Black Dyke Mills Band
Last updated on October 18, 2024
Last updated on October 18, 2024
From Wikipedia:
Black Dyke Band, formerly John Foster & Son Black Dyke Mills Band, is one of the oldest and best-known brass bands in the world. It originated as multiple community bands founded by John Foster at his family’s textile mill in Queensbury, West Yorkshire in the mid-19th Century. The ensemble has become prominent in competitive band championships and through recordings for film and television.
The band is well-known for recording the soundtrack to the BBC gardening makeover series Ground Force in 1997, and appeared in the Christmas edition of Victoria Wood’s sitcom Dinnerladies in 1999. In 1999 they played on the Academy Award nominated song “That’ll Do” from Babe: Pig in the City. They have featured on recordings and live appearances by acts including The Beatles, Paul McCartney and Tori Amos. In 2014, the band won the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain for a record 23rd time, and the British Open Championship for another record 30th time. They have also won the European Championships a record thirteen times, most recently in 2015. […]
Black Dyke Band has made over 350 recordings, including one of the first brass band recordings in 1904 and classical music. It has recorded with classical bass trombonist Douglas Yeo, and pop acts Tori Amos, Peter Gabriel and The Beautiful South. The band also worked with Gabriel on the highly acclaimed Millennium Show, featured in the Millennium Dome, as well as recording the music for the BBC programme Ground Force. […]
In September 1968, the Black Dyke Mills Band released a single on The Beatles’ Apple Records label. The A-side featured an instrumental titled “Thingumybob,” composed by Paul McCartney, which served as the theme for a London Weekend Television sitcom of the same name starring Stanley Holloway. The B-side was a brass band instrumental rendition of the Lennon-McCartney song “Yellow Submarine.” Paul produced the single, marking it as one of the initial four singles launched by Apple.
In 1979, the Black Dyke Mills Band collaborated once more with Paul, contributing to “Love Awake,” a track on the Wings album “Back to the Egg.”
They are fabulous. This band plays my dad’s type of music. But even so I have enjoyed the session so much that I’d like to do another, bigger piece with a brass band.
Paul McCartney – From Melody Maker, July 13, 1968
About the Black Dyke Mills Band’s participation in 1979’s “Love Awake“:
On the new album track “Love Awake”, the group were joined in the studio by the Black Dyke Mills Band. Originally called the Alan Wharton Reed and Brass Band in 1836, this Yorkshire band changed their name to Black Dyke Mills Band in 1851 when they were affiliated to the textile firm John Foster and Sons. An amateur band, their professional occupations range from a schoolmaster, builder, office manager, and textile worker. They have been the most consistent winners of the National Brass Band Championship and this year, have become the European Brass Band Champions. They have previously been associated with Paul when he produced their single on the APPLE label of “Thingumybob” coupled with “Yellow Submarine”.
From Club Sandwich N°14, April / May 1979
Beatle Paul, conducting Britain’s champion brass band
MOST musical outfits have been Influenced by the Beatles at some time or other. And yesterday those stout champions of British brass, the famous Black Dyke Mills Band, finally fell under the spell, too.
The band set out to record Thingmebob, a number written by Paul McCartney for a new television series. And Paul himself turned up for the recording session in the Victoria Hall at Saltaire, Yorks. It proved, as one would expect, quite a confrontation. Before the four-hour session ended, Paul had conducted a brass band for the first time in his life, forty local children unexpectedly found themselves on the record, and the people of Exhibition-road had been treated to an open-air concert.
Paul, 26, roped in the children for an oompah version of that Beatle oldie, Yellow Submarine, for the B-side of the record. And he had the band record Thingmebob in the street as an experiment. Afterwards he said: “I had Thingmebob recorded in London with three brass players, but it didn’t sound right. So I thought we should have it done by the best band in the land — the Black Dyke Mills.”
From Daily Mirror – July 1, 1968
A Beatle in Bradford and a big brass band
One day soon (when the cider wears off, and my cold is better, and I’m physically and mentally capable of telling it like it was), I’m going to go into the full story of the brass band and the Beatle; the happiness in the children’s eyes and on the grey face of Bradford; the Rolls-Royce voyage down the M1, the soul-searching at Newport Pagnell; Max Wax the Killer and Big Lovable Martha; the peace and friendship of the people of Harrold… beer and cider and cold pie and crisps in the Magpie… and sad, happy songs of love sung by Paul McCartney in a village dentist’s house in the still small hours of the morning.
Suffice to, at the moment, that Paul and his very human friends Derek Taylor, Peter Asher and Tony Bramwell were in Bradford at the weekend, and that the result was a breezy single of a McCartney instrumental called “Thingumebob” recorded by the Black Dyke Mills Band.
The atmosphere was marvellous. First of all they did “Thingumebob” in the smoke-black Victoria Hall, then we all trooped out into the sunshine for an “outdoor” sound in Exhibition Road.
All the children cheered and shouted on a version of “Yellow Submarine” on the B-side, Paul’s great big dog Martha slept at his feet, and the local reporters asked earnest questions about whether brass bands were to be the big new trendy thing from the Beatles. Eee, it were a grand day. And you don’t get likes of that every day of the week in Bradford, lad, believe you me.
Sandwiched between the recording session and staggering home in London at 5.30am, I have a million memories and a long taped conversation with Paul in which he had a go at me, I had a go at him, Peter Asher and Derek Taylor nicely kept the balance, and we all came out of it knowing a great deal more about each other than before.
It was also the best drink-up and general night out I’ve had since sliced bread, and my heartfelt thanks for a nice piece of living go out to Paul, Derek Taylor and Co. (for the lift), the villagers of Harrold (for being real-people) and to Gordon the Irish dentist and his wife Pat (for feeding us all at 3 am with such pleasant meat and rice).
Just give me a few weeks to go on holiday and sort myself out, that’s all I ask, and then I’ll be back with the details in a clear and (I hope) readable form. Right at this moment, I couldn’t even try!
From New Musical Express, July 6, 1968
Paul joins band
Beatle Paul McCartney joined forces with the National Brass Band champions, the Black Dyke Mills Band, at Shipley, Yorkshire, last Sunday to record the soundtrack of “Thingamebob,” (sic) the new London Week-End TV comedy series set for the autumn.
Paul has written the score for this show, which will feature Stanley Holloway. The script is by Kenneth Cope.
The session, with Apple Records A&R man Peter Asher in charge, also saw a single in the can with the Black Dyke Band recording this after the sound track had been completed. Both the sound track and the A side of the single is “Thingamebob,” named after the show’s title. Release date for the single is tentatively fixed for next month.
“I have enjoyed the session tremendously but, really, it is my dad’s type of music,” said Paul afterwards, “I would still like to do a bigger piece with a brass band as good as this one,” he added.
Backing for the “Black Dyke Plays Paul McCartney” single will be their version of “Yellow Submarine.”
From Melody Maker – July 7, 1968
Paul’s shout up at Shipley
One of the strangest ever permutations of Britain’s best musical talent of two spheres — Beatle Paul McCartney and National Brass Band champions, the Black Dyke Mills Band — joined forces along with a hundred young shouting, singing Shipley fans at the Victoria Hall in this Yorkshire town for a recording which had hit written all over it.
The occasion was the recording of the theme music for the London Weekend TV new comedy series titled “Thingumybob” which is screened this autumn starring Stanley Holloway.
Paul wrote the music and Kenneth Cope the script. The music is also being released by Apple Records by a single, probably next month, with a march version of “Yellow Submarine” on the B side.
How did this unlikely combination of musical talent arise? “Paul did the score for brass and we tried it with a band in London. Then, as we wanted the best, we asked around and everyone said, ‘get the Black Dyke’ — so here we are,” said a delighted Apple A&R manager Peter Asher, who took charge of the session.
The Black Dykes, under conductor Geoff Brand, rose to the occasion like the champions they are. During one break in takes, Brand told the huge gathering of press men and bandsmens’ relatives, “Shhh… we are doing a masterpiece.”
His obvious delight at having the opportunity of tackling a piece of Beatle music in the brass idiom was obvious throughout this Sunday morning session in the sunshine. For an outside session followed that in the hall.
Asher, on leaving the control room, said, “They (the band) are fabulous.” Paul echoed these sentiments but added, “This band plays my dad’s type of music. But even so I have enjoyed the session so much that I’d like to do another, bigger piece with a brass band.”
Throughout the session Paul was with the band in thought as he aped Brand in bringing in the trombones then the cornets or drum sections. In between came the inevitable autograph signing sessions.
When he thought a take lacked something he managed to get all the mums, dads, sons and daughters and — a not inconsiderable achievement — the galaxy of reporters and photographers to join in by singing and shouting at the end of the “Yellow Submarine” recording.
The idea for this number came from the dual purpose of the recording session. “Thingumybob” went down for the TV show and the single and the “Submarine” was an obvious B side.
Both, I’ll wager, add up to hit material. For the music sounds at once typically Beatle in style and yet tailormade for the brass band work. How can it fail with these two substantial backings?
Paul’s part in all this was rather that of professional spectator. One felt he was like the author watching his book being turned into a film. There was no doubting his obvious desire to “have a go” at times and, when a cornettist handed him an instrument during the outdoor session it became too much.
He tried his hand — and the outcome sounded like every young scout when he joins a band for the first time! But an example of the McCartney pull over critical faculties was provided by one group of girls who shouted, “You sound fabulous, Paul.”
There was one other little failure but everyone forgave the culprit his error — and smiled in the process.
It came at the end of one take which was climaxed with a sound from rattles, whistles, bells and shouting bystanders. As Brand signalled the end and pursed his lips for seconds of silence, in wandered Martha, Paul’s huge, shaggy, Old English sheep-dog and whined in protest at the din. I can’t say I blamed her.
The recording incidentally has nothing to do with “Yellow Submarine,” the cartoon film, released on July 18, for which the Beatles have written the soundtrack.
From Melody Maker, July 13, 1968
Jun 30, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Thingumybob / Yellow Submarine
Apr 01, 1979 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Back To The Egg
Thingumybob / Yellow Submarine
By Black Dyke Mills Band • 7" Single
Thingumybob / Yellow Submarine
By Black Dyke Mills Band • 7" Single
By Wings • Official album
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