –76)}}
• Chaz Jankel – keyboards, guitar {{small|(1976)}}{{cite web|url=https://punkmusiccatalogue.wordpress.com/kilburn-the-high-roads/|title=Kilburn & the High Roads|date=22 May 2014|publisher=Punk Music Catalogue|access-date=29 October 2021|archive-date=29 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029113004/https://punkmusiccatalogue.wordpress.com/kilburn-the-high-roads/|url-status=live}}

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{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.iandury.co.uk/ Official Ian Dury website]
• [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/kilburn-the-high-roads-mn0000095956/biography AllMusic biography]

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Category:English pub rock musical groups

Category:Rock music groups from London

Category:English protopunk groups

Category:Dawn Records artists

Category:Pye Records artists

Category:Warner Records artists